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The following areas are the primary functions of the Administrative Services Division: CALEA Accreditation, Emergency Management Liaison, Major Event Planning, Probation/Parole Liaison, Fees and Licensing Collection, Records Management System, Human Resources Liaison, Internship Program, Awards Program, Police Officers Memorial Service Coordinator,
Office of Professional Standards, Training, Property and Evidence Management.
Administrative Services Commander
Captain Dave Disney started his law enforcement career in 1984 with the Washington Iowa Police Department and is a 1985 graduate of the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. He joined the Urbandale Police Department in March of 1991. Captain Disney has served as a patrolman, narcotics detective, criminal investigator, press information officer and D.A.R.E. Instructor for the Urbandale Community School District.
Captain Disney was promoted to Sergeant in 1999 and has been a supervisor in the Patrol Division, Investigation Division and Support Services Division. He has several years of experience as a S.W.A.T. team member with the Suburban Emergency Response Team (SERT). He was promoted to the position of Support Services Commander in May 2014. In April 2017 Captain Disney was transferred to the Criminal Investigation Division. In May 2018 he was transferred to the Administrative Services Division where he currently serves as Division Commander.
Captain Disney earned his Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice from Grand View College and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Drake University. He is a member of the Urbandale Police Benevolent Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Iowa State Police Association and the Iowa Police Chief's Association. Captain Disney is a graduate of the 260th FBI National Academy.
Captain Disney can be reached at 515-331-6811 or by email.
Captain Dave Disney
Hours (Except Holidays)
Administrative Services Sergeant
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W3C Issues Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as a Recommendation
WAI Provides Definitive Guidance for Web Access by People with Disabilities
French and Japanese versions of Press Release also available
W3C Contacts
Janet Daly, <janet@w3.org>, +1.617.253.5884
Ned Mitchell, <ned@ala.com>, +33 1 43 22 79 56
Andrew Lloyd, <allo@ala.com>, +44 1 27 367 5100
Yuko Watanabe <yuko@w3.org>, +81.466.49.1170
http://www.w3.org/ -- 5 May 1999 -- The World Wide Web Consortium today announced the release of the "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0" specification as a W3C Recommendation. As a W3C Recommendation, the specification is stable, contributes to the universality of the Web, and has been reviewed by the W3C Membership who recommend it as the means for making Web sites accessible. W3C encourages information providers to raise their level of accessibility using this Recommendation.
Clear Expectations for Web Sites
"The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines explain what to do," said Tim Berners-Lee, Director of W3C. "It has always been difficult to know, when making a site more accessible, which changes are critical. These guidelines answer that question, and set common expectations so that providers of Web sites and users can be much more strategic. The bar has been set, and technologically it is not a very high bar. Some of the items in these guidelines will be unnecessary once authoring tools do them automatically. Now it is time to see which sites can live up to this."
Stable Guidance for Changing Technologies
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines establish stable principles for accessible design, such as the need to provide equivalent alternatives for auditory and visual information. Each guideline has associated "checkpoints" explaining how these accessibility principles apply to specific features of sites. For example, providing alternative text for images ensures that information is available to a person who cannot see images. Providing captions for audio files makes information available to someone who cannot hear audio.
The guidelines are designed to be forward-compatible with evolving Web technologies, yet enable sites to degrade gracefully when confronted with legacy browsers. Specifics on how to implement the checkpoints with the latest versions of mark-up or presentation languages such as HTML, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), or SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language) are described in a parallel "Techniques" document, to be updated periodically.
Prioritized Checklist For Easy Reference
"An accompanying 'Checklist' provides a handy tool for reviewing Web sites and clearly delineates the three priority levels in the guidelines," explained Daniel Dardailler, Technical Manager of the Web Accessibility Initiative.
Outcome of a Strong Collaboration
As with other areas of WAI work, these guidelines are an outcome of a collaboration of industry, disability organizations, accessibility research centers and governments working together to identify consensus solutions for barriers that people with disabilities encounter on the Web.
"The W3C has provided a unique forum which has allowed us to bring together experts from industry, research and practice in a way that has not been possible before," explained Gregg Vanderheiden, Director of Trace Research & Development Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Co-Chair of the Web Content Guidelines Working Group. "The result is a set of guidelines that is more comprehensive, technically sound and practical than anything possible before. In addition, because the guidelines are built on the work and participation of virtually everyone who is active in this area, it provides us for the first time with a definitive set of guidelines that can serve as a reference for the field."
Broader Benefits
Accessible design also benefits other Web users, for instance by promotingdevice-independence for Web content. Checkpoints that support Web access for people with visual disabilities also help people accessing the Web from mobile phones, hand-held devices, or automobile-based PC's; when connection speed is too slow to support viewing images or video; or when a person's eyes are "busy" with other tasks. Checkpoints such as captions support access for people with hearing impairments but also help people who are using the Web in noisy or in silent environments; and they make it possible to index and search on audio content. Use of CSS for control of presentation not only facilitates accessibility, but also speeds download time of pages and can reduce costs of maintaining or updating the "look and feel" of sites.
"We have a growing list of resources to support implementation," explained Judy Brewer, Domain Leader for WAI. "We are developing an on-line curriculum to take Web authors through the guidelines, giving examples of mark-up of tables, frames, animations, multimedia, and other features that create barriers when done poorly but are accessible when marked up correctly. There are technical reference notes; links to browsers with features to support accessibility; links to information on policies in different countries that relate to accessibility."
About the Web Accessibility Initiative
W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), in partnership with organizations around the world, is pursuing accessibility of the Web through five activities: ensuring that core technologies of the Web support accessibility; developing guidelines for Web content, user agents, and authoring tools; developing evaluation and repair tools for accessibility; conducting education and outreach; and tracking research and development that can affect future accessibility of the Web. The WAI International Program Office is supported in part by funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, European Commission's DG XIII Telematics Applications Programme for Disabled and Elderly, the Government of Canada, IBM, Lotus Development Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, and NCR. For more information see http://www.w3.org/WAI.
About the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
The W3C was created to lead the Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability. It is an international industry consortium jointly run by the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science (MIT LCS) in the USA, the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control (INRIA) in France and Keio University in Japan. Services provided by the Consortium include: a repository of information about the World Wide Web for developers and users, reference code implementations to embody and promote standards, and various prototype and sample applications to demonstrate use of new technology. To date, over 320 organizations are Members of the Consortium.
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International Institute of Ayurveda
International Institute of Ayurveda, Coimbatore
International Institute of Ayurveda, AVP-H.O. Annexe, Olympus, Ramanathapuram, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, 641045
0422-2316006, EXT410
www.avpayurveda.com
Brief Description of International Institute of Ayurveda, Coimbatore
International Institute of Ayurveda (Under AVR Educational Foundation of Ayurveda, (AVREFA), division of Chemistry was established in the year 1981, it is a Research Institution and it is affiliated to Bharathiar university.
The AVR Educational Foundation of Ayurveda (AVREFA) is the Educational and Research Institution promoted by the Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (CBE) Ltd., (AVP) which was founded in 1943 by late Arya Vaidyan P. V. Rama Varier an able physician, scholar, writer and philanthropist. This institution started decades ago, has now grown into a leading Ayurvedic house of the Southern India with a chain of branches and agencies spread country wide.
Courses Offered by International Institute of Ayurveda:
Doctorate Programmes
Ph.D. (Chemistry)
Under Graduate Courses
B.B.M. (Political Science)
B.A. (Tamil Literature)
B.B.M. (Tamilology)
Submitted by: CoolBreeze Hits: 1452 Rating: 0 out of 5 Reviews: 0 See all Colleges from Coimbatore
Reviews on International Institute of Ayurveda, Coimbatore (0)
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Liam DeStefano
New York Jets reveal a full-scale rebrand
Disappointing is the best word to describe the often-troubled New York Jets NFL franchise. However, with the recent draft choices of quarterback Sam Darnold and safety Jamal Adams, along with the major free agent acquisition of running back Le’Veon Bell, the Jets fanbase has reason to be excited for the first time in years. To capitalise on this excitement, the Jets have decided to commit to a full-scale rebrand, including both a redesigned logo and new uniforms.
The new logo eschews the old oval design which encircled the interior type, replacing it with a shape with a look much closer to that an American football. Additionally, the ‘New York’ facet of the logo is now much more prominently featured as white type above ‘Jets’ instead of being relegated to a background outline. Though the logo retains its colour scheme of green and white, the new green is a slightly brighter shade, and has been dubbed ‘Gotham Green.’
Gotham Green is one of the three new uniform colours as well, in addition to ‘Spotlight White’ and ‘Stealth Black.’ The uniforms are now much sleeker and edgier, and the type chosen for the numbers bears a striking resemblance to the type of the recently redesigned uniforms of the Detroit Lions. The most noticeable change made is the removal of the logo patch on the upper-right corner of the front. In its place is conspicuous, bold text reading ‘New York’ across the centre.
The Jets’ usage of its location as the focal point of its rebranding campaign is a shrewd strategy, because unlike the Jets, New York City continues to remain culturally important. While the Jets may not have a legendary history or a wealth of championships, the team’s home city is second to none. Understanding this, the Jets also released a new promotional video which intertwines the grit necessary to succeed in competition to the grit New Yorkers cultivate living in the city.
While it remains to be seen if the Jets’ recent signings will be able to deliver on the hype surrounding them, the team’s rebrand represents how the it intends to operate in the future.
Tourism Fiji values happiness over wealth in new place brand
#TransformTuesday: 16 April
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FeaturesInterviews
Interview with Hatchet: Signals Of Infection
Nick Perkel
Hatchet are a four-piece thrash metal band from San Francisco, California, that formed in 2006. They have released two albums to date with Awaiting Evil in 2008 and Dawn Of The End in 2013, and after the tour for Awaiting Evil, singer/guitarist Julz Ramos had to completely rebuild his band from the ground up.
Hatchet will be performing Saturday, June 21, at Trenton, New Jersey’s Championship Bar And Grill with Black Tide, Threat Signal, Affiance and Paralysis. The Aquarian Weekly recently caught up with Ramos to discuss Dawn Of The End, touring, and what it really means to be signed to a label.
Having five years between Awaiting Evil and Dawn Of The End, how many songs did you go through to pick out what ended up on the new album?
I am the sole songwriter of the band and actually, I didn’t really dispose of any songs in between. I knew at some point I was going to record it. A lot of the songs I had written closely after Awaiting Evil. Lineup changes, trying to stay afloat, performing live shows and doing small tours got in the way of being able to write more. The songs are ones that I had written from beginning to end with that intention.
I remember hearing “Signals Of Infection” back in 2010 on the tour with Witchaven. How much did you change it up since then?
Honestly, not very much. A couple of chords here and there, a couple different guitar nuances… Some of the vocal lines did change because at that time I was new to singing. I hadn’t found my voice yet and what I am strong with and what sounds good. At that time it was just monotone kind of punkish singing. There were a lot of words in that song so I streamlined a little bit more in the verses to make it easier for the way I sing now. For the most part it’s pretty much the same, besides little tweaks like that.
Can you explain how prevalent pay-to-play is in Southern California and Bay Area clubs, and what kind of venues you would point to for underground musicians that are rising up to get themselves booked at?
Hatchet is never going to be a pay-to-play band where we hand over cash just to go over a stage, but we sold a few tickets here and there. There are venues around that still want to do that; there are a few key promoters in the Bay Area that want to do that. I think it’s fine if it’s the $15-20 ticket range as opposed to selling 50-75 tickets where you basically are buying the band’s guarantee that is going to be on that night.
I think there is a point where it is OK, and a point where it is not. We definitely have gotten really big offers for shows where it wasn’t OK and I turned it down because I am not willing to pay for another band’s guarantee out of my own pocket to play on a stage. That’s not what it is about.
You have toured America on three previous DIY tours. What type of things did you realize you should have done on the first tour that you learned by the end of the third tour?
I should have fired everybody I had in the band back then and got the guys I had in the band now (laughs). The biggest thing is learning to get along with the people that you are with. You need to choose the battles you fight with the little things that get on your nerves.
The road is not for everybody. It can make or break a lot of bands. I know when our first album came out, that was one of the things that kind of broke us apart was the road that the original lineup did. People just didn’t know how to deal with the road or how to get along or what the overall direction was. I am kind of glad I went all through that because it’s really helped me now shape the direction of the band. I am able to give the rundown to the people in the band now when they join. Now, when they join, it’s like, “Hey, this is how it is. You are joining, this is what you are signing on for; don’t tell me later on that you can’t handle it.”
So far this lineup that we have now has been better than any other lineups we have had. I never imagined in my life that I would be doing vocals. Midway through our tour with Havok back in 2009 or 2010, we had to kick our singer out of the band on tour. You don’t quit, you find a way to do things. If your vehicle breaks down, you put the money into it, and worry about the finances later. If your singer quits or you fired him, what are you going to do? I’m the sole ranger of the band; I raise my hand and say, “I’m going to do it.” That’s what I had to do. It’s not easy but it is what you have to do. You learn to adapt to what being on the road means.
What have you noticed about the prevalence of pay-to-play venues from your years on the road?
For the most part I don’t see it, and that’s a good thing. It just depends on the promoter if it’s like ticket selling, when you have to give $1,000 and you can play. I would never recommend anyone doing that. If you know that as a local you have enough time to get your people in the door do it, sell 15, 20, 25 tickets and you know you are not going to go out of pocket, do it. It’s a way to promote your band and other bands on the show. If you are being asked to cover a tour package guarantee where you sell 70 tickets for $20, are you comfortable with paying $1,000 or $2,000 to play a show? I’m certainly not.
How important is it today for a heavy metal band to be signed to a label? And what does it mean for a band that has survived the DIY route for a few years to get signed?
That’s kind of a double-sided question. As far as being on a label, it can really hurt you and it can really help you. We were always just a band trying to play in our local Bay Area scene. Suddenly bands like Warbringer, Fueled By Fire happened. Labels were picking people up left and right. It’s a learning experience. I am glad I went through it.
The label we are on now, The End Records, it’s a night and day difference. They are a smaller label. They are indie-based. They truly 100 percent communicate with us. They work with us. They work for us, which is what a label is supposed to do. They showed up to our New York show and their president even came out. They printed us up flyers. They gave us tour support, which is unheard of in these days. It’s a total night and day difference.
Unfortunately, it is not about how good you are. In this case, it was, though; they liked our album Dawn Of The End a lot. They wanted to take a chance on us and they really believed in it. They came out to our show in New York and supported us 100 percent. They gave us tour support and in this day and age, that’s really unheard of. We lucked out this time around and we could’ve easily given up when the band basically crumbled and I was basically the only member left standing. For some reason, I had an urge to keep it going. The second album is way better, with a better lineup, and the label makes sense this time.
Labels still help in this day and age. Bands like to do it themselves. They like to sell their own albums and get the money, which I am not about because I can do a DIY tour and sell 200 copies. Oh, I made $2,000, or I can see it as an investment in the end and realize I am not going to make a cent off any of these albums, but we will eventually end up getting on good tours with good promotion to get the band where it needs to be. One day we may see some money from it but if you are in this business for money, you are in the wrong business unless you get really lucky or are in this for years and you tour a bunch with no money, and you might be able to look forwards to McDonald’s or something. It’s all luck. That’s the truest answer.
Hatchet will be performing Saturday, June 21, at Trenton, New Jersey’s Championship Bar And Grill. Their latest album, Dawn Of The End, is available now through The End Records. For more information, go to facebook.com/hatchetofficial.
dawn of the endhatchetjulz ramosnick perkel
Rodney Crowell @ City Winery
An Interview with Transit: With All Their Heart
Interview with Emilie Autumn: Ready To Fight
Drinking With Tankard: An Interview with Andreas “Gerre” Geremia and Frank Thorwarth
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US Congress Introduces Bill To Tighten Internet of Things Security
What could go wrong? JL
Alfred Ng reports in CNET:
The Defense Intelligence Agency told lawmakers that insecure IoT devices are one of the "most important emerging cyberthreats" to US national security. There's no national standard for IoT security and it's up to each company to decide how secure they want to make their connected devices. Lawmakers are looking to fix that with the bill, which would require a bare minimum of security standards for any IoT devices that the federal government uses. The hope is that by improving security standards for the federal government, one of the largest customers available, standards for the entire IoT market would improve along with it.
Connected devices are notorious for their shoddy security and Congress is hoping to fix that.
Members of the US Senate and House of Representatives introduced the Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act, hoping to bring legislative action to the emerging technology.
Connected devices are expected to boom to 20.4 billion units by 2020, but they don't all have the same levels of security. Hackers often target IoT devices that don't have built-in security, leading to problems like default passwords and vulnerabilities that can't be fixed.
At a Senate hearing last year, Lt. General Robert Ashley, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told lawmakers that insecure IoT devices are one of the "most important emerging cyberthreats" to US national security.
There's no national standard for IoT security and it's up to each company to decide how secure they want to make their connected devices.
Lawmakers are looking to fix that with the bill, which would require a bare minimum of security standards for any IoT devices that the federal government uses. "While I'm excited about their life-changing potential, I'm also concerned that many IoT devices are being sold without appropriate safeguards and protections in place, with the device market prioritizing convenience and price over security," Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, said in a statement.
The legislation wouldn't have security standards for IoT companies across the board -- just ones that want to sell to the US government.
The hope is that by improving security standards for the federal government, one of the largest customers available, standards for the entire IoT market would improve along with it.
The bill is not like California's SB 327, the country's first IoT security law, which passed last September. California's law requires specific security measures that device makers have to adhere to, like getting rid of default passwords and requiring users to generate their own passwords before allowing device access.
If passed, the federal IoT security bill would require recommendations from the National Institute of Standards and Technology on security standards the federal government should follow.
NIST would also review that policy every five years, according to the bill.
All IoT vendors that sell to the US government would also have to have a vulnerability disclosure policy so that government officials can learn when the devices they're using are open to cyberattacks.
Four senators first proposed this bill in August 2017 and it's being introduced for a vote in both the Senate and the House on Monday.
Sens. Warner, Cory Gardner, Maggie Hassan and Steve Daines introduced the bill in the Senate while Rep. Robin Kelly and Will Hurd introduced the legislation in the House.
"As these devices positively revolutionize communication, we cannot allow them to become a backdoor to hackers or tools for cyberattacks," Kelly, a Democrat from Illinois, said in a statement.
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Filter: Chapman History
Alumni, Encore, Historical, Chapman History
"Dad Would Have Been Proud" - The Rattle, Spring 2000
The Spring 2000 "The Rattle"
By George W. Chapman, Jr., '49
(reprinted with permission of Theta Chi International from the Spring 2000 Rattle)
Editor’s Note: Hundreds of guests and members of Theta Chi Fraternity visit the International Headquarters in Indianapolis every year. Be they participants in Fraternity events in the city or travelers on their way to some point on the compass, or conventioneers, or undergraduates on a road trip to “See National,” the impact upon them of Fraternal historical artifacts and emotional triggers seems to be consistent from one man to another. In the morning of November 2, 1999, a phone call that seemed initially like so many others was received by the Headquarters staff and a few casual and highly informative questions were answered positively. Less than an hour later, an alumnus brother and his wife walked back into personal and Fraternal history in a way only a few of our members could ever do. This is his brief recollection of that visit.
Our visit to Theta Chi Fraternity’s International Headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana was really unplanned. My wife, Marion, and I knew we would pass through the city but did not expect to have time to stop. When we found ourselves with a few extra hours, we called Theta Chi to see if a quick visit was a possibility. It was!
I should mention that my father, George W. Chapman, had been a former Executive Director of Theta Chi for exactly 20 years prior to his retirement on January 1, 1968. He, and a group of other students from Philadelphia, had formed Omega Chapter at Penn State in early 1919. So I have a special connection to Theta Chi, in addition to my own membership.
Brother El Ahlwardt, Director of Development, for Theta Chi Funds, Inc. and Editor of The Rattle, and Scott Thomas, Director of Chapter Services, met us at the front door of the beautiful Headquarters building.
George W. Chapman Jr. (Omega/Penn State '49) stands before a display case at the International Headquarters in which are displayed many mementos and personal artifacts of his father, George W. Chapman (Omega/Penn State '32)
Before portraits of Frederick Norton Freeman and Arthur Chase, and a watercolor of The Old South Barracks, site of Theta Chi Fraternity's founding, Mr. and Mrs. George W. Chapman, Jr. examine a copy of the seventeenth edition of The Manual of Theta Chi Fraternity. Originally compiled and edited by Brother Chapman's father, The Handbook of Theta Chi Fraternity was first published on August 15, 1939
I must admit that it has been many years since I have had the occasion to use the Theta Chi grip, but instinct took over and our formal greeting was as though rehearsed. Brother Ahlwardt and Brother Thomas were as fine a pair of gentlemen as we could have met anywhere, and a great credit to our Fraternity.
As part of our tour of that building, we were ushered into “The Chapman Library,” a beautifully furnished room that would seem to be the heart of Theta Chi since it contains displays of all items of our history since 1856. This was a most emotional moment for me.
I had previously visited “The Chapman Library” when the Headquarters was in Trenton, New Jersey. But I had assumed that, with the movement of the Headquarters to the Midwest in the early 90s and the passage of some 30 years, things would have changed. If the library still existed, it merely had a new, more modern name. I hope my brothers and my wife could excuse the choke in my voice when I saw my father’s portrait and a display cabinet of his writings, books, photos, awards, etc still intact in “The Chapman Library.” This was a thrill and a moment of nostalgia I shall not soon forget.
There were also mementos of other Theta Chi greats of that generation. Men like Sherwood Blue, Dusty Rhodes, Joe Ross and others, who guided the Fraternity through the difficult post-war years.
As a young man, I knew these men as colleagues of my father, but I did not yet understand the devotion, dedication, and drive with which they served their Fraternity. They gave freely of their time and energy and resources, sometimes at the expense of their personal and business lives. Their obsession was to see that Theta Chi grew and prospered, and along with all those devoted brothers who followed, this Fraternity has been well served.
While photographing his brick, and the adjacent bricks in the Pathway of Brotherhood upon which are engraved the names of his brother (Philip C. Chapman, Omega/Penn State '57) and father (George W. Chapman, Omega '32), Brother Chapman and his wife, Marion, are assist-ed by Scott Thomas (Delta Kappa/Ball State '97), Director of Chapter Services
Brother Chapman admires a coat of arms patch that is on display at the International Headquarters. Suit patches of this sort were worn very fashionably in the 1950s and 1960s on a blue blazer. Shortly after his visit to the International Headquarters, Brother Chapman gave one of his own Theta Chi suit patches for display in the Chapman Library. The gold leaf frame, which contains the patch being admired by Brother Chapman, was crafted in 1856, the year of the Fraternity's founding
Marion and George W. Chapman Jr. stand before a portrait of George W. Chapman that hangs on the wall of The Chapman Library at the International Headquarters
We continued our tour throughout the great Board Meeting Room and through the various office areas where we met the staff members who keep the behind-the-scenes business of Theta Chi running smoothly. We inspected the Pathway of Brotherhood in front of the HQ building, paved with memorial engraved bricks. We noted with satisfaction the adjacent bricks with the names of my father, my brother Philip, and myself-all members of Omega chapter at Penn State.
George Chapman's '20 brick
George Chapman Jr's.'49 brick
Philip Chapman's '57 brick
One humorous incident came to mind during our tour. My father’s formal retirement in 1968 was held during the 112th Anniversary Convention in Miami Beach. He urged my sister, Ann; my brother, Phil; and myself to attend if we could. By pre-arranged agreement, we all advised him that we could not be able to join him. In the meantime, we made secret plans to fly to Miami and surprise him with our presence. We joined the reception line, but when our time came to greet Dad, there was no wild exclamation of joy as we expected. He merely shook our hands, and with a twinkle in his eye, passed on to the next guest. His usual dignity and poise turned the tables and we were the ones surprised-the joke was on us! It was the subject of much family humor for years!
Our thanks to Brother Ahlwardt and Brother Thomas for being such kind and friendly hosts on short notice. I can truly say that Dad would have been extremely pleased and proud to know of the beauty of the International Headquarters, and the excellence of the leadership and staff of our beloved Fraternity, Theta Chi. We also took great pride in the beauty and practicality of the Headquarters Building.
Check other back issues of The Rattle click here
Check out the Omegaphone Archive
Tagged: Rattle, Chapman
Historical, National, Chapman History
George W. Chapman Memorial Library dedicated in National Headquarters
The George W. Chapman Memorial Library dedicated in National Headquarters on March 4, 1979
Chapman Room Dedication Invite - Cover
Chapman Room Dedication Invite - Inside
Download a PDF of invite
Tagged: Chapman
Theta Chi Salutes - George Chapman - Rattle Summer 1968
As Revised from an Article by the Late George Starr Lasher
If George W. Chapman needed another title, it might rightly be Mr. Theta Chi . . . as he has served as Executive Director for the past twenty years and has supervised the fraternity's growth from 75 chapters in 1947 to the present 144 active chapters and 5 colonies.
Mr. Chapman began his life-long interest in fraternities at Penn State where he was president of Phi Tau Alpha which in 1919 became Omega Chapter of Theta Chi, and he was one of the original initiates.
Graduating from Penn State College (now University) in 1920 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, George Chapman possessed a journalism urge in his undergraduate days that led to such campus posts as associate editor of Froth, humor magazine; assistant editor of "Penn State Engineer," and editor-in-chief of El Dorado, literary magazine. As a result he became a member of Pi Delta Epsilon, Journalism fraternity. He was on his class teams in soccer, baseball, and lacrosse and a member of the varsity soccer and lacrosse squad.
After graduation he was in the steel equipment business as a salesman and sales manager for 19 years. In 1939 he became a producer's representative in the commercial motion picture industry. From 1941 to 1947 he wrote, directed, and produced institutional, advertising, and training motion pictures. During the war years he wrote and directed many pictures for the U.S. Office of Education, the United States Army and the United States Navy Department from which he received a Citation for his work. In 1951 he received the graduate degree of Industrial Engineer from Pennsylvania State University.
The Philadelphia Council Boy Scouts of America claim George Chapman as a member for over 55 years. He is a member of the National Council, Boy Scouts of America and of the National Committee of the Order of the Arrow; he is a charter member and the first chief of the first lodge of this organization. He has been awarded the Silver Beaver of the Boy Scouts and the Distinguished Service Awards of the Order of the Arrow and the Philadelphia Council of B.S.A. He is a member of Alpha Phi Omega.
He is presently a reserve officer in the U. S. Coast Guard Reserve, Ret. He served with the U.S. Naval Reserve during WW I and the U. S. Coast Guard Reserve during WW II.
George W. Chapman - circa 1968
George W. Chapman (R) with Rex A. Smith, Executive Director of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and the retiring president of the CFSA as Chapman recieves a ciation from the College Fraternity Secretaries Association - Nov. 30, 1967
Tribute given to George W. Chapman from the College Fraternity Secretaries Association - Nov. 30, 1967
George Chapman never ceased to participate actively in Theta Chi. Following service as alumnus ad-visor of the Penn State chapter, he became one of the first appointed counselors in 1935 in the new regional program adopted by the fraternity; of which he served as chairman of the organizing committee. In 1937 he was named National Marshal and in 1941 he became National Treasurer, serving on the Grand Chapter a total of 9 years. In 1939 he instituted, programmed, and con-ducted the first School of Fraternity Practices which has been an important part of every Convention since then. He then produced the Handbook of Theta Chi Fraternity in two volumes, one for undergraduate reference, the other for alumni. He later produced and edited the Manual of Theta Chi. Both these publications have proved helpful to many other national fraternities in producing their own publications.
All of Theta Chi's awards and recognitions were originated and designed by George Chapman. Unique in these recognitions is the Appreciation Award which honors and recognizes women who have aided the Fraternity Movement. Theta Chi is perhaps the only fraternity which has an award for women.
George Chapman has been accorded honors of Theta Chi . . . he holds the Distinguished Service Award, Alumni Awards presented by his chapter and by the Grand Chapter, and the Golden Guard Certificate. He has been made an honorary member of more than 80 chapters. His wife, Mary, appropriately wears the Appreciation Award.
Governors of many states have conferred upon him their state's honor; he is Goodwill Ambassador for North Carolina, has been commissioned Lt. Col. by the Governor of Florida, appointed an Admiral in the navy of the state of Nebraska, and is a Lt. Col. in the Alabama State Militia.
He is married to the young girl whom he romanced during college, Mary E. Craley. They have three children (2 Theta Chi sons and a Kappa Kappa Gamma daughter), and seven grandchildren. The Chapmans presently reside in Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. They are members of the Society of Friends.
Over the years he has won the respect of the fraternity leaders who make up the National Interfraternity Conference ,Executive Committee through the authority that comes from experience mixed with diplomatic presentation of his ideas. He has been willing to give of his time and energy "beyond the call of duty" because he is so thoroughly dedicated to the fraternity philosophy. George Chapman served as an energizing force in making the College Fraternity Secretaries' Association a more positive agency in interfraternity affairs. He has served in every major office of the organization. As chairman of the publications committee, he originated and directed the annual publication of the C.F.S.A. Directory, Dean's Directory, and the College and University Calendar which have great value to fraternity administrators. For 9 years he represented the Secretaries on the N.I.C. Executive Committee.
With a background of practical experience of 50 years of service for his fraternity as layman and pro-fessional, George Chapman can truly be called Mr. Theta Chi. Knowing that his fraternity is only as strong as the system of which it is a part, he is a strong believer in sharing ideas and procedures with other fraternities and believes in doing everything he can to help further the Fraternity movement. And, George W. Chapman is a person who practices his beliefs.
Tagged: Chapman, Rattle
Alumni, Historical, National, Alter History, Chapman History
Announcement of Howard Alter as Exec. Director and George Chapman as Exec. Director Emeritus
The Grand Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity takes pleasure in annoouncing the appointment of George W. Chapman as Executive Director Emeritus and Howard R. Alter Jr. as Executive Director, January 1, 1968
L to R: Howard Alter Jr., George W. Chapman and Walt Davis
Tagged: Alter, Chapman
Alumni, National, Chapman History
George Chapman To Retire as Executive Director - The Rattle, Spring 1966
George W. Chapman '20
As appeared in The Rattle - Vol. 54 No. 3 - Spring 1966
Theta Chi’s Executive Director to retire in 1967
Theta Chi Faces A Change
George Chapman has signified his desire to retire from the position as our Executive Director some time within the ensuing two years. True to his principles, he has indicated his eagerness to cooperate with Grand Chapter in acquainting his successor with the vast range of responsibilities, operations, procedures and manner-of-doing-things in his major position of leadership.
National President Howard Alter named a Committee of Grand Chapter to initiate a search for Mr. Chapman’s successor. Vice President Mark McColm is Chairman of the committee, and Joseph D. Ross, Jr., National Secretary, Spencer Shank, National Counselor, and Joseph C. Ross, Jr., National Marshal, are the other committee members.
The Chapman Years
This space is inadequate to note down what should be expressed in description and appreciation of
George Chapman’s extended service in our National Office. Entering the work when post-war enrollments and pressures were moving towards high tide, George kept Theta Chi abreast of the times. In a sensible and realistic manner, George endeavored to implement Starr Lasher’s thesis: If Fraternity is good, it is good’ for a maximum number of eligible men.
But growth is but one characteristic of these Chapman years. What year, what period from 1946-1947 forward was quiet, untroubled? Let's look at the record by naming just a few problems that had to be met;
Completing the functional integration of Beta Kappa into Theta Chi;
Adapting fraternity operation and system to the returning Veteran (and older man) and the traditional, new freshman (18 years);
Meeting the onslaught: of campus-based, left-wing sociological planners, who soon showed active opposition to the fraternity system, all too frequently by unethical and unprofessional means;
Counseling and encouraging undergraduates whose fraternity membership was sometimes under adverse pressure from unsympathetic college personnel officers;
Wrestling with the ever-present demand for extended, new housing. Corollary: Meeting the competition from provided housing that was sometimes lush in comparison;
Continuously working with Alumni, sometimes with frustration and futility and against long odds. Many new chapters were very, very young. Their Alumni may have been but a year or two older than their Seniors!!!
We name it; you know it: Membership qualifications. Long discussed and much studied, this subject moved rapidly to the fore during George's years of service. That Theta Chi has continued to function as a major National Social Fraternity during this troublesome period says much on the subject of stability, good sense and great care on the part of our National Leaders.
Finance. This problem is ever present, because more and better service is a continuous fraternity goal. And service somehow is tenaciously related to costs and available funds.
Personnel. In these years of tremendous scientific, technological, industrial and professional expansion, it has not been easy to recruit and retain personnel to work on fraternity staffs. Somehow, it has been done, at what effort we Alumni out in the Regions scarcely know.
Let us add: These years have ably demonstrated major achievements and high rewards. We name but three:
Growth. This is best expressed in terms of actual membership on campus, membership in Alumni ranks and in roster of chapters. True, other National fraternities have undergone similar growth. But Theta Chi kept pace and continues to find its place among the top ten. This kind of thing is done by the work of many men, yes. But leadership is imperative, too.
Emerging nationally. We have never heard George say as much, but suspect that he is quietly and gratefully proud of the way in which Theta Chi has moved to the forefront in National Fraternity Affairs. We do not here refer to numbers; we refer to positions occupied and leadership exercised in National Interfraternity Conference, College Fraternity Secretaries Association, and so on. It was the pointing, guiding hand of George W. Chapman that found and indicated the necessary who, how, and when in much of this significant development.
We become International. Another reason for pride we gladly name is the establishment of our first non-U.S. Chapter, up at University of Alberta, at Edmonton, Canada. J. C. Byrd did the “leg work” here and is entitled to the credit for this successful operation. One could expand this pleasant thought, but to mention it should be sufficient. All of us walk a little taller, are a little straighter since we have had our Zeta Gamma Chapter.
There will be many reviews Theta Chi over these past twenty years. The foregoing presents a few sectors of a very large Circle. Our counseling corps will yield no one in acknowledging the effort and achievement in Theta Chi, that radiated out from the Broad Street Bank Building, Trenton, during the Chapman years. Let our concluding statement here be on the note thai‘ a man’s ultimate worth lies in the manner and degree to which he favorably influences the lives of fellow man. May we suggest to George that he pause, if only a brief moment, and look about him. What he may see is the ever-enlarging Circle of Theta Chi. Within that Circle stands the legions of men whose lives he so effectively touched; within it, too, he may find the ultimate measure of his service.
Search for Successor Begins
It will be impossible to fill the shoes of George Chapman and no one knows this better than the Committee responsible for the task. Vice President Mark McColm is prepared to give further information to alumni who may wish to be considered for this position. Inquiries should directed to him at 4510 Brooklyn Avenue N.E., Seattle, Washington:
Tribute to George W. Chapman and More - The Rattle, Summer 1962
As appeared in The Rattle - Vol. XLX No. 4 - Summer 1962
Tribute to George W. Chapman
If George W. Chapman needed another title it might rightly be liaison officer between the National Interfraternity Conference Executive Committee and the College Fraternity Secretaries Association, for, of the fourteen years he has been Theta Chi's efficient executive director he has also served nine years as representative of his fellow secretaries and directors to the highly important N. I. C. Executive Committee. While this post was originally designed as that of an observer with the idea that the representative would report back to the executive secretaries of the member fraternities the attitudes and policies of the Executive Committee, the relationship of George Chapman has been much more positive.
Because of his seasoned judgment, his wide knowledge of Greek affairs, his thoroughgoing faith in the fraternity as an institution of education value, and his clear, mature thinking, he has been accepted not merely as an observer, but as a wise counselor, and he has been encouraged to participate in the discussion of fraternity problems and in the administration of the Executive Committee. He serves on various subcommittees because his point of view and his contributions have been found valuable.
To the credit of George Chapman it can be said that he has filled his role as a representative in a way that has made for a better fraternity system. He won the respect of the fraternity leaders who make up the N. I. C. Executive Committee through the authority that comes from experience mined with diplomatic presentation of his ideas. He has been willing to give of his time and energy “beyond the call of duty” because he is so throughly dedicated to the fraternity philosophy, and Theta Chi Fraternity has been willing to support wholeheartedly and unselfishly his efforts to strengthen the entire fraternity system.
George Chapman has been an energizing force in making the College Fraternity Secretaries’ Association a more positive agency in interfraternity affairs. He served as treasurer, secretary, and vice president of the organization, and was president in 1957-1958. As chairman of the publications committee he established, and directs the annual publication of the C. F. S. A. Directory, the Deans’ Directory, and the College and University Calendar which have been of inestimable value to fraternity administration.
In August of 1957 he established News and Notes, and his editorship provided one of the instruments which has proved most effective. This monthly publication presents things, good and bad, that are going on among the Greeks, bringing an understanding of the problems facing fraternities and sororities, alerting the organizations to the need of action on their part. Through the years, News and Notes has grown in importance. As editor, publisher, and reporter, George Chapman has served in making his readers more conscious of the challenges that Fraternities and sororities face because of today's trends in the educational world. News and Notes arouses both attention and thinking from which sometimes action develops.
A graduate of Pennsylvania State College (now University) in 1920 with a degree of bachelor of science in civil engineering, George Chapman nevertheless possessed a journalism urge in his undergraduate days that led to such campus posts as associate editor of Froth, humor magazine; assistant editor of Penn State Engineer; and editor-in-chief of El Dorado, literary magazine. As a result, he became a member of Pi Delta Epsilon, journalism fraternity. He was on his class teams in soccer, baseball, and lacrosse, and a member of the varsity soccer and lacrosse squads. He was president of his chapter and a member of the IFC.
After graduation from Penn State, he was in the steel equipment business as a salesman and sales manager for 19 years. In 1939 he became a producer’s representative in the commercial motion picture industry. From 1941 to 1947 he wrote, directed, and produced institutional, advertising, and training motion pictures. In the war years he wrote and directed many pictures for the U. S. Office of Education, the United States Army, and the United States Navy department from which he received a citation for his work. In 1951 he received the graduate degree of industrial engineer from Pennsylvania State University at the same time his daughter Ann was ’graduated.
With 50 years’ membership in the Boy Scouts of America, George Chapman is a member of the Philadelphia Scout Council and has been for many years a member at large of the National Council. He is also a member of the National Committee of the Order of the Arrow, the scout honor society of which he was a charter member and the first chief of the first lodge. He has been awarded the Silver Beaver of the Boy Scouts of America and the Distinguished Service Awards of the Order of the Arrow and the Philadelphia Scout Council. He is a member of Alpha Phi Om,egg, the national collegiate service organization for scout-trained men.
Following service with the U. S. Naval Reserve in World War I, and the U. S. Coast Guard Reserve in World War II, he became a member of the Coast Guard League and is presently a reserve officer in the U. S. Coast Guard Reserve.
George Chapman never ceased to participate actively in this fraternity from the time of his initiation, and even before, because he was instrumental in bringing the local fraternity of which he was the president into Theta Chi. Following service as alumnus adviser of the Penn State chapter he became one of the first appointed counselors in 1935 in the new regional program adopted by the fraternity, and of which he had served as chairman of the organizing committee. In 1937 he was named national marshal, and in 1941 he became national treasurer, serving on the Grand Chapter for nine years through 1946.
In 1939 he instituted, programmed, and conducted the first School of Fraternity Practices which has been an important part of every convention since then. The school pointed up the need of a manual of fraternity practices, policies, and procedures, so he produced the Handbook of Theta Chi Fraternity in two volumes for undergraduates and alumni, and later the Manual of Theta Chi Fraternity. Both of these publications have proved helpful to other fraternities in producing something similar for use in their organizations.
Following the custom of some other fraternities, Theta Chi some time ago established a number of awards and recognitions. These were all originated and designed by George Chapman and through his efforts approved and established by the Grand Chapter. Unique among such recognitions is the Appreciation Award which honors and recognizes women who have aided the fraternity or the fraternity system. Theta Chi is perhaps the only fraternity which has an award for women.
George Chapman has been accorded honors by his fraternity- the Distinguished Service Award, Alumni Awards presented by his chapter and by the Grand Chapter, and the Silver Legion Certificate. He has also been made an honorary member of more than 60 chapters. His wife appropriately wears the Appreciation Award. Governors of various states have also conferred recognition. He is goodwill ambassador for the state of North Carolina, has been commissioned lieutenant colonel by the governor of Florida, and appointed an admiral in the navy of the state of Nebraska.
Following a romance which started in college, George Chapman married Mary E. Craley. They have three children, all married, and five grandchildren. His sons, George, Jr., and Philip, are members of Theta Chi. His daughter, Ann, and daughter-in-law, Marion, are members of Kappa Kappa Gamma. His son0in-law is a Beta Theta Pi. The Chapmans live in Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania, northern suburb of Philadelphia. They are members of the Society of Friends.
Not alone has been recognized on the basis of loyal and effective service as the fraternity;s executive director since 1947. He was president of the Philadelphia Alumni Chapter for a year and is a member of the board of directors of the Omega Chapter Alumni Association. He is a member of the National Interfraternity Conference House of Delegates. He is also on the executive committee of the College Fraternity Secretaries’ Association and continues to edit its News and Notes. When the National Interfraternity Conference opened its national office in New York City several years ago he was appointed a member of the office committee, which has been in charge of setting up that facility and overseeing its operation, and he continues in this capacity.
With a background of practical experience on more than 40 years of service for his fraternity as layman and professional, George Chapman is sometimes called Mr. Theta Chi. Knowing that his fraternity is only as strong as the system of which it is a part, he is a strong believer in sharing ideas and procedures with other fraternities and believes in doing everything he can to help and further the fraternity system. And he practices these beliefs.
Prominent Scientist Dies alter Retiring In Florida
Honorary member: of Omega Chapter, Dr. Raymond Adams Dutcher, 76, professor emeritus and for 30 years head of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Chemistry at Pennsylvania State University, died suddenly in Fort Myers, Florida, on April 20, 1962. Dr. Dutcher was graduated in 1907 from South Dakota State College, and did graduate work there, and later at the universities of Missouri and Illinois. He was n member of the faculties at Oregon State and Minnesota before going to Penn State in 1921]. Following his retirement he taught at University of Florida and did consulting work.
Dr. Dutcher was an outstanding teacher, and a pioneer in vitamin and nutrition research. He was the author of many technical papers in these fields, and co-author of three books on agricultural biochemistry. Many honors were extended to him, including honorary doctorates from his alma mater and the University of Puerto Rico. He was initiated into Theta Chi, April 30, 1938, and actively participated in the activities of the Penn State chapter
For the past two years Omega Chapter has been the proud owner of a rapidly growing collie called Chi. Having adjusted well to fraternity living, Chi is always on hand to greet a guest or visiting alumnus in his typically eager, tail-wagging manner. He contributes to the fun and gayety of a pinning celebration by responding to the traditional call, "to the showers," with his enthusiastic bark. He, in fact, seems to have inherited numerous characteristics of a college man: He throughly enjoys a fast ride in a convertible and the light hand of a female guest - as appeared in the Rattle, Summer 1962
Chapman Succeeds Ladue and More Omega News - The Rattle, Winter 1948
As appeared in The Rattle - Vol. XXXVI No. 2 - Dec-Jan-Feb 1948
Movie Star Selected as Dream Girl
Theta Chis at Penn State unanimously elected Virginia Mayo, motion picture star, official "Dream Girl of Omega Chapter for 1947." The selection was a result of Sammy Kaye's song, "The Dream Girl of Theta Chi." Carl Post, publicity director of Goldwyn Inc., Miss Mayo's company, notified Omega that this choice will gain national publicity.
Robert L. Weaver, ex-'48
Victim of Hit and Run Driver
Fatally injured by a hit-and-run drivers, Robert L. Weaver, ex-'48, Oklahoma A&M, ex-'48, died November 15 at Norristown, Pa., without regaining consciousness. Although cap prying a lighted flashlight, he was struck by a speeding sedan while he was walking against traffic on the highway near the house of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Kennard Weaver, the former a Philadelphia attorney.
Robert, was was 25 years of age, became a Theta Chi at Penn State where he was active in athletic affairs, serving at one time as football manager. As he was interested in animal husbandry, he transferred to Oklahoma A&M, where he was largely responsible for the founding of the local group which was installed as Gamma Zeta Chapter May, 3, 1947; as president of the chapter he received this charter. He did not return to college last fall because of a throat difficulty.
As his service to Theta Chi was so outstanding the Grand Chapter awarded the Reginald R. Colley Trophy to him posthumously as the outstanding Theta Chi undergraduate of 1947.
The following tribute was part of a letter received by Robert's father from Daniel Harris, the roommate of Robert.
"A group of boys will meet this week and every week in a acuity far from Bob's home. This group will live together for an ideal he believed to be right. New members will come in a continuous stream to catty in this ideal, even though they will have never met Bob personally. I think you are fortunate in knowing that, though Bob has passed physically front he scene, he will actually always be a dynamic park of Gamma aZeta Chapter. The number of men who can create anything worth while in a lifetime is extremely small. Bob created in less than half a lifetime."
Military Honors
Col. William I. LeVan, Penn State, '32, who left the Army after overseas service of four and a quarter years and with the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star, as well as other decorations is working for his Ph. D. degree in electrical engineering at the University of California.
George W. Chapman
Chapman Succeeds Ladue
- this story has been edited down to the George Chapman part from how it appeared in the Rattle -
The resignation of Frederick W. Ladue, Colgate, ‘12. recently an executive secretary brought to an end a remarkable record of almost continuous service to Theta Chi Fraternity in the past thirty-five years, moat of it in official capacities. His successor is George W. Chapman, Penn State, '20, who has also served the fraternity in various ways.
During Ladue's absence, George W. Chapman handled the work of executive secretary on a part-time basis; his appointment as executive secretary was made effective as of February 1. He has a background knowledge and experience which should serve him and Theta Chi well in his new work.
A graduate of engineering of the Pennsylvania State College, he was resident of the local fraternity which became Omega Chapter, and he continued as president after its installation. As an alumnus he served a number of terms as president of the Omega Alumni Corporation and as president of the Philadelphia Alumni Chapter. He has represented his chapter as active or alumnus delegate at many national conventions. In his college days he was active in sports and college publications and became a member of Pi Delta Epsilon.
As chairman of the Regional Plan Committee he helped to work out and put into effect Theta Chi‘s Regional Plan and was the first regional counselor appointed by the Grand Chapter in 1935 and served as counselor of Region III until 1937. At the Spring Lake convention in 1937 he became a member of the Grand Chapter and was national marshal until 1939. From 1939 to 1946 he was national treasurer, holding this important position through the critical war years. He was a member of the committee which worked out the merger with Beta Kappa Fraternity.
In 1939 Secretary Chapman organized and conducted the first School of Fraternity Practices and has directed the school at each convention since then. being given the title of director of leadership training in 1939.
Many of the progressive steps in the life of Theta Chi in the last fifteen years are due to the hard work and the intelligent planning George Chapman. He was largely responsible for the writing and adoption of the Objectives of Theta Chi Fraternity; he edited the Handbook of Theta Chi Fraternity, considered one of the outstanding works in the national fraternity world, and he was responsible for the establishment of the Distinguished Service and Alumni Awards, both of which he holds. He edited and compiled the Manual of Theta Chi Fraternity which has recently been published and is being accorded high praise from every quarter.
For the last ten years Secretary Chapman has been in the motion picture business, producing industrial, advertising, public relations, and training films. In the war period he wrote the scripts for and directed many training films for the Navy Department, the Army Ordnance Department, and the United States Office of Education. He was recently awarded a citation from the Bureau of Aeronautics of the Navy Department for his war work on navy training films.
He has been active for many years in the Boy Scouts of America and has just completed a ten-year term as district chairman in the Philadelphia Council. He is at member of the Philadelphia Council, has served for a number of years as a member of the National Council, and holds the Silver Beaver Award. He is a member of the National Executive Committee of the Order of the Arrow, the Scout honor society, of which he was a charter member and the first chief.
In 1925 George Chapman married Mary E. Craley, a graduate of the Pennsylvania State College. They have three children. George, Jr., a former B-29 navigator, who is a Theta Chi at Pennsylvania State College; Ann B., a member of Delta Omega Theta Sorority at Wilmington College, Ohio; and Philip C., now in high school. The Chapman live at Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, not far from the Executive Oflice at Trenton. They are members of the Society of Friends (Quakers).
George Chapman is a veteran of both wars, having served in the Naval Reserve in World War I and as an officer in the U. S. Coast Guard Reserve on part-time active duty in World War II. He is a member of the Coast Guard League and a past vice-commander of his chapter, and also a member of the United States Coast Guard Reserve.
IT'S ALMOST A HABIT for Theta Chi Fraternity to have the largest of fraternity delegations at the National lnterfraternity Conference, or one of the largest. Here's the list of the twenty-four present at the 1947 sessions: top row, left to right—Samuel B. Doudiet, Colgate, '43, traveling secretary; Louis C. James, Virginia, '45; James L. Phillips, M.l.T., '47; Dr. Robert J. Miner, Dartmouth, '20, director of student affairs, Miami University; Dr. Robert W. Bishop, dean of men, University of Cincinnati; Alfred E. Grant, Tufts, '23, past national marshall; Francis H. S. Ede, Dickinson, ‘17, past national secretary; George Starr Lasher, Michigan, ‘11, editor The Rattle of Theta Chi; middle row—Sherwood Blue, Indiana, '26, national secretary; Stuart H. Kelley, North Dakota State, '20, national chaplain; Earle D. Rhodes, Rensselaer, '21, national president; James C. Stevens, Michigan, '23, national marshall; Dr. Harold W. Browning, Rhode Island State, ‘I4, vice president of Rhode Island State College; Richard Duncan, Miami, vice president National Board of Trustees; George W. Chapman, Penn State, '20, executive secretary: front row-—Richard A. Joyeusaz, Delaware, '49; James F. Banks, Jr., Richmond, '49, secretary National Undergraduate interfraternity Council; Robert O'Conne|, Rhode Island State, '49; John D. Saunier, Worcester, '48; Howard H. Ganson, Jr., Rensselaer, '48 - as appeared in the Rattle, Winter 1948 - Nov. 28, 1947
Tagged: Rattle, Dreamgirl, Chapman
Alumni, Historical, National, Chapman History
“The Manual of Theta Chi Fraternity” Published - George W. Chapman Editor
The first edition of The Manual of Theta Chi Fraternity was published in 1947 and edited by George Chapman (Omega/Penn State 1920) along with supplemental information provided by George Starr Lasher (Alpha Gamma/Michigan 1911) Subsequent editions were edited by Dale Slivinske (Gamma Sigma/Duke 1968) and Dave Westol (Beta Zeta/Michigan State 1973).
Thousands of brothers have benefited from their experience and knowledge when they first received their copies of the Manual and likely referred to it later in life as alumni.
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As widely expected, Sen. Dianne Feinstein's assault weapons ban legislation is officially toast. Majority leader Harry Reid is taking it out of the Dems' gun violence package and will be putting it forward as an amendment, where it will meet an ignominious demise.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said on Monday that a controversial assault weapons ban will not be part of a Democratic gun bill that was expected to reach the Senate floor next month.
After a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Monday, a frustrated Feinstein said she learned that the bill she sponsored — which bans 157 different models of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines — wouldn’t be part of a Democratic gun bill to be offered on the Senate floor. Instead, it can be offered as an amendment. But its exclusion from the package makes what was already an uphill battle an almost certain defeat.
The smarter folks long predicted this, as I pointed out in January. But with the assault weapons ban gone, Dems can now get to the real meat of the bill: firearms trafficking penalties and universal background checks.
There are two likely paths: Reid could advance a gun trafficking bill with a school safety provision; some form of background checks and the assault weapons ban would then be offered as amendments. In the other scenario, Reid might offer a background checks bill that includes the gun trafficking and school safety provisions, with assault weapons again offered as an amendment.
The Judiciary panel also approved a bipartisan gun trafficking bill backed by Leahy, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), among others, that dramatically boosts penalties for “straw purchases”of weapons, in which a person buys firearms on behalf of an individual barred by law from possessing them. Thanks to its support from Republicans, Reid and Leahy want to see this bill as a foundation for the Democratic gun package on the floor.
But Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) are continuing to seek conservative GOP partners for their universal background checks bill. The two Democrats negotiated with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on the issue for weeks, but in the end that deal fell apart. Schumer and Manchin are meeting with other Republicans to seek their backing, yet they have not been able to find a partner. Kirk, a moderate, is likely to be part of whatever legislation Schumer and Manchin introduce.
All this vote wrangling is nice. Nothing will pass the House. It would cost Boehner his job as Speaker. It probably won't get a vote, or worse, we'll have the House pass some crackpot NRA bill and then nothing happens. Here's the sad part: an assault weapons ban has no chance because our Congress is bought and paid for by the NRA, and there's not a gorram thing you can do about it. We had an assault weapons ban. It died.
Just like the tens of thousands killed in firearms violence by these weapons.
We're still paying for 2010, folks. It's a big, big bill. But not as big as the butcher's bill for firearm violence in America.
StupidiTags(tm): Culture Stupidity, Legal Stupidity, Washington Stupidity
Rand Paul's Path To Oblivion
And Rand Paul's reign as the "true conservative" GOP 2016 hopeful ends today, apparently.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is endorsing a pathway to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants.
In a speech to be delivered Tuesday morning to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the potential 2016 presidential candidate declares, “If you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you.” A copy of the speech was obtained in advance by The Associated Press.
Paul’s path to citizenship would come with conditions that could make it long and difficult for illegal immigrants. Chief among these, Congress would have to agree first that progress was being made on border security.
Nonetheless, Paul’s endorsement of allowing illegal immigrants an eventual way to become citizens puts him in line with a growing number of Republicans who are embracing action on immigration as a way to broaden the GOP’s appeal to Latinos. On Monday, a Republican National Committee report called on the GOP to support comprehensive reform, though without specifying whether it should include a pathway to citizenship, which is decried by some conservatives as amnesty.
If you've been keeping track, that actually puts Jeb Bush on the far right, Paul in the middle, and Rubio on the left on this issue as the guy actually working with Democrats. It will be interesting to see if the SHAMNESTY crew turns on Paul now....
...oh but wait. The Rand Paul crew is now completely denying the report.
Rand Paul’s advisers claim the Associated Press report is false, and the senator does not back a path to citizenship. His office said in a statement, “He does not mention ‘path to citizenship’ in his speech at all.” An adviser told the Washington Post, “What his plan is extending to them is a quicker path to normalization, not citizenship, and being able to stay, work and pay taxes legally.” The headline has been updated.
So which is it? Well, we're not sure. Actually taking a position is deadly if you're a Republican.
StupidiTags(tm): Don't Blame Me I Voted For Jack Conway, GOP Stupidity, Immigration Stupidity, Wingnut Stupidity
Both Sides Are To Blame, Right?
So if you're still wondering after the Steubenville trial "Well why don't more teenage girls report rape and sexual assault" and take the cases all the way to court, it's because FOX News will "accidentally" out you for retribution.
During correspondent Mike Tobin’s report about the guilty verdicts in the Steubenville rape case on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom, the girl’s first name was broadcast without being censored.
“We have not known, really, how the victim is doing, Mike,” host Martha MacCallum told Tobin. “Is there any information on that today?”
“Well, a relative tells me that she spends a lot of time in her room,” Tobin explained. “She has been back out playing sports, and through it all — you’ll be surprised to learn — she made the honor roll one more time.”
“A family representative says the remorse coming from the football players came too late,” the correspondent added. “We saw their reaction yesterday.”
At that point, the report cut to footage of one of the rapists, 17-year-old Trent Mays, apologizing to the victim in court on Sunday.
“I would truly like to apologize to [redacted], her family, my family and the community,” Mays said. “No picture [of the rape] should have been sent around, let alone even taken.”
Raw Story has redacted the victim’s first name from this report and the video below, but Fox News did not.
A Fox News editor’s note added to an Associated Press report published on Sunday insisted that the conservative network would not name the minors charged in the case.
“Editors’ Note: The Associated Press named the minors charged due to the fact they have been identified in other news coverage and their names were used in open court,” the note said. “FoxNews.com will not name the defendants.”
So hey, plausible deniability from the crew at FOX. Because shaming the victim is really what it's all about. "Oops, it would be awful if we accidentally let your name slip on national TV like that if you went to trial, dear."
Ahh, but FOX News isn't alone. Not by far, you see, both CNN and MSNBC were guilty of the same awful act as well.
All three cable news networks aired a clip of one of the defendants, Trent Mays, apologizing to the victim in the courtroom. Mays had addressed the victim by name, which was not censored during CNN and MSNBC's broadcasts on Sunday and Fox News' broadcast on Monday. Local CBS affiliate WTRF also aired the clip without editing the victim's name out.
Gosh, MSBNC AND CNN did it first. Before FOX.
That's a hell of a message to send, yes?
Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla said two 16 year old girls are facing charges after allegedly making threats against the rape victim in Steubenville.
Abdalla said one teen turned herself in and the other one was arrested.
They are being held in the Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center and will appear before Judge Samuel Kerr Tuesday.
Death threats. From other girls.
This is where we are in America. Feel the pride.
StupidiTags(tm): I CANNOT WITH THESE GUYS, Jackass, Legal Stupidity, Tools of 2013, Village Stupidity
Pakistani officials say they have made an arrest in connection with the 11-year old beheading murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.
The US Supreme Court upheld without comment the $220,000 illegal song-downloading verdict against Jammie Thomas-Rasser.
Within hours of President Obama's nomination of DoJ civil rights division lawyer Thomas Perez as Secretary of Labor, Senate Republicans promised a brutal confirmation fight.
European austerity and ten-year mortgage deferment plans have triggered another wave of housing price collapses, this time in relatively stagnant Denmark.
Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello is stepping down at the end of the month after the video gaming company's disastrous SimCity launch.
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The Canadian election
Canadians vote on Monday, and analysts claim the election is too close to call, with the possibility of the newly reconstituted Conservative Party beating the governing Liberals. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that this would be much like Canadians electing as their government Jörg Haider's Freedom Party (there are direct connections in that they share a major backer). Although they have appropriated the name and much of the membership of the old Progressive Conservative Party (which was bad enough but had its good points and wasn't a radical party), the new Conservative Party will be a party entirely devoted to the interests of big business, and will clearly be anti-human rights and anti-immigration, and in favor of destroying or significantly weakening every single social program that doesn't benefit the rich. They have particular plans to turn the Canadian health care system into a clone of the American one, eventually leaving poor people to the mercies of the capitalist marketplace. Canadians can say goodbye to gay marriages, abortion rights, gun control, most funding for the arts, and even the tiniest sliver of a separation between Canadian foreign policy and American foreign policy (Canadians would certainly be dying in Iraq now if the Conservatives were in government). The irony of all this is that Canadians are mad at the governing Liberals largely because the Liberals themselves lost sight of their historic extreme centrism, neither right-wing nor left-wing, and have, under the leadership of shipping magnate Paul Martin (whose shipping firm has a very questionable environmental and labor history), turned sharply right. This shift also caused them to lose the steely focus they always had under Chrétien, and has led to them losing their largely-deserved reputation for competence. The disgusting Canadian media has been obviously cheerleading for the Conservatives (although the Globe and Mail is, perhaps surprisingly, endorsing the Liberals), and there is some indication that things aren't quite as bad for the Liberals as has been depicted in the media. Nevertheless, the possibility exists that on Monday night, Canada may stop existing as the country that it used to be. The Liberals were no picnic, having fixed some alleged problems in the Canadian economy on the backs of the poor (when Martin was finance minister), but they are largely responsible for the way that Canada is now, and some people think that Canada, and the idea of Canada, is a good thing. It would be a tragedy if Canadians were so stupid to throw it all away on one bad election.
A good election in Canada
Odds and Odds
Bybeed
John McMurtry's unspeakable propositions
11-M phone number
The fatal flaw of the September 11 plans
Are you as tired as I am of 9-11 lies?
Real versus ersatz beheadings
The truth won't set you free if they won't let you...
Ignatiev on Zionism
A nation of bad apples
The Saudi connections to al Qaeda - Not!
The Chalabi intelligence scandal, again
The Continuing Triumph of Neoconservatism
Where the hell is Guantanamo Bay?
John Walker Lindh and the beginnings of the tortur...
Lying news coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian con...
Bush at the Reagan funeral
The American torture lawyers
The Spanish police and the Madrid 'terrorists'
The Israeli Settlers
Torture Inc.
'The girl in the polka dot dress'
'Atta' in Florida
Two Hinckleys are better than one
Washing-Bag TIU
Nonsense and Chalabi
Truth Pioneer on Israel
Tom Toles
Genius Iranian spies
Rafah Rant
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That is impossible to sustain
"Henry Kissinger: Jews Are ‘Self-Serving Bastards’" I should immediately note that you can't trust anything said by Henry the K, as his lies tend to reflect what he perceives his audience wants to hear, but one comment, by Gaza Calling, to this typically Jew-centric Gawker posting was interesting (and the reaction of the commentators to someone having the audacity to point out one of the most obvious Jewish tricks to provide more colonialists for Israel so predictable):
"The line about "rescuing Jews stuck behind the Iron Curtain from Soviet oppression" is simpleton talk. In truth, Jews were among the most highly educated sector of the Soviet population and the whole issue about saving them was one of the biggest scams of the 20th century.
The smartest Russians, however, may have been those who stayed behind and through a backroom deal with Yelsin came into possession of all of Russia’s natural resources, making these "oligarchs" the greatest collection of thieves, perhaps, in all of history. That they were even more exclusively Jewish than were our neocons was only, of course, a coincidence, such as, for example, the Pope being Catholic.
If you want read some fascinating Kissenger talk about the ME from the 70s...read this in full...
[www.meforum.org]"
More interesting: read the document at the link, a December 1975 memorandum of conversation between U.S. secretary of state Henry the K and Iraqi foreign minister Sa'dun Hammadi. An example of the kind of lying, sprinkled with obvious truths, practiced by American diplomats, but packed full of zingers (my emphasis in red):
"Hammadi: We, of course, have different views, and I will tell you why. Iraq is part of the Arab world. We believe the United States has been the major factor in building up Israel to what it is today.
Kissinger: True.
Hammadi: It was created in 1948 and could not have lived up to this day without the United States.
Kissinger: The Soviet Union was active then, too.
Hammadi: True. That is why there were some strained relations with the Soviet Union. Our good relations with the Soviet Union are only more recent. The Communists were not popular with the masses then. But the difference is you believe Israel is there to stay. We believe Israel was established by force and is a clear-cut case of colonialism. Israel was established on part of our homeland. You don't believe that. But that is not the whole story. Israel is now a direct threat to Iraq's national security.
Kissinger: How to Iraq?
Hammadi: Israel has built up to a military power that can threaten Iraq, especially with the recent news that we read of the U.S. supplying sophisticated weapons. So it is not only the Arab world that is threatened, and Iraq being part of the Arab world, but Iraq itself. We think the U.S. is building up Israel to have the upper hand in the area. Even Lebanon—they say it affects Israel's security. A strong, powerful, nuclear Israel with the upper hand in the area. Whatever happens in the Arab world is interpreted as a threat to Israel. Even a change in government in Iraq would be interpreted that way.
Kissinger: My impression is if you change your government in Iraq, they won't object. [Laughter]. I understand your problem.
Hammadi: This is my painting of the picture now—up to 1980. You say the United States is bringing all its weight to bring about a settlement. But this is a settlement, not peace. A new wave of troubles and clashes will start because Israel is not a state to stay within what they are. Because if there is an opportunity, they will expand. The record shows it. And they are supported by the biggest power in the area. What the United States is doing is not to create peace but to create a situation dominated by Israel, which will create a new wave of clashes.
Kissinger: I understand what you are saying. When I say we are willing to improve relations with Iraq, we can live without it. But it is our policy to move toward better relations. I think, when we look at history, that when Israel was created in 1948, I don't think anyone understood it. It originated in American domestic politics. It was far away and little understood. So it was not an American design to get a bastion of imperialism in the area. It was much less complicated. And I would say that until 1973, the Jewish community had enormous influence. It is only in the last two years, as a result of the policy we are pursuing, that it has changed.
We don't need Israel for influence in the Arab world. On the contrary, Israel does us more harm than good in the Arab world. You yourself said your objection to us is Israel. Except maybe that we are capitalists. We can't negotiate about the existence of Israel, but we can reduce its size to historical proportions. I don't agree that Israel is a permanent threat. How can a nation of three million be a permanent threat? They have a technical advantage now. But it is inconceivable that peoples with wealth and skill and the tradition of the Arabs won't develop the capacity that is needed. So I think in ten to fifteen years, Israel will be like Lebanon—struggling for existence, with no influence in the Arab world.
You mentioned new weapons. But they will not be delivered in the foreseeable future. All we agreed to is to study it, and we agreed to no deliveries out of current stocks. So many of these things won't be produced until 1980, and we have not agreed to deliver them then.
Our policy is to move our policy towards peace and to improve relations with the Arab world. Iraq is not a negotiator, but I think the policy of Egypt and Syria to improve relations with us helps us to bring pressure for a settlement.
The Israelis like you better than [Egyptian president Anwar] Sadat because they like to put it in terms of a U.S.-Soviet problem. We don't want you to have unfriendly relations with the Soviet Union; we don't interfere in your relations with the Soviet Union. But basically, the Israelis prefer radical Arabs.
If the issue is the existence of Israel, we can't cooperate. But if the issue is more normal borders, we can cooperate.
We have moved toward normalization with others—except Libya. South Yemen, we will move towards.
Hammadi: We are on the other side of the fence. We have the right to ask many questions.
Kissinger: Please.
Hammadi: Given the record, what can make us believe the United States won't continue the policy of the last twenty years of giving unlimited support.
Kissinger: It depends on what you mean by unlimited support. One important change in America … Sabbagh was with me when I saw Faisal for the first time. I told him it would take a few years; we would have to move slowly. I have told all the Arabs this. It has now reached the point in America where attitudes have changed. When I testify to congressional committees, I face increasingly hostile questions about Israel. No one is in favor of Israel's destruction—I won't mislead you—nor am I.
But the support in the 1960s was $200-300 million. Now it is $2-3 billion. That is impossible to sustain. We can't even get it for New York. It is just a matter of time before there is a change—two to three years. After a settlement, Israel will be a small friendly country with no unlimited drawing right. It will be affected by our new electoral law, strangely enough. So the influence of some who financed the elections before isn't so great. This has not been so noticed. It will take a few years before it is fully understood.
So I think the balance in America is shifting. If the Arabs—if I can be frank—don't do anything stupid. If there is a crisis tied to the Soviet Union, groups in America could make it an anticommunist crusade.
Hammadi: So you think the U.S. policy after a settlement wouldn't be the same?
Kissinger: We want the survival of Israel but not dominating the area. No one can conquer the Arab world. Even if they take Damascus, Cairo, and Amman, you will be there, and Libya will be there. So if Israel wants to survive as a state like Lebanon—as a small state—we can support them.
Hammadi: What is the Israeli thinking?
Kissinger: First, they want to get rid of me. Because I made them go back. Second, in 1976, they want to provoke the Arabs—in Lebanon, in Syria—because they think if there is war they can win and create great turmoil. Third, they want to pass legislation in America to antagonize as many Arabs as possible. So we get the anti-boycott, anti-discrimination, anti-arms sales legislation. They hope the Arabs will go back to a situation like 1967-1973 when the Syrians and Egyptians adopt an anti-American line. So they can say they are the only American friend in the Middle East. What they want is what you predict—that they be the only friend. We want other friends, to reduce that argument.
Aide: Your Excellency, do you think a settlement would come through the Palestinians in the area? How do you read it? Is it in your power to create such a thing?
Kissinger: Not in 1976. I have to be perfectly frank with you. I think the Palestinian identity has to be recognized in some form. But we need the thoughtful cooperation of the Arabs. It will take a year or a year and a half to do it and will be a tremendous fight. An evolution is already taking place.
Aide: You think it will be part of a solution?
Kissinger: It has to be. No solution is possible without it. But the domestic situation is becoming favorable. More and more questions are being asked in Congress favorable to the Palestinians.
Hammadi: Do you think a Palestinian state is possible?
Kissinger: We don't exclude it as a matter of principle. You can't do it now.
Hammadi: What about Palestinians who are now refugees? The Palestine area is now crowded—Gaza and the West Bank.
Kissinger: They should have a choice, either to stay where they are or go to a Palestinian state.
Hammadi: You think some in, say, the Galilee area might choose to leave Israel and join the new Palestinian state?
Kissinger: In Galilee?
Hammadi: Arab Israelis.
Kissinger: I have told friends that peace isn't a final end. Wars begin elsewhere between countries that are at peace. Only in the Middle East do wars begin between countries that are at war. But we support the existence of Israel. We draw the line at the destruction of Israel.
Aide: The Palestinians already put aside this idea. This is my personal view. Because the Israelis are trying to buy land in the Galilee area, and there is resistance. The Communist Party in the area is using it in the municipal elections. Is this because the Israelis are looking to the creation of a Palestinian state and want to buy this land?
Kissinger: It could be in their minds. I am not familiar with it.
Aide: This is being used by the Communist Party in the area. The Israelis know you Americans are behind the idea of a Palestinian state.
Kissinger: We have to be careful and move gradually. The Israeli press accuses me. I have said we can't move to the Palestinians until they accept the existence of the State of Israel and Security Council Resolution 242. I have never excluded the recognition of the PLO; I have always tied it to recognition of Israel and 242. The implication is we will do something if they do recognize Israel and 242.
Aide: Kaddumi says: "How can we recognize Israel if they don't recognize the PLO?"
Kissinger: With all respect, what Israel does is less important than what the United States does."
at 11/19/2011 04:08:00 AM
Commies for the 0.01%
Dancing men
"I hate bullies and I love freedom fights"
Umbrella in the sun
"Gentlemen. You can't fight in here. This is the W...
So it always goes
Mubarak in Amerika
The 1%, hard at work
Iran is on everybody's mind
It hits the fan
The Palestinian State
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Microsoft To Release Out-of-Band Patch for ASP.NET Security Flaw
By Kurt Mackie
Microsoft plans to release a patch on Tuesday for a security issue associated with ASP.NET systems.
On late Friday, the company published yet another revision to its security advisory on ASP.NET systems, which added another step for IT pros applying a workaround solution. However, by early this afternoon on Monday, Microsoft announced a forthcoming patch, which will come outside the company's monthly security update cycle. The patch, rated "important," can be expected to arrive by "Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at approximately 10:00 AM PDT," according to Dave Forstrom, director of trustworthy computing at Microsoft, in a blog post.
Forstrom noted that the patch, which is described in Microsoft's advance notice bulletin, released today, will be made available initially through the Microsoft Download Center. Later, Microsoft will distribute it through other patch channels, such as Windows Update and Windows Server Update Services. He advised testing the patch beforehand. Later, the fix will be released more broadly through Microsoft's Automatic Update service.
Currently, security advisory 2416728 bears a revision date of Sept. 24, 2010, although it was revised once before. Microsoft added an additional workaround step for IT pros to carry out, but many IT pros likely will hold off for the patch coming on Tuesday. This additional step involves running a free Microsoft program called "UrlScan" designed to verify HTTP server requests. The current version of this tool, UrlScan 3.1, works with Internet Information Services (IIS) 5.1, 6.0 and 7.0 on Windows systems.
Microsoft has described this problem associated with ASP.NET systems as an information disclosure vulnerability. Security info can be gleaned through a "padding oracle" exploit. Essentially, an attacker can gain information from the server's "oracle" by sending flawed requests and interpreting the returned error messages. The oracle (an encryption component not associated with Oracle products) essentially needs to stop talking so much about its security settings.
An attacker can get password information from "cookies, ViewState, URL strings [and] hidden fields" from systems using ASP.NET and change the encrypted information, according to Microsoft blogger Vlad Azarkhin. By changing that information and querying the server, the attacker may gain enough information to impersonate the administrator, gaining access to the server, Azarkhin explained.
The objective in running UrlScan is to block "requests that specify the applications error path on the querystring," according to the revised workaround steps in the security advisory. Microsoft's general workaround solution is to configure ASP.NET to send a single error page, rather than a series of specific messages from the oracle, according to Azarkhin's latest blog post. He described the workaround as "not enough" but "vital" to apply. He noted that this problem is not specific to Microsoft products but was first discovered with the Java Server Faces Framework.
The revised security advisory specifically states that IT pros who applied the workaround previously need to go through all of the steps again. Likely, many IT pros will want to wait for the patch to arrive instead.
The vulnerability is associated with other Microsoft products that rely on ASP.NET, including SharePoint and Exchange. All Exchange systems, starting from Exchange 2003, are potentially affected and require the workaround or patch, according to this Microsoft blog.
Another Microsoft blog states that the workaround needs to be applied for systems using "SharePoint 2010, SharePoint Foundation 2010, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 [and] Windows SharePoint Services 2.0." It doesn't need to be applied for systems using "SharePoint Portal Server 2003."
Microsoft opened a forum page on the ASP.NET vulnerability to address questions. It also plans to hold a Webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time to answer questions from customers. The sign-up page can be accessed here.
Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for the 1105 Enterprise Computing Group.
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Growing Assault on Free Speech
Frank Vernuccio | On November 21, 2017
Berkeley Free Speech Week protest, September 2017.
In the hyper-ventilating world of modern journalism, describing almost every issue as a “crisis” has lost its impact. That’s troubling, because there are several challenges facing the United States that truly are existential threats. Arguably, the most serious is the rapidly declining support for free speech.
Several recent reports and articles illustrate the dramatic drop in devotion to the First Amendment, which, more than any other characteristic, has been the defining characteristic of American law, culture and government.
The seriousness of the threat can be seen in the multiple avenues of attack those favoring limiting freedom of speech have taken. They include introduced legislation on the federal and state level;
The use of violence or the threat thereof; during the Obama Administration, the use of federal agencies to limit the ability of political opponents to organize; the actions of social media powerhouses to downplay or censor some perspectives; and attempts to indoctrinate students to reject free speech.
It is disturbing that some in the media who, because of their profession, should be among the most ardent supporters of free speech, are among those favoring its limitation. Richard L. Hasen, writing in the Los Angeles Times stated that “…some shifts in 1st Amendment doctrine seem desirable to assist citizens in ascertaining the truth.”
James Bovard, writing in The Hill points out that “Commentators in the Washington Post and New York Times have called for selective censorship of ideas and doctrines they abhor.”
A generation of American youth are being taught on campuses that reject free speech. John Villasenor, writing for Brookings notes:
“what happens on campuses often foreshadows broader societal trends…A surprisingly large fraction of students believe it is acceptable to act—including resorting to violence—to shut down expression they consider offensive…Freedom of expression is deeply imperiled on U.S. campuses. In fact, despite protestations to the contrary (often with statements like “we fully support the First Amendment, but…), freedom of expression is clearly not, in practice, available on many campuses, including many public campuses that have First Amendment obligations… among many current college students there is a significant divergence between the actual and perceived scope of First Amendment freedoms. More specifically, with respect to the questions explored above, many students have an overly narrow view of the extent of freedom of expression… a surprisingly large fraction of students believe it is acceptable to act—including resorting to violence—to shut down expression they consider offensive. And a majority of students appear to want an environment that shields them from being exposed to views they might find offensive.”
The problem extends beyond biased journalists and the leftist, pro-censorship environment on college campuses. During the Obama Administration, federal attacks on organizations that spoke in opposition to President Obama’s policies occurred, and the perpetrators have not been subjected to punishment. Robert Wood, writing in Forbes, reported:
“[IRS official] Lois Lerner and Justice Department officials met in 2010 about going after conservative organizations…In August 2010, the IRS distributed a ‘be on the lookout’ list for Tea Party organizations… On May 7, 2014, the House of Representatives held Ms. Lerner in contempt of Congress…”
During her tenure in office during the Obama Administration, Attorney General Loretta Lynch seriously considered criminally prosecuting those who disagreed with the former President’s views on global warming. A number of state attorneys general engaged in legal harassment of think tanks that question Obama’s environmental policies.
The problem reaches beyond agency actions. Senator Charles Schumer, (D-NY) who is the U.S. Senate’s minority leader, proposed a measure that would limit free speech protections as they pertain to campaign donations. The proposed legislation, thankfully defeated, gained 43 Senate supporters—all Democrats. At a Senate Rules Committee Schumer stated:
“The First Amendment is sacred, but the First Amendment is not absolute. By making it absolute, you make it less sacred to most Americans.”
A popular avenue for attacking free speech is the drive to impose ever increasing campaign regulations. Bradley Smith, in a National Affairs article wrote:
“To anyone following the evolution of the campaign-finance reform movement, it should have been obvious that book-banning was a straightforward implication of the McCain-Feingold law (and the long line of [campaign finance] statutes and cases that preceded it). The century-old effort to constrict the ways our elections are funded has, from the outset, put itself at odds with our constitutional tradition. It seeks to undermine not only the protections of political expression in the First Amendment, but also the limits on government in the Constitution itself.”
Attacks on free speech can also be seen on the state level. In an attempt to muzzle opposing viewpoints, New York’s elected officials are continuously seeking means to suppress free speech. The latest scandalous move comes from Assemblyman David Weprin, who represents part of NYC in the state legislature. He has introduced legislation (A5323) that is such a broad attack against the First Amendment that it has attracted national attention, garnering substantial criticism. This is how the Washington Post’s Eugene Volokh describes the measure:
“…under this bill, newspapers, scholarly works, copies of books on Google Books and Amazon, online encyclopedias (Wikipedia and others) — all would have to be censored whenever a judge and jury found (or the author expected them to find) that the speech was ‘no longer material to current public debate or discourse’…And of course the bill contains no exception even for material of genuine historical interest; after all, such speech would have to be removed if it was ‘no longer material to current public debate.’ Nor is there an exception for autobiographic material, whether in a book, on a blog or anywhere else. Nor is there an exception for political figures, prominent businesspeople and others. But the deeper problem with the bill is simply that it aims to censor what people say, under a broad, vague test based on what the government thinks the public should or shouldn’t be discussing. It is clearly unconstitutional under current First Amendment law.”
A failure to comply with a request to remove material from articles, search engines or other places would make the author liable for, at a minimum, a penalty of $250 per day plus attorney fees.
A recently released CATO study on the “The State of Free Speech and Tolerance in America” reveals the impact all of these attacks have had on the citizenry.
“Nearly three-fourths (71%) of Americans believe that political correctness has done more to silence important discussions our society needs to have… The consequences are personal-58% of Americans believe the political climate today prevents them from saying things they believe…”
“58% of Democrats say employers should punish employees for offensive Facebook posts…”
“Two-thirds (66%) of Americans say colleges and universities aren’t doing enough to teach young Americans today about the value of free speech. When asked which is more important, 65% say colleges should “expose students to all types of viewpoints, even if they are offensive or biased against certain groups.” About a third (34%) say colleges should “prohibit offensive speech that is biased against certain groups.” But Americans are conflicted. Despite their desire for viewpoint diversity, a slim majority (53%) also agree that “colleges have an obligation to protect students from offensive speech and ideas that could create a difficult learning environment.” This share rises to 66% among Democrats, but 57% of Republicans disagree…”
“More than three-fourths (76%) of Americans say that recent campus protests and cancellations of controversial speakers are part of a “broader pattern” of how college students deal with offensive ideas… A majority (58%) say colleges should cancel controversial speakers if administrators believe the students will stage a violent protest otherwise. Democrats and Republicans again disagree: Democrats say universities should cancel the speaker (74%) and Republicans say they should not cancel the speaker (54%) if the students threaten violence…”
“A slim majority (51%) of current college students and graduate students believe a person doesn’t deserve the right of free speech if they don’t respect other people… Two-thirds of Americans (66%) say colleges and universities aren’t doing enough today to teach young Americans about the value of free speech. This is a view shared by 51% of current college and graduate students, while 46% think colleges are doing enough…”
“A little more than a quarter (29%) [of all those surveyed] think government should have the authority to stifle stories authorities say are inaccurate or biased.”
Frank Vernuccio
Frank Vernuccio serves as editor-in-chief of the New York Analysis of Policy & Government (website usagovpolicy.com). He is the co-host of the syndicated radio program, Vernuccio/Novak Report, and is also a contributor to Fox News. His columns appear in many newspapers. After graduating Hofstra Law School, he was a legislative editor for a major publishing company, then served in both Republican and Democrat Administrations. Following the 9/11 attack, he was appointed to run the hard-hit Manhattan branch of the New York State Workers Compensation Board.
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Jacobs Joins The 5% Club
Posted on February 25, 2015 by 5percentclubuk
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. announced today that it is has joined The 5% Club to support the UK campaign to raise levels of apprentices and graduates in British businesses.
With 65,000 people globally – 9,000 of whom are located in the UK – Jacobs is committed to developing the next generation of talent.
In the UK, Jacobs has signed The 5% Club Charter pledging that 5% of the company’s overall UK workforce is to be comprised of graduates, technicians and/or apprentices within a five year time frame.
The company’s UK entry level commitment is currently at over 8%, with more than 800 graduates, technicians and apprentices on staff.
In making the announcement, Jacobs Group Vice President Bob Duff said, “We are delighted to support The 5% Club initiative, which supports our drive to increase skills for the industries in which we operate. In 2014 we welcomed some 360+ apprentices and graduates into our UK operations.
“At Jacobs, they have opportunities to enjoy exciting roles across a variety of industry sectors and disciplines, all within a well-structured work-study programme. We create an environment where they can learn, grow, and thrive.”
Jacobs Group Vice President Conor Doyle added, “We are committed to our next generation of Jacobs’ graduates and apprentices. We have a long and successful operational history in the UK and our apprentices and graduates are the future of our business, both here in the UK and across the globe.”
Dr Sam Healy, Programme Director of The 5% Club said, “We’re delighted to welcome Jacobs to the initiative. The company’s existing efforts to invest in the next generation are greatly welcomed and together we can strive towards a brighter future for young people in Britain.”
Jacobs’ senior process engineer Claire Griffiths concluded, “I decided to study for my Chemical Engineering degree as a means to apply science and maths, which I really enjoyed. I then joined the Jacobs Graduate Development Programme in 2008, which enabled me to develop my knowledge across different market sectors and several stages of a project’s execution.
“I’ve had enormous opportunity here, from working with project design and commissioning teams and putting my theory into practice, through to developing my leadership skills. I achieved my Chartered status with IChemE (Institution of Chemical Engineers) and am now looking forward to further building upon my skills to include project engineering and management.”
Jacobs’ UK Graduate Development Programme (GDP) is a three year programme aimed at graduates of all disciplines in their first three years of professional development. The GDP assists the graduate to develop a structured approach to their Continuous Professional Development, and complements the Initial Professional Development schemes of the various Institutions.
Jacobs’ UK Apprenticeship Programme enables school/college leavers to embark on a three/four year programme leading to Design / Project Controls or Construction technician and equivalent roles. Apprentices also have a route to higher education via an HNC and undergraduate degree.
About Jacobs
Jacobs is one of the world’s largest and most diverse providers of technical professional and construction services. We have operations in more than 250 locations across more than 35 countries, and employ more than 65,000 people. Operating in the UK for more than 25 years, Jacobs works on projects across sectors such as oil and gas, refining, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, power, nuclear, defence, building, as well as major infrastructure projects in water, rail, aviation, and roads. Jacobs employs some of the UK’s most experienced technical professional services practitioners; having grown to over 9,000 people at 35 locations across the UK. Find out more about Jacobs and the opportunities they offer by visiting http://www.jacobs.com/
To find out more information about The 5% Club and how to become a member, please visit http://www.5percentclub.org.uk/index.html or get in touch by emailingcontactus@5percentclub.org.uk. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as well!
Posted in Case Studies, Partners | Leave a reply
National Physical Laboratory joins The 5% Club
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has joined The 5% Club and committed to the aim of ensuring that 5% of its UK workforce are apprentices, graduates or sponsored students on structured programmes within the next five years.
According to the most recent Labour Market Statistics, there are 740,000 unemployed 16- 24 year olds in the UK. Only one in ten young people join an apprentice scheme on leaving school. By joining the 5% Club, NPL aims to address the twin scarcities of youth training opportunities and national skills, and in so doing boost the UK’s growth agenda.
Brian Bowsher, NPL’s Managing Director, said: “I am immensely proud of the significant contribution that NPL’s graduates and apprentices make to our scientific research and the real world impact it has. As well as our staff who are apprentices and graduates working on structured programmes, NPL also sponsors over 100 graduate and postgraduate students from universities across the UK and internationally. The professional skills developed through this and similar schemes are crucial to the UK’s continued success in scientific research and innovation.”
We spoke to a few of NPL’s bright and talented young people to hear about their experiences at NPL and why they chose to do an apprenticeship.
Patrick Backhouse
“I have been working for a couple of months at NPL as a junior scientist and in that time I have learnt so much about physics and the science industry in general. I have worked on several different calibrations within the optical measurement group, there I have been managing my own workload, carrying out measurements, completing analysis and creating calibration certificates. I also have been performing NPL’s branded “Polystyrene Wavenumber” standard calibrations, a standard of calibrated transmittance minima for customers to calibrate their machines.
I had finished college when I applied for my role at NPL, I concluded that the experience would be more fulfilling than completing a degree. Aside from the prescribed advanced apprenticeship scheme, I have been trained to use lots of scientific equipment, complete multiple industrial processes and even been taught soft skills. Since joining NPL, I feel confident in my abilities to do my job, act professionally and serve a greater purpose than just my own. “
Tierney Perez-Drummy
“When I joined the NPL apprenticeship, I had just finished my GCSE’s. Whilst I have been here, I have been working in the Quantum Detection group, Microwave and Humidity groups, as well as working towards a Level 3 BTEC in applied science. In my latest group, I have been calibrating hygrometers in humidity chambers, from set up to finishing off the certificate and sending it off to customers.
The main reason I joined NPL was the idea of gaining experience in the world of work, as well as a qualification. The experience that I have gained here will help me further down the line, whether I decide to stay here at NPL, if they offer me a job or if I look for a job elsewhere. Plus, the idea that I’m going to be paid to learn didn’t seem too bad.”
Kieran Edmonds
“I joined NPL in September 2013 after completing my A levels. Since then I have worked in two separate departments within NPL. The first was the Temperature group, where I worked with professional scientists who taught me how to properly calibrate both contact and ranged thermometers using the countries standards. After my first placement was completed, I moved into the Quantum Detection Group, where I was placed in charge of my own research project in producing Cryogenic Current Comparators that have a removable casing and are easy to reproduce. Within the first 6 months of my time within the department, I built a working prototype. The QD team then asked me to stay within the group and extended my time with them for an additional six months.
I was unsure of what career to pursue once I finished my A levels, I knew I wanted to do something scientific so I decided to come to NPL to see what it would be like. I’m pleased to say that my time at NPL has been well spent! I’ve learned a large amount of new skills and these will make me a highly employable individual in the future. I now plan to continue my studies in order to gain a better understanding of the work I do for NPL, to enable me to contribute more to both my team and the company as a whole.”
“I joined the National Physical Laboratory’s Apprenticeship program in September 2014 after completing my A-levels. From the very start I was involved in lab work, learning new skills through hands on experience. I am currently working on a project which is testing new coatings for the inside of biofuel combustion chambers, which allows me to utilise all the different skills I have picked up since joining, including both optical and electron microscopy. Alongside my work, I am also completing an Advanced Laboratory Technician level 3 BTEC, as well as a Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Laboratory and Associated Technical Activities.
I chose this apprenticeship because of the incredible facilities that NPL has, as well as their excellent reputation as a metrology institute, and a chance to get hands on experience here was a perfect alternative to university for me.”
Melvis Usideme
“I joined NPL in September 2014 as an Apprentice Junior Scientist. Since joining I’m always given the opportunity to support and work with senior scientists, assisting in a range of laboratory duties, general administrative tasks and scientific research. My practical experience is backed up with my previous A-Levels in Chemistry, Biology and Maths as well as the BTEC and NVQ programme that we are working on.
As well as working on my technical skills, the Apprenticeship programme allows me to work on and learn new interpersonal, teamwork and communication skills. I feel that I have support from the more senior scientist to help me grow in this new role and develop as a well-rounded scientist and individual.
I was attracted to the NPL by its renown and expertise in most of the fields it focuses on; the chance presented to me to become a part of this was something I appreciated highly. The training provided also offers an alternate route to becoming a registered research scientist.”
For more information about NPL’s Advanced Apprenticeship please click here and to find out more about NPL Careers click here.
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GRAHAM Construction site engineer in shortlist for prestigious award
Grant Robson, a senior site engineer at 5% club member GRAHAM Construction, has been shortlisted for the 2015 Duke of Gloucester’s Young Achievers Scheme. The scheme is an opportunity for exceptional young professionals in the construction industry and celebrates tremendous achievements of rising stars within the sector.
Grant is one of eight finalists in the Construction Delivery category who will go in front of a prestigious judging panel, including Andrew Link from the Construction Industry Council and Gareth Stapleton, director of Rise, a construction project management business. The judges have selected the finalists from among young people who have not only achieved excellence in their careers so far, but who have had to overcome barriers and challenges to get there. .
Grant’s colleagues at GRAHAM Construction are delighted that he has been recognised as a finalist. He has worked his way up through the ranks at GRAHAM and taken advantage of their scholarship programmes after being awarded a scholarship to study Construction Management and Engineering at university. Grant achieved a 2:1 honours degree, despite dealing with dyslexia and dysgraphia. He now looks to inspire other young people living with these difficulties.
“The career challenges posed by dyslexic and dysgraphia have given me strength and determination to succeed in the construction industry” said Grant. “GRAHAM Construction have been great and I intend to repay the trust of everyone who’s helped me with scholarships through hard work and commitment.”
Grant was given work placements with GRAHAM Construction throughout his university course so that he could gain practical experience and put the theory from the classroom into practice on a construction site. The Career Focus programme at GRAHAM helps students to see the real world of construction while learning.
Grant said “My GRAHAM Construction scholarship gave me an excellent foundation in my chosen career, I am an ordinary young person from a working class family but I feel I’ve been given a life changing opportunity at a very young age.”
Since graduating, Grant has worked on the Aberdeen Aquatic Centre and handed over the completed project in time for the 2014 Commonwealth Water Polo competition. This is his proudest moment to date, and led to him being offered the opportunity to be temporary site manager on a mini project at Seaton Towers Aberdeen.
Aside from the construction aspect of his work, Grant has gone the extra mile with local communities. He donated a Christmas tree and lights to Woodlands special needs school when he was working on the neighbouring aquatic centre in Aberdeen.
Neil McFarlane, regional director for GRAHAM Construction said “From a shy school boy to a confident supervisor on large construction sites dealing with varying issues on a daily basis, Grant has been determined, focussed and has worked hard to achieve his career success. He richly deserves the nomination and status as a finalist.”
If successful Grant will receive a cash prize and a unique one year mentoring programme to enable him to make an even great impact in the years to come. The ceremony take place on Thursday 19th March at the Underglobe in London.
To find out more about GRAHAM Construction and the opportunities they offer, please visit their website www.graham.co.uk
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Never the Same Hitch Twice
Ryan Grayson May 26, 2014
(Photo: Me trying to get a hitch on horseback,
ended up getting a ride in the truck)
Someone recently asked me what type of people pick up hitchhikers. The answer is, every type of person. Each driver on this cross country hitch has been unique in every way. Well, every way except that they are all incredibly kind to us and interesting to talk to for our short time together.
On the morning of day two, we hopped into the back of a pickup for our first hitch. Other than not getting to talk to the drivers, I love hitching in the back of a pickup. It makes me feel like a kid again. We sat against the back of the bed watching everything zoom away at 70 miles an hour. I thought of my grandpa driving us to his house on their hilly road, speeding up right before the crest of a hill to give us that roller coaster feeling in our stomachs. I'd see his smiling eyes in the rearview watching us laugh.
When the driver pulled over to let us out, he handed us a box of donuts, which we gladly scarfed down on the side of the Interstate.
The next hitch was also in the back of a pickup truck and the driver also offered us food.
"Hey, you guys want these quail?" he said. "They're still fresh, I just shot them this morning."
He picked up one of the quails with it's sad lifeless head drooped to one side.
Red was considering it. "Ooh, fresh quail?" he said.
"We won't be able to setup a campfire when stealth camping in town." I said.
"Yeah, you're right."
Later that day, a twenty-two year old girl pulled over and rolled her window down a few inches.
"I'll give you a ride if you don't stab me." she said.
This made me smile. "It's a deal," I said and we got in.
"I've never seen a hitchhiker before," she said, which made me feel like a relic from a bygone era, like a milkman or something. "I figured if you were crazy, I could just out crazy you," she said and admitted she had a police baton ready at her side to beat me with if necessary. For some reason, this made me like her more. We talked about our lives and our trip. She was a cook who recently graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Not only did she never need to break my face with a police baton, she actually drove us twice the distance than she was actually going.
(Photo: Virginia. Discovered rural areas are better for hitching)
The last hitch of the day was in the back of another pick up truck with a "Salt Life Surf Shop" sticker on the back window and three guys in the cab. We hopped in the back and leaned against the truck bed toolbox.
"It's actually comfortable back here," I said to Red.
"Yeah, well," he said. "I'm not sitting on any dead quail."
The rides on the following days were just as unique. One ride came from a really nice guy who had to blow into a police-issued breathalyzer every 10 minutes to keep his car running, due to DUIs. One from a man who happened to be in both the IT business (what I do for a living) and the restaurant business (what Red does). We crossed into Ohio thanks to a woman and her step son from Kentucky, just heading back home after visiting her husband in prison. Another particularly long hitch came from a couple who reminded me a little of the couple on Natural Born Killers, but in a sweet non-murdery way. He had ADHD, a police record, and a fiance in the passenger seat who adored every little thing about him.
"I never even got a speeding ticket until I met him," she said in a southern accent, petting a two-month old kitten in her lap. "And now I've been arrested and spent time in jail because of him."
It was easy to imagine him robbing a bank, just because he never tried before and her yelling "Come on baby, we got to go!" from behind the wheel of a getaway vehicle. "Did you have fun?" she would say as he hopped in.
I should say, I never felt like I was in any danger. When we got to our destination, he got out of the car to show us a place called Tent City in Huntington, West Virginia, the place the homeless, sleep, drink whiskey, and hang out around a campfire. We considered seeing what it was like to spend a night in Tent City, but by the time a man wandering the streets put his hand on my shoulder and asked if either of us wanted a foot massage, we were figuring out plan B.
(Photo: Joe and I on his porch)
Almost miraculously, I got a Facebook message from an old friend from high school who happened to live a mile from where we stood. I hadn't seen him for many years, but he took us in, treated us like family, and saved us from whoever else was lurking in Tent City. (Thank you Joe!)
Perhaps the most interesting character so far we met on an on-ramp in Virginia. He skidded to a stop in his red Beemer convertible and told us to "hop on in." He was in his early-seventies, leathery skin, long hair, repeatedly told us he doesn't like to play by the rules, and by far the most bigoted racist I have ever met.
"What do you think of this car?" he said.
"It's nice!" I said while finding a place to put my feet on the garbage on the floor. "Seems like a fun little car to drive out here on these windy roads."
"I paid $600 for this car," he said and pulled away telling me the story of how he bought it, a story that showcased his hatred for anyone not heterosexual and white. Before we even got from the on-ramp and onto the highway, he used the N-word three times.
Two minutes into the ride, he said, "I got gay-dar!" for no real reason, yelling over the sound of the wind.
"This should be good," I thought. He told me a story about how he had to go to court recently. I won't go into the full story here, but it basically came down to him threatening a homosexual for being a homosexual. "If they just stayed in the closet, I wouldn't mind them!"
By minute five, he hadn't even started on Mexicans yet, but they had their turn coming. I don't know how he did it, but he somehow managed to turn "Mexican" into a racial slur. I just smiled and nodded. In all his hate, he seemed like a happy guy. He wore his bigotry with pride.
(Photo: Otis, our favorite hitching vehicle and
an amazing and caring human being.)
Alright so maybe everyone isn't friendly out there, but they have been to us. We've had 28 rides getting from Wilmington, North Carolina to Peru, Indiana. Each one has been unique, so every day has been unique. People talked lovingly about their kids, their jobs, their communities, and their own adventures. We may seem like relics of a bygone era, but it's really a shame. I'm loving every minute of this.
← Visiting FamilyOur First Hitches →
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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Bruno Bettelheim’ tag.
#112 Castle Waiting by Linda Medley
October 10, 2010 in Comedy, Comic, Fantasy, Feminist, Fiction, Humour, magic realism, Mythology, Post-Modern, Supernatural | Tags: Bruno Bettelheim, Carl Jung, Castle Waiting, E.T.A. Hoffmann, fairy tales, I do not love thee Doctor Fell, Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, Linda Medley, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, Sigmund Freud, Sleeping Beauty, The Uses of Enchantment, The Wonderful World of Oz | Leave a comment
I have read Bruno Bettelheim on fairy tales, as well as Sigmund Freud’s take on E.T.A. Hoffmann, Jung on mythical archetypes – do you ever suspect that they are missing the point? That on a basic level these are stories to be enjoyed by an audience looking for a little magic and whimsy in their lives, not psychoanalytic metaphors for our unconscious desires. If you ever have the chance, read the original French version of Le Petit Chaperon Rouge. It is a horror story really, taking an almost malicious delight in the tragic fate of Little Red Riding Hood. That feeling of dismay evoked by the final line of the story ‘and gobbled her up’, is the goal of the story. As entertainment it holds greater meaning than a desiccated moral imperative.
This is something that Linda Medley understands. Castle Waiting mixes and matches different fairy tales into a large jumble, a story containing many other stories, without pausing to consider the metaphorical meaning of each symbol, or archetype employed. What I find most interesting is that the title actually identifies the main character of the series (this large and beautifully presented collection is only volume one of an ongoing comic book) – the enchanted castle itself from the Sleeping Beauty story. Characters come and go, but it is the castle itself that remains constant.
Originally the king and queen of the castle ruled over a town known as Putney. They were both wise and fair and the inhabitants of the town were content. Unfortunately no royal heir had yet been produced and so the king travelled to visit a wise woman, who was in fact a white witch. Promising to help the royal couple conceive, the good witch Mother Medora and her dozen or so sisters (who all have names beginning with ‘m’, alliteration is a recurring theme in this book) set about making the necessary arrangements.
Medora had yet another sister, an evil black witch named Mald, who was insulted by the king’s slight. Accompanied by her demon familiar Leeds she sets about avenging herself on the royal family and so the tale of Sleeping Beauty plays out as in the familiar way. The castle of Putney is surrounded by impenetrable vines for a hundred years and the people of the town eventually leave. An handsome prince arrives at the appointed time, wakes the slumbering princess and then, to the dismay of the castle’s surviving inhabitants, she just takes off with her handsome lover!
Bereft of king or queen, the people of the castle try to go about their affairs as best they can. As the years pass they are joined by other adventurers and wanderers, such as Adjutant Rackham (who resembles a stork in a suit), Sir Chess (a well-built knight with the head of a horse), Sister Peace of the Order Solicitine (a most unique nunnery, whose history occupies the latter half of this volume), the plague-obsessed Dr Fell and finally Jain, who escapes from a loveless marriage seeking out the legendary Castle Waiting, known as a place of refuge.
Jain identifies herself as the Countess of Carabas and much of her past remains a mystery, including the parentage of the green-skinned infant she gives birth to at the castle. While the story of a pregnant lady travelling alone across the countryside looking for a place of legend might be thought to have an inevitable bad ending, Medley acknowledges the dangers faced by Jain on the road, while also relating her adventures with gentle humour. This has been described as a feminist retelling of fairy tales, which it obviously is, but it is also quite an affectionate and loving one. The principal characters are mostly women who have faced hard times, yet still laugh at their lot in life.
Slowly but surely Sister Peace becomes the centre of attention, with her stories of life with travelling performers, religious orders of bearded ladies and her flirtatious rivalry with the demon Leeds confirming her as a vivacious and bemused woman of God.
Medley’s art resembles the style of Jeff Smith, whose book Bone is a particular favourite of mine, perfectly accompanying the warm storytelling. Castle Waiting is also comparable to that series due to its use of contemporary dialogue, but Medley goes even further, introducing many aspects of our world into her fantasy concoction. Jain is even shown reading a copy of The Wonderful World of Oz at one point.
A beautifully captured fantasy world.
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Kai Greene steroids, Height, Weight, Age
2 The path of the teenager
3 His career in NPC
6 What are the idols of Kai Greene?
7 Kai Greene steroids, Height, Weight, Age
Kai Greene is known for his imposing musculature, but also for his unique and recognizable haircut. It has earned him the nickname Predator, in reference to the film of the same name and the famous human hunter alien. He is one of the greatest bodybuilders of the modern era of sport. Throughout his career, he has won many competitions and has shown in shows like Mr. Olympia among others. He is also known for his appearance in 2013 in Generation Iron which highlights it as well as for the brand of supplements he launched in 2015. Yet, this dream life at the top has not always been the case. Kai Greene had a difficult childhood, spending most of her youth in foster homes after being orphaned at age six. But as he says:
“The person with the biggest dreams is more powerful than the person with all the answers.”
A difficult childhood is the starting point of this success story. Kai Greene was born and raised in New York. Orphaned at the age of 6, he was raised in host families for more than 10 years.
Hard to find a place in a community in such a situation. That’s what made him feel socially marginalized throughout his youth. And that would have an impact on his life. He initially had trouble with school, having inappropriate behavior. This inevitably leads him to the exclusion of school. And as a misfortune never arrives alone, he was dismissed from his home also for the same facts.
But it was without counting without his resourcefulness. He had understood from a very young age that the sport was an outlet and that it was possible to get by with the sport precisely. It is for this reason that he began to develop his body and his muscles at the age of 13 years.
And for that, Kai Greene has been helped by nature and genetics. He has grown much faster than others and that’s what pushed him to bodybuilding.
Fortunately for him, his Grade 7 English teacher has realized his potential to succeed as a bodybuilder. Knowing the unfortunate situation of the young man, this teacher introduced him to bodybuilding and began to encourage Kai Greene to participate in competitions for teenagers.
That outside boost was the motivation he needed to change his life.
The path of the teenager
Over the next 5 years, Kai entered many unofficial teen bodybuilding tournaments. Proximity tournaments or shows where he could perform and show the results of his first efforts. And since Kai Greene was much larger and more developed than other teenagers of his age, it was a time when he dominated all competitions without forcing his talent.
Proof is that the young man got his pro card very young and barely major. He was 19 when he got his Pro Card from the NGA American Nationals, a bodybuilding federation. It was in 1994.
An early success that allowed him to realize that he had his place in this environment and that he had a real future in the sport. What the school could not provide … Now he wanted to become an icon of bodybuilding.
After winning another World Natural WNBF Pro trophy in 1996, Kai Greene turned to the NPC federation. He was leaving the world of natural bodybuilding. Now, going through the NPCs meant going into another world, where the athletes are much more beautiful. For this reason, he had to return to the benches and train harder. It took a year for the young man to return to the race and win on the biggest podiums.
His career in NPC
Although he did not win, Kai finished second in his first big competition – an impressive feat for the young hopeful. But he knows that the world in which he finds himself is much more fierce than the previous one and that he will have to fight with all his strength to win. His debut was difficult in the big leagues, because he could not reproduce his performances. But in 1999, 3 years after his passage in NPC, he is seen as one of the rising stars and wins the Team Championship NPCs that year.
After a disappointment in Slovakia the same year for his pro debut, he allowed himself a break and went back to the gym to train. His absence from the pro circuit will last 5 years! 5 years during which he sculpts his body.
His return to the stage is at New York Pro 2005. But it was not a successful return for The Predator – he was 14th. His work will be rewarded in 2007 when he returns to the path of success and first place. At the age of 32, Kai Greene finally won his first professional bodybuilding competition: the 2007 Shawn Ray Colorado Pro Classic.
Then it’s the turn of the Arnold Classic to fall into his arms. Mr. Olympia, he will resist him and he will only manage to rank second three times during his 6 appearances on stage.
Between 2010 and 2016, Kai Greene ranked first in seven shows, including four wins at the Arnold Classic. This success has earned him to be one of the largest bodybuilders in the world. After being widely recognized in the bodybuilding industry, the athlete began to build his identity. Her hair, physique and off-stage performances have become iconic. His fans around the world gave him the nickname “The Predator”.
Kai Greene follows a workout that allows him to work all parts of his body. But a point by which he always passes is the warm-up. This champion knows and recognizes the importance of warming up where stretching starts in session for 15 to 20 minutes. He devotes each workout to exercises.
The routine goes through one work of each muscle group for one day of the week. He is convinced that his body responds better to this type of training. He also focuses on improving his “mind-muscle connection”, choosing to lift lighter weights, which preserves muscle quality during rehearsals.
At home, the ideal training passes through 3-4 sets of each exercise with a repetition ranging from 8 to 20.
To maintain its musculature, Kai Greene aims to consume 1.5 g of protein per pound of body weight. This ratio allows him to ensure maximum muscle growth. He plans meals based on lean protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.
Following the period in which he finds himself, Kai Green opts for two different regimes. In quiet times, he eats 5 meals a day in slightly larger portions. But when he is preparing, he eats up to seven meals in smaller portions. But that’s not all. He allows himself some extras, much like the cheat days during diets. The Predator allows itself a few small pleasures. According to him, it can help the body feel better, especially the mind. And we can say that the same effect is reached when following a diet or a diet slimming.
In addition, Kai Greene considers that it allows to awaken the body and allows him to ensure a constant development of his physique.
What are the idols of Kai Greene?
“Do not get contaminated by other people’s ideas about what’s best for you.”
This is a sentence full of meaning that Kai Greene once said. He does not let himself be influenced and makes his own decisions. With his difficult past, he has had plenty of time to build a character and learn that you can only trust yourself to accomplish great things.
Nevertheless, he keeps a special thought for his 7th grade English teacher who introduced him to bodybuilding. He sees it as the main influence of his life. Because it allowed him to take a decisive turn and prevented him from tipping into the world of the street. Thanks to him, he became a very promising bodybuilder.
Kai Greene is not a big fan of interviews, nor does he like to blossom. But we know that he admires some superheroes.
“We love our super heroes because they refuse to give us up. We can analyze them, kill them, banish them, make fun of them, and yet they come back, patiently reminding us who we are and what we want to be.”
“I never gave up, even when people told me I would never succeed. Never underestimate the heart of a champion.”
Kai Greene has proven to the world that it is possible to succeed, even with a difficult childhood or if you find yourself at the bottom of the hole. He lived it and is living proof that it is possible to get out of it, even if you feel abandoned by society.
Kai Greene Height 5’8″ (172.5cm) and Weight 265 – 275lbs (120.2 – 124.7kg) . Kai Greene Age is 43. Kai Greene Net Worth is $1 million dollars. Kai Greene has “Black” Hair and eye color is “Black”.
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Home ▶ Vol 5, No 1 (2016) ▶ Simpamba
Micah M. Simpamba
Department of Physiotherapy, University of the Western Cape, South Africa
Patricia M. Struthers
School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, South Africa
Margaret M. Mweshi
Physiotherapy Department, University of Zambia, South Africa
Simpamba, M.M., Struthers, P.M., & Mweshi, M.M., 2016, ‘Access to health care for children with neural tube defects: experiences of mothers in Zambia’, African Journal of Disability 5(1), a267. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v5i1.267
Research Project no.: 11/5/14
Access to health care for children with neural tube defects: Experiences of mothers in Zambia
Micah M. Simpamba, Patricia M. Struthers, Margaret M. Mweshi
Received: 26 Feb. 2016; Accepted: 13 July 2016; Published: 02 Dec. 2016
Introduction: In Zambia, all children born with neural tube defects requiring surgery need to be referred to a tertiary level hospital in Lusaka, the capital city, where the specialists are based. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of mothers accessing health care who had recently given birth to a child with a neural tube defect.
Methods and analysis: In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposively selected sample of 20 mothers at the tertiary level hospital. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and translated. Content analysis was used to identify codes, which were later collapsed into categories and themes.
Findings: Five themes emerged: access to health care, access to transport, access to information, concerns about family and support needs.
Discussion: Barriers to access to health care included geographical barriers and barriers linked to availability. Geographical barriers were related to distance between home and the health centre, and referral between health facilities. Barriers to availability included the lack of specialist health workers at various levels, and insufficient hospital vehicles to transport mothers and children to the tertiary level hospital. The main barrier to affordability was the cost of transport, which was alleviated by either family or government support. Acceptability of the health services was affected by a lack of information, incorrect advice, the attitude of health workers and the beliefs of the family.
Conclusion: Access to health care by mothers of children with neural tube defects in Zambia is affected by geographical accessibility, availability, affordability and acceptability. The supply-side barriers and demand-side barriers require different interventions to address them. This suggests that health policy is needed which ensures access to surgery and follow-up care.
Global estimates of birth defects indicate that 7.9 million children are born with birth defects each year and of these 90% are born in low- and middle-income countries (Christianson, Howson & Modell 2006). Neural tube defects (NTDs) are the second most common group of serious birth defects, following cardiac abnormalities, which result in infant mortality and severe disability (Rofail et al. 2012). They are a group of congenital defects of the central nervous system, resulting from failure of the neural tube to close during the first few weeks of foetal development (Padmanabhan 2006). NTDs are classified according to the anatomical structures affected: the cranial structures, anencephaly (major part of the brain is absent) or encephalocele (protrusion out of the skull of sac-like meninges and brain tissue), or the spinal structures (spina bifida), meningocele (sac protrudes out of the spine) or myelomeningocele (sac contains spinal cord and nerves) (Bussuk & Kibar 2009). The defect is classified as closed if skin covers the defect, and it is classified as open if skin does not cover the defect. Children with NTDs, especially spina bifida, may survive with lifelong neuromuscular, orthopaedic and sometimes cognitive and language disabilities (Wallingford et al. 2013).
The prevalence of NTDs varies between and within countries and may depend on geographical location, genetics or race (Lumley et al. 2001; Mitchell 2005). The worldwide incidence of NTDs is estimated to range between 1.0 and 10.0 per 1000 births (Au, Ashley-Koch & Northrup 2010). A systematic literature review on NTDs (1990–2014) by Zaganjor et al. (2016) found that the reported incidence of NTDs varied greatly between and within regions. The regional incidence per 10 000 births was 11.7 in Africa, 21.9 in the Eastern Mediterranean, 9 in Europe, 11.5 in the Americas, 15.8 in South-East Asia and 6.9 in the Western Pacific. In hospital-based retrospective studies, an incidence of 7.5 per 1000 births was reported in Algeria (2004–2006) (Houcher et al. 2008), 3.5/1000 births in Sudan (2003–2004) (Elsheikh & Ibrahim 2009) and 2.2/1000 births in Nigeria (2011–2013) (Nnadi & Singh 2016). A retrospective study at a paediatric neurosurgical centre in Kenya (2005–2010) reported the incidence of spina bifida and encephalocele as 3.3/10 000 live births (Githuku et al. 2014).
There is a paucity of data on the prevalence of NTDs in most African countries, with information only from hospital-based studies, thus not reflecting the actual prevalence (Rabiu & Adeleye 2013). In most high-income countries, there has been a decline in the prevalence of NTDs arising from advancement in prenatal diagnosis, serum alpha-fetoprotein tests, termination of affected pregnancies and folic acid supplementation amongst women of childbearing age (Fletcher & Brei 2010). Despite overwhelming evidence from high-income countries on prevention of NTDs, most countries in sub-Saharan Africa do not have policies on the prevention of NTDs (Adeleye, Dairo & Olowookere 2010; de Paul Djientcheu et al. 2008; Lumley et al. 2001). South Africa is the only country in Africa which has reported the implementation of food fortification and the subsequent reduction in the prevalence of NTDs after fortification of maize meal, the staple food (Sayed et al. 2008).
Besides making advances in the prevention of NTDs, high-income countries have also made advances in the management of NTDs and their complications, leading to more children surviving into adulthood (Bowman & McLone 2010). In high-income countries, in utero surgical repair for the unborn child with myelomeningocele reduces the incidence of hydrocephalus, and results in significant improvements in neurological function (Copp, Stanier & Greene 2013). When a child is born with an open NTD, surgical closure is recommended within the first 24 h (Lazareff 2011).
However, in low- and middle-income countries, specialised surgery is only available in the biggest cities. This is a challenge for parents of children with NTDs who are usually from lower socio-economic background and living in rural areas (Adeleye et al. 2010; Farmer & Kim 2008). Late presentation for surgery leads to high mortality rates and severe impairments for those who survive (Lazareff 2011; Miles 2006).
There are many barriers to surgical care in low- and middle-income countries. A systematic review by Grimes et al. (2011) identified the following barriers: the distance to hospital, poor roads, a lack of suitable transport, the lack of local resources and expertise at health facilities; direct and indirect costs related to surgical care; and fear of undergoing surgery and anaesthesia. A study in Nepal reported the limited availability of services, financial difficulties, and fear or distrust of service providers as barriers to surgical care (Nagarajan et al. 2015). In Cameroon, de Paul Djientcheu et al. (2008) found poverty and cultural beliefs of family members to be barriers to accessing health care.
The barriers faced by people in low- and middle-income countries in gaining access to health care can be explained using the four dimensions of the Access to Care Framework, namely, availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability (Jacobs et al. 2012; Penchansky & Thomas 1981; Peters et al. 2008; Ricketts & Goldsmith 2005). The definition of ‘access’ used in this study is the one adopted by Jacobs et al. (2012 289), from Peters et al. (2008), which describes access to health services as ‘the timely use of service according to need’. These authors describe the four dimensions of access to care as availability (the existence of health care personnel and resources), accessibility (the geographical relationship between the health facility and the location of the user), affordability (the costs involved) and acceptability (attitudes of users towards providers and vice versa).
In Zambia, all children born with NTDs and in need of surgery have to be transported to Lusaka for surgical management because specialist surgery is only available at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and Beit Cure Hospital, both of which are in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. There has been no study carried out in Zambia to explore the experiences of mothers of children with NTDs in relation to accessing health care services.
The aim of this study was to explore the challenges faced by mothers of children with NTDs in accessing specialised health care services at UTH.
UTH is the biggest hospital in Zambia, situated approximately 4 km east of the centre of Lusaka. This hospital receives referrals from all the nine provinces in the country and, as the country’s specialist centre, also acts as the principal training institution for all health and allied disciplines. This study was conducted in the paediatric surgical ward at UTH, namely, Ward D01.
Population and sampling
The study population consisted of mothers of children with NTDs who were admitted to ward D01 between September and December 2011 (the period of data collection). The study sample included 20 mothers who were selected using purposive sampling so that mothers from all of the nine provinces could be represented. Sample size was based on data saturation, which was considered reached if interviews with two mothers from the same province yielded similar codes during analysis. However, if different codes emerged from the data, a third mother from that province was interviewed. Using these criteria, two mothers were interviewed from each of five provinces, three mothers from each of three provinces and one mother from one of the provinces, constituting a total of 20 mothers.
In-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted in a private room in the ward, using a semi-structured interview guide (Ryan, Coughlan & Cronin 2009). The interview guide had two broad open-ended questions. The first question was asked to the mother to narrate, in the form of a story, what she experienced from the birth of the baby through to the baby’s admission to UTH. The second question was related to access to services following discharge. The interviews were conducted in four local Zambian languages, namely, Chi Bemba, Chi Tonga, Chi Nyanja and Si Lozi, and one interview was conducted in English. Over the period of data collection, new admissions of children with NTDs were identified through the ward’s admission register.
The audiotaped data from the interviews were transcribed verbatim. The interviews conducted in local Zambian languages were transcribed and translated into English by a professional translator. The analysis approach was thematic analysis as described by Green and Thorogood (2009). Using a deductive approach, codes were identified, which were subsequently grouped into categories (Graneheim & Lundman 2004) from which themes were generated (Bradley, Curry & Devers 2007; Graneheim & Lundman 2004).
Member checking was undertaken to strengthen credibility, by returning to the mothers whose children were still in the ward after the initial analysis of their interviews. They could verify whether the interpretations, and subsequent codes and themes, accurately represented their views (Green & Thorogood 2009). Prolonged engagement with participants was possible because the mothers were present in the ward for lengthy periods. The detailed descriptions of the context, participant characteristics, data collection methods and process of analysis are provided to support transferability, facilitating the repetition of the study in similar context (Bhattacherjee 2012; Morrow 2005; Zhang & Wildemuth 2009).
Ethical clearance was obtained through written permission from the Senate Research Ethics Committee of the University of the Western Cape (Research project no: 11/5/11) and the University of Zambia Research Ethics Committee (Research permission no: 013-07-11). Written permission to conduct the study at UTH was granted by the hospital management and the nursing officer in charge of ward D01. The purpose of the study was explained to the mothers, using an information sheet translated into their home languages, and informed written consent was obtained from those who agreed to participate and have the interview audiotaped. The mothers were assured of confidentiality and that the information from audiotapes would only be used for this study, and that audiotapes would be destroyed after finalisation of the study.
Demographic characteristics
A total of 20 mothers participated in this study. They were aged 19–36 years (mean = 26 years). Of the mothers, 15 were from rural areas and dependent on subsistence farming. Four of the mothers were self-employed, selling vegetables at the market, making tablecloths, and one making a ‘home-brew’. Fifteen mothers were married; 11 husbands were subsistence farmers; four others were employed: a taxi driver, a gardener, a plumber and one self-employed person making basins. The five other mothers included in the study were divorced or widowed women and one was a 19-year-old school student. All mothers and most husbands would have had a very low income.
The children were aged between 1 day old and 9 months on date of admission. There was a predominance of male (n = 14) children in comparison to female (n = 6) children. The children’s NTDs included myelomeningocele (n = 10), meningocele (n = 6) and encephalocele (n = 4).
Emerging themes
Five themes emerged from the analysis related to the experiences of the mothers in accessing health care:
access to health facilities
access to transport
concerns about family
support needs.
Mothers indicated that their experiences of accessing health facilities were a challenge, especially factors related to the birth of the child and the referral system.
Seven mothers had given birth at home (six from rural areas and one from Lusaka) and 11 mothers in a health facility (two in a clinic, eight at a primary level hospital and one at a secondary level hospital). Two mothers had given birth on the way to the health facility: one in a stranger’s home in the urban area and the other in the bush in the rural area.
‘We were walking from home on our way to the hospital, then I felt that I could not manage to reach the hospital … We asked for assistance from one of the houses on the way and I delivered there.’ (Mother 28 years, child with lumbar meningocele)
‘As we were walking, I just felt my legs were heavy and I could not walk so my sister in-law just put the chitenge [cloth wrap women wear] on the ground and I delivered there … Yes, in the bush … home was very far away and the clinic was also far away … After the baby was born, we continued walking to the clinic.’ (Mother 23 years, child with occipital encephalocele)
All the children needed to be referred to the next level of health facility until they reached the tertiary level hospital, as hospital staff at lower levels did not have the skills to work with children with NTDs. These facilities included the local health clinic (the health centre in an urban area or the health post in a rural area), the primary or first level hospital, the secondary level hospital and the tertiary level hospital (UTH) in Lusaka.
‘So they [nurses] said, this problem, we can’t do anything here, so you will go with other patients to Ndola [secondary level hospital] using the hospital vehicle.’ (Mother 28 years, child with lumbar meningocele)
‘The person at the clinic sent a radio message to [name of hospital] and the ambulance came to pick us. I asked if I could go home to pick up clothes for the baby but they said no.’ (Mother 23 years, child with occipital encephalocele)
Although all the children were immediately referred from the local health clinic to a primary level hospital, eight mothers reported that doctors at this hospital subsequently sent them home. Some needed to go home to find transport money:
‘I was admitted and after two days, I was given a letter to take to Lusaka … So we had to go back [to the village] to look for transport money to go to Lusaka.’ (Mother 21 years, child with encephalocele)
One mother was told she must go home, as her child was too small to be transported to Lusaka. Some children were sent home despite having unstable lesions:
‘So we went home and we stayed there. Then we noticed that the head of the baby was getting bigger. So we went back to the hospital … when I went back, they told me “we advised you to go to Lusaka”.’ (Mother 25 years, child with lumbar meningocele)
Transport was one of the greatest challenges that most of the mothers experienced. They talked about difficulties with finding transport from home to the local health facility. While some mothers used public transport, others walked or were given a lift on a bicycle:
‘I was carried on a bicycle from home to the hospital.’ (Mother 20 years, child with large encephalocele died a few days after surgery)
It was costly to find transport from the local clinic to the primary level hospital to the secondary level hospital and, subsequently, to the tertiary level hospital (UTH). Although some mothers were given free transport by the health facility, one mother paid for the fuel for the hospital vehicle:
‘The hospital staff said that they didn’t have money for fuel … They told us to put fuel in … the hospital vehicle so that we could travel in it to Lusaka. So we gave them some money.’ (Mother 19 years, child with lumbosacral myelomeningocele and hydrocephalus)
The staff at two facilities contributed their own money to enable two mothers travel to Lusaka with the children:
‘The doctor said that where you are going, you will need some money. So the staff at the hospital contributed some money.’ (Mother 36 years, child with lumbar myelomeningocele)
At other health facilities, mothers were not given any help with transport and were told to find their own transport to the referral hospital. One of these mothers went to the local authority in the town, where a vehicle was provided to transport the baby and her husband with her to Lusaka.
‘After three days, the [baby’s] condition was just getting worse. I said this head is becoming worse, so I went back … So I left home and I said to myself “Let me just go to the DC [District Commissioner]”.’ (Mother 25 years, child with lumbar meningocele and hydrocephalus)
One mother went home and stayed there until some strangers, visiting the village, gave her some money for transport:
‘We did not have money to go to Lusaka so we went back home and stayed for three months. Later some white people came to our area and they gave us some money to take the child to Lusaka.’ (Mother 21 years, child with occipital encephalocele)
One mother had to sell the family’s cash crop of maize to obtain the transport money. Another mother had travelled by bicycle to the neighbouring country, hoping that she could have easier access to appropriate health care.
‘Someone advised us to go to Malawi … and there they told us to go to Lilongwe [the capital city] … We had to come back because we didn’t have money to go there.’ (Mother 25 years, child with lumbar meningocele)
Almost all mothers were concerned about how they would afford transport to go home when the child was discharged from UTH. Even the mothers who had been assisted with getting transport to Lusaka were worried about how they would go home, not knowing whether the referring hospital would send an ambulance to take them home or whether those who had assisted them (for example, the mother who was assisted by the District Commissioner) would send transport to fetch them:
‘So they said you should call but each time we call they are outside coverage area [no telephone reception] … So now we are worried because we don’t know where we will find money to go back when the baby gets better.’ (Mother 24 years, child with myelomeningocele and hydrocephalus)
When asked about accessibility of health care services near their homes, mothers who lived near the first or second level hospitals indicated that they would not have any problems with access, but mothers who lived far from these hospitals expressed concerns about transport to these facilities. The majority of mothers indicated that they would experience transport difficulties if they were expected to return to Lusaka for a follow-up appointment.
‘… but if they operate and say we should come back to Lusaka for review, then there will be a problem with transport.’ (Mother 22 years, child with myelomeningocele)
‘I cannot afford to move from Mansa (town in Luapula Province) to this place. It is just too much [she laughs].’ (Mother 24 years, child with nasal encephalocele)
Most of the mothers expressed concern about the lack of information and uncertainty they were experiencing concerning their child’s lesion. Despite attending antenatal care, the mothers were not aware that they were going to give birth to a child with an NTD; therefore, learning about their child’s neurological condition was a shock.
‘The time I was pregnant they thought I had twins, but when I delivered that is when they discovered the problem … I delivered well without any problems but when the child came out, I noticed this thing on the head.’ (Mother 20 years, child with large occipital encephalocele who died few days after surgery)
‘I used to go for antenatal checks but they never mentioned about it … So I had little knowledge about this and it is very difficult, very distressing when you are going through this.’ (Mother 28 years, child with lumbosacral myelomeningocele)
Mothers were concerned that the health workers were not explaining things to them. The mothers said they had no prior knowledge about NTDs and wanted to know the cause. While some mothers wanted to know what kind of surgery their children would have, those whose children had not had surgery could not understand why children with similar conditions were already having surgery:
‘I have noticed that all of my friends’ babies with this problem are being operated on and I thought that even my baby will be okay if they operate.’ (Mother 34 years old, child with myelomeningocele)
Some mothers also talked about the need to improve their own skills, and for more information on how to take care of the children. Most mothers were concerned about the future of their children, as they wanted to know whether the child would be able to sit or walk:
‘I just want to find out if the baby will be able to sit because the wound is somewhere here where he’s supposed to sit, so I’m wondering how he can sit.’ (Mother 25 years, child with lumbar meningocele)
Mothers expressed concerns related to their families. Unaware of the unborn baby’s neural lesion and that they would need to go to the tertiary level hospital in Lusaka immediately after the birth, mothers went to the usual health facility to give birth. They had made no provision for someone to care for their other children for a lengthy period. While some mothers had left their other children in the care of relatives, some were worried, as they had not had the opportunity to make such arrangements:
‘I just left the other children with no one to take care of them.’ (Mother of two other children, 23 years old, whose child with occipital encephalocele was born in the bush on the way to hospital)
The tertiary level hospital allowed only one person to spend the night next to the child’s bed: in general, it was the mother who was breastfeeding. When a husband had accompanied the mother to Lusaka, he would have to find his own place to sleep and food to eat. This increased the mother’s anxiety.
‘My husband is suffering a lot and sometimes he sleeps outside and sometimes they chase him. He has nowhere to stay … Yesterday I don’t know where he slept. The watchman took him … Yes, they just took him outside, so he went and slept there.’ (Mother 25 years, child with lumbar meningocele and hydrocephalus)
‘He just comes to see me, then he goes to the inter-city bus station to sleep, then he comes back in the morning.’ (Mother 20 years, child with large occipital encephalocele who died few days after surgery)
Some mothers were concerned about their families’ beliefs about the child having an NTD. One 25 year-old mother from the Eastern Province gave birth at home to a child with a lumbar meningocele (not an open lesion). Her husband and her in-laws refused to let her go to the hospital, instead applying traditional herbs to the lump on the child’s back. It was only after a week, having convinced the family, that she could take the baby to the clinic where she was referred to the hospital. The nature of the family’s beliefs and the herbs used were not investigated.
Support needs
Mothers described the need for both family support and government support.
A number of mothers received support from their families prior to admission at UTH. When financially possible, the extended family assisted mothers who needed to pay for transport to Lusaka.
‘So my relatives said that since this baby is supposed to go to Lusaka, we are going back to the village to look for money so that we can travel well to Lusaka.’ (Mother 19 years, child with lumbosacral myelomeningocele)
Most mothers from rural areas had a family member, frequently the husband, who accompanied them to the primary and secondary level facilities and then to Lusaka, to give them support. However, some mothers whose relatives stayed a long way from Lusaka said they received no family support. During their stay at UTH, some mothers received support from relatives in Lusaka, including being visited by them, given food and help with taking care of the baby.
‘My sister in-law is helping me. At night I go home [to her relative’s house] and wash the wound [had C-section], then I come back early in the morning.’ (Mother 28 years, child with lumbosacral myelomeningocele)
Despite having relatives in Lusaka, some mothers did not have any support from them as these relatives were unwell or the family relationship was difficult.
‘You know I was so heart-broken because this is the person I thought was going to keep me … So I can’t stay with her.’ (Mother 36 years, child with lumbar myelomeningocele)
Additionally, family members played an important role in taking care of the mothers’ other children who had been left at home.
Some health facilities had supported the mothers by organizing transport for them. At the UTH, both the mothers and those who had escorted them were provided with lunch and supper.
When asked how the government should help other mothers who are in a similar situation, the mothers said the government needs to ensure that children with NTDs are transported to the referral hospitals as soon after birth as possible. Hospitals needed to provide transport, or the social welfare should provide transport money, to those who could not afford it.
‘But there must be social welfare to assist with transport money so that the baby is quickly taken to the hospital … but you know in our areas, such services, they say they don’t have enough money.’ (Mother 36 years, child with lumbar myelomeningocele)
Furthermore, one mother wanted the government to provide wheelchairs for children who were unable to walk.
The demographic characteristics of mothers in the current study are similar to those in other studies in Africa. The mean age of mothers in the current study was 26 years, and most of them were from poor socio-economic communities dependent on subsistence farming. A record review at the two hospitals in Zambia providing surgery for children with NTDs indicated that the most common age group was 1–6 months old, with 61% of children having myelomeningocele (Mweshi et al. 2011). A study in Kenya reported a mean age of 8.5 months at the time of the initial operation (Margaron et al. 2010). Similar findings were reported in Nigeria by Adeleye et al. (2010), who found that the mean age of mothers of children with NTDs was 28 years and that most of them were from poor socio-economic backgrounds.
The findings of this study are discussed using the four dimensions of the Access to Care Framework, accessibility, availability, affordability and acceptability, as described by Jacobs et al. (2012) and Peters et al. (2008) and the supply- and demand-side barriers affecting access, as described by Jacobs et al. (2012).
In rural areas of Zambia, the geographical distance is a barrier for poor people to access health care, including at local health centres. As described by Jacobs et al. (2008), this is a supply-side barrier to access, as the locations of services are too far from the population served. In Zambia, it is estimated that about 99% of people in urban areas live within 5 km of a health facility, while in rural areas only 50% are within this range (MOH [Zambia] n.d.). In this study, mothers were not aware that their child had an NDT; therefore, this was not a factor in deciding where to deliver. Eight of the nine mothers who did not deliver at a health facility lived in the rural areas. Seven mothers delivered at home and two mothers delivered on their way to the health facility. Three of the mothers who did not deliver at a health facility gave birth to children with myelomeningocele, predisposing their babies to infection. According to Shehu and Ameh (2004), in sub-Saharan African countries, most babies with NTDs are delivered at home with risk of infection as a result of rupture of the myelomeningocele. Those with hydrocephalus may experience asphyxia arising from obstructed labour and risk of brain damage.
According to the Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (CSO, MOH & ICF International 2014), an estimated 67% of all deliveries in Zambia are at a health facility. However, when comparing urban and rural areas, it is found that 89% of urban births in Zambia take place in a health facility, while only 56% of rural births occur at a health facility. Houweling et al. (2007) add that home deliveries are common in low- and middle-income countries, especially amongst women from poor socio-economic backgrounds. According to de Groot (2008), the main reasons for home deliveries are the distance required to walk or the time required to travel to the facility.
Geographical distance from home to health facility has been identified as a major barrier to health care in low- and middle-income countries (Al-Taiar et al. 2010). A study in South Africa by Harris et al. (2011) reported that this was a greater barrier in rural areas and in poorly resourced provinces. Similarly, a systematic review of studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries (1990–2006) identified the place of residence, distance and transport to the health facilities as the main factors affecting the use of antenatal care services in low- and middle-income countries (Simkhada et al. 2008). A systematic review of socio-economic differences in morbidity and access to health in Uganda found that many studies identified distance from a health facility as one of the most common barriers to access (Kiwanuka et al. 2008).
Although distance to the health facility has been found to be a major reason for home delivery, according to a study in Zambia by Sialubanje et al. (2015), there are other reasons which include a lack of money for transport and the requirement to bring baby clothes and food while in hospital. Similarly, a study in Tanzania reported that the most common reasons given for home deliveries were the distance to the health facility and a lack of money, including a fear of caesarean section and a lack of privacy in the labour room (Mrisho et al. 2009).
Accessibility is also determined by transport, which is essential when a pregnant woman is unable to walk to the health facility to give birth. Jacobs et al. (2012) described this difficulty with transport, including both the distance between the home and the health facility and the public transport available, as a demand-side barrier to access. Unlike all the mothers from rural areas, the three mothers in this study who were living in Lusaka where surgery could take place reported that their child was referred to UTH within 24 h of birth.
Follow-up visits after surgery are important for children with NTDs, especially those with myelomeningocele and hydrocephalus, because it increases their chances of survival (Warf 2011). In Uganda, where children with myelomeningocele were followed up postoperatively by a community-based support person, the children had a higher 5-year survival compared to those who were not observed by the programme (Warf, Wright & Kulkarni 2011). In this study, most mothers from rural areas said that it would be difficult to return to Lusaka for a follow-up appointment because of the distance to the hospital and the cost of transport. These reasons are consistent with what has been found in other studies in low- and middle-income countries where follow-up visits are deterred by distance and transport costs (de Paul Djientcheu et al. 2008; Pirani et al. 2009).
The inequitable distribution of health workers and physical infrastructure and the consequent lack of capacity to provide quality health care have been reported on by the Zambian government (MOH [Zambia] n.d.). At each level, access to health care is affected by the availability of skilled health workers, essential drugs and medical equipment. None of the mothers in this study had a prenatal diagnosis of NTD. According to reports from other African countries, even where prenatal testing is performed, it frequently fails to identify congenital anomalies (Adeleye et al. 2010; de Paul Djientcheu et al. 2008; Rabiu & Adeleye 2013). A prospective study of central nervous system anomalies in Nigeria reported that although 80% of the mothers had prenatal ultrasound, the anomaly was only diagnosed in 14% (Adeleye et al. 2010). A similar study in Nigeria reported that although 97% of the mothers of children with central nervous system anomalies had prenatal ultrasound, the detection rate was only 24.5% (Idowu & Olawehinmi 2012). The shortage of skilled health workers, who are able to make a correct prenatal diagnosis, is a supply-side barrier to access to health care (Jacobs et al. 2012).
In general, after referral, hospital transport was not available for the mothers at the primary level health facility, but was available at the secondary level facility. This was a supply-side barrier. The mothers wanted all the health facilities (as government institutions) to provide this transport on referral. Having hospital transport available is an important factor in accessing health care, particularly in rural areas. Furthermore, the mothers, including those who had been transported in a hospital vehicle to the tertiary level hospital, were very worried that there would be no hospital transport provided for them to return to the rural areas.
Peters et al. (2008) describe affordability, which is directly associated with poverty, as one of the most important determinants of access. Affordability relates to financial barriers to access, including both direct and indirect costs. A systematic review on barriers to surgical care in low- and middle-income countries identified the direct costs as those that are related to care: transport, hospital stay, surgery, drugs, laboratory tests and medical supplies. Indirect costs included the loss in productivity and income, and the cost of a caregiver (Grimes et al. 2011). Although health care services for children are free in Zambia, the direct and indirect costs can be demanding, especially for those from rural areas. According to the World Bank (2016), Zambia, a lower middle-income country, has a very unequal income distribution, with 60% of the population living below the poverty line and 42% considered to be in extreme poverty. The Zambia National Health Strategic Plan (2011-2015) states that poor people from rural areas face access barriers, including transport costs, time costs, and food and accommodation for in-patients and relatives (MOH [Zambia] n.d.).
Transport costs are a major barrier to access health care services amongst the poor and those in rural areas (Goudge et al. 2009; Harris et al. 2011). In this study, the major direct cost was transport, including the initial transport to the local health clinics and subsequent transport costs when the child was referred to the secondary and tertiary level hospitals. As described by Peters et al. (2008), this cost was related to the distance to the health facilities, in particular affecting mothers from rural areas and those who were not assisted with hospital transport.
Most of the mothers in this study had no source of cash income and relied on subsistence farming. One mother sold the maize, which the family expected to use as food in the coming months, to pay for her transport to Lusaka. Selling household assets or borrowing to pay for health care services is common in low- and middle-income countries where people, mostly the poor, use out of pocket money to finance health care services (Alam & Mahal 2014).
When mothers were accompanied by their husbands, there was no one to work in the fields, thus affecting income and food for their families, which is an indirect cost. Health service utilisation is the lowest amongst poor populations (O’Donnell 2007; Peters et al. 2008). A systematic review of socio-economic differences in morbidity and access to health in Uganda found that many studies identified distance from a health facility as one of the most common barriers to access (Kiwanuka et al. 2008). The cost of transport for the mothers is a demand-side factor related to affordability that is directly associated with distance from a health facility (Jacobs et al. 2012). Because of private transport costs, mothers rarely had any expectation of being able to return to UTH for follow-up visits.
Mothers who received transport support from the referring hospitals were able to reach Lusaka in good time despite coming from poor socio-economic backgrounds. Similarly, Penny et al. (2007) reported that in Uganda many children with motor impairments from poor rural populations were able to access the health services when they received financial and transport support. As Thiede and McIntyre (2008) noted, health care financing can have a significant effect on affordability by giving poor communities the opportunity to access health care without incurring any costs.
Acceptability
The cultural practices in a particular society can be demand-side barriers affecting access to health care. Women’s lack of decision-making power has been found to delay access to health services, and may contribute to the high mortality rate amongst children in poor areas (Bronsard et al. 2008; Fantahun et al. 2007). In a study in rural Zambia, Sialubanje et al. (2015) found that women’s lack of decision-making autonomy and their dependence on their husband and other family members for the final decision were reasons for home deliveries. Home births are common in Zambia despite attempts to phase out traditional birth attendants. Regardless of the mother’s choice, many traditional families insist that a traditional birth attendant delivers the baby at home. In a study on access to and utilisation of health services for the poor in Uganda, Kiwanuka et al. (2008) reported that most poor women used traditional and untrained health personnel to assist their delivery. In this study, in addition to the home births, one mother reported that her husband’s family delayed her taking the child to the health facility as they wanted to apply herbs directly onto the lesion on the child’s back.
Most studies exploring the needs of parents of children with disabilities have reported access to information as one of the most important aspects mentioned by parents (Palisano et al. 2010; Resch et al. 2010). In this study, after delivery mothers did not have any understanding of what was wrong with their child. In a systematic review to understand the burden of spina bifida on caregivers, it was reported that at the time of the initial diagnosis, about 53.3% of mothers of children with spina bifida did not know that, in the future, their children would have bowel problems (Rofail et al. 2012). According to Resch et al. (2010), providing information to parents on the type of disability and services available at the time of diagnosis helps reduce parental stress. In a study conducted in South Africa, caregivers of children with learning disabilities reported that their lack of knowledge about their child’s condition was one of the main causes of their experiences of distress and anxiety when caring for their children (Sandy, Kgole & Mavundla 2013). Giving information during the initial diagnosis helps families to plan for their child’s future, learn of the services available and understand the long-term implications of their child’s condition (Jeglinsky, Autti-Rämö & Carlberg 2012; Palisano et al. 2010). Provision of information is a supply-side factor that can be used to facilitate acceptability of health care services amongst mothers of children with disabilities, and to increase utilisation of health care services for their children. Limited education may be a demand-side factor affecting access when mothers do not recognise illness or the potential benefits of getting health care (O’Donnell 2007).
The mothers’ social responsibilities, or the cultural and social distance between health care services and users, as described by Simon (2008), are another factor that can affect acceptability of the service. In this study, most of the mothers were concerned about the children who remained at home, while those women who were escorted by spouses were worried about the living conditions of their spouses in terms of accommodation and food. This is in line with the findings of Peters et al. (2008), who noted that, apart from worrying about the condition of the child, parents of hospitalised children in low- and middle-income countries also worry about other things such as cost of food and accommodation during the child’s hospitalisation. Furthermore, a systematic review on barriers to surgical care in low- and middle-income countries reported that the absence of a person to escort the family member to the hospital was a stronger factor in preventing access to surgical care than fear of surgery (Grimes et al. 2011).
In low- and middle-income countries where some hospitals do not provide meals or accommodation for patients and caregivers, family support is an important factor in terms of acceptability (Gyasi, Amoaku & Asamany 2007). Although the hospital provided meals for the mother and the person who escorted her, some mothers in this study who were accompanied by their husbands to Lusaka experienced an additional concern about their spouse’s living conditions. Thus, the absence of relatives near the urban referral hospitals may be considered a demand-side factor that affects access to health services by reducing compliance to referral.
At times the attitude of the health care workers, which is a supply-side factor, may have affected referral in this study. While some health workers recognised children born with NTDs require immediate referral to specialised services, at other hospitals health workers sent the children home. Whether or not this incorrect advice resulted from inadequate knowledge or negative attitude, a delay in receiving specialised treatment may lead to a deterioration of the condition, and increased operative and mortality risks (Komolafe, Komolafe & Adeolu 2008). Despite this, there were occasions where the attitude of the health personnel was a facilitator, for example, when they contributed money to pay for the mother and child’s transport to the tertiary level facility for surgery.
Although every attempt was made to ensure trustworthiness of the data, there were some limitations including the language barrier between the researcher and four of the participants whose languages the researcher was unable to speak. Research assistants, who were able to speak the mother’s language, conducted the interviews. However, this would have affected the depth of the data collected as well as the interpretation of nuances within the data.
The second limitation was the study sample, which only included mothers who had managed to report to the tertiary level hospital. This introduced a sample bias into the findings, as there may be mothers who found difficulties with access to the tertiary facility were too great. A study that includes mothers at primary and secondary level facilities might provide additional information on their experiences.
Through the use of qualitative methodology, this study has given voice to mothers of children with NTDs in Zambia by describing their experiences of getting access to health care and the tertiary level health services for their children. Ensor and Cooper (2004) have argued that the demand-side barriers may be a greater factor in reducing access to health care in poor and vulnerable populations than the supply-side barriers; however, effective methods for reducing them have not been evident. Important demand-side barriers for rural mothers included geographical inaccessibility or distance between home and the health facility and limited public transport to health facilities. Other demand-side barriers that affected the acceptability of the service included the inability of mothers, who were subsistence farmers, to afford public transport, and the attitudes and cultural practices of the mother and father’s families concerning the health services and an absence of supportive relatives near the health facility. Supply-side barriers included the distance between health clinics and homes in rural areas, the absence of health workers with appropriate knowledge, skills and a caring attitude at each health facility level, information not being provided to mothers and the lack of hospital transport affecting access to the next facility level, following referral.
Interventions to improve access to health facilities in Zambia need to differentiate between supply-side and demand-side factors in order to ensure that newborn babies with NTDs have access to quality health care. A holistic approach is needed. The mothers recommended that the government should make transport a priority. While some factors can be addressed by the Zambian Ministry of Health, other government departments such as the transport department need to become involved. Furthermore, the training institutions need to take note of the findings and use them to inform their curricula. The development of such policies in other African countries with similar gross domestic products might facilitate access to health care for children born with NDTs.
Access to tertiary level facilities for surgical intervention is essential for babies born with NTDs. If closure of an open lesion is to be performed within 24 h, as advised by Lazareff (2011), there is an urgent need for an effective referral system and the provision of transport. Furthermore, as Warf (2011) has argued, following studies in Uganda, not only is surgery important, but also follow-up through programmes such as community-based rehabilitation have been found to significantly increase the chances of survival. As McQueen et al. (2010) state, essential surgical care needs to be considered as a basic human right. This study helps to emphasise that governments in sub-Saharan Africa, including Zambia, must develop health and other policies to ensure equal access to health care, including surgery and follow-up care.
Thanks to the mothers who gave so freely of their time, generously sharing their experiences, without whom this study would not have been possible.
This article draws on the thesis of M.M.S. for the Masters of Science degree at the University of the Western Cape. P.M.S. was the main research supervisor. M.M.M. was the co-supervisor based in Zambia. All three authors have contributed towards various drafts of the article.
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1. Estimates of global and regional prevalence of neural tube defects for 2015: a systematic analysis
Hannah Blencowe, Vijaya Kancherla, Sowmiya Moorthie, Matthew W. Darlison, Bernadette Modell
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences vol: 1414 issue: 1 first page: 31 year: 2018
doi: 10.1111/nyas.13548
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As Jony Ive Departs, Apple Loses Top Designer and Takes $7 Billion Hit
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced after the close on Thursday that Chief Design Officer Jony Ive is departing from the company. Ive is one of the most respected executives of Apple based on name recognition. What matters here is that Ive has a 27-year tenure after having joined Apple in 1992, and he is leaving to start his own business. Ive has been called the lead behind the designs of the iPod, iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and even parts of Apple’s iOS user interface. It is hard to say if this figure will actually hold, but this might actually be close to a $7 billion hit on Apple’s total market capitalization because the company is so large.
While the formal press release indicated that Ive is going to continue to work closely with Apple, Ive’s new design company will count Apple “among its primary clients on a range of products.” That also means that Ive’s design ideas may go outside of Apple in the future. Also as a risk, some investors may be surprised by the move and see the departure as a changing of the guard. Ive was instrumental in the iMac vision up through the iPhone launch, and some of the products have more to do with him than they do Tim Cook.
The departure of Ive is also after news from late-April that Rico Zorkendorfer and Daniele De Iuliis had decided to leave the company as turnover was up in the industrial design team. Dow Jones reported at the time that the two had over 35 years of combined at Apple.
Apple’s announcement indicated that design team leaders Evans Hankey (Industrial Design) and Alan Dye (Human Interface Design) will report to Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams. Both are said to have played key roles within Apple’s design team for many years.
Wedbush Securities already has issued a brief note to its clients. The firm’s Daniel Ives reiterated his Outperform rating and his $235 price target. That report said:
Ive is leaving a hole in the company and is clearly irreplaceable as he has been one of the most important figures at Apple throughout the past few decades; from his iMac vision to the stunning iPhone launch and transformation his fingerprints are deeply woven within Apple’s core DNA. The major question now going forward is around future product innovation with one of the key visionaries of the Apple brand gone. In our opinion this news only adds to the current agita around the Apple story as the company is branching out into television and gaming all while it is currently the poster child for the US/China UFC trade battle on the heels of the G20 summit. While this is a bit if a shocker to Apple and its investors we are not overly concerned as Ive will continue to work closely with Cook & Co.
Wedbush’s note still shows a positive risk/reward scenario for Apple shareholders and said the stock is compelling at current levels. Another issue acting as a plus in the Wedbush report is that Apple is viewed as the most safe from antitrust issues today in technology stocks.
While the Apple release gave no formal indications of when Jony Ive would be leaving, nor about specifics on how involved the company would be with Apple, there has been little reporting about Ive’s salary and share ownership basis recently.
Apple shares closed at down six cents at $199.74 ahead of the news and the shares were down an additional $1.49 (or 0.75%) at $198.25 in the after-hours session. There is no way to know if that after-hours share price drop will stick into Friday’s trading session or not. Still even a 0.75% stock drop in a stock with a $919 billion market cap would imply a loss of $6.9 billion in market value.
ALSO READ: Why the Crazy-High Ford and GM Dividends May Hold Up in the Next Recession
Apple CEO Tim Cook said of Ive’s departure:
Jony is a singular figure in the design world and his role in Apple’s revival cannot be overstated, from 1998’s groundbreaking iMac to the iPhone and the unprecedented ambition of Apple Park, where recently he has been putting so much of his energy and care. Apple will continue to benefit from Jony’s talents by working directly with him on exclusive projects, and through the ongoing work of the brilliant and passionate design team he has built. After so many years working closely together, I’m happy that our relationship continues to evolve and I look forward to working with Jony long into the future.
Ive said of his tenure with Apple:
After nearly 30 years and countless projects, I am most proud of the lasting work we have done to create a design team, process and culture at Apple that is without peer. Today it is stronger, more vibrant and more talented than at any point in Apple’s history. The team will certainly thrive under the excellent leadership of Evans, Alan and Jeff, who have been among my closest collaborators. I have the utmost confidence in my designer colleagues at Apple, who remain my closest friends, and I look forward to working with them for many years to come.
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Read more: Technology, featured, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)
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HANSARD 1803–2005 → 1980s → 1984 → October 1984 → 23 October 1984 → Commons Sitting
Fire Services (Northern Ireland)
HC Deb 23 October 1984 vol 65 cc646-54 646 10.14 pm
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Chris Patten)
I beg to move, That the draft Fire Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1984, which was laid before this House on 17th July, be approved. The order has two purposes: first, to consolidate with amendments existing provisions relating to the composition and functions of the fire authority for Northern Ireland; and, secondly, to make further provision to strengthen the law relating to fire precautions in Northern Ireland to bring it into line with Great Britain.
Part II of the order reproduces those elements of existing legislation dealing with the constitution, powers, duties, administration and finance of the fire authority, but with some important amendments. No change is proposed in the present composition of the authority. There is a mixture of members drawn in the first place from the district councils, reflecting the local government involvement in the pre-1973 provision of fire services and, secondly, from a wide range of other interests.
In its consideration of the proposal, the Northern Ireland Assembly recommended that the authority should be composed entirely of nominees from district councils. However, I have decided that the existing arrangement has stood the test of time. It provides for membership of the authority to be drawn from a wide range of interests and experience, as befits a body providing an important Province-wide service. However, I propose that in future the chairman and vice-chairman will be appointed by the Department rather than being elected annually by the members. That is not an implicit criticism of the present or previous holders of those posts; each has given excellent service to the authority. Nevertheless, I believe that on balance it is now appropriate for the authority to be brought into line with other bodies administering Province-wide public services, such as the Housing Executive, the police authority and the electricity service.
I should add that it would not be my intention to exercise that power of appointment during the current term of the authority, which expires next September. The order also provides for the chairman and vice-chairman to be paid salaries commensurate with their enhanced responsibilities and duties.
The second major change relates to the functions of the chief fire officer, who, under existing legislation, is responsible to the authority for the efficiency of the fire brigade while the secretary reports direct to the authority on administrative matters. I now propose that, as in Great Britain, the chief fire officer should be the chief executive and answer to the authority for brigade and administrative matters. I have noted the Assembly's support for this proposal and article 9 has been re-drafted so as, I hope, to clarify the matter.
Part III deals with the important topic of fire precautions and will bring this aspect of the law in Northern Ireland into line with the corresponding Great Britain legislation. In essence, it establishes a system under which the occupiers of premises used for purposes designated under article 22 will be required to obtain from the authority a "fire certificate". This will be issued only when the authority is satisfied that the premises are provided with efficient means of escape, an adequate alarm system, fire fighting equipment and other fire 647 precautions. Article 22 is so drafted as to enable a wide range of premises to be designated—hotels, boarding houses, residential care institutions, work places and places to which the public resort in large numbers. Many of those premises are, of course, already required to be provided with means of escape and other fire precautions under existing legislation.
The new designation system will ensure greater flexibility in the introduction of fire precautions as the need for such control arises from the way in which premises are used. The remaining articles in Part III deal with the practical operation of the fire certification procedure providing for such matters as offences and penalties. They are being brought into line with those applying in Great Britain.
The fire tragedy at Maysfield leisure centre earlier this year underlines the importance of fire precautions. The order will place on the authority considerably increased fire precautions responsibilities and so, as I said at the time that the report on the Maysfield fire was published, finance is being made available to the authority to enable it to create a further 10 posts in its fire precautions department.
Part IV of the order restates the functions of the department as they relate to the power to appoint inspectors to report on the performance of the authority. For some time, the inspector appointed has been from the Home Office fire inspectorate, and it is my intention that we should continue to make use of the experience of that inspectorate.
This draft order should enhance our ability to prevent fires and to deal with those which tragically occur. I am sure that the House would wish to take this opportunity to commend the admirable work done by the fire service in Northern Ireland. The draft order should help the service to do an even better job in the future, and I have no hesitation in commending it to the House.
10.21 pm
§ Mr. Clive Soley (Hammersmith)
This is an appropriate time to place on record our gratitude to the men and women of the Northern Ireland fire service. It is one of the busiest in the world. It answered 18,600 calls in 1983, 55 people died and 786 were seriously injured. More than 130 firemen were injured.
Since 1969, at least one fire officer has been shot dead, four others have died undertaking their duties and scores have suffered multiple burns as a result of their occupation. Again, this is an appropriate time to bear in mind that throughout that period Northern Ireland's fire officers have not been on what we would describe as high pay. Indeed, the present figure for firefighters is around £100 a week net—less for part-timers.
There are 1,428 firemen in Northern Ireland, 579 of whom are full-time, working 42 hours a week in nine-hour shifts. The demands placed on them are often heavy and severe. It is interesting to note that there are no women firefighters in Northern Ireland, although there are five in the British firefighting service. Although I know that there is resistance to it in the Northern Ireland fire service, at some time it will be worth looking at the possibility of employing women in that area.
Part II of the order restates the constitution, duties and powers of the fire authority. Part III extends and consolidates the fire authority's powers by enabling the department to designate certain types of premises as 648 requiring a fire certificate, and imposes standard requirements in relation to fire alarms, firefighting and so on.
I was interested to note that the Northern Ireland Assembly approved the order but wanted more accountability. I accept that nothing more can be done about that at this stage, but the Assembly also drew attention to pensions for part-timers. We would welcome a ministerial response to that.
The Assembly also wanted to include places of worship as places needing fire certificates. The Minister might be tempted down that road after the experiences at York Minster, and at some stage that might be worth looking at. [Interruption.] the Bishop of Durham crossed my mind, but I am not thinking of asking him to serve there or to tighten up the argument for fire certificates in places of worship.
According to the Assembly, there is a need to tighten up certain other provisions and to check on the use of specified materials. These issues also deserve a more detailed response than we have so far had from the Minister.
My comments relate primarily to the Fair Employment Agency's report which was published earlier this year. I know that the Minister is aware of that report, and the Northern Ireland fire service is anxious that he should respond to it. That investigation discovered that in preceding years the number of Roman Catholics serving in the fire service were substantially below the number expected, given the proportion of applicants. In 1983, 33 per cent. of the applicants were Roman Catholic, but only 12 per cent. of the successful applicants were Roman Catholics. That is quite a discrepancy. That is on the basic grade. Above that grade, the representation of Roman Catholics is even less than it should be by any criteria of fair employment practices.
The Protestant success rate in reaching the interview stage is double that of the Roman Catholic rate, and the success rate of appointment of Protestants is three and a half times greater than it is for Roman Catholics. When that was brought to the attention of the fire service it went into the matter and began to look at ways to tackle the problem. It has looked at methods of interviewing and ways of training interviewers. It has looked at the possibility of identifying people by reference numbers rather than by name, as names are used as a basis for discrimination. I could offer the Minister the services of the Greater London council, which his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is anxious to get rid of. It has performed a useful operation in making sure that there are fair employment practices in the GLC firefighting service. There is plenty of experience to be drawn from around the country.
This is an important matter. I know that the Government accept that the Fair Employment Agency report is a fair one, and one with positive guidelines. I know, as well, that the firefighting service in Northern Ireland is anxious to conform with the aims of the Fair Employment Agency. What steps does the Minister think are being taken? Does he think that they are adequate to improve the employment prospects of Roman Catholics in the firefighting service of Northern Ireland?
§ Mr. Clifford Forsythe (Antrim, South)
Before I speak about the order, I put on record my party's 649 admiration for the tremendous work and the courage of the fire service in Northern Ireland. It fully lives up to the standard of the other services and give a tremendous service to Northern Ireland in the tragic times through which we are living. Because of our praise for the brave and dedicated men who fight fires in Northern Ireland, we should look closely at the order, which will affect their everyday lives and the running of that service.
Only recently, in the tragedy that happened at Brighton, we saw, in the graphic photographs on television, the excellent work that the fire service men do. We give our greatest praise to that work.
Although this order may not be the proper occasion for raising this matter, we should consider the retained firemen's superannuation. They deserve to have the matter looked at by the Minister.
It is rather unfortunate that, when speaking about the order, the hon. Member for Hammersmith (Mr. Soley) did what our party is always accused of doing—introduce sectarianism into a Northern Ireland order. I am disappointed about that.
We should make great efforts to back up the hard work and bravery of the fire service men in Northern Ireland. The idea of the order is to bring Northern Ireland into line with what happens in the rest of the United Kingdom, but a few points need to be made about where the Northern Ireland service differs from the one in the rest of the United Kingdom.
One would have expected that the experts in this operation—the Fire Brigades Union—would have been consulted on matters such as this. Unfortunately, the union did not even receive a copy of the order from the Department. The excuse that was given was that the copy had gone astray in the post. That is something rather unfortunate in this day and age.
When the union received notification from the Northern Ireland Assembly's Environment Committee that it could, if it wished, make a submission to that Committee, it had to buy a copy of the order to study it. The net result was that there was not time to study the whole order before evidence was given to the Committee. The union has only recently been able to study the order in detail.
The Minister went out of his way to meet me and members of the union and we had an excellent hearing. But after the officials of the Department had had further discussions with the union, only minimal changes were made to the order.
Throughout the order there are references to the Department of the Environment and to the head of the Department. Article 2, dealing with interpretation, says that
'the Department' means the Department of the Environment". Article 50 says, under the heading "Inspectors", that The Department may appoint an inspector or inspectors". Schedule 1, part I, says that a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, and fifteen other members will be appointed by the Head of the Department". Will the Minister tell me whether it means "the Department" or the Minister in charge of the Department? 650 Or does it mean the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who is in overall charge of all the operations in Northern Ireland?
It also says in schedule 1 that the Minister is to nominate the chairman and the vice-chairman of the Fire Authority for Northern Ireland. I know that there are great reservations about that on the part of the elected representatives of the authority. It is most unfair to change the system, because the authority was able to elect its own chairman and vice-chairman. It could have been an elected member or a nominated member, whichever was thought best. Regardless of what is done in other bodies, it is seen as a step backwards in regard to democracy—or at least the democracy that exists at the moment in Northern Ireland.
Schedule 1 also refers to the quorum that is required within the authority. It says that there should be eight members present out of the 17. It does not say that there should be a percentage of elected members present, or a percentage of nominated members. As the quorum is eight, it would be possible to end up with eight nominated members running the authority at any particular meeting, simply because for some reason or other there were no elected representatives present. I hope that the Minister will think about that.
Article 5(f) says that the Department will act in accordance with section 12 of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973". Section 12 refers to relations with the Republic of Ireland and says that A Northern Ireland executive authority may— (a) consult in any matter with any authority of the Republic of Ireland". I would assume — rightly, I hope — that that simply means that if any emergency arises in which one country is able to assist another where firefighting equipment is required, that will be done. I see the Minister nodding his head, and I am pleased that that is so.
Article 6 deals with the hydrants that are required throughout the Province, to be used by the firemen. It is proposed that no longer will the brigade be responsible for looking after the hydrants, painting them the right colours so that people know where they are, finding out where they are and making sure that everything is Al in case there is a fire. It is difficult to understand why that responsibility should be transferred to the Department of the Environment water service, away from the experts. It is the experts who are carrying out the job, and doing it well.
Will resources have to be made available to the Department of the Environment water service because of the change? Will it mean that that part of the fire authority's operation will have to close down? Will it not occasionally bring into conflict the financial restraints within the Department and the services that are required for the safety of the public? I have always found that creating extra facilities in any Department required extra money. I assume that allowances will be made, and that almost a new Department will be created to do the job. It seems silly that we should take it from the experts, who know where the hydrants are, and give it to the Department of the Environment water service, for which I have the greatest admiration, having been in that business. However, on occasions I have also found some 651 shortcomings that all seemed to be connected with finance. I would be worried that the financial aspect would raise its ugly head now and again.
§ Mr. William Ross (Londonderry, East)
With regard to the provision of water hydrants, there have been occasions when the worst offenders in covering up water hydrants so that they could not be found were the Department of the Environment road service. Because of that, would it not be a good idea to make sure that the responsibility stayed with the fire service, as at present? It has an inspection service that goes round and clears out the fire hydrants periodically, and tries to ensure that they are kept in proper working order, which is very important. We should keep the job in the hands of the fire service, which, being a separate area of government from the Department of the Environment, might be freer in its criticism when a hydrant is tarmacked in by the Department's road service or its contractors.
§ Mr. Forsythe
I thank my hon. Friend for his comments, with which I totally agree, having had the experience of trying to repair a burst pipe, perhaps in the early hours of the morning around Christmas time, only to discover that the stop cock box had disappeared under about 3 in to 4 in of tarmac.
Article 27, under part III of the order deals with fire precautions. While I welcome the major step forward in the fire precaution legislation in Northern Ireland, I am concerned that it is included in the new order. Surely it should have been separation legislate, as in the rest of the United Kingdom. I have compared like with like between the new Northern Ireland fire precautions legislation and that of Great Britain and have found a number of omissions and differences to which I want to draw the Minister's attention. Article 27 is identical to the legislation for England with one exception. Subparagraph (f) of the English legislation has been omitted from that for Northern Ireland. It says: in case of factory premises, particulars of any explosive or highly flammable materials which may be stored or used in the premises. I am assured that that subparagraph is important to the contents of a fire certificate and is not covered by any other legislation such as that on explosives. Why has that subparagraph been left out of article 27? Can the Minister assure us that the omission of this part of the tried and tested English fire precautions legislation from the Northern Ireland order will in no way be detrimental to the comparable standards that should apply in Northern Ireland?
Article 51 appears to give the Department absolute power over the experts in the authority and the fire service. Even in article 5, with its reference to section 12 of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973, which I have already mentioned, and apparently even where the authority and the chief officer were in agreement that something should be done or should take place, the Department can overrule both the authority and the chief officer. I would take a little bit more kindly to that if it were the Minister who had that authority because he is an elected Member of the legislature and as such we can at least put a little pressure on him. But I cannot say the same for the Department. Therefore, with all due respect to our 652 friends in the higher reaches of the Civil Service, we cannot say that they would be experts on fire services. We could find that the experts are being overruled by cavil servants. Moreover, civil servants are generally ruled by financial considerations rather than practical or safety considerations, which should be taken into account.
Article 50 retains the provision for appointing an inspector, which was previously in article 29 of the principal 1969 order. But no mention is made of the special practical experience required by the 1969 order. For example, experience of the extinction of fires is required. While the provision of appointment has never been taken up since 1969, at least requests have been made for Home Office inspections. If the Minister can confirm that it is his intention that Her Majesty's inspectorate will continue to be used for that function in Northern Ireland I shall be very pleased. If appointments are to be made under article 50 will the Minister tell us what specialist knowledge and experience will be required of such an appointee?
Schedule 5 repeals article 6 of the Fire Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1973, including its reference to added paragraph (b) from section 16 of the principal Act of 1969. That protected the standards and conditions of uniformed personnel. Those standards were derived from the national joint council for the local authority brigades, and were protected by article 6 of the 1973 order.
I am sure that the Minister would not wish to treat Northern Ireland's firemen any less favourably than their counterparts in the rest of the United Kingdom. Will he therefore assure me that under the order, the authority, the Department and the brigade will continue to accept the standards, conditions and recommendations of the national joint council and the authority's membership of the same, even though I know that the national joint council legislation does not apply to Northern Ireland?
In section 32 and schedule 4 of the Fire Services Act (Northern Ireland) 1969, there was provision for a Northern Ireland fire service advisory council, similar to the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council in Great Britain. This has now been changed, leaving Northern Ireland in the unique position of having no advisory body for standards of appliances, equipment and procedures.
I accept that the advisory council was never appointed, but it must be stressed that that was simply because the principal bodies concerned accepted that most of the council's work would be similar to that carried out by the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council, and that it was more expedient to accept that body's recommendations. Will the Minister confirm that in the absence of a Northern Ireland advisory council, the Department, the authority and the brigade will continue to accept and maintain the recommendations and standards of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council?
Under article 8, the fire authority will be recognised as a district council, with sections 23 to 27, 31, 40, 123 and 126 of the Local Government (Northern Ireland) Act 1972 applying. One would have thought that that was fine, but we find that there are two glaring omissions from those public referral sections: sections 121 and 122. They refer to the minutes and notices of meetings. It seems strange that if one knew where the meeting was, one could go 653 along to a fire authority meeting and have the right to sit in on it. However, one would not be entitled to see the minutes or to be told where the meeting was. That seems illogical. In the House, every word is recorded, and anyone can read it. One would have thought that the least that the Northern Ireland Fire Authority could do would be to allow the minutes to be looked at and to let people know the time and place of the meeting. The Minister may
654 be sympathetic towards doing something about that, and I urge him to take a serious look at it in the near future. I hope that he will come to the correct conclusion.
I am concerned that the order seems to give less power to Northern Ireland's elected representatives and more to the Department. I hope to receive a favourable response from the Minister to the points that I have raised, but I also hope that the order's operation will not in any way lower the standards of firefighting and fire precautions in Northern Ireland.
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""It is not your right to make me say something unless I say it "... An argument between Saudi Arabia and Iraq in the League of Arab States
Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari and the Saudi Minister of State for African States Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz Qattan, regarding Yemen and the kingdom-led "support for Legitimacy" coalition, held an argument at the meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers in Cairo.
The story began when Jaafari put forward the war in Yemen, calling for its end, with a view to the story of the Queen of Yemen and saying that "Kings if they enter a village they ruined".
al-Jafari's call did not seem to impress the Saudi Arabian Minister for the Affairs of African States. In his speech, Qattan considered his understanding of the Qur'an to be untrue, and Qadhafi said similar words. Balqees said this was after a letter came from King Suleiman, who then came and married her.
He added that Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in response to the legitimate government, and we will not accept to strike Saudi Arabia and I do not think anyone can accept to strike the land of Muslims.
He said, Saudi Arabian Kings, since the foundation of Abu Turki praised everyone for what he and his sons have done towards the Arab world. He added: "We did not seek behind this war, but Iran and Iran's Shiites and those behind Iran, and the kingdom will remain obstinate to you in Iran."
Al-Jafari returned to reply to the Minister of Saudi Arabia by saying that "it is not your right to dictate the purposes of your mental projections, I do not mean, I came 12 days before to Hajj and with the hospitality of the king and attended the dinner table".
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir, who participated in the meeting, met Al-Jafari on the sidelines of the meetings, stressing that his country is keen to unite the Arab class and position, saying in a tweet: «Participated today in the meeting of the Council of Arab Foreign ministers and confirmed my country's keenness on the unity of the Arab position to confront the challenges , "says CNN.
This is not the first incident among officials, and in 2016 the Saudi delegation, led by Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Qattan, withdrew from the meeting of the Council of the League in protest against al-Jaafari's talk about the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iraqi what so-called “forces of the Iraqi people's rally”.
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Author Daniel Rodrigues-Martin
WRITING AND EDITING ADVICE / WORK IN PROGRESS / COMPLAINING ABOUT TV AND MOVIES
The Legend of Korra Series Finale: Three Reasons it Didn't Work
This article has been republished on GeeksUnderGrace.com.
Spoilers ahead. You've been warned.
I love Avatar: The Last Airbender. Bingeing on the whole series during the summer of 2009 was what finally convinced me to start writing my own book, An Autumn Veil, in October of that year. I consider myself a student of Avatar. I have studied the martial arts and philosophical roots of the show, the intricate backstories and relationships between the characters, and the perfectly plotted thematic structure (I am of course ignoring the ill-conceived "Great Divide"). Anyone who wants to learn to tell stories well should study Avatar: The Last Airbender.
So I was thrilled to hear of fans' second chance to enjoy the Avatar universe with Avatar Aang's successor, Avatar Korra.
Image is property of Nickelodeon.
Legend of Korra's first season provided an intriguing new glimpse into the world we once knew in Airbender, but seventy years later. This twelve-episode first season was plotted as a miniseries and worked well as one, despite feeling a little rushed in the last few episodes with some of the gobbeldygook surrounding Tarlok and Amon (IE, they should have been in cahoots; that would have made a lot more sense). Season one began and concluded pleasingly, leaving no glaring loose ends to be tied.
But a problem arose in season 2: the story entered a metanarrative tailspin. I've been withholding judgment about Korra's metanarrative in hopes that the series's finale would amend some of the foibles of the earlier seasons and, perhaps, cast in a new light some of the things I believed to be insurmountably problematic. Now that the show is complete, I'm disappointed to say my hopes were not realized. While these disappointments were practically nonexistent in the show's sublime third season, they reared their ugly heads once more in season four and came to a head in the show's two-part series finale, which premiered December 19, 2014.
If you're reading this, you're probably aware of the potentially controversial final minute-or-so of Korra, which has been making news for portraying a same-sex relationship on a kid's show. Let me quickly address two things before continuing:
In a perfect world, I would review the entire series before composing this editorial to ensure I'm not missing a beat about this particular issue. I won't bore you with a list of reasons of why that review isn't happening. Feel free to comment with details I've overlooked should you have interest.
In response to the following line of commentary I've already started seeing from some, which goes: "The only reason you didn't like the finale is because you're a gay-hating, right-wing, fundamentalist bigot."
My short response: Guess again.
My longer response: Legend of Korra's writers don't get a free pass to mishandle storytelling because they decided to out their protagonist's sexual orientation as something other than "hetero" in the finale, and, wow, look how progressive they are. My real beef with this aspect of the finale is that the actual plotting of the show after season two did not convincingly establish any character as a credible romantic interest of Korra's...despite the fandom's cries of "Korrasami! Korrasami!"
So here are my three big beef-frigging sandwiches with the finale of Legend of Korra.
BEEF 1: EVERYTHING AFTER SEASON TWO'S FINAL CONFLICT WAS IRREPARABLY OVERSHADOWED or "EPIC SOUL-CRUSHING DEATH GIGAS IS WAY WORSE THAN ASSERTIVE, ATTRACTIVE DANCING GIRL"
This both is and isn't a problem particular to the two-part series finale. It's a pitfall the writers set themselves in back in 2013, when they decided to put the earth-shattering, cosmos altering battle between the great spirits of good and evil – a battle of far greater import than anything Aang ever dealt with or anything Korra would ever deal with - into the show's second season. This is the biggest thing I was hoping would be amended: that the writers would somehow unravel this clustercuss and give me a reason to believe that, yes, there was something that merited the premature appearance of the Dark Avatar. We get the cunning Red Lotus and the Great Uniter Kuvira, but the truth is, every threat after the Vaatu-infused Unalaq was political or ideological.
EPIC DEATH GIGAS VERSUS....
....Assertive, attractive dancing girl.
The Big Bad Vaatu, who would have banished the Avatar world to 10,000 years of darkness and misery, was introduced and neatly tucked away in fourteen episodes – and really, less than that, if you consider that Vaatu doesn't truly come into the picture until halfway through the season.
There is another thing that bothers me, because it ties into the "lack of completeness" I'm going to address below. This other thing is the start of the new Avatar cycle tied to the conflict between Raava and Vaatu that ultimately led to Korra being cut off from her previous Avatar incarnations. This severance meant all the interesting backstory about Aang's life - advice from Roku, Kyoshi, or Kuruk - all of it went down the drain in book two.
I understand a big part of the writers' goals with Legend of Korra was to make it a distinct show from the Last Airbender – and it is. But I think they went too far. One of the things I was most looking forward to in Legend of Korra was seeing an older, wiser (yet still incurably goofy) Aang offering sage wisdom and humorous quips to an eye-rolling Korra. We were teased with this possibility with the visions of Yakone in season one, and it seemed like Korra was going to come into a new state of spiritual understanding in which the audience would be rewarded with occasional appearances of Advisor Aang. Instead, Aang makes a brief appearance to Tenzin, not Korra, in season two, before vanishing forever into the annals of Avatar history. The perfect segue to naturally integrate Aang into the story while still having it be Korra's story was never employed. My heart.
My heart. Source.
Ultimately, harmonic convergence needed to happen. It's a good idea, and it's a foundational principle of the Avatar universe. But it came too early, and by coming too early, it ruined so many cool potentials fans of the original series had been eagerly expecting. More than that, its premature appearance imbalanced the metanarrative and ultimately subtracted from the series as a whole. Season two should have been season four, because season two was the truly significant conflict of this series, with the highest stakes and the greatest risks. Everything following it was small potatoes.
BEEF 2: LACK OF SATISFYING RESOLUTION or "HOW AVATAR: THE LEGEND OF KORRA SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLOTTED"
If there's one way I could summarize this objection, it's this: "The Korra finale didn't feel like the end of the series. It felt like the end of the Kuvira plotline."
A show with such a diverse cast of characters demanded a conflict that would bring them all together and see all of their respective character arcs satisfyingly tied up. Unfortunately, all of our characters were not brought together and all of our character arcs were not satisfyingly tied up. What was this conflict that would have brought everyone together? I'm'a beat that dead horse: Vaatu.
And let's not forget that placing Korra and Asami's romance in season three would have given season four the space it needed to properly explore that aspect of the story.
Vaatu was the Big Bad that would have seen the Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, the Air Nation, the Metal Clan, and the (in my proposed rewrite) remnants of the Earth Empire Army, converging on Republic City – maybe even with the grudging assistance ("the enemy of my enemy is my friend") of Zaheer and Kuvira, and maybe even with Katarra, Zuko, and Toph as advisors – to stand together against the truest threat to the world: not a political ideology, but an evil, spiritual reality that connects to the origins of the Avatar herself. And isn't this one of the biggest themes of Avatar: the juxtaposition between the spiritual and the secular; the natural and the man-made; the material and the immaterial? What better way to personify that dichotomy than a battle between humans and an army of corrupted spirits under the sway of Vaatu and Unalaq?
Having to face Vaatu at the series's finale would have forced Korra into a heartbreaking scenario in which she had no choice but to sever her connection from the beloved Aang, who would have been a recurring advisor, in order to preserve the seeds of peace Aang and his friends had fought to plant and Korra and her friends had fought to preserve. It would have been a noble sacrifice that would have made us root for Korra all the more while mourning the final farewell of one of animation's greatest characters.
What fans got instead was a climactic battle – and it was – that unfortunately had some notable faces missing and didn't have the earth-shattering weight the battle with Vaatu also lacked.
I'm saddened by the complete lack of Katarra after season two. I was hoping season four would feature a tasteful tribute to her via her peaceful death. Assuming my proposed rewrite, we would have just seen Aang "die" by losing his connection to Korra. This sets the perfect stage for Katarra, already well-advanced (perhaps we could have seen her getting sick in the latter half of the series?) in years, to slip away. Korra, now a fully-realized Avatar with access to the spirit world, sees in the distance the forms of a young adult Aang and Katarra finally reunited. The love of these two characters would, thus, have been eternally canonized. Korra catches just a glimpse of them. She knows it's okay. So do we. Heartbreaking. Heartwarming.
Other gripes: Where was Kya in season four? Am I right in thinking Bumi had no more than five lines in all of season four? What of Eska, Desna? Did Kai, who was a major player in season three and is presently the consort of Jinora, have a single significant line in the latter half of season four? Did Ichi speak at all after the Airbender kids found Korra? Why was Tenzin, who was such a pivotal character throughout the entire series and a mentor to the protagonist, relegated to a second-tier set piece who barely interacted with his protege?
These questions bother me. Legend of Korra's finale didn't have the completeness that the Last Airbender had. There were too many characters, too many knotted threads, too many frayed edges and dead-end turns that were left unresolved, and ultimately, the conflict of book four, while significant, wasn't enough. We needed something that was going to bring everyone, and I mean everyone, together. Because the Earth Empire's blitz was so quickly resolved by the heroes present in Republic City (as opposed to the United Republic's allegedly-existent military), there was neither the need nor the space for this grand, climactic collision. We were teased with the possibility of the Fire Nation redeeming itself by defending the UR. We didn't even get that.
I love the rich world DiMartino and Konietzko created in the Avatar universe, but this series finale was sadly lacking. Plot holes, loose threads, and an unsatisfying conclusion unjustified by the content of the narrative. I was hoping season four would redeem the clustercuss that was season two and provide some justification for putting the earth-shattering conflict with Vaatu so early in the story. It did not. As with much else in Legend of Korra, save the stellar third season, this conclusion felt rushed.
BEEF 3: NOBODY SHOULD HAVE WALKED HAND-IN-HAND WITH KORRA or "'DEALING WITH IT' HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SEXUALITY"
My Papa was an oldschool Italian guy born in the 1930s Bronx, New York. He had a lot of quips and one-liners. Here's a good one: "If you're not gonna do something right, don't do it at all."
As I said in brief above: no character convincingly presented themselves as credible romantic interests of Korra's after Mako. We can all acknowledge that Korra and Asami develop a closer relationship in book three. So what? Asami as a character seemed to take a back seat after things melted down with Mako in season one. She needed some way to remain relevant to the show, as she hadn't been shown to have a strong relationship with Korra up to that point. "Korra and Asami spent time together. Asami took care of Korra after a fierce battle." Therefore...they're sexually attracted to each other? Do I sound convinced to you, internet reader?
Well, do I? Source.
Some commentators see the Korra/Asami pairing as natural and expected. Co-creator Bryan Konietzko said in a blog that if you didn't see Korra/Asami, it's because you were watching the show with "hetero eyes." Konietzko is suggesting that to really understand this aspect of the story, we should have come to his story with a different perspective. But everyone is biased. Every decision we make, every piece of information we interact with, is filtered through our experiences, beliefs, and knowledge. This is called a worldview. You see, people need to have a reason to look at things differently. If you don't give them a reason, they won't. We default to our worldview.
Now that we know what the writers were thinking and doing with these characters, we can go back to these possibly-ambiguous romantic references and read into them the show's epilogue. Respectfully to Mr. Konietzko, this is a cop-out. Your job as a storyteller is to give me a reason to believe, not, drop a handful of possibly-ambiguous hints whose conclusion we'll canonize on the very last page of our script. We should have known this was coming not for socio-cultural-political reasons, but because that's proper storytelling.
I understand that politics make their way into writers' rooms and CEOs' offices when it comes to big-budget TV shows, and "what will viewers think" and "blah blah blah." I get it. If you had wanted to put Korrasami earlier in the show, Bryke, you probably would have gotten nixed by the Suits. That doesn't change the fact that this aspect of the story was not handled well. I take my cues from the content of the story itself. I don't apologize for seeing the world from my own eyes, and I don't ask you to apologize for seeing it from yours. All I'm saying is, as a fellow writer, as a guy who loves stories and thinks you did a fantastic job on Airbender, Korrasami didn't jump out at me, and I think it does an injustice to your characters and to your story that this wasn't made clear until, literally, the last possible moment. It bore narrative meat, and all we got was crumbs.
"If you're not gonna do something right, don't do it at all."
The arc of season four leads us to believe that Korra has a lot of self-discovery and self-actualization to do. The natural conclusion and lesson, in my humble opinion, is that Korra learns to be self-sufficient as the Avatar and to truly step into her role as the Avatar, not to walk off into the new spirit portal (that is there for some reason, because...giant gun?) holding Asami's hand.
So much love in her eyes. Image from season one.
(Here's that full quote: "Look, I like Korra, but you've been keeping the truth from me this whole time.")
I'm'a just leave this right here.
The finale attempts to demystify Korra and Asami's sexualities by refusing to overtly acknowledge them as something worthy of narrative exposition. This is insulting to a fan base comprised significantly of older teens and young (and even older) adults; the themes being explored here are adult, but the execution was juvenile. Korra must have wrestled with her sexuality, since she was interested in Mako in season one and had a relationship with him in season two. At no point in those seasons was there any indication that the eventual dissolution of Korra and Mako's relationship was tied to Korra's sexuality, nor was there any credible indication that Asami, who also had a relationship with Mako, was dealing with the same or similar questions.
We need to discard the notion that Legend of Korra is a "kids' " show and that it's thus exempt from such scrutiny. Most of the major characters are adults or young adults. Season one features a murder-suicide of the two main antagonists. Critics seem to think it's anything but a kids show (see the "critical response" section of the show's Wikipedia page). So that's why I'm a bit unimpressed when Vanity Fair hails the finale as something worthy of special regard for portraying same-sex relationships on a kids show. Unless there's a secret fifth season of Korra in the works, I'll continue to be unimpressed.
"Why do you even care? Korra's sexuality isn't a big deal and it shouldn't be."
Dispense with the illusion that sexuality is "not a big deal" and that many in the American gay community don't view their sexuality as a defining aspect of their personhood. Pretending that sexuality isn't a big deal because the LGBT community is more socially acceptable in America now than ten years ago is to trivialize the very real struggles people with LGBT tendencies endure, whether from disapproving family members, religious institutions that seemingly hate them, or the fact that, maybe, they actually didn't want to be LGBT and had to learn to accept that aspect of themselves. [Before you crucify me for implying that there is reasonable ground to suggest some LGBT people struggle with embracing their sexuality, try reading a book on the topic.] Barring the advances of modern medicine, same-sex couples are incapable of producing biological children. Do you think this doesn't weigh on those same-sex couples who desire to start families? Do you not think there are a whole host of complex issues surrounding this burning, contemporary question? Many in our society parrot "progressive" social values without doing the hard work of thinking deeply about them, then present the cop-out that "sexuality isn't a big deal." I disagree. As a fan of DiMartino and Konietzko's work and as a storyteller myself, I'm disappointed that they didn't view this characteristic of their protagonist as worthy of examination. I know the show is about a lot more than Korra's sexual orientation, but at the end of the day, the two of them walking off together just didn't feel justified, and for that reason, it was an unsatisfying element of the series's conclusion that ultimately subtracted from what the writers actually seemed to be trying to do: portray Korra as a fully-realized Avatar, not, as Tarlok called her in season one, "A half-baked Avatar-in-training."
I'm disappointed to say that this aspect of the finale was a lazy portrayal of real things real people deal with, and tacking it on to the last few moments of the show without making it feel like a narratively-justified revelation should be called what it is: half-baked. Artists don't get a free pass just for doing something popular, either socially or within their fanbase. The storyteller's job is to make me believe that this is a logical, natural step in the story's progression. Nobody should have walked with Korra into that spirit portal.
Speaking of romances....
There is a pretense to see Varrick and Zhu Li ending up together. Their relationship in some ways mirrors Tony Stark's and Pepper Potts's - the genius prima donna and the normally cool but sometimes flustered "assistant" he couldn't live without. Yet, I'm not sure ending the show with their marriage was fully justified. While there was a pretense to their romance, we really didn't get any hints of this romance until a quarter way through book four. (At least they were clear about it.) It seems a little hasty, then, to have the show end with their wedding since this dynamic duo barely played a role in the spectacular book three. It would have been fair to show Varrick and Zhu Li holding hands at the end, or to show them in an embrace. But a wedding?
Honestly, I feel like Varrick/Zhu Li was fan service. I think we all could have appreciated a more realistic appraisal of their relationship, even without the wedding vows.
In the end, Legend of Korra had an excellent soundtrack, wonderful voice acting by a star cast, spectacular action and animation, a great first season, and a really, really good third season. I'm disappointed that the story, while trying to relegate the conflicts to each individual season, failed to account for the shortcomings in the metanarrative. I also understand from some of my reading that the Nickelodeon execs couldn't decide what they heck they wanted to do with Korra, bumping the show back and forth from TV to internet. There were funding issues and harsh deadlines that probably kept the creators from being able to step back and really look at the big picture of the story itself, and there was even one point where DiMartino and Konietzko chose to cut an episode rather than fire a few of their staffers (big props to them for putting people over product). I wish they had hired an outside consultant to offer objective commentary on the metanarrative. Legend of Korra is fine as it is, but it feels like 80% of a show. I know it could have been so much better and done so much more, and that's what really irks me.
With everything said of done, The Last Airbender was just better.
Agree? Disagree? Something nice to say? Leave it below.
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Katie Voss December 20, 2014 at 5:23 PM
Well put. I agree on all accounts. But... you already knew that. We will just have to be satisfied with ATLA.
Daniel Rodrigues-Martin December 21, 2014 at 7:02 PM
Justin H December 23, 2014 at 12:43 AM
I posted this to facebook under your comment but it's probably already been buried.
I agree on the first two points because I was for Korrasami back in book 2 after that Mako nonsense. I always thought "the girl dating Mako and the girl who wasn't" had better chemistry than anyone Mako was dating.
But for points 1 and 2? I've been having this conversation ever since the finale. The story feels extremely disordered. What we got didn't feel like a grand finale Aang beating Ozai felt like a finale because from episode 1, Ozai and the Fire Nation were the big bads of the world. We were told that, we expected it, and we were ready for it. Who in Korra's world could possible compare to Avatar's version of Satan? An extremist? A dictator? Small time compared to Vaatu and what Vaatu could've been.
Further, your reordering is extremely similar to how I ordered things.
Book 1 > Book 3 > Book 4 > Book 2
With a few adjustments obviously to keep the story flowing properly. The story still works but by having Vaatu be the big bad of the world, when she cuts off her connection with the past Avatars, you'd actually feel for her.
I love Korra and I'm 100% all for Korra and Asami getting together, but I cannot sit here and say that the ending we got was any kind of a resolution. It's a to-be-continued that'll never be continued at best. Mako says he has her back no matter how crazy things get? I'd like to see him prove it fighting Vaatu with her. Korra and Asami somehow need more romantic development time? That reordering offers plenty of outlets for it.
Unfortunately, this is all speaking from hindsight and something like this is never going to happen. Similar to anyone getting an actual conclusion to this story.
I knew it wasn't just me.
Thanks for reading and commenting. Let's hope Mike and Bryan have the time and creative space to do their next artistic endeavor full justice.
Andrea Kovács December 23, 2014 at 4:46 AM
Hello! I'm so glad you worte this post. The series finale has been bothering me since I watched it 2 days ago, and you wrote down perfectly what I couldn't really put in words. :) I agree with the rest of the post too. Book 2 was strange for me, I was really sad they cut the old avatar cycle and some thing seemed contradictive but I need to re-watch the Last Airbender to put the puzzle together.
Thanks for reading, commenting, and having the clarity to see the big picture.
I'm just glad I'm not alone with my opinion. :) I don't have anyone I can share my thoughts with about this show and people on facebook usually bite each other's heads off if their opinions are different, it's nearly impossible to just talk peacefully and accept each other's point of view. One more thing about the Korra+Asami ending: it felt so strange because all I saw was a fantastic friendship between them (which I would be so glad to have in my life!) and I read Brian Konietzko's post about it and he wrote they didn't plan this pairing. Maybe this is why it seemed strange and out of the blue. Somehow it's like they just wanted attention with this ending (I think if they want to send a deep message about accepting same-sex couples (which I think should be natural) they could have done it much better). Like they wanted people to bite each other's heads off while talking about the finale. :D
Oh and I wish you a Merry Christmas! :)
Daniel Rodrigues-Martin December 25, 2014 at 12:38 AM
Unfortunately true. "Respectful disagreement" and empathy seem to be lost arts when digital anonymity allows anyone to say anything with little to no "real world" repercussions.
Because I am myself a storyteller, the narrative shortcomings in LoK jumped out at me. As far as it pertains to the storytelling aspect of the discussion, the same-sex stuff is irrelevant. It would have been just as ridiculous if she'd ended up with Mako. I feel like a lot of people weren't really able to see past Korrasami because they were just so happy that it was canon, and because it was same-sex, it was suddenly taboo to criticize it in any way because, surely, the criticism *must* be about the morality of same-sex relationships themselves. So most of the head-biting has been about that instead of the systemic problems implicit in the show.
This also frustrated me about the major critics writing for Vanity Fair and others, praising LoK for making so many political statements but refusing to criticize its artistic shortcomings. Consequently, I was hell-bent on writing this blog entry.
LoK was by no means terrible, but having watched ATLA, we all know they are capable of amazing storytelling. That's why LoK makes me sad. It wasn't terrible or unwatchable. It was just *off* at points, and in ways that you know if they had more time, could have been handled better. I feel like we only got 80% of what Korra could have been. When I think about how good it really could have been, it hurts my heart a little.
Can you link to Konietzko's blog post showing that Korrasami was not originally intended as canon? It certainly explains why the ending didn't seem justified by what actually happened in the story.
Best wishes to you as well this holiday season.
And feel free to share/invite others to this conversation who might also appreciate a full-bodied and respectful dialogue about Korra and/or its finale.
Here's Brian's post:
http://bryankonietzko.tumblr.com/post/105916338157/korrasami-is-canon-you-can-celebrate-it-embrace
He wrote the story took them to Korrasami ending. Well, I tried writing a few years ago too. Me and my friend created a forum for ourselves to play RPG, but without dice and written rules. We created a story, wrote it together as our characters reacted to each other's actions. It became quite a long story as we kept playing and it was a bit hard to continue it when a few months or a year passed without us writing. I always wanted to write my own fantasy book (maybe one day I will) but I think to do it I not only need a good idea but I also need to plan things properly to avoid contradictions. Usually only one little thing, one short scene appears in my mind when I want to write and then I try to complete that. That's why I haven't written any more than long forum posts so far. :) Of course I try to pay attention and re-read again and again to pick the story up without contradictions (you can find a lot of them in long mangas) but I'm sure if I want to write a big whole story once, I need to plan a lot of things ahead. This is my theory about storytelling, and this is why Legend of Korra seems not so well-planned (which makes sense considering it originally meant to be a one season show) :) Of course I'm no writer and I don't have the right to judge professionals, I'm just peacefully sharing my opinion. :)
Daniel Rodrigues-Martin December 25, 2014 at 11:26 PM
Thanks for sharing the link. I appreciated hearing Bryan's opinion. I still don't think they handled it as well as they could have. Respectfully, I think "Go back and watch it again," which he essentially says at one point, is a cop out. In the best of all scenarios, there were a lot of social/political undertones to this artistic decision which prevented it from being well-executed. I've read both Mike and Bryan's statements by this point, and I think it's just something I'm going to continue to disagree on. Anyway.
Whether we like it or not, we constantly judge things. There is a (perhaps unhealthy?) fear of judgment in our culture. Then again, we also have a (perhaps unhealthy?) tendency to attack those with opposing viewpoints without properly addressing those opposing viewpoints. (A little bit of the "empathy" Bryan talked about in his blog would do a measure of good in this regard.) In any case, I think we all have a right to evaluate the work of professional writers, to decide whether political candidate X is full of crap, etc.
Everyone has a different "process" for storytelling. For me, it was an organic process. It started with an idea, and a general plot shortly arose out of the idea. While there was *a lot* of leg work before I ever really put pen to paper on the story itself, I did have a "timeline" of sorts constructed. I knew what the climaxes - a point in which a story's trajectory is altered irreversibly - were when I started, but as far as the actual writing went, everything between the climaxes sprouted organically. One of my favorite characters didn't even exist until I started writing, when I suddenly realized he was an extremely necessary cog in the machine.
Vignettes can be employed as shorts or flashes, but they can also be strung together into novels or novellas. I personally found that diving straight into novel writing after years of being a poet was the right path for me. Others have to build up to that point.
If you're serious about being a writer, I would recommend finding a mentor or a support group of people who could help with practical advice and techniques. Having a community of competent critics was extremely helpful for me. And of course, having readers to just give you their "reader's opinion" doesn't hurt, either.
Hope you find something helpful in all of that.
Andrea Kovács December 26, 2014 at 12:18 PM
Thank you very much for sharing your experience. :) I will remember it when I decide to finally write something, though it may not be soon because nowadays cosplay making interests me the most. Creating something is just so great.
Back to judging: my English is far from perfect I guess it can be seen :) I used the word judge with a negative meaning. I think criticizing, being honest or sharing opinion even if they are different from other's is perfectly all right as long as you remain respectful and do it in a proper tone without hurting or insulting others.
And about Korra again: I've been asking myself why did they feel the need to end the show with her in a relationship? I feel she would have been perfectly fine without a lover.
Agreed. As I said in the blog, the plot structure lent itself to Korra finding strength in herself as the Avatar. "No character convincingly presented themselves as credible romantic interests of Korra's after Mako." The writers wanted to make a statement, I think that's what it comes down to. The execution was unfortunately flawed.
Andrea Kovács January 1, 2015 at 3:47 AM
Happy New Year! :) I started watching ATLA with my boyfriend a few days ago. This is the 3rd time for me and I realized again how awesome this show is. :)
Daniel Rodrigues-Martin January 3, 2015 at 10:41 AM
Skip over "the Great Divide" and it'll be a perfectly sublime experience.
https://soduhson.wordpress.com/2015/02/04/legend-of-korra-how-it-could-have-been-deeper-without-changing-the-story/
Since Bryke, especially with the last two books, wanted to emphasize more political conflicts; they could have made things more realistic. Like any political figure, the Avatar’s decisions will not always be popular, however an unpopular decision isn’t necessarily a bad one. Instead of working everything out in Korra’s favor, allow the viewers to determine if her decisions were the right ones.
It should be noted that Korra, while she has matured over the course of the series, she isn’t a particularly active Avatar (like Aang, Kyoshi, and Yangchen [reportedly]). Though she isn’t necessarily an indecisive one (like Kuruk and Roku). Korra’s inaction (whether voluntary or otherwise) has led the world to adapt without the Avatar’s presence.
Here are my complaints and how I’d like to see them addressed:
Book 1 While Korra stopped Amon, she wasn’t a part of the process to elect Raiko. Has the equalist movement been stopped? It’s just ignored.
Book 2 While Korra defeated Unavaatu and left the spirit portals open, she wasn’t a part of republic city’s infrastructure being rebuilt. Nor was she concerned about the other nations reacting to harmonic convergence.
Book 3 Korra was sick and the air-nomads had to take over.
Book 4 Republic city is in ruins, a new spirit portal is unlocked. The Earth Kingdom’s government needs to be rebuilt from the bottom up. Korra has just gotten past her three year rehab, and decides to go on vacation. What happened to the Red Lotus?
Compare Korra to the anti-Bush complaints when he flew over Katrina, or when he remained at the elementary school during 9-11. Most of Korra’s in-story opponents came off as more flippant (Toph, Raiko, her “approval ratings”, etc) or evil (Unalaq, Amon, the Red Lotus, Kuvira). None of them were rational, though they could have been. Even when Korra accomplished something on her own, in many cases did not require her being the Avatar to get the job done. The only exception was her role in opening the spirit portals (and creating one). Even “being the Avatar” wasn’t necessary to defeat Unavaatu. She summoned the cosmic energy using the tree of time, without Raava’s help (or connection). Also notice that no one is particularly concerned with Korra’s disconnection to her past lives. No one except Korra herself, and she really didn’t communicate with them on her own.
The biggest missed plot point, in light of Korra’s inaction, was her preference of republic city. In her defense, it could be argued that republic city represents the four nations, therefore she only needs to concern herself with that place. On the other hand, the Earth Kingdom was being ruled by a despot, we don’t see the fire nation, and apparently the Southern Water tribe is more advanced than the North (which was being ruled by Korra’s grandfather, then her uncle, and now her cousins).
Should Korra be concerned about these issues? The answer shouldn’t be clear. But the question should be asked.
Daniel Rodrigues-Martin February 13, 2015 at 6:12 PM
Ace February 14, 2015 at 10:21 PM
You know what ticked me off a lot? They still used the same cliche every show does. The hero ends up in a romantic relationship with someone. Same shit, different orientation. Why couldn't they, for once, ended it off by leaving Korra and Asami as single, but close best friends? No romance at all? And why the fuck do people assume that those who want Korra and Asami to be single are homophobic and looking at it with "hetero-eyes"? Have these people forgotten that there's asexual people? Not everyone is attracted to someone. If they cared oh-so much about representation, they would have remembered there's asexual people out there and there has barely ever been if any representation of them. But then again, there's LGBT people out there who don't find asexuality to be natural.
Daniel Rodrigues-Martin February 15, 2015 at 12:07 AM
No romantic ending seemed like it would have been a better ending to my eyes, as well.
SMAXZO February 15, 2015 at 12:56 AM
I agree on you on this one. Everywhere I look, they all keep talking about how "progressive" the ending is or great it is...and I personally think that the shippers are running the asylum for this series. Too much focus on the romance and not much for the characters, in my honest opinion. I mean, I dropped the series after season one wrapped up...and I didn't regret doing that and regretted coming back to this because the series somehow made the the teen romance aspect the central focus than the character aspect of the series that made Last Airbender great. I don't feel any attachment to the characters as I did with its predecessor...and also yeah, the Korra Asami thing...I don't see it, even with my "hetero eyes" off, still can't see it. Friends, yeah..romantic rival, possibly...but a romantic couple? I've seen two alien robots with much better chemistry than those two...and if you try to point that out, suddenly you're the "homophobic ass". Honestly, I rather have it end with Korra venturing forth on her own..no romantic relationship, no "ship tease", just Korra going off on her own adventures, combating evil where ever it may come or something/
Daniel Rodrigues-Martin February 15, 2015 at 10:31 PM
Thanks for the comment. "The shippers are running the asylum." I laughed.
Out of curiosity, where did you find my blog? Was it from one of my links, or did you stumble into my little corner of the Net?
SMAXZO February 16, 2015 at 5:59 AM
I stumbled upon this fine site by accident as I was looking for a review of the series finale that didn't praise the ending as the greatest thing ever since sliced bread(I know a better series that deserved that claim)...and trust me, finding any piece of article that didn't tout the ending on the positive light is pretty difficult to say the least...and it's glad to know that you're not alone to think that the series finale just didn't work.
Perfect. Glad you appreciated it.
ZeroXcuses January 24, 2016 at 11:33 AM
I didn't watch Korra because I binge-watched A:TLA on Netflix and intended to do the same with Korra, but fan reports of Korra indicated that it was not as good. I consider A:TLA the best darn kids show ever (TMNT 2012 is a close second), and don't care for...less.
That said, I don't have anything to add to a conversation that I am largely ignorant of except I agree on "Korrasami." It appears that this situation was/is a bizzaro-world alternative to when fans of Hunger Games first saw the film "discovered" Rue was black...because they didn't read closely enough.
Instead, here the writers wanted to shock the world or something and decided to make Korrasami gay because reasons so deal with it. Author's intent(ional fallacy) aside, if they really had the balls to do something more than an ambiguous image in which we supposedly are cognitively dissonant in our reading because of "hetero eyes," then they should have ended it with the most common cliche: a kiss.
Yes, I just said that a cliche was approprite. expertise in literary criticism revoked.
Anyway, said more here than I intended. Really came here to smile at "the themes being explored here are adult, but the execution was juvenile." Good stuff.
Daniel Rodrigues-Martin February 9, 2016 at 12:40 AM
Thanks for the read and the comment.
Hello, not sure if this blog is active anymore but I'm glad theres a place to release some thoughts.
I personally hate how alot of the avatar community thinks Book 4 was "amazing" just because of this whole "Korrasami" thing. If you ship this kind of thing then whatever, but for crying out loud the whole season was still a mess. Like you said the characters were not explored to their fullest potiential. I think you are the only person that has pointed out the fact that Aang and Katara disapear after Season 2. Book 3 was a GREAT oppurtunity for Aang to confront Zaheer and explain that this was not the airbender way or something. Not that Aang would save the day or anything, just that this would show some relation to the past even though Korra can no longer connection to her past lives.
I think even the creators wish they could have a redo. Fan Service was DEFINETLY a thing. They let ratings and popularity cloud their judgement on how to end the series. I mean would you rather have a series that continued and sucked for a couple more years, or a series that was epic and remembered for years to come, just like it's precessor. Ratings are just numbers. Money an illusion if your work will be relived for decades to come.
Thank you for listening, and I found your blog from your little corner on the web :)
I never considered the idea of Aang himself confronting Zaheer, but it is a definite possibility in the Avatarverse (think Roku confronting Jeong-Jeong in Book 1 of A:TLA). Hypothetically, I don't think Zaheer would have listened because the latter portion of Aang's life was about restoring balance through redrawing the political map whereas Zaheer's goal was to replace "false" balance with "real" balance by inciting anarchy against the very order Aang and Zuko established. Still, that confrontation would have been interesting. A likely possibility they never explored was Zaheer killing Zuko precisely because of his role in establishing the "order" Zaheer sought to destroy.
This is of course based upon the presumption that they adopted an altered (SEE: "better") metanarrative in which Korrra loses her connection to her past lives at the end of the show instead of somewhere in the middle.
Regarding the fandom: yeah. The best critique of my critique has essentially been that there were hints sprinkled in books 3 + 4 that showed something was going on with Korra and Asami behind the scenes (see the Korra Wikipedia page for citation of my article and requisite criticism). Even granting that this is the case (on second appraisal I think it is, and moreover, I never argued against the canonicity of Korrasami) it still doesn't address the larger point that the relationship was narratively unjustified. Because the relationship is essentially relegated to hints, the audience has no investment to really want it for the characters. The reason Aang and Katarra worked was not because they were hetero, but because there was romantic tension between them from the moment Aang laid eyes on her. He adored her and we all knew it, and we wanted it for Aang because we all knew it, and it was given real space to breathe in the narrative.
Korrasami had little to no narrative breathing room because of political and financial restrictions. It's canon, there are hints of it, but as a story element, it's lame and people give it undue credit because its progressive, to the extent of ignoring larger problems with the show as a whole.
Anyway, the short end of it is: I think you're right. Thanks for talking.
It's not like the entire gay community accepted it. Watched it with a gay friend, and he was just as confused as I was. Took to Tumblr to see if he was the only one; he wasn't. We agreed it was a token ending. I keep coming back to this topic because I'm wondering if entertainment is just trying to hard to be all-inclusive these days for little to no reason other than "equality" where it does not belong in a narrative. Colour and sexuality are very minor parts of a character. The problem with LoK is that they made it the centerpiece for the ending... because it's progressive!
Thanks for visiting. Leave a comment!
Daniel Rodrigues-Martin
You can find my book series, The Quantum Fall of Thaddeus Archibald DuBois, on Amazon.com. I am marketing my first two novels, A Flood of Silence and An Autumn Veil, to agents. I have written for GeeksUnderGrace.com, Geekdomhouse.com, and Scribophile.com.
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These are the top 25 business schools in Asia Pacific
China dominates the list of Asia Pacific's best business schools. Source: GP Studio/Shutterstock
IT’S undeniable that a graduate business degree can be a major boost to your career prospects and future earning potential. But where that qualification is from can make all the difference.
Financial Times has released its annual ranking of the top 25 business schools in Asia Pacific to help you identify what degree is the best expenditure of your time and money.
The experts examined each school’s performance across a range of specialties – including the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Executive MBA, and Master’s in Management (MiM) – to determine the best overall business schools in the region.
While the well-regarded MBA is the most popular business-related graduate degree, it is not the only course of value on offer at these world-class Asian business schools.
SEE ALSO: Ease of doing business: The 3 best & worst in Asia
The Times notes that those schools that have improved most since last year’s rankings are not those that rely solely on the MBA, but those that provide flexibility and variety to fit with the changing demands of today’s students.
Asia Pacific schools are proving more than equipped to rise to this challenge, with applications in the region growing by 8.9 percent this year. That’s faster than anywhere else in the world, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council.
China – including Hong Kong – dominates the list, claiming 11 of the top 25 business schools. Top of the ranking is Antai School at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, followed by China Europe International Business School (Ceibs).
Singapore’s National University of Singapore Business School comes in third, with India’s Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Business School, rounding out the top five.
Here is the full ranking of best business schools in Asia Pacific:
2018 Rank 2017 Rank School name Country
1 1 Shanghai Jiao Tong University: Antai China
2 2 Ceibs China
3 3 National University of Singapore Business School Singapore
4 4 Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad India
5 5 HKUST Business School China
6 13 Singapore Management University: Lee Kong Chian Singapore
7 7 Nanyang Business School, NTU Singapore Singapore
8 6 Indian Institute of Management Bangalore India
9 10 University of Hong Kong China
10= 8 Tongji University School of Economics and Management China
10= 11 Melbourne Business School Australia
12 9 CUHK Business School China
13 14 Indian Institute of Management Calcutta India
14 17 Fudan University School of Management China
15 12 University of Sydney Business School Australia
16 Renmin University of China School of Business (RMBS) China
17 16 Indian School of Business India
18 20 AGSM @ UNSW Business School Australia
19 15 Korea University Business School South Korea
20 18 Yonsei University School of Business South Korea
21 19 National Sun Yat-sen University Taiwan
22 Sungkyunkwan University GSB South Korea
23 Peking University: Guanghua China
24 Hong Kong Baptist University School of Business China
25= NUCB Business School Japan
25= Lingnan College at Sun Yat-sen University China
Topics covered: Business education
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Effective 2/11/2016 to 6/13/2016. View current
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a.(a) Law enforcement officers purchasing firearms for official use who provide the licensee with a certification on agency letterhead, signed by a person in authority within the agency (other than the officer purchasing the firearm), stating that the officer will use the firearm in official duties and that a records check reveals that the purchasing officer has no convictions for misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence are not required to complete Form 4473 or Form 5300.35. The law enforcement officer purchasing the firearm may purchase a firearm from a licensee in another State, regardless of where the officer resides or where the agency is located.
b.(b)
1.(1) The following individuals are considered to have sufficient authority to certify that law enforcement officers purchasing firearms will use the firearms in the performance of official duties:
i.(i) In a city or county police department, the director of public safety or the chief or commissioner of police.
ii.(ii) In a sheriff's office, the sheriff.
iii.(iii) In a State police or highway patrol department, the superintendent or the supervisor in charge of the office to which the State officer or employee is assigned.
iv.(iv) In Federal law enforcement offices, the supervisor in charge of the office to which the Federal officer or employee is assigned.
2.(2) An individual signing on behalf of the person in authority is acceptable, provided there is a proper delegation of authority.
c.(c) Licensees are not required to prepare a Form 4473 or Form 5300.35 covering sales of firearm made in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section to law enforcement officers for official use. However, disposition to the officer must be entered into the licensee's permanent records, and the certification letter must be retained in the licensee's files.
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Latest Guest Updates: Welcome John Connolly, Kathryn Fox, and John Birmingham
Home · GenreCon 2013 · Latest Guest Updates: Welcome John Connolly, Kathryn Fox, and John Birmingham
We may have been quiet here at GenreCon central, but we’re kinda like a duck: the more serene we appear above the surface, the more furiously we’re working behind the scenes.
There’s plenty of exciting stuff to be announced in coming weeks, but we wanted to make special mention of the fact that we’ll be putting out the open call for writers, agents, and publishers interested in being part of the GenreCon program in early June. We know there’s plenty of people who have been champing at the bit to get involved the program this year – in fact, the emails started about a week after last year’s conference ended – so keep an eye out for our next update for details about volunteering to be part of the 2013 workshop and panel program.
If you haven’t yet booked your ticket for GenreCon, we’re going to take this opportunity to remind you that weekend passes are available at the discounted rate of $250 up until July 31. There are also discounted room rates available at Rydges South Bank, the home of our After Hours program during the GenreCon Weekend.
Guest Update
We’re pleased to introduce three authors who will be guests at this year’s conference this year. All three are veritable powerhouses in the field of genre fiction, both nationally and internationally, and we honestly cannot wait until October when we can start picking their brains. GenreCon officially welcomes our second international guest, John Connolly, and two great Australian writers, Kathryn Fox and John Birmingham.
International Guest: John Connolly
John Connolly is best known as the creator of detective Charlie Parker, who was introduced in Every Dead Thing (1999), and has appeared in eleven books since — most recently The Wrath of Angels (2012). Connolly is the author of two standalone novels, Bad Men (2003) and The Book of Lost Things (2006), and a collection of short stories, Nocturnes (2004). His first children’s novel, The Gates, was published in 2009, followed by a sequel, Hell’s Bells, in 2011. The third Samuel Johnson novel, The Creeps, will be published in autumn 2013, as will Conquest, a fantasy novel for teens co-written by Connolly and his partner, Jennifer Ridyard. Connolly is also the co-editor (with Declan Burke) of Books to Die For (2012), a collection of essays from the world’s top crime writers.
A native of Dublin, he divides his time between there and Portland, Maine, the setting of many of his novels.
Author Guest: Kathryn Fox
Dr Kathryn Fox is the award winning, internationally claimed author of six thrillers. Her books are published in over 30 countries, in over a dozen languages. Kathryn began her writing career as Cleo’s doctor columnist, and trained as a medical journalist with Australian Doctor while working in General Practice. During this time she became a Fellow of the RACGP and developed a special interest in forensic medicine.
Her work has been featured in major magazines, and newspapers, and she has appeared on numerous television and radio shows, in Australia and internationally. Her fifth novel, Death Mask, garnered attention in the sports pages because of its focus on footballers, head injuries and sexual assaults, finally making her sports-obsessed-family proud. Her 6th book, Cold Grave, was released in July 2012.
Author Guest: John Birmingham
John Birmingham is the author of the cult classic He Died With a Felafel in His Hand, the award-winning history Leviathan, and the World War trilogy. Between writing books he contributes to a wide range of newspapers and magazines on a diverse range of topics.
By Peter M. Ball, john birmingham, John Connolly, Kathryn Fox,
Peter M. Ball
One Response to “Latest Guest Updates: Welcome John Connolly, Kathryn Fox, and John Birmingham”
Alison Stegert , June 25, 2013 Log in to Reply
You had me at Anita Heiss. Chuck is the icing on the cake.
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What Is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act?
By Brett Snider, Esq. on March 24, 2014 11:14 AM
What is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act? It's at the center of two Obamacare-related U.S. Supreme Court cases scheduled for oral argument Tuesday.
While the First Amendment guarantees persons the free exercise of religion, there are other legal protections for religious rights -- including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which has been the subject of recent court cases.
So what exactly is the RFRA?
Passed to Protect Religious Liberty
Congress passed the RFRA in 1993 in response to a 1990 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Employment Division v. Smith.
The Smith case involved a Native American church in Oregon that was denied unemployment benefits for because of members' use of peyote, a hallucinogenic drug, as part of a religious ceremony. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that despite the protections of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, Oregon could legally deny those church members unemployment benefits because of their peyote use. This worried lawmakers about the future of religious freedom in the workplace.
The RFRA applies when a law "substantially burdens" an individual or religious group's free exercise of religion. For the burdensome law to apply to the person or group, the government must show it has a "compelling interest" in applying the law, and that the law uses the "least restrictive means" to achieve that interest. (This standard was used in religious exercise cases prior to Smith; RFRA's purpose was to continue to apply this standard -- even for laws which apply generally to all persons.)
Laws like the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, are now being tested by claims under RFRA. But while the RFRA applies to individuals and religious groups, does it also apply to corporations?
Can Corporations Sue Under the RFRA?
Two corporations that object to Obamacare's contraceptive mandate have made claims under the RFRA, alleging Obamacare violates a corporation's right to free exercise of religion.
On Tuesday, craft-store chain Hobby Lobby plans to argue before the High Court that its religious freedom is burdened by the requirements of Obamacare, and that the company has a right to judicial remedy under the RFRA. Lawyers for Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp., a kitchen-cabinet manufacturer, are expected to make similar arguments.
Federal courts have disagreed about whether corporations are "people" intended to be protected by the RFRA -- a question the U.S. Supreme Court is now poised to consider. The Court has previously affirmed that corporations have free speech rights (see Citizens United), but can a corporation really have religious freedom rights?
Justice are being asked to determine whether the RFRA applies to corporations, small closely-held companies, or merely to a company's individual executives and employees. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision may change how we view religious freedom and the RFRA for years to come.
5 questions about the Supreme Court cases on requiring contraceptive coverage (Pew Research Center)
Top 5 Obamacare Court Rulings (FindLaw's Decided)
Corp. Can't Assert Free Exercise in Mandate Claim, But People Can: D.C. Cir. (FindLaw's D.C. Circuit Blog)
Birth Control Mandate Cases Reaching Critical Mass; Possible Outcomes (FindLaw's U.S. Supreme Court Blog)
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NBA Power Rankings: Los Angeles Lakers' Rise Stunted by Kobe Bryant's Injury
Josh Martin@@JoshMartinNBATwitter LogoNBA Lead WriterDecember 20, 2013
CommentsComment Bubble Icon
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
The approach of the holiday season—at least that which follows Hanukkah this year—has brought with it an eventful week in the NBA.
The Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers went head-to-head for the second time in eight days. Some contenders (San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers) ran into roadblocks against talented teams (Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves) hoping to make moves in 2013-14.
The Oklahoma City Thunder stayed scorching hot, while several squads (Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies) slipped further toward tanking territory, wittingly or otherwise.
A pair of younger stars (Bradley Beal and Andre Iguodala) returned from injury, just in time for two of the league's biggest names (Tony Parker and Kobe Bryant) to rejoin the ranks of the walking wounded.
Naturally, there's been some noteworthy shuffling of these here power rankings since the last edition hit the virtual presses. Read on to find out how all the recent excitement has shaken up the standings that yours truly so carefully crafts each and every week.
30. Philadelphia 76ers
Welcome to the bottom of the barrel, Philadelphia 76ers!
The Sixers have dropped their last seven games in a row by an average of nearly 18 points, including their last two by more than 30 points apiece. Look back a bit further, and you'll see that Philly is just 2-15 since handing the Houston Rockets a surprising loss in overtime on Nov. 13.
Not surprisingly, Michael Carter-Williams has missed 10 of those games, most notably the last seven in which the Sixers have been stomped. Perhaps Philly's just trying to boost MCW's Rookie of the Year candidacy by showing the voters just how much he means to the team.
Or, maybe the Sixers are just trying to stink up the joint on the way to a top-five pick in the loaded 2014 draft.
Yeah, probably more the latter.
29. Milwaukee Bucks
It's that time again, when we seek out silver linings for the mess that most would otherwise refer to as the Milwaukee Bucks.
This week's winner? Brandon Knight. The 22-year-old combo guard out of Kentucky seems to be settling in as an intriguing part of the future in Brew City. He's failed to hit double digits in the scoring column just once since Nov. 29, averaging 16.7 points in that time.
That run includes Knight's career-high 36-point explosion during the Bucks' double-overtime loss to the New York Knicks. The fact that Knight played 50 minutes in that game may, in some ways, detract from the impact of his breakout performance.
That is, until you consider that he needed just 25 shots to rack up those 36 points.
Then again, New York playing the role of victim here is probably more damning to Brandon's personal best than anything else.
28. Utah Jazz
Coming into the 2013 NBA draft, there was concern in some corners that Trey Burke, at his size (generously listed at 6'0", 190 lbs) and with his so-so strength and athleticism, might not be able to cut it at basketball's highest level.
In some instances, he's performed that way. Case in point: his three-point, four-assist no-show against the Miami Heat's trapping defense in a 23-point loss for the Utah Jazz.
But by and large, Burke has been a bright spot in the lineup for the Jazz. His poor play against Miami was bookended by a 20-point, five-assist night opposite Tony Parker in a 16-point pounding at the hands of the Spurs and, most recently, a 30-7-8 outburst to propel Utah to a W in Orlando.
Don't be surprised, if/when Burke winds up firmly in the mix for Rookie of the Year honors by season's end.
27. Orlando Magic
Like the Sixers, the Orlando Magic are steadily making their way toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings—right where many expected them to be before the season began.
Unlike Philly, though, the Magic are doing so in more surreptitious fashion. Rather than subjecting themselves to blowout after blowout, they are, for the most part, playing hard and losing close games. They've lost nine of their last 11 games, but only three of those defeats have come by more than 10 points.
Better yet, Orlando has a potential All-Star in shooting guard Arron Afflalo to hold the attention of its tortured fanbase.
All of which is to say, when it comes to tanking, the Magic seem to have sussed out the most palatable formula.
26. Sacramento Kings
So much for Rudy Gay's arrival ushering in better days in California's capital.
The Sacramento Kings have dropped four of their last five, with three of those losses featuring Gay in the starting lineup.
Not that Gay is to blame. He's averaging 19 points on an astonishingly efficient 52.9 percent shooting from the field since his debut at Sleep Train Arena.
The Kings' other power players also seem to be enjoying life with Gay. DeMarcus Cousins has posted 24.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.2 steals since the trade went down, while Isaiah Thomas has celebrated his return to the starting lineup with 22.2 points and 7.2 assists of his own.
Too bad those positives haven't translated to the defensive end just yet. According to NBA.com, the Kings have surrendered 112.8 points per 100 possessions during their first 112 minutes of on-court time together.
25. New York Knicks
Even when they win, the New York Knicks find a way to lose.
They needed two overtime periods to overcome the Bucks on Wednesday—despite the return of Tyson Chandler—in large part because Andrea Bargnani's itchy trigger finger caught up to him at the end of OT No. 1, when simply holding the ball would've secured the win for New York.
On the bright side, at least that mixup didn't result in another loss for the Knicks.
The same can't be said of New York's one-point loss to the Washington Wizards on Monday. It was bad enough that the Knicks' defensive discombobulation left Beno Udrih without a helper to impede Bradley Beal's path to the basket for what turned out to be the winning layup.
New York had a foul to give if it had chosen to do so, but that wasn't even the worst of it. Rather than use one of their three remaining timeouts, the Knicks opted to push the ball up the floor...for a Carmelo Anthony brick from beyond the arc.
When a two would've won the game.
Are we sure Mike Woodson is coaching this team? Or has he ceded his post to Homer Simpson?
24. Chicago Bulls
These numbers may interest Bulls fans: 75, 74, 78, 91, 77, 82, 94 and 95.
No, those aren't my preferred "Power Ball" numbers. Rather, those are the Chicago Bulls' scoring totals over their last eight games. Not surprisingly, the Bulls have lost even of those eight.
Simply put, Chicago's offense stinks. Generating quality looks has become a task better left to Hercules for the Bulls.
Not that this should surprise anyone. The Bulls' attack has long been unimpressive, even on those rare occasions when they've had their full complement of players.
With Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich all out of commission (the latter two more temporarily), Chicago's scoring has slowed to a pace that makes crawling look like a major leap forward in transportation.
23. Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets' climb out of the gutter of the Eastern Conference hasn't gone quite as quickly or as smoothly as anticipated.
They've dropped two of three since their first winning streak of the season, including a six-point defeat at home to the Washington Wizards. That game saw Paul Pierce pop off for a season-high 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting off the bench.
To be sure, Brooklyn's two latest losses both come equipped with excuses. Kevin Garnett was in foul trouble all night against the Wizards, and Brook Lopez's absence cost the Nets dearly during their four-point shortfall to the Detroit Pistons.
But Brooklyn doesn't have time for excuses. The Nets are only a game back of the Toronto Raptors for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, though they'll have to leapfrog the Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers before they can stake their claim to a slice of the postseason.
22. Memphis Grizzlies
There's been chatter aplenty recently about whether or not the Memphis Grizzlies should "blow it up" and...well, it's not exactly unfounded. They've lost five in a row and seven of eight, with injuries to Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Tayshaun Prince and Quincy Pondexter putting their season in serious peril.
Then again, it's not as though the Grizzlies were exactly gritting and grinding the NBA to a pulp prior to that run of bad luck. Their slow-paced personnel didn't jibe with the uptempo style of play that head coach Dave Joerger and the team's new-age front office clearly preferred.
Perhaps it would be in Memphis' best interest to seek out means of parlaying some of its existing assets into pieces and picks that it can use to refresh the roster around Gasol and Conley while improving its own pick in the 2014 draft.
21. Los Angeles Lakers
Those aren't raindrops slowing traffic to a crawl in L.A. Rather, those are the tears of Los Angeles Lakers fans who are mourning Kobe Bryant's return to the training table.
The Black Mamba will miss six weeks after breaking a bone in his left knee during L.A.'s win over the Grizzlies in Memphis. This, after Bryant spent nearly eight months rehabbing from a torn Achilles tendon.
Kobe won't need nearly that much time to heal up this time around, but in some ways this injury is more troubling. After all, Bryant has a long and infamous history of knee problems, which have precipitated a number of trips to Germany for experimental therapy.
And then there's the not-so-small matter of how his 'mates will fare in the meantime. The Lakers will play 13 of their next 20 games on the road, including seven in a row during their annual Grammys trip.
For the time being, they'll turn to Xavier Henry and D-League signee Kendall Marshall to fill the already gaping hole at point guard while hoping that Pau Gasol and the rest of L.A.'s castoffs can rekindle the offensive magic that captivated Lakers fans prior to Bryant's return.
In other words, get well soon, Mamba.
20. Cleveland Cavaliers
I may be in the minority here, but can we please pump the brakes on all these suggestions that the Cleveland Cavaliers will/absolutely have to trade Dion Waiters?
I'm well aware that Waiters was reportedly at the center of a spat involving Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson that bubbled to the surface during a closed-door meeting earlier this season. And I get that he takes questionable shots at times and loafs on defense more than any coach (Mike Brown included) would find palatable.
But the guy's got a verifiable NBA skill that's tough to come by. He can score off shots that he's created for himself. He's averaged 20.7 points on 50 percent shooting over his last three games, including a 25-point outburst that single-handedly kept the Cavs within striking distance of the Portland Trail Blazers.
More importantly, Waiters just turned 22! It's way too early to give up on a player whose talents and proclivities place him somewhere on the "combo guard" spectrum between Dwyane Wade and J.R. Smith.
Waiters may have some maddening tendencies, but that doesn't mean Cleveland should send him to, say, the Sixers in exchange for Evan Turner, whose uptick in production has everything to do with his expanded opportunity in Philly and his impending foray into restricted free agency.
19. Toronto Raptors
Remember earlier when I discussed how the Kings haven't been winning more since Rudy Gay came to town?
Well, what if I told you that the Toronto Raptors, the team that dumped Gay in Sacramento, are faring better in his absence? Would that surprise you?
My guess is, probably not. Still, the Raptors can take heart in the three wins they earned out of the four games immediately following Rudy's departure. Throw in the Kemba Walker buzzer-beater that felled Toronto in overtime against the Charlotte Bobcats, and you might even be able to say that the Raptors are now trending toward success, albeit relative to the Eastern Conference.
With Rudy out of the picture, DeMar DeRozan has begun to more closely resemble the potential All-Star that the Raptors had hoped he would be when they plucked him out of the 2009 draft with the ninth pick. Since the Gay trade, DeRozan has averaged a sturdy 23.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and a combined 2.4 blocks and steals.
Coincidence? I think not.
18. Boston Celtics
If Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey had agreed to trade Omer Asik to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee and a first-round pick, as had been reported, Danny Ainge may well have wound up in line for his second Executive of the Year Award.
As it stands, he and Morey could come to such an agreement down the line. Asik would instantly become the best and most impactful center on a C's roster bereft of bigs were he to wind up in Boston before the trade deadline. Bass and Lee, who were on the Orlando Magic team that cracked the NBA Finals in 2009, would be of comfort to Dwight Howard but probably wouldn't do much to improve the Rockets on the whole.
Even without Asik, Ainge has earned serious consideration as one of the league's top front-office figures. This past summer alone, he fleeced the Brooklyn Nets for three first-round picks and the option to swap in 2017 in exchange for three aging veterans (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry) who, while enticing in name, haven't brought anything close to equal value to Brooklyn's operation.
The decision to pry Brad Stevens from the college ranks doesn't look too shabby either, what with the C's in the driver's seat in the Atlantic Division and all.
17. Charlotte Bobcats
Who'd have thought that a late-December meeting between the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Bobcats could carry such intrigue?
Both teams will be looking to solidify three-game winning streaks when they meet at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Friday.
The 'Cats owe their recent success to the two things that seem to be their staples nowadays: defense and Kemba Walker's heroics.
First, Charlotte limited Sacramento to just 87 points on 37.5 percent shooting while Walker (24 points, five assists) provided much of the offensive firepower. Then, the Bobcats held the Raptors to 95 points in regulation before the UConn product punctuated his 29-point night with a game-winner.
Now, Charlotte will attempt to parlay its strengths into a W against a Pistons team whose own profile (i.e. solid offense, porous defense, tons of size and skill up front) reads like the inverse of its own.
Certainly, some more theatrics from Walker will come in handy.
16. New Orleans Pelicans
Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans were impressive in their tandem return. Davis tallied 24 points and 12 rebounds, and Evans turned in a triple-double, both off the bench. But even they couldn't keep the New Orleans Pelicans from succumbing to the Los Angeles Clippers on the road.
Still, the Pellies should be pleased with where they stand now and, more importantly, where they'll likely be in the weeks and months (and years) to come.
According to NBA.com, the featured fivesome of Davis, Evans, Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson has seen just 71 minutes of playing time together this season. That period, however short, has seen the Pelicans score an astonishing 125.2 points per 100 possessions with an out-of-this-world effective field-goal percentage of .577.
To be sure, the fact that this group has given up 118.6 points per possession on the other end is disconcerting, especially when considering how mightily the Davis-Anderson pairing struggled defensively last season. But solid defense is largely the product of chemistry and cohesion, which this group simply hasn't had the time to develop but should going forward.
15. Washington Wizards
It should come as little surprise that the Washington Wizards have won both of their games since Bradley Beal returned to the lineup. The second-year shooting guard out of Florida is already the team's best scorer and has a solid track record of success when playing alongside John Wall.
According to NBA.com, the Wizards have scored 106.4 points per 100 possessions during the 478 minutes that Beal and Wall have been paired this season. That would qualify as the sixth-best mark in the league—and nearly six points better than Washington's overall offense, which currently ranks 21st in efficiency.
And now that Nene is also healthy, perhaps the Wizards can finally string together the sort of success that has eluded this forlorn franchise ever since Gilbert Arenas' high jinks doomed it to a long, slow and painful rebuild.
14. Detroit Pistons
Underestimate the Detroit Pistons at your own peril, because this team (finally) seems to be hitting its stride.
In their last five games, the Pistons have taken down two division leaders (Pacers, Celtics), beaten another (Nets) that figures to be by season's end and fallen to two quality Western Conference clubs (Pelicans, Trail Blazers) in overtime.
As a result, Detroit has climbed within one game of the .500 mark and, more importantly, into fifth place in the admittedly awful Eastern Conference.
That may seem like small potatoes to most, but for the Pistons, who've been patently awful since 2009, any signs of progress are worth celebrating in the Motor City.
13. Atlanta Hawks
Three out of four ain't bad for the Atlanta Hawks. Even though their lone loss during the last week came against the clumsy Knicks...and the three teams they beat are currently a combined 13 games under .500.
That being said, winning teams remain few and far between in the Eastern Conference.
Applauding the Hawks for having a respectable record may seem like a low bar, but it's not their fault that the rest of their side of the bracket is so bereft of quality competition.
12. Golden State Warriors
I wouldn't call the Golden State Warriors' 104-102 home loss to the Big Three-less San Antonio Spurs embarrassing. After all, Gregg Popovich has long had a way of plugging role players into his lineup with aplomb, thanks in no small part to the effort, execution and discipline he demands from everyone on his roster.
That being said, the result should come as a disappointment, considering that Andre Iguodala had returned to action two nights prior.
In fact, Golden State's flaws extend beyond anything Iggy can fix all on his own. The Warriors sport the fourth-highest turnover ratio (i.e. turnovers per 100 possessions) in the NBA and saw that same problem come back to bite them on Thursday night, with the Spurs converting an unsightly 24 miscues into 31 points of their own.
Having a creative dynamo like Iggy around should help to alleviate that problem in due course. But if the Dubs are going to improve upon last season's results, as many (including yours truly) expected, they'll have to take much better care of the ball.
11. Minnesota Timberwolves
If you storm out to a 32-point lead, you'd better come away with a win, regardless of the caliber of competition.
That was the case for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who pounded the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half of their meeting on Wednesday before holding on for a 120-109 win. The Blazers blew through much of the T-Wolves' advantage by knocking down 12 of 27 three-point attempts in the second half, seven of which were put through by Damian Lillard.
But even Lillard's best efforts couldn't negate the T-Wolves' dominance on the interior. Kevin Love (29 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists) and Nikola Pekovic (30 points, nine rebounds) accounted for much of Minny's 72-34 advantage on points in the paint.
Granted, the Blazers were clearly worn down, what with this being their fourth game in five nights away from home. But it's not as though the T-Wolves are about to give this win back, not when they're fighting just to hang around .500 in a conference that's filled with winning records.
10. Denver Nuggets
Good on Kevin Durant for doing his part to get the word out on Ty Lawson's rise to borderline All-Star status. Lawson, whose ties to Durant date back to their time together as teammates on the AAU circuit and for one year at the famed Oak Hill Academy, had performed brilliantly prior to suffering a recent hamstring strain and did well to drop 17 points and 13 assists at the expense of KD's team.
It's too bad Lawson's Denver Nuggets play in the Western Conference, where the cast of All-Star-caliber point guards—both incumbent (Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Tony Parker) and potential first-timers (Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Eric Bledsoe, Monta Ellis)—is already exceedingly deep.
Throw Lawson in the East, and he'd be all but guaranteed to compete for a spot alongside the likes of Kyrie Irving and John Wall.
For the time being, it appears as though Lawson will simply have to settle for his squad hanging around the playoff picture out West.
9. Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks' back-to-back double-digit wins against the Bucks and the Grizzlies, with their combined record of 15-35, may not seem like much. But in a Western Conference crammed with quality clubs, every victory counts, regardless of who's on the losing end—even more so with the stretch that'll soon be staring the Mavs squarely in the face.
After tangling with the Toronto Raptors on Friday, Dallas will play five of its following six games on the road, with four against teams currently in the playoffs.
Not that the other two tilts over that same stretch will be walks in the park. The Mavs will have to grind it out against the Bulls' tough defense in Chicago before going toe-to-toe with the T-Wolves' terrifying offense in Minneapolis.
8. Phoenix Suns
You can find all the fault you want in the Phoenix Suns' 108-101 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. Tony Parker's absence, Manu Ginobili's big game (24 points, six rebounds, seven assists, two steals) and Phoenix's own flurry of turnovers (19, to be exact) didn't reflect well on where the Suns stood within the NBA heading into that game.
But one loss can't (and shouldn't) distract anyone from the fact that the Suns are still overachieving to a degree that teams rarely do. They'd won five in a row prior to that aforementioned defeat, in spite of a roster that most predicted would land Phoenix among a handful of teams fighting for the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA draft.
And the Suns might only get better from here on out. According to NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper, GM Ryan McDonough is open to dealing one of the four 2014 first-rounders at his disposal if doing so brings back a piece or two that could bolster Phoenix's prospects of qualifying for the playoffs in the ultra-competitive West without compromising the team's long-term outlook.
7. Houston Rockets
The news hasn't all been so good for the Houston Rockets over the last week. They gave up well over a 100 points apiece to the Warriors and Kings, the latter being a humbling 15-point defeat.
Then came the news that GM Daryl Morey had failed to move disgruntled backup center Omer Asik before his self-imposed Dec. 19 deadline. According to CBS Sports' Ken Berger, Morey wasn't particularly enthused with the package of Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee and a first-round pick that was allegedly on the table from the Celtics.
Not that Houston is exactly hurting for help right now. The Rockets are currently fifth in the West on the strength of the Dwight Howard-James Harden-Chandler Parsons trio, with Patrick Beverley and Terrence Jones stepping into the starting lineup as defensive-minded role players.
But if this team is going to leap into legitimate title contention, it'll probably need one more piece—ideally, a power forward with three-point range on his shot.
Which isn't likely to come unless/until Morey can swing an Asik-centric trade prior to the actual deadline in February.
6. Los Angeles Clippers
Don't look now, but the Los Angeles Clippers are starting to resemble an NBA title contender.
Just as they did last December, when they finished the month a perfect 17-0. That won't be the case this time around, since they've already dropped four games this month.
But their play of late has been rather promising—on both ends of the floor, no less. The Clips have averaged an astonishing 112 points per game since Jamal Crawford slid into the starting lineup, thereby relieving Chris Paul of some of his on-ball duties.
More importantly, L.A. has held seven of its last eight opponents under 100 points and moved firmly into the NBA's top 10 in defensive efficiency as a result.
With Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan both playing exceedingly well and J.J. Redick and Matt Barnes on the mend, it's only a matter of time until this team really hits its stride under Doc Rivers.
At which point, the rest of the NBA would do well to look out!
5. Portland Trail Blazers
You could say the Portland Trail Blazers were due for the comeuppance that came to them during their visit to Minneapolis. They'd been bailed out in back-to-back games against middling Eastern Conference competition (Pistons, Cavs) by Damian Lillard's heroics.
It was only a matter of time before the Blazers were burned after playing with fire as frequently as they had. Realistically, there was no way Portland was going to climb out of the 32-point first-half hole it dug itself against the T-Wolves.
That being said, give the Blazers credit for fighting back in the second half. They managed to trim the deficit to five points with less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter before the T-Wolves put them away for good.
Every good team needs a wake-up call once in a while, especially if said team is still figuring out what it takes to be elite. This loss should serve Rip City well moving forward.
4. San Antonio Spurs
Who needs Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili when you've got Patty Mills, Boris Diaw and Marco Belinelli?
Apparently, the San Antonio Spurs don't. The Big Three's absence from the final leg of the Spurs' four-game road trip didn't stop San Antonio from pulling out a 104-102 win over the Warriors, who saw Andre Iguodala return to the lineup earlier this week.
This, just one night after rolling into Phoenix and upending the surprising Suns while Parker nursed a sore shin.
I know the thought of Gregg Popovich being named the NBA's Coach of the Year can get old, especially since he's already earned that honor twice in his Hall of Fame career. But if we're being honest, Pop is the LeBron James of the coaching ranks: He probably deserves his profession's top honor every year.
The Spurs made that much clear once again with their victory in Oakland.
3. Indiana Pacers
I'll admit that I was tempted to be a contrarian and keep the Indiana Pacers at No. 1, even after their loss to the Heat in Miami. After all, they beat the Heat in their own building last week and led for most of the time during the return leg in south Florida.
But could I still consider the Pacers to be the best team in the NBA, even after being on the wrong end of a 12-2 spurt over the final three minutes, 43 seconds of the fourth quarter? And what about the loss to the Detroit Pistons two nights earlier, when the Pacers got pounded on the boards (55-40) in suffering their first home defeat of the young season?
This isn't to suggest that Indy isn't fit to contend for the title. Its defense is still the best the NBA has to offer, and its offense is starting to take better care of the ball...finally.
In the meantime, though, the Pacers will have to settle for a spot among the league's top three.
Which is to say, there's no need to pity the Pacers.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
The good times are still rolling for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who stretched their current winning streak to eight games with a 107-95 win over the bumbling Bulls on Thursday night. Kevin Durant scored a game-high 32 points on an efficient 13-of-20 from the field, including 4-of-5 from three.
That marked KD's fifth performance of 30 points or more during OKC's unbeaten run. All told, Durant's gone for 30 or more 13 times this season—in just 25 games, no less. It should come as no surprise that Durant is on track for his fourth scoring title in five years at nearly 29 points per game.
In a word, buckets.
1. Miami Heat
It took a while, but the Miami Heat are finally back on top of the power rankings.
And not just because they stormed back to beat the Pacers on Wednesday, though that certainly helps.
By and large, Miami seems to have this whole "regular season" thing down pat. The Heat rank among the top six in both offensive and defensive efficiency, they appear to have figured out how to manage Dwyane Wade's knee pain (27.7 points on 61.1 percent shooting over his last three games), and LeBron James is...well, LeBron James.
They should have ample opportunity to pad their record in the coming week, with a home game against the Hawks and a trip to L.A. to play the Kobe-less Lakers on Christmas Day sandwiched between dates against the Kings.
For now, the Heat are once again...kings.
How did I do this week? Let me know on Twitter!
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"Newsday" featured Pace University’s Lubin School of Business finance professor Padma Kadiyala in "LI's Broadridge: Wall Street's quiet back office"
Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc. is the $11.7 billion Long Island business that most people have never heard of even though it touches their lives in myriad ways.
The Lake Success company delivers billions of documents to shareholders each year and processes trillions of dollars in stock trades each day.
If you've received a proxy statement -- the form asking you to vote your shares to elect a company's board of directors -- it likely came from Broadridge. If you've traded stocks through E*Trade or Raymond James, Broadridge executed your transaction. Your credit card bill may have come from Broadridge, too.
And it all started in the back bedroom of an East Northport house.
Richard J. Daly founded Broadridge's largest division, investor communications, in his then-East Northport home in 1987. He stepped down as CEO Jan. 2, handing the reins to Timothy C. Gokey in the company's first leadership change since it went public 12 years ago. Daly is now executive chairman.
A low profile suits Broadridge because it serves as Wall Street’s back office, performing routine but vital work for the biggest stock brokerages and mutual funds. The company dominates the market in two of its core businesses. It runs the board elections for almost every U.S. public company and delivers proxies and other financial statements to 80 percent of North American households, executives said. Proxy season, the company's busiest time of the year, begins next month.
“Broadridge plays a very critical role,” said Padma Kadiyala, a finance professor at Pace University’s Lubin School of Business in Pleasantville, in Westchester County.
“The fact that they aren’t well-known is their greatest strength because it means people are quite satisfied with the work they are doing,” she said. “The only reason back-office companies are in the news is if they did something wrong, such as reporting something inaccurately.”
Broadridge is Long Island’s second-largest public company by revenue after medical supplies distributor Henry Schein Inc. in Melville. Broadridge reported revenue of $4.3 billion for the 12 months ended June 30, up 5 percent from a year earlier. Profit climbed 31 percent year over year, to $428 million. The company has a stock market value of $11.7 billion.
About 2,300 people work for the company locally, most at several large factories in Edgewood. They are part of a worldwide workforce totaling more than 10,000.
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deletionpedia.dbatley.com » Focus, Aspiration, Confidence, Equality (deleted 03 Jul 2008 at 16:19)
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music.wikia.com » Our House (Madness song)
music.wikia.com » Our House:Madness
music.wikia.com » Paul Carrack
music.wikia.com » Physical Graffiti
music.wikia.com » Queen (band)
music.wikia.com » Rock 'N' Roll Suicide (single):David Bowie
music.wikia.com » Ronnie Lane
music.wikia.com » Roy Harper
music.wikia.com » Rumours
music.wikia.com » Sandie Shaw
music.wikia.com » Sarah Kennedy
music.wikia.com » Sheer Heart Attack:Queen
music.wikia.com » Sky
music.wikia.com » Skying
music.wikia.com » Slade
music.wikia.com » Something For Everybody:DEVO
music.wikia.com » Song For Guy (Single):Elton John
music.wikia.com » Sound And Vision (single):David Bowie
music.wikia.com » Space Oddity (single):David Bowie
music.wikia.com » Starman (single):David Bowie
music.wikia.com » Suffragette City
music.wikia.com » Suggs
music.wikia.com » Suicide Is Painless
music.wikia.com » Sunrise/The Trees
music.wikia.com » Suzi Quatro
music.wikia.com » Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
music.wikia.com » Takk...:Sigur Rós
music.wikia.com » The Allman Brothers Band
music.wikia.com » The Blockheads
music.wikia.com » The Dubliners
music.wikia.com » The Everly Brothers
music.wikia.com » The Flirtations
music.wikia.com » The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
music.wikia.com » The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan:Bob Dylan
music.wikia.com » The House of the Rising Sun
music.wikia.com » The Jean Genie
music.wikia.com » The Jean Genie (single):David Bowie
music.wikia.com » The Liberty of Norton Folgate
music.wikia.com » The Manic Street Preachers
music.wikia.com » The Pop Group
music.wikia.com » The Times They Are A-Changin' (Bob Dylan Album)
music.wikia.com » The Times They Are A-Changin':Bob Dylan
music.wikia.com » Time Will Crawl (single):David Bowie
music.wikia.com » Tom Jones
music.wikia.com » Tommy Ramone
music.wikia.com » Town Called Malice
music.wikia.com » Twist and Shout
music.wikia.com » Ummagumma:Pink Floyd
music.wikia.com » Vera Lynn
music.wikia.com » We Gotta Get Out of This Place
music.wikia.com » We Love You
music.wikia.com » Where Is My Mind?
music.wikia.com » Whole Lotta Rosie
music.wikia.com » Windowlicker
music.wikia.com » World music
music.wikia.com » You Really Got Me
music.wikia.com » You've Really Got a Hold on Me
music.wikia.com » Ziggy Stardust
musicality.wikia.com » John Williams
musicality.wikia.com » Symphony No. 5 (Shostakovich)
musicality.wikia.com » The London Symphony Orchestra
mythbusters.wikia.com » Robert Lee
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neighbours.wikia.com » Christina Alessi
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novelas.wikia.com » Doctor Who
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » A Rocky Start
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Animal Instincts
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Bothered And Bewildered
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Brothers And Sisters
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » But Is It Art?
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Calendar Boys
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Denzil
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Fifteen Minutes
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » For Richer For Poorer
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » From Here To Paternity
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Hay Fever
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Here's To You, Mrs Boyce
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Home Brew
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » I Done It My Way
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » If You Go Down To The Woods
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Lust In Translation
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Mike Fisher
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Mother Earth
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » One Flew Over The Cuckoo Clock
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onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Sex And The Country
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Sweet Sorrow
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Testing Times
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » The Country Wife
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » The Departed
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » The Final Curtain
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » The Lonely Herdsman
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » The Path Of True Love
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » The Special Relationship
onlyfoolsandhorses.wikia.com » Your Cheating Art
peel.wikia.com » Grinderswitch
playstationanswers.wikia.com » Android
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playstationanswers.wikia.com » Wii
polinapedia.wikia.com » John Ferguson Jr.
prehistoric.wikia.com » Velociraptor
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qi.wikia.com » Doon Mackichan
quentintarantino.wikia.com » Capitalism: A Love Story
quentintarantino.wikia.com » Lethal Weapon
quentintarantino.wikia.com » Milk
quentintarantino.wikia.com » Of Time and the City
quentintarantino.wikia.com » Sherlock Holmes (2009 film)
rap.wikia.com » Angel Haze
reddwarf.wikia.com » BBC
revenge.wikia.com » C.C.H. Pounder
revengeabc.wikia.com » C.C.H. Pounder
roalddahl.wikia.com » George's Marvelous Medicine
rock.wikia.com » 19th Nervous Breakdown
rock.wikia.com » A Day at the Races (album)
rock.wikia.com » A Forest
rock.wikia.com » Ace of Spades (song)
rock.wikia.com » Alabama Song
rock.wikia.com » Alan Price
rock.wikia.com » Alice Cooper
rock.wikia.com » All You Need Is Love
rock.wikia.com » Animal Nitrate
rock.wikia.com » Another Sunny Day
rock.wikia.com » Arcade Fire
rock.wikia.com » Architecture & Morality
rock.wikia.com » Arnold Layne
rock.wikia.com » Associates
rock.wikia.com » B.A. Robertson
rock.wikia.com » Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
rock.wikia.com » Bill Haley
rock.wikia.com » Blonde on Blonde
rock.wikia.com » Bohemian Rhapsody
rock.wikia.com » Bomber (song)
rock.wikia.com » Booker T. & the M.G.s.
rock.wikia.com » Booker T. and the M.G.s
rock.wikia.com » Burning of the Midnight Lamp
rock.wikia.com » Cabaret Voltaire
rock.wikia.com » Captain Beefheart
rock.wikia.com » Changes (David Bowie song)
rock.wikia.com » Cliff Richard
rock.wikia.com » Conway Twitty
rock.wikia.com » Cream
rock.wikia.com » Dead End Street
rock.wikia.com » Delta 5
rock.wikia.com » Depeche Mode
rock.wikia.com » Desdemona
rock.wikia.com » Diamond Head
rock.wikia.com » Don't Stop Me Now
rock.wikia.com » Don't You Want Me
rock.wikia.com » Eagles
rock.wikia.com » Electric Ladyland
rock.wikia.com » Episode Six
rock.wikia.com » Evil (Interpol song)
rock.wikia.com » Georgie Fame
rock.wikia.com » God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols song)
rock.wikia.com » Grace
rock.wikia.com » Graham Coxon
rock.wikia.com » Graham Parker
rock.wikia.com » Hawkwind
rock.wikia.com » He Knows You Know
rock.wikia.com » Highway 61 Revisited
rock.wikia.com » Hocus Pocus (instrumental)
rock.wikia.com » Hong Kong Garden
rock.wikia.com » Hoppípolla
rock.wikia.com » How Soon Is Now?
rock.wikia.com » I Can Take You to the Sun
rock.wikia.com » I Second That Emotion
rock.wikia.com » Iggy Pop
rock.wikia.com » In the Ghetto
rock.wikia.com » Invisible Sun
rock.wikia.com » Itchycoo Park
rock.wikia.com » John's Children
rock.wikia.com » Johnny the Fox
rock.wikia.com » Kaleidoscope (UK band)
rock.wikia.com » Krautrock
rock.wikia.com » Leader of the Pack
rock.wikia.com » Lene Lovich
rock.wikia.com » Les Paul
rock.wikia.com » Less Than Zero (song)
rock.wikia.com » Louie Louie
rock.wikia.com » Love Me Do
rock.wikia.com » Manic Street Preachers
rock.wikia.com » Money (That's What I Want)
rock.wikia.com » Moonlight Shadow
rock.wikia.com » Morrissey
rock.wikia.com » My Generation
rock.wikia.com » No More Heroes (The Stranglers song)
rock.wikia.com » Old Man
rock.wikia.com » Oliver's Army
rock.wikia.com » One of These Days (Pink Floyd song)
rock.wikia.com » Overkill (Motörhead song)
rock.wikia.com » Paint It Black
rock.wikia.com » Paint It, Black
rock.wikia.com » Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
rock.wikia.com » Penny Lane
rock.wikia.com » Peter Sellers
rock.wikia.com » Phil Collins
rock.wikia.com » Physical Graffiti
rock.wikia.com » Pink Floyd – The Wall
rock.wikia.com » Please Please Me
rock.wikia.com » Please Please Me (song)
rock.wikia.com » Primal Scream
rock.wikia.com » Propaganda
rock.wikia.com » Raspberries
rock.wikia.com » Ride
rock.wikia.com » Robert Wyatt
rock.wikia.com » Rock 'n' Roll Suicide
rock.wikia.com » Rock Goes to College
rock.wikia.com » Roll Over Beethoven
rock.wikia.com » Rory Gallagher
rock.wikia.com » Samson (band)
rock.wikia.com » Saturday Night Fish Fry
rock.wikia.com » Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
rock.wikia.com » Sex Pistols
rock.wikia.com » Shake, Rattle and Roll
rock.wikia.com » She Loves You
rock.wikia.com » Sky
rock.wikia.com » Slade
rock.wikia.com » Smells Like Teen Spirit
rock.wikia.com » Somebody to Love (Queen song)
rock.wikia.com » Sound and Vision
rock.wikia.com » Sparks
rock.wikia.com » Stairway to Heaven
rock.wikia.com » Status Quo
rock.wikia.com » Strawberry Fields Forever
rock.wikia.com » Suffragette City
rock.wikia.com » Suzanne Vega
rock.wikia.com » Suzi Quatro
rock.wikia.com » The Aller Værste!
rock.wikia.com » The Associates
rock.wikia.com » The Boomtown Rats
rock.wikia.com » The Boxer
rock.wikia.com » The Boy With the Thorn in His Side
rock.wikia.com » The Chain
rock.wikia.com » The Cult
rock.wikia.com » The Easybeats
rock.wikia.com » The Everly Brothers
rock.wikia.com » The House of the Rising Sun
rock.wikia.com » The Human League
rock.wikia.com » The Jean Genie
rock.wikia.com » The Kinks
rock.wikia.com » The Number of the Beast (album)
rock.wikia.com » The Pogues
rock.wikia.com » The Pop Group
rock.wikia.com » The Shadows
rock.wikia.com » The Smiths
rock.wikia.com » The Smiths (album)
rock.wikia.com » The Tremeloes
rock.wikia.com » The Trooper
rock.wikia.com » The Vapors
rock.wikia.com » The Waterboys
rock.wikia.com » The Wedding Present
rock.wikia.com » There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
rock.wikia.com » There She Goes
rock.wikia.com » This Year's Model
rock.wikia.com » Tin Soldier
rock.wikia.com » Too Drunk to Fuck
rock.wikia.com » Town Called Malice
rock.wikia.com » Trampled Under Foot
rock.wikia.com » Tubeway Army
rock.wikia.com » Twist and Shout
rock.wikia.com » Van der Graaf Generator
rock.wikia.com » Velouria
rock.wikia.com » We Love You
rock.wikia.com » What Difference Does It Make?
rock.wikia.com » White Light/White Heat (song)
rock.wikia.com » Whitesnake
rock.wikia.com » Wings
rock.wikia.com » X-Ray Spex
rock.wikia.com » You Really Got Me
scouting.wikia.com » Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
ship.wikia.com » Normandie
song.wikia.com » Adele
song.wikia.com » Smile
songs.wikia.com » 21st Century Breakdown
songs.wikia.com » A Day at the Races:Queen
songs.wikia.com » A Kind of Magic (Album):Queen
songs.wikia.com » A Night at the Opera:Queen
songs.wikia.com » A Saucerful Of Secrets:Pink Floyd
songs.wikia.com » Adrian Boult
songs.wikia.com » Alabama Song
songs.wikia.com » Alabama Song (single):David Bowie
songs.wikia.com » Angeleyes
songs.wikia.com » Another Day in Paradise
songs.wikia.com » Another Star (Single):Stevie Wonder
songs.wikia.com » Arnold Layne
songs.wikia.com » Art of Noise
songs.wikia.com » Ashes To Ashes (single):David Bowie
songs.wikia.com » Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie song)
songs.wikia.com » Associates
songs.wikia.com » Axis: Bold As Love:Jimi Hendrix
songs.wikia.com » BBC Radiophonic Workshop
songs.wikia.com » BBC Sessions:Jimi Hendrix
songs.wikia.com » Babooshka
songs.wikia.com » Benjamin Britten
songs.wikia.com » Billy Bragg
songs.wikia.com » Billy Ocean
songs.wikia.com » Blowin' in the Wind
songs.wikia.com » Bronski Beat
songs.wikia.com » Burning of the Midnight Lamp
songs.wikia.com » Cabaret Voltaire
songs.wikia.com » Captain Sensible
songs.wikia.com » Career Opportunities
songs.wikia.com » Cat Stevens
songs.wikia.com » Changes (single):David Bowie
songs.wikia.com » Chaos And Creation In The Backyard
songs.wikia.com » Chiquitita
songs.wikia.com » DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
songs.wikia.com » Day-In Day-Out (single):David Bowie
songs.wikia.com » Delta 5
songs.wikia.com » Depeche Mode
songs.wikia.com » Diamond Head
songs.wikia.com » Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
songs.wikia.com » Driving Rain
songs.wikia.com » Eagles
songs.wikia.com » Edith Bowman
songs.wikia.com » Edward Elgar
songs.wikia.com » Ellie Goulding
songs.wikia.com » Enya
songs.wikia.com » Episode Six
songs.wikia.com » Fish (singer)
songs.wikia.com » Frankie Goes to Hollywood
songs.wikia.com » Ghosts
songs.wikia.com » Good Evening New York City
songs.wikia.com » Heart of Glass
songs.wikia.com » Heart of Glass (song)
songs.wikia.com » Hello, Goodbye
songs.wikia.com » Hometown Glory
songs.wikia.com » Hoppípolla (Single):Sigur Rós
songs.wikia.com » How Soon Is Now?:The Smiths
songs.wikia.com » I Forgot To Remember To Forget
songs.wikia.com » I Second That Emotion
songs.wikia.com » If I Never See Your Face Again
songs.wikia.com » In the Ghetto
songs.wikia.com » Innuendo (Album):Queen
songs.wikia.com » Johnny Harris
songs.wikia.com » Jolene
songs.wikia.com » Julie Andrews
songs.wikia.com » Just Dance
songs.wikia.com » Kasabian
songs.wikia.com » Kisses On The Bottom
songs.wikia.com » Labi Siffre
songs.wikia.com » Last Night:The Mar-Keys
songs.wikia.com » Lemar
songs.wikia.com » Lena Horne
songs.wikia.com » Lene Lovich
songs.wikia.com » Louie Louie
songs.wikia.com » Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Single):Elton John
songs.wikia.com » Lulu
songs.wikia.com » MGMT
songs.wikia.com » Marlene Dietrich
songs.wikia.com » Meddle:Pink Floyd
songs.wikia.com » Memory Almost Full
songs.wikia.com » Messiah (Handel)
songs.wikia.com » Moonlight Shadow
songs.wikia.com » Morrissey
songs.wikia.com » Murray Head
songs.wikia.com » My Generation (Who song)
songs.wikia.com » My Legendary Girlfriend:Pulp
songs.wikia.com » Never Let Me Down (single):David Bowie
songs.wikia.com » New York Dolls
songs.wikia.com » October
songs.wikia.com » Old Man
songs.wikia.com » One of These Days
songs.wikia.com » Our House (Madness song)
songs.wikia.com » Our House:Madness
songs.wikia.com » Paul Carrack
songs.wikia.com » Physical Graffiti
songs.wikia.com » Queen (band)
songs.wikia.com » Rock 'N' Roll Suicide (single):David Bowie
songs.wikia.com » Ronnie Lane
songs.wikia.com » Roy Harper
songs.wikia.com » Rumours
songs.wikia.com » Sandie Shaw
songs.wikia.com » Sarah Kennedy
songs.wikia.com » Sheer Heart Attack:Queen
songs.wikia.com » Sky
songs.wikia.com » Skying
songs.wikia.com » Slade
songs.wikia.com » Something For Everybody:DEVO
songs.wikia.com » Song For Guy (Single):Elton John
songs.wikia.com » Sound And Vision (single):David Bowie
songs.wikia.com » Space Oddity (single):David Bowie
songs.wikia.com » Starman (single):David Bowie
songs.wikia.com » Suffragette City
songs.wikia.com » Suggs
songs.wikia.com » Suicide Is Painless
songs.wikia.com » Sunrise/The Trees
songs.wikia.com » Suzi Quatro
songs.wikia.com » Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
songs.wikia.com » Takk...:Sigur Rós
songs.wikia.com » The Allman Brothers Band
songs.wikia.com » The Blockheads
songs.wikia.com » The Dubliners
songs.wikia.com » The Everly Brothers
songs.wikia.com » The Flirtations
songs.wikia.com » The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
songs.wikia.com » The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan:Bob Dylan
songs.wikia.com » The House of the Rising Sun
songs.wikia.com » The Jean Genie
songs.wikia.com » The Jean Genie (single):David Bowie
songs.wikia.com » The Liberty of Norton Folgate
songs.wikia.com » The Manic Street Preachers
songs.wikia.com » The Pop Group
songs.wikia.com » The Times They Are A-Changin' (Bob Dylan Album)
songs.wikia.com » The Times They Are A-Changin':Bob Dylan
songs.wikia.com » Time Will Crawl (single):David Bowie
songs.wikia.com » Tom Jones
songs.wikia.com » Tommy Ramone
songs.wikia.com » Town Called Malice
songs.wikia.com » Twist and Shout
songs.wikia.com » Ummagumma:Pink Floyd
songs.wikia.com » Vera Lynn
songs.wikia.com » We Gotta Get Out of This Place
songs.wikia.com » We Love You
songs.wikia.com » Where Is My Mind?
songs.wikia.com » Whole Lotta Rosie
songs.wikia.com » Windowlicker
songs.wikia.com » World music
songs.wikia.com » You Really Got Me
songs.wikia.com » You've Really Got a Hold on Me
songs.wikia.com » Ziggy Stardust
sonic.wikia.com » User:Admiral Leviathan/That Sonic Comic: 16-Bit Chronicles
sonyslocoroco.wikia.com » LocoRoco (game)
sportscasting.wikia.com » Digital on-screen graphic
srmthfg.wikia.com » Mark Hamill
starwarscrossover.wikia.com » BBC
stevenspielberg.wikia.com » Capitalism: A Love Story
stevenspielberg.wikia.com » Lethal Weapon
stevenspielberg.wikia.com » Milk
stevenspielberg.wikia.com » Of Time and the City
stevenspielberg.wikia.com » Sherlock Holmes (2009 film)
talkies.wikia.com » Capitalism: A Love Story
talkies.wikia.com » Lethal Weapon
talkies.wikia.com » Milk
talkies.wikia.com » Of Time and the City
talkies.wikia.com » Sherlock Holmes (2009 film)
thebill.wikia.com » Owen, Sid
theoffice.wikia.com » Jenna Fischer
theoffice.wikia.com » Steve Carell
thethinblueline.wikia.com » Episodes
thetudorfamily.wikia.com » Jane Seymour
thevampirediaries.wikia.com » Talk:The Map of Moments/@comment-Tommy,Klaus&Kol2012+-20141130090514/@comment-The Original Werewitchpyre Shae-20141130111312
topgear.wikia.com » Series
tropico.wikia.com » TV Station (Tropico 3 and 4)
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » 100 Greatest Britons
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » 1980 in British television
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » A Question of Sport
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Aardman Animations
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Absolutely Fabulous
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Alex Jones
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Andrea McLean
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Anne Hathaway
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Are You Being Served?
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie song)
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » BBC Four
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » BBC Sports Personality of the Year
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » BBC Two
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » BBC Young Musician of the Year
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Babooshka (song)
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Billy Ocean
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Black Sabbath
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Booker T. & the MG's
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Bridget Jones' Diary (film)
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (film)
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Brothers in Law (TV series)
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » CITV
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Call the Midwife
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Carol Vorderman
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Caron Keating
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Cat Deeley
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Changes (David Bowie song)
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Christine Bleakley
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Claudia Winkleman
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Countdown
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Cracked Actor
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Daily Mail
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Daily Politics
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Denise van Outen
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Diana, Princess of Wales
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Dixon of Dock Green
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Do They Know It's Christmas?
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Doctors (soap opera)
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Doon Mackichan
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Dudley Moore
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Eagles
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Emilia Fox
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Emma Bunton
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Emma Willis
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Fern Britton
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » First Blood
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » French & Saunders
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » GMTV
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Gabby Logan
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Gillian Anderson
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Gillian Taylforth
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Glynis Barber
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Grandstand
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » History of EastEnders
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Holby City
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Holly Willoughby
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » House of the Rising Sun
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » ITV Granada
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Imelda May
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Iron Maiden
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Jade Goody
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Janet Ellis
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Jennifer Saunders
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Jodie Prenger
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Kacey Ainsworth
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Kate Winslet
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Keeping Up Appearances
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Kirsty Besterman
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Last of the Summer Wine
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Lauren Laverne
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Lisa Harrow
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » List of episodes of Have I Got News for You
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Live Aid
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Louie, Louie
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Louise Redknapp
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Lulu (singer)
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Michelle Ryan
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Minder (TV series)
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Miranda (TV series)
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Miranda Hart
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Money (That's What I Want)
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Moonlight Shadow
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Myleene Klass
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Naomi Watts
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Natasha Kaplinsky
ultimatepopculture.wikia.com » Natasha Richardson
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<a href="http://archive.today/0v7cM"> <img style="width:300px;height:200px;background-color:white" src="https://archive.fo/0v7cM/0361c8ff75bc8162c2dae09eefd1e9abe16ed843/scr.png"><br> BBC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia<br> archived 15 Mar 2015 09:23:23 UTC </a>
{{cite web | title = BBC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | url = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC | date = 2015-03-15 | archiveurl = http://archive.today/0v7cM | archivedate = 2015-03-15 }}
This article is about the British Broadcasting Corporation. For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation).
Logo used since 1997
with a Royal Charter
18 October 1922; 92 years ago (1922-10-18)
Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, UK
Rona Fairhead
(Chair, BBC Trust)
Lord Hall of Birkenhead
(Director-General)
British public (publicly owned)
20,736 (2013/14)[2]
bbc.co.uk (United Kingdom)
bbc.com (Rest of the World)
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a UK-based public-service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London.
It is the world's oldest national broadcasting organisation[3] and the largest broadcaster in the world by number of employees, with over 20,000 staff in total, of which 16,672 are in public sector broadcasting.[2][4][5][6][7]
The BBC is established under a Royal Charter[8] and operates under its Agreement with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.[9] Its work is funded principally by an annual television licence fee[10] which is charged to all British households, companies, and organisations using any type of equipment to receive or record live television broadcasts.[11] The fee is set by the British Government, agreed by Parliament,[12] and used to fund the BBC's extensive radio, TV, and online services covering the nations and regions of the UK. From 1 April 2014 it also funds the BBC World Service, launched in 1932, which provides comprehensive TV, radio, and online services in Arabic, and Persian, and broadcasts in 28 languages.
Around a quarter of BBC revenues come from its commercial arm BBC Worldwide Ltd. which sells BBC programmes and services internationally and also distributes the BBC's international 24-hour English language news services BBC World News and BBC.com, provided by BBC Global News Ltd.
1.1 The birth of British Broadcasting 1920 – 1922
1.2 From private Company to Public Service Corporation – 1923 to 1926
1.3 1926 to 1939
1.6 2011 to present
2 Genome Project
3 Governance and Corporate Structure
3.1 Charter
3.2 BBC Trust
3.3 Executive Board
3.4 Management Board
3.5 Operational Divisions
4.1 Revenue
5 Headquarters and regional offices
6 Technology (Atos service)
7.2 Radio
7.3 News
7.4 Internet
7.5 Interactive television
7.6 Music
8 Commercial activities
9 Unions
10 Cultural significance
10.1 Attitudes toward the BBC in popular culture
11 Criticism and controversies
12 Logos and symbols of the BBC
§History[edit]
Further information: Timeline of the BBC
§The birth of British Broadcasting 1920 – 1922[edit]
Britain's first live public broadcast from the Marconi factory in Chelmsford took place in June 1920. It was sponsored by the Daily Mail's Lord Northcliffe and featured the famous Australian Soprano Dame Nellie Melba. The Melba broadcast caught the people's imagination and marked a turning point in the British public's attitude to radio[13] However this public enthusiasm was not shared in official circles where such broadcasts were held to interfere with important military and civil communications. By the Autumn of 1920, pressure from these quarters and uneasiness among the staff of the licencing authority, the General Post Office (GPO), was sufficient to lead to a ban on further Chelmsford broadcasts.[14]
But by 1922 the GPO had received nearly 100 broadcast licence requests [15] and moved to rescind its ban in the wake of a petition by 63 wireless societies with over 3000 members.[14] Anxious to avoid the same chaotic expansion experienced in the United States[16] the GPO proposed that it would issue a single broadcasting licence to a company jointly owned by a consortium of leading wireless receiver manufactures, to be known as the British Broadcasting Company Ltd. John Reith, a Scottish Calvinist, was appointed its General Manager in December 1922 a few weeks after the Company made its first official broadcast.[17][18] The Company was to be financed by a royalty on the sale of BBC wireless receiving sets from approved manufacturers and by a licence fee.
§From private Company to Public Service Corporation – 1923 to 1926[edit]
The financial arrangements soon proved inadequate. Set sales were disappointing as amateurs made their own receivers and listeners bought rival unlicensed sets.[19] By mid 1923 discussions between the GPO and the BBC had become deadlocked and the Postmaster-General commissioned a review of broadcasting by the Sykes Committee. The Committee recommended a short term reorganisation of licence fees with improved enforcement in order to address the BBC's immediate financial distress, and an increased share of the licence revenue split between it and the GPO. This was to be followed by a simple 10 shillings licence fee with no royalty once the wireless manufactures protection expired. The BBC's broadcasting monopoly was made explicit for the duration of its current broadcast licence, as was the prohibition on advertising. The BBC was also banned from presenting news bulletins before 7pm, and required to source all news from external wire services.
Mid 1925 found the future of broadcasting under further consideration this time by the Crawford committee. By now the BBC under Reith's exceptional leadership had forged a consensus favouring a continuation of the unified (monopoly) broadcasting service, but more money was still required to finance rapid expansion. Wireless manufacturers were anxious to exit the loss making consortium with Reith keen that the BBC be seen as a public service rather than a commercial enterprise. The recommendations of the Crawford Committee were published in March the following year and were still under consideration by the GPO when the 1926 General Strike broke out in May. The strike temporarily interrupted newspaper production and with restrictions on news bulletins waived the BBC suddenly became the primary source of news for the duration of the crisis.[20]
The crisis placed the BBC in a delicate position. On one hand Reith was acutely aware that the Government might exercise its right to commandeer the BBC at any time as a mouthpiece of the Government if the BBC were to step out of line, but on the other he was anxious to maintain public trust by appearing to be acting independently. The Government was divided on how to handle the BBC but ended up trusting Reith, whose opposition to the strike mirrored the PM's own. Thus the BBC was granted sufficient leeway to pursue the Government's objectives largely in a manner of its own choosing. The resulting coverage of both Striker and Government viewpoints impressed millions of listeners who were unaware that the PM had broadcast to the nation from Reith's home, using one of Reith's sound bites inserted at the last moment, or that the BBC had banned broadcasts from the Labour Party and delayed a peace appeal by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Supporters of the Strike nicknamed the BBC the BFC for British Falsehood Company. Reith personally announced the end of the strike which he marked by reciting from Blake's "Jerusalem" signifying that England had been saved.
The BBC did well out of the crisis which cemented a national audience for its broadcasting and was followed by the Government's official acceptance of the Crawford Committee recommendations transferring the operations of the Company to a British Broadcasting Corporation established by Royal Charter. Reith was knighted and on 1 January 1927 becoming the first Director General of the British Broadcasting Corporation.
While the BBC tends to characterise its coverage of the General Strike by emphasising the positive impression created by its balanced coverage of the views of Government and Strikers, Jean Seaton, Professor of Media History and the Official BBC Historian has characterised the episode as the invention of "modern propaganda in its British form".[20] Reith argued that trust gained by 'authentic impartial news' could then be used. Impartial news was not necessarily an end in itself.[21]
To represent its purpose and (stated) values, the Corporation adopted the coat of arms, including the motto "Nation shall speak peace unto Nation". The motto is generally attributed to Montague John Rendall, former headmaster of Winchester College and member of the first BBC Board of Governors.[22] The motto is said to be a "felicitous adaptation" of Micah 4: 3 "nation shall not lift up a sword against nation".[23]
§1926 to 1939[edit]
The success of "wireless" broadcasting provoked animosities between the BBC and well established media such as theatres, concert halls and the recording industry. By 1929 the BBC complained that the agents of many London comedians refused to sign contracts for broadcasting, because they feared it harmed the artist "by making his material stale" and that it "reduces the value of the artist as a visible music-hall performer". On the other hand the BBC was "keenly interested" in a cooperation with the recording companies who "in recent years ... have not been slow to make records of singers, orchestras, dance bands, etc. who have already proved their power to achieve popularity by wireless." Radio plays were so popular that the BBC had received 6,000 manuscripts by 1929, most of them written for stage and of little value for broadcasting: "Day in and day out, manuscripts come in, and nearly all go out again through the post, with a note saying 'We regret, etc.'"[24]
Experimental television broadcasts were started in 1932 using an electromechanical 30-line system developed by John Logie Baird. Limited regular broadcasts using this system began in 1934, and an expanded service (now named the BBC Television Service) started from Alexandra Palace in 1936, alternating between an improved Baird mechanical 240 line system and the all electronic 405 line Marconi-EMI system. The superiority of the electronic system saw the mechanical system dropped early the following year.[25]
Television broadcasting was suspended from 1 September 1939 to 7 June 1946 during the Second World War. There was a widely reported urban myth that, upon resumption of service, announcer Leslie Mitchell started by saying, "As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted ..." In fact, the first person to appear when transmission resumed was Jasmine Bligh and the words said were "Good afternoon, everybody. How are you? Do you remember me, Jasmine Bligh ... ?"[26]
The European Broadcasting Union was formed on 12 February 1950, in Torquay with the BBC among the 23 founding broadcasting organisations.
BBC Television Centre at White City, West London, which opened in 1960 and closed in 2013
Competition to the BBC was introduced in 1955 with the commercial and independently operated television network of ITV. However, the BBC monopoly on radio services would persist into the 1970s. As a result of the Pilkington Committee report of 1962, in which the BBC was praised for the quality and range of its output, and ITV was very heavily criticised for not providing enough quality programming,[27] the decision was taken to award the BBC a second television channel, BBC2, in 1964, renaming the existing service BBC1. BBC2 used the higher resolution 625 line standard which had been standardised across Europe. BBC2 was broadcast in colour from 1 July 1967, and was joined by BBC1 and ITV on 15 November 1969. The 405 line VHF transmissions of BBC1 (and ITV) were continued for compatibility with older television receivers until 1985.
Starting in 1964, a series of pirate radio stations (starting with Radio Caroline) came on the air and forced the British government finally to regulate radio services to permit nationally based advertising-financed services. In response, the BBC reorganised and renamed their radio channels. The Light Programme was split into Radio 1 offering continuous "Popular" music and Radio 2 more "Easy Listening".[28] The "Third" programme became Radio 3 offering classical music and cultural programming. The Home Service became Radio 4 offering news, and non-musical content such as quiz shows, readings, dramas and plays. As well as the four national channels, a series of local BBC radio stations were established in 1967, including Radio London.[29]
In 1969, the BBC Enterprises department was formed to exploit BBC brands and programmes for commercial spin-off products. In 1979 it became a wholly owned limited company, BBC Enterprises Ltd.[30]
In 1974, the BBC's teletext service, Ceefax, was introduced, created initially to provide subtitling, but developed into a news and information service. In 1978, BBC staff went on strike just before the Christmas of that year, thus blocking out the transmission of both channels and amalgamating all four radio stations into one.[31][32]
Since the deregulation of the UK television and radio market in the 1980s, the BBC has faced increased competition from the commercial sector (and from the advertiser-funded public service broadcaster Channel 4), especially on satellite television, cable television, and digital television services.[citation needed]
In the late 1980s, the BBC began a process of divestment by spinning off and selling parts of its organisation. In 1988 it sold off the Hulton Press Library, a photographic archive which had been acquired from the Picture Post magazine by the BBC in 1957. The archive was sold to Brian Deutsch and is now owned by Getty Images.[33] During the 1990s, this process continued with the separation of certain operational arms of the corporation into autonomous but wholly owned subsidiaries of the BBC, with the aim of generating additional revenue for programme-making. BBC Enterprises was reorganised and relaunched in 1995 as BBC Worldwide Ltd.[30] In 1998, BBC studios, outside broadcasts, post production, design, costumes and wigs were spun off into BBC Resources Ltd.[34]
The BBC Research Department has played a major part in the development of broadcasting and recording techniques. In the early days, it carried out essential research into acoustics and programme level and noise measurement.[citation needed] The BBC was also responsible for the development of the NICAM stereo standard.
In recent decades, a number of additional channels and radio stations have been launched: Radio 5 was launched in 1990 as a sports and educational station, but was replaced in 1994 with Radio 5 Live, following the success of the Radio 4 service to cover the 1991 Gulf War. The new station would be a news and sport station. In 1997, BBC News 24, a rolling news channel, launched on digital television services and the following year, BBC Choice launched as the third general entertainment channel from the BBC. The BBC also purchased The Parliamentary Channel, which was renamed BBC Parliament. In 1999, BBC Knowledge launched as a multi media channel, with services available on the newly launched BBC Text digital teletext service, and on BBC Online. The channel had an educational aim, which was modified later on in its life to offer documentaries.
In 2002, several television and radio channels were reorganised. BBC Knowledge was renamed BBC Four and became the BBC's arts and documentaries channel. CBBC, which had been a programming strand as Children's BBC since 1985, was split into CBBC and CBeebies, for younger children, with both new services getting a digital channel: the CBBC Channel and CBeebies Channel. In addition to the television channels, new digital radio stations were created: 1Xtra, 6 Music and BBC7. BBC 1Xtra was a sister station to Radio 1 and specialised in modern black music, BBC 6 Music specialised in alternative music genres and BBC7 specialised in archive, speech and children's programming.
The following few years resulted in repositioning of some of the channels to conform to a larger brand: in 2003, BBC Choice became BBC Three, with programming for younger generations and shocking real life documentaries, BBC News 24 became the BBC News Channel in 2008, and BBC Radio 7 became BBC Radio 4 Extra in 2011, with new programmes to supplement those broadcast on Radio 4. In 2008, another channel was launched, BBC Alba, a Scottish Gaelic service.
During this decade, the corporation began to sell off a number of its operational divisions to private owners; BBC Broadcast was spun off as a separate company in 2002,[35] and in 2005 it was sold off to Australian-based Macquarie Capital Alliance Group and Macquarie Bank Limited and rebranded Red Bee Media.[36] The BBC's IT, telephony and broadcast technology were brought together as BBC Technology Ltd in 2001,[35] and the division was later sold to the German engineering and electronics company Siemens IT Solutions and Services (SIS).[37] SIS was subsequently acquired from Siemens by the French company Atos.[38] Further divestments in this decade included BBC Books (sold to Random House in 2006);[39] BBC Outside Broadcasts Ltd (sold in 2008 to Satellite Information Services);[40] Costumes and Wigs (sold in 2008 to Angels The Costumiers);[41] and BBC Magazines (sold to Immediate Media Company in 2011).[42] After the sales of OBs and costumes, the remainder of BBC Resources was reorganised as BBC Studios and Post Production, which continues today as a wholly owned subsidiary of the BBC.
The 2004 Hutton Inquiry and the subsequent Report raised questions about the BBC's journalistic standards and its impartiality. This led to resignations of senior management members at the time including the then Director General, Greg Dyke. In January 2007, the BBC released minutes of the Board meeting which led to Greg Dyke's resignation.[43]
Unlike the other departments of the BBC, the BBC World Service was funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, more commonly known as the Foreign Office or the FCO, is the British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom abroad.
BBC Pacific Quay in Glasgow, which was opened in 2007
In the past few years, the BBC has experimented in high-definition television. In 2006, BBC HD launched as an experimental service, and became official in December 2007. The channel broadcasts HD simulcasts of programmes on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three and BBC Four as well as repeats of some older programmes in HD. In 2010, a HD simulcast of BBC One launched: BBC One HD. The new channel uses HD versions of BBC One's schedule and uses upscaled versions of programmes not currently produced in HD.
On 18 October 2007, BBC Director General Mark Thompson announced a controversial plan to make major cuts and reduce the size of the BBC as an organisation. The plans included a reduction in posts of 2,500; including 1,800 redundancies, consolidating news operations, reducing programming output by 10% and selling off the flagship Television Centre building in London.[44] These plans have been fiercely opposed by unions, who have threatened a series of strikes, however the BBC have stated that the cuts are essential to move the organisation forward and concentrate on increasing the quality of programming.
On 20 October 2010, the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced that the television licence fee would be frozen at its current level until the end of the current charter in 2016. The same announcement revealed that the BBC would take on the full cost of running the BBC World Service and the BBC Monitoring service from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and partially finance the Welsh broadcaster S4C.[45]
§2011 to present[edit]
BBC New Broadcasting House, London which came into use during 2012–13.
Further cuts were announced on 6 October 2011, so the BBC could reach a total reduction in their budget of 20%, following the licence fee freeze in October 2010, details include cutting staff by 2000 and sending a further 1000 to the MediaCityUK development, with BBC Three moving in 2016, the sharing of more programmes between stations and channels, sharing of radio news bulletins, more repeats in schedules, including the whole of BBC Two daytime and for some original programming to be reduced. BBC HD was closed on 26 March 2013 and replaced with an HD simulcast of BBC Two, however flagship programmes, other channels and full funding for CBBC and CBeebies would be retained.[46][47][48] Numerous BBC facilities have been sold off, including New Broadcasting House on Oxford Road in Manchester. Many major departments have been relocated to Broadcasting House and MediaCityUK, particularly since the closure of BBC Television Centre in March 2013. The continued cuts have inspired campaigns, petitions and protests amongst the viewers and listeners of the BBC who are fiercely loyal to the sections of the BBC that they use. Websites like SaveBBC3 and SaveOurBBC have built a following of hundreds of thousands of individuals concerned about the changes.
§Genome Project[edit]
Main article: BBC Genome Project
Wikidata has a property, P1573, for Genome identifiers (see uses)
In December 2012, the BBC completed a digitisation exercise, scanning the listings of all BBC programmes from an entire run of about 4,500 copies of the Radio Times magazine from the first, 1923, issue to 2009 (later listings already being held electronically), the 'BBC Genome project', with a view to creating an online database of its programme output.[49] An earlier ten months of listings are to be obtained from other sources.[49] They identified around five million programmes, involving 8.5 million actors, presenters, writers and technical staff.[49] The Genome project was opened to public access on 15 October 2014, with corrections to OCR errors and changes to advertised schedules being crowdsourced.[50]
§Governance and Corporate Structure[edit]
The BBC coat of arms
The BBC is a corporation, independent from direct government intervention, with its activities being overseen by the BBC Trust (formerly the Board of Governors).[51] General management of the organisation is in the hands of a Director-General, who is appointed by the Trust; he is the BBC's Editor-in-Chief and chairs the Executive Board.[52]
§Charter[edit]
The BBC operates under a Royal Charter.[8] The current Charter came into effect on 1 January 2007 and runs until 31 December 2016.[53] Each successive Royal Charter is reviewed before a new one is granted, i.e. every 10 years.
The 2007 Charter specifies that the mission of the Corporation is to "inform, educate and entertain". It states that the Corporation exists to serve the public interest and to promote its public purposes: sustaining citizenship and civil society, promoting education and learning, stimulating creativity and cultural excellence, representing the UK, its nations, regions and communities, bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK, helping to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services, and taking a leading role in the switchover to digital television.
The 2007 Charter made the largest change in the governance of the Corporation since its inception. It abolished the sometimes controversial governing body, the Board of Governors, replacing it with the sometimes controversial BBC Trust and a formalised Executive Board.
Under the Royal Charter, the BBC must obtain a licence from the Home Secretary.[54] This licence is accompanied by an agreement which sets the terms and conditions under which BBC is allowed to broadcast.[54] It was under this Licence and Agreement (and the Broadcasting Act 1981) that the Sinn Féin broadcast ban from 1988 to 1994 was implemented.[55][56]
§BBC Trust[edit]
Main article: BBC Trust
The BBC Trust was formed on 1 January 2007, replacing the Board of Governors as the governing body of the Corporation. The Trust sets the strategy for the corporation, assesses the performance of the BBC Executive Board in delivering the BBC's services, and appoints the Director-General.
BBC Trustees are appointed by the British monarch on advice of government ministers.[57] There are currently eleven trustees, headed by the vice-chairman Diane Coyle. There are trustees for the four constituents of the United Kingdom are; England (Alison Hastings), Scotland (Bill Matthews), Wales (Elan Closs Stephens) and Northern Ireland (Aideen McGinley). The remaining trustees are Sonita Alleyne, Richard Ayre, Anthony Fry, David Liddiment, Suzanna Taverne and Lord Williams.[58] Rona Fairhead was appointed Chair of the Trust on 31 August 2014.
§Executive Board[edit]
John Reith 1927–1938
Frederick Ogilvie 1938–1942
Cecil Graves 1942–1943 Jointly with Robert Foot
Robert Foot 1942–1944 Jointly with Cecil Graves until 1943
William Haley 1944–1952
Ian Jacob 1952–1959
Hugh Carleton Greene 1960–1969
Charles Curran 1969–1977
Ian Trethowan 1977–1982
Alasdair Milne 1982–1987
Michael Checkland 1987–1992
John Birt 1992–2000
Greg Dyke 2000–2004
Mark Thompson 2004–2012
George Entwistle 17 September to 10 November 2012
Tim Davie (Acting Director-General) 11 November 2012 to 2 April 2013
Tony Hall 2 April 2013 – present
List of BBC Directors General
The Executive Board [59] meets once per month and is responsible for operational management and delivery of services within a framework set by the BBC Trust, and is headed by the Director-General, currently Tony Hall. The Executive Board consists of both Executive and Non-Executive directors, with non-executive directors being sourced from other companies and corporations and being appointed by the BBC Trust.[60] The executive board is made up of the Director General as well as the head of each of the main BBC divisions. These at present are the Director of Radio, Helen Boaden; Director of BBC Television, Danny Cohen; Director of News and Current Affairs, James Harding; Director of Strategy and Digital, James Purnell; Director of Human Resources, Lucy Adams; and the Managing Director of BBC Operations and Finance, Anne Bulford.
The Board shares some of its responsibilities to four sub-committees including: Audit, Fair Trading, Nominations and Remuneration.
It is also supported by a number of management groups within the BBC, including the BBC Management Board, the Finance and Business committee, and boards at the Group level, such as Radio and Television. The boards of BBC Worldwide support and BBC Commercial Holdings along with the Executive Board on commercial matters.[61]
In addition to these members there are also four non-executive directors. These are currently Sir Howard Stringer, former Chairman of Sony Corporation; Dame Fiona Reynolds, Director-General of the National Trust; Brian McBride, the former Managing Director of Amazon.co.uk and Simon Burke, the chairman of Hobbycraft.[61]
§Management Board[edit]
The management board is responsible for managing pan-BBC issues delegated to it from the executive board and ensures that the corporation meets its strategic objectives, the board meets three times per month. Current members include: Director General; Tony Hall, Director, Radio; Helen Boaden, Director, Television; Danny Cohen, Director, News and Current Affairs; James Harding, Director, Strategy & Digital; James Purnell, Director, BBC Scotland; Ken MacQuarrie, Director, BBC Cymru Wales; Rhodri Talfan Davies, Director, Northern Ireland; Peter Johnston, Director, Future Media; Ralph Rivera, Director, North; Peter Salmon, Managing Director, Operations and Finance; Anne Bulford, OBE, Director, HR; Lucy Adams, Editorial Policy and Standards; David Jordan, Director, Marketing; Philip Almond, Creative Director; Alan Yentob, CEO BBC Worldwide & Director, Global; Tim Davie.[62]
§Operational Divisions[edit]
The Corporation is headed by Executive Board, which has overall control of the management and running on the BBC. Below this is the BBC Management board, which deals with inter departmental issues and any other tasks which the Executive board has delegated to it. Below the BBC Management board are the following six major divisions covering all the BBC's output:[63]
The Television division is in charge of the corporation's television channels including the commissioning and production of programming and of operations such as the BBC Natural History Unit and the BBC Archives.
The Radio division is in charge of BBC Radio and music content across the BBC, including the Music area of BBC Online, music programmes on BBC Television, events such as the BBC Proms and the numerous orchestras such as the BBC Philharmonic.
The News Group operate the entire BBC News operation, including the national, regional and international output on television, radio and online. They are in charge of the corporation's divisions in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, the English Regions as well as the output of the BBC Global News division. It is also in charge of the corporation's Current Affairs programming and have some responsibility for sports output.
The Future Media division is in charge of all digital output, such as BBC Online, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button service and developing new technologies through BBC Research & Development.[63]
The BBC North Group is the operational division in charge of the divisions operating from the BBC's base at MediaCityUK. It contains departments such as BBC Sport, CBBC and CBeebies, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Learning. It also oversees the production of programmes including BBC Breakfast and those programmes made by the BBC Salford network production unit for television and radio. Many of this group's operations overlap with that of other groups, resulting in this group overseeing the day-to-day operations.[63][64]
The Finance and Business division manage the corporations expenses, long term business plans and licence fee collection. They also assign budgets to the different departments.[63]
All aspects of the BBC fall into one or more of the above departments, with the following exceptions:
The BBC Trust is separate from departments as it is part of their operation to monitor the operations and departments of the corporation.[63]
BBC Worldwide Ltd. operates international channels and sells programmes and merchandise in the UK and abroad to gain additional income that is returned to BBC programmes. It is kept separate from the corporation due to its commercial nature.
The BBC World News department is in charge of the production and distribution of its commercial global television channel. It works closely with the BBC News group, but is not governed by it, and shares the corporation's facilities and staff. It also works with BBC Worldwide, the channel's distributor.
BBC Studios and Post Production is also separate and officially owns and operates some of the BBC's studio facilities, such as the BBC Elstree Centre, leasing them out to productions from within and outside of the corporation.[63]
§Finances[edit]
The BBC has the second largest budget of any UK-based broadcaster with an operating expenditure of £4.722 billion in 2013/14[65] compared to £6.471 billion for British Sky Broadcasting in 2013/14[66] and £1.843 billion for ITV in calendar year 2013.[67]
§Revenue[edit]
See also: Television licence and Television licensing in the United Kingdom
The principal means of funding the BBC is through the television licence, costing £145.50 per year per household since April 2010. Such a licence is required to receive broadcast television across the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, however no licence is required to own a television used for other means, or for sound only radio sets (though a separate licence for these was also required for non-TV households until 1971). The cost of a television licence is set by the government and enforced by the criminal law. A discount is available for households with only black-and-white television sets. A 50% discount is also offered to people who are registered blind or severely visually impaired,[68] and the licence is completely free for any household containing anyone aged 75 or over. As a result of the UK Government's recent spending review, an agreement has been reached between the government and the corporation in which the current licence fee will remain frozen at the current level until the Royal Charter is renewed at the beginning of 2017.[69]
The revenue is collected privately and is paid into the central government Consolidated Fund, a process defined in the Communications Act 2003. The BBC pursues its licence fee collection and enforcement under the trading name "TV Licensing". TV Licensing collection is currently carried out by Capita, an outside agency. Funds are then allocated by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Treasury and approved by Parliament via legislation. Additional revenues are paid by the Department for Work and Pensions to compensate for subsidised licences for eligible over-75-year-olds.
Since the licence fee is classified as a tax,[70] it follows that evasion is a criminal offence. Since 1991, collection and enforcement of the licence fee has been the responsibility of the BBC in its role as TV Licensing Authority.[71] Thus, the BBC is a major prosecuting authority in England and Wales and an investigating authority in the UK as a whole. The BBC carries out surveillance (mostly using its subcontractors) on properties (under the auspices of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000) and may conduct searches of a property using a search warrant.[72] For example, according to TV Licensing, "more than 204,000 people in the UK were caught watching TV without a licence during the first six months of 2012".[73] Licence fee evasion makes up around one tenth of all cases prosecuted in magistrate courts.[74]
Income from commercial enterprises and from overseas sales of its catalogue of programmes has substantially increased over recent years,[75] with BBC Worldwide contributing some £145 million to the BBC's core public service business.
According to the BBC's 2013/14 Annual Report, its total income was £5 billion (£5,066.0 million),[1] which can be broken down as follows:
£3,726.1 million in licence fees collected from householders;
£1,023.2 million from the BBC's Commercial Businesses;
£244.6 million from government grants, of which £238.5 million is from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the BBC World Service;
£72.1 million from other income, such as rental collections and royalties from overseas broadcasts of programming.[1]
The licence fee has, however, attracted criticism. It has been argued that in an age of multi stream, multi-channel availability, an obligation to pay a licence fee is no longer appropriate. The BBC's use of private sector company Capita Group to send letters to premises not paying the licence fee has been criticised, especially as there have been cases where such letters have been sent to premises which are up to date with their payments, or do not require a TV licence.[76]
The BBC uses advertising campaigns to inform customers of the requirement to pay the licence fee. Past campaigns have been criticised by former Conservative MPs Boris Johnson and Ann Widdecombe, for having a threatening nature and language used to scare evaders into paying.[77][78] Audio clips and television broadcasts are used to inform listeners of the BBC's comprehensive database.[79] There are a number of pressure groups campaigning on the issue of the licence fee.[80]
The majority of the BBC's commercial output comes from its commercial arm BBC Worldwide who sell programmes abroad and exploit key brands for merchandise. Of their 2012/13 sales, 27% were centred on the five key 'superbrands' of Doctor Who, Top Gear, Strictly Come Dancing (known as Dancing with the Stars internationally), the BBC's archive of natural history programming (collected under the umbrella of BBC Earth) and the, now sold, travel guide brand Lonely Planet.[81]
§Expenditure[edit]
The following expenditure figures are from 2012/13[82] and show the expenditure of each service they are obliged to provide:
Total cost (£million)
Television including BBC Red Button
BBC Online
Licence Fee Collection
Orchestras and Performing Groups
Digital switchover
Libraries, Learning support and Community events
Other, including training, marketing, finance and policy
A significantly large portion of the BBC's income is spent on the corporation's Television and Radio services with each service having a different budget based upon their content.[82]
2012/13 Total Cost
(£million)
Comparison with
2011/12 (£million)
BBC One Including Regions
1,463.2 + 125.6
543.1 + 6
121.7 + 8.8
70.2 + 2.4
43 + 0.6
61.5 + 4
7.8 – 0.2
BBC Red Button
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 4 Extra
7.2 – 1
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
5.6 + 0.3
BBC Radio 6 Music
11.5 – 0.2
BBC Local Radio
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Cymru
BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle
669.5 + 29.4
§Headquarters and regional offices[edit]
Main article: List of BBC properties
Further information: Broadcasting House, Broadcasting House (Belfast), Broadcasting House (Cardiff), BBC Television Centre
The headquarters of the BBC at Broadcasting House in Portland Place, London, England
MediaCityUK in Salford Quays, Greater Manchester.
Broadcasting House in Portland Place, London, is the official headquarters of the BBC. It is home to six of the ten BBC national radio networks, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 1xtra, BBC Asian Network, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, and BBC Radio 4 Extra. It is also the home of BBC News, which relocated to the building from BBC Television Centre in 2013. On the front of the building are statues of Prospero and Ariel, characters from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest, sculpted by Eric Gill. Renovation of Broadcasting House began in 2002 and was completed in 2013.
Until it closed at the end of March 2013,[83] BBC Television was based at BBC Television Centre, a purpose built television facility and the second built in the country located in White City, London. This facility has been host to a number of famous guests and programmes through the years, and its name and image is familiar with many British citizens. Nearby, the BBC White City complex contains numerous programme offices, housed in Centre House, the Media Centre and Broadcast Centre. It is in this area around Shepherd's Bush that the majority of BBC employees work.
As part of a major reorganisation of BBC property, the entire BBC News operation relocated from the News Centre at BBC Television Centre to the refurbished Broadcasting House to create what is being described as "one of the world's largest live broadcast centres".[84] The BBC News Channel and BBC World News relocated to the premises in early 2013.[85] Broadcasting House is now also home to most of the BBC's national radio stations, and the BBC World Service. The major part of this plan involves the demolition of the two post-war extensions to the building and construction of an extension[86] designed by Sir Richard MacCormac of MJP Architects. This move will concentrate the BBC's London operations, allowing them to sell Television Centre, which is expected to be completed by 2016.[87]
In addition to the scheme above, the BBC is in the process of making and producing more programmes outside of London involving production centres such as Belfast, Cardiff , Glasgow and, most notably in Greater Manchester as part of the 'BBC North Project' scheme where several major departments, including BBC North West, BBC Manchester, BBC Sports, BBC Children's, CBeebies, Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Breakfast, BBC Learning and the BBC Philharmonic have all moved from their previous locations in either London or New Broadcasting House, Manchester to the new 200 acre (80ha) MediaCityUK production facilities in Salford that form part of the large BBC North Group division and will therefore become the biggest staffing operation outside London.[88][89]
As well as the two main sites in London (Broadcasting House and White City), there are seven other important BBC production centres in the UK, mainly specialising in different productions. Broadcasting House Cardiff, has been home to BBC Cymru Wales, which specialises in drama production. Open since October 2011, and containing 7 new studios, Roath Lock[90] is notable as the home of productions such as Doctor Who and Casualty. Broadcasting House Belfast, home to BBC Northern Ireland, specialises in original drama and comedy, and has taken part in many co-productions with independent companies and notably with RTÉ in the Republic of Ireland. BBC Scotland, based in Pacific Quay, Glasgow is a large producer of programmes for the network, including several quiz shows. In England, the larger regions also produce some programming.
Previously, the largest 'hub' of BBC programming from the regions is BBC North West. At present they produce all Religious and Ethical programmes on the BBC, as well as other programmes such as A Question of Sport, however this is to be merged and expanded under the BBC North project, which involved the region moving from New Broadcasting House, Manchester, to MediaCityUK. BBC Midlands, based at The Mailbox in Birmingham, also produces drama and contains the headquarters for the English regions and the BBC's daytime output. Other production centres include Broadcasting House Bristol, home of BBC West and famously the BBC Natural History Unit and to a lesser extent, Quarry Hill in Leeds, home of BBC Yorkshire. There are also many smaller local and regional studios throughout the UK, operating the BBC regional television services and the BBC Local Radio stations.
The BBC also operates several news gathering centres in various locations around the world, which provide news coverage of that region to the national and international news operations.
§Technology (Atos service)[edit]
In 2004 the BBC contracted out its former BBC Technology division to the German engineering and electronics company Siemens IT Solutions and Services (SIS), outsourcing its IT, telephony and broadcast technology systems.[37] When Atos Origin acquired the SIS division from Siemens in December 2010 for €850 million (£720m),[91] the BBC support contract also passed to Atos, and in July 2011, the BBC announced to staff that its technology support would become an Atos service.[38] Siemens staff working on the BBC contract were transferred to Atos and BBC technology systems (including the BBC website) are now managed by Atos. In 2011 the BBC's Chief Financial Officer Zarin Patel stated to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee that, following criticism of the BBC's management of major IT projects with Siemens (such as the Digital Media Initiative), the BBC partnership with Atos would be instrumental in achieving cost savings of around £64 million as part of the BBC's "Delivering Quality First" programme.[92] In 2012 the BBC's Chief Technology Officer, John Linwood, expressed confidence in service improvements to the BBC's technology provision brought about by Atos. He also stated that supplier accountability had been strengthened following some high-profile technology failures which had taken place during the partnership with Siemens.[93]
§Services[edit]
Weekly reach of the BBC's domestic services from 2011 to 2012.[94][95] Reach is the number of people who use the service at any point for more than 15 minutes in a week.[95]
§Television[edit]
Weekly reach of the BBC's domestic television channels 2011–12.[95]
Main article: BBC Television
The BBC operates several television channels in the UK of which BBC One and BBC Two are the flagship television channels. In addition to these two flagship channels, the BBC operates several digital only stations: BBC Three, BBC Four, BBC News, BBC Parliament, and two children's channels, CBBC and CBeebies. Digital television is now in widespread use in the UK, with analogue transmission completely phased out by December 2012.[96]
BBC One is a regionalised TV service which provides opt-outs throughout the day for local news and other local programming. These variations are more pronounced in the BBC 'Nations', i.e. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, where the presentation is mostly carried out locally on BBC One and Two, and where programme schedules can vary largely from that of the network. BBC Two variations exist in the Nations, however English regions today rarely have the option to 'opt out' as regional programming now only exists on BBC One, and regional opt outs are not possible in the regions that have already undertaken the switch to digital television. BBC Two was also the first channel to be transmitted on 625 lines in 1964, then carry a small-scale regular colour service from 1967. BBC One would follow in November 1969.
A new Scottish Gaelic television channel, BBC Alba, was launched in September 2008. It is also the first multi-genre channel to come entirely from Scotland with almost all of its programmes made in Scotland. The service was initially only available via satellite but since June 2011 has been available to viewers in Scotland on Freeview and cable television.[97]
The BBC currently operates two HD channels, BBC One HD and BBC Two HD, both high-definition simulcasts of their respective SD channels. Until 26 March 2013, a separate channel called BBC HD was available, in place of BBC Two HD. It launched on 9 June 2006 following a 12-month trial of the broadcasts. It became a proper channel in 2007, and screened HD programmes as simulcasts of the main network, or as repeats. The corporation has been producing programmes in the format for many years, and stated that it hoped to produce 100% of new programmes in HDTV by 2010.[98] On 3 November 2010, a high-definition simulcast of BBC One was launched, entitled BBC One HD, and BBC Two HD launched on 26 March 2013, replacing BBC HD.
In the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, the BBC channels are available in a number of ways. In these countries digital and cable operators carry a range of BBC channels these include BBC One, BBC Two and BBC World News, although viewers in the Republic of Ireland may receive BBC services via 'overspill' from transmitters in Northern Ireland or Wales, or via 'deflectors' – transmitters in the Republic which rebroadcast broadcasts from the UK,[99] received off-air, or from digital satellite.
Since 1975, the BBC has also provided its TV programmes to the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS), allowing members of UK military serving abroad to watch them on four dedicated TV channels. From 27 March 2013, BFBS will carry versions of BBC One and BBC Two, which will include children's programming from CBBC, as well as carrying programming from BBC Three on a new channel called BFBS Extra.
Since 2008, all the BBC channels are available to watch online through the BBC iPlayer service. This online streaming ability came about following experiments with live streaming, involving streaming certain channels in the UK.[100]
In February 2014, Director-General Tony Hall announced that the corporation needed to save £100 million. In March 2014, the BBC confirmed plans for BBC Three to become an internet-only channel.[101]
§Radio[edit]
Weekly reach of the BBC's national radio stations, both on analogue and digital.[95]
Main articles: BBC Radio and BBC Local Radio
The BBC has ten radio stations serving the whole of the UK, a further six stations in the "national regions" (Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland), and 40 other local stations serving defined areas of England. Of the ten national stations, five are major stations and are available on FM and/or AM as well as on DAB and online. These are BBC Radio 1, offering new music and popular styles and being notable for its chart show; BBC Radio 2, playing Adult contemporary, country and soul music amongst many other genres; BBC Radio 3, presenting classical and jazz music together with some spoken-word programming of a cultural nature in the evenings; BBC Radio 4, focusing on current affairs, factual and other speech-based programming, including drama and comedy; and BBC Radio 5 Live, broadcasting 24-hour news, sport and talk programmes.
In addition to these five stations, the BBC also runs a further five stations that broadcast on DAB and online only. These stations supplement and expand on the big five stations, and were launched in 2002. BBC Radio 1Xtra sisters Radio 1, and broadcasts new black music and urban tracks. BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra sisters 5 Live and offers extra sport analysis, including broadcasting sports that previously were not covered. BBC Radio 6 Music offers alternative music genres and is notable as a platform for new artists.
BBC Radio 7, later renamed BBC Radio 4 Extra, provided archive drama, comedy and children's programming. Following the change to Radio 4 Extra, the service has dropped a defined children's strand in favour of family-friendly drama and comedy. In addition, new programmes to complement Radio 4 programmes were introduced such as Ambridge Extra, and Desert Island Discs revisited. The final station is the BBC Asian Network, providing music, talk and news to this section of the community. This station evolved out of Local radio stations serving certain areas, and as such this station is available on Medium Wave frequency in some areas of the Midlands.
As well as the national stations, the BBC also provides 40 BBC Local Radio stations in England and the Channel Islands, each named for and covering a particular city and its surrounding area (e.g. BBC Radio Bristol), county or region (e.g. BBC Three Counties Radio), or geographical area (e.g. BBC Radio Solent covering the central south coast). A further six stations broadcast in what the BBC terms "the national regions": Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. These are BBC Radio Wales (in English), BBC Radio Cymru (in Welsh), BBC Radio Scotland (in English), BBC Radio nan Gaidheal (in Scottish Gaelic), BBC Radio Ulster, and BBC Radio Foyle, the latter being an opt-out station from Radio Ulster for the north-west of Northern Ireland.
The BBC's UK national channels are also broadcast in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man (although these Crown dependencies are outside the UK), and in the former there are two local stations – BBC Guernsey and BBC Radio Jersey. There is no BBC local radio station, however, in the Isle of Man, partly because the island has long been served by the popular independent commercial station, Manx Radio, which predates the existence of BBC Local Radio. BBC services in the dependencies are financed from television licence fees which are set at the same level as those payable in the UK, although collected locally. This is the subject of some controversy in the Isle of Man since, as well as having no BBC Local Radio service, the island also lacks a local television news service analogous to that provided by BBC Channel Islands.[102]
For a worldwide audience, the BBC World Service provides news, current affairs and information in 28 languages, including English, around the world and is available in over 150 capital cities. It is broadcast worldwide on shortwave radio, DAB and online and has an estimated weekly audience of 180 million listeners. Since 2005, it is also available on DAB in the UK, a step not taken before, due to the way it is funded. The service is funded by a Parliamentary Grant-in-Aid, administered by the Foreign Office, however following the Governments spending review in 2011, this funding will cease, and it will be funded for the first time through the Licence fee.[103][104] In recent years, some services of the World Service have been reduced; the Thai service ended in 2006[105] as did the Eastern European languages, with resources diverted instead into the new BBC Arabic Television.[106]
Historically, the BBC was the only legal radio broadcaster based in the UK mainland until 1967, when University Radio York (URY), then under the name Radio York, was launched as the first, and now oldest, legal independent radio station in the country. However, the BBC did not enjoy a complete monopoly before this as several Continental stations, such as Radio Luxembourg, had broadcast programmes in English to Britain since the 1930s and the Isle of Man based Manx Radio began in 1964. Today, despite the advent of commercial radio, BBC radio stations remain among the most listened to in the country, with Radio 2 having the largest audience share (up to 16.8% in 2011–12) and Radios 1 and 4 ranked second and third in terms of weekly reach.[107]
BBC programming is also available to other services and in other countries. Since 1943, the BBC has provided radio programming to the British Forces Broadcasting Service, which broadcasts in countries where British troops are stationed. BBC Radio 1 is also carried in the United States and Canada on Sirius XM Radio (online streaming only).
The BBC is a patron of The Radio Academy.[108]
§News[edit]
The former BBC Newsroom in London
Main article: BBC News
BBC News is the largest broadcast news gathering operation in the world,[109] providing services to BBC domestic radio as well as television networks such as the BBC News, BBC Parliament and BBC World News. In addition to this, news stories are available on the BBC Red Button service and BBC News Online. In addition to this, the BBC has been developing new ways to access BBC News, as a result has launched the service on BBC Mobile, making it accessible to mobile phones and PDAs, as well as developing alerts by e-mail, digital television, and on computers through a desktop alert.
Ratings figures suggest that during major incidents such as the 7 July 2005 London bombings or royal events, the UK audience overwhelmingly turns to the BBC's coverage as opposed to its commercial rivals.[110] On 7 July 2005, the day that there were a series of coordinated bomb blasts on London's public transport system, the BBC Online website recorded an all time bandwidth peak of 11 Gb/s at 12:00 on 7 July. BBC News received some 1 billion total hits on the day of the event (including all images, text and HTML), serving some 5.5 terabytes of data. At peak times during the day there were 40,000 page requests per second for the BBC News website. The previous day's announcement of the 2012 Olympics being awarded to London caused a peak of around 5 Gbit/s. The previous all-time high at BBC Online was caused by the announcement of the Michael Jackson verdict, which used 7.2 Gbit/s.[111]
§Internet[edit]
Main article: BBC Online
The BBC's online presence includes a comprehensive news website and archive. It was launched as BBC Online, before being renamed BBCi, then bbc.co.uk, before it was rebranded back as BBC Online. The website is funded by the Licence fee, but uses GeoIP technology, allowing advertisements to be carried on the site when viewed outside of the UK.[112] The BBC claims the site to be "Europe's most popular content-based site"[113] and states that 13.2 million people in the UK visit the site's more than two million pages each day.[114] According to Alexa's TrafficRank system, in July 2008 BBC Online was the 27th most popular English Language website in the world,[115] and the 46th most popular overall.[116]
The centre of the website is the Homepage, which features a modular layout. Users can choose which modules, and which information, is displayed on their homepage, allowing the user to customise it. This system was first launched in December 2007, becoming permanent in February 2008, and has undergone a few aesthetical changes since then.[117] The Homepage then has links to other micro-sites, such as BBC News Online, Sport, Weather, TV and Radio. As part of the site, every programme on BBC Television or Radio is given its own page, with bigger programmes getting their own micro-site, and as a result it is often common for viewers and listeners to be told website addresses (URLs) for the programme website.
Another large part of the site also allows users to watch and listen to most Television and Radio output live and for seven days after broadcast using the BBC iPlayer platform, which launched on 27 July 2007, and initially used peer-to-peer and DRM technology to deliver both radio and TV content of the last seven days for offline use for up to 30 days, since then video is now streamed directly. Also, through participation in the Creative Archive Licence group, bbc.co.uk allowed legal downloads of selected archive material via the internet.[118]
The BBC has often included learning as part of its online service, running services such as BBC Jam, Learning Zone Class Clips and also runs services such as BBC WebWise and First Click which are designed to teach people how to use the internet. BBC Jam was a free online service, delivered through broadband and narrowband connections, providing high-quality interactive resources designed to stimulate learning at home and at school. Initial content was made available in January 2006 however BBC Jam was suspended on 20 March 2007 due to allegations made to the European Commission that it was damaging the interests of the commercial sector of the industry.[119]
In recent years some major on-line companies and politicians have complained that BBC Online receives too much funding from the television licence, meaning that other websites are unable to compete with the vast amount of advertising-free on-line content available on BBC Online.[120] Some have proposed that the amount of licence fee money spent on BBC Online should be reduced—either being replaced with funding from advertisements or subscriptions, or a reduction in the amount of content available on the site.[121] In response to this the BBC carried out an investigation, and has now set in motion a plan to change the way it provides its online services. BBC Online will now attempt to fill in gaps in the market, and will guide users to other websites for currently existing market provision. (For example, instead of providing local events information and timetables, users will be guided to outside websites already providing that information.) Part of this plan included the BBC closing some of its websites, and rediverting money to redevelop other parts.[122][123]
On 26 February 2010 The Times claimed that Mark Thompson, Director General of the BBC, proposed that the BBC's web output should be cut by 50%, with online staff numbers and budgets reduced by 25% in a bid to scale back BBC operations and allow commercial rivals more room.[124] On 2 March 2010, the BBC reported that it will cut its website spending by 25% and close BBC 6 Music and Asian Network, as part of Mark Thompson's plans to make "a smaller, fitter BBC for the digital age".[125][126]
§Interactive television[edit]
Main article: BBC Red Button
BBC Red Button is the brand name for the BBC's interactive digital television services, which are available through Freeview (digital terrestrial), as well as Freesat, Sky (satellite), and Virgin Media (cable). Unlike Ceefax, the service's analogue counterpart, BBC Red Button is able to display full-colour graphics, photographs, and video, as well as programmes and can be accessed from any BBC channel. The service carries News, Weather and Sport 24 hours a day, but also provides extra features related to programmes specific at that time. Examples include viewers to play along at home to gameshows, to give, voice and vote on opinions to issues, as used alongside programmes such as Question Time. At some points in the year, when multiple sporting events occur, some coverage of less mainstream sports or games are frequently placed on the Red Button for viewers to watch. Frequently, other features are added unrelated to programmes being broadcast at that time, such as the broadcast of the Doctor Who animated episode Dreamland in November 2009.
§Music[edit]
The BBC Big Band
The BBC employs staff orchestras, a choir, and supports two amateur choruses, based in BBC venues across the UK; the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Chorus and BBC Big Band based in London, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Glasgow, the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester, the BBC Concert Orchestra based in Watford and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in Cardiff. It also buys a selected number of broadcasts from the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast. Many famous musicians of every genre have played at the BBC, such as The Beatles (The Beatles Live at the BBC is one of their many albums). The BBC is also responsible for the United Kingdom coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest, a show with which the broadcaster has been associated for over 50 years. The BBC also operates the division of BBC Audiobooks sometimes found in association with Chivers Audiobooks.
§Other[edit]
The BBC operates in other ventures in addition to their broadcasting arm. In addition to broadcasting output on television and radio, some programmes are also displayed on the BBC Big Screens located in several central city locations. The BBC and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office also jointly run BBC Monitoring, which monitors radio, television, the press and the internet worldwide. The BBC also developed several computers throughout the 1980s, most notably the BBC Micro, which ran alongside the corporation's educational aims and programming.
In 1951, in conjunction with Oxford University Press the BBC published The BBC Hymn Book which was intended to be used for listeners on the radio, to follow hymns which were broadcast. The book was published both with and without music, the music edition being entitled The BBC Hymn Book with Music.[127] The book contained 542 popular hymns.
§Commercial activities[edit]
Main article: BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide Limited is the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC responsible for the commercial exploitation of BBC programmes and other properties, including a number of television stations throughout the world. It was formed following the restructuring of its predecessor, BBC Enterprises, in 1995.
The company owns and administers a number of commercial stations around the world operating in a number of territories and on a number of different platforms. The channel BBC Entertainment shows current and archive entertainment programming to viewers in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, with the BBC Worldwide channels BBC America and BBC Canada (Joint venture with Shaw Media) showing similar programming in the North America region and BBC UKTV in the Australasia region. The company also airs two channels aimed at children, an international CBeebies channel and BBC Kids, a joint venture with Knowledge Network Corporation, which airs programmes under the CBeebies and BBC K brands. The company also runs the channels BBC Knowledge, broadcasting factual and learning programmes, and BBC Lifestyle, broadcasting programmes based on themes of Food, Style and Wellbeing. In addition to this, BBC Worldwide runs an international version of the channel BBC HD, and provides HD simulcasts of the channels BBC Knowledge and BBC America.
BBC Worldwide also distributes the 24-hour international news channel BBC World News. The station is separate from BBC Worldwide to maintain the station's neutral point of view, but is distributed by BBC Worldwide. The channel itself is the oldest surviving entity of its kind, and has bases and correspondents in over 200 countries. As officially surveyed it is available to more than 274 million households, significantly more than CNN's estimated 200 million.
In addition to these international channels, BBC Worldwide also owns, together with Scripps Networks Interactive, the UKTV network of ten channels. These channels contain BBC archive programming to be rebroadcast on their respective channels: Alibi, crime dramas; Drama, drama, launched in 2013; Dave (slogan: "The Home of Witty Banter"); Eden, nature; Gold, comedy; Good Food, cookery; Home, home and garden; Really, female programming; Watch, entertainment; and Yesterday, history programming.
In addition to these channels, many BBC programmes are sold via BBC Worldwide to foreign television stations with comedy, documentaries and historical drama productions being the most popular. In addition, BBC television news appears nightly on many Public Broadcasting Service stations in the United States, as do reruns of BBC programmes such as EastEnders, and in New Zealand on TV One.
In addition to programming, BBC Worldwide produces material to accompany programmes. The company maintained the publishing arm of the BBC, BBC Magazines, which published the Radio Times as well as a number of magazines that support BBC programming such as BBC Top Gear, BBC Good Food, BBC Sky at Night, BBC History, BBC Wildlife and BBC Music. BBC Magazines was sold to Exponent Private Equity in 2011, which merged it with Origin Publishing (previously owned by BBC Worldwide between 2004 and 2006) to form Immediate Media Company.
BBC Worldwide also publishes books, to accompany programmes such as Doctor Who under the BBC Books brand, a publishing imprint majority owned by Random House. Soundtrack albums, talking books and sections of radio broadcasts are also sold under the brand BBC Records, with DVDs also being sold and licensed in large quantities to consumers both in the UK and abroad under the 2 Entertain brand. Archive programming and classical music recordings are sold under the brand BBC Legends.
§Unions[edit]
Staff at the BBC are normally represented by BECTU, along with journalistic staff by the NUJ and electrical staff by Unite. Union membership is optional, and is paid for by staff members, not by the BBC; staff are not automatically covered by a union.
§Cultural significance[edit]
Until the development, popularisation, and domination of television, radio was the broadcast medium upon which people in the United Kingdom relied. It "reached into every home in the land, and simultaneously united the nation, an important factor during the Second World War".[128] The BBC introduced the world's first "high-definition" 405-line television service in 1936, and apart from suspending service throughout the Second World War until 1946, was the only television broadcaster in the UK until 1955. "The BBC's monopoly was broken in 1955, with the introduction of Independent Television (ITV)".[129] This heralded the transformation of television into a popular and dominant medium. Nevertheless, "throughout the 1950s radio still remained the dominant source of broadcast comedy".[129] Further, the BBC was the only legal radio broadcaster until 1968 (when URY obtained their first licence).[130]
Even since the advent of commercial television and radio, the BBC has remained one of the main elements in British popular culture through its obligation to produce TV and radio programmes for mass audiences.[citation needed] However, the arrival of BBC2 allowed the BBC also to make programmes for minority interests in drama, documentaries, current affairs, entertainment, and sport. Examples are cited such as the television series Civilisation, Doctor Who, I, Claudius, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Pot Black, and Tonight, but other examples can be given in each of these fields as shown by the BBC's entries in the British Film Institute's 2000 list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes.[131] The export of BBC programmes through both services like the BBC World Service and BBC World News, as well as the channels operated by BBC Worldwide, means that BBC productions can now be experienced worldwide.
The term BBC English is sometimes used as an alternative name for Received Pronunciation, and the English Pronouncing Dictionary uses the term "BBC Pronunciation" for its recommendations.[132] However, the organisation now makes more use of regional accents in order to reflect the diversity of the UK, though clarity and fluency are still expected of presenters.[133] From its "starchy" beginnings, the BBC has also become more inclusive, and now attempts to accommodate the interests of all strata of society and all minorities, because they all pay the licence fee.[134]
Competition from Independent Television, Channel 4, Sky, and other broadcast television stations has lessened the BBC's influence, but public broadcasting remains a major influence on British popular culture.[135]
§Attitudes toward the BBC in popular culture[edit]
Older domestic UK audiences often refer to the BBC as "the Beeb", a nickname originally coined by Peter Sellers on The Goon Show in the 1950s, when he referred to the "Beeb Beeb Ceeb". It was then borrowed, shortened and popularised by Kenny Everett.[136] Another nickname, now less commonly used, is "Auntie", said to originate from the old-fashioned "Auntie knows best" attitude, or the idea of aunties and uncles who are present in the background of one's life (but possibly a reference to the "aunties" and "uncles" who were presenters of children's programmes in early days)[137] in the days when John Reith, the BBC's first director general, was in charge. The two nicknames have also been used together as "Auntie Beeb",[138] and Auntie has been used in out-take programmes such as Auntie's Bloomers.[139]
§Criticism and controversies[edit]
Main articles: Criticism of the BBC and BBC controversies
The BBC has faced various accusations regarding many topics: the Iraq war, politics, ethics and religion, as well as funding and staffing. It also has been involved in numerous controversies because of its different, sometimes very controversial coverage of specific news stories and programming.
§Logos and symbols of the BBC[edit]
Main article: Logo of the BBC
BBC's original "bat's wings" logo used from 1953 until the early 1960s[140]
BBC's first three-box logo used from 1958 until 1963[citation needed]
BBC's second three-box logo used from 1963 until 1971[citation needed]
BBC's third three-box logo used from 1971 until 1988[citation needed]
BBC's former logo used from 1988 until 1997[140]
BBC's current logo used since 1997[140]
§See also[edit]
List of companies based in London
List of television programmes broadcast by the BBC
Stations of the BBC
British television
Early television stations
Gaelic broadcasting in Scotland
Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom
§References[edit]
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bestmapof | September 9, 2018 | USA | No Comments
North America the 3rd largest continent by arear and the 4th largest continent by population lies within the Northern Hemisphere. Its total area is 9540000 square mile or 24709000 km2 with a population of 579,02400 people according to 2016 census. It has a population density of 59 people per square mile or 22 people per km2. North America consists of 23 counties within its geographical boundaries along with island dependencies and overseas territories in Caribbean. It occupies an exorbitantly high 16.5% Earth’s Land. Great Plains and the Mississippi River System are the two broad lining geographical features of North America. It is made of two major plate structures, the North American Plate and the Pacific plate which collides each other at San-Andreas Fault. Major parts of north America are on North America Map Plate except for some parts of western Mexico, California, San Diego, Baja California, Log Angeles and Santa Cruz which lie on the Pacific plate. Norther boarder of North America faces the Arctic Ocean, the east border faces the Atlantic Ocean, the west and south faces the Pacific Ocean. On the southeast side of the continent lies the Caribbean and the South America. Isthmus of Panama is the only point connecting north and south American continents through land.
The first humans, Paleo-Indians have said to come here some 40K to 17k years ago through Bering land bridge. North America’s current cultural habits and ethnic patters are a result of interactions between Indigenous people (pre – Columbian peoples of Americas and their descendants), European colonists and African slaves.
North America Map Outline
North American culture is strongly affected by the Western culture because of its history of colonization, genocide and cultural dominance. The North American culture as we know today is an amalgamation of Western and native cultures.
North America Map Political
This has also affected its languages. Languages reflect continent’s indigenous people and European colonization. English, Spanish and French are the most spoken languages of North America. North America as evident from its size has many diverse climate zones among which there are 5 majorly identifiable zones.
North America Map with Capitals
Eastern 2/3rd of United States and southern Canada is a humid climate zone where all four seasons are evident and climate changes are perpetual. Second zone has a subarctic and arctic climate. These are areas of northern 2/3rd of Canada and Alaska along with Greenland. Some regions are covered in snow for most part of the year. Norther Mexico and western internal parts of the US experiences the third climate zone.
North America Political Map
These are basically mountains and desert countries receiving marginal precipitation. The narrow zone along the Pacific and southern Alaska which has a mild and wet winter climate with rainless summers is the forth climatic zone of North America. Last zone covers most of the southern parts of Mexico and has a tropical climate.
North America along with being a great geographical and cultural hub is also home to some greatest tourist attractions of the world. Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Golden Gate bridge, Statue of Liberty, Yellowstone National Park, Tenochtitlan, Disney World, Legoland, Lake Tahoe, The Maracas Waterfall, The Great Blue Hole, The Mayan Riviera, White House, Chinatown, Palace of fine arts, Los Angeles with its beaches etc. The list is way to long to compile here. North America is a fascinating place when it comes to tourism. Visit North America Map with your family and friends and you’ll have some of the best times of your life.
Tags:North America Map, north america map outline, north america map political, north america map with capitals, north america political map
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Home » The Relationship of Good and Evil
From the series: The Relationship of Good and Evil PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE
1. “Is Evil the Equal Opposite of Good?”
God Is the Only Standard of Good
No standard of goodness exists apart from God, and no standard of evil can exist without reference to God’s goodness. God cannot be subject to a standard of good outside Himself, and He alone embodies and defines good, against whom all good is measured. Moral evil exists as contrary and opposed to God’s perfect goodness. But, is moral evil the equal opposite of good?
Evil Began in the Heart
Evil began as a choice of the will in created beings, with its first appearance in Lucifer. God, however, can never be the source or cause of evil. In fact, moral evil cannot and does not exist apart from the will of created beings. We describe and discuss it as a concept or principle, but it only exists as a choice of the will. It involves more than the mere absence of good because it includes an active opposition to the goodness and authority of God.
Evil Is Temporary
Moreover, the days of moral evil are numbered and will end when God destroys its unredeemed promoters forever. The new heavens and earth will be without sin and its curse, while the saints will dwell sinless with God for eternity.
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress (Isaiah 65:17-19 ESV).
As the bride of Christ, we long for the “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him” (Revelation 22:3 ESV). Evil, then, is a temporary stain in the universe that can never be co-equal with good. It brings terrible destruction to its subjects, but only exists as a weak and beggarly thing in God’s grand scheme of things. Those who live and die in its service will be shattered to terrify no more. Satan, the source of all evil, will have his eternal torment in the unquenchable lake of fire.
Good Is Eternal
Good will have no such fate as an eternal perfection of God, who lives without beginning or end. Good existed eternally prior to God creating the heavens, earth, angels, and people, and will continue forever. Perfect and everlasting righteousness will reign forevermore while evil will long be forgotten. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17 ESV). When we are tempted to despair at the increase and influence of the evil disturber of peace and goodness, we do well to remember that his days are short and judgment sure. In the meantime, he unwittingly strengthens our faith and pushes us to Christ, for “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NAS). We should be thankful that we will soon dwell in the light of God’s perfect holiness, with nothing to disrupt our view and experience of His infinite beauty, least of all, evil.
Next Up: Does Free Will Require the Option to Choose Evil?
© 2015 Craig Biehl, www.pilgrimsrock.com
Related Topics: Apologetics
Craig Biehl
Craig received his A.B. degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, and Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary. Craig is the author of The Infinite Merit... More
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James Turrell’s Skyspace resumes public viewing hours
By Douglas Britt on July 30, 2010 at 7:29 AM
On a recent Sunday morning, members of the Live Oak Friends Meeting, a community of Quakers based in the Heights, saw something they hadn’t seen in more than two years: the sky as viewed through a 12-foot square window in the roof of their unassuming meeting house on West 26th.
© James Turrell. Photo: F. Holzherr
Created by James Turrell — one of the most important artists to pioneer the use of light as a medium, and himself a Quaker — the Skyspace is designed to allow viewers to experience what Turrell has called “a light that inhabits space, so that you feel light to be physically present.”
Damage to the building’s retractable roofing system obliged members to close the Skyspace for viewing until repairs that turned out to be more extensive than originally anticipated could be completed.
When the ceiling hatch opened once more during the recent Sunday meeting, “there were a lot of smiling faces,” said Philip Koch, who runs the volunteer committee that maintains the property.
Koch expects to see even more smiling faces when the Skyspace resumes its weekly public viewing hours an hour before sunset tonight. Primarily used during members’ morning meetings for worship, which are conducted in silence sometimes punctuated by spoken ministries shared by individual members, the Skypace has also been an attraction for admirers of Turrell’s work.
Visiting the Skyspace shortly after it opened in 2001, former Houston Chronicle art critic Patricia C. Johnson described “a glorious interior space that makes manifest the Quaker principles of simplicity, silence and the ‘light within.’ ”
“The eyes cling to this skyward window, to the clouds and occasional bird in flight that pass across it, but especially to the light,” she wrote. “At sundown, light shifts softly from porcelain transparency to silken cobalt blue and velvet black. Eyes turn inward, and a hush descends. The Skyspace transforms the spare, white meeting room into a luminous chamber, a metaphor for the body and soul.”
Quaker ideas about light are integral to Turrell’s practice.
“We use the vocabulary of light to describe a spiritual experience,” Turrell told Johnson. “One of the tenets in Quaker meditation is that you ‘go inside to greet the light.’ I am interested in this light that’s inside greeting the light that’s outside.”
Turrell’s explorations of light take a variety of forms. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston recently acquired Acro, Green, a 1968 work in which a wedge of light is defined by a projection in the corner of a dark room. The Light Inside, his most frequently seen Houston artwork, a permanent installation in the underground tunnel connecting the MFAH’s Audrey Jones Beck and Caroline Wiess Law buildings, combines neon light, gypsum board, plaster and glass to turn the tunnel’s walls into light-conducting vessels.
Neon also comes into play at the Live Oak Friends Meeting House. When the roof is closed, the Skyspace is filled with blue light by hidden neon tubes.
The ceiling’s hatch runs on rails that until recently were mounted on a wooden support that was sheathed in metal. Thanks to Houston’s semitropical climate, water worked its way into the wood and began rotting it out, Koch said.
“We didn’t know this for sure until we actually did the repair work, but it was making some pretty ominous noises and was getting stuck,” Koch said. “We didn’t want it to get stuck in the open position because we’re open to the heavens and the rain comes in.”
Members initially thought the system could be repaired, but further assessment showed it would need to be redesigned and replaced, adding a $50,000 price tag to the $100,000 the Live Oak Friends Meeting had already received from the Houston Endowment based on early estimates.
The new design replaced the metal-sheathed wooden curb with what Koch described as “a piece of pipe, basically, that’s square in cross section and that has special pieces on the side — both to keep the hatch from moving off the rails and also to keep it in place in the event of a hurricane. That had to be custom made, and so did the pieces to attach it to the roof.”
With the work finally complete, Koch said the community is glad to have the Skyspace back — and to resume sharing it with the public.
“I think there had been a lot of folks who missed it,” he said. “If you’ve not been to the building — if you’ve not experienced (the Skyspace) — this is something you have to see. It’s extraordinary.”
JAMES TURRELL’S SKYSPACE
Public viewing: An hour before sunset on Fridays
Where: Live Oak Friends Meeting House, 1318 W. 26th
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An article from Veronika Leikam in Company | 30.05.2016
Discovering Krones with an expert
In the first few weeks of my internship at Krones, I and approximately twenty other interns were privileged to take part in a guided tour of the premises in Neutraubling. In the person of Udo Weusthoff, we had a nice and competent guide who explained to us “greenhorns” everything worth knowing about the Krones Group, the Neutraubling facility, the machines produced, etc. in a vividly illuminating and interesting commentary. Following long decades of working for Krones AG, he has meanwhile taken a well-earned retirement but is still in contact with the group and his former colleagues – as a committed guide leading people through the premises. This kindled my curiosity, and so I picked his brains for some more information about his present job, his former job, about guided tours, and a lot more …
What was your remit at Krones before you took over the guided tours after retirement?
I joined Krones in 1990 and helped to set up the “Line Projects” Department. For seven years, I was involved in many technical projects. In 2007, I was then given a new remit, that of an Area Sales Manager for Scandinavia (Krones Nordic) and the UK and Ireland (Krones UK).
How long have you been working for Krones AG?
Full-time, it was almost 24 years. From August 2013, I took passive part-time retirement, and was thus still working for Krones until my retirement in November 2015.
Have there been a lot of changes in recent years?
Yes, I most certainly think that as far as internal procedures at Krones are concerned, especially, there have been a great many changes – in every respect. This is, of course, connected with changes in the Executive Board, management style, and with numerous other components. I’m saying this now without any positive or negative value judgement. I think everyone can agree here that such a process of transformational evolution is in fact quite natural and somehow logical as well. A company thrives on changes, not least those in the technical field. Take the machines, for instance: their number increases steadily, their mechanics and electronics are altered and upgraded, both in-house assembly and installations on site at the customers’ premises are undergoing perpetual change, as are the procedural routines involved.
But in the sales operation, too, there have been numerous new features and transformations. Without going too far into details here, I quite spontaneously think of the new methodology for quotation and order processing using SAP software. No doubt about it: the wind of change is blowing in the fields of administration as well.
How long have these guided tours been on offer?
About six years for staff and their relatives.
How often do you host guided tours?
I can’t give you a general figure on that. I myself don’t have a fixed number of assignments – with the exception of the monthly guided tour for the staff, which for me takes place twice a year and where in the final analysis all five guides are deployed. The normal way of organising that is to first of all draw up a visitor plan over say six to eight weeks. Visitor inquiries are usually handled by HR (Human Resources) or CC (Corporate Communications). Before my dates for the guided tours are finalised, CC will reconcile them with my appointment diary.
Did it take a lot of persuasion to make you accept the proposal for your new activity?
A clear “No” is the answer to that one. Firstly, I like machines, and the spatial environment suits me as well. And secondly, I like interfacing with people, something of vital importance for an “ex-salesperson”. I genuinely enjoy getting messages across to people in fields where I know what I’m talking about and where I myself am also an interested enthusiast.
Who actually suggested you could in future work as a guide for the tours of the premises?
In 2012, during my active part-time retirement period, I was asked by one of the staff at Corporate Communications if I could imagine profiling the Krones company to groups of visitors within the framework of an up-to-date presentation and after that leading them through the premises in Neutraubling. For me, it was important that the offer for that came from the company, not from me. It’s a nice feeling, of course, that in this way you are permitted to continue taking part in the company’s evolution even after finishing your active career.
How “large” is a guided tour, by which I mean how many people usually take part?
A small group of visitors numbers about five people, 30 people per tour is usually the upper limit; I think the optimum figure is about 15. This is in my opinion a manageable number, where each individual visitor is able to absorb a lot more information than in larger groups.
What do you particularly like about your present work?
I’ve always really enjoyed working and dealing with people: this was the case when I was employed in Krones AG’s sales operation, and as a plant guide I appreciate it just as much. It is my expressed wish to show Krones in a positive light and represent the company to optimum effect. The fact that over the long years of my working for Krones I have accumulated quite a huge fund of experience is very important in this context, but it’s not enough on its own. I always say: “The spark has to resonate with the person(s) you’re talking to.” And I believe that is the case. And besides knowledge and expertise, it’s above all enthusiasm that plays a vital role here. I have always been proud of having worked and still working for Krones, a feeling that I like to communicate to others. Moreover, I just love to enthuse and motivate people. When I can do that, when I can kindle their interest during a guided tour, then I’m very pleased. My intention is to authentically communicate the passion and fervour that I feel. Of course, you’ve got to “fine-tune” that a bit, as it were, and match it in some way to your audience of the day.
Is every guided tour the same?
No, there’s a wide range of different styles involved, depending on the people taking part. With a group of schoolchildren, for example, I have to choose a completely different way of introducing them to our machines, technical issues, etc. than the one I’d use for interns or experienced brewers. This will depend on the knowledge and fields of competence that the participants of the day possess. Although I do have a basic framework for the sequence involved in a tour of the plant, I still try to communicate the contents in a manner matched to the group of people I’m showing around. This is precisely what makes the whole thing so exciting and prevents it from getting monotonous.
Do you have a favourite type of audience?
If by that you mean whether I prefer groups of students, brewers, or mechanical engineers, then no. No matter what kind of audience I’ve got on the day, I don’t prefer any particular grouping, but I like groups that ask lots of questions, and thus show a genuine interest – after all, you know, there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.
You say yourself that you are “besotted with technology”. So do you perhaps find it difficult not to lose yourself in the details of everything you’re showing? After all, people tend to keep on gushing out information if they simply know a lot about the subject. Do you reckon you’re sometimes overtaxing your audience?
No, I don’t really think so. Basically, as I’ve said, I always match what I’m telling them to the participants’ knowledge and sphere of experience. Plus, of course, there’s a time limit for each guided tour. So it’s not possible to go into very much detail, nor can you explain everything in every detail. So what I also try to find out before every guided tour is the expectations the visitors concerned will have for the particular presentation and the tour involved.
What precisely is it – in your opinion – that renders Krones so special as an employer?
I think that Krones, when compared with many other large corporations, is a group of companies where the social component plays a very crucial role. This is surely attributable to the fact that Krones AG is a “family firm” that’s managed as a stock corporation. I believe that here at Krones those in charge still spare a thought for their employees. This is reflected not least in the various sports teams active here at Krones – there is a social togetherness, people can give their ideas and creativity free rein, and in a certain way can combine hobby and work. I myself was actively involved in the firm’s tennis team, and even as a pensioner will be there on the court again when the annual tennis tournament will be held at the end of July on the premises of TC Neutraubling – as will a few guys from the Employees’ Council and one member of the Executive Board, all of whom are pleased to honour the occasion with their visit. What’s more, here at Krones a lot of attention is paid to creating a pleasant corporate environment. What springs to mind here is above all the multi-storey car park created specially for Krones’ employees, or the clean, landscaped grounds, which are studded with numerous rest and smoking areas.
Have you already had an opportunity to take part in a guided tour of a Krones plant in Neutraubling, Rosenheim or our other facilities? If so: was it just as exciting for you to get a rough overview of Krones AG? And if not, then hopefully you will soon have an opportunity to do so. 🙂
At this point, too, I should like to express my sincere gratitude to Udo Weusthoff for a very illuminating interview! 🙂
Veronika Leikam
Mahlzeit @ Krones
by Veronika Leikam | 08.07.2016
Once there was one, now there are two
by Stephanie Tschautscher | 23.11.2015
A strong duo: four fists as a greeting
by Jennifer Rauch | 28.08.2015
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Serving a Mormon Mission in Germany
Brett Nordquist Church September 23, 2015 May 13, 2018 10 Minutes
Leaving the MTC for Germany was an exciting time. I’d never been out of the country, and I was headed to a country to teach people about my religion in a language I could barely speak. But I was with a group of people I’d learned to trust and love, and I figured I’d be fine as long as I could have some contact with them and my family.
I was assigned to a small town named Siegen which was a 90-minute train ride from Frankfurt. When we arrived, the first thing I did was purchase a bike. It would be the first of three bikes that would be stolen over the next 22 months. My bike was light blue and had a basket on the back where I could tie down my man-purse which held a few Books of Mormon and my scriptures. Nobody looks cool riding a bike with a basket hanging off the back.
We spent our days going door-to-door begging anyone to listen to our message. I could speak only if asked about very specific church topics found in the discussions, which meant I didn’t say much during my first month. I could tell you why I didn’t drink coffee, but I couldn’t give you directions to the nearest coffee shop. On a good day, two people would let us in their homes. But even then few wanted to hear about our church. Many people were interested in America and wanted to hear us talk about any topic that wasn’t religious. I got asked a lot of questions about Micheal Jackson, Michael Jordan, Tom Cruise, John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe. Germans would act surprised when I couldn’t share many details with them about the two deceased stars.
The first month of a mission is similar to having a first child: you recall a lot of details. Details about subsequent children and cities will fade, but you remember your first well. Our apartment was in a seedy area of town, right next door to a business named “Crazy Sexy” that sold a lot more than adult toys. I would wake up each morning to the store’s orange neon sign reflecting off my bedroom wall. I would lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling and ask myself, “What the hell am I doing here living next to a sex shop?”
Although the work was frustratingly slow, I enjoyed riding my bike around town and speaking to anyone who would talk to me. I craved connecting with someone besides my companion, which was difficult because my language skills were poor at this time. When transfer calls came, my companion was sent to another area and I remained in Siegen for another month. My next companion became one of my closest friends. Elder Shupe spoke German so well that many people we met assumed he was German or Austrian. I told him I was frustrated learning German, and he taught me a valuable lesson.
“Get up early and study”, he told me in his usual blunt style. I began getting up around 5am to jump-rope and study grammar. We went to the bookstore and I bought a German thesaurus. Elder Shupe spent hours grilling me with grammar and vocabulary words throughout the day. I enjoyed going to church because I could speak with the young children without feeling foolish. Every missionary that learns to speak another language has at least one embarrassing story of using a word or phrase incorrectly. While knocking on doors, a young lady answered the door in a towel. I apologized as best I could. She said she was getting ready to move and didn’t have time to speak with us. At least that’s what I thought she said. I asked if we could come in and help her, and she immediately slammed the door. My companion at the time was from Austria, and he doubled over in laughter. I was confused. When he settled down he told me that the woman had told me she had just got out of the shower, and I asked if we could come inside and help her get dressed.
Another time a woman asked me why there were no Mormon missionaries in East Germany. I tried to tell her that we were restricted from sending proselyting missionaries there. When she tried not to laugh, I realized I’d made a mistake. I had told her that we couldn’t serve in East Germany because we were retarded.
I’d heard stories from returned missionaries about how much they admired their mission president. Many viewed the president as a second father and kept in touch with him and his wife after returning home. I’d met the president and his wife briefly the first evening in Frankfurt. They seemed larger-than-life to me but I didn’t have a chance to get to know them. It would be another month or so before I’d see them at a zone conference. I was excited to say hello and stood in line to shake their hands. The wife of the mission president shook my hand, gave me an odd look and said, “Your hair is touching your ears. Get it cut.”
That one interaction sums up my impression of the mission president and his wife and would hold true for the duration of my mission. They were cold and intimidating. I quickly learned to keep my mouth shut or face their wrath. I learned to tell them what they wanted to hear and then use my best judgment, even when that conflicted with their rules. One such rule was that we were allowed to read our mail only on our preparation day (P-day). The work was depressing, and letters from my friends and family kept me optimistic from day to day. Of course, the mission leaders taught that if you’re not having success (baptizing Germans) it’s because God is withholding such blessings until all the rules are followed.
I would serve in ten cities and have 13 different companions while in Germany. I really enjoyed all my companions although a couple of them were more difficult than the rest. Some of them have become close friends. I also got to know a number of Germans who made lasting impressions on me. Most would not join the church, but that wasn’t as important to me as leaving them with a good impression of Americans and the church. Our second son, Kai, is named after a young man I taught and became good friends with.
About a year into my mission, I began to see a different side of the church that I’d not seen before. The church began to feel more like a business than a church. At every district and zone conference, it was drilled into our heads that the only measurement of success was how many people we could baptize. Handing out Books or Mormon and teaching discussions were merely a means to an end. We were not called to Germany to give service unless that service resulted in a convert baptism. In fact, we were not allowed to eat at member’s home unless we had an investigator (a person taking the discussions) with us. This single focus on baptisms came at the cost of connecting with people, and I occasionally felt like a robot that had been stripped of all compassion and empathy. Many times I was quick to dismiss a person because they were Catholic or Seventh-Day Adventist when had I slowed down, I might have learned something from them or helped them in some way. But numbers and quotas superseded humanity. We either committed the investigator to baptism at the end of the second discussion or we moved on to the next victim.
It was difficult to keep track of all the rules being added by the president each month. Most of them didn’t bother me much until a sister missionary sprained her ankle while jogging on p-day. Once that happened, the president said we were not able to participate in any activity we couldn’t do while wearing a suit and tie. This was the first rule I called BS on. Being able to play basketball or soccer allowed me to set aside the work for an hour and have fun. We also got to know a lot of youth which gave us the opportunity to teach a number of discussions. I didn’t look to intentionally break rules, but this is one exception. The mission president tried to lay it on thick by telling us that God had inspired him to make this rule change, but it was one revelation I couldn’t get behind.
I’m most proud of how I spent my time in Germany. But there is one experience I wish I could go back in time and change. The pressure to baptize was so great that at times it was suffocating. If you were not baptizing, you were being smacked over the head with questions from your district leader about what sins you were committing which was keeping god from blessing the companionship with baptisms. It was always the missionaries fault if the numbers were down.
One month I found myself in an area with a lot of Nigerian refugees who had fled their land to seek political asylum. These groups were comprised mostly of men in their early 20s, and they often spoke decent English. The mission president made it very clear that we’d been called to teach Germans. The assumption was that baptizing those seeking political asylum was not worth the effort because many would be sent back to their land of unrest, never to return to a country with a Mormon chapel. They were also poor and unable to tithe. Yet many of these Nigerians were eager to speak with us. While Germans tended to take a while to warm up to us, the Nigerians seemed thrilled to see us. So my companion and I began teaching rooms packed full of refugees. I don’t want to make excuses here. But most of our days were spent among people who didn’t want to speak with us, and when they did they often mocked us. One time a guy spit in my face while I worked at a street display and another time a teen tossed a beer bottle that hit me in the knee while I was riding my bike. It was flattering that these Nigerians wanted to hear our message. I can understand why this was appealing to two 20-year-olds.
One month the zone leaders came to visit and asked to meet with those we were teaching. I took them to meet a group of Nigerian men, assuming they would instruct us to stop teaching them. Instead, they saw rooms full of people who liked Americans and were willing to do whatever we asked them to do. The zone leaders wanted them baptized as soon as possible. I didn’t feel good about the idea, but I didn’t push back either. I don’t recall all the details, but the baptismal font was not available over the weekend we’d promised our zone leaders these men would be baptized. So my companion and I baptized them in a fountain in the middle of town. It was an absurd sight. All of us gathered around a city fountain dressed all in white. People were looking out their windows at us, and I remember feeling so sick to my stomach that I thought I would throw up right there in the fountain. It was terrible. I was disrespectful to these men, and I’m ashamed of my actions that day. They deserved better. The only good that came from this experience was that it kept the zone and district leaders off my back for the rest of my mission.
I also began to have some questions about the LDS doctrine, specifically details about how polygamy was practiced by the early prophets. I was also bothered by the story of Abraham and Isaac. I couldn’t understand why a loving God would perform such a cruel test on his prophet. I wrote my grandfather with these and other questions and decided I’d look into them more once I returned home. I knew little about other religions and had accepted what my parents had taught me as truth. One question I got asked a lot was why blacks could not hold the priesthood until 1978, and I had no answer. Well, I should say, I had no answer that wasn’t racist. It would be a few more years before I began to wonder why the Book of Mormon contained such strong racist themes and why women in the church were often treated like children.
Although there were many times I wanted to be back home, I never once seriously considered leaving early. I knew how much my parents had sacrificed to allow me to serve for two years. I served from 87-89 which was before the mission costs had been standardized. I believe my mission ran about $700 a month. I felt close to my parents while in Germany. My mom wrote me a letter every single week. My father wrote me at least once a month, and it was special to get a hand-written letter from him.
As my time in Germany wound down, I focused on spending more time with the members. Instead of having doors slammed in our faces for hours on end, we’d visit ward members and those who were less active in the church, but were friendly to us. Before long, they began inviting us to activities like indoor soccer and BBQs. Members began to trust us and would put us in touch with people to teach which is really how it’s all supposed to work. Although few joined the church, I met many kind and generous people.
In the end, I stayed out of trouble, met a lot of great people and made a lot of friends. I spent so much time studying German grammar that I decided to study the language when I attended the University of Utah. I eventually graduated with a B.A. in German in 1994. Although I’m no longer an active or practicing Mormon, serving a mission was a life-changing experience. Although “increasing the number of convert baptisms” is the mantra under which I served, I don’t believe it’s the primary reason the church strongly encourages young men (and now) young women to serve missions. I believe the primary reason is to take young men and women, often before they go off to college and learn critical thinking skills, and put them in an intense 2-year indoctrination camp where they come out more committed to the church than when they entered. Today’s missionaries are tomorrows leaders of the church.
I’m thankful I had the chance to serve when I did.
Published September 23, 2015 May 13, 2018
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2 thoughts on “Serving a Mormon Mission in Germany”
Hi Brett. I’d never read your blog before, but a friend of mine shared this on Facebook, and I had to read it. Thanks for sharing your story. I served in Austria 10 years after you were in Germany, and a lot of what you shared here mirrored my own experience. The one difference was the mission president.
My mission president and his wife were two of the kindest, warmest, most thoughtful people I’ve ever met. Of course we were encouraged to convert, but considering the baptism rate in Austria at that time was less than one baptism per companionship per year, mission president like the one you describe would have probably ended up driving a lot of Elders home early. Instead, ours encouraged us to get to know the country and the culture. We spent P-Days climbing mountains and exploring the countryside, doing things you could never do in a suit. We were given one evening a month, any evening we wanted (except Sunday, of course) as a “Kulturabend”, when we were encouraged to go out and do something that would help us better appreciate the Austrian culture. This meant I got to see concerts, operas, plays, and even a couple of soccer games (that last one may have been slightly bending the rules, but hey, I guess that’s why we saw so few baptisms ;). We also weren’t restricted on our visits to members, which is one of the things that kept me sane with all the rejection we were subject to. And while some of the missionaries in leadership positions seemed to look equate missionary work with salesmanship, worrying about the numbers and trying to teach us more “effective” ways of presenting our message, I never got that feeling from the mission president. He seemed to understand that it is extremely disheartening and disillusioning to go out on a mission with the zeal that most missionaries have as greenies, only to find that you’ll be lucky to teach one or two lessons a week to someone who’s only half interested in your message. I think he saw his job as simply helping us learn to persevere and learn to love the country and the people, despite the fact that they didn’t love us. That was really important to me, and helped me to redefine my concept of success as a missionary to something very similar to what you articulated above. I saw success my success as being rooted in making connections with people, helping to brighten someone’s day with a smile, a conversation, and act of service, and in doing so, presenting the church in a positive light. Coming to that realization, and having a mission president who didn’t make me feel like that concept of success was a cop out or a sign that I didn’t have enough faith was extremely important to me and my emotional well-being as a missionary
I struggled, and continue to struggle with precisely the questions you brought up here, especially that of the priesthood being withheld from blacks. I never felt comfortable with the standard answers we were given to that question, and felt it acutely when we were teaching Africans. But I think I can attribute the fact that I continue to be active in the church, despite all of my questions, doubts, and personal opinions that run counter to some teachings, is the fact that on my mission I was exposed to a church and a leadership style that was not dogmatic or restricting, but taught me to respect difference, to respect rules, but also recognize when flexibility is in order, and to realize that it is important to seek out the beautiful and the good wherever it is to be found, and that the church by no means has a monopoly on those things. I would be naive to think that the way I encountered the church on my mission is the church’s default mode. I am from Utah, after all. But it is the way I continue to try to experience the church, despite the fact that my fantasy version of a more open and tolerant Mormonism is often challenged. I don’t know how long that will last, but I credit my mission experience with helping me keep on this long.
A few more parallels, I also came home and studied German at the U, and I’m actually writing you this from Frankfurt. I live in Germany now, working as an English teacher, and am in Frankfurt for a teacher’s workshop. It’s a great place, although it pales in comparison with Austria :).
Thanks for sharing your story. Reading and responding to it helped me to mull through a few things that have been bouncing around in my head for a long time, waiting to be expressed in some way. You’ve inspired me to try to articulate them in some way.
Brett Nordquist says:
Thank you for your comment. You bring up an interesting point about your mission president and how his actions allowed you to work through some difficult issues with the church. I couldn’t imagine taking questions about polygamy to my mission president. I can imagine his response would be something along the lines of, “That’s not part of the discussions.” and dismiss it. I didn’t learn a lot about the doctrine of the church on my mission. The discussions were about as deep as a lesson in primary and all my free time was spent learning Germany instead of diving deeper into the doctrine. Had I known then what I do today about Joseph Smith there’s no way I could have served a mission. I’m happy with how things turned out though.
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Views in the UK are polarised. It is difficult to draw any clear message from the pattern of voting in the European elections, but the graph – prepared by the BBC, seems to mark a strong shift against Brexit. You wouldn’t know it from the BBC’s Brexit coverage; I am listening now to a Radio Scotland item which is telling me that the Brexit Party romped home in the election. Clearly, they didn’t.
The denial of votes to EU citizens on election day is another national disgrace; it will be the subject of legal action. The assault on the rights of EU citizens goes rather beyond the 3.6 million people from the rest of Europe resident in the UK – or even them plus the 1.2 million UK residents in other European countries. UK citizens are European citizens, too. The formal census figures are out of date, as usual, but the population of the UK in 2017 was roughly 66 million, and 90% are British nationals. A further 5.6 million currently live abroad, of whom 1.2 million live in other EU countries. We should perhaps discount 1.9 million people from Northern Ireland, because their rights are guaranteed if they so wish it by the Irish government, but that still leaves us with 57.7 million British nationals in the UK, and 5.6 million outside the UK, whose rights to European citizenship are being withdrawn. In the 2016 referendum, 17.4 million people voted to leave the EU. If we assume that all of them can be said to have consented to the loss of their rights, that still leaves 46.9 million other British citizens who are being denied their fundamental rights on the basis of that vote, and more than 50 million people when we consider European citizens from other countries living in Britain.
Author Paul SpickerPosted on 27th May 2019 Categories EuropeTags Brexit, citizenship
3 thoughts on “The public mood is swinging against Brexit”
Channel 4 News has used the BBC information or did its own similar analysis. IIRC, the same results were displayed.
9th June 2019 at 10:31 am
The EU is not a sovereign nation (yet) – it is an undemocratic regime – so how can anybody be an EU citizen?
Paul Spicker says:
The EU is obviously not a ‘nation’ – but nor is the UK, which is a union of four nations. It does have a degree of ‘sovereignty’, in the conventional sense of being in itself a source of legitimacy. It has citizens both because there is an international treaty which says it does, and a system of laws in its own right which says so. You will find the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union here, and the rights of European citizens laid out in title 5 of the charter.
I’d agree that the EU has a democratic deficit. If it didn’t, it couldn’t get away with cancelling the rights of citizens.
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Historical Background for Blind Ambition
Sometimes you have to almost die to discover how you want to live.
Roman Provincial Government in AD 114: How to Deal with Christians
Rome was a military power at its core, and virtually everyone who rose in the political ranks had extensive military experience. When only one legion was stationed in an imperial province, its commander was also the provincial governor. With multiple legions, one man, who had himself once commanded a legion, was appointed provincial governor by the emperor to oversee all legions and administrative affairs in the province.
A provincial governor of a major province might have already been a consul of Rome, but he had served, at the very least, as a praetor, whose duties included serving as a judge in Roman legal matters. This was excellent preparation for running a province, since the governor was the chief judicial officer for provincial residents. While Roman citizens living in a province could expect judicial treatment in accordance with written Roman law, that was not the case for the non-citizens.
The governor of a province had the authority to treat the non-citizens in whatever way he deemed best. Rome’s general philosophy for provincial government was to tolerate local customs while insisting on strict standards of law and order. That meant provincials must acknowledge the state gods of Rome. While that was not a problem for the Empire’s subjects who already worshiped several gods, it was something devout Jews and Christians could never do. Jews were allowed an exception because theirs was an ancient national religion, while Christianity was classed as a “new and illicit religion” (religio nova et illicita) that was denied that exception.
In AD 111, the Senate appointed Pliny the Younger as governor of the province of Bithynia and Pontus, which is located along the south shore of the Black Sea. Pliny died in his province in AD 113. During his brief term as governor, he was a prolific writer of letters, and copies of his official correspondence have survived to this day.
Of special interest is an exchange he had with the Emperor Trajan concerning his approach to the problem of Christians in his province.
“I have never dealt with investigations about Christians, and therefore I don’t know what is usually either punished or investigated, or to what extent. I have hesitated no small amount about whether there should be some distinction in respect to age, or whether young people, however young, should be considered not at all different from more mature people; whether pardon should be given to those who repent, or whether it should be of no use to someone who was once a Christian that he has ceased to be one; whether the name itself, even if there are no criminal offenses, should be punished, or whether only the criminal offenses associated with the name should be punished.
“In the meantime, among those who were brought before me as Christians, I have used the following method. I asked them whether they were Christians. If they admitted it, I asked them a second and even a third time, threatening them with punishment. I ordered those who persisted to be led away for execution, for I had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their belief, their stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely should be punished. There were others who were afflicted by a similar madness, but I wrote in the record book that they should be sent to Rome because they were Roman citizens.” ― Pliny the Younger, Letters 10.96,97
Trajan’s reply provided clarity. “You have followed the procedure which you ought to have, my dear Pliny, in investigating the cases of those who had been brought before you as Christians. It is not possible to establish a general law which will provide a fixed standard. However, these people are not to be searched out. If they should be brought before you and proved guilty, they must be punished, with this proviso, however, that anyone who denies that he is a Christian and proves this by his action, that is, by worshipping our gods, even if he has been suspected in the past, should obtain pardon because of his repentance.”
The emperor’s reply was a rescriptum and carried the force of law, but he made clear that it was not establishing an empire-wide policy. Individual governors kept the ability to deal with Christians in whatever way they saw fit.
One “criminal offense” ascribed to Christians was belonging to a secret society, which Trajan had forbidden as potentially threatening the security of the state. Since the days of the Republic, Rome had regulated the private meetings not overseen by a magistrate, requiring a license and restricting the frequency of such meetings. Membership in a secret society was considered treason and could receive the same punishment as participating in an armed riot―execution.
Another offense by Christians classified as treason was their refusal to show reverence to statues of the gods and the emperor. The superstitious feared the gods’ favor could be withheld from Rome and her Empire if the rites weren’t performed perfectly. Even a slight error meant the whole ritual had to be repeated. The Christian refusal might damage the perfection, putting the Empire at risk.
At the beginning of Blind Ambition, Decimus’s father, Tiberius Cornelius Lentulus, is completing three years as governor of Germania Superior. He shares the common opinion that Christians are a treasonous group because of their refusal to participate in the state religion and has decreed a policy toward Christians modeled on the historical policy of Pliny the Younger.
Decimus Cornelius Lentulus is five years into his time as a senatorial tribune. Military service was required before beginning the “course of honors” that defined a Roman political career. He’s the second-ranking officer of a Roman legion stationed in Germania Superior in AD 114. The provincial capital is Mogontiacum (present-day Mainz) on the Rhine River, and the fortress headquarters of his legion (XXII Primigenia) is there. The second legion in the province (VIII Augusta) is headquartered upriver (to the south) at Argentorate (present-day Strasbourg).
Law enforcement in the Empire was done by the military. As an officer of the legion, Decimus would have been involved in the arrest and execution of Christians in the portion of the province patrolled by his legion. He truly is a mortal enemy of Valeria and her family, but she chooses to obey Jesus and rescues her enemy despite the danger to herself and those she loves.
(Quoted letters are from Jo-Ann Shelton, As the Romans Did: A Source Book in Roman Social History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988)
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The chains we cannot see can be the hardest ones to break. Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.
Must the shadows of the past destroy the hope of the future? Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.
Is the price of true friendship ever too high? Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.
When Rome has taken everything, what’s left for a man to give? Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.
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Are some wounds too deep to forgive? Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.
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Auxillia Mnangagwa goes on three-week jaunt to New York
by ZimLive
First lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, increasingly carving out a government role for herself, flew to New York on Monday to attend a United Nations gender summit.
The 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from March 11 to 22.
Although the conference does not start until Monday next week, ZimLive understands Mnangagwa left on March 4. She and her small delegation will spend close to three weeks in the United States on the taxpayer's tab.
The United States embassy in Harare declined to comment on her trip.
"We do not comment on individual visa cases and applicants' travel plans to the United States which are confidential," embassy spokesperson Stacy Lomba said in an e-mailed response.
The first lady, whose husband is subject of targeted United States travel restrictions, will be restricted to a 25-mile radius of the United Nations headquarters during the visit.
The Commission on the Status of Women is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. It draws government officials, UN entities, and non-governmental organisations from around.
The first lady has been seeking a greater role for herself in her husband's government, and her decision to attend the UN summit is the latest illustration of her growing influence.
Source - ZimLive
More on: #Mnangagwa, #New_York,
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Tag: Electronic Dance Music
Ithaka’s The Lost Acapellas (So Get Up)
In early, 2017, Los Angeles-based independent music label, Sweatlodge Records will release the seventh album by the Californian songwriter, Ithaka, entitled, So Get Up & The Lost Acapellas. The record will include thirteen of Ithaka’s vocalized poems (without music), many of which were written during 1992 and 1993, two of the six years that the artist lived in Lisbon. Also, as a bonus track, the original 1993 demo-version of So Get Up will appear.
There in Portugal, Ithaka was regularly recited his texts and rhymes for the daily radio program, Quatro Bairro on the national station, Rádio Comerical. Ten of the poems offered on the Lost Acapellas release were written and recorded specifically for the radio program and later (in mid-1993) were rerecorded as voice-over and musical demos on a visit to England. These recordings, were missing for 23 years until recently being discovered in a Los Angeles storage unit on a antiquated cassette tape.
Among these early acapella poems is So Get Up, most recently re-popularized by Armin Van Buuren and Cosmic Gate, which today (twenty-four years and more than a thousand releases and adaptions later) is considered The Most Remixed Vocal Acapella In Musical History (by Guinness World Records – 2016, 2017).
Ithaka first wrote So Get Up in a small cafe in Amoeira near Rádio Comerical about an hour before going on air with it for his slot on Quatro Bairro, unfortunately this very first recording has never been recovered. He did however, as mentioned, record it a second time in the U.K – to present to radio producers and possibly record companies.
There working at Rádio Comerical, Ithaka met DJ Vibe (Portugal’s most prominent DJ), who played an hour of progressive house music immediately following Ithaka’s segments. There Vibe usually heard the end of Ithaka’s vocal sequences and was intrigued by the poems. Some months later, he invited him to participate as a guest vocalist on the first release by Underground Sound Of Lisbon (a progressive house duo consisting of Vibe and Rui Da Silva) for Kaos Records.
They recorded Ithaka’s vocal in the early hours of a rainy winter night at the garage studio, 1 Só Céu, owned by the Portuguese rock band called, Os Delfins.
Ithaka was told by Kaos (a micro label at the time) that they would make 200 white-labels vinyls for distribution within Portugal only. They paid him $70 dollars for his participation, with a verbal promise to discuss any future distributions and manufacturing that would possibly follow. And weeks later, from just that single white-label distribution, the song exploded into an almost instantaneous national dance floor classic.
Although open-minded musically, Ithaka was more associated with hip hop, surfing and contemporary art more than dance music and only infrequently appeared at the clubs his apocalyptic poem had literally become an anthem for an entire generation of club goers, inspiring even people who never liked dance music to get involved.
Ironically, Kaos Records and Underground Sound Of Lisbon themselves never made a point of explaining who the mystery prophet was and nobody seemed to ask, the press included – even though Ithaka was indeed the actual performer and owned 50% of the publishing.
“I remember specifically on a couple of occasions trying to get into Lisbon-area night clubs, which was always a chore because of the wait to get in, and there in line, two different times during height of the song’s first wave of popularity, I could hear So Get Up playing on the dance floor…The first was at Frágil in Bairro Alto – and I said to the snob at the door, hey man, that’s me, my voice…let me in. And the doorman said, if that was you…I would know who you are AND I DON’T! – And the other time, a few months later, was at ALCÂNTARA, when I again declared that that was my voice with hundreds of people shouting the lyrics on top of it muffled behind the thick curtains out the dance floor..and that doorman said, Yes, my friend, and Elvis is still alive too!
In late 1994, Ithaka left Portugal for four months back to Los Angeles for an art exhibit – and during that short amount of time, Kaos Records had licensed So Get Up, without consulting him, to several international parties most notably Tribal Records -USA, a sub-subsidiary of Miles Copeland’s I.R.S. Records (EMI).
Although Rob Di Stefano, the managing director of Tribal Records had met Ithaka on a previous trip to Portugal, and obviously understood he was from California and only temporarily residing in Portugal, he realized the marketing potential of an exotic 100% Portuguese house music product arriving in the U.S. for the first time and made no attempt to publicize the vocalist’s true origins. No featuring Ithaka credit was ever included on any of the releases, even though he is both the author and the vocalist. Yes, this is dance music, but no matter how good or bad the production is, no one can deny that the vocal-poem and adjoining hooks are the primal guts of the entire So Get Up experience. How else could it possibly appeal to such a large musical spectrum of DJs and producers?
The first 1994 release of So Get Up on Tribal was a double-vinyl set with ten-mixes, including several versions by New York superstars Junior Vasquez and Danny Tenaglia. The early international popularity of So Get Up was undoubtfully manifested by these interpretations by Vasquez and Tenaglia. Two New York all-stars creating music around the words of a California hip hop wordsmith. To call So Get Up, even at that point, a 100% Portuguese release, was inaccurate at best. The first release by Tribal, which sold upwards of 50,000 copies, also included an uncredited acapella of Ithaka’s raw poem – which paved the way for a vast multitude of remixes and samplings over a huge cross-section of electronic musical genres.
With the exception of Stretch & Verne’s legally licensed rerecord “Get Up, Go Insane!” in 1997 (and subsequently Fatboy Slim’s remix of that), every other international release of So Get Up has essentially been unauthorized. It is fair to say that every (of the more than a thousand mixes released) house, trance, techno, electro, drum & bass, big beat, dub step, and art rock versions – under their varying titles of “So Get Up”, “Get Up”, “Forget The Past”, “the End Of The Earth”, “Have A Blast”, “Headcharge”, “Hardaventure”, etc. have been issued illegally. No record royalties or performance royalties have ever been paid to the vocalist/lyricist although all have been made using Ithaka’s 1994 recording – made that late night way back when in Cascais, Portugal. By the most recent estimates of Ithaka’s publisher attempting to recoup his writing shares, So Get Up in it’s many incarnations has been either sold or downloaded more than 30,000,000 times and approximately 250,000,000 have at least heard the poem. Whether payment ever falls into the right hands, time will only tell.
Ithaka himself has had an unusual career (and life) to say the least. He came to recording not thru music itself, but via music photography, visual arts….and reading books. For nearly three years, among his many other sporadic occupations, Ithaka was the principal photographer for Priority Records gangster rap icons, NWA and Eazy E , but that’s a story for another day.
In 1992, attempting to expand his boundaries outside of the Southern California area, the half-Greek, Ithaka Darin Pappas, set off soul-searching. He first relocated to Athens for six months and then spent a year in Tokyo, finally landing in Lisbon where he spent more than six years.
During this six-year period in Portugal, Ithaka was hyper-productive. He recorded So Get Up (and many other poems), made two award-winning hip hop albums, published translated poems and short stories in Portuguese magazines – and had several large scale sculpture exhibits of his work. He also photographically documented much of the early and mid-nineties Portuguese music scene, shooting record covers for rock, hip hop and EDM projects.
Armin Van Burren
Electronic Dance Music
Miss Kittin
Wake Your Mind
Songwriter Ithaka Darin Pappas holds Guinness World Record For Most Remixed Vocal Acapella (song: “So Get Up”)
In 2016, with at least 1029 documented remixes to its credit
“So Get Up” a vocal spoken-word poem written and recorded by
Californian artist and songwriter Ithaka (Ithaka Darin Pappas)
was the Guinness World Record holder for
“Most Musical Remixes Created From Single Acapella”
Ithaka initially penned “So Get Up”,
(first titled, The End Of The Earth Is Upon Us)
in mid-1993 for a daily segment of a program he regularly hosted
on Rádio Comerical Lisbon called “Bairro Quatro”.
It was recited the first time live on-air
just an hour or two after it was written.
In 1994, also in Portugal, he re-recorded it with
a house music duo called Underground Sound Of Lisbon.
It was distributed nationally and later on Tribal Records (NY)
with an a capella version, incredulously without a vocal credit.
It is this a capella that has been remixed, robbed, sampled, remade
and covered to a degree unseen in the history of modern music.
In 2016, at last count there were 1029 released remixes
of the vocal “So Get Up” (often under different titles such as;
The End Of The Earth, Get Up Go Insane, Forget The Past, etc).
Guinness World Record now recognizes the SO Get Up vocal poem
as holding the title for “Most Musical Remixes Created From Single A Capella”
bypassing #2, Turkish pop-vocalist Evrim Tuzun, by more than 800 mixes.
Because the first release of So Get Up was not vocally credited,
this seemed to green-light all other remix users
of the acapella to not credit it as well (most producers
thought the vocal and lyrics were public domain, perhaps from an old film).
Although some mixes were legally licensed,
many EDM artists simply made their own electronic music tracks
and place Ithaka’s vocals and lyrics on top of it,
and called it entirely their own without requesting permission
or paying royalties.
Among the more known mixes of “So Get Up” there are versions by such all-star groups/producers as; Cosmic Gate (Germany), Danny Tenaglia (USA), Junior Vazquez (USA), DJ Vibe (Portugal), Mert Yücel (Turkey), Eric Kupper (USA), Fatboy Slim (UK) and Miss Kittin (France).
An incomplete list of DJ/producers who have remixed, reworked, covered or sampled the vocal poem “So Get Up” by Ithaka Darin Pappas since its first recording in 1993 include: Cosmic Gate (Germany), Danny Tenaglia (USA), Junior Vazquez (USA), DJ Vibe (Portugal), Mert Yücel (Turkey), Eric Kupper (USA), Fatboy Slim (UK) and Miss Kittin (France), Pelarli, Alex Di Stefano, Public Domain (Holland), Pagano (Italy), Mirabeau (UK), Damaged People (UK), Mowree (Italy), Stretch & Verne (UK), Sarasite, Orion’s Voice, Bob Ray & Van Dyuk, Igor Carmo, JJ Mullor, Dani Sber, Swing Kings, Atlantis IT, Ben Gold, Nixu Zsun (France), Ricardo Diaz, Peter Bailey (USA), DJ Kingsize, FuturePlays (Mexico), Derek Marin, Oxia (France), Domino, DJ Diego Mendonça, Mauro Ferno, Maik Ibane, Ce Ce Lee (Italy), Dj Kryst-Off Aka Zornéus (France), FRANKYEFFE (Italy), Branko & Club Atlas (members of Buraka Som Sistema), Alex Page (Portugal), Nell Silva (Portugal), Alex Farolfi, Fargetta, GianLuca Mens, The Ventura 87, Dimas Carbajo, Christo Z (Greece), Ronni King,Terry Lee Brown JR., DJ Theo V (Greece), Djz Rom (Cambodia), DJ Beg, Lexicon Avenue, DJ Screw (Thailand) etc etc.
Labels that have released “So Get Up” mixes include: Tribal (USA-UK), Twisted (USA-UK), Forensic, Kaos (Portugal), Plastic City, Bosphorus Underground Recording (Turkey)
Most remixed
Most remixed song
most remixed song in history
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116 BYU-Hawaii student-athletes named Academic All-PacWest
IRVINE, Calif. – The PacWest announced its annual Academic All-PacWest team on Tuesday, honoring 116 BYU-Hawaii student-athletes as part of the 1,469 PacWest student-athletes for their academic efforts in the 2013-14 season.
Student-athletes who achieve at least a cumulative 3.0 grade-point average and are eligible for participation or practice (redshirts included) in their sport receive Academic All-PacWest recognition.
View all the student-athletes selected to the Academic All-PacWest Team.
BYU-Hawaii tied for the most selections in women's soccer (24) and softball (15).
The women's cross country team had all 12 runners on the roster make the Academic All-PacWest team.
Women's soccer's 24 selections were the most of any Seasider team, with men's soccer adding 18 for the second highest total.
The PacWest will announce the Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year later this week. The 15 sport scholar-athlete awards can be viewed here and here.
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Zhang named First Team Academic All-American
LAIE, Hawaii – BYU-Hawaii women's tennis star Nannan (Dallas) Zhang was selected to the 2017 First Team CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Women's At-Large team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Zhang, a native of Tianjin, China, graduates this week with a 3.50 GPA while majoring in accounting at BYU-Hawaii. Zhang was named the ITA Senior Player of the Year earlier this season and finished ranked No. 1 in both singles and doubles for the third-straight year. Zhang ended her career with 54 consecutive wins at singles and 48 consecutive in doubles. She was undefeated in her junior and senior seasons in both and boasts a career record of 77-3 in singles and 90-6 in doubles.
Last week she was named to the NCAA Division II Honda Athlete of the Year ballot for the third straight year. Zhang is a four-time first-team ITA All-American in both singles and doubles and the four-time PacWest Player of the Year. She also earned first-team All-PacWest honors in each of her four seasons.
The CoSIDA Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2016-17 Division II Academic All-America® teams program.
The at-large program for the CoSIDA Academic All-America® program includes the sports of fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis, water polo for both men and women; bowling, crew and field hockey for women; and volleyball and wrestling for men.
The CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Women's At-Large First Team had an overall 3.90 G.P.A. while the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Men's At-Large First Team had an overall 3.87 G.P.A.
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MARY PHILBIN – BEAUTIFUL AMERICAN FILM ACTRESS
This vintage real photo postcard portrait features American actress Mary Philbin (1902-1993). She was active in film between 1918 and 1930. One of her most noted film roles was in “The Phantom of the Opera” (1925). She co-starred with Lon Chaney. A number of her roles involved playing the “beauty” in “Beauty and the Beast” type stories . Mary was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents were middle-class and of Irish descent. Her mother was convivial but controlling and domineering. She pushed her strong religious beliefs onto Mary. She adored her father who was “quiet, shy, and reserved”. She was very similar, personality-wise, to her dad. She would accompany him to the theater and there she developed a passion for the stage. She pursued dance and played the pipe organ and piano. She lacked a singing voice, and surprisingly, never received training in acting. Mary’s acting career was launched after she won a beauty contest sponsored by Universal Pictures. The motion picture company promptly signed her to a contract. Her screen debut was in 1921 and during the following year she was named a WAMPAS Baby Star. This prestigious annual award, given by an association of film advertisers, was awarded to thirteen young women each year. These women were predicted to be on the verge of becoming major movie stars. During the 1920’s, Mary’s film career blossomed and she starred in a number of successful films, including “Drums of Love (1920), directed by D. W. Griffith. When “talkies” arrived, she played in a few films and even dubbed her own voice for the sound version of “Phantom of the Opera”. Unfortunately, her voice was considered too “girlish” to be suitable for talking pictures. She retired from the screen in the early 1930’s in order to become a caretaker for her elderly parents. She lived the rest of her life as a recluse. She never married and seldom made public appearances. An exception occurred when she attended the Los Angeles opening of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical version of “Phantom of the Opera”. She died of pneumonia at the age of ninety and is buried in Los Angeles, California. The IMDb reports that Mary appeared in 34 film between 1921 and 1929. She never married. In 1926 she became engaged to Universal producer, Paul Kohner. When her family learned of the engagement, they were infuriated. They demanded a meeting with Kohner and all went reasonably well until the subject of religion arose. Kohner was Jewish and Mary’s family was Catholic. Mary’s mother was adamant in her belief that Kohner would attempt to convert Mary to Judaism. Paul and Mary informed her parents that no such thing would happen. An argument developed between Paul and Mary’s parents. She was told by her parents that she would be disowned if she proceeded with her wedding plans. Mary was ambivalent but, in the end, despite still loving Paul, she returned her engagement ring to him. A biographer contends that this traumatic experience is the reason Mary never married. The youtube video seen below offers a terrific tribute to Mary Philbin. The video was created by Diana Calado (2014). This vintage postcard was published by Ross Verlag, of Berlin, Germany. It is part of a series (no. 968/1). The name of the film distribution company (Filmhaus Bruckmann) can be seen on the bottom right corner of the image. A stamp on the reverse of the postcard indicates that it once was part of a collection belonging to Herman Overeem, of Utrecht, the Netherlands. This vintage postcard is in very good condition (see scans).
Buy this original Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #2697
To purchase this item, click on the Pay with PayPal button below
Buy this original Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) 2697
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on March 17, 2019 at 12:00 pm Comments (2)
Tags: Beauty and the Beast, D. W. Griffith, Filmhaus Bruckmann, Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Phantom of the Opera, Ross Verlag
LOUISE LORRAINE: BEAUTIFUL AND DELICATE FILM ACTRESS
This vintage real photo postcard features beautiful American film actress, Louise Lorraine (1904-1981). She was born in San Francisco and was discovered by a photography salesman who had knocked at the door of her home and was met by Louise. The salesman was startled by her good looks and her winning personality He told Louise’s mother that her daughter should be in films. Her widowed mother had five other children and after some time, she agreed to allow Louise to investigate becoming an actress. The salesman used a contact, and before long, Louise was in independent two-reel comedies. That was followed by stints with MGM and Universal. She became very popular for her roles in action-packed serials such as “The Radio King” (1922) and “With Stanley in Africa” (1922). She starred in eleven serials and was known for her energy and charisma. Her small stature and delicate beauty were unlikely characteristics expected in a serial heroine. However, she starred these physically demanding serials. In 1921, she became the third actress to portray “Jane”. She starred in the movie serial “The Adventures of Tarzan’ (1921). She was selected as a “Wampas Baby Star” in 1922. The organization was very successful at identifying future stars. Among their “finds” was Clara Bow and Joan Crawford. She starred in only five talkies during her film career including “Near the Rainbow’s End’ (1930). After this film appearance, she retired to spend time with her husband and two children. The IMDb reports that Louise Lorraine appeared in 83 films between 1922 and 1930. Lorraine was married twice. Marriage number one was to actor Art Acord, Her second marriage was to Chester Hubbard. She had two children. This vintage postcard was published by Ross Verlag and was part of a series (no. 836/1). The photographer of this portrait was Roman Freulich (1898-1974). Freulich was born in Poland and immigrated to the United States at the age of 14. He learned his trade from New York photographer Samuel Lumiere. He moved to Hollywood in the mid 1920’s where his brother Jack was a portrait photographer at Universal Pictures. Roman became a still photographer for Universal and produced many portraits of their major stars. He stayed at Universal until 1944 when he moved to Republic Studios. After Republic stopped production, Freulich did much work for United Artists.The stamp box of this postcard has an interesting story. “NBC” (Neue Bromsilber Convention) was a price cartel established in 1909 that continued until the 1930’s. The purpose of the cartel was to ensure that the minimum price charged for postcards was kept at a sufficiently profitable level. A number of postcard publishing companies joined the cartel in an effort to stave off the effect of competition on the pricing of postcards. This postcard has excellent clarity and is in very good condition (see scans).
Buy this original Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes international shipping outside the US) #2630
on December 30, 2018 at 12:00 pm Leave a Comment
Tags: Art Acord, Louise Lorraine, MGM, Roman Freulich, Ross Verlag, Samuel Lumiere, Tarzan, Universal, WAMPAS
JACQUELINE LOGAN: BEAUTIFUL STAR OF FILM AND STAGE AND BIGAMIST
This vintage real photo postcard features silent film star Jacqueline Logan (1904-1983). Logan had auburn hair and green eyes. She was considered to be very beautiful. Logan was a “WAMPAS Baby Star” of 1922. The Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers sponsored the WAMPAS promotional campaign. Each year between 1922 and 1934 the promotion honored 13-15 young actresses who were predicted to be on the cusp of movie stardom. Other honorees besides Logan included Clara Bow, Joan Crawford, Fay Wray, and Ginger Rogers. Jacqueline Logan was born in Corsicana, Texas and grew up in Nebraska. She worked briefly as a journalist in Scottsbluff, Nebraska and than went to Colorado Springs for health issues. She took a journalism course there and than moved to Chicago where she found a job dancing in a stage production. She had told her family she was going to Chicago to attend college. She then went of New York City with a theater troupe. While in New York, she received a small part in the Broadway musical “Florodora (1920). She was noticed by Flo Ziegfeld who hired her as a dancer. She also was selected to model in photographs by Alfred Cheney Johnston. By 1921, she began appearing in films. Her first role was in “The Perfect Crime”. Also featured in the film was Carole Lombard, who at the time, was a child actress. Cecile B. DeMille selected Logan to play Mary Magdalene in the film “King of Kings” (1927). The movie broke audience attendance records. With the advent of “talkies”, Logan had less success. However, she did appear in “Show of Shows” (1929) in which she was a member of an all-star cast. Next, she went to England to do stage work. She received many good reviews. She was then hired by British International Pictures to write and direct films. She was successful in her writing and directing. When she returned to Hollywood she found that studios were not interested in hiring her for behind the camera work. Their resistance was likely predominately due to not wanting a female to direct films. Back in America, she appeared in several Broadway shows including “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Two Strange Women”. In 1934, after her marriage to an industrialist, she retired from films. The IMDB web site reports that Logan has 61 film credits between 1921 and 1931. The Internet Broadway Database lists 3 Broadway play credits for the actress between 1920 and 1935. In her later years, Logan became a conservative political activist and member of the John Birch Society. This real photo portrait postcard was produced in France. It was part of a series (no. 197) called “Les Vedettes de Cinema (Stars of the Cinema)”. The photograph was taken at the Alfred Noyer studio (AN) in Paris. The actual photographer may have been Witze. The postcard includes an advertisement for Fox Film, indicating Logan’s affiliation with the studio at the time of the photograph. The second photograph of Miss Logan is a press photo from 1928. Judging by the title of the text on the reverse (see below), this image appeared in a newsreel. Jacquline Logan had made the news because she had committed bigamy. Apparently she married Larry Winston before her divorce from Ralph Gillespie had become finalized. It appears she was too impatient to wait for the ink to dry on her divorce decree.
REVERSE OF POSTCARD
REVERSE OF PRESS PHOTO
on September 26, 2017 at 7:32 pm Comments (1)
Tags: Alfred Cheney Johnston, Cecile DeMille, Jacqueline Logan, John Birch Society, WAMPAS
SEXUAL CHEMISTRY IN FILM: VIRGINIA VALLI AND GEORGE O’BRIEN (RPPC)
Can sexual chemistry be photographed? This fantastic vintage real photo postcard provides evidence that the answer is yes. This image captures early film stars George O’Brien and Virginia Valli in an emotionally charged scene in an unknown movie. The pair starred together in at least two silent movies produced by Fox. The films were “Paid to Love” (1927) and “Eastside Westside” (1927). Virginia Valli (1898-1968) was an American stage and film actress. Her early acting experience was with a Milwaukee based stage troupe. Her film career started in the silent film era and ended in the early stages of the talkies (1930’s). She has 65 credits on the IMDB web site. She began her film work with Essanay Studios in her hometown of Chicago in 1916. By the mid 1920’s, she was an established star at Universal Studios. She was the star of King Vidor’s “Wild Oranges” (1924). Most of her films were produced in the mid 1920’s and include Alfred Hitchcock’s first feature movie, “The Pleasure Garden” (1925). Her first sound picture was in 1929. She left the movie business in 1931 due to her high salary command and declining appeal to audiences. She moved to Palm Springs, California with her second husband, actor Charles Farrell. She was very much part of the social scene there. She died in Palm Springs at age seventy. George O’Brien (1899-1985) was an American actor popular during the silent film era as well as the early talkies era of the 1930’s. He is remembered most for his role in Murnau’s 1927 film “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans”. He had an active film career which is evident by the fact that the IMDB web site gives him 85 credits. O’Brien was born in San Francisco and his father at one time, was the city’s chief of police. During World War I, O’Brien was in the US Navy and served on a submarine chaser. He worked as a stretcher bearer for wounded Marines and was decorated for his bravery. Following the war, O’Brien became the light-heavyweight champion of the Pacific Fleet. After completing is service, O’Brien was in his early twenties and he went to Hollywood to seek work as a cameraman. He did find employment in the field and helped film for Tom Mix and Buck Jones. He then entered acting by playing bit parts and by being a stuntman. His first starring role was in “The Man Who Came Back” (1927) where he played opposite Doroth Mackaill. He then appeared in “Iron Horse” by famed director John Ford in which his counterpart was Madge Bellamy. The film was a great success and the experience forged a colloborative relationship with Ford that resulted in O’Brien appearing in nine more of the directors films. He spent much of the 1920’s as a leading man in action and adventure type roles. During the 20’s he received the nickname “the torso” because of his excellent physique. With the arrival of sound, O’Brien appeared predominately in Westerns during the 1930’s and he was considered a major draw. With the arrival of World War II, O’Brien re-enlisted in the US Navy and served as a beachmaster in the Pacific theater. He was decorated several times and when he was discharged he had attained the rank of commander. He later joined the Naval Reserve where he served as a captain. O’Brien’s last leading role was in a film that included the Three Stooges. According to his obituary, O’Brien was buried at sea courtesy of the US Navy. This real photo postcard was published by Iris Verlag and made in Germany. The postcard is part of a series (no. 5121) and credits Fox Film.
ADDENDUM: After viewing this image, a visitor contacted me to claim that the beautiful woman in this photograph is not Virginia Valli, but instead, it is June Collyer (1906-1968). I was unable to locate information or relevant comparison images to definitively confirm that it is Collyer that is in the photograph, but I did find a film publicity photo identical to the postcard image above. The description of that photo indicates that the pictured woman is Collyer. Collyer was born in New York City and as a society girl was chosen by Allan Dwan (Director, Producer, Screen Writer) to her first starring role in “East Side, West Side. She did eleven silent films and made a successful transition to talkies. In 1928 she was he was one of the thirteen girls selected as “WAMPAS BABY STARS”. In 1930 she appeared in “The Three Sisters” and “Sweet Kitty Bellairs”. From 1930 through 1936 she starred in nineteen films. She took a sabbatical from acting in the 1940’s and did television acting during the 1950’s. June was the sister of radio actor/announcer Bud Collyer (1908-1969). He became a major game show star hosting such programs as “Beat the Clock” and “To Tell the Truth”. June Collyer was married to actor Stu Erwin. In conclusion, I am unsure whether the beautiful woman in this image is Miss Valli or Miss Collyer. It is an answerable question if someone is willing to do the requisite research.
on December 24, 2016 at 12:00 pm Comments (1)
Tags: Fox Film, George O'Brien, John Ford, Silent Film, Virginia Valli
ANNY ONDRA: BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED ACTRESS AND WIFE OF BOXING CHAMPION MAX SCHMELING
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Cofounders
Elimination of double taxation for Alternative Investment Companies in Poland
Poland introduced a law which announces simplifications for entrepreneurs, including some beneficial changes for venture capital funds. They will enter into force as of 1 January 2019.
As far as changes for VC funds are concerned, double taxation of income earned by venture capital funds for investors has been successfully eliminated. As of the new year, Alternative investment companies (ASI) do not pay income tax on earnings from the sale of shares or stocks. The tax will be paid only once by investors (recognised in PIT or CIT return).
The change which eliminates double taxation for ASI: “Pursuant to Art. 8(7)(b) of the Act, certain changes in Art 17(1) of the Act of 15 February 1992 on Corporate Income tax are introduced so that section 58 is followed by 58a according to which income (revenue) of alternative investment companies earned in the fiscal year from the sale of shares or stock shall be tax-free as long as the alternative investment company which disposes the shares or stock directly held before the disposal date at least 10% of the shares or stock in the company whose shares or stock are being sold for a continuous period of two years;"
Detailed information on amendments to the Act: http://dziennikustaw.gov.pl/du/2018/2244/1 “Elimination of double taxation for ASI is a solution that we have been advocating for a long time”, says Tomasz Golinski, Founding Partner at CofounderZone. “We believe that proposed changes will attract investors' attention, especially of those active on private equity market”, adds.
CofounderZone is a manager of alternative investment companies registered in the register of alternative investment company managers maintained by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (FSA). “The first ASI that we have established is an entity that acquired Polish Development Fund (PFR Ventures) as a cornerstone investor. The investment strategy of this ASI focuses on co-investments with angel invests in early and growth stage companies. We expect to establish following alternative investment companies in the upcoming future”, says Michal Sioda, Founding Partner at CofounderZone.
© 2019 CofounderZone sp. z o.o.
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Budget Amendments - HB1301 (Committee Approved)
Bill Order » Item 138 #5s
VA STAR IT Repair Certification
Item 138 #5s
Education: Elementary and Secondary
Direct Aid To Public Education FY2013 $425,000 FY2014 $425,000 GF
Page 95, line 3, strike "$9,456,858" and insert "$9,881,858".
Page 96, after line 30, insert:
"K. Out of this appropriation, the Department of Education shall provide $425,000 each year from the general fund for the Virginia Student Training and Refurbishment Program."
(This amendment provides support for the Virginia Student Training and Refurbishment Program, which is a collaborative effort of the Secretaries of Education and Technology and the Departments of Education and General Services to introduce Virginia's students to the field of information technology. The goal of VA STAR, which is administered by Prince William County Schools, is to create a sustainable educational program that takes surplus hardware from state agencies or private companies in order to offer students IT repair certification. Once refurbished, the computers are available for school use or distribution to students' families and community foundations needing them. In the first two years, VA STAR has eight participating school divisions, ranging from rural King William to Fairfax.)
Direct Aid To Public Education
Financial Assistance for Educational, Cultural, Community, and Artistic Affairs (14300) $9,456,858 $9,076,858
Financial Assistance for Supplemental Education (14304) FY2013 $9,456,858 FY2014 $9,076,858
Authority: Discretionary Inclusion.
A. Out of this appropriation, the Department of Education shall provide $623,776 the first year and $623,776 the second year from the general fund for the Jobs for Virginia Graduates initiative.
B. Out of this appropriation, the Department of Education shall provide $124,011 the first year and $124,011 the second year from the general fund for the Southwest Virginia Public Education Consortium at the University of Virginia's College at Wise. An additional $71,849 the first year and $71,849 the second year from the general fund is provided to the Consortium to continue the Van Gogh Outreach program with Lee and Wise County Public Schools and expand the program to the twelve school divisions in Southwest Virginia.
C. This appropriation includes $58,905 the first year and $58,905 the second year from the general fund for the Southside Virginia Regional Technology Consortium to expand the research and development phase of a technology linkage.
D. An additional state payment of $145,896 the first year and $145,896 the second year from the general fund is provided as a Small School Division Assistance grant for the City of Norton. To receive these funds, the local school board shall certify to the Superintendent of Public Instruction that its division has entered into one or more educational, administrative or support service cost-sharing arrangements with another local school division.
E. Out of this appropriation, $248,021 the first year and $248,021 the second year from the general fund shall be allocated for the Career and Technical Education Resource Center to provide vocational curriculum and resource instructional materials free of charge to all school divisions.
F. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Department of Education provide bonuses from state funds to classroom teachers in Virginia's public schools who hold certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. Such bonuses shall be $5,000 the first year of the certificate and $2,500 annually thereafter for the life of the certificate. This appropriation includes an amount estimated at $5,185,000 the first year and $5,185,000 the second year from the general fund for the purpose of paying these bonuses. By September 30 of each year, school divisions shall notify the Department of Education of the number of classroom teachers under contract for that school year that hold such certification.
G.1. This appropriation includes $708,000 the first year and $708,000 the second year from the general fund for the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program. These scholarships shall be for undergraduate students at or beyond the sophomore year in college with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.7 who are nominated by their college and students at the graduate level and who meet the criteria and qualifications, pursuant to § 22.1-290.01, Code of Virginia. Awards shall be made to students who are enrolled full-time or part-time in approved undergraduate or graduate teacher education programs for (i) critical teacher shortage disciplines, such as special education, chemistry, physics, earth and space science, foreign languages, or technology education or (ii) as students meeting the qualifications in § 22.1-290.01, Code of Virginia, who have been identified by a local school board to teach in any discipline or at any grade level in which the school board has determined that a shortage of teachers exists; however, such persons shall meet the qualifications for awards granted pursuant to this item; or (iii) those students seeking degrees in Career and Technical education. Minority students may be enrolled in any content area for teacher preparation and male students may be enrolled in any approved elementary or middle school teacher preparation program; therefore, this provision shall satisfy the requirements for the Diversity in Teaching Initiative and Fund, pursuant to Chapters 570, 597, 623, 645, and 719 of the Acts of Assembly of 2000. Scholarship recipients may fulfill the teaching obligation by accepting a teaching position (i) in one of the critical teacher shortage disciplines; or (ii) regardless of teaching discipline, in a school with a high concentration of students eligible for free or reduced price lunch; or (iii) in any discipline or at grade levels with a shortage of teachers; or (iv) in a rural or urban region of the state with a teacher shortage. For the purposes of this item, "critical teacher shortage area and discipline" means subject areas and grade levels identified by the Board of Education in which the demand for classroom teachers exceeds the supply of teachers, as defined in the Board of Education's Regulations Governing the Determination of Critical Teacher Shortage Areas. Scholarship amounts are based on $3,720 per year for full-time students, and shall be prorated for part-time students based on the number of credit hours. The Board of Education is authorized to recover total funds awarded as scholarships or the appropriate proportion thereof in the event that scholarship recipients fail to honor the stipulated teaching obligation. The Department of Education shall report annually on the critical shortage teaching areas in Virginia.
2. The Department of Education shall make payments on behalf of the scholarship recipients directly to the Virginia institution of higher education where the scholarship recipient is enrolled full-time or part-time in an approved undergraduate or graduate teacher education program.
3. The Board of Education is authorized to recover total funds awarded as scholarships, or the appropriate portion thereof, in the event that scholarship recipients fail to honor the stipulated teaching obligation. Any funds collected by the Board on behalf of this program shall revert to the general fund on June 30 each year. Such reversion shall be the net of any administrative or legal fees associated with the collection of these funds.
H. Out of the amounts for this Item, shall be provided $31,003 the first year and $31,003 the second year from the general fund for the Virginia Career Education Foundation.
I. Out of this appropriation, $212,500 the first year and $212,500 the second year from the general fund shall be distributed to the Greater Richmond Area Scholarship Program, Incorporated (GRASP) to provide students and families in need access to financial aid, scholarships, and counseling to maximize educational opportunities for students.
J. Out of this appropriation, the Department of Education shall provide $1,000,000 the first year and $1,000,000 the second year from the general fund to Communities in Schools.
K. This appropriation includes $100,000 the first year and $100,000 the second year from the general fund for the Superintendent of Public Education to award supplemental grants to charter schools.
L. Out of this appropriation, $80,000 the first year from the general fund is provided for one-time planning and implementation grants to support the establishment of Governor's Health Sciences Academies. In spring 2012, the Department of Education will solicit competitive proposals for funding from school divisions in each of the eight superintendents' planning regions. The Department of Education will award eight planning grants of $5,000 each during the first semester of the 2012-2013 school year to support the program development process. Upon approval by the Board of Education to implement an Academy in the second half of FY 2013, the Department of Education will award eight implementation grants of $5,000 to each of the approved Academies.
M. This appropriation includes $67,897 the first year and $67,897 the second year from the general fund to support implementation of the Youth Development Academy pilot program for rising 9th and 10th grade students. The local applicant selected to conduct a pilot academy, in consultation with the Department of Education, will develop the curriculum and content for the pilot academy to include a focus on civics education, financial literacy, community service, preventive health, character education, and leadership skills. Each of the eight superintendents' planning regions will be invited to apply to host the pilot academy. The Department of Education will make the final determination on which region will implement the pilot academy based on the proposals received.
N. Out of this appropriation, $300,000 the first year and $400,000 the second year from the general fund is provided to establish a comprehensive pilot initiative to recruit students to major in the fields of mathematics and science to help alleviate the shortage of qualified teachers in these fields.
O. Out of this appropriation, $500,000 the first year and $100,000 the second year from the general fund is provided to fund a pilot initiative to attract, recruit, and retain high-quality diverse individuals to teach science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) subjects in Virginia's middle and high schools. A new teacher with no teaching experience employed full-time in a Virginia school division who has been issued a five-year Virginia teaching license with an endorsement in mathematics, physics, or technology education and assigned to a teaching position in a corresponding STEM subject area is eligible to receive a $5,000 initial incentive award after the completion of the first year of teaching with a satisfactory performance evaluation and a signed contract for the following school year. An additional $1,000 incentive award may be granted for each year the eligible teacher receives a satisfactory evaluation and teaches a STEM subject for up to three years in a Virginia school division. The maximum incentive award for each eligible teacher is $8,000. Funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis with preference to teachers assigned to teach in hard-to-staff schools or schools in improvement.
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May 31, 2019|Lisa McDonald
Corning’s optical communication segment should continue to drive growth in 2019
Corning Incorporated reported strong Q1 results recently on the back of impressive growth for its optical communications business (its largest operating segment). The segment benefited from improved demand for its carrier and enterprise network products, and received a significant boost from the acquisition of 3M’s communications markets business.
The 3dpbm interactive map of commercially available AM technologies
The first 3dpbm interactive map of commercially available 3D printing technologies is now available online. The different technologies are divided into five major material families (metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, and bioinks) and listed with the most relevant additive manufacturing hardware manufacturers for each technology.
Kyocera to acquire advanced ceramic business of Germany-based Friatec GmbH
Kyocera Corporation announced that its Germany-based European headquarters, Kyocera Fineceramics GmbH, will acquire the advanced ceramics business operations of Friatec GmbH, a manufacturer and seller of ceramic and plastic components based in Mannheim, Germany, through a newly established subsidiary.
Australian rare-earth ore processor wants to build a plant in the US
Lynas Corp., an Australian rare-earths processor, and Blue Line Corp., a chemical company which based in Texas, agreed to a partnership to “see that U.S. companies have continued access to rare-earth products by offering a US-based source.” Currently, the only rare-earths mine in the U.S. is in Mountain Pass, Calif.
Global glass recycling market will grow at a CAGR of 5% during 2019–2023
Technavio’s research report on Global Glass Recycling Market for forecast period 2019–2023 estimates global glass recycling market size will grow by more than US$916 million, at a CAGR of more than 5%. The concept of green buildings is gaining popularity worldwide and is being increasingly adopted in developing countries.
Oerlikon opens new $55 million Innovation Hub focused on additive manufacturing
Oerlikon, a global provider of surface solutions, equipment, advanced materials, and materials processing, opened its second United States location in North Carolina. The US$55 million, 125,000-sq.-ft. facility will serve as a cornerstone of Oerlikon’s additive manufacturing business in the U.S.
4JET develops solution for processing large flat and curved glass substrates
4JET microtech’s GLASS-LINE product line comprises laser systems for patterning thin-film coatings and for separating glass based on the company’s PearlCut process. A new system covers a 3D processing volume of 1000 × 1000 × 300 mm3, and can create tracks at a resolution down to 100 µm as needed.
Global ceramic matrix composites market 2019–2023
Analysts predict the ceramic matrix composites market will register a CAGR of almost 10% by 2023. Growing demand for ceramic matrix composites from developing countries is expected to fuel market growth. Countries such as China, Singapore, India, and Thailand are increasingly adopting fuel-efficient ceramic matrix composite-based aircraft engines.
Manufacturers post mixed results in adopting digital
Manufacturers participating in a survey indicated mixed progress in adopting digital factory technologies: 65% of respondents said they have brought in robots the past three years into their operations; 37% said they’ve adopted 3D printing; 35% said they’ve deployed advanced analytics; and 31% cited the Internet of Things.
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You are here: Home / News / R.A.V.E. Madness
R.A.V.E. Madness
JOHNSTOWN — Friday night lights were shining bright during the “5th Quarter” on September 11, as Greater Johnstown High School was the first school to host a “R.A.V.E.” event. Organizers said it surpassed their expectations.
In August, the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies’ Youth Philanthropy Interns, Kylee Farabaugh, David Saylor, Hayden Spangler, Tabitha Weaver, and senior intern Mikella Buncich, awarded $25,000 to the Cambria County Prevention Coalition to fund “R.A.V.E.” (Reduce Alcohol Violence & Experimentation), a program that aims to provide students with engaging activities for after-school events to prevent substance abuse.
The Cambria County Prevention Coalition is distributing “mini grants” to school districts that express interest in hosting an event that provides alternative activities that discourage students from drug and alcohol use. They believe that the knowledge of the Prevention Coalition teamed with the youth perspective of high school students will prove to be a great collaboration to reduce alcohol violence.
For the 5th Quarter at GJSD, students sold tickets for $2. On Wednesday before the event about 20 tickets were sold, by the day of the event 70 were sold, and by the time the football game ended, there were more than 220 students participating in the RAVE event. It lasted from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. on the football field; the students played games, won giveaways, ate pizza, and hung out.
“We had no idea that the event would spin off the way it did,” said Marlene Singer, who helped to coordinate the program with the Prevention Coalition.
“The fact that the students embraced the idea, thought it was cool, and want it to happened again, we couldn’t ask for anything better,” said Singer. “This is exactly what we want this program to do.”
GJSD plans on holding the event at their next home game because the response from the student body was overwhelming. Sheetz is now planning to sponsor the event to help spread the positive message at schools throughout the area.
“This event is keeping kids off the streets, away from violence, drugs, and alcohol,” said Singer. “The best part is they’re having fun, trying something new, and they’re safe.”
If schools would like more information on the RAVE program or would like to become a part of it, click on making a difference.
September 24, 2015December 3, 201500
By Angie BerzonskiIn NewsTags Cambria County, CFA, Community, Community Foundation, Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, Event, Grant, Johnstown, Make A Difference, Youth, YPI
TubapaloozaPenelec Sustainable Energy Fund
Meet the 2019 Youth Philanthropy Interns
Nearly $1.5 Million in NEW Funding Announced
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Channel-K
Home Entertainment K-Drama Review: ‘Night Light’ Is a Drama About Politics and Business That...
K-Drama Review: ‘Night Light’ Is a Drama About Politics and Business That You’re Going to Relate to so Much
https://kpinfoblog.files.wordpress.com
Flashback with the Drama About Business and Politics, Night Light
If you’re a fan of Korean dramas and like stories about politics and business, hopefully you’ve watched the drama Night Light. Night Light is a drama that tells the story of political and business life in the world of economics. The drama stars Lee Yo-won, Jin Goo, and UEE.
This story highlights the difficulties you might encounter in the world of business and politics in the real world. It aired at the same time as the dramas Goblin and Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim, so tits ratings were fairly low, however, even so, this drama is still worth watching because the cast and storylines are both unique and interesting.
Let’s discuss the drama Night Light!
Night Light Drama Review
https://www.hancinema.net
As we know, Night Light is a Korean drama that tells about the lives of wealthy entrepreneurs running their businesses in South Korea, and money is everything to them. Night Light illustrates to the viewers that money can buy anything and money plays an important role in business.
The drama tells the story of Seo Yi-kyung, played by Lee Yo-won, a businesswoman who ambitiously wants to build her own empire. She is a beautiful, smart, and wealthy young businesswoman, who has a large gallery that she continues to develop so she enter into a company, namely the Moojin Group, where she can get recognition for all her business.
http://id.castko.com
One day at a charity event, Seo Yi-kyung met a girl who caught her attention, Lee Se-jin, played by UEE. Lee Se-jin is an ordinary girl who needs money to support her life with her aunt and cousin. Lee Se-jin came to a charity event with her paid man.
Lee Se-jin is a smart girl, and meeting with Seo Yi-kyung changes her life, because later Seo Yi-kyung offered her a job with fantastic value.
This drama really gives a feeling of the business world being both timeless and being all about the money. The drama was directed by Lee Jae-dong and written by Han Ji-hoon.
Night Light Drama Rating
https://www.kpopn.com
At the time it was broadcast, Night Light got a fairly low rating compared to other dramas. One of Night Light’s players, Lee Yo-won, revealed why the drama persisted despite getting a fairly low rating. She said, “Bring up loyal fans. It really amazes me. I don’t think fans from China will like it very much. In Korea there are also loyal viewers. When I first received the synopsis, I really wanted to try cool characters like this that I had never played before. When else can I play a character like this. That’s why I think women like it.”
https://korea.iyaa.com
The first episode of Night Light managed to get a pretty high rating, which was around 6.6% and ranked second. While the first position was occupied by Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim, which scored a new rating record of 16.5%. And the last position is occupied by Sweet Stranger and Me with a rating of 3.7%.
However, during the following episodes, Night Light lost much of its audience and got a pretty low rating. Even on the last episode, Night Light had to be satisfied with a rating of around 4.4%.
Well, what do you think abut this drama? Are you already watching this drama?
Why You Need To Watch Night Light
If you are a Korean drama lover and are interested in business and politics, this drama is for you.
First, the cast is full of very popular actors, such as UEE, Jung Hae-in, Lee Yo-won, and Jin Goo. Not only is the cast full of popular names, their acting really brings their characters to life.
Second, it’s got a great storyline. The storyline for this drama is quite interesting because it illustrates how money and power can get you anything in the business world.
Third, drama OST (original sound track). The drama OST really supports the drama’s storyline. Night Light also has a great drama OST, with songs like WAY by XIA, Like That Day by Sungjae (Supernova), and For Me by Bae Soo-jung.
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Operational Procedures for the World Bank's Grievance Redress Service (GRS)
n/a June 01, 2016 to June 30, 2016 Policy Review Global
Towards More Effective Impact Measurement in the Tourism Sector
n/a February 16, 2016 to March 04, 2016 Thematic Report Global
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“Someone else will play Captain America” says The Avengers’ Chris Evans
Nerds: if you had to choose a way to die, what would it be? Beaten to a pulp by Captain America and Hawkeye, right? Well get ready to be jealous…
Two of the earth’s mightiest heroes chatted to RadioTimes.com about The Avengers: Age of Ultron, the future of the Marvel universe and how they want to smash my teeth in with Cap’s shield. What can I say? I have a way with people.
As well as the continuing adventures of Iron Man and the rest, Evans had some kind words to say about the rival Fantastic Four reboot. Before donning the star-spangled costume, Evans played Johnny ‘Human Torch’ Storm in the 2005 film, a role now taken by Michael B. Jordan.
“I actually can’t wait to see it,” Evans said magnanimously. “Our movies were very specific, and my take on the character was very specific, so it’s going to be interesting to see what he does with it.”
With persistent rumours of Evans letting another actor take up Captain America’s shield, Evans seemed comfortable with the idea of reboots and recastings:
“That’s the beautfiul thing about these characters,” he explained, “whether it’s Batman or Superman…”
…or Captain America?
“…or Captain America, which I’m sure at some point someone else will play. It’s like James Bond, someone else is always going to reincarnate them and play them a different way. That’s great to be a part of the lineage. It’s not yours to keep, it never was.”
Articles — Interviews — Videos
Chris Evans Records Inspiring Video for a Sick Boy
Chris Evans on “The Ellen Show” April 30
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On Thursday (26 November 2015) I was invited to speak at the Oxford Union marriage debate. Of our group of six ‘paper speakers’, the big hitters were Germaine Greer and Peter Hitchens. I have been asked to write my thoughts about the evening.
Jayne Ozanne and Gareth Hughes at the Oxford Union, celebrating victory.
Bait & switch
I am no celebrity, but was drafted in at the last minute to fill a space in the debate card. I had spent most of the Wednesday away from Oxford at a family funeral, and returned to a find a rather exasperated Union returning officer waiting to collar me before I said Mass. I’m sure he explained things perfectly, but I’m afraid I only registered the snippets “Germaine Greer”, “state recognition of marriage” and “oppose the motion”. My response was, “Well, I don’t have anything planned tomorrow evening, and, if you’re desperate, I’ll do it”. By e-mail later that evening, I was informed that the title of the debate was ‘This House Believes the State should not Recognise Marriage’, and I was an opposition speaker. I had not until then understood the double negative: I had agreed to speak in favour of state recognition of marriage.
Instinctively, my heart is against state recognition of marriage. I know people in other countries who have had to convert to another religion in order to marry. I believe tax breaks for married couples is a peculiar kind of social engineering, bribing couples to marry and remain married for lower tax code. Although I am a supporter of same-sex marriage, I found the UK government’s rush to implement it strained our already confused and complex marriage law (at least English marriage law), creating qualitatively different marriages in law and allowing the established church to barricade itself within a narrow limitation of the law of the land to which it ties itself (other-sex marriage only).
I took heart in the maxim that one is strongest in debate when one debates against one’s own beliefs. It would have been easy to divide the debate into a liberal proposition opposed by conservatives, so, if I were to be on the opposition bench, I wanted my liberal and progressive credentials to shine through unmistakably. This was especially true because I felt it only right to wear clericals, and, as the invitation requested ‘black tie’, that meant dusting off my frockcoat — I would look the image of a 19th-century Anglican arch-conservative.
The first draft of my argument was drawn from the preface of the Common Worship Marriage Service: “it enriches society and strengthens community”. The Church of England’s theology of marriage is that it is a social good, that stable, loving human relationships are the building blocks for a good society. I can immediately see a problem with this: it can be up-ended to bash single parents, divorcees and single people as antisocial. I had some good advice on academic papers to support this view from old friend and Oxford anthropologist Dr Jon Lanman. However, the more I thought through marriage as a social good, the greater the number of philosophical holes I saw in it.
On the day of debate I had lunch with Hertford College’s irrepressible feminist political theorist Dr Dana Mills, who tore my social-good argument apart and reckoned Germaine Greer would have no trouble in doing the same. She had the view that human rights law was the way to proceed: how states legislate to protect our individual rights to family and private life. We happen to have a shared appreciation of Eleanor Marx, socialist activist and daughter of Karl, and I loved Dana’s suggestion that I quote Tussy’s 1886 The Woman Question on the floor of the Union.
That describes the ingredients of my paper: my sympathy for the proposition, showing myself to be, in spite of appearance, liberal and progressive, some elements of social good, human rights law, and Eleanor Marx.
Drinks & dinner
For those who don’t know, the Oxford Union is the student debating society of the University of Oxford, but its establishment and prominence is much greater than any other student society. In all my time at Oxford, I have never been a member or darkened its rather elegant portal. Of late, this self-proclaimed trumpet of free speech has seemed more enamoured of celebrity and controversy. I confess to being prejudiced against the Union, believing it to be one of the remaining residual habitats for Oxford’s ‘Brideshead factor’ and a place where pretentious boys go to play parliament in bowties and clipped vowels. I met some lovely people who do not fit this description, but there was no attempt to disabuse me of my prejudice.
The evening began with drinks, at which I had the great delight to meet with my debating opponent Prof. Dean Spade. Dean is an associate professor of law at Seattle University School of Law, and founder of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, which provides free legal services to trans people.
At the following dinner, I was seated opposite my debating partner Jayne Ozanne and beside Germaine Greer. Jayne is a member of the Archbishops’ Council and director of Accepting Evangelicals, a network of evangelicals who accept the place of gay people in the church. I admit to being overawed by Germaine’s celebrity, telling her how an ex-girlfriend had given me The Female Eunuch to educate myself. I wanted to have a polite little dinner, too timid to bring up her recent statements on transwomen. The subject was brought up by others. Germaine’s response was that she had been continually, gratuitously misunderstood and misquoted, and that much of this can be traced back to a complex and difficult time at Newnham College.
The staff and food at the Union were very good. The dinner concluded with the pomposity of toasts, the last being the ‘loyal’ one. There are few places left that insist on this bizarre ritual (it is forbidden at my college), and I do not make the toast the monarch. My fellow republican beside me simply, wordlessly sipped at her drink.
The Union’s debating chamber was full. After some notices by various officers, we proceeded with the ‘paper speeches’ alternating between the proposition and the opposition. The proposition speakers were, in order, Tom Foxton, a student at St Peter’s College, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, the author of Kosher Sex, Germaine Greer, and Dean Spade. For the opposition we had Harrison Edmonds, a student at University College, me, Jayne Ozanne, and Peter Hitchens.
I followed Rabbi Shmuley’s speech, an energetic performance packed with humour. I felt the only way to go was to contrast some dry, English self-deprecatory wit after the Hollywood bombast. I was not particularly happy with my performance, beginning a little too slowly and rushing the end. I had not timed my text, but it would have been just right for the ten minutes if I had started more quickly.
As Germaine Greer was introduced the inevitable protest erupted in the chamber from supporters of trans rights. She stood and silently faced her accusers, resolute. The protesters mostly shouted across each other, making it impossible for their point to be heard. A silent walk out, the unfurling of a banner or some other act might have been more successful than simple disruption. It was a pity that no member of the protest group remained to deliver a ‘point of information’ during Germaine’s speech or to deliver their own floor speech. The protesters were removed by security, while the Union officers spoke in self-congratulatory terms of upholding free speech at their removal — the irony seemed completely lost on them; they will have glowing political careers. In terms of the speakers, three of us — Dean, Jayne and I — explicitly mentioned our support for trans rights (that’s 2:1 for the opposition!).
The most striking part of Germaine Greer’s speech was her angry emphasis on the number of women who are killed by their partners or ex-partners in the UK — a shocking two women every week. I don’t think it had much bearing on the debate at hand, but it was an important fact to underline, and I thank her for reminding us of it and challenging us to do something about it.
Jayne Ozanne’s speech was brought to us by the word ‘passion’, with a touching account of how she once proposed marriage (the full text of her speech is here, do read it). Speeches from the floor followed, with some very good speakers. Many of these focused on the legislation for same-sex marriage. After the floor speeches, Dean Spade brought us important insight from the historical demography of the United States. He spoke about how marriage and lack of state-recognised marriage has been used to control the lives of people of colour, and its effect continues to this day.
Lastly came Peter Hitchens with perhaps the most lacklustre of all the speeches. He told us how society, politicians and judges have conspired to undermine marriage, and that marriage is a contract and that anyone seeking divorce is a contract breaker. Of course, no lawyer would make such a wild claim. As the Danish lawyer I had dinner with the following night told me, contracts are time-limited, specific in the duties entailed and have clear mechanisms for their cancellation. If marriage be understood as a contract, it is a unique, unusual type of contract. In the same way that new students get sexual-consent workshops in college, telling them that consent must be enthusiastic and ongoing, the ‘I will’ (not the ‘I do’ of Hollywood) of marriage is not made once and forgotten, but remade each day (that’s the hard part). As Peter spoke, all I could do was imagine the woman in a loveless marriage or an abusive marriage being told to keep up her end of the contract, being delivered back ‘home’ by the police from the women’s refuge. The miserable absence of any compassion was telling. For a man who claims to uphold Christian morals, lacking such compassion undermines any claim to be speaking from the vicinity of Jesus.
As they do, they voted. We, the opposition, were narrowly victorious 117:102.
Categories: feminism, politics, society | Tags: Dana Mills, Dean Spade, debate, Eleanor Marx, Gareth Hughes, Germaine Greer, Jayne Ozanne, Jon Lanman, Karl Marx, marriage, Oxford, Oxford Union, Peter Hitchens, Shmuley Boteach, state | Permalink.
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How To Make The Phantom Menace Not Suck
The Observation Deck blog on IO9 is asking a thought provoking question: what would it take to make Star Wars: Episode I not suck? I have a few thoughts on how one of the most anticipated movies in cinematic history could have ended up being one of the most beloved.
First, if you have the time and you don’t mind the NSFW language, the Mr. Plinkett review for The Phantom Menace actually delivers some really good commentary on why the film does not succeed from the perspective of a filmmaker. The video is worth watching, but the points are boiled down thus:
Too much exposition/not enough explanation: A lot of exposition comes from dialogue and characters talking about important things rather than showing them, such as was done in the original trilogy. Even with this over reliance on talking heads, core concepts like what the Trade Federation is are never explained. The blockade of Naboo is over vague “trade disputes.” Darth Maul has zero depth as an antagonist. We don’t really know why any of the events are happening.
No Every-Man Character: it’s important for the audience to have a character that is a surrogate for the audience’s own lack of knowledge and can ask questions like “what are the Jedi” and “what is the Force?”
No central protagonist: who’s the main character of Episode I? It’s not Anakin, considering how late he appears in the movie and his inability to control events around him. Things just happen to him.
Too much reliance on special effects.
Dissolution of tension: scenes that should be exciting aren’t, because the audience doesn’t know what’s going on or they don’t care. Compare the lightsaber duel with Darth Maul to the ones in Episodes 5 and 6 against Darth Vader.
It’s too late now, of course, but how could it have been done differently? Let’s assume that we need to keep the core movie the same, so we can’t just throw out the entire script and start fresh. Is the Phantom Menace salvageable under those conditions?
I think so. I think we could fix Episode I (and the prequels in general) in just two steps.
Step 1: Make the main character likable (and figure out who the main character is).
If the prequels are supposed to be Anakin’s story, it’s sort of problematic that he’s a nine year old kid in this one. It really limits his ability to have any sort of agency. If the idea is supposed to establish his callow youth and relative innocence to contrast his dark fall later, that can be done with an older Anakin. You’ll notice that Luke Skywalker is a naive, somewhat whiny wet-behind-the-ears kid in Episode 4, but still has the age and agency to be the protagonist.
Since that deviates too much from the established script, I think the protagonist lens needs to shift to Obi-Wan. We’ll keep Kid Anakin, but focus on Obi-Wan. He’s the protagonist for this movie. What does that mean?
Qui-Gon Jinn needs to go. Let’s set aside the fact that I liked Liam Neeson as a Jedi Master. Dropping Qui-Gon removes a lot of the problems with Obi-Wan’s narrative arc in this movie. It eliminates the inconsistency from the original trilogy, in that Obi-Wan was supposed to be trained by Yoda and failed to mention the man that actually taught him how to be a Jedi.
For the purposes of the prequel, we don’t need to see Obi-Wan as a padawan, let’s just say he’s already a Jedi Knight. If we need a supporting character for him to play off, we can give him an apprentice of his own. That would do a lot for Obi-Wan’s narrative. It would fill the need for a supporting character.
We wouldn’t worry about why Obi-Wan might not have mentioned to Luke that Anakin wasn’t his only apprentice since that apprentice will end up getting killed by Darth Maul. We already know that Obi-Wan is a big fan of the “certain point of view” style of neglecting to mention relevant details when it comes to his own failures. It doesn’t make sense that he’d neglect to ever mention to Luke the name of the man who “really” trained him, but would would he cover up an apprentice that he failed to protect from the Sith? Yeah, I think so.
We need to do this for Obi-Wan because in the current version, it’s Qui-Gon who ultimately ends up getting all of the character development that would have made Obi-Wan more likable. It’s Qui-Gon who believes in the young Skywalker, it’s Qui-Gon who effectively tells the council to “eff off” when it comes to training the boy, and it’s Qui-Gon who takes action and gets things done throughout the movie.
Obi-Wan, in contrast, is the by-the-book guy who does what the council says and stays with the ship.
Hmm, imagine this; the maverick Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi trains an apprentice against the wishes of the council and that apprentice grows up to be reckless, headstrong, and ultimately falls, because although Skywalker makes his own choices down the road, the man who trained him had many of those same flaws.
We also need Obi-Wan to actually like Anakin so that when they duel to the death two movies from now, it’s heartbreaking rather than unsurprising. We need the Obi-Wan that doesn’t scoff at Anakin Skywalker and quip that they’ve picked up “another pathetic life form.” Imagine an Obi-Wan who believes in Anakin so strongly he’ll do anything to make the boy a Jedi. It’s an Obi-Wan who is a surrogate father figure to the boy who never had a father of his own. It’s an Obi-Wan who actually loves Anakin like a son, rather than just some unfortunate burden that he’s stuck with and has to train, ’cause my dead Master was gonna, so why not.
Qui-Gon ultimately serves to muddle the narrative arc for Obi-Wan’s own character. He gets the best developmental moments (such as they are) which are then wastefully spent upon his demise because he never matters to the narrative again.
What if it was Obi-Wan the Jedi Master who watched his first apprentice die to Darth Maul? Couldn’t you imagine how that would drive him to not fail with Anakin? Wouldn’t that create exactly the kind of passion and fear that leads to the dark side?
Remember, when we see Obi-Wan later in Episode 4, he might be the wise old mentor figure, but he’s also having to deal with the fact that he failed Luke’s father and created the monster that is Darth Vader. He done fucked up.
It would fit his arc to show that Anakin wasn’t his first failure and it would make him that much more tragic as a result, but also that much more vindicated when Luke (his final apprentice) turns out okay.
Step 2: Create a compelling villain
Boba Fett might get away with being a fan favorite despite having only four lines of dialogue, but he’s not the main antagonist of his films. Your antagonist has to have a presence that fills the movie in a classic “good vs. evil” struggle like Star Wars. Episode 1’s dependency on the “ominous figure lurking in the background” means that we have no real idea who he is or why he’s scary. He’s never developed. Thus, he’s boring from a narrative perspective, even if he looks cool.
Vader goes through several stages of development. In the first boarding scene, he picks up a Rebel by the neck and chokes him, thus establishing his raw physical power. Later on, when he demonstrates the Force, we see that he’s also some kind of sorcerer and more than just a big brute. And so it goes. Scene by scene, Vader is constructed as a character. We see that he’s physically dominating and he also has magic. He takes care of matters personally. He kills people on his own side. And so on.
The entire prequel trilogy seems to be searching for its antagonist by creating one character and then disposing of him before he can really do anything meaningful. We go from Darth Maul to Count Dooku to General Grievous, with each character getting introduced and dispatched before they can develop into a meaningful threat.
The argument could be that it’s Darth Sidious who is the real antagonist all along, but he’s in the background for too long to fill that role. He’s the man behind the man, not the primary antagonist in terms of narrative structure. Which, you’ll notice, is exactly what he did in the original trilogy. He was the man holding Darth Vader’s leash. He’s the Emperor, but we don’t see him (aside from one brief discussion) until the last movie. But rather than search vaguely for a threat to fill the void created by the Emperor’s absence from the action, we have Darth Vader stomping around, choking dudes and scary-breathing and just generally being badass and terrifying.
Our antagonist has to be a Sith Lord, of course, so let’s go back to Darth Maul. Let’s rebuild the character like we did for Obi-Wan. We’ll keep his insane lightsaber skills and lethal agility as well as the scary appearance. Those things are good; they make him a physical and visual threat.
Let’s remove the borderline-mute characteristic. Sure, it worked for making Boba Fett cool, but it won’t work here for our antagonist. Instead, let’s give Darth Maul the charismatic presence that Count Dooku was supposed to project. What? You can’t imagine a guy with yellow teeth and scary face tattoos being charismatic? This is Star Wars! There are weird looking aliens all over the place. I’m willing to believe that in a universe filled with so many strange aliens that obese, immobile slugs can rule criminal empires, no one would look askance at a guy with tattoos and horns.
In fact, let’s not even worry about the physical appearance, because we already know it doesn’t contribute to a character’s charisma on the screen. We know this because Darth Vader wears a mask for almost the entire trilogy and his presence still dominates every scene he’s in.
I should note that I’m using charisma to define one’s force of personality, rather than just how likable the character is. Vader isn’t kind, he isn’t charming, and he isn’t likable, but he has a presence on the screen. He fills a scene both visually and vocally. Maul . . . doesn’t.
Hell, if Ray Park can’t deliver the lines with a forceful presence, just overdub him with someone who can. Let Park be Maul’s physical presence and a skilled voice actor be his vocal one. Once again, it worked for Vader.
Let’s give Maul all the scenes where he’s the one working the angles, driving the Trade Federation into conflict, terrorizing the Viceroy with what will happen if they fail. We will show Maul to be the driving force rather than the silent enforcer. Let him demonstrate his own power as a Sith Lord somewhere along the lines.
We won’t establish that he’s working for someone else yet. Let us speculate that he’s the true Sith Lord. We know that Palpatine is eventually going to be the Emperor, but let us wonder about how that will happen. We won’t reveal a “Darth Sidious” who just happens to wear a creepy hood just like the Emperor does/will. We’ll make it a mystery. We know it’s eventually Palplatine who will become the Emperor and command the dark side, not Darth Maul, but how? How does Palpatine fit into this? Does he learn from Maul?
Let’s imagine the lightsaber duel with our rewritten characters Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Sith Lord Darth Maul. They have their first duel and Qui-Gon (the young apprentice version, not the older Jedi Master version) is killed. Obi-Wan is heartbroken that he failed his first apprentice. Obi-Wan wins the duel, but Maul escapes.
The Jedi are spooked by the emergence of a new Sith Lord. Where did he come from? Clearly, he has to be hunted, setting up the next movie.
Obi-Wan vows to train Anakin in defiance of the council, partly motivated by his own failure to prepare his first apprentice for the fight against Maul. His own need to absolve himself as well as bring Maul down gives him a drive that causes him to overlook the flaws in Anakin’s training later on. From Obi-Wan, Anakin will eventually learn to pursue the greater good at all costs.
This creates a narrative structure that will pay off dividends across the next two films. Eventually, when Darth Maul is killed in Episode III, we learn the horrifying truth: that he wasn’t the Sith Lord at all, but the Sith Apprentice. Oh shit.
Episode I tried to dangle this tantalizing thought at us during the funeral scene when the Jedi speculate whether it was the master or the apprentice that was destroyed. The mystery is wasted, though because the audience already knows that Maul was just the apprentice, just like we know that Sidious is the Emperor.
But what if we thought Maul was the true Sith Lord? It would fulfill the premise of there being a “phantom menace” since everybody would be focused on Maul even though he’s really still working for Sidious. It would fix the problem of escalation that occurs in the prequels, when you try to go from Maul to Dooku to Grievous. After the double-bladed lightsaber and the scary face, Dooku is almost disappointing as a visual threat, even with the dark side lightning. And then you have Grievous and his four lightsabers and you can just see they’re trying to top themselves from what Maul did, and not really succeeding at it.
The prequels need an antagonist with as much power and lethality as Vader, but isn’t a carbon-copy of Vader. Maul could have been that. He was agile rather than hulking. Vader might have been able to strangle dudes with both his hands and his Force power, but Maul is practically a ninja with his movements. Vader was strength; Maul is speed. In this way, we create a character that establishes himself while still playing to the archetype created by his predecessor.
Maul already has a lot going for him. He has a unique visual appearance. His double-bladed lightsaber is exciting. All he needs is a voice and an actual presence within the narrative the way Vader has and you have a solid character.
Would this fix everything? Of course not. But it’s important to remember that there are a lot of flaws with the original trilogy as well. From silly lines like “scruffy nerfherder” to Luke and Leia kissing, not everything about the original trilogy is perfect. But it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t need to be perfect, so long as the characters are fun and interesting to watch. That’s how I’d go about fixing Episode I.
Matthew Ciarvella movies 5 Comments January 31, 2014 February 1, 2014
About That “Abuse Of Executive Orders” Thing
I didn’t watch the State of the Union address live, so I’ve had to play catch up in the past few days. Fortunately, the Internet makes this a very easy proposition and I’m now fully informed on, among other things, the current status of the union.
My initial thoughts: sounds like we have a lot of work to do as a union. That’s okay with me, though. Work is good, because work is progress and if there’s a term I love more than liberal, it’s progressive.
Another thought: is it just me or did this speech remind anybody of the Obama who ran for president in 2008? The man is a damn fine orator when he focuses on it. This speech felt like a return to form for the president which I, as a member of the liberal loyalist base, found especially invigorating. I think the base needed that shot of adrenaline after the debacle that was the healthcare.gov rollout.
My favorite part, however, isn’t the speech itself, but the political reaction from the other side. I swear I’m not trying to intentionally poke them with a stick, but the Republicans make it so easy. There’s the three different official Republican responses to the state of the union; way to look like a unified and coherent party there, guys. Seriously, well done.
I’m glad we covered all the different flavors of the Republican party: there’s the Republican Party response delivered by Cathy McMorris Rodgers, then there’s the Republican Tea Party response delivered by Mike Lee, and of course, the Rand Paul Tea Party Republican Party response delivered by Rand Paul, because hey, why not.
But for my money, the best punchline comes from Obama’s abuse of executive authority. Dictator! Emperor! King! How dare the president abuse his authority in so improper a fashion! It’s the death of the Constitution! The end of checks and balances. President Obama is going to unleash so many executive orders that we might as well start melting down the gold and platinum to make the man a crown.
Clearly, that’s his aim here, right? He’s going to flood the republic with executive orders. Take a look at the number of executive orders Obama has issued so far during his presidency compared to previous presidents:
Source: Nymag.com
Where’s Obama on this list? Oh, there he is: one up from the bottom.
I think it’s safe to say that if unleashing a tide of executive orders was going to be President Obama’s modus operandi, he would have already started to do so instead of waiting until the sixth year of his presidency. Just a thought.
As an aside, it’s also interesting to note how few executive orders George W. Bush issued. I would have assumed his number would have been higher. But that’s the great thing about dealing with facts and reality; if facts contradict your view on a particular topic, you change your view.
Matthew Ciarvella politics 4 Comments January 30, 2014 January 30, 2014
But Does It Project A Tiny Blue Hologram?
I am enough of a nerd to admit this: if Cortana is the actual name of Microsoft’s personal data assistant, I want one. If it’s just the code name for the project, I will be disappointed.
I hear people talking to Siri on their iPhones all the time, but Siri doesn’t remind me of one of my favorite Xbox games. I want to have a brief moment of Halo fan-thrill every time I need to find out something.
“Cortana, find me a restaurant.”
“Cortana, what’s the weather like today?”
“Cortana, what’s the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?”
Is that dorky? Yes. Yes, it is.
Do I care? I still hold my hand out and pretend to be a Jedi every time I walk through an automatic door. You tell me.
Matthew Ciarvella geek stuff Leave a comment January 29, 2014 January 29, 2014
The Potential Dilution Of The James Patterson Brand
Even though it’s trendy for bibliophiles to take potshots at James Patterson’s quality as a writer, that’s not what this post is going to be about. Regardless of one’s opinion of his writing, the man is a tremendous supporter of public libraries and reading in general. He’s donated money for scholarships and for awards to institutions to help encourage the love of reading. I may not care for his work but I respect his contributions to literacy and the love of reading. Honestly, albeit unrelated to my main point, Patterson does come off as much more of a classy guy than Stephen King does when the latter snipes at the former:
In an interview for USA Weekend, Stephen King referred to Patterson as “a terrible writer [but he’s] very successful”.[13] Patterson said of King in a Wall Street Journal interview, “he’s taken shots at me for years. It’s fine, but my approach is to do the opposite with him—to heap praise.”[14]
Though I don’t have a strong opinion on the quality of his writing, I do have a few thoughts on his prolific output and what it might mean for the future of his career. This opinion is informed pretty much entirely by my experiences working in a public library and conversing with several dedicated Patterson fans.
Patterson is one of those writers that I consider to be a brand unto itself. He’s not the first writer to do this; Tom Clancy turned his name into a brand years before his death. You knew what you were getting when you picked up a Tom Clancy book, whether it was one of his Jack Ryan novels or one of the series that were ghostwritten under his name: Op Center, Netforce, and Splinter Cell are the ones that come to mind first, although I’m sure there are others. Regardless, when you pick up a Tom Clancy book, you can expect a political/military thriller of some kind. It’s what people who read Tom Clancy want. It’s why they read him.
Originally, you could say Patterson fit into this same brand identity, albeit as a more general thriller. This is the advantage of the Patterson brand: if you like thrillers, you can reliably pick up books with his name on them because they’re going to be thrillers of some sort.
Scoff if you like, but this is a reliable way to sell books. Here’s why. Most readers don’t want to venture too far out of their comfort zone. I’m not being dismissive of this tendency. For many people, free time is at a premium. The time one has to spend reading is valuable and there’s nothing worse than spending that valuable, precious, limited time on a book that you’re going to hate.
You might only have enough time to read four or five books a year. Me, I try to pack in around 100 or so a year, but I have the kind of life and the kind of work situation where I can do that. I can read for an hour every day on my lunch break. I can read for a few hours when I get home because I don’t have kids or pets that require much attention. Not everybody has that kind of time.
Thus, if you’re a reader with limited time to spend on books, you’re more likely to stick with something you know you’ll enjoy. You pick up a Patterson because he always entertains. It’s a safe investment for your reading time.
The scope of the Patterson brand is growing. It’s also changing. In addition to his thrillers, he’s writing YA fantasy novels. He’s writing humorous novels about kids in middle school. He has a picture book. Romance novels. Crime novels. Some nonfiction.
You can’t look at the Patterson brand and expect to pick up a thriller anymore. And I have to wonder: is that a good thing?
Is the value of the brand harmed when the brand identity is diluted? Patterson’s strength is his prolific output and the fact that his name on the cover sells books. What if that output becomes so vast that readers with limited time/funds/attention lose what made him an attractive option? If you can’t trust the Patterson brand to deliver what you want, you won’t pick up a book or trust a book that’s carrying his name. That weakens the ability of the Patterson brand to sell books.
The widespread nature of what Patterson’s name has been attached to is also potentially weakening to the strength of the brand as a whole. While authors often like to spread their wings and try different things, few authors have ranged as widely in subject, theme, and appropriate age level as Patterson. Stephen King readers would likely not pick up a Stephen King book for their middle schooler, but Patterson has a few YA series. Do readers of his YA series also want to read his adult novels? Do parents reading his adult novels want their kids reading the adult books after finishing his YA fare? It’s hard to say.
Ultimately, I perceive a potential future where Patterson’s name is put on too many things and it loses its value to readers. Already, I hear rumblings from some of our more dedicated Patterson readers coming into the library. They can tell which books have his actual writing and which books are a ghost writer working from the man’s outlines and style guides (or at least, they think they can tell). It doesn’t matter if they’re right, because if that’s what they’re thinking, it’s already going to affect their browsing habits. If the Patterson brand loses its ability to promise entertainment, they’ll turn to different authors until they find someone who fills that need for reliability.
James Patterson isn’t going anywhere, not when he’s sold over 260 million books. He alienate thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of readers and still bring home a nice paycheck.
But could the success of his own brand turn off some of his dedicated readers? Could he become a victim of his own success? It’ll be interesting to watch and see what happens.
Matthew Ciarvella books 5 Comments January 24, 2014 January 24, 2014
Mansplaining And The GOP
I’ve been trying to limit the amount of political commentary snark that I offer on this blog, but this one is just too amusing to pass up. In attempting to prove why the GOP does not have a war on women thing going on, Mike Huckabee managed to prove that, no really, they do:
Thursday, at the annual meeting of the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C., once and possibly future presidential candidate Mike Huckabee became the latest Republican to step into the quicksand that women’s issues have become for the GOP. The one-time Arkansas governor and talk show host told a roomful of party officials that Democrats insult women by telling them “they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of the government.”
Robin Abcarian points out all the reasons why Huckabee is confused about which party is the one saying that. Hint: it’s not the Democrats:
Here’s a remedial lesson for Gov. Huckabee: That is not what Democrats tell women; it’s what Republicans tell them.
Republicans call women “sluts” because women tell Congress they want access to insurance-covered contraception.
Republicans talk about “legitimate rape.”
Republicans say pregnancies as a result of rape are a “gift from God” and should be carried to term.
Republicans say: “One of the things I will talk about that no president has talked about is, I think, the dangers of contraceptives in this country. The whole sexual libertine idea. Many in the Christian faith have said, ‘Contraception’s OK.’ It is not OK.”
Democrats know that invoking women’s sex drives in conversations about healthcare mandates is demeaning, patronizing and wrong.
What Democrats tell women is that women have the right to comprehensive health coverage, which should include access to contraception — even if you work at Hobby Lobby.
What I would really like to know is how exactly Republicans like Huckabee can accuse their opponents of doing exactly what they themselves are doing and not perceive the inherent silliness of doing so.
After all, the opposite of “pro-life” isn’t “pro-abortion.” Do Republicans believe that if the Democrats had their way, abortions would be mandatory? That, at least, would be an example of Democrats believing that the government must tell women what to do with regards to their libidos and reproductive systems.
But since mandatory abortion is only something that exists in the minds of the most deranged Tea Partyers (Partiers?), we can safely ignore this silliness and remember which party actually supports the position that includes the word “choice.”
Cause, you know, giving people choices instead of taking choices away insults them. Somehow.
After mulling it over for a few days, I decided to change the theme on the blog. I’m rolling with WordPress’s new Twenty Fourteen theme because it is, after all, 2014 now. I think it’s time for a new look.
I was a little hesitant since the description billed it as a “magazine” theme and I’m very obviously running a blog here but after trying it out for a while, I think it’ll still do the job I want it to do. It has the clean and minimalist lines that I appreciated from my previous theme, Coraline, which is good. I also like the way it uses its space differently. It feels more airy and open to me. The tight column that Coraline used for its arrangement was starting to feel cramped.
Do you like the change? Let me know what you think, although I should note that I’m still going to do whatever I want, regardless of feedback. I’m just selfish like that.
Matthew Ciarvella blog 2 Comments January 22, 2014 January 22, 2014
Virtual Worlds And Dreamscapes
I tend to have pretty intense dreams. Somewhat arrogantly, I attributed this to being a writer. “Well, of course my dreams are intense and vivid,” I’d think smugly to myself. “Mine is a fertile and creative mind, capable of spinning entire worlds into existence.”
I might be a bit premature in patting myself on the back for my wonderful, creative mind; it turns out my vivid dreaming might just be due to the fact that I play a lot of video games:
In her most recent paper, published in the latest issue of Dreaming, Gackenbach and her colleagues further solidified a key earlier finding: that so-called “hardcore” gamers were more likely than their peers to experience lucid dreams. Gackenbach first reached that conclusion in 2006, after noting that gamers and lucid dreamers both displayed traits like intense focus and superior spatial awareness in their waking lives. Indeed, when she surveyed 125 gamers and non-gamers on the frequency with which they experienced lucid dreams, Gackenbach found a strong association between the two.
Gackenback defines “hardcore gamers” as having “regular playing sessions of more than 2 hours, several times a week, since before the third grade.” Yeah, that’d be me. I do have lucid dreams fairly often, maybe on average of 2-3 per month.
Here’s the other thing from this study that really tracks well to my own experience:
And Gackenbach’s findings don’t stop at lucid dreaming. She’s also noted in other studies that some heavy gamers seem to be non-plussed by dreams that would qualify as nightmares — namely, those that present frightening or threatening situations. In fact, gamers seem to readily take control over (and even enjoy) such unpleasant nighttime illusions. In other words, while a non-gaming person might wake up in a cold sweat, a gamer would simply carry on with their slumber.
It’s actually a bit of a relief to learn that this might explain the frequency of dreams that would qualify as nightmares as well as my typically blasé reaction to them. Again, this was long something I attributed to creativity, but if it’s due to my predilection for virtual worlds, that’s cool with me.
One thing I’m especially curious is to see what effect the upcoming Oculus Rift has on the ability for games to influence dreams. I’ve played a few tech demos on an Oculus Rift dev kit. Dread Halls was my favorite. Even though the graphics were fairly dated, it was a terrifying experience and I legitimately screamed when I saw my first monster.
The strangest part is that I now have fully formed memories of being in a place that I know doesn’t exist. I can remember moving down the hallway and peeking around the corner to check for monsters. I can remember running. It’s very much like remembering a place that exists only in a dream, except that my recollection is flawless.
I can’t wait to see what prolonged exposure does to my dreams.
Matthew Ciarvella video games 1 Comment January 21, 2014 January 21, 2014
The Best “Rise And Fall” Stories Of The Video Game Industry
When it comes to the video game industry, I have a weakness for “inside-baseball” style stories. Obviously, it’s better for everyone when a company completes its development cycle and successfully releases its game. The only problem with all the successes is that few of them make for interesting reading. “We all worked very hard and then we released our product” is rather dull, even if it’s the goal everyone strives to attain day after day.
No, what makes a good “inside the industry” story are the companies that don’t make it; the ones that go down in flames. What goes on in those companies is as interesting to an observer of human behavior as it is to speculate about their products and what could have been.
Obviously, taking an interest in this topic has to come with an understanding that these were not characters in a book, but real people whose lives and livelihoods were affected by these events. Nevertheless, the collapse of these two companies was, in my opinion, nothing short of spectacular. I think it’s worth revisiting the stories of their respective demises.
Article: A hardcore elegy for Ion Storm (Salon.com)
Original publication date: Jan 2, 2002.
Choice quote:
No place was more aptly named. John Romero was the focus of this industry love-hate affair: his popular games and extravagant lifestyle made him an icon in the industry. But with great success came great antipathy, not just for John, but also for many of his employees.
What started out as a video gamer’s heaven turned into a public hell of walkouts, firings, lawsuits and litigation. Chat rooms and Web sites devoted daily commentary to analyzing, bemoaning or laughing at every move John made. He went from being one of the industry’s most respected figures to one of its most pilloried. Few bothered to defend him or the company.
38 Studios
Article: End Game: Inside the Destruction of Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios (Bostonmagazine.com).
Original publication date: August 2012.
Schilling’s harshest critic in the online exchange was Bill Mrochek, the vice president of online services, whose wife required a bone marrow transplant at the time their healthcare disappeared. “Are you going to admit that your stupid hubris, pride, and arrogance would not allow you to accept that we failed — and help shut it down with dignity?” he asked Schilling.
Mrochek was talking only about 38 Studios’ dramatic final weeks, but as interviews with Schilling, members of his former staff, and others associated with the company show, he might as well have been describing 38 Studios from the moment that Schilling — lacking any business experience, but full of the same confidence, bravado, and determination that made him a baseball legend — decided he could build a billion-dollar video-game company.
If you have any other stories of game developers or publishers collapsing in a dramatic fashion, feel free to share your links in the comments. I’d be interested in seeing what else is out there.
If you’d like an even deeper look at Ion Storm’s demise, I recommend Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture by David Kushner. It’s a fascinating read.
Matthew Ciarvella video games 4 Comments January 18, 2014 January 18, 2014
Had To Lay This Post Down
This post is going to be about motorcycles.
If you talk to a motorcycle rider long enough, it’s possible you’ve heard the phrase “laying the bike down” or some variation thereof. It generally refers to a situation where a rider is faced with a difficult choice: crash into some sort of obstacle or vehicle, or ditch the bike and intentionally crash to avoid the impact. It communicates a certainly steeliness that exists within the rider. It’s a willingness to make hard choices and to think quickly under pressure.
It’s an incredibly stupid phrase and I despise it.
I’ve dropped my motorcycle once. I’ve also fallen off my motorcycle once. I didn’t “lay it down” either time. I dropped it and I fell off it. The first time, I had no idea what I was doing and tried to turn far too slowly and sharply. The bike tipped and gravity took hold of 400+ pounds of metal and did the rest. It was tremendously embarrassing, especially since I hadn’t actually bought the bike yet. At least it was a used bike and the owner was my brother, instead of some stranger.
When I fell off my bike, it was exactly as it sounds: I was riding, I was inexperienced, and I tried to pull onto a shoulder and rode through a deep patch of gravel. The only thing I remember was having just enough time to think “well, shit” and then I was lying flat on my back on the side of the road. The only injuries were some bruises on my leg and my pride.
I didn’t lay the bike down, though. Let’s be clear on that.
The reason I dislike the phrase is that it implies that leaping off your motorcycle is some sort of valid defensive strategy, when really, it’s not. If you’re off your motorcycle when it’s moving, it’s a crash. Maybe it’s a small crash and does indeed avoid a bigger crash, but it’s still a crash.
The idea that you would have the time to see a dangerous situation oncoming, assess the situation, realize there was no time to swerve, brake, or otherwise evade the situation, steel your reserve, and then push yourself off the bike . . . does that seem realistic?
You know what’s easier and faster than jumping off a motorcycle while it’s moving? Hitting the brakes. You know what’s better than jumping off a motorcycle at 60 miles an hour and possibly getting crushed under your bike or run over by a car behind you or slide along the ground for a while? Braking first, so that even if you do hit something, you’ve cut your speed by 15 or 30 miles per hour.
It’s true, older bikes had inferior brakes to what’s available today. Maybe there was a time and a place when “laying it down” was the only viable strategy. But that’s come and gone and to suggest that it’s still a good idea is just ridiculous.
The fact is, most riders are too proud to admit that they fell off or that they braked incorrectly and locked the wheels. We need to start admitting that. Yeah, it’s embarrassing to say “I fell off my motorcycle” or “I crashed my motorcycle.” You know what’s not embarrassing, though? Following that up with: “even though I fell off my motorcycle, when I was physically able to do so, I got back on.”
Matthew Ciarvella motorcycles 1 Comment January 17, 2014 January 17, 2014
New Laptop, Windows 8, and My Thoughts On Both
I finally made the plunge and purchased a new laptop. The primary motivation for this purchase was my little Acer finally succumbing to the dark forces that eventually claim all computers.
The Acer was a quick purchase meant to replace my dying Dell Inspiron, the computer that served as my main PC for so many years that I literally wore grooves into the plastic with my wrists. I wish I still had that computer so I could take a picture of it and show you. Alas, I do not.
The Acer served well in the fact that it was dirt cheap, having been purchased as a refurb from a friend for about $100. Unfortunately, it was also ridiculously tiny; I think the screen was roughly nine inches? The keyboard was cramped, even moreso since I’m a pretty big guy with accordingly large hands. Even worse was the fact that I just looked kind of ridiculous as I typed away on that little thing, because nothing is more important when you’re a writer than everybody knowing how cool you look as you write.
Here’s the little Acer with a beer bottle (and a shot glass) for scale. It is tiny!
It always seems like it’s the wrong time to buy a piece of technology. If you’re an early adopter, you get to enjoy finding all the problems that QA missed that won’t get fixed until version 2 rolls out next year. If you wait until version 2 or 3, you are virtually guaranteed that you’ll purchase a device that is on the verge of obsolescence because something new and exciting is about to be announced. This is commonly referred to by sociologists (not really) as “the iPhone Paradox,” in that all times are the wrong time to buy a new iPhone.
I was wholly uninterested in touch screens on laptops until I saw someone play Artemis on a touchscreen and immediately coveted such technology for myself.
My new toy is the HP Envy TouchSmart M6 Sleekbook. I only remember all of that because there’s still a little sticker on the corner telling me that’s what this machine is.
Size comparison for the Acer and the HP (and the beer bottle!)
Having a touchscreen on a laptop is pretty awesome. Having to deal with track pads was always one of those things about laptop computing that was a hardship to be endured. Being able to flick through pages with a swipe is very satisfying, although there are particular actions (like clicking and dragging) that are still better on the pad. Having both means of control is nice, as opposed to being limited to one or the other as you might find on a tablet.
The downside of a touchscreen is the fingerprint smudging. I’m keeping my microfiber cloth that I use for my glasses in my laptop bag to clean the screen it still attracts fingerprints at an insane rate. If you’re the kind of person that can’t stand typing or reading through a dirty screen, this may drive you mad. I find that it only annoys me for things like watching videos or movies which are activities that don’t involve a lot of browsing. Nevertheless, I can already tell I’m going to be wiping this thing off daily.
Windows 8 has been a fascinating experience. I can now understand why sales are pretty abysmal at the moment. The transition from Windows 7 to 8 is unpleasant. For the first few hours, I was frustrated by my inability to do basic commands that were effortless in 7. The feeling was that the operating system just kept getting in my way which is something your OS should never ever do. Even after I figured out how to do something, the feeling was still that I could do it more quickly and easier in 7.
There’s definitely a learning curve here and I think that is 8’s biggest problem. I didn’t want to learn how to use Windows again. I already knew how to use Windows. In fact, one of the reasons I stuck with Windows rather than going to Apple was precisely because I didn’t want to learn a different operating system. That probably says more about me than anything else, but I imagine that the archetypal Windows user doesn’t want to interact with their OS any more than is strictly necessary. This might indicate that we’re all troglodytes compared to Apple users; certainly, it suggests that we don’t want to move outside of our comfort zone, which 8 forces us to do.
After a few hours, however, my experience with 8 improved considerably. There are several features that I think are really neat, like being able to swipe through screens very quickly. The Metro hub (or Start page, or whatever they’re calling it) is also nice. I like being able to customize that space, although I’m probably predisposed to liking the Metro tile interface since I’ve been familiarized with it through my Windows Phone.
There are still a few things that are very frustrating. Chrome hides the taskbar when it’s active which means I can’t see a clock while I browse. This is rather irritating and there doesn’t appear to be a fix available.
Is Windows 8 better than 7? Overall, I’d say no; my primary criterion for my operating system is that it stays out of my way was much as possible. I want it to be invisible and effortless; I don’t want to think about what I want it to do. Windows 7 is still my gold star because it just works and it works relatively quietly and unobtrusively.
I realize that this is a difficult feature to sell a product on (you won’t even notice that it’s there!) but that’s what I like. That being said, I don’t hate Windows 8. There are several features that I’m really enjoying, especially the complete integration between my Xbox and Zune accounts so that all my digital content is in a single ecosystem. 8 is designed with the touchscreen in mind, which is nice since I have a touchscreen; I imagine if I didn’t, my opinion would be considerably less sanguine.
Since I specifically wanted a touchscreen laptop, I think I would have gone for Windows 8 even if a Windows 7 version had been available. I still prefer Windows 7 for my desktop PC and I hope and pray to the gods of technology that nothing happens to my desktop that forces me to replace it with a Windows 8 machine.
One final note on the HP Envy itself; this is the first blog post that I’ve written on this machine and the keys feel awesome. It probably sounds strange, but any writers in the crowd will understand. There is a very large difference between a good and a bad keyboard. This HP has a very good keyboard and typing on it is a pleasure.
Matthew Ciarvella geek stuff 10 Comments January 15, 2014 January 15, 2014
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June 10, 2014 · 18:27
WARSAW II: Five Days in May
Warsaw Old Town
We had no illusions that the days we would spend in Warsaw in the year’s merriest of months would be filled with unmitigated delight. For what could such a visit be but a heavy-duty history lesson, one not lost on people already interested in the subject and people who, although not German, have lived all their adult lives in Germany.
The tragedies suffered by the Poles did not begin in the 20th century, but as I mentioned in my last post, had already culminated in 1795 with the partitioning of the country between the Russian, Prussian and Austro-Hungarian Empires. Not until the end of World War I did Poland resume its existence as a nation. Barely had it recovered its national identity when it was once again under siege by Germany, and soon afterwards, by Russia.
A morning visit to the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising was an eye-opener and I covered that in my last post. The old Jewish Cemetery and the new Jewish Museum, designed to look live the wave that parted the Red Sea for the Jews to escape from Egypt, both bear witness to the rich past of the Polish Jewish population and its abrupt demise at the hands of Nazi Germany.
However, I am very pleased to be able to report, on a much more upbeat note, about what we experienced of Poland in the here and now and beyond the historic sites. It seems we had inadvertently chosen the time of our stay well. The weather was perfect with sunshine and temperatures in the high 70s centigrade. This meant the whole population was out and about enjoying their city. Everywhere we went something was going on.
Festival in the Old Town
Along the main thoroughfare of the old town, a children’s festival was in full swing with lots of clowns and balloons and music playing. The street restaurants and cafes were busy; the cold beer tasted refreshing as it washed down our lunch of grilled kielbasa. One thing jumped right out and struck me in the face: What a young population lived in Warsaw! Kids, teens, babies in buggies, young-marrieds and lots of young pregnant women(!) – everyone was having a good time; everyone looked well-off.
On the Sunday we crossed the Wisla River to Praga on the other side. In Praski Park, located along the river, families strolled by, on their way to or from the zoo. Kids rode bikes or whooshed by on skates. We followed the sound of music and landed at a pavilion where a 4-piece band was playing. People sat on benches, consuming their own picnics and fetching cold brews from a stand. We couldn’t resist joining them. Soon the musicians were substituted by a group of seniors who sang and danced. The dozen or so ladies all wore straw hats and gloves and floral skirts. The three token gents had cloth caps on their heads. Although the music they sang was foreign to our ears, it wasn’t to the multigenerational crowd. They sang along. One lady in the audience danced with her poodle in her arms. Others danced, too, women with women or mothers with sons. Small children wandered onto the stage and danced in circles.
At home we are always hearing about the flood of young Poles who leave the country seeking work in western Europe or beyond. Either there are still plenty left behind or they were all back visiting on that May weekend. Assuming the latter is unlikely, we had the distinct impression that Poland will not any time soon be suffering from the demographic problem – the ageing of society – that plagues many of the world’s advanced industrialized countries.
Discovering whether the Polish baby boom can be attributed to their strict adherence to the anti-birth control policies of the Vatican, or if their fecundity is more a reflection of their deep love of family, would require a visit longer than a few days in May. What I can conclude from the visit though, is that Poland has made great strides since the walls and curtains of eastern Europe fell 25 years ago.
After all the tragic history lessons, how great it is to leave Poland with a positive feeling.
Filed under Ageing, Cities, German History
Tagged as baby boom, birth control, demographics, modern Poland, Warsaw, World War I, World War II
June 5, 2014 · 18:48
The Warsaw Pact Takes on New Meaning
When we were visiting Warsaw a week ago, I had no idea we were just missing Barak Obama’s arrival. After five days there, spent delving more deeply into the history of Poland in general and Warsaw in particular, I appreciate the President’s confirmation of the resolve of the US and NATO to defend, if necessary, Poland and the other former Soviet satellite states which are, indeed, now members of NATO. For the Ukraine crisis has certainly given the countries at our eastern outposts a mighty case of the jitters. And for good reason: Promises are one thing, carrying through can be quite another.
Warsaw is a city resurrected – by its own strength and resolve – from the ashes of World War II. Although under Soviet dictatorship, the citizens immediately started to rebuild their city, not a modern incarnation of it, but as it had been, as they had loved it before 1939.
After a visit to the Warsaw Rising Museum, which presented blow-by-blow the city’s last-ditch struggle to survive, I came away realizing that it wasn’t just the Germans and the Russians who raped Poland. In September 1939 when the country was invaded first from the west by the Germans and then from the east by the Russians, Poland’s allies – Great Britain and France – did not lift a finger. They were powerless; they could only let the invaders have their way.
With its low plains, Poland had always been an easy target for armies to march across. Napoleon certainly took advantage of that. And its geopolitical location between three greedy empires (Austro-Hungary, Russia and Germany) made it a tempting target. Thus in 1795 Poland became the tragic victim of its geography and topography. It was divided into pieces, like a cake, between Austria, Germany and Russia. Only at the end of the First World War did it reappear on the map as a sovereign nation.
In 1939 the German National Socialist regime was determined, once and for all, to quash Polish identity. One element of that was leveling Warsaw. In their perception, that would destroy their national identity. By 1945, 90% of Warsaw had been bombed and burned out. But they underestimated the will of the people to stay Polish, as evidenced by their final uprising in the summer of 1944. They went down but they went down fighting.
Aerial view of a city devastated
During the war, the Polish government was in exile in London; Polish troops fought side-by-side with the British, French, Americans, Canadians and others. What remained of their airforce flew with the RAF. They fought bravely and believed when the war was won that they would get their country back.
At Yalta, a seaside town in then (and now once again!) Russian Crimea, in February 1945, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin set the framework for the post-war political landscape of Europe. Poland was already occupied by Russia. The western allies, again, did not have enough strength to counter Stalin’s drive to secure his sphere of influence. Poland was left to Stalin. The rest is, obviously, history. My conclusion: Poland was f***ked, repeatedly, not only by her enemies but also by those she thought her friends.
Let’s hope and pray that the USA, within the scope of the NATO alliance, does in fact, this time, defend Poland and the other former Iron Curtain countries from Vladimir Putin’s latest version of Russian egomania and paranoia, should this become necessary. The rest of western Europe must move on from its tentative measures and show more backbone. For with one eye on 20th century history, it is easy to understand the nervous twitch from which Poland and her eastern neighbors are lately suffering.
Filed under Cities, Fiction and Other Truths, German History, Great Britain, Holocaust, Politics, Remembering
Tagged as NATO, Obama, Poland, Putin, Ukraine, Warsaw, Warsaw Uprising, World War I, World War II
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Blu-ray Review: THE DEVIL’S RAIN (1975)
2017/11/03 21:19:26 +00:00 | Scott Drebit
The poster tagline states, “Heaven help us all when THE DEVIL’S RAIN!”, and if that grammatical train wreck doesn’t break your brain, I promise you the following 86 minutes will. The Devil’s Rain (1975) is a glorious curiosity, a personal favorite, and thanks to Severin Films’ spectacular new Blu-ray release, one of the best reissues I’ve ever seen.
Meet The Prestons: Mark (William Shatner – Kingdom of the Spiders), his mom (Ida Lupino – Junior Bonner), and their ranch hand John (Woody Chambliss – Gargoyles) all await the return of Mark’s dad, and when he finally shows up, his eyes are missing and he starts melting in the rain (how bad is the humidity in the desert, anyway?). It turns out a fella by the name of Corbis (Ernest Borgnine – Deadly Blessing) is looking for a very special book in the Preston family’s possession, a ledger of souls for those who’ve pledged themselves to Satan. After mom is kidnapped by Corbis’ group, Mark heads out to their ghost town coven for a tête à tête with Corbis. Apparently the Prestons are great at being abducted, as now Mark’s brother Tom (Tom Skerritt – Alien), his wife, Julie (Joan Prather – Big Bad Mama), and their pal Dr. Sam Richards (Eddie Albert – Dreamscape) are desert bound to save the clan and stop Corbis from... adding more names to the book, I guess?
This is the basic gist of The Devil’s Rain, and I haven’t even mentioned the titular event, which happens when the large, horned bowling trophy housing the souls of the damned is destroyed and it rains for 15 minutes, causing all of Corbis’ minions to moan and melt (and moan and melt some more) in an orgasmic Crayola orgy—in real time, no less. And I’m throwing that information up front because one of the main gripes that people have with the film (including director Robert Fuest) is that the ending goes on for far too long. Which it does; but while we’re here, we may as well mention the fractured storyline (Shatner practically disappears from the film after the first act) that toggles from the satanic habitat to the ranch and back until all the strands are messily woven together for the messier climax. The Devil’s Rain lurches from present to past (Julie has visions, you see, including colonialist Corbis being burned at the stake due to Shatner’s ancestor Martin Fyffe ratting him out) and back again without any real momentum, just a series of scenes that unfold until the last moan is uttered and the Satanists swirl down the drain.
I cannot dispute any of these statements; I have eyes and ears and synapses that (more or less) fire on a regular basis. But if you are a fan of: a) the weird, b) ’70s horror with an occult bent, c) a cavalcade of B stars on various rungs of the success ladder, then The Devil’s Rain is the movie for you. Your weird is covered in the whiplash structure of Gabe Essoe and James Ashton and Gerald Hopman’s screenplay, as well as the oh-so-serious and melodramatic dialogue uttered by a cast well-groomed for future episodes of The Love Boat. Which isn’t a knock on our thespians; in fact, these are some of my favorite actors of the era, and work’s work and a Borgnine has to eat. Personally I think he’s great here; he plays friendly, folksy evil as well as anyone, and you probably won’t start laughing until he changes into the Dark Underlord, goat makeup and all (and then you can laugh, because it is a hilarious spectacle). Skerritt underplays (naturally), Albert seems unsure as to why he’s there (we all do), and Shatner aims for the raftners.
Let’s not discount the appeal of having Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan himself, as Technical Advisor. Following the huge box office success of Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and The Exorcist (1973), Satan was a big go-to for horror, and The Devil’s Rain leans hard into it, with an eye for detail, I guess; the church ceremony performed here doesn’t seem any more interesting than a Christian one, and I have a feeling I’d be kicking the back of the pews regardless which deity was presiding. But the general public still had a lot of fear towards the darkness, and that pall hangs over the proceedings in an oppressive manner geared towards the easily swayed. Oh, and don’t forget your ’70s downer ending to cap off a doozy of a ride. I can’t explain how The Devil’s Rain comes together (because it really doesn’t), but it works for me as a unique take on an already shop-worn trope. Plus, goat Borgnine.
I wasn’t sure I could love this film any more than I already do, but Severin Films has proven me wrong with a disc that unlike the film, does not overstay its welcome. In fact, this reissue is loaded with enough extras to make Beelzebub himself blush.
First up is a commentary track with director Robert Fuest, which is a little dry, as one might expect from a man in his mid-70s at the time of recording this, ported over from the Dark Sky DVD. (Fuest, who also helmed the amazing The Abominable Dr. Phibes, passed on in 2012.) He is of sound mind, though, and shares many interesting memories of the shoot, as well as his previous and post The Devil’s Rain career.
Next up is Confessions of Tom, a terrifically candid talk with Skerritt, as he dishes on the lighter tone they tried for and were forced to reshoot, as well as other remembrances throughout his storied career.
But the bounty continues; there are chats with FX legend Tom Burman, script supervisor Ana Maria Quintana, the High Priest & High Priestess of Satan (a delightfully down-to-earth segment), LaVey Biographer Blanche Barton, and my favorite segment, actor/filmmaker/major horror collector Daniel Roebuck reminiscing about his very personal connection to the movie. All this, plus photo galleries, radio and TV spots, production Polaroids, and of course a theatrical trailer. If you wanted to know any more about this movie, you would’ve had to have been on set.
I’ve saved the best news for last, however: the transfer. I grew up with The Devil’s Rain on grainy videotape, smeared with Vaseline and ash from a hundred prints shown on a thousand drive-ins. (Or so it seemed.) it’s not that it was ever unwatchable, but it certainly adhered to its ’70s aesthetic (ahem) religiously. This transfer is a revelation; scraped away of its grime, we’re shown a film with gorgeous widescreen vistas and scenes bathed in Italian reds and blues that were never there before. The Devil’s Rain is a beautiful looking film, and as much as I love it, I’ve never been able to say that until this miraculous restoration.
So, it looks amazing. The special features run very deep. But above all, there’s the film itself. Only in the ’70s would money be thrown at a mish-mashed and misbegotten ooze of a film that in spite of itself, achieves a goofy nirvana of satanic how-to and B movie derring-do. I love this movie, and this reissue, as much as Corbis loves Satan. And that’s a love that can’t be beat.
Movie Score: 4.5/5, Disc Score: 5/5
About the Author - Scott Drebit
Scott Drebit lives and works in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is happily married (back off ladies) with 2 grown kids. He has had a life-long, torrid, love affair with Horror films. He grew up watching Horror on VHS, and still tries to rewind his Blu-rays. Some of his favourite horror films include Phantasm, Alien, Burnt Offerings, Phantasm, Zombie, Halloween, and Black Christmas. Oh, and Phantasm.
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Dream Symbols: Understanding Reality through the Language of Symbolic Meanings
Our dreams are not just random sets or sequences of events occurring during sleep. They have a discernible connection to reality, whether such a relation is rooted in our past, a reflection of our present or a prediction of our future. Dreams are rife with symbolism and symbolic images, or things which speak about us - and more aptly, to us - through the deepest recesses of our subconscious. These symbols take the form of living or nonliving things, sounds, visions, our own and other people’s actions which appear in our dreams as a mirror of our innermost thoughts and feelings, or a parallel conscience to guide us through life’s journey. Therefore, it is imperative that we uncover the meaning of our dreams so that our awareness could help us act accordingly and use our knowledge for our own good.
Not surprisingly, remembering and interpreting certain dream symbols can often result in revelations which were somehow already anticipated or expected by the dreamer. However, there are dream symbols which may be difficult to fathom, and a deeper understanding and analysis of life’s circumstances are needed in order to form a cogent connection to the dream visions themselves, especially when a dream is recurring. These symbols may reveal some deeply-rooted subconscious desires. They may be hiding repressed memories of long-forgotten traumas. Or they could be perceived as warnings based on dreamers’ previous life experiences and practical knowledge alerting them about upcoming unfortunate events, giving them ample time to steer clear of future dangers.
Although symbols represent perhaps the most important part of a dream, looking at a specific symbol in isolation would not be helpful in trying to uncover relevant meaning and significance of a particular dream. As with some words which can have many meanings, depending upon the context in which they are used in spoken or written form, dream symbols should also be interpreted in the context they appear in a dream. Dreamers must pay special attention to all notable attributes in the dream as these may help reveal, modify or put specific symbolic representations in their proper context and, therefore, provide more valid interpretation. For example, snow by itself seen in a dream, may indicate that the dreamer is a casual observer to people’s hardships and difficulties, regardless of his or her reactions to such situations. However, “melting snow” has an entirely different symbolic meaning. On account of an additional context describing the symbol, in this case the modifier “melting”, the symbolic meaning of “snow” is completely altered.
Interpretation of dream symbols using discrete representations of objects, actions and events experienced in a dream can result in some broad ideas for interpretations, however, more detailed combinations of symbolic attributes pertaining to specific dream visions produce much better interpretation results. Many dream interpretation sources posit that symbols are what can be considered elements of the universal language for dream interpretation and often belie a more deeply-rooted and inherent meaning.
For this reason, readers need to understand that additional details associated with specific dream visions or dream stories can aid in context-specific dream interpretation. For example, eating an apple and seeing a rotten apple, although bearing the same object considered as a symbol, i.e. apple, in the world of dreams, are obviously two different dream events which will have separate context-specific interpretations. Similarly, dreaming about a river, as described by the dreamer in more than one setting or scenario, could represent a number of things. As for dreams which involve recurring symbols, readers may be wondering why such visions keep appearing like pesky flies in their subconscious state. In most cases, they symbolize problematic events which have gone unresolved, or tumultuous phases in their lives which have not been accorded a proper closure. Otherwise, these reminders might just be another collection of unaccomplished plans or unfulfilled dreams waiting to be realized.
Not all symbols contained in our dreams have the same connotations as they would have in the real world. Often, certain things which might be considered unfavorable in reality connote a completely opposite meaning as applies to the world of dreams. One example is when a person dreams about death. It does not follow that someone they know in real life would meet the same fate. Death in the dream could be indicative of a change or transformation. Since the notion of death implies “coming to an end,” it is often symbolic of new beginnings. So there’s the rub. For someone who does not bother to look deeper for the most commonly-interpreted meaning of this seemingly macabre symbolism, that person will likely be unjustifiably burdened with anxieties about some ominous event which would most probably never happen. Of course there are dreams whose symbolic meanings are exactly how they would unravel in real life. Dreams of this nature are either a form of self-affirmation or proof that dreams indeed do literally come true, and deservedly so.
As in all forms of literature, a dream can be summarized and shortened by determining the “crux of the matter,” or the central theme of the dream from which its meaning can be deduced. The gist of a particular dream, no matter how complex it may seem, can manifest in the most vivid recollections of symbols taken out of the dream and have a profound significance to dreamers that only dreamers can determine for themselves. To reiterate, paying close attention to the context in which these symbols are seen in the dream will help dreamers arrive at the closest and most commonly-assigned meanings and interpretations as provided by both traditional and modern dream interpretation sources.
To give readers some relevant examples, dreaming about a “baby” in general is a symbol of upcoming pleasant surprises and fortuitous occurrences. That sounds simple enough. To dream of a “crying baby” connotes major health problems or a sudden tragedy. That’s still quite straightforward. However, consider this next dream, “cuddling a crying baby in an effort to calm him down, to no avail”. This by all appearances is a complex dream vision which might require some analysis on the dreamers’ part to help them grasp the central theme, which would then aid them in determining the dream’s symbolic meaning. Again, only the dreamers can decide as to which particular attribute or part of the dream they think is prominent or significant enough to help them zero in on that attribute as the central theme, or the context in which the dream vision might take its symbolic meaning and draw a widely-recognized interpretation. Taking the third dream sample a bit further, it is possible that such a complex dream vision could only be the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. For the sake of argument, and knowing that it would bring readers to a better understanding of symbolism and symbolic meaning, let us assume that one dreamer dreams of “cuddling a crying baby in a room full of countless other people who are doing exactly the same thing, i.e., each cuddling a crying baby, and all seem to be working in a collective effort to calm all the babies down, to no avail.” In analyzing this rather convoluted dream vision, dreamers will be guided by their own conscience, that is, an inner awareness of what part of the vision truly strikes a chord with them in order for them to decide that it is indeed the symbolic image they are seeking a specific answer for. The possibilities to narrow their inquiry to a searchable dream description are as divergent as "many babies," "strangers taking care of babies," “baby tantrums,” “room full of crying babies,” “room full of people cuddling crying babies,” and so on.
There is no denying that enormous efforts are placed in creating and maintaining online dream interpretation sources which are able to respond to the signs of the times, but admittedly, these answers are mere guideposts. They are there only to give directions and to light the way. Ultimately, it is the dreamer who creates his own destiny, he who unlocks the true meaning of his own dreams.
Additional information to solv...
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Taking Flight: Birds in Dreams...
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r | no warnings apply
She giggles when you kiss her, and that's about the point when you realize this is a stupid idea.
Actually, you realized this was a stupid idea back at the bar, sometime after the fourth drink, but before the fifth, when you figured out that the main difference between you and Donna is that she hasn't actually slept with her boss yet.
"Don't," you blurt out suddenly. She laughs even harder.
"Don't what?"
"Fuck him," you tell her, and now your voice is all seriousness. "John."
"John who?" She's unbuttoning her shirt. Maybe she doesn't think it's such a stupid idea after all.
"Your ... boss," you say hesitantly, because you might have consumed just enough alcohol to invent an imaginary boss/unrequited lover for her.
"Oh. His name isn't John. It's ... um. Josh. Joshua. He's in the hotel room right across the hall. Do you want to say hi? He's probably asleep by now, but if you pound on the door hard enough you could probably wake him up. I think you could. If you wanted, which you probably don't."
She's babbling, but you're distracted by the fact that her shirt is on the floor now, and there's only a sheer, pale blue bra covering her breasts. You think she might have had more to drink then you did, and now you wonder if you're taking advantage of her. At least, until she starts to work on the buttons of your own shirt.
"I'm serious, Donna. Trust me. I know about these things. Don't sleep with him."
There's a deliberateness to the way she undoes the clasp on your bra that makes you think that maybe she's not drunk at all.
"I don't wanna talk about Josh anymore," she says. Her voice is strong, determined. She brushes her fingers over your cheek; you kiss her palm.
"Okay." And neither of you say anything at all as the rest of your clothes hit the floor. It's been years since you've slept with a woman. You worry that she'll be able to tell, that she'll laugh at you, even though she doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would.
"He's not married," she says, just as you muster up the courage to grope her breast. Your thumb skirts over her nipple, your lips mark a path from her ear to her chin.
"It doesn't matter. They're all the same." Apparently, you're just drunk enough to be making gross generalizations. When you look up, you see that she's pursing her lips, and you're sure she's about two seconds away from telling you that he loves her.
So you kiss her. Harder than last time, sloppier. Her fingers roam aimlessly, finding your erogenous zones and then dancing away. You push her hand right where you need it, gasping when she accidentally finds your spot. You can't help it; you draw comparisons. Her touch is gentler than Jack's, but it's also slower, and it doesn't take long for frustration to build up.
"Jack loves me," you feel the need to tell her. "But it doesn't matter."
That's when her fingers move more quickly, making the sensation spiral out of control. You wonder what would happen if you screamed her name. You don't get to find out, as she plants her mouth on yours, swallowing your sighs. When the light behind your eyes and the buzz in your ears fade, you roll her on her back.
"He's got a girlfriend," she whispers.
"He's a bastard." You say this having never met the man. Her lip-gloss tastes like cherries. Her shoulder tastes like salt and beer. She keeps her eyes open as you move lower.
You grip her thigh, fingers poised and ready. If she says his name, your nails are going to draw blood.
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Is Twitter Furthering Freedom of Speech or are They in it to Generate a Profit?
The internet has fundamentally changed the way humans connect and communicate, but governments across the world have struggled to understand and control the services hosted on the internet. One service in-particular, Twitter, has changed activism and political speech. Twitter’s been the backbone to the Arab Spring from voicing concerns, helping people organize protest, and getting the news of unrest to the outside. In Turkey, elections caused a lot of civil unrest because on Twitter users have claimed there was mass corruption within the government. The Turkish government has no control over Twitter because Twitter’s servers are outside Turkey’s borders, and the government’s response was to completely block Twitter’s access within the country. Other countries can control which products enter their countries by placing a tariff or banning a product for being sold within that country. While Twitter promotes free speech it’s still a private company, and many advocate net neutrality so ever site is available to everyone. Should a government be able to ban an internet service within its borders much like it’s allowed to ban certain products.
The Arab Spring which have utilized these global communication tools in trying to overcome the isolation of Arab society. Turkey has been outside the Arab Spring but borders Syria who has been in a civil war after the Arab Spring began. The Turkish government wants to prevent western views from distracting younger voters from the popular candidate whose President Abdullah Gül who has been in power since 2007. The block of Twitter and YouTube prevents outside opinions from entering the impressionable youth who hold a lot of power in the election. Western values differ greatly from the culture of Turkey, and change within the country could create unrest that would not be conductive to bring peace to an area that has not seen peace in hundreds of years. The internet is making a global society and the internet is the sole reason for such great change in the middle east.
Countries have banned hundreds of books through history, and some more recently. They have banned them for political reasons, false facts, and religious reasons. These bans are backed by the courts and the governments back the ban of these books. The Turkish courts determined “positive developments today concerning judicial review of this disproportionate and illegal administrative act of access banning the of Twitter,” which means citizens can have open discussion on the service before the election. The court said that Twitter was apart of freedom of speech, but Twitter being a private company should be responsible for what’s said on the service. Not only is Turkey worried about national security, but slander on the site can hurt an elected officials chance of re-election.
The internet and sites available are a great way to get a message to millions of like-minded citizens. It is being used by pro and anti-government factions to organize events in mere minutes, and the government is unable to stop or slow down these events. The one way they’ve attempted to stop these protest are to block Twitter, but citizens within the country find workarounds to continue their marches and events. There is the Tor network which routes traffic around so it seems that it’s not within any country, and allows citizens in turkey to bypass these blocks. The blocking allows the government to check other communications that they can control which enables them to stop protest or other events that could impeded the election.
The service will stand with their users “in Turkey who rely on Twitter as a vital communication platform,” and they will keep advocating for freedom of speech around the world. Private companies are now pushing governments for their service to stay alive with the arguments of freedom of speech. Twitter is losing money when they are blocked in a place like Turkey, where thousands of users use the site to communicate with each other. The company has a vested interest in keeping their service unblocked in large nations, and they are willing to use the legal system to hide behind. They’re furthering freedom of speech in countries that don’t have strong laws protecting their speech. Now some courts have ruled in their favor, but the services are in a grey area that many don’t know how to handle. Since laws and regulations are not the same from country to country many internet services including Twitter have to meet the laws in that country to operate. Google does this by censoring search results if the country in question chooses, but Twitter refuses to hand over users IP address, information, and other personal information with government regulations. In the United States they have to comply with these request because their servers are within the countries borders, but in these foreign countries have little or no control over the western company’s.
While freedom of speech is important we shouldn’t allow company’s that make profits off our speech to hide behind these lawsuits to continue in countries that have little control over what’s said. Twitter has been vital to overcome the isolation of Arab society, but all the while Twitter was making a profit. On the other hand this is the company’s social responsibility to further freedom of speech and protect citizens rights when social injustice is occur. All the while Twitter is making a little money to continue to make our world a better place 140 characters at a time. Twitter is no longer just a place to see if someone is eating a sandwich, it’s a place to actively watch our world and take part in social justice for everyone. I implore everyone to use Twitter more than a way to log your daily life and become engaged in the world around you.
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BATTAMBANG CELEBRATES THE APPOINTMENT OF MINISTER THONG KHON AS A MEMBER OF EUROPEAN ACADEMY
In a public announcement, the peoples of the province of Battambang expressed their proud and joy on the anointing of the Minister of tourism of The Kingdom of Cambodia as the newest member of EUROPEAN TOURISM ACADEMY in recognition of his efforts in obtaining for the Kingdom of Cambodia the status of WORLD`S BEST TOURIST DESTINATION IN 2016, for the city of PHNOM PENH the proclamation as WORLD CAPITAL OF CULTURE AND TOURISM and securing for H.E. Samdech Akka Mokka Sena Padei Techo HUN SEN, Academician and Prime Minister of Cambodia the appointment as GLOBAL AMBASSADOR FOR TOURISM AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS.
The announcement reads as fallows:
In name of leaders and civil servants of Battambang Tourism Department would like to wish and congratulate for His Excellency Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism of Cambodia, to be appointed as a member of European Tourism Academy by the announcement ceremony that was conducted at friendship building of the Office of the Council of Ministers under the presidency of His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong on 31 July 2018.
ABOUT BATTAMBANG
Battambang is Cambodia’s second-largest city and the capital of Battambang Province, which was founded in the 11th century. It is the former capital of Monton Kmer and lies in the heart of the Northwest of Cambodia. Until the war years, in which almost every infrastructure was destructed it was the leading rice-producing province of the country.
The name Battambang or Batdambang, literally means “loss of stick” referring to a legend of the Preah Bat Dambang Kranhoung (Kranhoung Stick King). The population is nowadays around 250,000 people . It’s a riverside town, home to some of the best-preserved, French colonial architecture in the country.
Until recently Battambang was off the map for road travellers, but facilities have recently been improved and it makes a great base for visiting the nearby temples, such as Phnom Banon and Wat Ek Phnom, as well as the closedby villages.
The small museum has a collection of Angkorian-era artifacts, and beyond the town there’s a number of hilltop temples, yet more Wats and a pretty large lake. One of the more famous hills is Phnom Sampeau (Ship Hill) with the notorious killing caves.
It’s a secondary hub on the overland route between Thailand and Vietnam, and if the National Highway No 6 from Poipet to Siem Reap is ever upgraded it’ll become an even smaller hub. The network of charming old French shop houses clustered along the riverbank is the real highlight here, and there are a number of Wats scattered around the town.
In the earlier history Battambang flip-flopped back and forth between Thailand (called Siam before their 20th-century renaming) and Cambodia. It’s been a part of Thailand most of the time since the 15th century, with Cambodia regaining control (more specifically due the French) in 1907. The Thais grabbed it again, with Japanese assistance, in 1941 and kept the region in their camp until the World War II years in 1947.
Battambang city is a peaceful and pleasant place these days. The main parts of the city are situated closed to the Sangker River, a tranquil, small body of water that winds its way through Battambang Province. It is a nice, picturesque setting. As with much of Cambodia, the French architecture is an attractive bonus of the city.
THE OFFICIAL BATTAMBANG TOURISM DEPARTMENT IS ACCESSIBLE HERE!
The accession of H.E. Minister of Tourism of Cambodia Thong Khon to the highest dignity as ACADEMICIAN, member of EUROPEAN TOURISM ACADEMY it is a momentous moment n the history of the Kingdom as Academician Thong Khon is the second world academician coming from Cambodia after Prime Minister THONG KHON.
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(-) Remove Outreach filter Outreach
"Visualizing Human Embryos" (1999), by Bradley Richard Smith
In March 1999 Bradley Richard Smith, a professor at the University of Michigan, unveiled the first digital magnetic resonance images of human embryos. In his article "Visualizing Human Embryos for Scientific American," Smith displayed three-dimensional images of embryos using combinations of Magnetic Resonance Microscopy (MRM), light microscopy, and various computer editing. He created virtual embryo models that it is possible to view as dissections, animations, or in their whole 3D form. Smith's images constitute a new way of visualizing embryos.
Subject: Outreach, Publications
Lennart Nilsson (1922- )
Lennart Nilsson is a world-renowned photojournalist recognized for his exploratory images of the inside of the human body. Throughout his career, Nilsson has received a great deal of publicity for his images documenting the human reproductive system and the morphology of viruses. His photography was the first to capture early human development and the developmental stages of embryos and fetuses. These images have helped shape the way the public visualizes development.
Subject: People, Outreach, Reproduction
"Drama of Life Before Birth" (1965), by Life Magazine and Lennart Nilsson
Life Magazine's 1965 cover story "Drama of Life Before Birth" featured photographs of embryos and fetuses taken by Swedish photojournalist Lennart Nilsson to document the developmental stages of a human embryo. Included in this article was the first published image of a living fetus inside its mother's womb. Prior to this, embryos and fetuses were observed, studied, and photographed outside of women's bodies as non-living specimens.
Subject: Publications, Outreach, Reproduction
In the Womb: Identical Twins (2009), by National Geographic
National Geographic's documentary In the Womb: Identical Twins focuses on the prenatal development of human identical twins. Director Lorne Townend uses three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound imaging and microscopy to depict twin development , genetic and epigenetic variations in the fetuses, and methods of fetal survival in the confines of the womb. Artist renditions of scientific data fill in areas of development inaccessible to the imaging tools.
Our Bodies, Ourselves (1973), by the Boston Women's Health Book Collective
Our Bodies, Ourselves, a succession to a pamphlet of resources pulled from co-ops of women in and around Boston, Massachusetts was published in New York in 1973 by Simon and Schuster. Retitled from the original Women and Their Bodies, Our Bodies, Ourselves was an effort by a group of educated, middle class women to reinforce women's ownership of their bodies. There have been eight editions of Our Bodies, Ourselves, as well as sequels such as Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth and Our Bodies, Ourselves: Menopause.
Life's Greatest Miracle (2001), by Julia Cort and NOVA
The Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) documentary Life's Greatest Miracle (abbreviated Miracle, available at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/program.html), is arguably one of the most vivid illustrations of the making of new human life. Presented as part of the PBS television series NOVA, Miracle is a little less than an hour long and was first aired 20 November 2001. The program was written and produced by Julia Cort and features images by renowned Swedish photographer Lennart Nilsson.
Gunther von Hagens (1945- )
Gunther von Hagens invented a plastination technique and created Body Worlds, a traveling exhibit that has made anatomy part of the public domain. Von Hagens invented the plastination technique in 1977 while working at Heidelberg University in Heidelberg, Germany. Von Hagen's plastination technique preserves real bodies and tissues by the removal of the fluid and replacement with resin. Body Worlds features three-dimensional, plastinated human bodies.
"Hybrids and Chimeras: A report on the findings of the consultation" by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in October, 2007
In 2007, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in London, UK, published Hybrids and Chimeras: A Report on the Findings of the Consultation, which summarized a public debate about research on, and suggested policy for, human animal chimeras. The HFEA formulated the report after conducting a series of surveys and debates from earlier in 2007. The HFEA issued a statement in September 2007, followed by an official report published on 1 October 2007. Their report on human-animal chimeras set a worldwide precedent for discussions of the ethical use of those embryos in labs.
Subject: Publications, Legal, Outreach
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University at Buffalo's Department of Educational Leadership and Policy aims to develop the knowledge and expertise of its students to prepare them to take leadership positions as scholars, administrators and policy analysts who positively impact education and educational organizations in Western New York, nationally and internationally. It also aims to develop an understanding of the how and why successful policymaking and leadership can improve educational practice and the quality of education in diverse school settings and in the rapidly changing world.
Our programs prepare students with the knowledge and skills to become leaders, advocates and empowered change-makers who go on to improve educational practice and education quality in diverse school settings in a rapidly changing world.
Welcome to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, part of the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo.
The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is the representative body for graduate students at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Its two key purposes can be divided into representation and services. Its funds are derived from the Mandatory Student Fee ($64 on your bill) and are used to pay GSA staff and fund numerous programs and services offered to GSA members.
The University at Buffalo has three campuses: the North Campus in suburban Amherst, the South Campus on Main Street in a North Buffalo neighborhood and the growing Downtown Campus, encompassing several buildings in downtown Buffalo.
The Buffalo-Niagara region is a major metropolitan area with a diverse blend of communities, each with its own distinct character and all united in a rich panorama of life.
Our programs are developing the next generation of college professors, educational leaders and policy makers in education fields. Our students acquire the knowledge of the complex nature of the modern college/university, leadership in K-12 schools and policy making that impacts education, and the research skills to further understand these areas.
Please feel free to contact the department for additional information.
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Man jailed over Real IRA weapons smuggling bid
By Peter Taggart
Michael Campbell was arrested in Vilnius in 2008 after an international operation
The court heard he had been covertly recorded talking about planting bombs in London
He is guilty of supporting a terror group, illegally possessing arms and attempted arms smuggling
An Irishman has been convicted in Lithuania of attempting to smuggle arms from the Baltic state to paramilitary group the Real IRA.
Michael Campbell, 39, from County Louth in the Republic of Ireland, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.
He was arrested in Vilnius in January 2008 after an international surveillance operation involving British security services.
Evidence was given during the court case that he had been secretly recorded talking about planting bombs in London.
He was also secretly filmed test-firing weapons in the Lithuanian countryside.
Campbell, who had denied wrongdoing, was Friday found guilty of supporting a terrorist group, illegal possession of weapons and attempted smuggling.
The British government has welcomed the conviction.
Northern Ireland Secretary of State Owen Paterson issued a statement saying it was "another excellent example of what can come from the high levels of cooperation between countries across Europe and beyond in combating terrorism."
Paterson added: "I have no doubt that this will have dealt a blow to RIRA but we are not complacent and we remain determined to do all that we can to bear down on those who are the enemies of the whole community throughout the United Kingdom."
Campbell's brother Liam is one of four men found liable for the 1998 Omagh bombing in a civil case in Belfast.
A Real IRA car bomb exploded in the Northern Ireland town killing 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins.
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Watch: ASIRT releases finding regarding the circumstances of a woman's death while in custody
Greg Southam, Edmonton Journal
There is little that could have been done to avert the death of a woman who suffered a stroke while in an Edmonton police jail cell, Alberta’s police watchdog said Monday.
The 55-year-old woman, who was not identified, died hours after being arrested at the Belvedere LRT station on Aug. 6, 2017.
Susan Hughson, executive director of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, said the woman appeared to be fine to officers monitoring the police service’s detainee management unit, located below EPS headquarters.
At around 10 a.m. on Aug. 7, 2017, a peace officer heard laboured breathing coming from the woman’s cell and found her unresponsive. The woman died in hospital of what was later determined to be an acute hemorrhagic stroke.
Extreme, prolonged cold weather may affect Alberta honeybee population No police wrongdoing in death of woman who suffered stroke in...
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Sky, Ofcom, and the Demise of Fox News Channel
by James Baxley
In my last post, “Bill O’Reilly, the FNC, & the ‘No Spin Zone’ has Spun out of Control!” I wrote about how the Fox News Channel (FNC) finally had enough of Bill O’Reilly, the top-rated host in cable news, and his so-called “misogynistic” behavior. The mainstream media and the Left crafted a story which made people think O’Reilly’s “misogynistic” behavior was the reason he was let go. This isn’t exactly true.
It could be a reasonable assumption to believe that FNC just got tired of defending O’Reilly’s behavior and put an end to all the B.S. O’Reilly’s behavior was doing harm to FNC’s brand and advertisers were moving their advertiser dollar’s elsewhere.
I debunked the claim about advertisers by showing that traditional platforms (tv, radio, print) had been losing money in the last 15 years to online platforms, i.e. Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. But the part about FNC letting O’Reilly go, well, there is a sliver of truth there.
Just a sliver though. The real reason O’Reilly was let go had more to do with 21st Century Fox and Rupert Murdoch’s £11.7bn takeover bid of the remaining 61% control of Sky than O’Reilly’s “alleged” sexual misconduct claims. “On May 16 the British media regulator Ofcom is set to judge whether the Murdoch’s are ‘fit and proper’ to own such a large media property,” according to New York magazine.
Trending: PROOF! New Study Proves that Violence Follows Black Lives Matter!
Twenty-First Century Fox already owns nearly a 40% stake in Sky and for an outsider such as Murdoch to take 100% control brings up two issues. Issue number one has to do with the possibility that the public would be getting a reduction of media plurality and issue number two is whether FNC is committed to the required editorial standards, such as accuracy and impartial news coverage.
What is “plurality”? Plurality is the result of one owner “or voice” having too much influence over public opinion and the political agenda. Murdoch owns and runs the Times, the Sunday Times, the Sun, and the radio group TalkSport through a separate company.
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This situation could be what section 58 of the Enterprise Act 2002 was meant to prevent. The need for “accurate presentation of news” and “free expression of opinion.” So, the New York magazine believes that “removing O’Reilly could appease critics (as well as James Murdoch, the 21st Century Fox CEO) and help close the Sky deal.”
Could the Murdoch owned newspaper News of the World phone-hacking scandal, the revelation that the voicemail of the 13 year-old murdered Milly Dowler’s had been hacked come back to haunt Murdoch and prevent him from gaining control of Sky like it did during his previous takeover in 2011? Could the takeover bid for Sky help lead to the downfall of FNC?
Not only did FNC abandon money maker O’Reilly for what appears to be connected to the Sky deal, but former co-host of Fox & Friends Gretchen Carlson left the network after filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against FNC’s founder, Chairman, and CEO Roger Ailes. Ailes immediately denied the claims then resigned, and finally Megan Kelly left the network for NBC News.This is a big shake-up for a company. We’ll see if FNC can weather the storm.
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Without women there is no food sovereignty
Systems of food production and consumption have always been socially organized, but their organization has varied historically. In the last few decades, under the impact of neoliberal politics, the logic of capitalism has been imposed upon the ways in which food is produced and consumed (Bello, 2009).2
This article analyzes the impact of agro-industrial policies on women and the key role that peasant women in the Global North and South play in the production and distribution of food. It analyzes how the dominant agricultural model can incorporate a feminist perspective and how the social movements that work towards food sovereignty can incorporate a feminist perspective.
Campesinas and invisible women
In the countries of the Global South women are the primary producers of food, the ones in charge of working the earth, maintaining seed stores, harvesting fruit, obtaining water and safeguarding the harvest. Between 60 to 80% of food production in the Global South is done by women (50% worldwide) (FAO, 1996). Women are the primary producers of basic grains such as rice, wheat, and corn which feed the most impoverished populations in the South. Despite their key role in agriculture and food however, women; together with their children; are the ones most affected by hunger.
For centuries, peasant women have been responsible for domestic chores, the care and feeding of their families, the cultivation, exchange and commercialization of household gardens; charged with reproduction, production and community—all the while occupying an often invisible domestic and social sphere. The main economic transactions in agriculture have traditionally been undertaken by men in markets, with the purchase and sale of animals, and the commercialization of large quantities of grains in the private and public sphere.
This division of roles, assigning women as the caretakers of the house as well as the health and education of their families, and granting men the “technical” management of land and machinery, maintains the assigned gender roles that have persisted in our societies through the centuries and into the present (Oceransky Losana, 2006).
The figures speak for themselves. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, 1996), in many African countries women represent 70% of the field labor; are responsible for supplying 90% of the domestic water supply and are responsible for between 60 and 80% of the production of food consumed and sold by the family. They account for 100% of the processing of foods, 80% of the activities of food storage and transportation, and 90% of the labor involved in preparing the earth before planting. These numbers demonstrate the crucial role that African women have in the production of small‑scale agriculture and the maintenance of their families’ subsistence.
In many regions of the Global South however—in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia—there is a notable “feminization” of salaried agricultural work, especially in non-traditional export-oriented sectors (Fraser, 2009). Between 1994 and 2000, according to White and Leavy (2003), women made up 83% of new employees in the non-traditional agro-export sector. In this way, for the first time, many women have paid jobs with economic gains that give them more power in decision making and the possibility of participating in organizations outside of the family (Fraser, 2009). However, this dynamic shift has been accompanied by a marked gender division in job duties: on plantations, women perform the unskilled work such as gathering and boxing while men bring in the harvest and plant.
The incorporation of women into salaried labor means a double burden of work for women who continue to care for their families while at the same time working to obtain income—principally in precarious jobs. Poorer labor conditions than those of their male counterparts, along with inferior pay for the same jobs, forces women to work more hours in order to receive the same income. In India, for example, the average salary for day labor in the agricultural sector is 30% less for women than men (World Bank, 2007). In Spain, women make 30% less, and this difference can be as high as 40% (Oceransky Losana, 2006).
Impact of neoliberal policies
The application of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) in the 80s and 90s in the Global South on the part of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, further aggravated already difficult conditions for much of the population in those countries and hit women especially hard.
The shock measures imposed by the SAPs consisted of forcing Southern governments to withdraw all subsidies for staples like bread, rice, milk and sugar. Drastic reductions in public education, health, housing and infrastructure spending were imposed. The forced devaluation of national currency (to cheapen exports) diminished the purchasing capacity of local populations. Increased interest rates to attract foreign capital generated a speculative spiral. These SAPs added to the extreme poverty of many in the Global South (Vivas, 2008).
Structural Adjustment Policies and privatization had major repercussions for women in particular. As Juana Ferrer of the International Gender Commission of Via Campesina illustrates: “In the processes of privatization of public services, the most affected people have been women. Women have been affected above all in the fields of health and education where they have historically carried [the most] responsibility for their families. … In the measure [to which] we do not have access to resources and public services it becomes more difficult to lead a worthwhile life for women” (La Via Campesina, 2006: 30).
The collapse of the countryside the Global South and the intensification of migration to cities has led to a process of “de-peasantization” (Bello, 2009). In many countries this process has not taken the form of a classic rural to urban movement, in which ex-peasants go to the cities to work in factories as part of the industrialization process. Rather, migration has been characterized by a process of “urbanization disconnected from industrialization” in which ex-peasants, pushed into the cities, are then fed back to the periphery (favelas, slums), many living off the informal economy and comprising the “informal proletariat” (Davis, 2006).
Women are an essential component in these national and international migratory flows. Migration leads to the dismantling and abandonment of families, land, and processes of production, while increasing the burdens of family and community on the women who stay behind. In Europe, the United States and Canada women who do migrate take work that European and North American women have not performed for years, thus reproducing an invisible spiral of oppression, as the Global North externalizes its care, social and economic costs to communities of migrant women origin.
The inability to resolve the current health care crisis in Western countries has resulted in the incorporation of large numbers of women into the labor market. Additionally, the aging population of Western countries and the non-responsiveness of the state to their needs has served as an alibi for the importation of millions of “caretakers” from the Global South. As is noted by Ezquerra (2010) “[This] diaspora fills the function of making the incompatibility between the rise of the capitalist system and the maintenance of life in the Centre invisible, and deepens the crisis of care and other crises in the South. … The ‘international chain of care’ becomes a dramatic vicious cycle that ensures survival of the patriarchal capitalist system” (Ezquerra, 2010:39).
Access to land is not a guaranteed right for many women. In numerous Southern countries laws forbid this right, and in those countries where legal access exists there are often traditions and practices that prevent women from property ownership. As Fraser (2009) explains, “In Cambodia, for example, although it is not illegal for women to own land, the cultural norm dictates that they do not possess land; although they are responsible for farm production and agriculture, women have no control over the sale of land or how it is transmitted to children” (Fraser, 2009:34).
In India, Chukki Nanjundaswamy of the peasant organization Karnataka State Farmers Association3 notes that the situation of women with regards to land and health care access is very difficult: “Socially Indian peasant women have almost no rights and are considered an ‘addition’ to males. Rural women are the most untouchable of the untouchables within the social caste system” (La Via Campesina, 2006: 16).
Access to land for women in Africa today is even more precarious due to increased deaths from AIDS. On the one hand, women are more likely to be infected, but when one of their male relatives who holds title to the land dies, women have great difficulty accessing control. In many communities, women have no right to inherit, and therefore lose their land and other assets when they are widowed (Jayne et al, 2006).
Land is a very important asset—it allows for the production of food, serves as an investment for the future; and as collateral it implies access to credit, etc. The difficulties women have securing access to land is one more example of how the capitalist and patriarchal agricultural system hits them especially hard. Furthermore, when women do hold title to land, it is mostly lower value land or extension properties.
Women also face more difficulty in obtaining loans, services, and supplies. Globally, it is estimated that women receive only 1% of total agricultural loans, and even so, it is not clear who in the family exercises control over those loans (Fraser, 2009).
These practices do not only exist in the Global South. In Europe, for example, many women farmers work under complete legal uncertainty. Most of them work on family farms where administrative rights are the exclusive property of the owner of the farm—and women are not entitled to aid, planting, lactic share, etc.
As Elizabeth Vilalba Seivane, secretary of Labrego Galego in Galicia explains, the problems of women in the field—in the South and the North—have much in common despite some obvious differences, “European women are more focused on fighting for our administrative rights on the farm, while elsewhere profound changes are demanded that have to do with land reform or access to land and other basic resources” (La Via Campesina, 2006: 26).
In the US, Debra Eschmeyer of the National Family Farm Coalition explains practices that show this inequality: “For example, when a women farmer goes alone to seek a loan from a bank it is far more complicated [than] if a male farmer seeks a loan” (La Via Campesina, 2006: 14).
Agribusiness vs. food sovereignty
Today, the current agro-industrial model has proven unable to satisfy the dietary needs of individuals, in addition to being destructive to the environment. We are facing a food and agricultural system with a high concentration of companies along the entire chain. It is monopolized by a handful of multinational agribusinesses and backed by governments and international institutions that have become accomplices, if not co-beneficiaries, in an unsustainable food production system. This model is an imperialist tool aimed at political, economic and social control over the Global South by the North’s major economic powers like the United States and the European Union (Toussaint, 2008; Vivas, 2009).
As Desmarais (2007) notes, the food system can be understood as a broad horizontal chain that has been taking more and more away from production and consumption in favor of the appropriation of various stages of production by agribusiness, leading to the loss of peasant autonomy.
The food crisis that erupted during 2007 and 2008, caused a strong increase in the price of staple foods4, highlighting the high volatility of agriculture and the food system. It also introduced the figure of over one billion hungry people in the world—one person in six, according to data from the FAO (2009).
The problem is a not a lack of food, but rather the inability to access it. In fact, grain production worldwide has tripled since the 60’s, while the global population has only doubled (GRAIN, 2008). We can see that there is enough food to feed the entire global population. However, for the millions of people in developing countries who spend between 50% and 60% of their income on food (up to 80% in the poorest countries), rising prices make it impossible to access.
There are fundamental reasons that explain the deep food crisis. Neoliberal policies applied indiscriminately over the past thirty years on a global scale forced vulnerable markets to open up to the global economy. Payments of debt by the South led to the privatization of formerly public goods and services (water, agricultural protections). Add to this a model of agriculture and food production in the service of capitalist logic, and you have the main contributing factors to the situation that has dismantled a once-successful model of peasant agriculture that had guaranteed people’s food security for decades (Holt-Giménez and Patel, 2010). This has had a very negative impact on people, particularly women, and the environment.
Food Sovereignty is a powerful alternative to this destructive agricultural model. This paradigm promotes “the right of peoples to define their own agricultural policies and … to protect and regulate domestic agricultural production and the domestic market” (VVAA, 2003: 1). Food sovereignty seeks to regain the right to decide what, how and where to produce what we eat. It promotes the idea that the land, water, and seeds are in peasants’ hands, and that we deserve to control our food systems.
There is an inherent feminist perspective incorporated in food sovereignty. As pointed out by Yoon Guem Soon, a Korean peasant woman and representative of Via Campesina in Asia: “Feminism is a process for getting a decent place for women in society, to combat violence against women and to claim and reclaim our land and save it from the hands of multinationals and large companies. Feminism is the way for rural women to take an active and worthy role within society” (La Via Campesina, 2006:12).
Via Campesina is the world’s foremost international movement of small farmers. It promotes the right of all peoples to food sovereignty. Via Campesina was established in 1993 at the dawn of the anti-globalization movement, and gradually became one of the major organizations in the critique of neoliberal globalization. Its ascent is an expression of peasant resistance to the collapse of the rural world caused by neoliberal policies, and the intensification of those policies as embodied in the World Trade Organization (Antentas and Vivas, 2009a).
Since its founding, Via Campesina has promoted a “female peasant” identity that is politicized, linked to land, food production and the defense of food sovereignty—built in opposition to the current agribusiness model (Desmarais, 2007). Via Campesina embodies a new kind of “peasant internationalism” (Bello, 2009), that can be viewed as a “peasant component” of the new international resistance presented by the anti-globalization movement (Antentas and Vivas, 2009).
In 1996, coinciding with the World Food Summit at the FAO in Rome, Via Campesina highlighted food sovereignty as a political alternative to a profoundly unfair and predatory food system. This does not imply a romantic return to the past, but rather recovers knowledge and traditional practices and combines them with new technologies and new knowledge (Desmarais, 2007). As noted by McMichael (2006), there is a “mystification of the small” in a way that rethinks the global food system to encourage democratic forms of food production and distribution.
A feminist perspective
Over time, Via Campesina has incorporated a feminist perspective, working to achieve gender equality within their organizations, and building alliances with feminist groups, including the international World March of Women, among others.
At the heart of La Via Campesina, the struggle of women is situated at two levels: defending their rights as women within organizations and society in general, and the struggle as peasant women together with their colleagues against the neoliberal model of agriculture (EHNE and La Via Campesina 2009).
Feminist work in Via Campesina has taken important steps forward since its inception. In the First International Conference in Mons (Belgium) in 1993, all the elected coordinators were men. In the final declaration the situation of rural women hardly received any mention. Although it identified the need to integrate women’s needs in the work of Via Campesina, the conference failed to establish mechanisms to ensure participation of women in successive meetings. Thus, at the 2nd International Conference in Tlaxcala (Mexico) in 1996, the percentage of women attending was 20% of the total: the same as at the 1st International Conference. To address this issue, a special women’s committee was created (later known as the Women’s Committee of La Via Campesina) and methods that permitted better representation and participation were enacted.
This move facilitated the incorporation of feminist analysis in Via Campesina. Thus, when Via Campesina publicly presented the concept of food sovereignty at the World Food Summit of FAO in Rome in 1996, women contributed their own demands. These included the need to produce food locally, and they added the dimension of “human health” to “sustainable agricultural practices,” demanding a drastic reduction in harmful chemical inputs and advocating the active promotion of organic agriculture. Women also insisted that food sovereignty could not be accomplished without greater female participation in the definition of rural policies (Desmarais, 2007).
For Francisca Rodriguez of the peasant association ANAMURI in Chile: “Acknowledging the reality and demands of rural women has been a challenge in all peasant movements. … The history of this acknowledgement has gone through various stages of struggle for recognition from within, to break with the chauvinist organizations … over the past twenty years, rural women’s organizations have gained [an] identity … we have reconstructed as women in a half-labored rural locale,” (Mugarik Gabe, 2006:254).
The work of the Women’s Commission helped promote exchanges between women from different countries, including women-specific meetings to coincide with international summits. Between 1996 and 2000, the Commission’s work focused mainly on Latin America—through training, exchange and discussion—and rural women increased their participation in all levels and activities of La Via Campesina.
As Annette Desmarais noted, “In most countries, agricultural and rural organizations are dominated by men. The women of La Via Campesina refuse to accept these subordinate positions. While acknowledging the long and difficult road ahead, women accept the challenge with enthusiasm, and vow to carry out a major role in shaping the Via Campesina as a movement committed to gender equality” (Desmarais, 2007:265).
In October 2000, just before the 3rd International Conference of La Via Campesina in Bangalore (India), the 1st International Assembly of Women Farmers was organized. This allowed for greater participation of women in the organization. The Assembly adopted three major goals: 1) to ensure the participation of 50% of women at all levels of decisions and activities of La Via Campesina, 2) to maintain and strengthen the Women’s Commission, and 3) to ensure that documents, training events and speeches of Via Campesina did not have sexist content or sexist language (Desmarais, 2007).
Members at the conference agreed to change the institutional structure to ensure gender equity. As Paul Nicholson of La Via Campesina notes: “[In Bangalore] it was determined that equality of man and woman in spaces and positions of representation in our organization opened a whole internal process of reflection on the role of women in the struggle for women peasants’ rights. … The gender perspective is being addressed now in a serious way, not only in the context of parity in responsibilities, but also a profound debate about the roots and tentacles of patriarchy and violence against women in the rural world.” (Food Sovereignty, Biodiversity and Cultures 2010: 8).
This strategy forced the member organizations of Via Campesina at national and regional levels to rethink their work in a gender perspective and to incorporate new measures to strengthen the role of women (Desmarais, 2007). Josie Riffaud of the Confédération Paysanne in France, states that: “the decision was critical of [lack of gender] parity in the Via Campesina, as allowed in my organization, the Confédération Paysanne. We also apply this measure.” (La Via Campesina, 2006: 15).
As part of the 4th International Conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in June 2004; the 2nd International Assembly of Women Farmers brought together more than a hundred women from 47 countries on all continents. The main lines of action that emerged from the meeting were to take action against physical and sexual violence against women; both domestically and internationally; demand equal rights and invest in education. As its final statement states: “We demand our right to a dignified life, respect for our sexual and reproductive rights; and the immediate implementation of measures to eradicate all forms of physical, sexual, verbal and psychological violence. … We urge states to implement measures to ensure our economic autonomy, access to land, health, education and equal social status.” (2nd International Assembly of Women Farmers, 2004).
In October 2006, the World Congress of Women of La Via Campesina was highlighted in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Participants included women from agricultural organizations in Asia, North America, Europe, Africa and Latin America; with the objective of analyzing and discussing the meaning of equality in the field from a feminist perspective, and a plan of action to achieve it. As one of the presentations—Sergia Galván’s Women’s Health Collective of the Dominican Republic—pointed out, the women of La Via Campesina had three challenges ahead: 1) to advance the theoretical discussion to incorporate the feminist peasant perspective in mainstream feminist analysis, 2) continue work on autonomy as a vital reference for the consolidation of the movement of rural women, and 3) to overcome the feeling of guilt in the struggle for higher positions of power over men (La Via Campesina, 2006).
The World Congress of Women of La Via Campesina emphasized the need to further strengthen the articulation of women of La Via Campesina, and created mechanisms for a greater exchange of information and specific plans for struggle. Among the concrete proposals were the articulation of a global campaign to combat violence perpetrated against women, to extend the discussion to all organizations that are part of Via Campesina, and to work to recognize the rights of rural women in demanding equality in access to land, credit, markets and administrative rights (La Via Campesina, 2006).
At the 5th International Conference in Maputo, Mozambique, in October 2008, La Via Campesina hosted the 3rd International Assembly of Women. The assembly approved the launch of a campaign targeting all forms of violence faced by women in society (physical, economic, social, sexist, cultural, and access to power) which are also present in rural communities and their organizations.
Work that aims at achieving greater gender equality is not easy. Despite the formal equality, women face obstacles when traveling or attending meetings and gatherings. As Annette Desmarais (2007:282) noted, “There are many reasons why women do not participate at this level. Perhaps the most important is the persistence of ideologies and cultural practices that perpetuate unequal gender relations and unfairness. For example, the division of labor by gender means that rural women have less access to the most precious resource, time, to participate as leaders in agricultural organizations. Being involved in reproductive, productive and community work makes it much less likely [for women] to have time for training sessions and learning as leaders.”
It is a struggle against the tide, and despite some concrete victories, we face a long fight in our organizations; and, more generally, socially.
Weaving Alliances
La Via Campesina has established alliances with various organizations and social movements at the international, regional, and national levels. One of the most significant alliances has been with the World March of Women, a leading feminist global network that has called for joint actions and meetings, and has collaborated in activities: the International Forum for Food Sovereignty held in Mali in 2007, among others.
The original meeting between the two networks was under the anti-globalization movement, and its purpose was to agree on counter-summits and activities within the World Social Forum. The incorporation of a feminist perspective within Via Campesina generated more solidarity, and this has built over time. At the Forum for Food Sovereignty in 2007 in Sélingué, Mali a meeting was convened by leading international social movements such as Via Campesina, the World March of Women, the World Forum of Fisher Peoples, and others to advance strategies within a wide range of social movements (farmers, fishers, consumers) to promote food sovereignty.
Women were a major catalyst in this meeting, as organizers and participants. The Nyéléni Forum in Sélingué was named in honor of the legend of a Malian peasant woman who struggled to assert herself as a woman in a hostile environment. Delegates from Africa, America, Europe, Asia and Oceania attended the meeting and identified the capitalist and patriarchal system as primarily responsible for the violations of women’s rights, while reaffirming their commitment to transform it.
The World March of Women has taken up food sovereignty as an inalienable human right, especially for women. Miriam Nobre, coordinator of the international secretary of the World March of Women, participated in October 2006 at the World Congress of Women of La Via Campesina in the global feminist movement. The 7th International Meeting of the World March of Women in Vigo, Spain in October 2008, held a forum and exhibition for food sovereignty, showing the links between the feminist struggle and those of peasant women.
The success of this collaboration is embodied in the dual membership of women who are active members in the World March of Women, and La Via Campesina. These experiences encourage closer ties and collaboration between both networks, and strengthens the feminist struggle of rural women that is part of the broader struggle against capitalism and patriarchy.
The current global food system has failed to ensure the food security of communities. Currently more than a billion people worldwide suffer from hunger. The global food system has had a profoundly negative environmental impact; promoting an intensive agro-industrial model that has contributed to climate change and collapsing agro-biodiversity. This system has been particularly detrimental to women.
Developing alternatives to this agricultural model requires incorporating a gender perspective. The food sovereignty alternative to the dominant agro-industrial model has to have a feminist position to break with patriarchal and capitalist logic.
La Via Campesina, the largest international movement for food sovereignty, is moving in this direction: creating alliances with other social movements—especially feminist organizations and networks such as the World March of Women—to promote networking and solidarity among women in North and South, urban and rural areas, and between them and their companions. As Via Campesina says: “Globalize the struggle. Globalize hope.”
The 2nd International Assembly of Women Farmers (2004) Declaration of the Second International Assembly of Women Farmers in: http://movimientos.org/cloc/show_text.php3?key=2903
Antentas, JM. and Vivas, E. (2009a) “La Via Campesina to Global Justice” in Political Ecology, No. 38, pp. 97-99.
(2009b) “Internationalism (s) yesterday and today” Viento Sur, No. 100, pp. 33-40.
World Bank (2007) World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development, Washington DC, World Bank.
Bello, W. (2009). The Food Wars. London. Verso.
Davis, M. (2006) Planet of slums. London. Verso.
Desmarais, Annette A. (2007) La Via Campesina. Globalization and the power of the peasantry. Madrid. Editorial Popular.
La Vía Campesina EHNE and (2009) La Vía Campesina. The struggles of the peasantry and world http://viacampesina.net/downloads/PDF/viacas.pdf
Ezquerra, S. (2010) “The care crisis: origins, possible false solutions and opportunities” in Viento Sur, No. 108, pp. 37-43.
FAO (1996) Towards Sustainable Food and Sustainable Food security security.Women in: http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/SUSTDEV/FSdirect/FBdirect/FSP001.htm
FAO (2009) 1020 million people are hungry: http://www.fao.org/news/story/es/item/20568/icode
Fraser, A. (2009) Agriculture for Development. London. Oxfam International.
GRAIN (2008), Making a killing from hunger: http://www.grain.org/articles/?id=40
Holt-Giménez, E. and Patel, R., and Annie Shattuck (2010) Food Rebellions:Crisis and the Hunger for Justice. Barcelona. El Viejo Topo.
Jayne et al. (2006) “HIV / AIDS and the Agricultural Sector in Eastern and Southern Africa: Anticipating the consequences” in Gillespie, S. (ed.), AIDS, Poverty, and Hunger. IFPRI.
La Via Campesina (2006) World Congress of Women of La Via Campesina: http://epueblos.pangea.org/salimentaria/pairoses/documents/congreso_mundial_mulleres.pdf
McMichael, P. (2000) “Global food politics” In Magdoff, F. et al. Hungry for profit. New York. Monthly Review Press, pp. 125-143.
McMichael, P. (2006) “Feeding the world: agriculture, development and ecology” en Panitch, L. y Leys, C. Socialist Register 2007. London. Merlin Press, pp. 170-194.
Mugarik Gabe (2006) “Gender Strategies for Food Sovereignty” en Fernández Such (coord.) Soberanía alimentaria. Barcelona. Icaria editorial, pp. 253-319.
Oceransky Losana, S. (2006) “The relations between women and men in rural areas: their inheritance in our projects” en VVAA Los pies en la tierra, Barcelona, Virus editorial.
Food Sovereignty, Biodiversity and Cultures (2010) “Tour of the Peasant Struggles” in Soberanía alimentaria, biodiversidad y culturas, nº1, pp. 3-10.
Toussaint, É. (2008) Let us talk about the causes of food crisis in: http://www.cadtm.org/Volvamos-a-hablar-de-las-causas-de
Vivas, E. (2008) Standing against the foreign debt. Barcelona. El Viejo Topo.
Vivas, E. (2009) “The subtleties of global food” en Montagut, X. y Vivas, E. Del campo al plato. Barcelona. Icaria editorial, pp. 9-40.
VVAA (2003) Our world is not for sale. First there is the peoples’ food sovereignty WTO out of agriculture and food! in: http://www.viacampesina.org/main_sp/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=345
White H. y Leavy S. (2003) Labour markets in Africa: What do models need to explain? Brighton. Institute for Development Studies y University of Sussex.
1.Esther Vivas is a member of the Center for the Study of Social Movements at the University Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona.
2. For a more detailed analysis of the historical evolution of the global food system see McMichael (2000).
3. All women farmers mentioned in this article are part of member organizations of La Via Campesina.
4. According to the index of food prices by FAO, recorded between 2005 and 2006, an increase of 12% the following year, in 2007, an increase of 24% between January and July 2008, a rise about 50%. Cereals and other staple foods were those that suffered the largest increases (Vivas, 2009).
*Part of this article has been published at Food Movements Unite! Strategies to Transform Our Food System (Food First, 2011)
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Home » Figures » 10 Facts about Anne Boleyn
10 Facts about Anne Boleyn
Sunday, February 22nd 2015. | Figures
You have to check out Facts about Anne Boleyn if you want to know the famous queen of England from 1533 till 1536, but her life left miserable after she sentenced to death by his husband, King Henry VIII. Actually she was the second wife of the king after his first wife died. He was born circa 1501 and passed away on 19 May 1536. Here are other facts about Anne Boleyn for you:
Facts about Anne Boleyn 1: parents
Let’s find out the parents of Anne Boleyn. Her mother was Lady Elizabeth Howard. Her father was the first Earl of Wiltshire named Thomas Boleyn.
Facts about Anne Boleyn 2: education
She spent more of her time in France and Netherlands because she pursued her education there. Actually she became a maid of honor to Claude of France.
Anne Boleyn Facts
Facts about Anne Boleyn 3: moving back to England
In the beginning of 1522, she returned to England. She married the ninth Earl of Ormond, James Butler who was also her cousin. But her marriage plan did not end up well.
Facts about Anne Boleyn 4: the maid of honor
Anne became the maid of honour for Catherine of Aragon who was the wife of Henry VIII. Anne and Henry Percy had a secret betrothal in the beginning of 1523. But their betrothal was broken by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Then Henry Percy married Lady Mary Talbot and Anne went back to Hever Castle.
Anne Boleyn Image
Facts about Anne Boleyn 5: King Henry VIII
Henry began to pursue Anne in February or March 1526. She did not want to become his mistress. Soon Henry was very interested and desired to Anne. He wanted to annul his marriage with Catherine of Aragon so that he was able to marry Anne.
Facts about Anne Boleyn 6: annulling the marriage
It was very clear that Pope Clement VII would never annul his marriage. Therefore, he broke the relationship with Catholic Church in England.
Anne Boleyn Pic
Facts about Anne Boleyn 7: marriage
Anne and King Henry married on January 25, 1533. The marriage of Henry and Anne was declared as void and null by Thomas Cranmer on 23 May 1533. But then he declared the marriage was good and valid five days later.
Facts about Anne Boleyn 8: the birth of Queen Elizabeth I
On the 1st June 1533, Anne became the queen. She gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I on 7 September. Actually the gender of this child made him disappointed.
Anne Boleyn Pictures
Facts about Anne Boleyn 9: Jane Seymour
The interest of the king developed to Jane Seymour by March 1536 and he investigated Anne due to the high treason in April 1536. Find out another figure in Amy Dudley facts.
Facts about Anne Boleyn 10: death
He was arrested and sent to the Tower of London and was beheaded after the trial. The charges against her were incest, adultery and witchcraft.
Facts about Anne Boleyn
Do you want to say something on facts about Anne Boleyn?
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University of Utah Pediatric Infectious Diseases Faculty Member / Rank Dependent on Qualifications in Salt Lake City, Utah
Position/Rank Pediatric Infectious Diseases Faculty Member / Rank Dependent on Qualifications
Department 00249 - Pediatric Infectious Diseases
City Salt Lake City, UT
Track Track Dependent on Qualifications
New Position to Begin FY20
The Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Utah is recruiting for a faculty member with interest and experience in Antibiotic Stewardship and Hospital Epidemiology. This is an outstanding opportunity to join a vibrant and collegial academic environment and work in a children’s hospital ranked as one of the best in the US. Responsibilities will include clinical consultation on the inpatient service and in the Infectious Diseases Clinic and a major role in antimicrobial stewardship, as well as developing an independent research career. Clinical activities will be carried out at Primary Children’s Hospital, a 290-bed children’s hospital ranked among US News & World Report’s Best Hospitals and in the University of Utah and Intermountain Health Care Systems. In addition to clinical service, there is an expectation for academic work, including investigation, education, administration/service, as well as advocacy.
The Division has a well-established Antibiotic Stewardship Program and is expanding the scope to include Pediatric beds in a large affiliated system. The successful candidate would have a major role in developing this novel tele-stewardship program. There is also the opportunity to become the Associate Hospital Epidemiologist. As of July 2019, the Division will include 8 full-time faculty members on the main campus and one at an affiliated hospital, as well as an active fellowship program. Research in the Division currently focuses on infectious disease epidemiology including respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, antimicrobial stewardship, health services research and value-based care, the development and impact of diagnostic tests including metagenomics and deep sequencing, and improving the care of children with cancer and transplants. We have active collaborations with outstanding researchers in antimicrobial stewardship at University Hospital, Intermountain Medical Center, the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Qualified candidates must be Board Qualified/Board Certified in Pediatrics and in Pediatric Infectious Diseases or Infectious Diseases, and must have demonstrated research skills and experience. The selected candidate will receive a faculty appointment in the Department of Pediatrics on the Clinical or Tenure track at the academic level commensurate with experience and qualifications.
The University offers a competitive salary and an unmatched benefits program, including non-contributory retirement contributions of 20.2% of annual salary that vest immediately. The Department offers an education loan repayment program, in addition to a faculty development and mentoring program designed to help faculty succeed in translational or basic research.
Salt Lake City offers an incredible quality of life with a growing economy, rich cultural scene with ballet, theatre, symphony, opera and museums, outstanding restaurants, and a moderate cost of living. The city is a ski destination and a gateway to the state’s renowned landscapes. In addition to its 14 ski resorts, Utah boasts five national parks (with five more within a day’s drive), a variety of golf courses allowing for year-round play, hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails, and numerous other outdoor activities.
Interested individuals can apply at http://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/84295. Cover letter and curriculum vitae are required. For additional information about the position, please contact: Andrew T. Pavia, M.D., Division Chief, at andy.pavia@hsc.utah.edu.
The University of Utah Health (U of U Health) is a patient focused center distinguished by collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. The U of U Health values candidates who are committed to fostering and furthering the culture of compassion, collaboration, innovation, accountability, diversity, integrity, quality, and trust that is integral to our mission.
EEO/Diversity Information
The University of Utah is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, national origin, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, status as a person with a disability, genetic information, or Protected Veteran status. Individuals from historically underrepresented groups, such as minorities, women, qualified persons with disabilities and protected veterans are encouraged to apply. Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities. To inquire about the University’s nondiscrimination or affirmative action policies or to request disability accommodation, please contact: Director, Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, 201 S. Presidents Circle, Rm 135, (801) 581-8365.
The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students from diverse backgrounds, and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education for historically underrepresented students.
The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“ URS ”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at (801) 581-7447 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or University Human Resource Management at (801) 581-7447 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.
This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen and immunizations.
Special Instructions for Candidates
Open Date 10/26/2018
Open Until Filled Yes
Requisition Number PRN02128F
Type Faculty
Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fa...
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Medieval Lithuanian princesses in foreign countries – diplomacy of men and stories of women
Rimvydas Petrauskas | ldkistorija.lt
Around 1250, with the help of great military and diplomatic efforts Mindaugas managed to dissolve a union that posed a serious threat to his power. During political negotiations Mindaugas’ daughter of unknown name was engaged, and later she was married off to Švarnas, a son of Duke Daniel of Galitch-Voluin who was one of the greatest rivals to the Lithuanian King in the region. That was the first marriage of the family of the Lithuanian Rulers, which can be called interdynastic.
GDL Grand Duke Aleksandras and his wife Elena
The first steps of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania towards the West – in women's shoes
Another event of this kind occurred in 1279, when Traidenis' daughter Sofija Gaudimantė married Masovian Duke Boleslov II, thus starting the tradition of dynastic marriages with the Dukes of Masovia that were important in the history of Lithuania. Since then a daughter of almost every Lithuanian Ruler down to Jogaila (Jagiełło) and Vytautas became Duchess of Masovia. Lithuanian princesses, when they made their home in Masovia, acted as a go-between for the pagan relatives who experienced isolation and helped them find diplomatic roads to the West. This peculiarity of Lithuania's political communication is clearly revealed in Gediminas' letters written in 1323 to the cities of Northern Germany and Franciscan and Dominican monastic institutions in which the Grand Duke offered those who were travelling to Lithuania to go via the lands of his son-in-law Duke Vaclav of Masovia: "We shall provide you with a free possibility to come to our land and leave it via the Dukedom of the Duke Vaclav of Masovia".
Reformation in Renaissance Samogitia: the family of Skaczewski
What did burghers wear in Medieval Lithuania?
The prestigious marriage – a means of consolidating the dynasty
Such marriages were not merely a means of implementing political goals. Military unions created by means of marriage were a rather temporary thing, which the marriage of Gediminas' daughter Ona Aldona to Casimir (The Great in the future) the son of the King of Poland Władysław Łokietka showed, when friendly Polish-Lithuanian relations lasted hardly several years. Marriage with the representatives of other royal or ducal families first of all meant the recognition of the international dynasty, provided new possibilities to consolidate its exceptionality within the country – it was only the ruling family that could find a partner for itself in the international market of marriage. Therefore a prestigious marriage strengthened the status of the ruling families of both parties. This is what happened to the first marriage between the families of the Polish and Lithuanian Rulers – the abovementioned marriage of Gediminas' daughter Ona Aldona and the son Casimir of the Polish King (in 1325), which provided both parties with the possibility to underline their monarchic exclusiveness. The branch of the Piast dynasty that became predominant in Poland at that time was just finishing overcoming the division of the country, and Gediminas' family on the whole made the first steps in a broader regional policy. Dynastic and political reasons were much more important than confessional barriers, which the baptism of the partner helped to overcome – all the princesses of the Gediminids who married abroad accepted the Catholic or Orthodox baptism.
Elžbieta Gediminaitė: half a century spent in a foreign country did not break off her relations with her native land
It is worth noting that Gediminas arranged the first dynastic marriage during the first years of his rule – in 1316, when he married off his eldest daughter Elžbieta to Vaclav, Duke of Masovia-Plock. Elžbieta's especially large dowry – 720 silver and 9 gold Marks – demonstrated the political significance of this marriage. A potential factor of the support of the father's family is especially significant in case of widowhood. In 1336, after the death of her husband, Elžbieta managed to handle her own and her children's legacy independently quite successfully. In 1337, she married off her daughter Ona to Henryk, Duke of Silesia, she created a significant political counterbalance to the political union headed by Casimir, the King of Poland. It seems likely that in this case she acted with the knowledge of her father Gediminas. Nonetheless, political unions were not a sustainable phenomenon therefore it should not be surprising that Elžbieta Gediminaitė's only son (Gediminas' grandson) Boleslovas was killed in 1351 during the armed conflict with the Lithuanians (who were led by Gediminas' son). True, the story of Kęstutis' escape from the captivity of the Teutonic Order in 1361 when he found refuge at first at his sisters' who lived in Masovia for almost half a century shows that Elžbieta preserved personal relations with her family to the end of her days.
Dukedoms precipitated by dynastic exchanges
There were tragic stories too when Lithuanian princesses were left alone and forgotten in a foreign country. This was the case with Gediminas' other daughter Marija who married Grand Duke of Tver Dmitri Mikhailovich. Thereby this marriage contract Gediminas began the tradition of maintaining personal relations with the rulers of Tver: as in the case of Masovia, marriage relations were established in every further generation of the Gediminids with the Dukes of Tver among which the second marriage of Duke Algirdas to the princess Julijona of Tver was known best. The fate of Marija in Tver was unhappy – just several years after their marriage her husband was murdered, and she spend the rest of her long life in a convent. A lack of contacts between the princesses and their relatives who stayed in Lithuania reflect itself in the story of another daughter of Gediminas, Augustė Anastazija. Her brother Jaunutis dethroned in 1345 expected to find refuge at his sister's who was married to Grand Duke of Moscow Semion Ivanovitch. However, the news about her death had not reached Jaunutis.
Medieval diplomatic envoys whose names are forgotten
Nonetheless, dynastic marriages in medieval Europe played an exceptional role. Negotiations were held prior to the wedding trips, which had a significant function of cultural knowledge. The princesses were usually accompanied by the escort, which stayed with them in a new place for some time. In this way long-lasting contacts between the estates could have been established. Gifts usually established a personal relation between the future spouses who had not seen each other before (it was later that portraits were sent together with the gifts). Therefore one can believe the story told by the Polish chronicler Jan Długosz about an intimate commission of the Polish princess Jadvyga to the envoy who was going to Lithuania – to describe the appearance of the future spouse Jogaila (Jagiellon). Most probably this was a usual part of arranging medieval marriages.
We can say very little about the life of the Lithuanian princesses in the 14th century. We do not know everything about them – these are traces of their life in a foreign country. The earliest historiographic sources of Lithuania – the Lithuanian chronicle – did not specify even the names of those women though their authors recorded carefully the sons of Gediminas, Algirdas and Kęstutis. Sometimes we cannot be certain about the Lithuanian name of the princesses. For example, it was the chronicler Motiejus Stryjkovskis who "procured" the pagan name of Aldona for Gediminas' daughter Ona. The author of the later genealogy of the Dukes of Masovia gave the name of Danmilė to Gediminas' daughter Elžbieta. In the church and historic memory they remained as "devout princesses" (S. C. Rowell) and the churches that they funded and supported still remember their activity.
The story of Stanislaw Skaczewski (Lith. Stanislav Skaševskis) (†1579), coming from the gentry and...
Clothes, just like tableware, were a form of demonstrating the social prestige of certain individuals....
Cards in Medieval Lithuania, or the earliest pop culture in Europe
For many centuries, playing cards looked quite different from what they look now. It was not before...
“A Land of Forests and Swamp.” The image of Lithuania in Medieval Europe
“Lithuania [Lectonia] is a province of Scythia, and its people are called Lithuanians. They are...
Coffee, tea and chocolate in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Coffee, tea and chocolate were exotic drinks in Europe as they became popular in the 17th and 18th...
When did potatoes enter Lithuania?
Potatoes (lat. solanum tuberosum) represent one of the vital staples in the whole world. They serve as...
Cartography of a private domain: the 1645 map of the Duchy of Biržai
European cartography experienced a considerable rise in the 16th and the first half of the 17th...
Food in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
In the 13th and 14th centuries, both pagans and Christians suffered from starvation because the lack...
Pilėnai and Margiris
Pilėnai is a place that looms over the landscape of Lithuanian history. It is a place shrouded in...
The mythology of the Battle of Saulė 191
The raid of the Christian army against Lithuania in 1236 was dictated by the political circumstances...
How Lithuania helped shape Sweden’s elegance
Politics is the new black, regardless of which one you choose, fictional or real. Just as many...
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Central Bank of Russia
The Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Russian: Центральный банк Российской Федерации Tsentral'nyy bank Rossiyskoy Federatsii) also known as the Bank of Russia (Russian: Банк России Bank Rossii) is the central bank of the Russian Federation, founded in 1860 as The State Bank of the Russian Empire,[1] headquartered on Neglinnaya Street in Moscow. Its functions are described in the Russian constitution (Article 75) and in the special Federal Law.
12 Neglinnaya str., Moscow, Russian Federation
55°45′47″N 37°37′17″E / 55.76306°N 37.62139°E / 55.76306; 37.62139Coordinates: 55°45′47″N 37°37′17″E / 55.76306°N 37.62139°E / 55.76306; 37.62139
Elvira Nabiullina
Central bank of
RUB (ISO 4217)
$455.4 bn (As of 16 March 2018[update])
Interest rate target
State Bank of the USSR (between 1922 and 1991)
cbr.ru
Russian postage stamp sheet in commemoration of 150-year anniversary of setting up of Bank of Russia.
Timeline of central banking in Russia
Dates System
1769–1818 State Assignation Bank
1818–1860 State Commercial Bank
1860–1917 State Bank of Russia
1917–1922 People's Bank of the RSFSR
1922–1991 State Bank of the USSR
1991–present Central Bank of Russia
Sources:[2]
Bank of Russia headquarters in Moscow
State Bank of the Russian EmpireEdit
GosBank headquarters in Saint Petersburg (1905)
The decision to create a State Bank of the Russian Empire was made by Emperor Peter III in May 1762,[3] which was modeled on Bank of England and would have the right to issue bank notes. However, due to the coup on 28 June 1762 and the murder of the Czar, the project was not implemented. The outbreak in 1768 of the Russian-Turkish War and deficit of the state budget forced Catherine II, in turn, refer to the idea of issuing a paper money, and in December 1768 she formed the State Assignation Bank, which existed until 1818 and was replaced by the State Commercial Bank, but the first central banking body in Russia was established on 12 June [O.S. 31 May] 1860 as The State Bank (GosBank) of the Russian Empire (Russian: Государственный банк Российской Империи) which was formed on the base of the State Commercial Bank by ukaz of Emperor Alexander II. This ukaz also ratified the statutes of the bank. According to the statutes, it was a state-owned bank, intended for short-term credit of trade and industry.
In early 1917 the bank had eleven branches, 133 permanent and five temporary offices and 42 agencies. On 7 November 1917 the Russian State Bank was disestablished and replaced by The People's Bank which existed until the establishment of the Soviet Gosbank.
State Bank of the Soviet UnionEdit
Main article: Gosbank
The Central Bank of the Russian FederationEdit
The Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia) was established 13 July 1990 as a result of the transformation of the Russian Republican Bank of the State Bank of the USSR. It was accountable to the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR. On 2 December 1990 the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR passed the Law on the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia), according to which the Bank of Russia has become a legal entity, the main bank of the RSFSR and was accountable to the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR. In June 1991, the charter was adopted by the Bank of Russia. On 20 December 1991 the State Bank of the USSR was abolished and all its assets, liabilities and property in the RSFSR were transferred to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia), which was then renamed to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia). Since 1992, the Bank of Russia began to buy and sell foreign currency on the foreign exchange market created by it, establish and publish the official exchange rates of foreign currencies against the ruble.
Role and dutiesEdit
According to the constitution, it is an independent entity, with the primary responsibility of protecting the stability of the national currency, the ruble.[4]
Before 1 September 2013, it was the main regulator of the Russian banking industry, responsible for banking licenses, rules of banking operations and accounting standards, serving as a lender of last resort for credit organizations. After pointed date functions and powers of CBR were significantly expanded and the central bank received the status of a mega-regulator of all financial markets of Russia.[5]
It holds the exclusive right to issue ruble banknotes and coins through the Moscow and St. Petersburg mints, the Goznak mint.[citation needed] The central bank issues commemorative coins made of precious and non-precious metals as well as investment ones made of precious metals, which are distributed inside and outside the country.[6] In 2010 in honor of its 150th anniversary it issued a 5-kilo commemorative gold coin Alexander II.[7]
Under Russian law, half of the bank's profit must be channeled into the government's federal budget. The Central Bank of Russia is a member of the BIS.[8]
The Bank of Russia owns a 57.58% stake in Sberbank, the country's leading commercial bank. The Bank of Russia owns as well 100% stake in Russian National Reinsurance Company (RNRC), biggest national reinsurance company. RNRC was established for prevention possible problems with abroad reinsurance of large risks under International sanctions during the Ukrainian crisis, like constructing the Crimean Bridge.[9]
Anti-fraud activitiesEdit
In 2017, within the framework of a joint anti-phishing project of the Bank of Russia and search engine Yandex, a special check mark (a green circle with a tick and 'Реестр ЦБ РФ' (Bank of Russia Register) text box) appeared in the search results, informing the consumer that the website is really owned by a legally registered company licensed by the Bank of Russia.[10][11]
ChairmenEdit
Governors of the State BankEdit
The governor was appointed by the emperor of Russia.
Name (governor)
Term of office
Start of term
1 Alexander von Stieglitz
10 June 1860 1866
2 Evgeniy Lamanskiy
3 Alexey Tsismen
4 Yuliy Zhukovskiy
5 Eduard Pleske
6 Sergey Timashev
7 Alexey Konshin
8 Ivan Shipov
Chairman of the board of the USSR State BankEdit
The chairman was appointed by the Premier of the Soviet Union.
1 Aron Sheinman[12]
2 Nikolai Tumanov
5 March 1924 16 January 1926
Alexei Rykov
3 Georgy Pyatakov
19 April 1929 18 October 1930
4 Moissei Kalmanovich
18 October 1930 4 April 1934
Vyacheslav Molotov
5 Lev Maryasin
4 April 1934 14 July 1936
6 Solomon Kruglikov
14 July 1936 15 September 1937
7 Alexey Grichmanov
8 Nikolai Bulganin
2 October 1938 17 April 1940
9 Nikolai K. Sokolov
10 N. Bulganin
12 October 1940 23 May 1945
Joseph Stalin
11 Yakov Golev
23 May 1945 23 March 1948
12 Vasily Popov
Georgy Malenkov and Nikolai Bulganin
31 March 1958 15 August 1958
14 Alexander Korovushkin
15 August 1958 14 August 1963
15 Alexey Poskonov
Alexei Kosygin
16 Miefodiy Svieshnikov
17 Vladimir Alkhimov
11 October 1976 10 January 1986
Nikolai Tikhonov
18 Viktor Dementsev
10 January 1986 22 August 1987
Nikolai Ryzhkov
19 Nikolai Garetovsky
22 August 1987 7 June 1989
20 Viktor Gerashchenko
7 June 1989 26 August 1991
Valentin Pavlov
21 Andrei Zverev
Ivan Silayev
President of the Central Bank of RussiaEdit
President of the Board of Governors of the Central Bank
since 24 June 2013
31 May 1860; 159 years ago (1860-05-31)
Alexander von Stieglitz
The President of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank is the head of the central banking system of the Russian Federation. The Head is chosen by the President of Russia; and serves for four-year-terms after appointment. A Head may be appointed for several consecutive terms (Sergey Ignatyev was the Governor of the Central Bank for 11 years, and he was appointed three times, in the longest serving term in post-soviet Russia).
1 Georgy Matyukhin
25 December 1990 16 May 1992
Boris Yeltsin
2 Viktor Gerashchenko
17 July 1992 18 October 1994
3 Tatyana Paramonova
19 October 1994 08 November 1995
4 Alexander Khandruyev
8 November 1995 22 November 1995
5 Sergei Dubinin
22 November 1995 11 September 1998
11 September 1998 20 March 2002
7 Sergei Ignatyev
21 March 2002 23 June 2013
9 Elvira Nabiullina
24 June 2013 present
SubsidiariesEdit
The Central Bank of Russia holds directly significant participatory interests in a number of Russian companies:
Sberbank of Russia (52% of the stock);
Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange (11.8% of the stock);
Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange (8.903% of the stock);
Russian National Reinsurance Company (100% of the stock);
Trust company of the Banking Sector Consolidation Fund (100% of the stock);
Rosincas (Russian Association of Cash-in-transit).
Additionally, the Bank of Russia held earlier interests in some other Russian organizations. In particular, after the liquidation of Gosbank (State Bank of the USSR), the CBR beneficially acquired complete or controlling interests in five so-called "Russian Foreign Banks" (until 1991 – "Soviet Foreign Banks"):
VTB Bank (99.99% of the stock – until 2002, now - 60.9% owned by The Federal Agency for State Property Management (Rosimushchestvo) );
Donau Bank AG, Vienna;
East-West United Bank, Luxemburg;
Eurobank, Paris;
Moscow Narodny Bank, London;
Ost-West Handelsbank, Frankfurt am Main.
All of them were members of the USSR Vneshekonombank system and were transferred to the CBR in 1992 by the Resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of Russia. For over five years – 2000 to 2005 – all stocks of the Russian Foreign Banks were being purchased from the Bank of Russia by VTB Bank. As part of the financial support to credit institutions, the Bank of Russia invests in them through the Banking Sector Consolidation Fund and acquires (on a temporary and indirect basis) shares in the equity of such banks. The first project of this kind was Otkritie FC Bank, in summer 2017.
PoliticsEdit
In December 2014, amidst falling global oil prices, Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis, capital flight, and fears of recession, the bank had increased the one-week minimum auction repo rate up by 6.5 points to 17 percent. This caused a run on the ruble, and on 29 January, the bank decreased the rate by two points to 15 percent.
In January 2015, the head of monetary policy, Ksenia Yudayeva, a proponent of strict anti-inflation policy, was replaced by Dmitry Tulin, who is "seen as more acceptable to bankers, who have called for lower interest rates".[13]
Consumer Leverage Ratio
Core inflation
Farm Credit System
Federal Reserve Statistical Release
Free banking
Gosbank
Independent Treasury
Banking in Russia
Economy of Russia
Goznak
Andrey Kozlov
Real-time gross settlement
^ History of the Bank of Russia. 1860–2010. In 2 vols. Ed.: Y. A. Petrov, S. Tatarinov. 2010.
^ CBR. "Bank of Russia Today:History".
^ Об учреждении Государственного банка [On the establishment of the State Bank] (in Russian). XV, 1758—1762 , № 11550 (Полное собрание законов Российской империи [ru] с 1649 года ed.). СПб.: Типография II отделения Собственной Его Императорского Величества канцелярии. 1830: 1021–1023.
^ Bank of Russia:Banking Legislation
^ "Elvira Nabiullina: Establishing a mega regulator for the Russian financial sector", Bank for International Settlements : Central bankers' speeches : Speech by Ms Elvira Nabiullina, Governor of the Bank of Russia, at the Federation Council, Moscow, 15 February 2017
^ "Commemorative Coins – Banknotes and Coins – Bank of Russia". cbr.ru.
^ "Russia to issue 5 kg gold coin" Archived 23 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine, The Financial Express. 19 May 2010. Accessed 19 May 2010.
^ "Inside the Risky Bets of Central Banks", The Wall-Street Journal. 12 December 2012
^ "Putin signed a law establishing a National reinsurance company", World News, Breaking News, 4 July 2016
^ "Bank of Russia to mark microfinance organisations on the Internet | Банк России". www.cbr.ru. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
^ "Insurers' websites receive first marks | Банк России". www.cbr.ru. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
^ "The State Bank of the USSR". Bank of Russia Today. Bank of Russia. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
^ Jason Bush, Lidia Kelly and Alexander Winning (30 January 2015). "Russian central bank makes surprise interest rate cut". Reuters. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
Barenboim, Peter (2001). "Constitutional Economics and the Bank of Russia". Fordham Journal of Corporate and Financial Law. 7 (1): 160.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Central Bank of Russia.
Bank of Russia ‹See Tfd›(in Russian) ‹See Tfd›(in English)
‹See Tfd›(in Russian) Creation of the State Bank of the Russian Empire
‹See Tfd›(in Russian) State Bank of the Russian Empire at the site of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation
‹See Tfd›(in English) State Bank of the Russian Empire at the site of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation
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Boca Grande Causeway
(Redirected from Gasparilla Bridge)
The Boca Grande Causeway is a causeway located in Charlotte County, Florida connecting the community of Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island with the mainland near Placida. The 2.5 mile causeway crosses Gasparilla Sound and consists of three bridges, and is the only vehicular access to the island.
Boca Grande Swing Bridge open for vessel traffic
26°49′N 82°16′W / 26.82°N 82.27°W / 26.82; -82.27Coordinates: 26°49′N 82°16′W / 26.82°N 82.27°W / 26.82; -82.27
CR 771 (Gasparilla Road)
Gasparilla Sound
Charlotte County, Florida
Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority
1 steel swing bridge & 2 concrete girder bridges
Clearance below
22 feet (north swing bridge)
25 feet (center bridge)
16 feet (south bridge)
1958 (original causeway & bridges)
2013-2015 (current bridges)
$6 (island-bound traffic only)
The causeway was built parallel to the now abandoned Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railway bridges
The Boca Grande Causeway originally opened in 1958 after six years of construction, replacing a vehicle ferry service. The causeway and its original bridges were built parallel to the now abandoned Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway. Passenger rail service to the island was discontinued by the railroad shortly after the causeway opened. While the railroad was abandoned in 1981, the adjacent trestles remain mostly intact today and are visible from the causeway.[1]
The Causeway was privately built, but was sold to the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority, a government agency created to oversee operation of the causeway, in 1998.[2] The northernmost bridge (connecting to the mainland) includes a 213 ft swing span over the navigation channel. The swing bridge, which is one of a few remaining swing bridges in Florida, is 13 feet tall at its highest point. The center and south bridges are fixed span bridges, and are 12 feet and 25 feet tall respectively.[3]
The current center and south bridges were completed in 2013.[4][5] The current swing bridge was completed and opened to traffic in late 2015. The original bridges were replaced due to their age and functional obsolescence. The current bridges are taller and also include shoulders for bicycle traffic allowing improved access for bicyclists using the popular Boca Grande Bike Path better access to the mainland and to the Cape Haze Pioneer Trail.[6]
The north (swing) bridge
The south bridge
The center bridge
The original swing bridge which operated from 1958 to 2015
Gasparilla Sound and the defunct railroad trestle as seen from the center bridge
The current swing bridge with the original behind it prior to demolition
^ Turner, Gregg M. (December 1, 1999). Railroads of Southwest Florida. Images of America. Arcadia Publishing.
^ About Us (Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority) Archived October 6, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
^ Bridge Info (Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority) Archived October 6, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
^ O'Connor, Terry (January 22, 2013). "South Bridge opens on 'historic Boca Grande day'". Gasparilla Gazette.
^ GIBA Construction Progress Update: New Center & South Bridges August 23, 2013 #63[permanent dead link]
^ Strout, Liza (March 30, 2012). "GIBA board discusses causeway bike safety plans". Boca Beacon. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
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Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom
The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories. The system consists of three types of award – honours, decorations and medals:
Honours are used to recognise merit in terms of achievement and service;
Decorations tend to be used to recognise specific deeds;
Medals are used to recognise service on a particular operation or in a specific theatre, long or valuable service, and good conduct.
Appointments to the various orders and awards of other honours are usually published in the London Gazette.
Brief historyEdit
Although the Anglo-Saxon monarchs are known to have rewarded their loyal subjects with rings and other symbols of favour, it was the Normans who introduced knighthoods as part of their feudal government. The first English order of chivalry, the Order of the Garter, was created in 1348 by Edward III. Since then, the system has evolved to address the changing need to recognise other forms of service to the United Kingdom.
Modern honoursEdit
As the head of state, the Sovereign is the "fount of honour",[1] but the system for identifying and recognising candidates to honour has changed considerably over time. Various orders of knighthood have been created (see below) as well as awards for military service, bravery, merit, and achievement which take the form of decorations or medals. Most medals are not graded. Each one recognises specific service and as such there are normally set criteria which must be met. These criteria may include a period of time and will often delimit a particular geographic region. Medals are not normally presented by the Sovereign. A full list is printed in the "order of wear", published (infrequently) by the London Gazette.
Orders of honoursEdit
Honours are split into classes ("orders") and are graded to distinguish different degrees of achievement or service, according to various criteria.[2] Nominations are reviewed by honours committees made up of government officials and private citizens from different fields, who meet twice a year to discuss the candidates and make recommendations for appropriate honours to be awarded by the Queen.[3]
New Year and Birthday HonoursEdit
Main articles: New Year Honours and Birthday Honours
A list of approximately 1,350 names is published twice a year, at the New Year and on the date of the Sovereign's (official) birthday. Since their decisions are inevitably subjective, the twice-yearly honours lists often provoke criticism from those who feel strongly about particular cases.[4][5] Candidates are identified by public or private bodies, by government departments, or are nominated by members of the public. Depending on their roles, those people selected by the honours committee are submitted either to the Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, or Secretary of State for Defence for their approval before being sent to the Sovereign for final approval. Certain honours are conferred solely at the Sovereign's discretion, such as appointments to the Order of the Garter,[6] the Order of the Thistle, the Royal Victorian Order,[7] and the Order of Merit.[8] The honour's insignias are then presented by the Sovereign or her designated representative. The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge[9] and the Princess Royal have deputised for the Queen at investiture ceremonies at Buckingham Palace.
Prime Minister's Resignation HonoursEdit
By convention, a departing prime minister is allowed to nominate Prime Minister's Resignation Honours, to reward political and personal service. In recent history, only Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have not taken up this privilege (although Brown did issue the 2010 Dissolution Honours to similar effect).
Crown Honours ListsEdit
Main article: Crown Honours Lists
Current orders of chivalryEdit
See also: Chivalric order
The current system is made up of six orders of chivalry and four orders of merit. The statutes of each order specify matters such as the size of the order, the use of post-nominal letters and insignia design and display.
Complete name
Ranks (letters)
Awarded to/for/by
Associated awards
The Most Noble Order of the Garter Knight (KG)
Lady (LG)
23 April 1348 King Edward III Honi soit qui mal y pense ("Shame upon him who thinks evil of it") Relating to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, appointments are made at the Sovereign's sole discretion None [10]
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle Knight (KT)
Lady (LT)
29 May 1687 King James VII & II Nemo me impune lacessit ("No one provokes me with impunity") Relating to Scotland, appointments are made at the Sovereign's sole discretion None [citation needed]
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GCB)
Knight/Dame Commander (KCB/DCB),
Companion (CB)
18 May 1725 King George I Tria iuncta in uno ("Three joined in one") Civil division: senior civil servants; Military division: senior military officers. The Sovereign makes all appointments to the Order on the advice of the Government. None [11]
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GCMG)
Knight/Dame Commander (KCMG/DCMG)
Companion (CMG)
28 April 1818 King George IV (as Prince Regent) Auspicium melioris ævi ("Token of a better age") Diplomats and colonial service. The Sovereign makes all appointments to the Order on the advice of the Government. None [12]
The Distinguished Service Order Companion (DSO) - plus bars
6 September 1886 Queen Victoria None Military officers in wartime. The Sovereign makes all appointments to the Order on the advice of the Government. None [13]
The Royal Victorian Order Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GCVO)
Knight/Dame Commander (KCVO/DCVO)
Commander (CVO)
Lieutenant (LVO)
Member (MVO)
21 April 1896 Queen Victoria Victoria ("Victory") Services to the Crown. Appointments are made at the Sovereign's sole discretion The Royal Victorian Medal, The Royal Victorian Chain [14]
The Order of Merit Member (OM)
23 June 1902 King Edward VII For merit Military, science, art, literature, culture. Members are personally appointed by the Sovereign with the assistance of their private secretaries. Limited to 24 members. None [citation needed]
The Imperial Service Order Companion (ISO)
8 August 1902 King Edward VII For faithful service Civil servant for 25 years (in administrative or clerical capacity) The Imperial Service Medal (ISM) [citation needed]
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire Knight/Dame Grand Cross (GBE)
Knight/Dame Commander (KBE/DBE)
Commander (CBE)
Officer (OBE)
Member (MBE)
4 June 1917 King George V For God and the Empire Miscellaneous (military and civil). The Sovereign makes all appointments to the Order on the advice of the Government. The British Empire Medal [15]
The Order of the Companions of Honour Companion (CH)
4 June 1917 King George V In action faithful and in honour clear Arts, science, politics, industry, religion. The Sovereign makes all appointments to the Order on the advice of the Government. None [16]
Dormant orders of chivalryEdit
Orders were created for particular reasons at particular times. In some cases these reasons have ceased to have any validity and orders have fallen into abeyance, primarily due to the decline of the British Empire during the twentieth century. Reforms of the system have sometimes made other changes. For example, the British Empire Medal temporarily ceased to be awarded in the UK in 1993, as was the companion level award of the Imperial Service Order (although its medal is still used). The British Empire Medal was revived, however, in 2012 with 293 BEMs awarded for the Diamond Jubilee Honours, and has continued to be awarded in some other Commonwealth nations.
Order of St PatrickEdit
Main article: Order of St Patrick
Awarded to/for
The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick Knight (KP)
17 March 1783 King George III Quis separabit? ("Who will separate us?") Relating to Ireland
The Order of St Patrick was founded in 1783 by George III for the Kingdom of Ireland, and after the Acts of Union 1800 continued for Irish peers in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. After the Irish Free State's secession in 1922, only members of the royal family were appointed to the order, the last in 1936. The last surviving knight was Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, who died on 10 June 1974. Although dormant, the order technically still exists, and may be used as an award at any time. Queen Elizabeth II is the current sovereign of this order.
Imperial ordersEdit
Most Exalted Order of the Star of India Knight Grand Commander (GCSI)
Knight Commander (KCSI)
Companion(CSI)
1861 Queen Victoria Heaven's light our guide Indian, Middle Eastern and Asian rulers, Viceroys, Governors and senior administrators, Commanders-in-Chief, senior military officers and Indian civil servants
Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire Knight Grand Commander (GCIE)
Knight Commander (KCIE)
Companion (CIE)
1878 Queen Victoria Imperatricis auspiciis (Under the auspices of the Empress) Indian, Middle Eastern and Asian rulers, Viceroys, Governors and senior administrators, Commanders-in-Chief, senior military officers and Indian civil servants
Imperial Order of the Crown of India Companion (CI)
1878 Queen Victoria British Princesses, wives or female relatives of Indian Princes and wives or female relatives of any person who holds or held the office of:
Viceroy of India,
Governor-General of India,
Governor of Madras,
Governor of Bombay,
Governor of Bengal,
Secretary of State for India,
Commander-in-Chief in India.
Order of Burma Member (OB)
1940–1948 King George VI Long, faithful and honourable service of members of certain armed forces in Burma
These orders, relating to the British Raj or the British Indian Empire, are also dormant. The senior order, the Order of the Star of India, was divided into three grades, Knight Grand Commander, Knight Commander and Companion, of which the first and highest was conferred upon the Princes and Chiefs of Indian states and upon important British civil servants working in India. Women were not eligible to receive the award. The junior order, the Order of the Indian Empire, was divided into the same ranks and also excluded women. The third order, the Order of the Crown of India, was used exclusively to honour women. Its members, all sharing a single grade, consisted of the wives and close female relatives of Indian Princes or Chiefs; the Viceroy or Governor-General; the Governors of Bombay, Madras and Bengal; the Principal Secretary of State for India; and the Commander-in-Chief in India. Upon Indian independence in 1947, appointments to all these orders ceased.
H.H. Maharaja Tej Singh Prabhakar Bahadur of Alwar, who was a KCSI and the last surviving member of the Order of the Star of India, died in February 2009, aged 97. The last surviving member of the Order of the Indian Empire, H.H. Maharaja Meghrajji III of Dhrangadhra-Halvad, a KCIE died in August 2010, aged 87. Queen Elizabeth II was appointed to the Order of the Crown of India (then as Princess Elizabeth) and is the last surviving former member of that order. The Queen remains also the Sovereign of the Indian orders as they have never been abolished.
The Order of Burma was created in May 1940 by King George VI of the United Kingdom to recognise subjects of the British colony of Burma (Myanmar). This order had one class which entitled the member to the postnominal letters OB but no title. It was originally intended to reward long and faithful service by military and police. In 1945 the Royal Warrant was altered to allow for membership for acts of gallantry as well as meritorious service. The Order was one of the rarest awarded with only 33 appointments by the time appointments were discontinued in 1948 when Burma declared independence.
Orders formerly associated with the British monarchEdit
Royal Guelphic OrderEdit
Royal Guelphic Order Knight Grand Cross (GCH)
Knight Commander (KCH)
Knight (KH)
1815–1841 (British order)
Since 1841 (Hanoverian House Order) Prince Regent (later George IV) Nec Aspera Terrent (Not afraid of difficulties) At the monarch's pleasure
The Royal Guelphic Order, also known as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, was an honour founded by George, Prince Regent in the name of his father King George III in 1815. In the United Kingdom it was used only briefly, until the death of William IV in 1837 that resulted in the ending of the personal union with the Kingdom of Hanover due to succession to the throne of Hanover following the Salic Law, unlike in the United Kingdom where women could inherit the throne. The order continued for some time as a national order of Hanover until the defeat and forced dissolution of the kingdom by Prussia in 1866. Since then the order has been a house order to be awarded by the House of Hanover. The order's current head is Ernst August Prinz von Hanover, head of the house of Hanover. The Order includes two Divisions, Civil and Military. During the personal union of the United Kingdom and Hanover it originally had three classes, but with several reorganizations since 1841 as house order today it has four classes and an additional Cross of Merit.
DecorationsEdit
Current awarded decorations in order of wear:[17]
Post-nominal letters
Victoria Cross VC
29 January 1856 Queen Victoria British Empire, Commonwealth and allied Military personnel for "... most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy."
George Cross GC
24 September 1940 King George VI Commonwealth subjects for "... acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger." George Medal
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross CGC
October 1993 Queen Elizabeth II British and allied forces for "... an act or acts of conspicuous gallantry during active operations against the enemy." Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (in abeyance)
Royal Red Cross, Class I RRC
27 April 1883 (Associate class added in 1917) Queen Victoria Members of the Military Nursing Service for "... exceptional services in military nursing"
Distinguished Service Cross DSC
1901 as the Conspicuous Service Cross
October 1941 renamed the Distinguished Service Cross
King Edward VII British, (formerly) Commonwealth and allied forces at sea for "... gallantry during active operations against the enemy." Distinguished Service Medal (in abeyance)
Military Cross MC
1914 King George V British, (formerly) Commonwealth, and allied forces on land for "... gallantry during active operations against the enemy." Military Medal (in abeyance)
Distinguished Flying Cross DFC
3 June 1918 King George V British, (formerly) Commonwealth, and allied forces in the air for "... gallantry during active operations against the enemy." Distinguished Flying Medal (in abeyance)
Air Force Cross AFC
3 June 1918 King George V British, (formerly) Commonwealth, and allied air forces for "... gallantry while flying but not on active operations against the enemy." Air Force Medal (in abeyance)
Royal Red Cross, Class II (Associate) ARRC
1917 King George V Members of the Military Nursing Service for "... exceptional services in military nursing."
Order of British India OBI
1837–1838 Original ribbon
1838–1939 Second ribbon
1939–1947 First Class
1939–1947 Second Class
Not awarded since Indian independence in 1947.
East India Company for "long, faithful and honourable service".
Indian Order of Merit IOM
East India Company Indian citizens in the armed forces and civilians for gallantry.
Kaisar-i-Hind Medal None
10 April 1900 – 1947
Queen Victoria Civilians of any nationality for "... distinguished service in the advancement of the interests of the British Raj". [18]
On 1 July 2009, BBC News reported[19] that the Queen had approved a new posthumous award, the Elizabeth Cross, to honour members of the armed forces killed in action or by terrorist attack since World War II. The cross itself is given to the family of the deceased.
Other honours and appointmentsEdit
Hereditary peerageEdit
There are five ranks of hereditary peerage: Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount and Baron. Until the mid 20th century, peerages were usually hereditary, and, until the end of the 20th century, English, Scottish, British and UK peerages (except, until very recent times, those for the time being held by women) carried the right to a seat in the House of Lords.
Hereditary peerages are now normally given only to members of the Royal Family. The most recent were the grants to the Queen's youngest son, the Earl of Wessex, on his marriage in 1999; to the Queen's grandson Prince William, who was made the Duke of Cambridge on the morning before his marriage to Catherine Middleton on 29 April 2011; and to the Queen's grandson Prince Harry, who was made the Duke of Sussex on the morning before his marriage to Meghan Markle on 19 May 2018. No hereditary peerages were granted to commoners after the Labour Party came to power in 1964, until Margaret Thatcher tentatively reintroduced them by two grants to men with no sons in 1983: Speaker of the House of Commons George Thomas and former Deputy Prime Minister William Whitelaw. Both these titles died with their holders. She followed this with an Earldom in 1984 for former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan not long before his death, reviving a traditional honour for former Prime Ministers. Macmillan's grandson succeeded him on his death in 1986. No hereditary peerages have been created since, and Thatcher's own title was a life peerage (see further explanation below). The concession of a baronetcy (i.e., hereditary knighthood), was granted to her husband Denis following her resignation (explained below, see Baronet).
Hereditary peerages are not "honours under the crown" and so cannot normally be withdrawn. A peerage can be revoked only by a specific Act of Parliament, and then for only the current holder, in the case of hereditary peerages. A hereditary peer can disclaim his peerage for his own lifetime under Peerage Act 1963 within a year after inheriting the title.
Life peerageEdit
Modern life peerages were introduced under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876, following a test case (the Wensleydale Peerage Case) which established that non-statutory life peers would not have the right to sit in the House of Lords. At that time, life peerages were intended only for Law Lords, there being a desire to introduce legal expertise into the chamber to assist appellate law work, without conferring rights on future generations of these early working peers because the future generations might contain no legal experts.
Subsequently, under the Life Peerages Act 1958, life peerages became the norm for all new grants outside the Royal Family, this being seen as a modest reform of the nature of the second legislative chamber. However, its effects were gradual because hereditary peers, and their successors, retained until recently their rights to attend and vote with the life peers. All hereditary peers except 92 – chosen in a secret ballot of all hereditary peers – have now lost their rights to sit in the second chamber. All hereditary peers retain dining rights to the House of Lords, retaining its title as "the best club in London".
All Life Peers hold the rank of Baron and automatically have the right to sit in the House of Lords. The title exists only for the duration of their own lifetime and is not passed to their heirs (although the children even of life peers enjoy the same courtesy titles as hereditary peers). Some life peerages are created as an honour for achievement, some for the specific purpose of introducing legislators from the various political parties (known as working peers) and some under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876, with a view to judicial work. There is a discrete number appointed as "People's Peers", on recommendation of the general public. Twenty-six Church of England bishops have a seat in the House of Lords.
As a life peerage is not technically an "honour under the Crown", it cannot normally be withdrawn once granted. Thus, while knighthoods have been withdrawn as "honours under the Crown", convicted criminals who have served their sentences have returned to the House of Lords. In the case of Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare, he has chosen only to exercise dining rights and has yet to speak following his release from his conviction for perjury.
BaronetcyEdit
A Baronetcy is the lowest title of honour in the United Kingdom. It carries the title Sir. A Baronetcy is, in the order of precedence, below a Barony but above most knighthoods.[20] Baronetcies are not peerages. When a baronetcy becomes vacant on the death of a holder, the heir, if he wishes to be addressed as "Sir", is required to register the proofs of succession. The Official Roll of Baronets is kept at the Ministry of Justice (transferred from the Home Office in 2001) by the Registrar of the Baronetage. Anyone who considers that he is entitled to be entered on the roll may petition the Crown through the Lord Chancellor. Anyone succeeding to a baronetcy therefore must exhibit proofs of succession to the Lord Chancellor.[21] A person who is not entered on the roll will not be addressed or mentioned as a baronet or accorded precedence as a baronet, effectively declining the honour. The baronetcy can be revived at any time on provision of acceptable proofs of succession.[22] As of 2008, 158 baronetcies are listed as presumedly not extinct, but awaiting proofs of succession.[23]
As with hereditary peerages, baronetcies generally ceased to be granted after the Labour Party came to power in 1964. The sole subsequent exception was a baronetcy created in 1990 for the husband of Margaret Thatcher, Sir Denis Thatcher, later inherited by their son Mark Thatcher.
KnighthoodEdit
Ribbon of a Knight Bachelor
Descended from medieval chivalry, knights exist both within the orders of chivalry and in a class known as Knights Bachelor. Regular recipients include High Court judges and Chief Constables. Knighthood carries the title Sir; the female equivalent Dame exists only within the orders of chivalry — Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) is usually awarded as an equivalent of a Knight Bachelor.
Order of St JohnEdit
Ribbon of the Order of St John
Members of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (founded 1888) may wear the Order's insignia but the ranks within the Order of St John do not confer official rank in the order of precedence and, likewise, the abbreviations or postnominal initials associated with the various grades of membership in the Order of St John do not indicate precedence among the other orders. Thus someone knighted in the order does not take precedence with the knights of other British orders nor should they be addressed as "Sir" or "Dame".
Other ordersEdit
Other British and Commonwealth orders, decorations and medals which do not carry titles but entitle the holder to place post-nominal letters after his or her name also exist, as do a small number of Royal Family Orders.
British honours in the Commonwealth realmsEdit
Main article: Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms
Until the mid-20th century, the British honours system was the primary – and generally the sole – honours system utilised across the various dominions and territories of the British Empire, which became the Commonwealth of Nations from 1949. Today, British honours and decorations continue to be awarded to citizens of Commonwealth realms and British Overseas Territories. Within the Commonwealth realms, however, the nature of the British honour or decoration awarded and the permissibility of its conferment varies from government to government. The British honours system comprises both dynastic honours, which are honours in the personal gift of the Sovereign, and British state honours or decorations (known as imperial honours or decorations outside the UK), which are not. Dynastic honours continue to be conferred by the Sovereign in her capacity across the Commonwealth realms, though outside the United Kingdom they are typically non-titular honours such as the Order of Merit or the lower grades of the Royal Victorian Order.
In 1917 and 1919, the government of Canada passed the Nickle Resolutions, which, despite being non-binding, gradually ended the conferment of titular honours – peerages, baronetcies and knighthoods – to Canadians. Occasional conferments of knighthoods and imperial honours, notably following the Second World War, continued until 1955, when the Canadian government officially ended all awards of imperial honours to Canadians.[24] In 1967, Canada established its own honours system with the Order of Canada and created its own system of bravery decorations in 1972, followed by its own system of military decorations for valour in 1993. Canadian service personnel remained eligible to receive the imperial Victoria Cross until 1993, when a Canadian version was instituted.
In 1975, the Australian government established its own honours system with the creation of the Order of Australia, also creating its own system of bravery decorations in that year. Indigenous police and fire service decorations followed from 1986, with a new system of military decorations created in 1991. Imperial honours continued to be conferred on Australians through 1989, when the last recommendations were made. With effect from 5 October 1992, the Australian government discontinued the awarding of imperial honours.[25] Also in 1975, New Zealand instituted its first indigenous honour, the Queen's Service Order, followed by the Order of New Zealand in 1987. In 1996, it replaced imperial honours with the New Zealand Order of Merit, and replaced imperial gallantry and bravery decorations with New Zealand decorations in 1999.
Other Commonwealth realms have continued to apply the imperial honours system together with their own honours systems. Jamaica established its own honours system in 1969 with the passage of the National Honours and Awards Act, followed by Barbados and Saint Lucia in 1980, the Solomon Islands in 1981, Belize in 1991, Antigua and Barbuda in 1998, Papua New Guinea in 2004 and Grenada in 2007. The government of the Bahamas continues to solely utilise imperial honours. In 2007, it passed a National Honours Act which established a Bahamian honours system; however, it had not come into effect as of 2015.[26][27]
In practice, legislation across the Commonwealth realms regulating the awarding of imperial honours to citizens of a realm, including knighthoods and damehoods, does not necessarily prevent a citizen of a Commonwealth realm from receiving a substantive award of an imperial honour for service in the United Kingdom or to its government. There continue to be numerous examples of Canadians, New Zealanders and Australians who have been honoured by the British government and are permitted to use the honour or its accompanying style whether they are resident in their own nation or in the United Kingdom.
Honorary awardsEdit
For a more comprehensive list, see List of honorary British knights and dames.
Citizens of countries that do not have the Queen as their head of state sometimes have honours conferred upon them, in which case the awards are "honorary". In the case of knighthoods, the holders are entitled to place initials after their name but not style themselves "Sir" as they are not entitled to receive the accolade.[28][29] Examples of foreigners with honorary knighthoods are Billy Graham, Bill Gates, Bob Geldof, Bono and Rudolph Giuliani, while Arsène Wenger and Gérard Houllier are honorary OBEs. Honorary knighthoods are of Orders of Chivalry rather than as Knights Bachelor as the latter confers no postnominal letters.
Recipients of honorary awards who later become subjects of Her Majesty may apply to convert their awards to substantive ones.[30] Examples of this are Marjorie Scardino, American CEO of Pearson PLC, and Yehudi Menuhin, the American-born violinist and conductor. They were granted an honorary damehood and knighthood respectively while still American citizens, and converted them to substantive awards after they assumed British nationality, becoming Dame Marjorie and Sir Yehudi. Menuhin later accepted a life peerage with the title Lord Menuhin.
Sir Tony O'Reilly, who holds both British and Irish nationality,[31] uses the style "Sir", but has also gained approval from the Irish Government to accept the award as is necessary under the Irish Constitution.[32] Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, the German soprano, became entitled to be known as "Dame Elisabeth" when she took British nationality. Irish-born Sir Terry Wogan was initially awarded an honorary knighthood, but by the time he collected the accolade from the Queen in December 2005, he had obtained dual nationality[31] and the award was upgraded to a substantive knighthood.
Bob Geldof is often erroneously referred to as "Sir Bob"; he is not entitled to this style as an honorary knight as he is a citizen of the Republic of Ireland (i.e., he is not a citizen of a Commonwealth country).
There is no law in the UK preventing foreigners from holding a peerage (e.g., Newburgh), though only Commonwealth and Irish citizens may sit in the House of Lords. This has yet to be tested under the new arrangements. However, some other countries have laws restricting the acceptances of awards granted to would-be recipients by foreign powers. In Canada, where the House of Commons of Canada (but not necessarily the Senate of Canada) has opposed the granting of titular honours with its (non-binding) Nickle Resolution, then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien advised the Queen not to grant Conrad Black a titular honour while he remained a Canadian citizen.[33]
CeremonyEdit
Each year, around 2,600 people receive their awards personally from The Queen or a member of the Royal Family. The majority of investitures take place at Buckingham Palace, but some also take place at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and at Windsor Castle. There are approximately 120 recipients at each Investiture. The Queen usually conducts the investitures, although the Prince of Wales, The Princess Royal or, more recently, the Duke of Cambridge also hold some investitures on behalf of the Queen.
During the ceremony, the Queen enters the ballroom of Buckingham Palace attended by two Gurkha orderly officers, a tradition begun in 1876 by Queen Victoria. On duty on the dais are five members of the Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard, which was created in 1485 by Henry VII; they are the oldest, but not most senior, military corps in the United Kingdom. Four gentlemen ushers are on duty to help look after the recipients and their guests.
The Queen is escorted by either the Lord Chamberlain or the Lord Steward. After the National Anthem has been played, he stands to the right of the Queen and announces the name of each recipient and the achievement for which they are being decorated. The Queen is provided with a brief background for each recipient by her equerry as they approach to receive their decorations.
Those who are to be knighted kneel on an investiture stool to receive the accolade, which is bestowed by the Queen using the sword used by her father, George VI as Duke of York and Colonel of the Scots Guards. Occasionally an award for gallantry may be made posthumously and in this case the Queen presents the decoration or medal to the recipient's next-of-kin in private before the public investiture begins.
After the investiture ceremony, those honoured are ushered out of the ballroom into the Inner Quadrangle of Buckingham Palace, where the royal rota of photographers are stationed. Here recipients are photographed with their awards. In some cases, members of the press may interview some of the more well-known people who have been honoured.
RefusalEdit
See also: List of people who have declined a British honour
A small number of people each year refuse the offer of an award for personal or political reasons.
Notable examplesEdit
Outgoing prime ministers:
Neville Chamberlain declined an earldom and appointment as Knight of the Garter.
Sir Winston Churchill declined a dukedom in order to remain in the House of Commons and to allow his son Randolph Churchill a political career.
Sir Edward Heath declined a life peerage in order to remain in the House of Commons.
Sir John Major declined a life peerage, saying elevation to the House of Lords was incompatible with retirement from politics.
Tony Blair declined a life peerage.
Gordon Brown declined a life peerage.
John Cleese declined appointment as CBE and later declined a life peerage.
Frank Pick declined both a knighthood and a peerage.
David Bowie declined a knighthood.
Stephen Hawking declined a knighthood.
George Bernard Shaw declined an Order of Merit, replying that "merit" in authorship could only be determined by the posthumous verdict of history.
Honor Blackman declined a CBE as she is a republican.
John Lennon returned his MBE (awarded in 1965) in 1969, although no official provision exists for renouncing an honour.
Geraldine McEwan declined a damehood
Vanessa Redgrave declined a damehood in 1999, but accepted a CBE in 1967.[34]
Gareth Peirce declined a CBE
RevocationEdit
See also: List of revocations of appointments to orders and awarded decorations and medals of the United Kingdom
Honours are sometimes revoked (forfeited), for example if a recipient is subsequently convicted of a serious criminal offence. The Honours Forfeiture Committee is an ad hoc committee convened under the chairmanship of the Head of the Home Civil Service,[35] to consider cases where information has been received which indicates an individual is unsuitable to hold an award. Sometimes the original decision to grant an honour was made on the basis of inaccurate information (including through manipulation of the public nominations system), but normally cases relate to actions that took place after the award was made. Recommendations are made to The Monarch of the United Kingdom, who has the sole authority to rescind an honour.[36]
In 2009, Gordon Brown confirmed[37] that the process remains as set out in 1994 by the then Prime Minister John Major in a written answer to the House of Commons:
The statutes of most orders of knighthood and the royal warrants of decorations and medals include provision for the Queen to "cancel and annul" appointments and awards. Cancellation is considered in cases where retention of the appointment or award would bring the honours system into disrepute. There are no set guidelines for cancellations, which are considered on a case-by-case basis. Since 1979, the London Gazette has published details of cancellations of 15 appointments and awards—three knighthoods, one CBE, five OBEs, four MBEs and two BEMs.
— John Major, House of Commons Hansard, 2 December 1994, vol 250 c923W[38]
In October 2016, the House of Commons approved a motion to ask the Honours Forfeiture Committee to strip Sir Philip Green of his knighthood for his role in the downfall of British Home Stores. It was the first time MPs voted to recommend rescinding a knighthood.[39]
Kaiser Wilhelm II was a Knight of the Garter prior to the start of the First World War, when it was revoked.
Roger Casement had been honoured for his human rights work while a British diplomat; however, upon being convicted on 30 June 1916 of High Treason for his role in the Irish 1916 Easter Rising, the King directed that Casement would cease to be a member of the Order of St Michael and St George, his name being stricken from the register, and letters patent were also issued "degrading" him "from the degree, title and dignity of Knight Bachelor".[40] He was executed that August.
Benito Mussolini was stripped of his honorary knighthood after Italy declared war on the United Kingdom in 1940.
Anthony Blunt, knighted as Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures for his services to Art, lost his knighthood in the 1980s when he was revealed to be the "Fourth Man" in the early 1950s Burgess and Maclean spying scandal which also touched on the 1960s Philby spying affair, as a result of which he confessed to the security services. Although Blunt was never charged or convicted, the honour was withdrawn on the advice of the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.
Nicolae Ceaușescu forfeited his honorary knighthood that he earlier received for his friendship with Western democracies.
Albert Henry was the former Premier of the Cook Islands. He was later convicted of electoral fraud in the 1980s.
Terry Lewis, knighted for his services to Queensland police, was stripped of his knighthood in 1993 after being sentenced to prison on charges of corruption and forgery as a result of the findings of the Fitzgerald Inquiry.
Jack Lyons, who had received his knighthood for his huge charitable donations and services to industry, lost it when he was convicted of fraud in the 1980s.
Robert Mugabe was stripped of his honorary GCB after calls from the Government to the Royal Family due to the crisis in Zimbabwe under his régime, including hyperinflation, and violence in the 2008 presidential elections.
Lester Piggott, the high-profile jockey, had his OBE removed after being convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for tax evasion.
Fred Goodwin, the former CEO of Royal Bank of Scotland had his knighthood annulled, after the Financial Services Authority found that the failure of RBS had an important role in the financial crisis of 2008–9, because Goodwin was the dominant decision maker at the time.
James Crosby, former CEO of HBOS and non-executive director of the Financial Services Authority was stripped of his knighthood at his request in April 2013 as the result of the bank's collapse during the UK financial crisis.
Order of WearEdit
Honours, decorations and medals are arranged in the "Order of Wear", an official list which describes the order in which they should be worn.[41] Updates to the Order of Wear are published in The London Gazette when necessary. The current Order of Wear was published on 11 January 2019.[42] Additional information on the social events at which an award may be worn is contained in the insignia case given to each recipient.
The list places the Victoria Cross and George Cross at the top, followed by the orders of knighthood arranged in order of date of creation. Individuals of a higher rank precede those of a lower rank. For instance, a Knight Grand Cross always precedes a Knight Commander. For those of equal rank, members of the higher-ranked Order take precedence. Within the same Order, precedence is accorded to that individual who received the honour earlier.
Not all orders have the same number of ranks. The Order of Merit, the Order of the Companions of Honour, the Distinguished Service Order and the Imperial Service Order are slightly different, being single-rank honours, and have been placed at appropriate positions of seniority. Knights Bachelor come after knights of the different orders, but before those with the rank of Commander or lower.
Decorations are followed by medals of various categories, being arranged in date order within each section. These are followed by Commonwealth and honorary foreign awards of any level. Miscellaneous details are explained in notes at the bottom of the list.
The order of wear is not connected to and should not be confused with the order of precedence.
StyleEdit
For peers, see Forms of address in the United Kingdom.
For baronets, the style Sir John Smith, Bt (or Bart) is used. Their wives are styled Lady Smith. A baronetess is styled Dame Jane Smith, Btss.
For knights, the style Sir John Smith, [ postnominals ] is used, attaching the proper postnominal letters depending on rank and order (for knights bachelor, no postnominal letters are used). Their wives are styled Lady Smith, with no postnominal letters. A dame is styled Dame Jane Smith, [postnominals]. More familiar references or oral addresses use the first name only, e.g. Sir John, or Dame Joan.
Wives of knights and baronets are styled Lady Smith, although customarily no courtesy title is automatically reciprocated to male consorts.
Recipients of orders, decorations and medals receive no styling of Sir or Dame, but they may attach the according postnominal letters to their name, e.g., John Smith, VC. Recipients of gallantry awards may be referred to in Parliament as "gallant", in addition to "honourable", "noble", etc.: The honourable and gallant Gentleman.
Bailiffs or Dames Grand Cross (GCStJ), Knights/Dames of Justice/Grace (KStJ/DStJ), Commander Brothers/Sisters (CStJ), Officer Brothers/Sisters (OStJ), Serving Brothers/Sisters (SBStJ/SSStJ), and Esquires (EsqStJ) of the Order of St John do not receive any special styling with regards to prenominal address i.e. Sir or Dame. They may, however, attach the relevant postnominal initials. In the Priory of Australia and the United States, the rank of Serving Brother/Sister is no longer granted. The rank now awarded is referred to as Member of the Order of St John for both men and women.
For honours bestowed upon those in the entertainment industry (e.g., Anthony Hopkins, Maggie Smith), it is an accepted practice to omit the title for professional credits.[43]
ReformEdit
Reforms of the system occur from time to time. In the last century notable changes to the system have included a Royal Commission in 1925 following the scandal in which Prime Minister David Lloyd George was found to be selling honours. The sale of British Honours, including titles is now prohibited by the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. There was a further review in 1993 when Prime Minister John Major created the public nominations system.
In July 2004, the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) of the House of Commons and, concurrently, Sir Hayden Phillips, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Constitutional Affairs, both concluded reviews of the system. The PASC recommended some radical changes; Sir Hayden concentrated on issues of procedure and transparency. In February 2005, the Government responded to both reviews by issuing a Command paper detailing which of the proposed changes it had accepted. These included diversifying and opening up the system of honours selection committees for the Prime Minister's list and also the introduction of a miniature badge.
As of 2012, same-sex civil partners of individual recipients of British honours are not themselves granted honours by way of their partnered relation. In July 2012, Conservative MP Oliver Colvile introduced a private member's bill, titled "Honours (Equality of Titles for Partners) Bill", to amend the honours system to both allow husbands of those made dames and for civil partners of recipients to receive honours by their relationship statuses.[44]
A scandal in the 1920s was the sale by Maundy Gregory of honours and peerages to raise political funds for David Lloyd George.
In 1976, the Harold Wilson era was mired by controversy over the 1976 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours, which became known as the "Lavender List".
Main article: Cash for Honours
In 2006, The Sunday Times newspaper revealed that every donor who had given £1,000,000 or more to the Labour Party since 1997 was given a Knighthood or a Peerage. Moreover, the government had given honours to 12 of the 14 individuals who have donated more than £200,000 to Labour and of the 22 who donated more than £100,000, 17 received honours. An investigation by the Crown Prosecution Service did not lead to any charges being made.
The Times published an analysis of the recipients of honours in December 2015 which showed that 46% of those getting knighthoods and above in 2015 had been to fee-paying public schools. In 1955 it was 50%. Only 6.55% of the population attends such schools. 27% had been to Oxford or Cambridge universities (18% in 1955).[45]
Military awards and decorations of the United Kingdom
Commonwealth Realms orders and decorations
Other honours systems:
Orders, decorations, and medals of Australia
Orders, decorations, and medals of Canada
Orders, decorations, and medals of Hong Kong
Orders, decorations, and medals of New Zealand
British nobility
United Kingdom order of precedence
Mentioned in dispatches
^ "Development of the honours system". The official website of The British Monarchy. The Royal Household. 2009. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
^ "Types of Honours and Awards". The Honours System. Direct.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
^ "Honours committees: Directgov - Government, citizens and rights". Direct.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
^ "Social stress, UK honours system and others". The Independent. London. 26 December 2003.
^ "BBC NEWS | Have Your Say | Do you agree with this year's honours list?". Newsforums.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
^ "Order of the Garter". The official website of The British Monarchy. The Royal Household. 2009. Archived from the original on 14 June 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 July 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2009. CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
^ Diffin, Elizabeth (24 March 2010). "What is the Order of Merit?". BBC News.
^ Daye, Alison (12 October 2016). "Rod Stewart knighted at Buckingham Palace". CNN.
^ HM, Government (1814). Statutes of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. T H Coe. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
^ "No. 6376". The London Gazette. 29 May 1725. pp. 1–2. Order of the Bath Statutes, 27 May 1725.
"No. 16972". The London Gazette. 4 February 1815. pp. 17–20. Order of the Bath Royal Order, 2 January 1815.
"No. 20737". The London Gazette. 25 May 1847. pp. 1947–1957. Order of the Bath Letters Patent and Statutes, 24 May 1847.
^ Galloway (2000)
^ "No. 25641". The London Gazette. 9 November 1886. pp. 5385–5386. DSO Royal Warrant and Statutes 6 November 1886
^ Galloway, Royal Service (1996)
^ "No. 30250". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 August 1917. pp. 8791–8799. OBE Statutes 24 August 1917.
^ Galloway, Companions of Honour (2002)
^ "Order of Wear". Ceremonial Secretariat, Cabinet Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2008. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
^ The Kaiser-I-Hind Medal - It's an honour, Australian government website
^ "UK - New Queen's award for forces dead". BBC News. 1 July 2009.
^ "Baronet". Cambridge Dictionaries Online. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
^ Bavistar, Grant (July 2007). "Guidance Notes on Succession to a Baronetcy Other Than Those of Scottish Territorial Designation or Nova Scotian Creation". Ministry of Justice, Crown Office. Archived from the original on 12 September 2007. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
^ Whitaker's Almanac 2005, p 83 et seq.
^ "Baronetcies to which no succession has been proved". The Standing Council of the Baronetage. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011.
^ Boyce, Peter (2008). The Queen's Other Realms. Annandale: Federation Press. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-1-86287-700-9.
^ "The Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards" (PDF). Special Gazette No. S192. Commonwealth of Australia. 28 September 2007.
^ "Consider This: Bahamian national honours pt 2". The Nassau Guardian. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
^ "PM's Plan For Honours System". Tribune242. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
^ "The Monarchy Today: Knighthoods". royal.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2008.
^ Elizabeth Wyse; Jo Aitchison; Zöe Gullen; Eleanor Mathieson, eds. (2006). "Forms of Address". Debrett's Correct Form (2006 ed.). Richmond, Surrey: Debrett's Limited. pp. 98, 100. ISBN 978-1-870520-88-1. When a foreign national receives an honorary knighthood of an order of chivalry, he is not entitled to the prefix Sir, but he may place the appropriate letters after his name. ... An honorary knight of an order of chivalry uses the appropriate letters after his name, but without the prefix Sir because he is not eligible to receive the accolade.
^ Elizabeth Wyse; Jo Aitchison; Zöe Gullen; Eleanor Mathieson, eds. (2006). "Forms of Address". Debrett's Correct Form (2006 ed.). Richmond, Surrey: Debrett's Limited. p. 98. ISBN 978-1-870520-88-1. When a foreign national receives an honorary knighthood ... Should he subsequently become a naturalised British subject he will be entitled to receive the accolade. Having become a full knight of the appropriate order he will then use Sir before his name.
^ a b A person born in the Republic of Ireland before 1949 who holds British nationality may be either a British subject or a British citizen. British subject status is not full British citizenship but confers equal entitlement to a substantive honour.
^ The Republic of Ireland government has no right to veto the award of a British honour to an Irish citizen, whether or not that person also holds British nationality. However, in practice, the British government would consult the Irish government before offering honorary award to a solely Irish citizen, especially one not resident in the United Kingdom.
^ The Guardian - The born-again Canadian - 16 October 2006
^ "Some who turned the offer down". The Guardian. London. 22 December 2003. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
^ "Honours Forfeiture Committee". direct.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
^ "Former RBS chief executive Fred Goodwin stripped of his knighthood". Daily Telegraph. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
^ "Written Answers for 12 February 2009 (pt 0004)". House of Commons Hansard. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
^ "Written Answers for 2 December 1994, vol 250 c923W". House of Commons Hansard. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
^ Hughes, Laura (20 October 2016). "'Sir Philip Green 'beat BHS black and blue' say MPs as they approve calls to strip him of his knighthood'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
^ The London Gazette, 4 July 1916, p. 6596
^ "Orders of Wear" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
^ "No. 62529". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 January 2019. pp. 326–329.
^ "Entertainment - Kingsley downplays 'Sir' furore". BBC News. 27 February 2006.
^ Gray, Stephen. "Tory MP's bill calls for partners of gay knights to receive honorary titles". PinkNews.co.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
^ Low, Valentine (29 December 2015). "Honours list dominated by public school elite". The Times. Retrieved 29 December 2015. (subscription required)
Galloway, Peter (1996). Order of the British Empire. Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood. ISBN 0-907605-65-6. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
Galloway, Peter (1996). Royal Service: The Royal Victorian Order. Third Millennium for Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood. ISBN 0-9528527-0-5.
Galloway, Peter (2000). Order of St Michael and St George. Third Millennium for Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood. ISBN 0-9536969-5-2. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
Galloway, Peter (2002). The Most Illustrious Order: the Order of St Patrick and its Knights. Unicorn. ISBN 0-906290-23-6.
Galloway, Peter (2002). Companions of Honour. Chancery Publications. ISBN 0-9543381-0-3. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
Galloway, Peter (2006). Order of the Bath. Phillimore & Co Ltd. ISBN 1-86077-399-0.
HM, Government (1725). Statutes of the most honourable Order of the Bath. T Harper. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
HM, Government (1814). Statutes of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. T H Coe. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
De-la-Noy, Michael, The Honours System, London, 1992 (first published 1985)
The UK Honours System
London Gazette website
Ede & Ravenscroft – Orders of Chivalry: Robemakers for the regalia of the various Orders of Chivalry (with photos)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orders,_decorations,_and_medals_of_the_United_Kingdom&oldid=903481748"
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The substantia nigra (SN) is a basal ganglia structure located in the midbrain that plays an important role in reward and movement. Substantia nigra is Latin for "black substance", reflecting the fact that parts of the substantia nigra appear darker than neighboring areas due to high levels of neuromelanin in dopaminergic neurons.[1] It was discovered in 1784 by Félix Vicq-d'Azyr,[2] and Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring alluded to this structure in 1791.[3] Parkinson's disease is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta.[4]
Substantia nigra highlighted in red.
Section through superior colliculus showing Substantia nigra.
Midbrain, Basal ganglia
NeuroNames
NeuroLex ID
birnlex_789
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy
Although the substantia nigra appears as a continuous band in brain sections, anatomical studies have found that it actually consists of two parts with very different connections and functions: the pars compacta (SNpc) and the pars reticulata (SNpr). This classification was first proposed by Sano in 1910.[5] The pars compacta serves mainly as an output to the basal ganglia circuit, supplying the striatum with dopamine. The pars reticulata, though, serves mainly as an input, conveying signals from the basal ganglia to numerous other brain structures.
StructureEdit
Coronal slices of human brain showing the basal ganglia, globus pallidus: external segment (GPe), subthalamic nucleus (STN), globus pallidus: internal segment (GPi), and substantia nigra (SN, red). The right section is the deeper one, closer to the back of the head
Diagram of the main components of the basal ganglia and their interconnections
Anatomical overview of the main circuits of the basal ganglia, substantia nigra is shown in black. Picture shows 2 coronal slices that have been superimposed to include the involved basal ganglia structures. + and – signs at the point of the arrows indicate respectively whether the pathway is excitatory or inhibitory in effect. Green arrows refer to excitatory glutamatergic pathways, red arrows refer to inhibitory GABAergic pathways and turquoise arrows refer to dopaminergic pathways that are excitatory on the direct pathway and inhibitory on the indirect pathway.
See also: Primate basal ganglia system
The substantia nigra, along with four other nuclei, is part of the basal ganglia. It is the largest nucleus in the midbrain, lying dorsal to the cerebral peduncles. Humans have two substantiae nigrae, one on each side of the midline.
The SN is divided into two parts: the pars reticulata (SNpr) and the pars compacta (SNpc), which lies medial to the pars reticulata. Sometimes, a third region, the pars lateralis, is mentioned, though it is usually classified as part of the pars reticulata. The (SNpr) and the internal globus pallidus (GPi) are separated by the internal capsule.[6]
Pars reticulataEdit
Main article: Pars reticulata
The pars reticulata bears a strong structural and functional resemblance to the internal part of the globus pallidus. The two are sometimes considered parts of the same structure, separated by the white matter of the internal capsule. Like those of the globus pallidus, the neurons in pars reticulata are mainly GABAergic.[citation needed]
Afferent connectionsEdit
The main input to the SNpr derives from the striatum. It comes by two routes, known as the direct and indirect pathways. The direct pathway consists of axons from medium spiny cells in the striatum that project directly to pars reticulata. The indirect pathway consists of three links: a projection from striatal medium spiny cells to the external part of the globus pallidus; a GABAergic projection from the globus pallidus to the subthalamic nucleus, and a glutamatergic projection from the subthalamic nucleus to the pars reticulata.[7] Thus, striatal activity via the direct pathway exerts an inhibitory effect on neurons in the (SNpr) but an excitatory effect via the indirect pathway. The direct and indirect pathways originate from different subsets of striatal medium spiny cells: They are tightly intermingled, but express different types of dopamine receptors, as well as showing other neurochemical differences.
Efferent connectionsEdit
Significant projections occur to the thalamus (ventral lateral and ventral anterior nuclei), superior colliculus, and other caudal nuclei from the pars reticulata (the nigrothalamic pathway),[8] which use GABA as their neurotransmitter. In addition, these neurons form up to five collaterals that branch within both the pars compacta and pars reticulata, likely modulating dopaminergic activity in the pars compacta.[9]
FunctionEdit
The substantia nigra is an important player in brain function, in particular, in eye movement, motor planning, reward-seeking, learning, and addiction. Many of the substantia nigra's effects are mediated through the striatum. The nigral dopaminergic input to the striatum via the nigrostriatal pathway is intimately linked with the striatum's function.[10] The co-dependence between the striatum and substantia nigra can be seen in this way: when the substantia nigra is electrically stimulated, no movement occurs; however, the symptoms of nigral degeneration due to Parkinson's is a poignant example of the substantia nigra's influence on movement. In addition to striatum-mediated functions, the substantia nigra also serves as a major source of GABAergic inhibition to various brain targets.
Main article: Pars reticulata § Function
The pars reticulata of the substantia nigra is an important processing center in the basal ganglia. The GABAergic neurons in the pars reticulata convey the final processed signals of the basal ganglia to the thalamus and superior colliculus. In addition, the pars reticulata also inhibits dopaminergic activity in the pars compacta via axon collaterals, although the functional organization of these connections remains unclear.
The GABAergic neurons of the pars reticulata spontaneously fire action potentials. In rats, the frequency of action potentials is roughly 25 Hz.[11] The purpose of these spontaneous action potentials is to inhibit targets of the basal ganglia, and decreases in inhibition are associated with movement.[12] The subthalamic nucleus gives excitatory input that modulates the rate of firing of these spontaneous action potentials. However, lesion of the subthalamic nucleus leads to only a 20% decrease in pars reticulata firing rate, suggesting that the generation of action potentials in the pars reticulata is largely autonomous,[13] as exemplified by the pars reticulata's role in saccadic eye movement. A group of GABAergic neurons from the pars reticulata projects to the superior colliculus, exhibiting a high level of sustained inhibitory activity.[14] Projections from the caudate nucleus to the superior colliculus also modulate saccadic eye movement. Altered patterns of pars reticulata firing such as single-spike or burst firing are found in Parkinson's disease[15] and epilepsy.[16]
Pars compactaEdit
Main article: Pars compacta § Function
The most prominent function of the pars compacta is motor control,[17] though the substantia nigra's role in motor control is indirect; electrical stimulation of the substantia nigra does not result in movement, due to mediation of the striatum in the nigral influence of movement. The pars compacta sends excitatory input to the striatum via D1 pathway that excites and activates the striatum, resulting in the release of GABA onto the globus pallidus to inhibit its inhibitory effects on the thalamic nucleus. This causes the thalamocortical pathways to become excited and transmits motor neuron signals to the cerebral cortex to allow the initiation of movement, which is absent in Parkinson's disease. However, lack of pars compacta neurons has a large influence on movement, as evidenced by the symptoms of Parkinson's. The motor role of the pars compacta may involve fine motor control, as has been confirmed in animal models with lesions in that region.[18]
The pars compacta is heavily involved in learned responses to stimuli. In primates, dopaminergic neuron activity increases in the nigrostriatal pathway when a new stimulus is presented.[19] Dopaminergic activity decreases with repeated stimulus presentation.[19] However, behaviorally significant stimulus presentation (i.e. rewards) continues to activate dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Dopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmental area (bottom part of the "midbrain" or mesencephalon) to the prefrontal cortex (mesocortical pathway) and to the nucleus accumbens (mesolimbic pathway – "meso" referring to "from the mesencephalon"... specifically the ventral tegmental area) are implicated in reward, pleasure, and addictive behavior. The pars compacta is also important in spatial learning, the observations about one's environment and location in space. Lesions in the pars compacta lead to learning deficits in repeating identical movements,[20] and some studies point to its involvement in a dorsal striatal-dependent, response-based memory system that functions relatively independent of the hippocampus, which is traditionally believed to subserve spatial or episodic-like memory functions.[21]
The pars compacta also plays a role in temporal processing and is activated during time reproduction. Lesions in the pars compacta leads to temporal deficits.[22] As of late, the pars compacta has been suspected of regulating the sleep-wake cycle,[23] which is consistent with symptoms such as insomnia and REM sleep disturbances that are reported by patients with Parkinson's disease. Even so, partial dopamine deficits that do not affect motor control can lead to disturbances in the sleep-wake cycle, especially REM-like patterns of neural activity while awake, especially in the hippocampus.[24]
The substantia nigra is critical in the development of many diseases and syndromes, including parkinsonism and Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's diseaseEdit
Substantia nigra with loss of cells and Lewy body pathology
Main article: Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized, in part, by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the SNpc. The major symptoms of Parkinson's disease include tremor, akinesia, bradykinesia, and stiffness.[25] Other symptoms include disturbances to posture, fatigue, sleep abnormalities, and depressed mood.[26]
The cause of death of dopaminergic neurons in the SNpc is unknown. However, some contributions to the unique susceptibility of dopaminergic neurons in the pars compacta have been identified. For one, dopaminergic neurons show abnormalities in mitochondrial complex 1, causing aggregation of alpha-synuclein; this can result in abnormal protein handling and neuron death.[27] Secondly, dopaminergic neurons in the pars compacta contain less calbindin than other dopaminergic neurons.[28] Calbindin is a protein involved in calcium ion transport within cells, and excess calcium in cells is toxic. The calbindin theory would explain the high cytotoxicity of Parkinson's in the substantia nigra compared to the ventral tegmental area. Regardless of the cause of neuronal death, the plasticity of the pars compacta is very robust; Parkinsonian symptoms do not appear until up to 50–80% of pars compacta dopaminergic neurons have died.[29] Most of this plasticity occurs at the neurochemical level; dopamine transport systems are slowed, allowing dopamine to linger for longer periods of time in the chemical synapses in the striatum.[29]
Menke, Jbabdi, Miller, Matthews and Zari (2010) used diffusion tensor imaging, as well as T1 mapping to assess volumetric differences in the SNpc and SNpr, in participants with Parkinson's compared to healthy individuals. These researchers found that participants with Parkinson's consistently had a smaller substantia nigra, specifically in the SNpr. Because the SNpr is connected to the posterior thalamus, ventral thalamus and specifically, the motor cortex, and because participants with Parkinson's disease report having a smaller SNprs (Menke, Jbabdi, Miller, Matthews and Zari, 2010), the small volume of this region may be responsible for motor impairments found in Parkinson's disease patients. This small volume may be responsible for weaker and/or less controlled motor movements, which may result in the tremors often experienced by those with Parkinson's.[30]
SchizophreniaEdit
See also: Dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia
Increased levels of dopamine have long been implicated in the development of schizophrenia.[31] However, much debate continues to this day surrounding this dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia. Despite the controversy, dopamine antagonists remain a standard and successful treatment for schizophrenia. These antagonists include first generation (typical) antipsychotics such as butyrophenones, phenothiazines, and thioxanthenes. These drugs have largely been replaced by second-generation (atypical) antipsychotics such as clozapine and paliperidone. In general, these drugs do not act on dopamine-producing neurons themselves, but on the receptors on the post-synaptic neuron.
Other, non-pharmacological evidence in support of the dopamine hypothesis relating to the substantia nigra include structural changes in the pars compacta, such as reduction in synaptic terminal size.[32] Other changes in the substantia nigra include increased expression of NMDA receptors in the substantia nigra, and reduced dysbindin expression. Increased NMDA receptors may point to the involvement of glutamate-dopamine interactions in schizophrenia. Dysbindin, which has been (controversially) linked to schizophrenia, may regulate dopamine release, and low expression of dysbindin in the substantia nigra may be important in schizophrenia etiology.[33] Due to the changes to the substantia nigra in the schizophrenic brain, it may eventually be possible to use specific imaging techniques (such as neuromelanin-specific imaging) to detect physiological signs of schizophrenia in the substantia nigra.[34]
Wooden Chest SyndromeEdit
Wooden chest, also called fentanyl chest wall rigidity syndrome, is a rare side effect of synthetic opioids such as Fentanyl, Sulfentanil, Alfentanil, Remifentanil. It results in a generalised increase in skeletal muscle tone. The mechanism is thought to be via increased dopamine release and decreased GABA release in the nerves of the substantia nigra/striatum. The effect is most pronounced on the chest wall muscles and can lead to impaired ventilation. The condition is most commonly observed in anaesthesia where rapid and high doses of these drugs are given intravenously.[citation needed]
Multiple system atrophyEdit
Multiple system atrophy characterized by neuronal degeneration in the striatum and substantia nigra was previously called striatonigral degeneration.
Chemical modification of the substantia nigraEdit
Chemical manipulation and modification of the substantia nigra is important in the fields of neuropharmacology and toxicology. Various compounds such as levodopa and MPTP are used in the treatment and study of Parkinson's disease, and many other drugs have effects on the substantia nigra.
Amphetamine and trace aminesEdit
See also: Amphetamine and Trace amine
Studies have shown that, in certain brain regions, amphetamine and trace amines increase the concentrations of dopamine in the synaptic cleft, thereby heightening the response of the post-synaptic neuron.[35] The various mechanisms by which amphetamine and trace amines affect dopamine concentrations have been studied extensively, and are known to involve both DAT and VMAT2.[35][36][37] Amphetamine is similar in structure to dopamine and trace amines; as a consequence, it can enter the presynaptic neuron via DAT as well as by diffusing through the neural membrane directly.[35] Upon entering the presynaptic neuron, amphetamine and trace amines activate TAAR1, which, through protein kinase signaling, induces dopamine efflux, phosphorylation-dependent DAT internalization, and non-competitive reuptake inhibition.[35][38] Because of the similarity between amphetamine and trace amines, it is also a substrate for monoamine transporters; as a consequence, it (competitively) inhibits the reuptake of dopamine and other monoamines by competing with them for uptake, as well.[35]
In addition, amphetamine and trace amines are substrates for the neuronal vesicular monoamine transporter, vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2).[37] When amphetamine is taken up by VMAT2, the vesicle releases (effluxes) dopamine molecules into the cytosol in exchange.[37]
CocaineEdit
See also: Cocaine
Cocaine's mechanism of action in the human brain includes the inhibition of dopamine reuptake,[39] which accounts for cocaine's addictive properties, as dopamine is the critical neurotransmitter for reward. However, cocaine is more active in the dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area than the substantia nigra. Cocaine administration increases metabolism in the substantia nigra, which can explain the altered motor function seen in cocaine-using subjects.[40] The inhibition of dopamine reuptake by cocaine also inhibits the firing of spontaneous action potentials by the pars compacta.[41] The mechanism by which cocaine inhibits dopamine reuptake involves its binding to the dopamine transporter protein. However, studies show that cocaine can also cause a decrease in DAT mRNA levels,[42] most likely due to cocaine blocking dopamine receptors rather than direct interference with transcriptional or translational pathways.[42]
Inactivation of the substantia nigra could prove to be a possible treatment for cocaine addiction. In a study of cocaine-dependent rats, inactivation of the substantia nigra via implanted cannulae greatly reduced cocaine addiction relapse.[43]
LevodopaEdit
See also: Levodopa
The substantia nigra is the target of chemical therapeutics for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Levodopa (commonly referred to as L-DOPA), the dopamine precursor, is the most commonly prescribed medication for Parkinson's disease, despite controversy concerning the neurotoxicity of dopamine and L-DOPA.[44] The drug is especially effective in treating patients in the early stages of Parkinson's, although it does lose its efficacy over time.[45] Levodopa can cross the blood–brain barrier and increases dopamine levels in the substantia nigra, thus alleviating the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The drawback of levodopa treatment is that it treats the symptoms of Parkinson's (low dopamine levels), rather than the cause (the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra).
MPTPEdit
See also: MPTP
MPTP, is a neurotoxin specific to dopaminergic cells in the brain, specifically in the substantia nigra. MPTP was brought to the spotlight in 1982 when heroin users in California displayed Parkinson's-like symptoms after using MPPP contaminated with MPTP. The patients, who were rigid and almost completely immobile, responded to levodopa treatment. No remission of the Parkinson's-like symptoms was reported, suggesting irreversible death of the dopaminergic neurons.[46] The proposed mechanism of MPTP involves disruption of mitochondrial function, including disruption of metabolism and creation of free radicals.[47]
Soon after, MPTP was tested in animal models for its efficacy in inducing Parkinson's disease (with success). MPTP induced akinesia, rigidity, and tremor in primates, and its neurotoxicity was found to be very specific to the substantia nigra pars compacta.[48] In other animals, such as rodents, the induction of Parkinson's by MPTP is incomplete or requires much higher and frequent doses than in primates. Today, MPTP remains the most favored method to induce Parkinson's disease in animal models.[47][49]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2018)
Dopamine and serotonin
Degradation of substantia nigra associated with Parkinson's disease.
Horizontal MRI (T1 weighted) slice with highlighting indicating location of the substantia nigra.
Enhanced Neuromelanin MRI with Color images (RGB) showing Substantia nigra pars compacta
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Substantia nigra.
Stained brain slice images which include the "substantia nigra" at the BrainMaps project
Diagram and explanation of cortico-basal pathways
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Official web-site of President of Azerbaijan Republic
official web-site
Azerbaijani, Turkmen presidents made press statements
Following the ceremony of signing documents, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov have made press statements.
Statement of President Ilham Aliyev
- Dear Mr. President
Dear friends.
I would like to once again express my gratitude to the President of Turkmenistan, my dear friend, for the invitation, for the very warm welcome and for the hospitality. I have been on fraternal Turkmen soil since yesterday. I have had the opportunity to get acquainted with Turkmenistan's socioeconomic development achievements. We rejoice in your success just like in ours. And I would like to take the opportunity and convey fraternal greetings from all the people of Azerbaijan to the fraternal Turkmen people. We are united by history, culture, common roots, traditions and world outlook. This is the powerful foundation which allows us the opportunity to build our relations on the basis of equality, good-neighborliness, friendship and fraternity.
The visit is drawing to a close. It is already possible to say that this visit will have a special place in the history of relations between our countries, the relations that have great potential. Today, during the talks held, the exchange of views between the presidents in a one-on-one format and at the level of delegations, we discussed important issues of our cooperation. We summarized the work done and outlined ways for further interaction. Today, more than 20 documents have been signed, and each of them has a very specific character. This is an indicator of the level of our relations, an indicator of the volume of cooperation and an indicator of our intentions, our brotherly attitude towards each other. Only with a close country can you work in such different areas of life.
In the future, we agreed to provide mutual support to each other in international institutions and international organizations. Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan always support each other in all international organizations. This has become a common practice, but it underlines the sincerity of our relationship.
The President of Turkmenistan has already spoken about the main issues on our agenda. On my part, I would like to note that we will work hard to increase the turnover between our countries. We have given relevant instructions to the intergovernmental commission between our countries, so that it could intensify work on increasing exports from Azerbaijan to Turkmenistan and from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan. There is a specific range of goods, and heads of relevant agencies are discussing these issues. I think that if we concentrate on specific areas, we can further increase our trade in a short time.
As President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Malikgulyyevich Berdimuhamedov has said, we have paid great attention to cooperation in the transport sector. On the eve of the visit, our delegations worked hard, held several rounds of negotiations and agreed the main issues for the operation of the East-West international corridor. Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, for their part, have done a tremendous amount of work in previous years to create modern transport infrastructure and logistical facilities. We did not coordinate that, but it so happened that we were doing this work parallel to each other. And this is natural, because this is what is necessary for our countries and peoples. It is no coincidence that the opening of international trade ports in both Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan occurred at the same time this year and in the same month – in May. It was a far-sighted decision to begin to invest in these projects – each country on its own territory. And today we are talking about full integration of our trading ports. A relevant document was signed today. This creates opportunities for our countries to increase trade and transit. We are also creating huge potential for our neighbors. Our further successful development as important transportation hubs also depends on the regional situation. Therefore, our good relations with our neighbors strengthen security and stability in the region, and also turn Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan into important transport and logistical hubs.
The modern infrastructure, the major investments in the transport sector create excellent working conditions. I don't want to cite any figures, but I am sure that we will see a significant increase in cargo traffic between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan in the near future. A special place is now being allocated at the Baku International Trade Seaport in Alat to receive additional cargo from Turkmenistan, and we will certainly see growing transit between our countries along the East-West and West-East route.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was put into operation last year. It is the last link which was not there before. It provides access to world markets. It is yet another access, an additional route which, I am sure, will bring great profits to our countries and also strengthen the entire package of transport agreements, strengthen regional security. The transport sector will lead to the creation of new jobs and economic activity, improve living standards of countries located on the Great Silk Road. This will enhance stability and security.
We have resolved the most important specific issues of bilateral relations today, the issues that create new conditions for regional cooperation. Therefore, I believe that the visit will be very important for our further cooperation and for the strengthening of traditionally fraternal relations between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. It will create an even better situation between countries of our region.
I would like to use this opportunity and wish the fraternal Turkmen people peace, prosperity and further development under the leadership of President Gurbanguly Malikgulyyevich, and wish him continued success, well-being and good health. Thank you.
www.president.az
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A Mother-Daughter Conversation Between Anna Morra Sednaoui and Elisa Sednaoui Dellal
Anna Morra Sednaoui interviews her daughter, model Elisa Sednaoui Dellal, bringing her boundless heart to the forefront
Photographed by Alvaro Beamud Cortes for Vogue Arabia.
Egyptian-Italian Elisa Sednaoui Dellal – social entrepreneur, actor, and model – is forever the apple of her mother’s eye. “Elisa is charismatic, witty, and caring,” says Anna Morra Sednaoui, recalling that as a little girl, running through the streets of Cairo, her daughter was “adorable and independent.” The two women offer a knowing smile, revealing identical cheekbones and matching angular shapes of face. Throughout the photo shoot, they bare a similar way of walking, talking, and even moving – showcasing unabashed confidence in front of the camera. At ease, almost joyous in each other’s company, they break out into hearty laughter as they play word games in Italian.
In front of a lens, Sednaoui Dellal is a seasoned professional, having modeled since a young age for Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren as well as acting in films. Today, her foremost passion is social entrepreneurship, in the form of the non-profit Elisa Sednaoui Foundation. Its raison d’être is providing creative learning programs for children and youth across Egypt and Italy. The after-school curriculum and year-round activities are buoyed by the Sawiris Foundation and Save the Children. In the six years since its launch in Luxor, its Funtasia Cultural Centre has reached and enriched the lives of almost 6 000 people, of which more than 5 000 are children.
The foundation is not her only undertaking, though. Along with Tania Fares, the mother of two young boys is the co-chair of CFDA Fashion Trust Los Angeles, where she helps build the calendar of events and curate content and speakers. Meanwhile, as a founding board member of the League of Egyptian American Professionals, she maintains close ties to the country of her childhood where her family supports interests in Spring Place, a collective of global entrepreneurs, and Semaine, a platform that aims to push the boundaries of media and e-commerce.
Anna Morra Sednaoui: What is your earliest memory of us together?
Elisa Sednaoui Dellal: Images of us in our apartment in Zamalek, Cairo. You are working in the house with the seamstresses on the line of clothes in pure silk that you used to design and sell in Egypt and Italy. I’m singing and dancing to “Ya Moustafa” in the living room, jumping between sofas.
AMS: What did you think of my style and work in fashion when you were a child?
ESD: Style has always surrounded me, both with you and the women in our family, so I didn’t intentionally consider it for a while. Your way of dressing was always organic. Your skill at combining colors and fabrics came across as effortless. More than anything, it’s your allure that has always been impressive. Around age six or seven, after we moved from Egypt to what was a more conservative environment – Milan in the 90s – I noticed that your style was extraordinary. It was more sophisticated, avant garde, and fashionable than most other mothers of the children attending my private school in Milan. As you know, this difference, which made us noticeable, embarrassed me at times. I was trying to fit in with everyone else, following what was a difficult move from Egypt. As a result, I was a bit “tight” as a child in my quest for total normalcy. I know now that this was all part of my lesson. I am incredibly lucky to have parents who have always been true to themselves. Non-conformists. Unapologetic. You taught me to be brave enough to be myself.
AMS: How do you find our relationship has evolved since becoming a mother yourself ?
ESD: I feel that it gets better with the years, as we get to know ourselves and each other and as we learn to master – or at least address – our more extreme sides or trigger reactions. And what a gift it is to see you build your own relationship with my children, Jack and Samo. To be able to watch them grow up together and laugh with them and complain about them! I feel that I have come to understand so much more about you – your choices and your generosity. I have become less judgmental of myself and, in return, with everyone else – you included.
AMS: Is there something I taught you that you wish to instill in your boys?
ESD: This unapologetic way of being who you are. The creative, solution-oriented, problem-solving attitude. The quickness in processing and the largeness in thinking. The courage, and also the work ethic. You and I are passionate about what we set out to do and can happily work long hours.
AMS: From where does your desire to create and grow your charitable foundation stem?
ESD: I’m sure my upbringing has something to do with both my curiosity for innovative education and my desire to create a different and safer educational environment for various types of learners. Seeing you and Dad both working and having businesses in Egypt planted the option in my mind, and also warned me of the potential challenges. The projects have been very demanding, and I know that the foundation has brought a lot of work to the whole family. I realize that it hasn’t always been easy to watch me experience the harder moments. Thank you for understanding that I am driven by total conviction, and for supporting me and encouraging me regardless of the hurdles. It’s funny to see the reactions of people who don’t understand why someone with a blossoming career in entertainment would choose such a radical shift. I have since witnessed genuine hope in the eyes of youth when suddenly a spectrum of options awakens in their minds. Women born in the countryside become leaders and trainers nationwide, paid the same as men, and also feel relevant to their communities, inspired, and engaged. All this feels so real, so concrete, there is not much that can compete with it.
AMS: Your recent appointment as co-chair of the CFDA Fashion Trust Los Angeles sees you committed to the behind-the-scenes of industry development. What triggered this?
ESD: When Tania Fares asked me if I would take on the role, it felt like it would be a chance to deepen my contribution to fashion and designers. What is most interesting to me about this initiative is that it supports brands that have been in business a minimum of three years. Of course, I believe it’s important to look at and promote new talent, but in a world that has so many issues with sustainability, it does feel relevant to help brands that may also be in a critical phase. Resources and funds may have already been invested and it’s that “make it or break it” moment. The CFDA Fashion Trust creates a support system for designers through access, mentoring, and funding.
AMS: The fashion industry has evolved so much over the years. What does it take for a designer to make it today?
ESD: I believe that what hasn’t changed is that long-lasting success is the result of some form of authenticity. What modern times – this globalization and competitiveness – have shown me is that we need to be better communicators. Perhaps we also have to re-evaluate our notions of time and success. Our expectations are inhuman and it’s become so hard for brands to survive this incumbent rhythm. Also, listen to what is going on around you and inside you. Keep an eye on the ego push. If the market is not responding, it means there is something, somewhere that needs to change. Unless you are happy to just keep producing what you like, and that’s fine too. We need to surround ourselves with solid, trusted, honest, kind people, who are equally motivated. In the case of fashion, specifically, there are also responsibilities to keep in mind, such as sustainable processes of production and sale.
AMS: After having lived in Cairo and Milan, how do you consider your new adopted city of Los Angeles?
ESD: In LA I find the quality of life that I’ve been seeking. Bringing up young kids with the ease that a place with such weather and services provides, to see the horizon, make a huge difference. There are moments when the light and something magic in the air make me think of Egypt. To be able to live in a place that is the source of so much opportunity is a gift. And while it is a bit far from you in Puglia, I look forward to more leisure time together to savor all landscapes, sounds, and perfumes.
Originally published in the May 2019 issue of Vogue Arabia
Read Next: Rym Saidi Breidy Opens Up About Motherhood
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Meynell in 1912
Meynell by John Singer Sargent, pencil, 1894[1]
47 Palace Court
Alice Meynell blue plaque
Meynell, unknown date
Alice Christiana Gertrude Meynell (née Thompson; 11 October 1847[2] – 27 November 1922[3]) was a British writer, editor, critic, and suffragist, now remembered mainly as a poet.
3 Death and legacy
4 Selected works
Alice Christiana Gertrude Thompson was born in Barnes, London, to Thomas James and Christiana (née Weller) Thompson. The family moved around England, Switzerland, and France, but she was brought up mostly in Italy, where a daughter of Thomas from his first marriage had settled. Her father was a friend of Charles Dickens,[2] and Meynell suggests in her memoir that Dickens was also romantically interested in her mother, noting that he had said to Thomas Thompson, "Good God, what a madman I should seem if the incredible feeling I have conceived for that girl could be made plain to anyone!"[4]
Preludes (1875) was her first poetry collection, illustrated by her elder sister Elizabeth (the artist Lady Elizabeth Butler (1846–1933) whose husband was Sir William Francis Butler). The work was warmly praised by Ruskin, although it received little public notice. Ruskin especially singled out the sonnet "Renouncement" for its beauty and delicacy.[5]
After Alice, the entire Thompson family converted to the Catholic Church (1868 to 1880),[6] and her writings migrated to subjects of religious matters. This eventually led her to the Catholic newspaper publisher and editor Wilfrid Meynell (1852–1948) in 1876. A year later (in 1877) she married Meynell, and they settled in Kensington. They became the proprietors and editors of such magazines as The Pen, the Weekly Register, and Merry England, among others.[7]
Alice and Wilfrid Meynell had eight children, Sebastian, Monica, Everard (1882–1926), Madeleine, Viola, Vivian (who died at three months), Olivia, and Francis. Viola Meynell (1885–1956) became a writer, known mainly for fiction, and the youngest child Francis Meynell (1891–1975) became a poet and a printer who co-founded The Nonesuch Press.[7]
She was much involved in editorial work on publications with her husband, and in her own writing, poetry and prose. She wrote regularly for The World, The Spectator, The Magazine of Art, the Scots Observer (which became the National Observer, both edited by W. E. Henley), The Tablet, The Art Journal, the Pall Mall Gazette, and The Saturday Review. Her poems show her feminist concerns as well as her reactions to the events of World War I.[8]
The poet Francis Thompson, down and out in London and trying to recover from his opium addiction, sent the couple a manuscript. His poems were first published in Wilfrid's Merry England, and the Meynells became a supporter of Thompson. His 1893 book Poems was a Meynell production and initiative. Another supporter of Thompson was the poet Coventry Patmore. Alice had a deep friendship with Patmore, lasting several years, which led to his becoming obsessed with her, forcing her to break with him.[9] She wrote the article on Patmore for the Catholic Encyclopedia.[10]
At the end of the 19th century, in conjunction with uprisings against the British (among them the Indians', the Zulus', the Boxer Rebellion, and the Muslim revolt led by Muhammad Ahmed in the Sudan), many European scholars, writers, and artists, began to question Europe's colonial imperialism. This led the Meynells and others in their circle to speak out for the oppressed. Alice Meynell was a vice-president of the Women Writers' Suffrage League, founded by Cicely Hamilton and active 1908–19.[11]
Death and legacy[edit]
After a series of illnesses, including migraine and depression, she died 27 November 1922. She is buried at Kensal Green Catholic Cemetery in London. There is a London County Council commemorative blue plaque on the front wall of the property at 47 Palace Court, Bayswater, London, W2, where she and her husband once lived.
Selected works[edit]
Preludes (1875) – poems
The Rhythm of Life (1893) – essays
Poems by Francis Thompson (1893) – editor and producer
Holman Hunt (1893)
Selected Poems of Thomas Gordon Hake (1894) – editor
The Colour of Life and Other Essays on Things Seen or Heard. London and Chicago: John Lane and Way and Williams. 1896. Retrieved 23 January 2019 – via Internet Archive.
Poetry of Pathos and Delight by Coventry Patmore (1896) – editor
The Flower of the Mind (1897) – anthology of English verse, editor, critic
The Children. London and New York: John Lane. 1897. Retrieved 23 January 2019 – via Internet Archive.
The Spirit of Place and Other Essays. London and New York: John Lane. 1898. Retrieved 24 January 2019 – via Internet Archive.
London Impressions (1898)
Ruskin (1900)
Later Poems (1901)
The Work of John S. Sargent (1903)
Ceres' Runaway and Other Essays (1909)
Essays (1914)
The Second Person Singular (1921)
The Poems of Alice Meynell, Complete Edition (Oxford University Press, 1940)
Prose and Poetry (Jonathan Cape, 1947) – multiple editors, centenary publication with a biography and critical introduction by Vita Sackville-West
The latter publication is catalogued by one WorldCat library as Prose and Poetry of A. Meynell, 1847–1922 (OCLC 219753450) and by one as Alice Meynell: Prose and Poetry. Centenary Volume (OCLC 57050918), while another reports a 2007 facsimile edition Prose and Poetry, 1847–1922. There may be the title of a 1970 issue as Prose and Poetry, OCLC 630445893.
History of feminism
List of suffragists and suffragettes
Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom
^ "Alice Meynell (née Thompson)". National Portrait Gallery, London (npg.org.uk).
^ a b Badeni 1981, p. 1.
^ Badeni 1981, p. 250.
^ "Alice Meynell, a Memoir". C. Scribner's Sons. 1929. Retrieved 26 February 2016 – via Questia.
^ Badeni 1981, pp. 52–55.
^ Badeni 1981, p. 35.
^ a b Badeni 1981, pp. 50–116.
^ "Alice Meynell", Poetry Foundation
^ Badeni 1981, pp. 115–129.
^ The Catholic Encyclopedia and its makers. New York: The Encyclopedia Press. 1917. p. 116. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ Crawford, Elizabeth (2000). The Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide 1866–1929. London: Routledge, p. 712. ISBN 978-0415239264
Badeni, June (1981). The slender tree : a life of Alice Meynell. Padstow, Cornwall: Tabb House. ISBN 0-907018-01-7.
"MEYNELL, ALICE CHRISTIANA (1850- )". The Encyclopaedia Britannica; A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information. XVIII (MEDAL to MUMPS) (11th ed.). Cambridge, England: At the University Press. 1911. p. 350. Retrieved 23 January 2019 – via Internet Archive.
Archer, William (1902). "MRS. MEYNELL". Poets of the Younger Generation; with Thirty-Three Full-Page Portraits from Woodcuts by Robert Bryden. London and New York: John Lane. pp. 264–270. Retrieved 23 January 2019 – via Internet Archive.
Poetry portal
"The Poems of Alice Meynell (1923)" at Poetry.elcore.net
Essays by Alice Meynell at Quotidiana.org
Works by Alice Meynell at Project Gutenberg
Works by or about Alice Meynell at Internet Archive
Works by Alice Meynell at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
"Alice Meynell: Poet of Poets, 1847–1922" at the University of Virginia
Index entry at Poets' Corner
"Archival material relating to Alice Meynell". UK National Archives.
"Meynell, Alice Christiana" . Encyclopædia Britannica. 18 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 350.
"Meynell, Alice (Thompson)" . Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.
Mahar, Aileen R (1946). Contemporary criticism, personal and literary, of Alice Meynell (Master's thesis). Boston University. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
Alice Meynell collection at Boston College
Alice Meynell at Library of Congress Authorities, with 67 catalog records
Everard Meynell (son) at LC Authorities, with 4 records including that of The Life of Francis Thompson (1913)
MusicBrainz: 41bd6541-42f6-4873-9189-497e10c057a5
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Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alice_Meynell&oldid=900302401"
Burials at St Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green
Women of the Victorian era
British women essayists
English suffragists
Roman Catholic writers
English Roman Catholics
English Catholic poets
Roman Catholic activists
English women poets
Roman Catholic feminists
19th-century English writers
19th-century British women writers
Contributors to the Catholic Encyclopedia
Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from Collier's Encyclopedia
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Henry Austin Dobson
1911 portrait of Dobson by Frank Brooks
Henry Austin Dobson (18 January 1840 – 2 September 1921), commonly Austin Dobson, was an English poet and essayist.
He was born at Plymouth, the eldest son of George Clarisse Dobson, a civil engineer, of French descent. When he was about eight, the family moved to Holyhead, and his first school was at Beaumaris in Anglesey. He was later educated at Coventry, and the Gymnase, Strasbourg. He returned at the age of sixteen with the intention of becoming a civil engineer. (His younger brother James would in fact become a noted engineer, helping complete the Buenos Aires harbour works in the 1880s and 1890s.) At the beginning of his career, he continued to study at the South Kensington School of Art, in his spare time, but without definite ambition. In December 1856 he entered the Board of Trade, gradually rising to the rank of principal in the harbour department, from which he retired in the autumn of 1901. In 1868, he had married Frances Mary, daughter of the distinguished civil engineer Nathaniel Beardmore (1816–1872) of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and settled at Ealing.[1] Dobson died in 1921 and his funeral was held on 6 September at St Peter's Church, Ealing.[2] He is buried in the Westminster Cemetery, Uxbridge Rd, Hanwell, Middlesex.
His official career was uneventful, but as a poet and biographer he was distinguished. Those who study his work are struck by its maturity. It was about 1864 that he turned his attention to writing original prose and verse, and some of his earliest works were his best. It was not until 1868 that the appearance of St Paul's, a magazine edited by Anthony Trollope, gave Harry Dobson an opportunity and an audience; and during the next six years he contributed some of his favourite poems, including "Tu Quoque," "A Gentleman of the Old School," "A Dialogue from Plato," and "Une Marquise." Many of his poems in their original form were illustrated—some, indeed, were written to support illustrations.
Austin Dobson
His bookplate
By the autumn of 1873 Dobson had produced enough verse for a volume, and published Vignettes in Rhyme, which quickly went through three editions. During the period of their appearance in the magazine the poems had received unusual attention, George Eliot, among others, encouraging the anonymous author. The little book immediately introduced him to a larger public. The period was an interesting one for a first appearance, since the air was full of metrical experiment. Swinburne's bold excursions into classical metre had broken new ground; it was hopeless to attempt to compete, and the poets of the day were looking for fresh forms and variations. Early in 1876, a small body of English poets discovered the French forms of Théodore de Banville, Clément Marot and François Villon, and determined to introduce them into English verse.
Austin Dobson, who had already made successful use of the triolet, was at the head of this movement, and in May 1876 he published in The Prodigals the first original ballade written in English. This he followed by English versions of the rondel, rondeau and villanelle. An article in the Cornhill Magazine by Edmund Gosse, "A Plea for Certain Exotic Forms of Verse," appearing in July 1877, simultaneously with Dobson's second volume, Proverbs in Porcelain, drew the general eye to the possibilities and achievements of the movement. The experiment was deemed a success. In 1883 Dobson published Old-World Idylls, which contained some of his most characteristic work. By this time his taste was gradually settling on the period with which it has since become almost exclusively associated; and the spirit of the 18th century was revived in "The Ballad of Beau Brocade" and in "The Story of Rosina", as nowhere else in modern English poetry. In "Beau Brocade", the pictorial quality of his work is at its very best. He has been compared with Randolph Caldecott, with which it has much in common; but Dobson's humour was not so "rollicking" and his portraiture not so broad as that of the illustrator of John Gilpin. His appeal was more intellectual.
At the Sign of the Lyre (1885) was the next of Dobson's separate volumes of verse, and he also published a volume of Collected Poems (1897). At the Sign of the Lyre contains much variety. The admirably fresh and breezy "Ladies of St James's" has precisely the qualities we have traced in his other 18th-century poems; there are ballades and rondeaus, with all the earlier charm; and in "A Revolutionary Relic," as in "The Child Musician" of the Old-World Idylls, the poet reaches a depth of true pathos which he does not often attempt, but in which, when he seeks it, he never fails. Contrasting with these are the light occasional verses, influenced by Winthrop Mackworth Praed, but also quite individual. The chief novelty in At the Sign of the Lyre was the series of "Fables of Literature and Art," founded in manner upon John Gay. It is in these perhaps, more than in any other of his poems, that we see how Dobson interpenetrates the literature of fancy with the literature of judgment.
After 1885 Dobson was engaged mainly in critical and biographical prose, by which he added considerably to the general knowledge of his favourite 18th century. His biographies of Henry Fielding (1883), Thomas Bewick (1884), Richard Steele (1886), Oliver Goldsmith (1888), Horace Walpole (1890) and William Hogarth (1879-1891-1897-1902-1907) are studies marked alike by assiduous research, sympathetic presentation and sound criticism. In Four Frenchwomen (1890), in the three series of Eighteenth-Century Vignettes (1892-1894-1896), and in The Paladin of Philanthropy (1899), which contain unquestionably his most delicate prose work, the accurate detail of each study is relieved by a charm of expression which could only be attained by a poet. In 1901 he collected his hitherto unpublished poems in a volume entitled Carmina Votiva.
Dobson received an honorary doctorate (LL.D.) from the University of Edinburgh in March 1902.[3]
In 2005 the Industrial/Nu metal band, Industrial Frost, used the words of a Dobson poem called "Before Sedan" as the lyrics of a song of the same name.[4]
Principal monographs and stand-alone works
[trans.] The authentic history of Captain Castagnette: nephew of the "Man with the wooden head" (1866), London: S.O. Beeton
[revision of] The Civil Service History of England: Being a Fact-Book of English History (1870), by Frederick Averne White
"The drama of the doctor's window" : a brief statement concerning that poem since its appearance in "St. Paul's magazine," for February, 1870: with appendices respecting its "earlier history" (1872), London: samizdat. Only 30 copies were printed.
Vignettes in rhyme: and Vers de société. London: H. S. King. 1873.
[text of] Marguerite's letter: ballad (1873), London : Chappell & Co., composed by Elizabeth Philp
[contributor to] The London Boy Problem, Some Reasons and Remedies: Homes for Working Boys in London (1876), London: s.n.
Proverbs in porcelain, and other verses (1877), London: H. S. King
Hogarth. London: Sampson Low, Marston. 1879.
A Handbook of English Literature, for the use of Candidates for Examinations, Public Schools, and Students generally (1880) London: Crosby Lockwood
Eighteenth Century Essays: selected and annotated (1882), London: Kegan Paul, Trench
Old-world Idylls and other verses (1883), London: Kegan Paul, Trench. The preliminary leaf reads "This selection is based upon one published at New York City in 1880. With a few exceptions, the pieces are chosen from Vignettes in Rhyme, 1873, and Proverbs in Porcelain, 1877. Both volumes are out of print."
Fielding (1883)
Thomas Bewick and his pupils (1884), London: Chatto & Windus
At the Sign of the Lyre. New York: Holt & Co. 1885.
Life of Oliver Goldsmith (1888, act. [1887]), London: Walter Scott
[compiled] Pope Commemoration 1888: Loan Museum, Catalogue of Exhibits in the Town Hall, Twickenham (1888), Richmond: Edward King. Only 100 copies were printed.
Poems on several occasions (1889), New York: Dodd, Mead. The 1895 Edition contains corrections and additions to the text (pub. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner).
Horace Walpole: a memoir with an appendix of books printed at the Strawberry Hill press (1890), London: Osgood, McIlvaine
Four Frenchwomen (1890), London: Chatto & Windus. The work treats the lives of Charlotte Corday, Madame Roland, the Princess de Lamballe, and Madame de Genlis.
[ed.] The Citizen of The World (1891), London: Dent, by Oliver Goldsmith
Eighteenth Century Vignettes (1892), London: Chatto & Windus 2nd edition, 1897[5]
The Ballad of Beau Brocade and Other Poems of the XVIIIth Century, with fifty illustrations (1892), London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner. Hugh Thomson (illus.)
The Story of Rosina and other Verses (1895), London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner. Hugh Thomson (illus.)
Posthumous collections and editions
The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Austin Dobson (1923), A. T. A. Dobson (ed.)
^ "DOBSON, Henry Austin". Who's Who. Vol. 59. 1907. p. 492.
^ odnb2.ifactory.com/view/article/32845/32845?docPos=33
^ "University intelligence". The Times (36711). London. 10 March 1902. p. 11.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 June 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2008. CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link) Lyrics and description of song origin at IndustrialFrost.com
^ "Review: Eighteenth Century Vignettes by Austin Dobson". The Athenæum (3610): 8–9. 2 January 1897.
This entry is updated from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henry Austin Dobson.
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Henry Austin Dobson
Works by Austin Dobson at Project Gutenberg
Works by Henry Austin Dobson at Faded Page (Canada)
Works by or about Austin Dobson at Internet Archive
Works by Henry Austin Dobson at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
"Archival material relating to Henry Austin Dobson". UK National Archives.
Papers of Austin Dobson in Senate House Library
Some poems
1883 highly abridged version of Dobson's 1879 Hogarth
MusicBrainz: f8751157-facd-4fa2-b1ca-ffa6de4ed73c
SELIBR: 49440
SNAC: w60v8cm3
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henry_Austin_Dobson&oldid=869452532"
People from Plymouth
British male essayists
English male poets
English male non-fiction writers
Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers
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Imboden (Lawrence County)
36°12’09″N 091°10’28″W
0.895 square miles (2010 Census)
677 (2010 Census)
Historical Population as per the U.S. Census:
Imboden, a small town located in the northwest corner of Lawrence County, was founded in the early 1880s on a prominent rise overlooking the Spring River. Though a number of settlers lived in the area by the 1820s, the town, which became a local trade center, did not exist until the construction of the railroad in 1883.
By the 1820s, the Military Road crossed the Spring River near the present town, attracting new settlers. There is evidence that a few houses and a store existed prior to the coming of the railroad. One of those early settlers was Benjamin Imboden, who moved his family to the area in 1828. Imboden acquired considerable property, eventually owning the largest amount of land in the area. The town would be named in his honor.
In 1882, just prior to the coming of the railroad, Imboden sold the land where much of the town would be built to wealthy local developer W. C. Sloan. At about the same time, surveyors for the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad began to lay the groundwork for construction of the tracks. With completion of the tracks in 1883, the town began a rapid growth. The first business, Sloan Mercantile Company, opened in late 1883 and remained in business until 1930. It was soon followed by others, including the first hotel, known as “The Strawn,” and an African-American-owned barber shop that opened in 1885. The first brick building, owned by G. W. Hooper, was constructed in 1886. Ten years later, the People’s Bank, which remained in business until 1934, opened for business.
After no action was taken on an incorporation petition in 1887, a second petition was filed in January 1889. The community was officially incorporated on April 22, 1889. At the time, it consisted of three general stores, two grocery stores, two saloons, a hotel, a livery stable, a school, and a Catholic church. The population, which numbered a little more than 150 at the time, increased to more than 400 during the next ten years.
Before local railroad freight and passenger service made the town more accessible, most people traveled to the area by way of the Military Road. Crossing the Spring River just below Imboden was done by ferry. A bridge opened in 1898 and remained in use until a new bridge was built in 1938 under the direction of the Public Works Administration, a Depression-era New Deal program.
A Methodist denomination was organized in 1884 with C. W. Roane as minister. The congregation moved into its first building a year later. A Catholic church was organized by German settlers in 1888. Church of Christ and Baptist churches were established before the beginning of the twentieth century.
A small number of newspapers have serviced the town over the years. On February 8, 1895, A. T. Hall and J. T. Fisher published the first edition of the Spring River News. It was followed by the Imboden Gazette in 1903 and the Imboden Journal in 1915. In 1971, the Journal began to be published under the title Ozark Journal. Today, the weekly publication is the town’s only newspaper.
H. W. Compton was responsible for introducing electricity and running water to the town by 1905. He was intrigued by the modern conveniences after seeing them at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.
Entertainment for local citizens was provided by the Redpath Chautauqua, which passed through the town from 1910 to the 1920s, presenting shows during the warm months. During the winter, various variety shows were presented at the local school. Radio came in about 1919 when Melvin Halcum built the first set in the town. Eventually, the town leaders purchased a set for the community. Benches were set up, and people came into town on a nightly basis to listen to the broadcasts. In the 1920s, Otho Crouch opened a movie theater called the Hippodrome. Movies were also screened at the school until the 1930s by the school organization, Sloan-Hendrix Helpers.
In 1891, Imboden was selected as the site of Sloan-Hendrix Academy, one of five academies established by the board of trustees of Hendrix College. The school remained in operation until 1931, when the campus was sold to the Imboden Public Schools. Three town properties are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The St. Louis–San Francisco Overpass was listed in 1990, the Dr. John Octavius Hatcher House in 1992, and the Imboden Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in 2004.
As of the year 2010, Imboden was home to 677 citizens. With little industry, most make a living by farming or traveling to the larger nearby towns for employment. Despite being located on U.S. Highway 63, the town has seen little significant growth in the twenty-first century.
Covey, Reta. “History of Imboden.” Lawrence County Historical Quarterly 5 (Winter 1982): 5–27.
Henderson, Dalton. “Early Cultural Life in Imboden.” Lawrence County Historical Quarterly 5 (Winter 1982): 29–32.
———. “Movies in Imboden.” Lawrence County Historical Quarterly 5 (Winter 1982): 28.
Lawrence County, Arkansas: 1815–2001. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Company, 200l.
McLeod, Walter E. Centennial History of Lawrence County.Russellville, AR: Russellville Printing Company, 1936.
Mike Polston
Cities and Towns / Counties, Cities, and Towns / Lawrence
Spring River
Imboden
Imboden United Methodist Church
Spring River at Imboden
Sloan-Hendrix Academy
Lawrence County Map
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Engineering > News > Blending engineering, medicine propels Mefford into pioneering career
Blending engineering, medicine propels Mefford into pioneering career
Oct 19, 2015• by Christopher Tritto
Heather Mefford arrived at Washington University in St. Louis like so many undergraduates — bright and curious, but also trying to find herself on a campus where she didn't know a soul. The diverse student body and academic opportunities she discovered through the School of Engineering & Applied Science not only helped her unearth her professional passions, but also opened doors to a career in science and medicine.
The desire to blend the analytical rigors of engineering with the human touch of medicine propels Heather Mefford in her pioneering career as a physician-scientist.
Mefford, MD, PhD is now an associate professor of pediatrics and a geneticist at the University of Washington and an attending physician at Seattle Children's Hospital. In the clinic and in her research lab, Mefford uses cutting-edge genomic technologies to identify mutations that cause pediatric diseases. She and her colleagues have been especially successful finding causes of severe epilepsies. She's providing children and their families with answers as to why they are afflicted with seizures and other symptoms and how they can expect their diseases to develop. And she holds out hope that someday her discoveries will lead to new drugs and therapies to treat or even prevent such diseases.
Although Mefford didn't parlay her undergraduate degree into a traditional engineering career, she points to her education and experiences at Washington University as key stepping stones on her professional path.
"Analytical thinking, approaches to problem solving, discipline — people know an engineering degree is difficult and requires people who are dedicated, hard working and smart," Mefford says. "During my (graduate program) applications and medical school, my base as an engineer made other things seem easy."
Mefford has always loved math and science. So when a flyer for WashU arrived in her family's mailbox in southern Iowa during high school, it grabbed her attention. The offer of a Langsdorf Fellowship, a full-ride scholarship for incoming engineering students who demonstrate exceptional promise, sealed the deal, and she was off to St. Louis.
Classes in biomedical and chemical engineering interested Mefford. Professors Milorad Dudukovic, PhD, and Jay Turner, PhD, introduced her to the fields of environmental and industrial engineering. During a summer internship at a cornstarch plant, she enjoyed participating in experiments and applying analytical thinking. But Mefford was still searching for something with a more human touch. She made a breakthrough the following summer after Curt Thies, PhD, an adviser and former professor of chemical engineering, who was researching the use of engineering in drug delivery offered an opportunity to work at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, Md.
"My supervisors were physician-scientists, and I learned I could be a scientist but also work with people in health fields," Mefford says. "I realized there were different directions I could go with my chemical engineering degree, and I wanted to work more with people and have a human application to what I was doing. It was a big turning point for me. I came back researching MD/PhD programs."
After graduating in 1994, Mefford worked for a year in a genetics lab where she ran a machine that sorted cells and chromosomes. She fell in love with human genetics and made her way to the Pacific Northwest to earn her medical degree and doctorate in medical genetics at the University of Washington. She eventually joined the faculty there and now heads her own research laboratory.
"I feel I'm in the right place at the right time," Mefford says of her work identifying the causes of pediatric diseases. "It's exciting to see the field moving so quickly and making real progress. It's extremely powerful and satisfying for families to understand what they are facing and why they are going through this, and they find a great support network."
Looking back, Mefford appreciates the people and opportunities at Washington University's engineering school that propelled her personal and professional development.
"Engineering can open a lot of doors," Mefford says. "If you haven't figured out exactly what you want to do, talk to people. Meeting people in and slightly outside the field of engineering really helped me."
Improving Medicine & Health
"Analytical thinking, approaches to problem solving, discipline — people know an engineering degree is difficult and requires people who are dedicated, hard working and smart. During my (graduate program) applications and medical school, my base as an engineer made other things seem easy."
- Heather Mefford, MD, PhD,
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Head’s Message
Research and Teaching Staff of the School, a Presentation of Dr Lisa Lim
by Xiuhua Shi, PhD student
Dr. Lisa Lim is a member of the research and teaching staff as well as coordinator of the language and communication programme in the School of English of The University of Hong Kong. She is an international scholar from Singapore who has made seminal achievements in the study of Singapore English and Asian Englishes. She has studied and worked in several countries and has been awarded many research and teaching grants as a successful researcher and teacher. She is also rewarded with a wonderful family and a very lovely son, which can be the most admirable achievement of all to most people. Is she just lucky, or has there been more behind her good fortune? We are greatly honoured to have Dr. Lim with us today to share her stories with us.
Dr. Lim, I’ve heard that you have travelled and lived in many different parts of the world. Which countries/places impressed you the most and how do these experiences relate to your life and career?
I have been so fortunate to have been able to experience many cities and countries for work and for pleasure. I can only mention a few here.
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is where I did my BA Hons and where I returned to as lecturer after my PhD, so those were my formative years, and many of my teachers – who then became colleagues and good friends – influenced my interest and learning especially in sociolinguistics and in Singapore English (SgE). I was given many opportunities, as junior faculty, for development – in teaching, in running research projects, in publishing, in administration and conference organisation – and those were wonderful, exciting, learning years. Singapore is also where I got together with Umberto Ansaldo, now my husband, when he arrived to take up a position in the department (and we were for some months the department’s source of scandal and gossip!).
Before that, my PhD years in the UK opened up my world, both intellectually and socially, and the University of Reading trained me well in the field of phonetics and prosody. The years in Amsterdam really got to us because of the terribly grey, damp and low North Sea climate – I’m a tropical Asian girl: I need warmth and sunshine! – but they were incredible years for me for developing intellectually, in particular in the areas of language contact and creole studies, as the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is one of the foremost in the field. The research and collaboration with colleagues in UvA and other universities during those years — and of course the continuing intellectual and emotional inspiration I get from Umberto — definitely influenced and continues to influence my thinking and research in New Englishes, and I’m convinced we have to come at it from a contact perspective. The collaboration and networks – and friendships – formed during those years endure to this day.
I am glad all your overseas studies paid off, especially with the valuable gift of a great husband! Dr. Lim, could you tell us what your research interests are and which aspects of your research do you find the most enjoyable or challenging?
My main thing is New Englishes, especially Asian Englishes, and I tend to work in the ecology paradigm – when investigating the linguistic structure of a contact variety, I like to include a careful examination of sociohistorical information, which tells us about external factors such as immigration patterns or language policies, which determine which communities and thus which languages were more dominant in the ecology during a particular period, which then means greater representation of features from those language varieties in the feature pool and thus greater likelihood of selection in the emergence of the new contact variety. Such an approach recognises that ecologies can be tremendously diverse, and also very dynamic, changing over different periods. I am fortunate to have been awarded an RGC GRF grant for a project on precisely this.
One of the aspects I find exciting about some New Englishes is that they have evolved to have tone – SgE, Hong Kong English (HKE), Nigerian English, as well as second-learner varieties such as Chinese learners of English, all show High (level) tones on stressed or accented syllables of the word or phrase (except SgE, where the H tone is word-/phrase-final, which is the result of the influence from Baba Malay/Peranakan English). So it’s fantastic being in Hong Kong, because it allows me to focus on and think about this more, both in HKE as well as in the emerging Englishes of China (which my PhD student Shi Xiuhua is working on). It’s not just fun to see tone in English varieties; it’s also significant for linguistic theory, as it forces us to reconsider traditional classifications, like intonation languages vs tone languages, or Asian vs African Englishes, or Outer Circle vs Expanding Circle Englishes. Such categories are good for certain things. But when we are examining linguistic structure, we need to look at the structure, and we need to look at the ecology. And we will find that such categorisations fall away. We see that some Asian Englishes and some African Englishes share features because of the typologies of their substrates (e.g. they have tone language substrates). We have to question what is traditionally meant by a tone language, and accept that some New Englishes can be tone languages (as I have strenuously argued!).
I have been working on Singapore English (SgE) for the longest time, and more recently have turned my attention to the Peranakan community in Singapore. The Peranakans are the descendants of southern Chinese merchants and traders who settled in the region and intermarried with local Malay/Indonesian women, and who show cultural and linguistic hybridity – in linguistic circles they are best known for their vernacular Baba Malay, which is a restructured variety of Malay showing Sinitic influences. They are a fascinating community because in many ways they are a community of Singapore’s past, who saw their glory days during the British colonial period, yet they have played a significant role in the development of SgE. The Peranakans were the earliest and more permanent settlers, which meant that they became very established economically. They were absolutely pro-British – known as the “King’s Chinese” – and were amongst the elite minority who received English-medium education. All this meant that their linguistic features (from Baba Malay and Peranakan English) were most likely to have been dominant in the feature pool during the time SgE was evolving, and some of their linguistic features – notably word- and phrase-final pitch prominence – have persisted and are a characteristic feature of current-day SgE. I think the evidence for the role of the Peranakans as a founder population in the evolution of Singapore English is indeed compelling. I love it when all the threads of a story – the sociohistorical facts, the linguistic structure – all come together; it’s like cracking a puzzle. And working on the Peranakans is additionally gratifying because that’s my heritage – so not only do I have access to the community and to some out-of-print material, but I was even making data recordings – during lunches at my grandparents’ place, gatherings of the grandaunts during Chinese New Year – years ago, long before I ever started working on this formally. It’s truly serendipity when everything comes together.
So your origins lie in the Peranakans and your ancestors have contributed to the features of Singapore English today. That’s very interesting. What research are you working on now? What would you like to focus your research on in the future?
In addition to work on Asian Englishes in general, and the situations of Singapore, and the Peranakans, I also work in the field of language endangerment. Some years ago, my partner and colleague Umberto Ansaldo and I ran a documentation project on Sri Lanka Malay (SLM), which evolved for us into work on maintenance and revitalization. It was a very instructive, fulfilling and humbling experience working with the SLM community, and we are still very much in touch with several of them.
From a more current and local perspective, I am in the midst of putting together a website on linguistic minorities of Hong Kong (see linguisticminorities.hk), which I was awarded a Knowledge Exchange project grant for in 2012/13 (and I have applied for another grant to continue this work in 2013/14). The stereotypical impression of Hong Kong is that it is extremely Chinese- and Cantonese-dominant – think of dimsum, Cantopop, kungfu movies! – but in fact numerous ethnic minorities abound, some having been here for decades, such as various groups from mainland China who immigrated here in the 1920s as well as groups from the South Asian subcontinent who were relocated here during the British colonial period, and some being more contemporary migrants, such as Filipinos, Indonesians, and Africans. All have to deal with negotiating the various languages in their repertoire and in their environment, and many face challenges –in education, in language maintenance and shift within the family and community, in employment. I intend for this website to bring together all the information on such minorities in Hong Kong, including all the incredible research that is conducted by our faculty and our students, such as in my LCOM3001 course.
Congratulations on your great work! Dr. Lim, how do you see your role as a teacher, researcher and graduate supervisor? Could you share with us some of your special experiences?
I like to inspire my students, to get them excited about a particular area or topic. More importantly, I try to help them see the relevance of what they’re studying or working on, and guide them towards making what they’re doing in the academic world relevant to the real world. Three groups of students have been especially significant to me.
My research postgraduate supervisees I almost always form a very strong and special bond with, after having worked so closely together on their research over several years. Many have gone on to become wonderful scholars and/or teachers in their own right – e.g. Tan Ying Ying (PhD, NUS, 2004) who is now at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore; Samuel Wu (MPhil, NUS, 2003) who is at City University Hong Kong (also the winner of the Amazing Race Asia 3 in 2008!), Giovanna Tang (MPhil, HKU, 2013) who is tutoring at Chinese University Hong Kong and preparing to pursue her PhD. I have remained good friends with many of them, and I am immensely proud of them.
Another group that has a special place in my heart are a handful of undergraduate students during my time at the National University of Singapore, who were not A grade students but who were extremely inspired by my classes in phonetics, and who fought hard to pursue their Master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology (at LaTrobe in Melbourne), and who now all have wonderfully fulfilling careers as speech and language pathologists/therapists in Singapore, Hong Kong and London. These were not the students who topped the class nor were they in line for the obvious scholarships, but they recognised their calling, and went after their dream, they were determined and they were gutsy, and I am so proud of them. In another life I might have become a speech and language therapist, so I always tell them that I am living vicariously through them.
Then, most recently, I have my cohorts of final-year Language and Communication students in my capstone course LCOM3001 Cultural dimensions of language and communication. They have to do an extensive fieldwork-based project on a minority community in Hong Kong, with attention to their language situation, in particular the tensions and challenges the community faces in negotiating the positions of their mother tongue alongside larger, more dominant languages such as Cantonese, English, Putonghua. Students have worked on communities such as the Tanka boat-dwellers, the Weitou and the Hakka in their walled villages in the New Territories, the Hokkiens, the Thais, the Nepalis, and even more contemporary minorities such as Filipino domestic helpers, and the African community. This course gives me great satisfaction for a number of reasons. First and foremost, students get their hands dirty with real fieldwork – tough though that may be! – and more importantly it makes them so much more acutely aware of the existence of these linguistic minorities in our midst and gets them interacting with them. Almost all students later write that this is the most enjoyable and rewarding part of the project. Some of them even maintain their friendships with the people who were their consultants in the project. Second, the students don’t only write an academic paper. They have to put together a website (or blog) on their project, the community and their findings. This is because I want them writing not just for academia, but also, more importantly, for the public, so that they learn how to convey all the knowledge they have acquired in an interesting and accessible way for the layperson. And I want the public to see all the fantastic research that is going on at HKU, not just with the faculty and postgrads but also by our undergrads. Most of these websites are impressive pieces of work – check out the projects at the links at http://www.english.hku.hk/langcom/imld.htm.
I will definitely check it out. Thank you for the introduction to the impressive work your students have done under your guidance. My very last question is personal and I hope you wouldn’t mind my asking. Both your husband and you are busy scholars and members of the research and teaching faculty of HKU with a two-year old son. How do you balance your work with your personal life?
I always reflect (and tell people) how blessed we are, to be able to have wonderful jobs, in the same university, which also allow us a certain amount of flexibility, so that we can experience life-work harmony. It took me a while – the first year or so after we had Kiran was tough, because I wasn’t finding balance within myself, and one ends up feeling guilty about both work and family, and one isn’t happy about how either is going – but things are so good now.
It’s about getting your priorities in order, and about being absolutely focused during the time you have to do something. When I’m with my boy – early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays – I’m there for him 200%. Because that’s crucial, because children grow up too fast, and I don’t want to miss a single precious moment. But then when I have to work, then I’m absolutely, obsessively, absorbed in whatever task is at hand. And I think I’ve become much more efficient, simply because I have to be!
It’s also crucial to continue your relationship with your partner – so again we are lucky because we collaborate on several research projects, so then even if we’re working, we’re together – and actually we work very well together! And we can meet for lunch at work, pop into each other’s office, go on conference and field trips together… We have even brought our son along on conference and field trips, so that he shares those experiences with us. And of course we also go out for lunches, dinners or movies regularly, and not talk about work or family life at all!
You know, until just last April, when Kiran was 2 years 7 months, I hadn’t been away from him a single night. But I had been invited as a keynote lecturer for the International Society of the Linguistic of English’s 1st postdoctoral spring school, a great honour, especially when you see that the other keynotes were these great, highly established and respected professors – I felt very honoured to be counted in their midst. So, much as I felt apprehensive about being away for an entire week from Kiran, it was something I had to do. In the end, it was a fulfilling and positive experience for all of us on all dimensions – it was an event that came along at the right time, when we were all ready for it.
So the short answer I guess is that you have to want to have this beautiful balance. And if you will it, it will be yours.
I like the way you put it. Thank you so much for your great stories and your precious time Dr. Lim. We wish you and your family a great summer!
Dr. Lisa Lim, with Kiran, then 1 year 8 months, on a field trip with Umberto Ansaldo in Sri Lanka
Published on: September 2, 2013 < Back >
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Copyright © 2011 School of English, The University of Hong Kong. All rights reserved.
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The Disability Research Institute receives its funding mainly from government grants and private contributions. In turn, it supports research and related projects carried out by universities and other not-for-profits. Most of its government grants are reimbursed (expenditure-driven) awards.That is, the government will reimburse the institute for the funds that it disburses to others.
The institute estimates that the following will occur in the forthcoming year:
-It will be awarded $5 million in government grants, all of which will be paid out to sub-recipients during the year. Of this amount, only $4.5 million will be reimbursed by the government during
-It will receive $600,000 in pledges from private donors. It expects to collect $450,000 during the year and the balance in the following year. It also expects to collect $80,000 in pledges made the prior year
-It will purchase new furniture and office equipment at a cost of $80,000. It currently owns its building, which it has purchased for $800,000 and additional furniture and equipment, which it acquired for $250,000. The building has a useful life of twenty-five years; the furniture and equipment have a useful life of five years
-Employees will earn wages and salaries of $340,000, of which they will be paid $320,000 during the forthcoming year and the balance in the next year
-It will incur other operating costs of $90,000, of which it will pay $70,000 in the forthcoming year and $20,000 in the nest year. It will also pay another $10,000 in costs incurred in the previous year.
1.) Prepare two budgets, one on a cash basis and the other on a full accrual basis. For convenience show both on the same schedule, with the cash budget in one column and the accrual in the other column.
2.)Comment on which budget better shows whether the institute is covering the economic cost of the services that it provides.
3.)Which is likely to be more useful to
a.) Institute managers?
b.) Members of the institute’s board of trustees?
c.) Bankers from whom the institute seeks a loan?
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Full list of texts
Sorting: By issue number and article order By issue number and article order (reversed) By title A-Z By title Z-A Newer first Older first
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU) has condemned the announced intent of Colonel Arthur A. Holmes, state Selective Service Director, to use the Selective Service Act “as a device to punish dissent”.
Colonel Holmes was reported earlier as calling for “the immediate induction” of Vietnam war protesters who had violated Selective Service regulations or had caused any interruption of procedures.
Jan 12, 2014 Read the whole text...
Steve Simons
Detroit took its first glimpse at the “new” Bob Dylan in his concert at the Masonic Temple on Oct. 24. The first half of the spectacle was the traditional Dylan. Following the intermission, the audience was confronted by Dylan wielding an electric guitar, surrounded by his rock & roll combo.
His first song, “Tombstone Blues”, resulted in cries of “We want Dylan!”
This cartoon strip consists of seven interchanges between two people.
Person 1: Tell me the reason for The Bay of Pigs.
Person 2: Kennedy believed that after an invasion there’d be a popular uprising.
Person 1: And who else believed that? Anybody you know?
Person 2: Nobody...
Person 1: Now tell me the reason for Santo Domingo.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (AP) — Senator Stephen M. Young, Democrat from Ohio, said Thursday that he had learned that the Central Intelligence Agency hired persons to disguise as Vietcong and discredit Communists in Vietnam by committing atrocities.
The C.I.A. and Representative Cornelius E, Gallagher, Democrat of New Jersey, said it was not so.
Labor History Archives of Wayne State University is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the execution of Joe Hill, America’s most famous Wobbly and the “Man Who Never Died.” The program will be held at 8 p.m. Friday, November 19, in the WSU McGregor Memorial Conference Center, Second at Ferry, and will highlight Hill’s life in “living newspaper style.” Further details about the event can be obtained by calling the University Archives office at TE 3–1400.
A group has formed calling itself the Detroit Circle. Its purpose is to fill the void that exists among those who consider themselves part of the independent left. One of its spokesmen said this about the organization:
“There is a need for new ideas, re-evaluating the old ones, and fresh discussion among us who reject totalitarianism in any form. There is a need for the youth and the adults of this city not only to discuss in depth new concepts, but to re-evaluate old ones. There is a need to have a forum for the community as a whole so that others who are contributing to creative thinking can be heard--people like Hal Draper, Erich Fromm, etc. We ought to set up a dialogue with the Detroit liberal and radical community with the purpose of helping, and even, when necessary, initiating actions concerning the burning issues of peace and civil rights.”
NATCHEZ, MISS.--Within the last month, more than 500 people have been arrested in the city of Natchez, Mississippi. Although news of the arrests received wide circulation, the brutality and the indignities which the prisoners were forced to endure during their stay in Parchman State Penitentiary has until now been kept secret. However, with the release of some of the arrested, the story is finally getting out. What follows is the report by two of those recently released:
Harvey Ovshinsky
There are four estates, the fourth of which is journalism. We are the fifth because we are something different than Detroit’s other newspapers. We hope to fill a void in that fourth estate a void created by party-controlled newspapers and the cutting of those articles which might express the more liberal viewpoint. That’s what we really are--the voice (I hate that word) of the liberal element of Detroit. This does not mean that everything in the paper will be slanted or written with the so-called “far left” creeping through every space. We want to be a truly free press. If it’s good, if it has a name, and if it’s sincere, it will be in the Fifth Estate. If not, you can probably find it in the News.
NOTE: The following Letter to the Editor of the Detroit News was written by Alvin Harrison, NSM [Northern Student Movement] field secretary in Detroit, in response to a number of letters published regarding his participation in a Teach-in on Viet Nam at Wayne University. Mr. Harrison was quoted as saying “That’s your flag, baby, not mine.”
In announcing the creation of an organization called the “Friends of N.S.M.,” a group of Detroit area citizens have recently stated: “We propose to form a nucleus of a movement of whites and Negroes which is in communication with the ghetto based black freedom movement, can support and interpret its efforts and take initiative action in our own communities in confronting others on the issues of racism.”
VOICE Seeks New Programs The Michigan Daily
ANN ARBOR — The Voice Political Party is shifting emphasis from demonstrations and sit-ins to an in creased educational effort on the question of U.S. policy in Viet Nam. In a meeting last week, it was decided to attempt to bring the Viet Nam issue to both the student body at U of M and the community at large on a more personal basis.
Steve Cherkoss
A soldier in Vietnam Interview
Bruce Whitten, age 26, held the rank of Staff Sergeant in the Air Force until he received a general discharge on May 23, 1965. Whitten was assigned to the first Air Commando group spending two years in Vietnam. Whitten gave the interview despite his awareness that he might be endangering his future. He felt however, that the experiences which he had during his two years in Viet Nam were of unquestionable importance to the American people--especially to men of draft age.
“The songs they sing come from their own experiences. They are not entertainers but are leaders who want everyone in the audience to join in singing songs that serve to inspire us to go on further to hold on ‘til we’re all free...”
The description above belongs to the Albany Freedom Singers who will be coming to Detroit on Sunday, November 21, 1965 at 7:00 pm at the Mayflower Baptist Church, 5858 Fourth at Holden. The program, called Gospel Sing For Freedom will also feature the New Cosmopolitan Baptist Church Choir, the East Side Community Choir, and the Mayflower Baptist Church Choir.
DCEWV Convention Advertisement
Today the Vietnamese people are fighting for the right to choose their own society. Their demands are human; food, a decent place to live and work, political and private self determination, and a life of dignity and self respect. They are engaged in a struggle for human rights, a struggle which affects us all. Their demands reach into Chicago, Mississippi, Selma, Detroit, Los Angeles, South Africa, the Congo. America is waging an actual military war which prevents them from achieving these aims.
Tad Zatlyn
The 400 Blows Film Review
In THE 400 BLOWS, recent feature at the Varsity Theater, Francois Truffaut telescopes in on one small but very human subject, picking up the story almost at the height of its conflict, rather than methodically building up to it, which might very well have been the “soundest” way to attack the story. Free of the conventional straight jacket of getting in the proper exposition at the proper time, and also acting this exposition out, he is able to give us a greater human close-up. It is as if he were applying a zoom lens to the entire script. And at the final scene, which is the height of the close up, he frames on the face of the boy. Nothing is really resolved--as in life things seldom are.
Anne Draper
Delano is a five hour drive from Berkeley, but the farm workers who live and work in the grapes are five light-years away from the Great Society.
You drive down Highway 99 through the great San Joaquin Valley, where much of California’s agricultural abundance is raised. This is the heartland of the state’s agribusiness complex.
F.B.I... from The Michigan Daily
Officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Michigan State Police are investigating the Committee to Aid the Vietnamese, a group of about 25 University of Michigan students who are raising money to aid Vietnamese civilians living in Viet Cong-controlled areas.
Stanely Nadel, ’66, chairman of the committee, said his group is sympathetic to the aims of the Viet Cong but that the purpose of the money the group is raising is to help supply medical aid for civilians wounded in Viet Nam fighting.
March on Washington Committee, 23 East Adams, Detroit 48226
The March on Washington will take place by bus, planes, car pools, and possibly railroad. It is imperative that we know as soon as possible if you are coming and which means of transport you Would prefer.
The trip by railroad (if there are enough interested people) will be organized as a traveling workshop. On the way to Washington we will have workshops and discussions on Vietnam and other foreign policy issues. We will have written materials and discussion leaders.
Stan Ovshinsky
Danton’s Death Theater
We attended the preview of DANTON’S DEATH, the first play by the Repertory Theatre of the Lincoln Center in their new, attractive Vivian Beaumont Theatre.
The directors, Herbert Blau and Jules Irving, were previously co-producers of the San Francisco Actors’ Workshop where they had earned acclaim for the imaginative and excellence of their productions.
LECTURE: An Evening With Clifford West. Bloomfield Art Association. 6 p.m. Admission charge. 11/19
“A SECOND NIGHT WITH THE WOBBLIES, with Ellen Stekert, folk singer. Sponsored by WSU Labor History Archives at WSU McGregor Mem. Conf. Center. 7:30 p.m. 11/19
COURT THEATER: “archy and mehitabel”--modern musical classic from an original story by Don Marquis; “Children on their Birthdays by Truman Capote, and a cutting from “Death of Bessie Smith” by Edward Albee. Detroit Institute of Arts, Kresge Court,8:30 p.m. Admission charge. 11/19
The first public meeting of The Birmingham-Bloomfield Committee on Open Occupancy was held at the Birmingham Unitarian Church on Sunday, November 14. An unexpectedly large turnout of 250 people responded to the speakers’ demands for an end to the organized exclusion of Negroes by the realtors in the area.
On Saturday, December 4, CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) will hold: a rummage sale in its office at 8906 12th St. The sale will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a great variety of articles up for sale: clothes, kitchen utensils, art objects and some furniture.
Anyone interested in articles to donate can bring them to the CORE office between 2 and 6 p.m. or call 872–8703.
Feb 9, 2015 Read the whole text...
Senator Philip A. Hart and Theodore Sachs were recipients of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Annual Bill of Rights Award on Saturday evening, December 4. The Award was made during the intermission of the show “VOICES, Inc.”, the musical production from New York brought to Detroit for one night only.
Magdalene Sinclair
Very soon now Wayne State University will finally become known across the country--not for its football team (I hope that will never happen), or for its student sit-ins (unfortunately, that will never happen either), but for the fine presentations of contemporary music sponsored by a small group of students known as the WSU Artists’ Society. Formed only 5 months ago, this group has already presented a total of 7 concerts of the new music, plus two readings by young Detroit poets.
To the Editor,
I would like to congratulate you and your staff for being so ambitious as to save our city from the blight which exists at the present time. The blight which I refer to is the lack of communication between the people of Detroit as a result of our inadequate news media. The result has been an uninformed, robotic society.
Norman Pollack
EDITORS NOTE: The following speech was given to a meeting of the Detroit Circle held November 21 in the McGregor Memorial Building. Dr. Pollack is a History professor at Wayne and long active in the movement protesting the war in Vietnam.
Perhaps the biggest mistake many of us make when speaking about Vietnam is that we focus only on Vietnam, and in doing so, engage in a debate with the forces supporting the Administration on their own ground. Not that a case against the war could not be made even there, for it could. But I think the time has come to enlarge the inquiry and to make a case not simply against the war, but against the structure of American society which makes that war possible in the first place. Why are we in Vietnam? Until we dig deeply into that question and explore all the ins and outs, we will be forced to remain on a superficial level and to confront the war as a single issue--and in thinking of the war as a single issue. when and if this war is resolved, then the basis for the criticism is removed. This is not as it should be. I urge you to consider that the Vietnam war, as important as it is, is only a symptom--only a symptom of the larger course American society is pursuing. And one does not accomplish very much by confronting symptoms when the underlying causes remain unhampered.
Bruce Whitten, age 26, held the rank of Staff Sergeant in the Air Force until he received a general discharge on May 23, 1965. Whitten was assigned to the First Air Commando group and spent two years in Vietnam.
Q. How do the people feel about the governments that have been set up?
A. They don’t even discuss them. It just seems to be a taboo subject. You don’t speak to an Englishmen about the Queen in a sexual manner and it’s like that here. You’ll get your throat cut. I never got anywhere discussing that subject.
Del Appleby
The Northwest Folklore Society presented a blues show on Wednesday night, November 24. Included in the show were performances by Washboard Willie, Willie “61” Blackwell, Sippie Wallace, Doctor Isaiah Ross, and climaxed by Little Sonny and the Rhythm Rockers. The show put on by the audience was disgusting.
The Coat Puller (a column)
It shouldn’t be news to anyone--but it probably is--that the local gestapo is responsible for ending the performance of LeRoi Jones’ “the toilet” and “the Slave” at the now shut-down Concept East Theatre. The plays, directed by Woody King (who is now back in New York) and performed brilliantly by such Detroit actors as Sam Blue (Toilet) and Harrison Avery (Slave), began their run in August, made it through a couple of weeks, and then were brutally closed by the guardians of law & order--and “morals”--in our fair city.
Mayor Jerome P. Cavanagh last month ordered the renewal of a concert hall license for Concept East Theatre.
His action was taken on an appeal submitted by the theatre group after its application for a license renewal had been summarily denied without charges on a hearing some weeks ago.
The Theatre has been subjected to harassment based upon its production of the Leroi Jones plays “The Toilet” and “The Slave.” Initially, an ordinance violation ticket had been issued to the theatre manager for permitting the use of “profane or indecent language”. This charge was dismissed in traffic court by Judge Andrew C. Wood because of defective service. The following day the theatre received notice that its pending application for renewal of license had been denied.
Jul 30, 2015 Read the whole text...
George Garnett Jr. (March 8, 1947 — December 28, 1965)
George Garnett Jr. was found dead on the inner lane northbound of the John Lodge expressway, under the Warren Avenue bridge, at 1:45 a.m. Tuesday, December 28, 1965. He apparently fell from the bridge, struck the pavement and was hit by several cars which didn’t stop after running over the body. A passing motorist saw the body in mid-air and pulled over to the curb; other motorists who did stop called the police. George was pronounced dead on arrival at Detroit Receiving Hospital at 1:55 a.m.
The first major photo exhibit featuring photos depicting the freedom struggle in Mississippi, Alabama and Southwest Georgia. Friday, January 14 is the last day this show will be in Detroit. Admission is free, at the Community Arts Bldg., Wayne State University, 9 a.m. — 10 p.m.
Editor’s Note: The following is an interview conducted by the Fifth Estate with representatives of the Free University of Detroit, a new independent educational institute which will open it’s doors at the end of the month. A full schedule of courses offered at the Free University is printed elsewhere in the paper.
Free University of Detroit Schedule Of Courses
Poetry Seminar
John Sinclair & Robin Eichele
Tuesdays 7–9 p.m.
Contemporary American Prose & Drama
Thursdays 9 p.m.
The Surrealist Stance
Allen Van Newkirk
Seminar in Pre-Homeric Greek Civilization
Sinclair, Eichele, Van Newkirk
Theatre Techniques/Acting
Hurst Rinehart
Dale Ovshinsky
Huxley, Hoffer and Osmond Psychedelic Originators
Recently, I had a discussion with Dr. Abram Hoffer and Dr. Humphrey Osmond on drugs that tend to mimic psychoses. These two doctors are among the leading researchers on the mind and how chemicals effect it. Dr. Hoffer is Director of the Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Osmond, by the way, coined the currently popular word ‘psychedelic”, meaning mind-effecting.
Staff and Contributors #3, January 1966, Vol. 1, No. 3
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER: Harvey Ovshinsky
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS: Susan de Gracia, Robin Dibner, Steven Dibner
STAFF: John Sinclair, David Rackett, Deena Clamage, Jeff Feldman, John Hawksley,
Special thanks to the Detroit Friends of SNCC and especially to Miss Dorothy Duberry, who went through hell to get the front page photographs.
The Coat Puller a column
Live (i.e. alive) musical activity continues to grow here in Detroit, and on its own terms, which makes it all the more valuable. Pianist Andrew Hill made his first concert appearance in this part of the country here last month, under the sponsorship of the WSU Artists’ Society and his Detroit-based agent, Lutz Bacher. In doing so Andrew also became the first major artist of international stature to be sponsored by the young student organization (only six months old), and the first such musician to undertake a totally cooperative musical venture outside the New York Area. The most significant extra-musical fact about Andrew’s concert is that he (& Bacher) worked directly with the society, on a person-to-person (rather than businessman-to businessman) basis, with music rather than money as the determining factor in the arrangement. This is the only way the rotten music-as-business situation is going to be overturned, and it must be revolutionized—and fast—if the music is going to be as an art form otherwise all anyone but the most privileged listeners will be able to hear in public performance will be the tired “entertainment” music that clutters the “jazz clubs” now.
Artists’ Workshop Press offers
WORK, a journal of new writing, edited by John Sinclair
$1.00/copy, 4-issue subscriptions $3.00
CHANGE, a new jazz magazine, edited by John Sinclair & Charles Moore, $1.00/copy, 4-issue subscription: $3.00
WORKSHOP BOOKS, new writing from Detroit under the general editorship of Robin Eichele
WB/1 Book of Humors, Jim Senark, 25¢
Dena Clamage
At the September 1965 National Council meeting, members of Students for a Democratic Society, (SDS), decided that the time had come for a thorough re-examination of the organization, its ideology, its programs and strategies, its coalitions, and its goals. In order to insure a broad number of participants in this reexamination, the organization decided to hold a conference in late December, a conference free from the normal pressures of decision-making, which could at least begin to define the questions which arise from a serious commitment to social change.
National Boycott The National Farm Workers’ Association Asks You, Please, don’t Buy Schenley Liquors and Delano Grapes
Over 4,500 farm workers in Delano, California have been on strike against Delano grape growers since September 8, 1965.
These California farm workers are seeking the rights you take for granted: UNION RECOGNITION and COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. Delano grape growers refuse to recognize and respect these rights.
The Big March Cover story
On Saturday, March 26, demonstrations protesting the war in Vietnam were held in Detroit as this city’s effort in the Second International Days of Protest. In preparation for this event, sponsored by the Detroit Committee to End the War in Vietnam, Women for Peace, Detroit Citizens for Peace and Trade Unionists for Peace, more than 20,000 leaflets were distributed and advertisements appeared In the Detroit News and various campus and community newspapers.
Sep 1, 2015 Read the whole text...
“He who lives by the sword dies by the sword,” but the men who are now dying have no such simple entrance into their own lives—the swords they bear (whatever “side”) are not what they live by, not the terms of their living, but alien & unnecessary tools forced into their hands by men who have taken themselves so far from such actual simple tools.
Sol Plafkin
Drums are rolling early and heavy in the Michigan Democratic Party’s forthcoming internal civil war with Detroit’s 37-year-old Mayor Jerome P. Cavanagh pitted against just-retired Asst. Sec. of State for African Affairs and former governor, 55-year-old G. Mennen villiams.
Unfortunately, the campaign promises to avoid discussion of pressing current issues (e.g. the war in Vietnam) and seems likely to center on a silly and meaningless battle of the “young” vs. the “old.”
from Detroit Free Press, April 5, 1966
Gentlemen:
Regarding the issue of negotiation vs. withdrawal, it would be most unfortunate to allow the question to take up the working time of the peace movement. We are not Johnson’s special advisors, and our precise policy statements need not be unified, or even entirely compatible. What would appear to count most is visibility and persistence. There are, however, many who disagree with that statement. Some contend that the more extreme positions are too easily accommodated by the administration. The key question then is the difference in the operating code of ethics between these factions. I suggest the following. Once a group decides and plans an activity, all those who can in good conscience assist with its execution should do so in accord with the ground rules set by the originally responsible group. I see no contradiction in restraining my sign to “urge negotiations” even if I were personally to favor immediate withdrawal...
Reprint from Vietnam Report Vol. 1, No. 1, the official newsletter of the Detroit Committee to End the War in Vietnam (DCEWV), April 1966
All the way with LBJ—and Nguyen Cao Ky! (reprinted from Weekly People)
Lafferty Runs For Congress
Using the occasion of the Tom Hayden speech during the International Days of Protest. James T. Lafferty, Chairman of the Citizens for Peace in Vietnam, announced his candidacy for the 17th District U.S. Congressional seat presently held by Martha Griffiths.
National days of protest March 25–26 constituted the largest concerted world-wide action for peace in history. Demonstrations to protest the war in Vietnam took place in 30 countries, according to the National Coordinating Committee to End the War in Vietnam—initiator of the campaign.
In the United States, the protests surpassed those called by the NCV last October, indicating that the anti-war movement has grown significantly in response to the Johnson Administration’s escalation of U.S. intervention in Vietnam.
Vote now on Vietnam ...with the Voters Pledge
The Vietnam war is exacting a cruel toll in lives and resources, detracting from constructive domestic programs, and threatening to lead to a third world war.
I PLEDGE to support and vote for candidates in 1966 who agree to work vigorously:
FOR U.S. steps to scale down the fighting to achieve a cease fire;
Ron Caplan
Strikers Seek Aid Support needed for farmworkers strike
The word huelga means strike, and it’s fast becoming a word in the American language as the strike that began in the grape fields surrounding Delano slowly radiates out across the country. But to those in the strike area, those who grew up in these fields and are now standing up for a union to protest the long years of suffering and deprivation huelga means a great deal more. It means the small things, it means a decent meal for their families, a chance for a decent home and a choice for them whether or not their children will work in these fields; it means a vacation that is more than a flat tire, or an illness, or rain. And it means the big things; it means that finally, as a body the farm workers are standing up together to present a bill long overdue: a bill to be paid not only with decent wages and human treatment in the fields—but a debt of enormous respect owed to these men and women, and to their parents.
Art Myatt
Freedom Summer Book review
Freedom Summer by Sally Belfrage (Viking, 1965)
The many aspects of the movement are presented in the often chaotic way they presented themselves to Sally Belfrage in the summer of 1964. Facts which could be dry and even boring if given in abstract take on life and meaning in the particular. They are sometimes present in connection with the personality of the person who spoke of them. Sometimes they are part of the history of a friend who survived them. Sometimes, facts come in to give meaning to the efforts of an Establishment man—a Greenwood deputy, an FBI agent, a representative of the justice department, a television reporter—to deny them. And sometimes, they are summed up in what was, for Sally Belfrage, one more step in the long walk of understanding.
Karen Mitchnick
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following story is a true one and illustrates the truth that police brutality in Detroit is not a myth. It is not entirely a black man’s problem either as this story points out. Solid oak is colorblind. It only sees red.
We were walking down Woodward thinking about which all-night movie to see. It was 1:00 in the morning and cold. We were walking fast with our heads down against the wind.
The Detroit Committee to End the War in Vietnam (1101 West Warren) is not the most popular organization in town. It has had all but two of its nine windows stoned, shot through or broken into.
In early march, late in the evening, at least three bricks were tossed into the office via the glass windows.
Sheil Salasnek
Photos by Richard Stoker, Norm Koren, C.T. Walker. Collage by Harvey Ovshinsky
Two thousand people had a love-in on Belle Isle.
Unfortunately 8,000 people were present. Whatever happened on the island that night, it shouldn’t be allowed to overshadow the 6 or 7 hours of dancing, singing and sharing that preceded it.
Apr 17, 2017 Read the whole text...
Frank H. Joyce
Cops Riot at Belle Isle Have Hate-In
“When you have $50 billion invested in defense what you need most isn’t allies but an enemy.”
— Nelson Algren said in Ramparts, May, 1967.
When you have policemen on horses and Tactical Mobile Units with little baseball bats and “riot-trained” commandos, what you need most is not a Love-In but a riot.
A lot has happened since the last time I wrote this column, and I still don’t know what’ll come of it, but all we can do is ride it out and see what we can do with it. My own situation has changed a great deal even though I certainly don’t feel any different as a human being, but it sure is weird to walk or drive down the street and have strangers smile and wave because they saw me on TV and were given to believe that “John Sinclair is the high priest of the hippies in Detroit” or whatever.
Human Be-In Coming event
A Human Be-In in the Flint area will happen on Sunday, May 21, from 10 a.m. until dusk at the Byram Lake park outside of Linden, Michigan. Organized by Trans-Love Energies of Flint, the Be-In will take place in a 60-acre park area 20 miles from Flint and will last all day, with music, fun, food, bells, and banners.
Is a speeding automobile more beautiful than the Winged Victory? Is Dionne Warwick’s “Are You There?” greater than the Ninth Symphony? The Grate Society, a small group of Ann Arbor composers and performers think so. They will be in Detroit on Friday, May 19 presenting a program of musical works and “total theater events” for Wayne State’s Friday Night Coordinating Committee.
The long-denied files of Wayne University students’ political and personal activities were discovered last week amid a protest about the lack of student involvement in the decision-making processes of the University.
While 30 student leaders staged an all-night vigil Wednesday, outside the University president’s office, James McCormick, vice-president for Student Affairs, and a delegation of five students found the “non-existent” files in the University’s department of Safety and Security office.
Peter Werbe
Cathy West
Frank Joyce
MUSIC & LITERARY EDITOR
Rhona Whipple
FILM EDITORS
Joe Fineman
Shirley Hamburg
Leon Brenner
Wilson Lindsey
TRAVEL EDITOR
May 16, 2017 Read the whole text...
NEW YORK—Rev. James Bevel, national director of the Spring Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam, assailed President Johnson for turning a deaf ear to the growing anti-war sentiment in the United States.
Rev. Bevel rebuked the President in connection with the latest U.S. bombing raids close to the center of Hanoi. He said that Johnson was “power mad” and “in a futile attempt to cover up his own mistakes, the President is driving this country closer and closer to a nightmarish confrontation with Red China and nuclear catastrophe.”
The Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, the group that brought over 400,000 persons to New York City and San Francisco on April 15, has called for a national conference to evaluate the Mobilization and to exchange ideas on future programs and actions.
The conference, to be held in Washington, D.C., is scheduled for the weekend of May 20–21, following the confrontation with President Johnson by representatives of the peace movement. All groups and individuals who oppose the war are invited to attend.
Pat O’Dea
May Day was celebrated in Detroit with a Smoke-In in Grand Circus Park, to call for the re-legalization of marijuana.
Hippies stood around and smoked joints made of Bull Durham, legal herbs, and bananas.
The demonstration started out with lots of rain, and a big hassle with the local constables about a permit they were supposed to have. As a result, the demonstration was temporarily moved to the lobby of the City-County building. Later everyone slowly wandered back to the park and nothing else was said.
Justice was stood on its head at Detroit’s Recorders’ Court as an anti war activist was convicted of Disturbing the Peace for trying to keep order at a teach-in last November (see Fifth Estate, Nov. 15–30, 1966) and a member of the right-wing organization Breakthrough, who assaulted the usher in full view of hundreds was found innocent.
In adapting a bulky, densely detailed novel of seven volumes, Mai Zetterling has extricated the following schema in her movie, “Loving Couples:” her three women have in common a place and a time of arrival, the hospital, set immediately at the beginning of the film; a starting time, childhood; a central time and place, the chateau and the longest night, Midsummer. This schema orders and disorders brilliantly the destiny of the three lives in which childhoods, love affairs, childbearings correspond to one another.
Detroit Area Veterans Against the War will be joining veteran contingents from many other cities in a Memorial Day Demonstration in Washington, DC. The veterans plan to hold memorial services at Arlington Cemetery and also will demonstrate at the Pentagon.
“Veterans can play an important role in the antiwar movement,” said Ed Chalom, chairman of the new group. “It is becoming increasingly clear that the strategy of the Administration is to shift the blame for the continuation of the war onto the shoulders of the peace bloc and further, to discredit peace people as being “unpatriotic.”
San Francisco (UPS) The Underground Press Syndicate, of which the Fifth Estate is a member, was founded more than a year ago in order to facilitate the communication of information which the Establishment press ignores, suppresses, or never dreamed of.
Today, the UPS has member papers growing in almost all the glorious subterranean gardens across the country and in Canada and England as well. Recently the first national UPS conference was held in San Francisco, with representatives from the East Village Other (N.Y.), the L.A. Free Press, and The Oracle, The Communication Company (San Francisco), The Rag (Austin, Texas), Seed (Chicago), the Washington Independent (Washington, D.C. ), and The Illustrated Paper (Mendecino, Calif.)
In a recent issue of the Fifth Estate (April 1) it was reported that State Senator Roger Craig of Dearborn had introduced a bill into the Michigan Senate that would exempt marijuana from the application of the general “narcotics” act.
While this was an accurate report and reflective of a new climate regarding public opinion toward the use of “drugs” we hope people are still being careful. In a letter to this paper Sen. Craig stated, “Nothing significant will happen in this area (of legislation) until January.”
A reply to Mr. Wilbert McClendon; not because he will listen (he won’t) but because someone has to maintain the balance:
Mr. McClendon: You said one right thing in your article and that was that some of the white people who protest the war in Vietnam are phony. Actually, you didn’t even say that right because you said they were ALL phony and that, Mr. McClendon, is ridiculous. There are a great many white protesters who are not phony. They have rallied in support of the Negro cause and that cause is much more honest and meaningful because of them. But even the phony white protesters are not harmful.
Marshall Rubinoff
The Spikedrivers were the first psychedelic rock group that existed in Detroit.
Their sound wasn’t super hard, yet it was able to take you off into the freedom of your sub-consciousness. That was a year ago and they weren’t hip to the new obvious fact that music doesn’t happen on 45 records. All they knew was, if you wanted to make music you needed the big money of a record company to pay for the studio time to put something out in order to reach a large enough audience.
Hank Malone
If we are truly hungry we will eat anything, anywhere. In Aushwitz, philosophers killed each other for the bones in the gravel-pits. They ate the soup made of their brothers’ bodies.
If we are only moderately hungry we are rich. More than half the world’s population knows no other feeling but hunger. They spend their time searching for food, as we in America spend our time searching for the Apocalypse.
Where Is Vietnam? a Collection of Poems—an Anthology of new work by 87 Poets, edited by Walter Lowenfels, NYC., Doubleday and Co., 160 pages, $1.25.
A friend of mine once said that the only good reasons for reviewing a book were (1) to sell the book, or (2) to publicly kick the author in the ass. In this case I hardly know where to begin.
Morse Blasts LBJ In a rare Detroit appearance, Oregon Senator Wayne Morse blasted critics of Vietnam war protesters and called for a national televised debate on the war.
Senator Morse addressed over 1,000 people at a recent Anniversary dinner for the Michigan Civil Liberties Union. Sharing the platform with him were Detroit Congressman John Conyers, WSU President William R. Keast and Lt. Governor William G. Milliken.
Senator Morse’s speech countered Governor Milliken’s remarks about “the tiny minority” of bearded students who oppose the war. Milliken told the audience that he knew the ACLU shared his gratitude that the “draft card burners and vietniks” were not larger in numbers.
Marlene Tyre
The Fifth Estate recently received a copy of “Divine Toad Sweat,” Church bulletin of the NeoAmerican Church, headquartered in Mt. Eden, California.
The Neo-American Church, although it does not employ set rituals, subscribes to three basic Principles. As stated in “Divine Toad Sweat” they are
“1) Everyone has the right to expand his consciousness and stimulate visionary experience by whatever means he considers desirable and proper without interference from anyone;
A student prominent in the recent student power demonstration at Wayne State University and a contributor to the Fifth Estate has been named Editor of the Daily Collegian, the WSU school newspaper.
Art Johnston, who will assume duties as Editor next September, was selected by the WSU Publications Committee and the Student-Faculty Council over the Collegian staff’s choice, Associate Managing Editor, John Gagnan.
(Washington) — Robert Luftig, 22, a soldier from New York City, Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to block the Defense Department from sending him to Vietnam.
Luftig, a draftee now stationed at Ft. Benning, Ga., has claimed in his suit that the war in Vietnam violates the U. S. Constitution and international agreements. He said the war is undeclared by Congress and abridges due process guarantees of the Fifth Amendment. Drafted September, 1965, and trained as a cook, Luftig is seeking a permanent injunction against Secretary of State Robert McNamara, contending that no person can be ordered to violate the law of the land.
The Emergency Medical Fund for Bernard, Garrett & Graham is making a widespread appeal for funds on the first anniversary of the — shooting at Debs Hall, headquarters of the Socialist Workers Party, where Leo Bernard was killed and Jan Garrett and Water Graham were seriously wounded by an anti-communist fanatic, May 16, 1966.
UNCLASSIFIED costs 50 cents per line per week. Figure 5 words per line. (A word is a word, including 1 and 2 letter words. A phone number is a word. Street numbers are words.
Abbreviations should be sensible.) (NO LIMIT ON NUMBER OF LINES)
THE FIFTH ESTATE, 923 PLUM STREET, DETROIT, MICH. 48201
Liquidating entire collection of reptiles from all corners of the world. Interested persons call 935–2013 after 10 p.m.
Music Highlights WSU Dinner
An international cast of scholar performers will entertain guests at Wayne State University’s 99th Alumni Reunion Dinner-Dance beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 20, in the Community Arts Exhibit Gallery on the WSU campus.
Included among performers during the evening program are Algerian classical guitarist Khalid Benabdallah, and Miss Rajalakshmi Iyer, a WSU student from India. Miss Iyer, who is representing the international aspect of the University’s student body, will play the Veena a stringed musical instrument of India.
One nice thing about public feuds between politicians is that it gives everybody a rare chance to see part of what’s going on inside governmental circles. We learn, that at least to some extent, many decisions are made on the basis of personal vanity, pride, and ego conflict—and not solely as the result of some impersonal “power structure” beyond the reach of our full comprehension or influence.
“We Will Wield Power” WCO Leadership Takes Militant Turn
Struggle, Chairman Mao teaches us, moves in stages.
The West Central Organization (WCO) after a long series of internal problems previously reported in the Fifth Estate has moved to a new stage.
It represents an advance for the group.
A new staff headed by, former WCO organizer, 33 year old Lorenzo Freeman, has been created to bring new talent, energy and direction to the organization.
PLAY — Court Theatre presents George Buchner’s “Leonce and Lena” opening May 10–20. 8:30 p.m. at Court Theatre 2555 Burns Ave. Phone 822–6655 Adm.
PLAY Sheridan’s “The Rivals” WSU Hillberry Classic Theatre, Cass & Hancock 2:30 p.m. Adm. May 27.
PLAY, Children’s Holiday Theatre. Talking Drums, Percival Borde Dance Co. Det. Inst. Arts Aud., John R St. entrance. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Adm. May 20.
“There is too much concern about free love and not enough concern about free hate in this society,” stated William Sloan Coffin in an anti-war address at central Methodist Church on May 9, 1967.
Coffin, the Chaplain at Yale University, was speaking on behalf of Clergy and laymen concerned about Vietnam, a new addition to peace and anti-war groups in the city. Coffin is an officer of the national Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam which is co-chaired by Rev. Martin Luther King.
Collage by Harvey Ovshinsky, photos by Richard Stocker, Norm Koren, C.T. Walker
Editor’s Note: Since the Beatles released their newest album (“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonelyhearts Club Band”), the American and British press have unleashed a variety of articles on the group. Below is an interview given to Miles of the International Times (London) by George Harrison M.B.E. (Courtesy UPS)
George: If you could just say a word and it would tell people something straight to the point, then, you take all the words that are going to say everything, and you’d get it in about two lines. Just use those. Just keep saying those words.
Hippies Confront New Left ...at Old Left Conference
On June 16, 1962 a group of students stimulated by the burgeoning protest movement of black young people in the south, met at Port Huron, Michigan.
After much debate they approved a long statement analyzing “the state of the society which they were inheriting.” Known as the Port Huron Statement, the document served as the organizational base for Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). The Port Huron meeting is generally considered to be the beginning of the “New-Left.”
Council Rejects City’s Bike Ban
Intelligence finally reigned supreme recently when Detroit’s Common Council tore apart Ray Girardin’s stupid proposal to ban motorcycles from city parks without a special permit.
The proposal was immediately condemned by the American Civil Liberties Union as unconstitutional and in violation of the civil liberties of individuals because of its vagueness.
Ben Habeebe
The Press of Peace Nation, City Plan Vietnam Summer
Hey! Hey! LBJ—Look What’s happenin’ in America today:
Vietnam Summer, 1967. From coast-to-coast 4,000 people in 48 states have stepped forward to work on Vietnam Summer projects to end the war...and that number is on the rise.
Here in Detroit a hard core of 75 peace activists ranging from Democrats to Socialists have forged a nucleus for a summer of draft counseling, community and political organizing, rallies and demonstrations.
What to do ...if you are eating your breakfast on Thursday, June 15, 1967 and looking out of the window and see three narco police climbing around on the roof of the house next to your apartment...
Pull the window shade. Walk calmly to the nearest telephone and call the Fifth Estate.
We will immediately dispatch a reporter, perhaps even an editor, to the scene.
He will arrive in time to see Detective Walter Scott of the Detroit Narcotics bureau emerge empty—handed from the house which is the living quarters of several hippies and cyclists.
Detroit Tries to Support Viet War ...as 500 March in Parade
Their bust of General MacArthur which caused so much trouble in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade was there.
The gentlemen of Grand Circus Park were not impressed. But then there wasn’t much to be impressed by.
Less than 500 people marched down Woodward Avenue in the great Flag Day parade on June 14. The March was called by a resolution of the Michigan Senate to honor the flag and “Support Our Boys in Vietnam.”
The Fifth Estate is not reaching everyone that it should. Conservative distributors and frightened merchants will not handle or sell the paper because it is too controversial. Hence, there are many people who are not able to read what we have to say simply because there is nowhere they can buy the paper.
PAR Benefits at Concept announcement
Benefit performances for People Against Racism will be given by the Concept East Theater on July 7th and 8th. Two plays, Edward Albee’s “A Zoo Story” and Leroi Jones’ “The Dutchman,” will be performed on Friday, July 7th. Laurence Blaine’s “Dark Nights, Angry Faces” will be performed on Saturday, July 8th. “Dark Nights, Angry Faces” consists of two two-act plays: “Prize Fight” and “The Meaning of Time.” Performances begin at 8:00 p.m. at the Concept East Theater, 401 East Adams. Tickets may be obtained by calling the PAR office, 962–3855.
Simon Galubara
UPS — If you’re tripping, don’t read this now. Save it for later, and enjoy your trip Otherwise—Evidence, admittedly somewhat inconclusive, has been brought forth seemingly indicating that LSD can do damage to human chromosomes. Studies are being made in Buffalo, Bellevue University Hospital here, and at the University of Oregon. The first work reported on, that of Buffalo scientists, is the least significant.
Editors’ note: The following opinion was written by folksinger Phil Ochs and originally appeared in the LA Free Press. The article was written before President Johnson was in Los Angeles on June 23, when thousands greeted his holiness.
Phil Ochs, 1960s
The war is over and what a relief. It sure was depressing—but now, thank God, we can celebrate. It has been called off from the bottom up, and now the only ones participating in it are those that still believe it exists.
Detroiters Migrating to California; Don’t
The S.F. Oracle recently sent a missive to the Fifth Estate office asking us to warn those who are traveling west to bring: (besides their flowers and bananas) money for food and rent, sleeping bags and rucksacks, extra food (brown rice and soysauce—100 lbs. bags at rice mills for $12), camping equipment, warm clothing for the cold times, and proper I.D.
Editors note: The Fifth Estate continued to win readers and supporters throughout the Detroit Metropolitan area.
The following review of the paper recently appeared in the school newspaper of Covington Jr. High School in Birmingham.
Covington student Claudia Marcun II forwarded the story to us.
Dennis Nelson
“You Only Live Twice” at Palms Review
When Saturday matinees were only two bits and weekly serials dragged on endlessly, James Bond was barely a flicker on a distant horizon. Broccoli and Saltzman with Panavision, Technicolor, United Artists, Sean Connery and a bottomless shipload of gimmickry have thrown us back to our childhood.
Until now, the most un-cinematic bait drew the fish out of the woodwork; Lesbians, homosexuals, a sadistic grandmother, a unique air corps and a frequently bedridden James Bond. The utter shock of the latest Bond thriller is that it really clears the deck and settles down to telling an exciting story.
Since you are one of the few progressive newspapers around, we have a special request for you. A group of citizens of Mill Valley, California are handling a National Stamp Drive to help equip our garage.
Over the past couple of years, we have been able to exchange stamps for a great deal of the equipment which keeps our cars operational for our field workers. Among the things which we have acquired are: electrical tire-changing apparatus, several battery chargers, analyzing machine, an air meter, voltage regulator machine, a wheel balancer, and three ’65 Falcon Econoline buses. This has been of invaluable service to us and our work.
City of Detroit
Editor’s note: The following is printed exactly as it was released by the City of Detroit, Department Report and Information Committee.
Movie goers who once marveled at the disguises of Lon Chaney would be amazed at the many “faces” of Detroit police department detectives.
Dope smokers June Mumford and Vahan Kapegian
John Lottier
Muhammad Ali The Loser and Still Champion
Editor’s Note: The following interview with Muhammad Ali appeared originally in two parts in the Michigan Daily. It was conducted by John Lottier of the Daily immediately prior to Muhammad’s departure to Houston, where he was convicted of violation of the Selective Service Act and sentenced to the maximum of five years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
Sue Lack
Beach Boy Carl Wilson Indicted ...for Refusing Army Induction
UPS — Shouts of “draft-dodger” and rumors of a FBI arrest have threatened the clean-cut All-American image of the Beach Boys since Carl Wilson, 20, lead guitar, and “cuddliest,” youngest of the three Wilson brothers, refused to submit for induction into the Armed Forces on January 3, 1967.
Claiming Conscientious Objection on the basis of a conflict of values (“My duty to God is far greater than any mortal demand”), Carl’s request was rejected ostensibly on the grounds of late filing. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 5 and entered a plea of “not guilty.”
The ridiculous bill in the U.S. House of Representatives to penalize flag-burners passed by a whopping majority (385 to 16) last week—but in their haste, the patriotic legislators forgot to include the specific term “burning” in their prohibition. They did ban mutilating, defacing, defiling or trampling the flag.
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Puerto Rico bond crisis leaves boxing champ Trinidad ruined
Reuters April 11, 2014
File photo of Felix "Tito" Trinidad fighting in New York
Felix "Tito" Trinidad (L) connects with a left to the head of Roy Jones Jr. during their Light Heavyweight boxing match at Madison Square Garden in New York, in this January 19, 2008 file photo. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Files
SAN JUAN (Reuters) - Boxer Felix "Tito" Trinidad, who grossed nearly $90 million during his championship career in the ring, is in economic ruin, just like his native Puerto Rico, according to court documents.
The boxer and his father, Felix Trinidad, Sr., who trained him throughout his career, lost some $63 million through investments linked to Puerto Rico government bonds, papers filed on Thursday in San Juan Superior Court show.
Trinidad and his father are seeking an injunction to halt San Juan-based Popular Securities, a brokerage arm of Puerto Rico's biggest bank, Banco Popular , from collecting a $2.9 million debt.
The injunction request included a complaint filed with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, in which the Trinidads accused their financial adviser, José "Pepe" Ramos, of making risky investments without their consent or knowledge.
"The accusations by the Trinidad family are false and the truth will come out when this case is aired in the pertinent forum," Ramos said in a written statement.
During Trinidad's glory days in the ring, in which he compiled a record of 20-1 with 16 knockouts in the Welterweight, Light Middleweight and Middleweight classes during the late 1990s and early 2000s, Puerto Rico's economy was growing by as much as 3 percent a year. Its government bonds were rated as investment grade.
But Trinidad, like hundreds of other wealthy Puerto Rico investors, lost millions when those bonds headed south last September as investors became alarmed over the U.S. territory's $70 billion debt load, sputtering economy and inability to balance budgets.
Total capital and assets held in Puerto Rico mutual funds shrank by roughly $6 billion during 2013 and they posted losses totaling almost $2.4 billion, according to the Office of Financial Institutions Commissioner.
The Trinidads accused Ramos of making investments without their consent or knowledge and misleading them about the level of risk involved in the investments, according to the FINRA complaint.
Nearly all of Trinidad's net worth was invested in Puerto Rico government bond funds, according to the documents. Ramos has been the boxer's financial adviser for years while working at many of the largest brokerages in Puerto Rico, including UBS and Wells Fargo .
"It's a difficult situation, and we are addressing discussing the issue in the appropriate forums," Trinidad told El Nuevo Dia newspaper on Friday. "Once again the people of my beloved Puerto Rico have shown me great support and affection."
In a statement, Popular Securities said "we regret this situation has wound up in the courts, and we reiterate once again that we are willing to find a mutually satisfactory solution for both parties. As Puerto Ricans, in Popular we have great affection for Felix "Tito" Trinidad."
(Reporting by Reuters in San Juan; Editing by David Adams, Kevin Gray and Dan Grebler)
Thousands call for Puerto Rico governor to resign after chat leak
Kellyanne Conway Asks Reporter His Ethnicity While Defending Trump's Racist Rant
Bad Bunny Halts European Tour to Join Protests Against Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló
Puerto Rico Governor Hangs On Despite Calls for Resignation
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The carnival featured a ferris wheel, but did not run because of the rain. (Julia Comerford/ The Fordham Ram)
By Sarah Huffman
Campus Activities Board (CAB) hosted its first carnival on Friday, April 26 for Spring Weekend. The event was supposed to run from 7:00 p.m. to 11 p.m. but closed early at around 9:00 p.m. due to lightning during the storm on Friday night.
The event featured a Ferris wheel, a set of swings and a ‘roundup’ ride, but these were not able to run at all during the carnival because of weather conditions.
In addition to rides, there were vendors giving out funnel cake, cotton candy and popcorn. There were games including inflatable skee-ball, a ‘high striker’ and a booth with two carnival toss games.
The CAB general board provided sand art, tie-dye stations and a ring toss game. Maddie Rizzo, FCRH ’20, drew caricatures and Charlie Grass, GSB ’21, performed walk-around magic.
Sean Rilley, FCRH ’20, CAB special events co-chair, said he and his co-chair decided to hold a carnival this year instead of the usual DJ event because attendance has been very low the past few years. Rilley and his co-chair Maddie Bria, FCRH ’19, decided that a carnival would be a solid replacement.
“While we had both been to events at Fordham with large inflatables, we noted that we had never seen full-scale carnival rides on campus,” said Rilley. “We thought that would be something the student community would be interested in.”
He said they believed the fact that the DJ event was held inside also contributed to its low attendance, so they wanted their event to be outside.
He said they also decided early in the planning process to end the carnival event earlier than the DJ event typically ended in the past because they noticed that very few students remained at the event past 11:00 p.m. He said they also believed that if the event started earlier, more students would attend.
Rilley said he and Bria had weekly meetings starting in January with CAB advisor Francesa Leite to plan the event. They also reached out to CAB General Board and Cultural Affairs committee for ideas. Once they decided the details of the event, they reached out to vendors to arrange for them to come to campus.
CAB’s Cultural Affairs Committee held its Spring Weekend raffle at the event. The committee usually charges a small fee to its raffle winners to keep the raffles going, but this one was free because it was the last raffle of the year and of Spring Weekend. The committee raffled off tickets to the Tony Award-winning musical “Dear Evan Hansen” and passes for a helicopter ride over NYC.
The Cultural Affairs committee is run by two co-chairs, Bridget McCabe and Andrew Brann. They aim to provide students access to the culture of New York City at an affordable and discounted cost by programming monthly raffles where students can enter and win tickets to events throughout the city.
In regards to the weather, Rilley said he, Bria and Liete kept a close eye on the changing weather reports for the day of the carnival throughout the week. He said the three of them, Dean Arcuri and CAB’s President, Kathryn Teaney, GSB ’19, met in A-Lot to discuss whether or not to keep the event outside or move it to the Lombardi Center.
“Ultimately, because it would be impossible to move the rides or food inside and we thought that students would be less inclined to come to a downgraded version of the event in the Lombardi Center,” he said. “We opted to remain in A-Lot, get as many extra pop-up tents as possible and hope for as much good weather as we could get.”
He said the rain and wind ruined some of the decorations and made OSI decide that the rides would not be safe to run, even in the hour period at the beginning when the rain had stopped.
“It was pouring, but the CAB instagram had posted that it would be happening rain or shine, and we had umbrellas, so we didn’t care,” said Emma Paolini, FCRH ’21. “We were bummed that the rides would be shut down, especially because I was looking forward to riding the ferris wheel, but we were still excited for some free carnival food.”
Ultimately, the carnival ended earlier than intended. A nearby lightning strike forced Public Safety to shut the event down.
“The rain threw a wrench in our plans on the day of the event, but we adapted as well as we could,” Rilly said. “It may not sound like a lot, but we spent hours going over big and small details to give the students the best event we could, and I think we did that.”
Despite the rain, Rilley said the carnival had much higher attendance than the DJ event in years past. He said they are proud of the attendance, given the weather conditions.
“Maddie and I believe that the carnival was a strong addition to Spring Weekend and has potential for the coming years,” he explained. “With good weather, we believe attendance would be even bigger!”
He said they would love to get some more games and attractions to fill out the space and give students a landmark event that they look forward to every year.
“Ultimately, we are very proud of the event that we created, and we are grateful to the Office of Student Involvement for taking this chance with us and to the students for coming out, even in the rain,” he said. “We hope that the Friday night event will once again become a key part of every student’s Spring Weekend experience, and we are looking forward to what the Special Events co-chairs will do next!”
Tags: cab, Carnival, Sarah Huffman, spring weekend
Student Researches What It Means to Be A Good Catholic
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Archive | Jordan RSS for this section
in Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, US, Vietnam
Nuclear Security Summit
President Barack Obama open the 47-nation Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. The president says he wants new commitments to secure weapons-grade plutonium and uranium to prevent nuclear terrorism.
With concerns about the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea a major backdrop to the conference, this is the biggest U.S.-sponsored gathering of world leaders in more than 60 years.
The New START treaty was signed on April 8, 2010 in Prague by U.S. President Obama and Russian President Medvedev and Iran will hold the Tehran International Conference on Disarmament and Non- Proliferation, 2010, announced on April 4, 2010 and to be held April 17–18, 2010.
The Summit is the largest gathering of heads of state called by a United States president since the 1945 United Nations Conference on International Organization. Delegations from forty-six governments plus the United States are attending, thirty-eight of which are represented by heads of state or government. Read More…
in Jordan
Jordanian king dissolves parliament
The King of Jordan, King Abdullah, dissolved the country’s parliament on Tuesday, half-way through its four year term, and called for early general elections to be held, up to two years ahead of schedule.
King Abdullah
The monarch did not immediately provide a reason for the move; however, there have recently been reports accusing the parliament of handling legislation ineptly, and even of being corrupt.
The king’s decree ordered the civil service to host new elections to replace the 110-member parliament, although an exact date for the polls hasn’t yet been named.
Critics of the parliament have said that its members didn’t properly address issues such as unemployment and poverty.
The opposition, however, asserted that the house had been disbanded so that the government could use emergency laws to pass legislation.
King Abdullah has now disbanded the parliament two times since he came to power in 1999.
in Israel, Jordan
On this day October 14, 1953
Israeli military commander Ariel Sharon and his Unit 101 special forces attacked the village of Qibya on the West Bank, destroying 45 buildings, killing 42 villagers, and wounding 15 others.
According to the Mixed Armistice Commission report, approved on the afternoon immediately following the operation, and delivered by Major General Vagn Bennike to the UN Security Council, the raid at Qibya took place on the evening of October 14, 1953 at around 9.30 pm, and was taken by roughly half a battalion strength of soldiers from the Israeli regular army. Read More…
in Jordan, Lebanon
On this day September 6, 1970
Members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijacked four jet aircraft en route from Europe to New York City, landing two of them at Dawson’s Field in Zerqa, Jordan, and one plane in Beirut, Lebanon. The fourth hijacking was successfully foiled.
Dawson's Field
In the hijackings four jet aircraft bound for New York City were hijacked by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
TWA Flight 741 from Frankfurt am Main (a Boeing 707) and Swissair Flight 100 from Zürich-Kloten Airport (a Douglas DC-8) landed at Al Azraq – also known as Dawson’s Field – a remote desert airstrip in Jordan formerly used as a British Royal Air Force base. Read More…
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also at: the awl :: cheap healthy good
There are no pictures because there are none on the internet, but it was super gorgeous: ZviDance's ZOOM
I don't know a ton about dance. I know what I like, but then I'm like that person who always orders pad thai when they go for Thai food... I guess, to keep the analogy alive, unless they're presented with some free coconut curry, but only if the curry looks really good. ZviDance is my pad thai. I saw them perform at Jacob's Pillow a few years ago when I was in MA with a friend's family, and fell in love with their style. I still remember the undulating duets, especially the men together, lifting and leaning body weight against one another. It was gorgeous, and strong. One of those things where it's like, "Whatever you guys do, if I can, I will see it."
And, largely, I have. A show at the 92nd St Y a couple of years ago; last summer's installation at Governors Island. The Gov's Island piece was less choreography than I would've liked, more movement and wrapping gauze around trees, but it was still cool. And last night I got to see the world premiere of their new piece: Zoom.
This is another concepty piece, integrating projections and audience participation - photos and text messages ("keep your cell phones out!") - but it was still full of dance. Athletic, graceful, beautiful dance.
The audience participation aspects - texting in photos of the dancers, texting conversation with a dancer lying on the floor at a laptop, audience members (other audience members) being called on their cells to come down to the stage to take a picture of or with a dancer - tied with some of the dance gestures to give the sense of some sort of commentary on our communications culture - our dependence on our gadgets, the computer interface of our relationships, the saturation and inundation, etc. The participation was fun, if not exactly integrated with the dancing. (A lot of the texts the computer-using dancer got were requests for more dancing. Some of which - "Can we see more of the kicky thing?" were delightfully honored by some other dancers across the back of the stage.) But the commentary... So really, our society is oversaturated with cell phones and text messaging and internet chat? Huh. I am not opposed to political theatre, nor that sort of commentary in a dance piece, but in this case it was like, Okay, fine, but can you get back to the kicky things?
And oh, the kicky things. And the lifty things. And the falling and flying and dancing was so, so good. There's something so kinetic about the ZviDance style. Strong, beautiful dancers (with a gorgeous, diverse range of body types, heights, and sizes) and a choreography that just fills my heart with the joy of movement.
I like them a lot.
ZviDance is at Dance Theatre Workshop until April 10, aka Saturday. For $20 ($16 for students and seniors!) it's totally worth it to see some gorgeous, awesome dance, and maybe get your text message projected on the big screen.
Posted by Jaime at 3:32 PM 28 comments
Tags: dance party
Well, Holy Crap
Um, I apparently have a column at The Awl. It's about vegetables, obvs, and the farmers market and food politics and stuff. So, there's that.
Tags: food, links, the awl, writing
I Am Frustrated By This Play, But Maybe Moreso By The Critical Response
When I was in college, I took a dramaturgy class that hinged on the idea of "dramatic action." It's what happens over the course of a play, what changes. There's a moment of revelation in which the protagonist learns something about himself or the world, and then he, like, stabs his eyes out, in the case of Oedipus. Or something like that.
So. I will give ten bucks to anyone who can tell me the dramatic action of the second act of Bruce Norris' new play, Clybourne Park. Other than "Jeremy Shamos' character gets angry," or "People go from being passive aggressive to a little more blatantly aggressive." Tell me what happens. Tell me how someone changes. Because I saw an hour of bickering, and it is frustrating the hell out of me. (I am serious that I want to hear your answer to this question.)
Part of what's so frustrating is the fawning reviews, lauding the play's sharp, damning insight. I mean, it's damning, yes. It says, "These characters are assholes." But the only thing worse that being stuck in a fruitless, circular argument with a bunch of assholes is being made to watch one such argument for an hour, and that is not something that reveals to me a bloody thing.
I should back up. There were many wonderful things about this production. The first act, though maybe not any more active, was at least moving and engaging and a story I haven't heard before. Frank Wood (giving a full-on genius performance of subtle anguish) and Christina Kirk are 1950s homeowners who, it turns out, have sold their home in a white Chicago neighborhood to a black family. The community is outraged, but they hold their ground. The juxtaposition of 1950s repression and the historical perspective on shifting neighborhood demographics is absorbing (especially to someone like me, a white kid living in a Dominican neighborhood that was an Irish enclave 40 years ago). Relationships and pretty facades shift and slip, and tensions flare. Anchored by Frank Wood's bitter, heartbroken father, and sparked by Jeremy Shamos' brilliantly high-strung community representative, this act may be more about revelation than action, but it makes compelling theatre nonetheless.
Act two, though, brings us into the modern day, after the Clybourne Park neighborhood has slipped into urban blight and begun its resurgence. The house of the first act is decrepit and graffitied, and a white couple, played by Shamos and Annie Parisse (who, as Shamos' deaf wife in the first act, was pretty fantastic), have bought the property to demolish the decaying structure and replace it with a new construction. They're meeting with representatives of the community to address concerns about the new house's size in the historic neighborhood.
And so the black community members, represented by a white lawyer, and the white family represented by another white lawyer, bicker and passive-aggressively dance around issues of history and community and heritage, and when someone finally breaks and says, "This is about race!" everyone looks at him like he's crazy. They go from trying to be polite to abandoning that idea, but still nothing actually gets said, no real feelings or fears or desires are expressed. And then there's some shouting and the play is over.
Part of the problem is that these characters are flat mouthpieces for Norris' speeches and screeds. They make small talk about European travel or word origins or ice cream, and then someone has a few paragraphs about a Theme Of The Play, and some people react or get offended or whatever.
I've had a huge problem with Bruce Norris' earlier plays in that the white, well-meaning liberals are all idiots and assholes, and there are always one or two wise black people - never American - who see through the hypocrisy and call it what it is. At least in this play, everyone's an asshole, and no one gets a free pass. But the problem with these passive-aggressive hypocrites is that an hour-long argument between passive-aggressive hypocrites is really painful to watch. Norris is probably trying to hold a mirror up to his audience's well-meaning liberal hypocrisy - "Oh my god! I dance around racial issues, too!" - but the characters are so two-dimensionally awful that the audience - especially the older, more monied theatre-going audience that doesn't have to worry about being priced out to traditionally minority neighborhoods like, oh, me and all of my friends - that it becomes not, "Oh my god, we do the same thing!" but rather, "Oh my god, look at those awful people!"
I don't imagine that my experience as an agent of gentrification is universal, but anyone as blithe as the white couple of this play's second is just blind to the world, and a jerk. This play didn't tell me anything about race or neighborhoods or tradition or community. It told me that Bruce Norris thinks that people are selfish, self-deluded, and terrible listeners. Reviews are calling this play witty and insightful. What insights, exactly, has anyone gleaned? That gentrification is complicated? That people have trouble talking about race?
And also, on the topic of wit: I am calling for a moratorium on Whole Foods as symbol for yuppie gentrification. That's not a funny punch-line any more, and also, it's just a fucking supermarket.
Posted by Jaime at 9:57 AM 18 comments
Tags: frustrated blogger girl is frustrated, race, theatre
Smudge (only about three weeks late - thanks for nothing, Haiti! sheesh.)
I can't help but wonder what the pregnant woman one seat over me thought of Smudge, Rachel Axler's strange, dark comedy that I saw at Women's Project a few weeks ago. Smudge is very much a pregnant woman's worst manic fears brought to life, and whether the pregnant audience member was enthralled or repulsed, I'm fairly sure this play gave her a stronger feeling than it did me.
The world in Smudge is at once pedestrianly ours and yet also lyrically, absurdly something else. Cassie Beck and Greg Keller give fantastic performances as Colby and Nicholas, the new parents of a baby so grotesquely deformed - save one beautiful, Caribbean-blue eye - that she's more a "smudge" than a tiny person. This is a dark, dark script, and they deftly bring out its grim humor. Greg Keller does brilliant, pathetic things with a stuffed carrot. Cassie Beck, a leading interpreter of Adam Bock's hypernaturalism (seriously, I think she moved here from California for a production of his), knows how to find the balance of wry comedy and pathos beneath and in between the lines. Playing opposite a glowing, blinking mass of tubes pouring out of the bassinet that houses the smudge, she compellingly runs through a manic cycle of disgust, despair, and joy in the face of this disaster that she's supposed to love.
But this play still seems to lack a grounding in, if not the real world, then a world that operates on any rules that make this scenario plausible. The newborn's deformities - a spiked tail, no arms, the singular arresting eye - call to mind a fairy tale monster, but no one seems to notice that this very unreal baby has been born into what seems to be our own real world. I don't know if I'm more distracted by the baby's poetic unrealism or the fact that a real baby so disfigured wouldn't be so easily sent home with her hapless parents.
I suppose Nicholas' complete denial of the baby's problems could be a coping mechanism, for example, but when there's zero acknowledgment between characters of the reality that the audience is seeing, there's no solid ground to start from even before things start to slip. When the monster-baby communicates with its mother via a feeding tube light show, we're left not only wondering whether it's real or in Colby's head, but whether the play knows this, either. I don't want a play to give me all the answers, but to at least give me a sense that they exist.
Tags: theatre, things that are three weeks late
Let's Try to Resume
Hi people. I'm slowly emerging from under the five-hundred-calls-a-day-shaped anvil that fell on me at work a week and a half ago. I know there are several horrible layers of irony to be complaining about a rough work situation that's brought on by something like the earthquake in Haiti, but I'm not so much complaining, just filling you in. So that's what's been going on.
I've been using my tumblr as a sort of note taking thing throughout these weird couple of weeks. All of those jottings are, in reverse chronological order because that's how tumblr rolls, here. Things like this:
Haiti doesn’t need me. The mountains need me. The hills need me. The children need me. I’m not interested in Port au Prince. Port au Prince has enough. I’m saying what’s going on in the mountains. I’m saying when you have 200,000 people in the mountains and 17 doctors. I’m an intelligent man. I can add.
— This was the call of the day that was difficult and sad in a way that kept me on the line for ten minutes. It ended with the older gentleman, a trauma surgeon, telling me, “God bless you,” which I never otherwise would’ve responded to with, “You, too,” but that’s where this call left me.
There is also this photo, which got me and some other people in my office through some rough days.
This is a week or so old, but it's pretty much how all this feels, how weird it is to experience a thing like this, from this perspective.
And in completely unrelated tumblr linking, I went to The Top of the Rock on Saturday night, and here is some of what that was like. Basically: great.
Things seem to be starting to calm down at work. I may not be back to my receptionisty life of leisure for a while, but I can think clearly enough to type, so that's a start.
Posted by Jaime at 10:22 AM 15 comments
Tags: haiti, links, nyc, tumblrblogging
One of the Strangest Ways to Be Affected By Something Like This
Well, I guess what happens when you're a receptionist at an international aide organization and there's a massive fucking earthquake in Haiti is that suddenly your job becomes INSANE. In a few weeks I want to grab a drink with, like, the receptionist for the International Red Cross, because this is such a weird, fractioned way to experience a thing like this. I want to write about it, so badly, but the very fact that it's happening means there's no time. But I jotted down some notebooky things here.
Also, on Haiti, in another way-- the conventional wisdom that you should give money rather than supplies is, unless you have a spare helicopter in Miami, true. The aide organizations on the ground know what they're doing, and have infrastructure and experience and know how to spend your money. That's the best way you can help.
Posted by Jaime at 10:11 PM 16 comments
Tags: do good, save the world, work
Texts From Tonight, Someone Saw Ragtime Edition
(917): excuse me while i cry like a baby
(646): Get on your feet and clap! And love America!
FTH.
Tags: god that show is good, i text in typewriter font, ragtime, theatre
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Hugo Ballot Reviews: Novelette
The 2004 Hugo Award Trophy (given out at Noreascon 4, the fourth Worldcon held in Boston), base designed by Scott Lefton.
When I started on this journey of reading the Hugo nominated stories before casting my ballot, I had a rather noble notion that I would read everything with an open mind, and not necessarily make a blanket No Award vote for anything that had made it onto the ballot due to the bloc-voting scheme of the Sad Puppies and Rabid Puppies. The short story category was disappointing, to say the least, but I remained determined to soldier on, in hopes of posting maybe a category a week.
I don’t want to give anything away, but one reason it’s been a few weeks since I posted any more reviews was because the next categories were at least as difficult to slough through…
So, let’s look at the nominees for Best Novelette. This category is awarded for a science fiction or fantasy story of between seven thousand five hundred 7,500 and 17,500 words in length.
“The Day the World Turned Upside Down,” by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, translated by Lia Belt. This story was a delight! I was sucked into its very surreal premise immediately. Inexplicably, gravity reverses… at least for solid objects—people, cars, grocery bags, you name it—suddenly start falling into the sky. That this happens shortly after the protagonist is dumped by his girlfriend makes you wonder, for a while, whether or not this is all happening in the protagonist’s head, but I was soon so caught up in is quixotic adventure to somehow keep her pet goldfish alive, transport it to her (by clinging to objects fixed to the ground, and so forth), and effect her rescue.
The misadventures that follow, in which (among other things) the narrator rescues a child clinging to a swing set who longs for her mother who fell into the sky, all slowly build to a climax that is sad, poignant, yet completely fitting. It’s that magical sort of ending that you occasionally encounter where it isn’t what you expected, yet once you reach it, it seems inevitable and the only possible way it could end.
I really, really liked this story! And having read it, I was filled with a renewed hope for the rest of the novellas!
Unfortunately, “Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Earth to Alluvium” by Gray Rinehart did not live up to that hope.
It’s a rambling tale of a bunch of humans who are being held prisoner by the lizard-like aliens of a planet they landed on 17 years earlier. The aliens continually restrict the humans to using less and less technology. One of the humans decides to purchase/negotiate the creation of a monument in the style of the aliens from the aliens. Except at every step of the process it is not like what the aliens would do. It all leads to a death that supposedly points the way for the other humans to free themselves from captivity.
The dialog is all right, but it resembles my own roughest drafts too much: there is little to no description for long stretches of the dialog, so you start to become lost as to who is speaking and why. About half of the dialog consists of info dumps. And about half of what little narration we get also consists of info dumps. So it’s a whole lot of exposition about a setting and premise that is so unoriginal that almost none of the exposition is actually needed.
The viewpoint character is Cerna, and the obstacle he’s confronted with at the beginning of the story: why does Phil want the monument, seems like a promising plot. Except that the riddle is not solved by Cerna. The answer is delivered to him. So Cerna isn’t really the protagonist, because he doesn’t resolve that riddle. But Phil isn’t the protagonist, either, because by the end of the tale, we know that the real obstacle Phil was struggling with was to escape the aliens. But that isn’t resolved.
In point of fact, nothing is resolved. The story doesn’t conclude. It feels as if this is the opening few chapters of a longer novel, rather than an actual story.
It definitely is not award worthy.
Similarly for “Championship B’Tok” by Edward M. Lerner. This isn’t a complete story. It’s the opening to a novel. It is at least more competently written than the previous story, but it’s slow going, and the characters are not engaging. It’s divided into chapters, several of which begin with an excerpt from the fictitious Internetopedia to give background information. It’s a trick that is used by many authors I admire, including both Douglas Adams and Frank Herbert, but both of those worthies realized that these excerpts need to be brief in order to enlighten without being boring, and that they need to convey something other than the explicit information of the text—the fake encyclopedia entry has to also include subtext the reveals something about the personality of some of the characters, or how the subsequent generations think about the events the reader is currently reading about.
And it doesn’t conclude. It just stops like a long and particularly bad prelude to a novel that probably doesn’t actually need a prelude (since most novels that do have preludes would almost always be much better without them).
Not award worthy!
Then there’s “The Journeyman: In the Stone House” by Michael F. Flynn which begins with a Louis L’Amour quote, but the tale owes more to Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. This is also a sequel, and it shows. And not in a good way.
Our main characters are on a mission that was given to them by someone who either has died since sending them on the mission, or was already a ghost. The world appears to be a distant inhabitable world where the descendants of a terran colony have lost most of their history and all their technological know-how. So it has a lot of post-apocalyptic tropes as well as your typical fantasy swashbuckly/military fic tropes.
It’s interesting enough, but the action that occurs could have been told in a much shorter story, and then it just stops. Again. It doesn’t reach a satisfying conclusion. Unlike the previous two, this one does not read like the opening couple of chapters of an unfinished novel. This reads exactly like chapter two of a novel. So you’re coming in after the story has gotten underway, have to sort of guess at what happened before you got here, and then it stops. Not even on a cliffhanger, but rather on a rather innocuous transition.
Again, not award worthy!
Finally, we come to “The Triple Sun: A Golden Age Tale” by Rajnar Vajra, which was an improvement over the last three. It definitely lives up to it’s “golden age” subtitle: three space marines sent as a punishment for a minor altercation on a mission to a world where so far everyone has failed to figure out how to communicate with the weird aliens. It hits a lot of those old-fashioned “rocketships and aliens” notes. It was actually enjoyable (though that fact that the spelling of the main character’s name keeps changing tells me that editing has really slipped at Analog since the days I subscribed).
It’s a good, solid story. I enjoyed it. I’m not completely certain it really rises to the level of being great, and thus really better than most other novelettes published last year, but at least it isn’t awful.
I may put this on above No Award. It will most definitely be behind “The Day the World Turned Upside Down,” however. That one definitely deserves an award!
I’ll try to get to Novella later this week. I’ve nearly finished enduring those…
Tags: fandom, fantasy, hugo awards, literature, science fiction
Friday Links (baby small-clawed otters edition) | Font Folly - June 12, 2015
Hugo Ballot Reviews: Novella | Font Folly - June 15, 2015
Hugo Ballot Reviews: Graphic Story | Font Folly - June 17, 2015
Hugo Ballet Reviews: Related Works | Font Folly - July 7, 2015
Hugo Ballot Reviews: Best Fan Writer | Font Folly - July 8, 2015
Hugo Ballot Reviews: John W. Campbell Award & Dramatic Presentation | Font Folly - July 9, 2015
Hugo Ballot: My final take before voting closes | Font Folly - July 22, 2015
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July 24, 2018 patto1992 Arsenal, Aston Villa, BBC, Brighton, Division One, England, Everton, FA Cup, George Graham, Graham Taylor, Leicester City, Martin Keown, Micky Adams, Premier League, Reading, Wembley FC, West Brom Leave a comment
22nd July – Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt will go down in history as one of those players that put his teams needs before his own as he played in many different positions and performed admirably.
Kuyt started his career at Dutch side Quick Boys and after some impressive performances he was signed by Utrecht at the age of 18. He started his time there on the wing but during the 2002-03 season he was used a striker and scored 20 league goals and also scored in the KNVB Cup final.
This convinced Feyenoord to sign Kuyt and he was an instant success, scoring 20 goals in his first season and in the opening game of the 2004-05 season he scored his first hatrick against De Graafschap. He would continue his good form and 29 goals meant he finished as the Eredivisie top scorer. More goals followed but even more remarkably during his seven seasons at the club he only missed five games. But on 18th August 2006 he joined Liverpool.
The fans quickly took to him and would score his first goal for the club against Newcastle United. He played a key role in helping the team reach the Champions League final and scored in it but unfortunately they were defeated by Milan. The second season was a little more difficult but he did score twice against Everton. It was during this time that he was more often than not played on the right wing.
He had also started to become known as a big game player and would pop up with some very important goals. During the 2008-09 season he had his best return of 15 goals as the team finished second. By the end of the next season, Everton fans were getting sick of Kuyt as he scored in both fixtures and in the second game his goal was his 50th for the club.
Once again he showed why the Liverpool fans loved him by scoring a hatrick against Manchester United in a 3-1 win and would later become the first player since John Aldridge to score in five consecutive games. He would finish the season as the club’s top scorer but the following campaign saw him have less of an impact but he did become only the fifth player to score 50 goals for Liverpool in the Premier League.
After 208 league games and 51 goals he joined Fenerbahce in 2012. He managed to score on his league debut and had three successful years at the club, scoring 37 times but it was time for him to return home and he rejoined Feyenoord. He continued to score goals but even more remarkably he led them to their first Eredivise title since 1999 and he scored a hatrick to clinch the title.
The final word can go to Kenny Dalglish. “Dirk is the Liverpool player of choice. He never gives up, fights with everything and he is simply a good footballer. He scores goals and often in major competitions or at crucial moments.”
July 22, 2018 patto1992 Champions League, De Graafschap, Dirk Kuyt, Eredivisie, Everton, Fenerbahce, Feyenoord, John Aldridge, Kenny Dalglish, KNVB Cup, Liverpool, Manchester United, Milan, Newcastle United, Premier League, Quick Boys, Utrecht Leave a comment
19th June – Kleberson
Kleberson might not have been a success at Manchester United but he played a big part in Brazil winning the World Cup in 2002.
The midfielder should also be someone that players in their World Cup squads should look up to as he was not a starter at the beginning of the tournament but by the end became an integral part of the team. After starting the quarter final against England he would go on to set up one of Ronaldo’s goals in the final against Germany.
It was his performances at first club Atletico Paranaense, where he played 100 league games and was a part of their title winning side in 2001. After the World Cup it was becoming harder for the Brazilian side to keep hold of him with many big European clubs interested in signing him. On the 12th August 2003, it was Manchester United who signed him for £6.5 million. Unfortunately he didn’t get off to a great start and picked up an injury in just his second appearance.
His time at Old Trafford only lasted two seasons and 30 appearances in all competitions but he did manage two goals in home wins against Blackburn Rovers and Everton. He then moved on to Besiktas in 2005 and it started off well with the midfielder playing 46 times in his first season but then his contract was terminated as he claimed that he was not getting his wages on time.
Flamengo signed Kleberson on a free transfer but he was unable to play for the club until February 2008 due to issues with his previous club. There were even more problems between the player and Besiktas and it ended with his new club having to pay a fee and Besiktas having to compensate the player. When he finally did get back to playing without any complications, he quickly rediscovered his form and became an influential player for the team and even earned a recall to the national side.
While on international duty he picked up an injury in a friendly against Estonia, which was meant to keep him out for a long time, however he came back early and played in the 2-1 win over Gremio which secured his second Brazilian Serie A title.
After one more season at the club, he returned to first club Atletico but it ended terribly as they were relegated to Serie B and therefore Kleberson signed for Bahia. He scored his first goal for his new club against former side Flamengo but other than that it was largely unspectacular. He then moved on to America, playing for Philadelphia Union, Indy Eleven and Fort Lauderdale Strikers before retiring in 2016.
The final word can go to former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. “He is an athletic midfield player who can play in a number of positions. One of the reasons we sold Seba Veron was because we knew we were getting Kleberson – that shows how highly we regard his talent.”
June 19, 2018 patto1992 Atletico Paranaense, Bahia, Besiktas, Blackburn Rovers, Brazil, England, Estonia, Everton, Flamengo, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Germany, Gremio, Indy Eleven, Juan Seba Veron, Kleberson, Manchester United, Old Trafford, Philadelphia Union, Ronaldo, Serie A, Serie B, Sir Alex Ferguson, World Cup Leave a comment
17th May – Leon Osman
Leon Osman was one of those players that proved that consistent performances will eventually lead to England caps and others should look to his example in the coming season.
With the squad for the 2018 World Cup announced there will be a lot of disappointed players that missed out and throughout his career Osman would have looked at some squads and thought he should be in there. Eventually, at the age of 31, he made his England debut against Sweden and would add one more cap against San Marino.
Osman started his career at Everton where he would stay for his whole career. However, he made his first team debut for Carlisle United after joining them on loan in October 2002. In his short spell he played 12 times in the league and scored once in a draw against Macclesfield Town. On his return to Goodison Park he made his Premier League debut in a defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and would go on to make one more substitute appearance before the end of the season.
Despite being given a contract extension he failed to break into the team and was loaned out, this time to Derby County, and played a key role in helping them avoid relegation. Again on his return he was given an opportunity at his parent club and managed to score his first goal against Wolves.
Finally during the 2004-05 season the midfielder became a first team regular and never looked back after this and was rarely out of the side. He finished his first season as a regular with seven goals in 35 games. Up until his final season he remained first choice for the majority of the time and played a key role in the club during their time in the Europa League and also scored two goals on the final day of the 2008-09 season against Fulham to secure a 5th place finish.
In March 2013, Osman made his 300th start for Everton in a game against Manchester City and scored his 50th goal for the club and would later go on to break David Unsworth’s Everton Premier League appearance record.
Some outsiders thought that Osman was only getting picked as he was one of David Moyes’ favourites rather than on ability but he proved this was not the case as he was only player to feature in every league match in new manager Roberto Martinez’s first season. He was rewarded with a contract extension soon after but afterwards his appearances started to slow down.
At the end of the 2015-16 season with 433 games and 57 goals to his name for Everton he was released and despite interest from other clubs he decided to retire.
The final word can go to his former manager David Moyes. “We sent Leon out on loan as a kid to develop the physical side. He made himself a career by being very combative and tough. If he had to mix it, he wouldn’t shy away from that.”
May 17, 2018 patto1992 Carlisle United, David Moyes, David Unsworth, Derby County, England, Europa League, Everton, Fulham, Goodison Park, Leon Osman, Macclesfield Town, Manchester City, Premier League, Roberto Martinez, San Marino, Sweden, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolves, World Cup Leave a comment
7th March – Hatem Ben Arfa
Hatem Ben Arfa will go down as one of the greatest players to never reach his full potential in England, being the most exciting player on the pitch to the most frustrating in a matter of seconds.
Despite only being 28 there have been some suggestions that he is contemplating retiring from the game after a terrible season that will see him end it as a free agent due to a FIFA ruling. The winger would be a great addition to any side if he could play to the best of his abilities and it is probably why he will be a wanted man in the summer.
Ben Arfa started his career at Lyon, signing his first professional contract in 2004 and made his debut on the opening day of the season against Nice. After more substitute appearance he would score his first goal on the 10th November against Lille. But he wouldn’t really become a regular until the 2007-08 season. He performed very well throughout the season and was named the National Union of Professional Footballers Young Player of the Year. It seemed like he would be an important member of the side for a long time to come after signing a contract extension in March 2008 but a training ground scuffle with Sebastien Squillaci meant his time at the club was up.
After a long transfer saga Ben Arfa eventually joined Marseille on the 1st July but it wasn’t long before he was in another bust up as on the 16th July he was involved in one with Djibril Cisse. On his debut however he showed his qualities by scoring against Rennes and in his first 11 matches he hit the back of the net six times. More controversy followed as he was involved in disputes with Modeste M’Bami and manager Eric Gerets. His performances when he was on the pitch were usually of the highest quality but trouble was never far away as in the next season he was fined for missing training and got in yet another argument with new manager Didier Deschamps. He would play 29 times for the club as they won the Ligue 1 title but this was not enough for him to stay at the club.
On the 27th August 2010 Ben Arfa joined Newcastle United on a season long loan after many weeks of trouble. But it seemed like it was worth it as on his full debut he scored a brilliant goal against Everton but on the 3rd October his season was over after he suffered a broken tibia and fibula. Despite this the two clubs agreed a permanent transfer. He would have to wait until the 24th September 2011 to make his Premier League return in a 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers. In the second half of the season he scored two individual goals, firstly in the FA Cup against Blackburn and against Bolton Wanderers. During this time he was an important part of the team and combined brilliantly with Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse.
The next season also started very well as he scored on the opening day against Tottenham Hotspur and then two weeks later hit a great equaliser against Aston Villa. Injuries disrupted the second half of the season but he scored in the win over QPR to guarantee the club’s safety. Once again the 2013-14 season started well for him as he scored against Fulham and was also in great form against Aston Villa, scoring and making an assist. Unfortunately he didn’t perform for the rest of the season. On the 2nd September 2014 he joined Hull City on loan but this only last nine games and manager Steve Bruce admitted at one point he didn’t even know where he was. On the 4th January he was released by Newcastle and signed for Nice the next day. But FIFA ruled that he could not play for them and his contract was terminated.
The final word can go to former teammate Yohan Cabaye. “For me, he remains an extraordinary player with enormous quality. It is true that it was harder for him late in the season. He is going to bounce back. For me, this is one of the players I’ve played with who has the highest quality.”
March 7, 2015 patto1992 Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Demba Ba, Didier Deschamps, Djibril Cisse, England, Eric Gerets, Everton, FA Cup, Fifa, Fulham, Hatem Ben Arfa, Hull City, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Modeste M'Bami, National Union of Professional Footballers Young Player of the Year, Newcastle United, Nice, Papiss Cisse, QPR, Rennes, Sebastien Squillaci, Steve Bruce, Tottenham Hotspur, Yohan Cabaye Leave a comment
2nd March – Trevor Sinclair
England have had a problem on the left hand side of their midfield for a long time and during the 2002 World Cup the position was given to Trevor Sinclair.
Now 42 it will surely be one of the highlights of his career but perhaps more surprisingly was the fact that he did a good job on the left wing and possibly deserved more chances in the position on the international stage. Since retiring he has been doing some coaching and will be hoping that he can get some experience in the higher divisions but for now he is currently the assistant manager at Lancaster City.
Sinclair began his career at Blackpool where he became the club’s youngest ever player after making his debut on the 19th August 1989 at the age of 16 years and five months and has since been voted into the club’s Hall of Fame by their fans. He only spent four years at the club but he was definitely a fans favourite and well remembered by the supporters. In total he made 112 league appearances for Blackpool and scored 15 times.
In 1993 he would break another record at Blackpool by becoming their record transfer sale when he joined QPR for £600,000. He spent five years at the London club and in 1995 he won the October Player of the Month for his performances and was consistent during his time there. But what he is mostly remembered for is his 1997 Goal of the Season. In an FA Cup match against Barnsley he scored a bicycle kick from outside the box and is regarded as one of the best ever in the competition.
After 168 league appearances and 16 goals, Sinclair moved to West Ham in January 1998. He got off to a fantastic start at his new club scoring seven goals in his first 14 games, including two on his debut against Everton, helping them to finish eighth in the Premier League. Over the next two seasons he was an important member of the team but an injury kept him out of the end of the 2000-01 season and West Ham suffered. When he returned he was putting in some impressive performances which led to him being picked for the 2002 World Cup.
His final season at the club was difficult as they were relegated and due to cost cutting measures he was one of the players they had to get off the wage bill. So in 2003 he signed for Manchester City and would score the first goal at the new City of Manchester Stadium against Welsh side TNS in the UEFA Cup. But it could be argued that he didn’t produce his best football in Manchester and at the end of the 2006-07 season he was released.
On the 10th July 2007 he joined Cardiff City but he started to struggle with injuries and couldn’t help the team as much as he would have hoped and after just one season he left the club and didn’t play again until the 14th August 2014 when he came on as a substitute for Lancaster City against Clitheroe in a 3-1 defeat.
The final word can go to Kevin Keegan who signed him for Manchester City. “In Trevor Sinclair we will have an England international at the peak of his career. He can play left side, right side and up front, so he will strengthen us and give us options. I tried to sign Trevor when I was at Newcastle. It didn’t come off and now, ten years later, I am still thrilled to have him.”
March 2, 2015 patto1992 2002 World Cup, Barnsley, Blackpool, Cardiff City, City of Manchester Stadium, Clitheroe, England, Everton, FA Cup, Goal of the Season, Hall of Fame, Kevin Keegan, Lancaster City, Manchester City, October Player of the Month, QPR, TNS, Trevor Sinclair, West Ham Leave a comment
28th February – Lee Carsley
Lee Carsley may not have been the flashest of footballers or made the most headlines but he was certainly a very consistent and reliable player for every team he played for.
The 41 year old is currently the development manager at Brentford and will be passing on his experience and knowledge to the younger players at the club. With everything going on at the club it will be good if he sticks around so there is some consistency there and not too many changes for the younger players. The midfielder will also have a lot of contacts in the game which will help him out if he ever wants to become a manager himself.
Carsley started his career at Derby County and spent seven years at the club, showing his talents and becoming a very reliable player even from a young age. He went on to play over 150 games for the club in all competitions and his form convinced Blackburn Rovers to spend £4.5 million on him in March 1999. He only spent one full season at the club but he was once again impressive and rather surprisingly he ended it as the club’s top scorer and ended his time there with 11 goals in 47 league games.
In December 2000 he moved on to Coventry City but this once again was only a short stay as he only lasted 14 months at the club before moving on Everton for £1.4 million. His first two seasons at Goodison Park were not spectacular and he hadn’t quite fulfilled his potential there until the 2004-05 season when he became one of the most important members of the team. With Everton now playing with a holding midfielder, Carsley fit the system brilliantly. In December 2004 he then became an Everton legend by scoring the winning goal in the 200th Merseyside Derby against Liverpool and helped the club finish fourth in the Premier League.
Unfortunately injuries struck and Carsley missed a lot of football over the next few years. Despite getting offered a contract extension he decided to leave the club at the end of the 2007-08 season after playing 166 league games for Everton. Carsley then joined hometown club Birmingham City and was given the captain’s armband and it turned out to be a successful season as they won promotion back to the Premier League and he was named their Players’ Player of the Year.
However, he could not show everyone that he was still good enough for the Premier League because of more injuries and he left the club in July 2010 signing for Coventry City. He was once again made club captain but after just 25 league appearances his contract ended and he became a coach at the club soon afterwards. Since he has worked at Sheffield United and Brentford.
The final word can go to Aidy Boothroyd who signed him for Coventry. “Lee has a track record as a winner. He is a leader and knows what is required to win on a regular basis. I want Lee to be the glue that binds the team together because he has talent, experience, physical presence, pace and, obviously footballing ability.”
February 28, 2015 patto1992 Aidy Boothroyd, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, Brentford, Coventry City, Derby County, Everton, Lee Carsley, Liverpool, Players Player of the Year, Premier League, Sheffield United Leave a comment
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Prominent Beto Supporter Denounced for Singing Pro-Lynching Anthem
Beto O'Rourke | Getty
Alex Griswold - May 8, 2019 2:41 PM
A prominent supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke was outed Tuesday as a virulent racist who definitely supports lynching.
Pacific Standard, an insightful social justice magazine run out of Santa Barbara, California, published an article Monday complaining that "Country Hits Increasingly Objectify Women And Glorify Whiteness," based on a study by Mississippi State professor of sociology Braden Leap.
"[Beginning] in the 1990s, more hit songs contained ‘allusions to idyllic pasts.' That sort of nostalgia has obvious racial undertones, made overt in 2003's ‘Beer for My Horses,' in which Toby Keith and Willie Nelson ‘reminisce about when public lynchings were commonplace,' as Leap puts it," the Standard wrote.
That excerpt caught the eye of respected CUNY professor Angus Johnston, who went on a tweet thread arguing that the song was definitely about lynching.
This is actually WORSE than it sounds, and I'm not sure how I never heard of it before—a 2003 Willie Nelson/Toby Keith song about how great lynching was. https://t.co/Vvxe9enZDC
— Angus Johnston (@studentactivism) May 7, 2019
"Grandpappy told my pappy, back in my day, son
A man had to answer for the wicked that he done
Take all the rope in Texas find a tall oak tree,
Round up all them bad boys hang them high in the street
For all the people to see"
"We got too many gangsters doing dirty deeds
Too much corruption, and crime in the streets
It's time the long arm of the law put a few more in the ground
Send 'em all to their maker and he'll settle 'em down
You can bet he'll set 'em down"
Angus is in turn repeating the opinion of respected journalist Max Blumenthal—in turn the son of respected former Washington Post journalist Sydney Blumenthal—who fumed in 2008 when Keith played the song on The Colbert Report that "Colbert’s studio audience clapped to the beat, blithely unaware that they were swaying to a racially tinged, explicitly pro-lynching anthem."
While written by Keith, the song "Beer For My Horses" is also sung by Willie Nelson, who became a major and public supporter of Beto O'Rourke during his 2018 Texas Senate race. Then-Congressman O'Rourke even appeared onstage alongside Nelson. Never once did O'Rourke repudiate Nelson's unequivocal support for lynching.
Nelson supporters can of course muster arguments for why the song "Beer For My Horses" is not an apologetic for racist extrajudicial murder. They'd argue the music video of "Beer For My Horses" shows Nelson and Keith as lawmen, admiring pictures showing that the past hangings being referred to are Wild West lawmen rounding up (white) criminals. There's also the lyric "It's time the long arm of the law put a few more in the ground," which would imply the song is about legal hangings. There's the godawful film adaptation of "Beer For My Horses" that features Keith as a lawman. And of course, there's the long era of U.S. history in which hanging was the preferred method of execution, making it odd and irrational to insist any reference to past hangings must be lynchings, oh, and also the longstanding Western and country music trope of admiration for the lawmen of the Old West and their brand of frontier justice in a generally lawless environment.
But are they college professors? I don't think so. On balance, it's clear the song is celebration of lynching and O'Rourke is an accessory to racism for failing to denounce it.
The O'Rourke campaign did not respond to a request for comment about this incredibly serious story before press time, likely due to this reporter forgetting to ask for comment before press time.
This entry was posted in Politics and tagged 2020 Election, Beto O'Rourke, Music Reviews, Satire. Bookmark the permalink.
Alex is a staff writer at the Washington Free Beacon. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2012. Before joining the Free Beacon, he was a writer for Mediaite and The Daily Caller. He is originally from Buffalo, New York, but regrettably now lives in Washington, D.C.
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Government Executive of the Year
Werfel championed technology's problem-solving power
By Brian Robinson
With newly minted degrees in law and public policy in the late 1990s, Danny Werfel might not have seemed an obvious choice as a passionate advocate of using technology to solve the ills of government. By the time he became controller of the Office of Management and Budget in 2009, however, he was a leading force for the application of technology in federal financial management.
It was shortly after he first joined OMB more than a decade earlier that Werfel got his initial grounding in what technology could mean for government. He worked on ways to improve the federal student aid application process at a time when nearly all applicants for aid filed paper forms. It was a time when the Web as we know it was still being fleshed out.
Those seem like ancient times compared to now, when virtually all student aid applications are done through the Web, Werfel said. However, even then, when there were complex barriers to its use, such as how to sign electronic forms, the Web was having an impact. .
“There were a lot of forward thinkers at OMB and the Education Department at that time, and it was my first lesson in seeing how different the world could be when you move from paper to electronic processes,” he said. “It becomes much easier on the user end, and on the government side there are much reduced opportunities for error and the quality of the information you get is much better.”
Fast forward to 2009, and even though belief in IT had become much more prevalent, there was a tension in financial management ranks that Werfel said resulted from that belief rubbing up against a history of large systems modernization programs that had not been going well.
“When I became controller in October of that year, I knew that one of the first jobs I had to do was reconcile that tension,” Werfel said. He started by freezing all financial system modernizations in the summer of 2010, then bringing together key agency leaders and subject matter experts to examine every financial system in the government.
People skills and the ability to form effective strategies to building solutions is probably as important to Werfel’s success as his understanding of the role of technology, said Dan Chenok, executive director of the IBM Center for The Business of Government.
As the then-branch chief at OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Chenok gave Werfel his first government job.
“Danny is very perceptive at looking at the forces around him and bringing them together to accomplish change,” Chenok said. “Even from the first interview I had with him, he excelled at putting together the analysis of an issue with an understanding of the impact of policy and regulation, and also demonstrated early on he could have a conversation about that with executives much more senior than he was and keep things focused.”
All of that led to Werfel being the person the administration called on, especially in recent years, to take on the really hard challenges, such as sequestration, a potential government shutdown or Recovery Act oversight, Chenok said.
Werfel recently moved on to help with technology modernization and other needs at the IRS, where he was appointed acting commissioner on May 15, after controversy forced out the former commissioner.
The IRS is already well along with its financial systems modernization, Werfel said, noting that he is “pleased that the governmentwide requirements we launched and drove during my 16 years at OMB have had an impact on the team here.” But there’s a critical need for other modernizations at IRS, particularly for fraud detection technology, something he also advocated for while at OMB.
“So, now I’m rolling up my sleeves to help with that,” he said.
Read about more 2013 GCN Awards winners.
Brian Robinson is a freelance technology writer for GCN.
The hot microphone in lawmakers' pockets
RPA takes hold in agency procurement
5G: Cheers and cautions
Images of travelers, license plates stolen from CBP subcontractor
Election commission presses for more funds
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How 3D maps can get more accurate
People have been using maps since the dawn of time as a way to represent and navigate the world. Prehistoric hunters probably sketched plans of attack in the dirt. Much of the colonial period was spent trying to map different routes around the world. And today Google and MapQuest do their best get you to the store and back.
But all maps have flaws, either based on the techniques used to create them or their display constraints. The first world map most children experience in school is probably a Mercator projection. Created in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator, it was renowned for keeping the linear scale correct in all directions and is still the most popular map today. However, it tends to distort large objects closer to the poles so that Greenland looks bigger than Australia, when in fact it's about one third the overall size.
Moving to a 3D map — a globe — solved the problems of scale and size when representing the Earth. But government organizations these days are much less interested in knowing the general position of China or Hawaii relative to the rest of the planet than the detailed physical characteristics of the insides of buildings or the surface of potential battlefields.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency not long ago completed a five-year program called the Urban Photonic Sandtable Display that creates a real-time, color, 360-degree 3D holographic display to assist battle planners. Now military planners can view 3D maps of battlefields without even having to put on special glasses. The 3D map can be rotated and zoomed, giving maximum control to those tasked with planning dangerous operations.
However, to create a detailed 3D map of an area, especially an indoor structure, requires special tools. Without some way to record what a building looks like, even DARPA's special UPSD hologram would remain blank.
One of the best ways to create a 3D map is to simply send a human or a robot through an area taking pictures then use software to stitch the images together to create a model that can then be explored virtually by others. That was the concept behind an Massachusetts Institute of Technology program last year that took a sensor from the Microsoft Xbox Kinect video game console and paired it with positional sensors and mapping software.
The idea is that firefighters entering a burning building trying to find survivors, or soldiers trying to clear a structure of enemies, could benefit from knowing the terrain so long as someone or some thing had gone in there before them and recorded the data into a 3D map.
However, a drawback with the 3D mapping software from MIT is the same one all robotic 3D mapping programs face, even those that use very precise robots to take measurements. Called loop closure, or drift, it occurs when a robot-mounted camera returns to ground it has already covered. Because of slight errors between the path the robot was supposed to take and the path it actually traveled, the software has trouble closing the loop and accurately modeling the complete picture. Doors may be slightly larger or smaller on the map than in reality. Stairway entrances might be represented too far to the left or right than their actual positions. Depending on the circumstances, those errors can be either troublesome or deadly if they are the sole source of information.
For smaller maps, loop errors are relatively minor, nothing like turning Greenland into the eighth continent of the world as with the Mercator projection. However, loop errors are incremental, since the farther a robot travels, the more tiny positional errors are introduced into its path. So after traversing a lot of ground, the loop process can become extremely inaccurate, perhaps even doubling some terrain features.
So the scientists at MIT and the National University of Ireland at Maynooth went back and found a way to close loop errors altogether. The secret is tracking the position of the camera in space as the robot moves. Then when the camera gets back to a place that it has already seen, an algorithm compares the robot's path and the projected path, and adjusts the model accordingly.
“Before the map has been corrected, it’s sort of all tangled up in itself,” Thomas Whelan, a Ph.D. student at NUI told MIT News. “We use knowledge of where the camera’s been to untangle it. The technique we developed allows you to shift the map, so it warps and bends into place.”
A video of a map being recorded and then perfectly stitched together shows how accurate the new maps are, with no looping or positional errors. I'm pretty sure Mercator would be impressed, but more importantly, these 3D maps can be completely accurate.
Posted by John Breeden II on Aug 29, 2013 at 10:04 AM
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Remembering The Kanye West Cameo In Justice’s 2008 Tour Documentary
by CalHx
@CalHx
Referenced Artists
Referenced Songs
Touch the Sky
The French duo is releasing a new album ’Woman’ in November.
French electronic music duo Justice is gearing up to drop its third album Woman on November 18. The last we heard from Justice was in 2011 on Audio, Video, Disco, but it was the duo’s 2007 debut album † that really made waves.
A year after its release, Justice released a documentary of their time touring North America, appropriately titled A Cross the Universe. Kanye West makes an interesting appearance exactly 21 minutes into the 2008 documentary. For about two seconds, ‘Ye can be seen rocking out to Justice’s signature hard rock-electronica—which has given way in recent years to a more disco-indebted sound.
Kanye wasn’t always a fan, though.
Back in 2006, Kanye caused a stir at the MTV Europe Music Video Awards when he rushed the stage to express his outrage that his music video for “Touch The Sky” lost out to Justice’s “We Are Your Friends.” Kanye said it was ridiculous he lost because his video “cost a million dollars [and] Pamela Anderson was in it.“ "I was jumping across canyons…If I don’t win, the awards show loses credibility,” he said.
He had to tread back on his ego shortly after when he wanted to clear a sample of Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” for his 2007 classic “Stronger.” Daft Punk and Justice shared the same manager, at the time—Pedro Winter— who recalled his interaction with ‘Ye in an interview with Pitchfork:
When his manager called to clear the sample, I told him to tell Kanye West that we loved it but that I’m not only Daft Punk’s manager but also Justice's—the band that he dissed on MTV. He was really embarrassed, excused himself, and said that he was drunk that night. Now he is a friend and supports Justice on his blog.
Kanye also befriended So Me, the Parisian designer/animator who directed Justice’s video, to create the video for “Good Life” in 2007, a year after the MTV incident. By 2008, Kanye was seen head banging to Justice’s arena antics.
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« Managing Infrastructure in Serbia | Main | GITA 2006 »
National Conference on Geospatial and Mapping Solutions Malaysia
I just returned from Malaysia, where I participated in the National Conference on Geospatial and Mapping Solutions conference, held for the second year on Pangkor Island. The focus was infrastructure including highways and roads, municipal infrastructure, power grids, and cadastres.
First a little about Malaysia. Next year 2007 is the 50th anniversary of the independence of Malaya. In 1963, Malaya was joined by Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore to form Malaysia and in 1965 Singapore became an independent country. The population is close to Canada's, nearly 30 million, but its land mass is about half of Saskatchewan's or a bit larger than New Mexico. It's ethnically diverse, primarily Malay 50.8% and Chinese 23.8%. It's diverse with respect to languages; Malay, Cantonese, Hokkien, Mandarin Chinese, English, Tamil, indigenous) and religions; Islam (60.4%), Buddhism (19.2%), Christianity (9.1%), Hinduism (6.3%), and others.
in 2006 Malaysia is embarking on the 9th Malaysian plan, which covers the next five years. A total of RM3.5million (about US$1.2 billion) has been allocated to develop Malaysian infrastructure. I arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The shuttle to Lumut, which is where you get the ferry to Pangkor Island, takes about three and half hours on a major Malaysian highway, the North-South Highway, and secondary roads. I had an opportunity to see some Malaysian infrastructure first hand and I must say that the roads and highways compared favourably to North America. The roads I saw were in better condition than comparable roads in North America. (Of course in Canada the extremes of temperature, for example in Ottawa +35C in summer and -35C in winter, means that roads and highways are more costly to maintain.)
Based on what I heard, the things that were upper most in people's minds at the conference were education and training in geospatial technology, especially in the newer model-based design tools, web mapping, open source geospatial, mobile, and 3D building models and geospatial integration.
The discussion relating to 3D structures was especially interesting because we were lucky to have Professor Alias Abdul Rahman from the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, who talked about 3D cadastres, which are more important in Asia, where dense population means many more multi-story structures. For six years Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur was the world's tallest building at 452 m. Taiwan 101 at 509 m is currently the world's tallest building. (Canada's CN Tower at 553m is higher, but the CN Tower is technically a tower.) Professsor Rahman outlined three approaches to 3D cadastres
1) Administrative tag model - Basically integrates 2D spatial with tagged information for strata.
2) Hybrid model - Integrates a 2D cadastre with topological information about 3D structures.
3) Full 3D model- Requires a complete overhaul to incorporate three dimensions.
Professor Rahman's approach is based on the hybrid model and represents a pragmatic solution. For example, it supports topological queries such as what is above, below, or next to a three dimensional object. What is especially interesting about Professor Rahman's approach is that it utilizes commercial off-the-shelf products, Oracle Spatial and Autodesk Map.
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What Is Missing in Science Education?
Seth Mette
Category: Issue 103 (January - February 2015)
Nowadays, despite the increasing amount of knowledge and the means to access it, younger generations are less and less passionate about the sciences and math. For many of them, mathematics is mainly a job for a computer or calculator, rather than a human effort to decipher the language in which the order of the universe is written. Science and technology are considered synonyms, at the expense of the former; and so, development is all about new electronic products and their economic and military uses. Compare this attitude to the original book written by Isaac Newton, Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, or to the "music of the spheres" idea shared by many thinkers before him; why did older generations hold science and meaning to be so precious (at least relatively), whereas new generations are obsessed with technology and power? Is there something wrong in our science education causing these younger generations to move away from the sciences instead of treasuring them?
In order to shed light on this matter, I would like to reference a part of the movie The Truman Show. In this movie, a man's life is continuously recorded and broadcast worldwide as a TV show. From babyhood on, his life is completely planned, and many of his major life events are designed by the makers of the show. However, all of this is unbeknownst to the main character, Truman. As he grows into his elementary school years, he develops a passion for exploring the world. But this would mean that he would have to leave the movie set, which by now covers a huge area and is deliberately surrounded by water, giving the impression that Truman is living on an island. So, in order to avoid his departure from the movie set and in order not to violate his freedom of choice at the same time, the moviemakers do two things. First, a set-up is made in which Truman's father drowns in the sea when he and Truman were caught in a storm while sailing. Thus, a negative psychological association is used in order to keep Truman away from the sea. In Truman's later years, the show's architects assign a geography teacher who consistently curtails Truman's passion for exploration. Anytime he expresses interest in exploring a place, his teacher tells him that it has already been done. The plan of the show's makers works; Truman buries his passion for exploration deep into his heart.
Before returning to our topic, I would also like to mention the main idea of a TEDx talk by Nate Staniforth. Nate is a performing magician from Iowa City, and he visits kids, some of them as young as kindergarteners, for a purpose he believes in: helping people experience awe. At the end of his talk, his advice to the audience is that when you see a trick, instead of quickly going on-line and learning how it is done, take your time and experience the awe for a while. If you don't, learning the reality behind the trick is going to instantly destroy the feelings of awe and amazement. This is similar to someone telling you a joke, and in the middle of it, another person who already knows the joke revealing the punch line, which ruins all the entertainment.
People are created with different levels of interest in math and science. For a small minority, these subjects are inherently attractive, but for quite a lot of people, they are no more than a school obligation. But these views can change. Sometimes, students develop at different paces, and after a few years of showing no interest, they start to have a passion for math or science. And sooner or later, when they have that passion, suddenly, the life stories of different scientists electrify their imagination. The path leading to an innovation or a theory energizes the blood in their veins. When they get to the moment at which the long-sought explanation is revealed, they feel as if they themselves have found it. And when they are presented with an experiment that includes new and surprising concepts, they imagine themselves at the outset of a great journey. Symphonies start playing their most exhilarating notes in their minds.
Then what happens? Well, we don't allow them time to experience this feeling of awe and amazement for long. Before they have the opportunity to use their imagination and intellect, we present them with an explanation and a mathematical formula that has been experimentally verified. And in doing this, the language of instruction involves authoritative phrases like, "this phenomenon is known as...," "the governing equation is...," "the explanation for the rate of change is controlled by..." For some of the students, these explanations seem more complicated than the phenomena themselves. For others, they mean that there is an explanation as to how something seemingly magical is happening. The more we stress explanations, the stronger the impression that "everything is known, and you can't touch this."
For many of them, the story ends here, which means by enriching science education and growing the list of explanations, we are actually channeling students away from science towards the things they can experiment and explore with: smart phones, computer games, etc.
However, this is not the whole story, because there are students, despite being few in number, who still enjoy learning these explanations. Although the original awe loses its strength upon learning the explanation, the existence of an answer, and humanity's ability to discover it, bring a new kind of awe. This is good, but what is the difference between these people who enjoy learning the explanations and those who don't?
I am going to use a metaphor to solve this puzzle. When we look upon the night sky, we see only points of light. However, today we know that some of these lights are actually galaxies, containing billions of stars. And we also know that there are other points of light that are invisible to the unaided human eye. How do we know this? We have telescopes that enhance our vision. They work as follows: the larger the mirror of the telescope, the higher the resolution (i.e., the zoom-in capability). With larger telescopes, we can see into galaxies that, from afar, seem like dots in the sky. Also, in order to see some distant bodies, telescopes need a very long exposure time to collect sufficient light from them. These two factors - a larger eye and a longer wait time - determine how deeply we can see into the universe.
Looking back to the issue of science education through these two factors, most students either don't have a wide enough intellectual perspective to grasp the beauties that are hidden in the big picture or they don't have enough patience to work on finding the phenomena that are invisible at first glance. But these deficiencies are not just on the student's side. It is also possible that the teachers themselves cannot see the big picture and the accompanying awe, which leaves the students helpless. Lastly, the curriculums may not be giving enough time for the students to digest the new material and feel the joy of discovery.
In his article, A Rationale for Fiction, which appeared in the 49th issue of The Fountain, Firat Kocol talks about classifying knowledge into two categories: transferable and nontransferable. For example, basic addition would be transferable, but feelings of surprise would be nontransferable. In real life, there is a varying mix of these two types of knowledge. In any event, Kocol claims that nontransferable knowledge can only be evoked in the audience through fiction, be it in the form of art, story, or music.
When we think in terms of science education, it is not difficult to see that all of our efforts are aimed at the transferable aspects of science. The nontransferable side of it, such as the feeling of awe, is ignored. Instead, the feelings of awe and amazement are considered as the job of the entertainment industry, powered by audio-visual technologies. After all, feelings are not scientific, anyway (or so the logic goes!). Hence, as science education has ignored the human soul, the human soul has started ignoring science.
Perhaps it is like Truman's psychological aversion to sea travel: when we see the feeling of awe drown in a sea of information, we turn away from it, and that information cannot become a part of us. But again: why awe? Why is this feeling of awe and amazement so important for us? Why, when it is absent, do we disconnect ourselves from a subject?
Awe is a reverential feeling we have when faced with something unpredictable. The unknown relationship between the start and the end bewilders our minds. In other words, awe is the attraction of the unknown, not that of the known. Therefore, a body of knowledge that appears to have an answer for all the questions in the mind of the student has no relation to awe! This is even truer if that body of knowledge claims to be unique, and shuts the door of unpredictability.
This is contrary to the image of science in our minds, isn't it? Why should a complete and consistent theory of everything be repulsive to the human mind, when that mind that has been working on that puzzle for thousands of years?
Luckily, a mathematician from the early 20th century stumbled upon something similar, and his answer, known as Gödel's incompleteness theorem, perplexed the community of mathematicians. Taking this theory as basis, we can say that it is impossible for a body of knowledge to have a complete and consistent explanation for everything. In other words, science cannot achieve what it wants to ultimately achieve. It's logical that this failure would trickle down to science education, too.
But how can students feel this fallacy when they are not even capable of understanding it? The answer lies in the nontransferable aspect of the taught material. Just like you don't need to know the molecular content of a food in order to feel that it is rotten, the inhibition of awe is enough for a student's mind to disregard a body of knowledge because it feels off.
Just like the existence of light in the outer world and the existence of eyes in our bodies necessitate each other, the existence of incompleteness and inconsistencies in the outer world necessitate the feeling of awe. The feeling of awe wants the door of unpredictability open.
This can lead to only one conclusion: that we must reincorporate awe into our science education, teaching students to feel amazement when faced with extraordinary, or even ordinary, events. If we don't do this, the status of math and the sciences will continue to deteriorate among newer generations.
Issue 103 (January - February 2015)
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Kader Khan buried in Canadian cemeteryhttps://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/kader-khan-buried-in-canada-5522023/
Kader Khan buried in Canadian cemetery
Kader Khan passed away at the age of 81 in a hospital in Toronto. His funeral ceremony was held in Mississauga. Khan died after a prolonged illness.
By Entertainment Desk |Bengaluru | Published: January 3, 2019 5:57:46 pm
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Kader Khan was reportedly suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative disease that causes loss of balance, difficulty in walking and dementia.
Veteran actor and screenwriter Kader Khan, who died on January 1, was buried at a cemetery in Canada. Photos from Kader Khan’s funeral ceremony held in Mississauga were shared on social media. The actor passed away at the age of 81 in a hospital in Toronto.
Kader Khan’s son Sarfaraz Khan had earlier shared that the the actor will be buried in a Canadian cemetery. Khan died after a prolonged illness.
Canada: #Visuals from veteran actor & screenwriter Kader Khan’s funeral ceremony held in Mississauga yesterday. He passed away at the age of 81 in a hospital in Toronto on January 1 pic.twitter.com/08TPt8AWMg
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019
Sarfaraz had shared with PTI, “The last rites will be performed here in Canada as we have our entire family here. He (Khan) is going to be buried at approximately 2:30 pm as per Canadian time at Meadowvale cemetery.”
Khan was reportedly suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative disease that causes loss of balance, difficulty in walking and dementia.
Born in Kabul, Khan’s family migrated to Mumbai when he was a year old.
He made his screen debut in 1973 with Rajesh Khanna’s Daag. He featured in a variety of character roles in over 300 films.
Kader Khan had wrote dialogues for over 250 films, including some of the biggest blockbusters of the ’70s and ’80s such as Dharam Veer, Ganga Jamuna Saraswati, Coolie, Desh Premee, Suhaag, Parvarish, Amar Akbar Anthony, Sharaabi, Lawaaris and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar.
Kader Khan
1 Drive: Sushant Singh Rajput and Jacqueline Fernandez film to release on June 28
2 Kader Khan’s son disappointed with Govinda
3 Anil Kapoor and Sonam as father-daughter was the perfect combination: Director Shelly Chopra
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Brain scans can detect Parkinson’s years before symptom appear, says studyhttps://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/brain-scans-can-detect-parkinsons-years-before-symptom-appear-study-5792137/
Brain scans can detect Parkinson’s years before symptom appear, says study
Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, after Alzheimer's disease. The disease is characterised by movement and cognitive problems but is known to become established in the brain a long time before patients are diagnosed.
By PTI |London | Updated: June 21, 2019 11:50:10 am
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People with Parkinson’s disease have build-ups of the protein a-synuclein in the brain. While there is no clear cause for most people, a minority of cases are caused by genetic mutations. (Photo: istock/Getty Images)
Brain scans can detect the earliest signs of Parkinson’s disease — many years before patients show any symptoms — according to a Lancet study published Thursday.
The research challenges the traditional view of the disease and could potentially lead to screening tools for identifying people at greatest risk.
Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, after Alzheimer’s disease. The disease is characterised by movement and cognitive problems but is known to become established in the brain a long time before patients are diagnosed.
Studying the crucial early stages of the disease, when treatment could potentially slow its progress, is a huge challenge.
Researchers from King’s College London in the UK provide the first evidence of a central role for the brain chemical serotonin in the very earliest stages of Parkinson’s.
The results suggest changes to the serotonin system could act as a key early warning signal for the disease.
“Parkinson’s disease has traditionally been thought of as occurring due to damage in the dopamine system, but we show that changes to the serotonin system come first, occurring many years before patients begin to show symptoms,” said Marios Politis, a professor at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN).
“Our results suggest that early detection of changes in the serotonin system could open doors to the development of new therapies to slow, and ultimately prevent, progression of Parkinson’s disease,” said Politis.
Celebrity social media photos: Kareena Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Nia Sharma and others
Celeb spotting: Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Sunny Leone and others
People with Parkinson’s disease have build-ups of the protein a-synuclein in the brain. While there is no clear cause for most people, a minority of cases are caused by genetic mutations.
People with mutations in the a-synuclein (SNCA) gene are extremely rare but are almost certain to develop Parkinson’s disease during their lifetime, making them ideal for studying the train of biological events that leads to Parkinson’s disease.
The SNCA genetic mutation originates in villages in the northern Peloponnese in Greece and can also be found in people who migrated to nearby regions in Italy.
Over two years, the researchers identified 14 people with the SNCA gene mutation from Greece and Italy and flew them to London for brain imaging and clinical assessments. Half of the participants had not begun to show any symptoms of Parkinson’s.
Data from the 14 people with SNCA gene mutations were compared with 65 patients with non-genetic Parkinson’s disease and 25 healthy volunteers.
The researchers found that the serotonin system starts to malfunction in people with Parkinson’s well before symptoms affecting movement occur, and before the first changes in the dopamine system.
“We found that serotonin function was an excellent marker for how advanced Parkinson’s disease has become. Crucially, we found detectable changes to the serotonin system among patients who were not yet diagnosed,” said Heather Wilson, from the IoPPN.
“Therefore, brain imaging of the serotonin system could become a valuable tool to detect individuals at risk for Parkinson’s disease, monitor their progression and help with the development of new treatments,” Wilson said.
Brain imaging was carried out using PET scans which are expensive and difficult to carry out. The researchers say further work is required to develop the scanning techniques in order to make them more affordable and straightforward for use as screening tools.
Brain scans can detect Parkinson's years before symptom appear, says study
1 International Yoga Day 2019: Manage stress with these easy yoga asanas
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3 International Yoga Day 2019: Things to do before and after a yoga session
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Missouri Sports Betting: Bill Clears House Committee
By Derek Helling
KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 11: Members of the United States Armed Forces run on to the field carrying flags representing the country and the branches of military for the Veterans Day weekend ceremonies prior to the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Arizona Cardinals at Arrowhead Stadium on November 11, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. The NFL is honoring Veterans Day across the league today. (Photo by Jason Hanna/Getty Images)
One major hurdle that had to be cleared prior to sports betting being legalized in the state of Missouri was traversed on Monday, April 15.
HB119, which was first filed on Dec. 3, 2018, by Representative Cody Smith (R-163) cleared a House committee and now awaits scheduling for the full House to debate the merits of the bill.
If the bill becomes law in its current state, it will be an unprecedented framework for legalized sports betting. The bill regulates legal wagering on sporting events to vessels on water only. There are no provisions for online bets in the bill. Furthermore, it would require legal sports books in the state to pay 0.25 percent of their handle to the professional sports leagues whose games are bet upon, and 0.25 percent to the NCAA.
Books would also have to pay 0.60 percent of their handle to a fund that is designated to bankroll construction, renovations, and repairs to privately-owned sports stadiums in the state like Busch Stadium, the home of the St. Louis Cardinals.
None of the legal books in any of the other states which have regulated sports betting are held to these standards. Asking legal sports books to give up 1.1 percent of their handle would not only be unprecedented but could actually work to keep a lot of the action in the state going through illegal channels instead.
The exorbitant taxes and restrictions on where bets can be placed mean the cost of operating a legal book will likely be passed on to customers. That will put legal books at a disadvantage compared to illegal ones that aren’t paying any taxes out of their handle and can offer a more competitive product not only in terms of cost but convenience. Many illegal bets are currently placed online. Additionally, paying a full percent of handle to leagues like MLB and the NCAA will subtract from potential revenue the state will receive from legal sports betting.
The bill as is would be a boon for leagues like the NFL and NHL, which have a presence in the state with the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Blues. Not only would they benefit from the 0.25 percent of handle being paid out by books but also when it came time for new stadiums, they would most certainly be the benefactors of that 0.60 percent tax fund. If bettors gravitate toward legal books, that is.
It’s currently unclear what chances the bill has in its current form to be ratified by the full House, much less the Missouri Senate or signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson. Considering the fact that these facets of the bill don’t currently exist in any other states’ legal frameworks, this bill may be headed for a major rewrite or failure to pass.
With four teams from the four major professional leagues and one major college athletics program in the state, the probability that there is robust illegal betting ongoing in Missouri is high. If the framework presented by HB119 becomes law it’s likely that much of that activity will stay with the illegal books.
Missouri, Sports Betting
HB119, a bill that would legalize and regulate sports betting in the state of Missouri, now awaits scheduling for debate on the state House floor.
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H3C Wishlist
H3C Artist Wishlist
In 2007, when Mike Farris debuted his critically acclaimed Salvation in Lights, people who'd never heard of the former Screamin' Cheetah Wheelie's frontman, music business people and retailers who thought they'd "heard it all and seen it all," stood with mouths agape, eyes like saucers, aghast at how that sound, that soul, could come from such an unlikely source.
In the two years since Salvation In Lights, Farris' live performances across the country, including Bonnaroo, SXSW, Austin City Limits Festival, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, have left music novices, fans and seasoned artists with the same awe-struck response. His live shows, in no small part, led to this music veteran taking home the Americana Music Award in 2008 "New/Emerging Artist of the Year." Peter Frampton, Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Hornsby, Jackson Browne, Marty Stuart and many other artists have taken note of Farris' incomparable vocal performance.
Truth be told, that gift, that kind of soul bearing authenticity where the singer becomes one with the song, is the result of a hard-fought fight. Like many of Farris' own musical heroes, from Son House, Pop Staples, and Mahalia Jackson to Coltrane, Cash and Cooke, to Jimmie Rodgers, Louis Armstrong and the brothers Vaughn (for whom Farris did a stint in Double Trouble) this southern-bred rock-n-soul'er has fought his share of personal demons, emerging from the shadows with a new song.
Only this time around, the song itself is ancient. A marriage of traditional black gospel, 70s Stax soul and southern blues, Farris is even stronger than revealed on his 2003 solo debut, Goodnight Sun. His undeniable voice, his skillful arrangements and perhaps most of all, the joy and passion with which he delivers both, breathe new life into long-forgotten spirituals and vintage-y originals, excavating priceless treasures.
Dan Penn helped shape the development of southern soul music with his legendary songwriting, musicianship and production.
A native of Vernon, Alabama, Penn moved to the Florence/Muscle Shoals area while still a teenager and assumed the role of lead vocalist in a local group calling itself the Mark V Combo. When asked what kind of music they played, Penn replies, “R&B, man. There was no such thing as rock. That was somethin’ you picked up and throwed.” He laughs. “Or threw.” It was around this time that he penned his first chart record, Conway Twitty's “Is a Bluebird Blue”. During the early ’60s, Penn began working with Rick Hall at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, first as a songwriter, and then as an artist under the names Lonnie Ray, Danny Lee, and finally Dan Penn.
Penn’s early co-writing collaborations with Spooner Oldham while at Fame included “I’m Your Puppet,” which became a hit in 1965 for James & Bobby Purify, and “Out of Left Field,” and “It Tears Me Up” performed so memorably by Percy Sledge. He also co-wrote hits for Joe Simon, Jimmy Hughes and Wilson Pickett.
Dan became an exclusive writer for Fame Publishing Co. for about three years. “It was sort of an in-house thing, where artists were comin’ and goin’, askin’ for songs, and there was sort of a built-in opportunity to try to be a commercial songwriter.
According to Penn, the reason people hear touches of country in his brand of R&B is “because I’m an old hillbilly myself. Took me about 30 years to find out I was still a hillbilly. But compared to R&B, country is much easier. You ain’t got to struggle. Anybody can sing, ‘Because you’re mine, I walk the line.’ Go try to write ‘Out of Left Field’; go find all those chords and what all that means. So a hillbilly I am, but in the ’60s I really loved R&B music, and there was a lot of it to love. I loved Jimmy Reed, Bobby Bland, Ray Charles, Little Milton, James Brown… I always respected the black singers because they were always there — we were trying to get there. Knowing that the black singers wanted my songs inspired me.”
A number of their classics were written for particular singers. “’Sweet Inspiration’ was written for the group the Sweet Inspirations, ‘Cry Like a Baby was written for Alex Chilton, ‘Out of Left Field’ was written for Percy Sledge,” says Penn. “I either was involved in the production or I was real close to the production teams, so when you’re in the middle of a clique, you got the power to either do it right, do it wrong or get out of the way and let somebody else do it.” One gets the impression that Penn was not the kind to get out of the way. “But you have an opportunity to score, and sometimes we scored. By that I mean comin’ up with a song that was good enough to get on the session. And then, if it came out and was a hit, the score was really complete at that point. So first you had to get on the session, and then the big question was, did it come out? And then the next question was, is it the single? At least back then.
“Some of these songs weren’t written that way. ‘Do Right Woman’ wasn’t written for Aretha, nor ‘Dark End of the Street’ for James Carr. Me and Chips Moman just wrote those songs and we didn’t have anybody in mind. We worked great together while we were together—we’re so lucky to have those two songs.
In 1966, Penn relocated to Memphis and began producing at Chips Moman’s American Recording Studio. While at American, Penn and Moman co-wrote “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” which Franklin turned into a soul classic, along with “Dark End of the Street,” stunningly recorded by James Carr, while Dan and Spooner came up with “Cry Like a Baby” for the Box Tops and later “A Woman Left Lonely,” written at Dan’s Beautiful Sounds Studio in Memphis, and chosen by Janis Joplin for her classic album Pearl.
Penn and wife Linda relocated to Nashville in the ’70s—where he recently co-wrote and produced Bobby Purify’s comeback album, Better to Have It, in his basement studio. The session included one of Penn’s co-writers, Malaco keyboardist Carson Whitsett. The well-received album was released on Proper American in the summer of 2005.
In the 1970's, Danny O'Keefe put out a string of albums that cemented his reputation as being among the best songwriters of his generation. These days, casual fans know him best for his Top Ten hit "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues" or Jackson Browne's version of "The Road" from the classic Running On Empty album. But the story didn't end in the 70's. He continued to release the occasional album and recently returned with In Time, his first solo release in nine years.
Danny's songs have been recorded by a Who's Who of artists over the last thirty plus years: Elvis Presley, Cab Calloway, Charlie Rich, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Earl Klugh, Chris Hillman, Conway Twitty, Leon Russell, Dwight Yoakam, Jerry Lee Lewis and Milt Hinton. But that's just who recorded "Good Time Charlie." Other credits include Alison Krauss (“Never Got Off The Ground”), Jimmy Buffett (“Souvenirs”), Nickel Creek (“When You Come Back Down”), Judy Collins (“Angel Spread Your Wings”), Donny Hathaway (“Magdalena”), John Denver (“Along for the Ride”), Gary Stewart (“Quits”), Sheena Easton (“Next to You”), Jesse Colin Young (“Night School“), Chris Smither (“Steel Guitar “), Ute Lemper (“You Look Just Like A Girl Again”) and Alan Jackson (“Anywhere on Earth You Are”). “Well, Well, Well,” which Danny wrote with Bob Dylan, has been recorded by Ben Harper, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Bonnie Raitt and David Lindley.
As someone who knows about writing, author Tom Robbins says, "As darkly seasoned with raw experience as it is brilliantly inlaid with poetic insight, O'Keefe's work this past decade constitutes the most moving musical meditations since Bob Dylan's Time Out Of Mind. Unblinking, hammer-hard, love-wise and haunting, these songs stay alive in the mind and the heart long after the laser has moved on."
The admiration doesn't stop in literary corners, though. Danny's reputation among his peers says volumes. Michael McDonald, who co-wrote a song on the new record, describes Danny's affinity for folk, country , jazz and more here: "Danny O’Keefe takes his rightful place in that ingenious and enigmatic tradition of unfettered poetic American song writing. Often traditional feeling music that is never completely identified with, or tied to, any one genre. (He writes) the kind of songs that ring with that sense of being classic and enduring, always having much to tell us lyrically. Working with Danny for me is a source of great pride because I truly think of him as one of the greats."
Here's a final word from country, Celtic and folk singer and multi-instrumentalist, Tim O'Brien, "Look in the dictionary under "singer songwriter" and you'll see a picture of Danny O'Keefe. His is the complete package: a strong performer with a batch of amazing songs. His guitar and voice lead you beyond ditty world, deep into the land of poetry."
Bill Morrissey - EXTRA!!! BILL WILL PLAY OUR STAGE 7/16/11!!!!
Bill Morrissey has created as impressive a body of work as any songwriter today, a collection of finely-honed songs that match his economy of lyric and melody with a writer’s gift for storytelling. His empathetic knack for capturing the harshness and small sadness of the characters in his songs is tempered by his wry sense of humor, such that many of his songs leave the listener with a smile.
Over the course of his long career, two of Bill Morrissey's ten albums have received Grammy nominations and several have earned 4-star reviews in Rolling Stone as well as equal accolades in nearly every other major national publication. Stephen Holden, for the New York Times, wrote, "Mr. Morrissey's songs have the force of poetry...a terseness, precision of detail and a tone of laconic understatement that relate his lyrics to the fiction of writers like Raymond Carver and Richard Ford." It is not surprising that he is also the author of the novel "Edson" (Random House/Alfred A. Knopf 1996) and the recently completed "Imaginary Runner."
On stage, Bill mixes the seriousness and urgency of his songs with a wry, acerbic wit. His often improvised and deadpan monologues and introductions provide a perfect balance to his live shows.
Cutting his teeth on the American country blues of Mississippi John Hurt and Robert Johnson, the pure country of Hank Williams, the Kansas City of Count Basie and Lester Young, and, of course, the New York folk songwriters of the 1960s, Bill digested all this great diversity and found his own unique voice.
Bill’s new album, “Come Running” is produced by Bill Morrissey and Billy Conway of Morphine, has just been released by Bill Morrissey on his new label, Turn and Spin Media. “Come Running” features guitar work by Dave Alvin and the remaining members of Morphine, Billy Conway and Dana Colley. Bill plans on releasing a full collection of albums, books and guitar tabs on this new label.nbsp;
Cracked and Broken 3:17
My Remembrance of You 3:40
Drunkard's Daughter 2:49
Love o Love 2:19
Sister 3:17
Up In Smoke 4:25
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An Attitude of Gratitude for Books About Cults
The holidays—excuse me, HondaDays—are upon us and with them comes a chorus of motivational quote-flavored reminders about the importance of gratitude, which, believe it or not, is something whose value I believe in deeply. And as I reflect upon this year—not that I’ve read all the books I’m about to talk about THIS year, and if you’ve listened to the podcast you know I’ve read exactly ONE book this year, and yes, I’m very sorry about that—I am immensely grateful for books about cults! Apart from books about Tori Amos—and truly, any book about her will do, quality is almost irrelevant—my very, very favorite books are about cults.
Almost everyone is fascinated by cults. I mean, how can you not be? These folks give up their entire lives to follow some wide-eyed maniac with a regrettable face but charisma to spare, and before they know it, they’re shaving their heads and living in a weird commune and washing other people’s underwear. Of course, the argument could be made that all of the major religions are cults in their own special way, but I’m not here to argue for or against that. I’m here to talk about cult books I’ve read that have alternately fascinated me, disturbed me, made me feel smug for never having joined a cult, but also brought me around to understanding why certain people do. And lemme tell ya, it’s not for the fashion.
When a “regular” religion goes rogue
Do you consider Mormonism a cult? You don’t? Well, my friend, permit me to direct you to your local library’s copy of Jon Krakauer’s excellent Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith. It begins with the bizarrely horrific story of the brutal murder of an innocent woman and her baby by her brothers-in-law, who, of course, blamed the act squarely on a commandment they claimed was sent to them straight from the Big Kahuna upstairs. The book revolves around the murder trial, but also delves deeply into the spiritual history of Mormonism and in particular, the fundamentalist offshoots—the FLDS mainly—that litter Utah, Nevada, and Colorado. Those sects openly violate LDS church doctrine by practicing polygamy, often arranging marriages between disgusting old men and tween girls. Perhaps the creepiest piece of shit in the FLDS—although there could certainly be creepier, but I’m not about to infiltrate them to find out, sorry—was Warren Jeffs. Jeffs was arrested a few years ago on allegations of rape and sexual assault and all manners of similar crimes—including marrying a 12-year-old girl—and is currently serving a sentence of life plus 20 years in what I hope is an especially violent prison. Krakauer does a spectacular job of remaining as objective as possible in the face of revelations that would make a lesser journalist roll his eyes and makes a chilling case for why zealotry so often leads to murder.
Have you hugged your auditor today?
Scientology is probably a more obvious cult than fundamentalist Mormonism, owing mainly to the popularity of the excellent 2015 documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, a film which I’ve personally watched no fewer than 10 times, if only to see the still of the bloated carcass that is L. Ron Hubbard attaching an e-meter to a tomato plant in an effort to ascertain whether the tomato could afford to buy the next 10 books in the Dianetics series. The documentary was based on the even-better 2013 book by investigative journalist Lawrence Wright, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief which painted a picture of LRH as a mentally troubled master showman who got his start writing science fiction and continued writing science fiction that he somehow managed to pass off as a religion well into his golden years.
Scientology prides itself on offering scientific solutions to spiritual questions and seems to attract folks who are looking for something bigger than what more traditional religions are able to offer them. Unfortunately, after taking out 5 mortgages on their houses and gambling away their kids’ college funds to pay for the courses necessary to progress up the “bridge to total freedom,” they find out that that something bigger is a galactic overlord named Xenu who brought his followers to to Earth 75 billion years ago and proceeded to throw them all into volcanoes, which were then exploded with hydrogen bombs. The resulting alien shrapnel were called thetans, or immortal spirits, and they’re kind of like spiritual mosquitos that attach themselves to people and cause them emotional distress. Sounds plausible, right? Scientologists also believe that everyone in the mental health profession is straight up evil and only in that very lucrative field for those sweet sweet dollar bills. They advise that people suffering from mental illnesses take vitamins, go for a jog, and get a massage once in awhile, and, you know, that’ll take care of that. Anyway, Wright’s book is an amazing feat of reporting that will answer every question you’ve ever had about why Tom Cruise jumped up and down on that couch.
Do you have a favorite cult? There are literally hundreds to choose from, the next more batshit than the last. But what I truly love about (most) cult books is that the authors take great pains to empathize with the victims, and individualize them. Most of them also do very deep dives into the cult leaders’ backgrounds and childhoods, sometimes tracing a direct line from some kind of trauma as to why they just went off the rails at some point. Of course, many of them have no good reason for turning into the monsters they did, which leads to a far less satisfying—and downright terrifying—conclusion: that some people are just born evil. Anyway. Merry Christmas!!!
PrevPreviousEpisode 11: Independent Author and Publisher Brian W. Parker of Believe in Wonder Publishing
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Endurance - After The Ride
ENDURANCE DAILY
The United States endurance team was focused. They had worked hard and spent enormous energy training and traveling to selection trials while spending many weeks away from home and family. As the competition drew near, they were confident and ready. However, this is an athletes life; the hoping, training, and perhaps, realization of the dream. The disappointment for the team on not reaching their goal of a medal was large, as the commitment to the cause was total. However, the riders are already looking down the trail towards the next event.
Deborah Reich finished the endurance course in 18th position with a ride time of 8:42:55 competing at an average speed of 18.36 kph. She was the only United States rider to finish the course. Her eight hour plus finish is considered a good time in US rides, but was still an hour behind the winning time of Maria Alvarez Ponton. Reich comments on her last loop. “Since we were out of the team medal and I was too far behind the front runners to catch up and medal on an 11-mile loop, we decided to run my last loop conservatively to get at least one American horse completed,” she said.
“Juniper was strong but attentive and cooperative. She had a great showing at our team trials this summer at an 80 mile distance with more levation, heat and humidity, so I had high hopes for her at WEG. But 80 miles isn't 100 miles and a lot can wrong or right in the last part of a race. I have to say that June even exceeded my optimism in her performance on Sunday. She left on the last loop very strong and full of energy. We did the last loop alone which can be stressful for a horse particularly near the end, and in the last two miles quite a few horses were heading out on the loop as we came in. Juniper stayed focused and confident.”
“Riding as a team is very different than an individual race. I think it was a good idea to practice together, and it helped the horses stay confident and calm at the start, and for us to run as a group the first three loops and hold our position on the course. I think we were all pleased about the quality of the US horses.”
What did she think of the course? “It was a beautiful course, with good footing to allow speed,and enough creek crossings and turns to be a bit technical and give the horses a breather. Our road crew came from all over the country to volunteer and made a big difference. They were eager and well-trained, and it's always a relief to see friendly faces on the trail. I really enjoyed being with the riders from other countries, everyone was professional, friendly and a good sport. I was a little concerned about mayhem at the start of a championship race, and June did a little HIHO Silver rear just before the start, but even thought it was fast out of the gate it was very orderly and courteous and we passed through narrow gates and around turns without a problem.”
Heather Reynolds left the last loop in second place and raced in with France’s, Jean - Philippe Frances. “We ran with the big dogs today and it almost worked,” said Reynolds. “I was fourth over all but then failed my last trot-out for a mild but consistent hind end lameness. I am proud of what Sam did today. He finished in 7:40 and was five minutes behind the reigning world champion.”
“At the finish I was with a French rider and I decided to take the risk and race in just in case one of the first 3 riders got pulled,” she continued. “Sam ran like the wind and was so cheerful about it. I really feel that the hind end lameness is due to his lack of 100 mile experience and that he has one hell of a bright future as a world class endurance horse.”
Deborah Reich is coached and trained by Heather and Jeremy Reynolds. “We’ve made huge advances to the team and we’re starting to bring good results to the table,” said Jeremy Reynolds. “We gave them a run for their money.”
There is a good incentive to win but no animosity with other teams. “Sheikh Mohammed has driven this sport and opened the door for people like us to train and make a career. We wouldn’t have a market for our horses without his support,” continued Reynolds.
Meg Sleeper was eliminated at the fourth Gate. “I am sure it is no surprise that it was very disappointing to be eliminated at 76 miles,” said Sleeper. “However, I was thrilled with my horse and really the entire US effort. All of the US horses were competitive. As you know, a 10 hour 160 km riding time is simply not competitive at the world level and we all planned on trying to achieve eight hour finishing times. It was exciting to see that we were all on track for that and I think the quality of our horses is excellent. My horse maintained the speeds I asked of him on course, but at the exit examination before leaving on the fifth loop, his CRI spiked, which was the cause for his elimination. It was an appropriate decision. He was tired; he has done those speeds before, but he is only eight years old and perhaps he didn't have the bottom that an older horse would have, or perhaps it just wasn't his day. In any case, he has bounced back really well and is fine now.”
Jan Worthington at age 70, the oldest equestrian at the games, was feeling the let-down the day after the ride. Worthington has been competing for the US at International competitions for twenty-five years. Her mount, Golden Lightning, was eliminated at Gate three for lameness. “I’ve spent four years of my life on this,” she said. “I left my farm for two winters and trained in Florida. Before this Lightning has never had a lame day.”
Emmett Ross, Endurance Discipline Manager commented on the trail. “The course was more difficult than many riders had imagined, but the finish rate was still excellent,” he said. “It was a technical course with a 55% completion rate, the largest number for a Championship ride. There was a 40% completion rate in Malaysia.”
Photos: US Team-Loop One, Deborah Reich, Heather Reynolds and Jan Worthington Photos by Pamela Burton
USEF Names Endurance Short List/Nominated Entry for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
FEI Tribunal Lifts Provisional Suspensions
Endurance Canada Presents Award of Excellence to Carl Fudge
Endurance Riders are Off to Normandy France for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
Amor W - Super FEI Competitor!
Exquisite Equestrian Estate in the Heart of Temecula Wine Country
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Sally M. Silk, Partner
Civil Litigation, Trust and Estate Litigation, Trust and Estate Administration, Guardianship and Conservatorship, Personal Injury, Products Liability, Appeals, Pro Bono Immigration
Sally Silk is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer, with expertise in civil litigation and probate law. She has a proven track record of solving complex legal issues and has litigated a highly diverse range of cases, including breach of contract, probate, products liability, real estate, and immigration. Sally has been recognized both locally and nationally for her pro bono work. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, where she teaches Federal Litigation in the Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic, and at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, where she has taught Estate and Trust Law.
J.D., Mitchell Hamline College of Law (Law Review)
Ph.D., French Literature, University of Michigan
M.A., French, Middelbury College
B.A., French, University of Pennsylvania
Selected Awards
Named a “Minnesota Super Lawyer,” Super Lawyers (2019)
Outstanding Legal Achievement Award, Twin Cities Cardozo Society, for developing pro bono Legal Aid clinics in Minneapolis and St. Paul, 2017
Outstanding Service Award in Private Practice, Minnesota Justice Foundation, 2014
North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, for 50+ hours of pro bono legal services, 2012-Present
Volunteer Attorney of the Year Award, Cancer Legal Line, 2013
Pro Bono Award, Robins Kaplan LLP, 2010
U.S. Court of Appeals Model Training Program, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, developed national model training program for pro bono attorneys representing asylum applicants, 2006
Fulbright Scholar, Moscow State University, Russia, 1992-1993
Minnesota State Bar Association:
Access to Justice Committee, former Co-chair and current member
Policy Committee, Chair
Eighth Circuit Bar Association
Hennepin County Bar Association
Selected Pro Bono, Civic & Charitable Activities
Represents asylum seekers in Immigration Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth, Eighth and Eleventh Circuits
Center for New Americans, University of Minnesota Law School, Advisory Committee
Advocates for Human Rights, Steering Committee
Minnesota State Bar Foundation, Board of Directors
Twin Cities Cardozo Society, Steering Committee; former Co-Chair, Public Service Committee
Minneapolis Urban League Legal Aid Clinic, Volunteer Attorney
St. Paul Legal Aid Clinic, Volunteer Attorney
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NEXT ↝
Canadian mining companies― Story 81
Guatemalan delegation travelling to Canada to challenge corporate impunity
Dawn Paley
EL ESTOR, GUATEMALA–The rain won’t let up. It muddies the ground and pounds the corrugated metal roof of Angelica Choc’s house on the edge of the Guatemalan town of El Estor, enveloping the small gathering on the porch in a curtain of water. If it wasn’t for the violence surrounding a proposed nickel mine near the community, the evening’s gathering would likely have included her husband, Adolfo Ich. Maybe, at the end of the gathering, Ich would have taken out his guitar and begun an impromptu sing-a-long.
But there’s no celebration here. Instead, Choc sits on a plastic chair, sipping sweet coffee, talking through the logistics of an upcoming trip to Toronto with her sister-in-law, Maria Cuc Choc and their friend German Chub. All three are worried about how German, who is paralyzed from the waist down, will manage on the flight. What if he has to go to the bathroom on the plane, they wonder. They discuss what kind of clothes they might need for the cold. There are another two women accompanying them on the trip, and none of them own suitcases. The conversation slips back and forth between Spanish and Q’eqchi’, punctuated by laughter.
On the wall near the front door of Choc’s small wooden house is a simple altar in memory of her late husband. Two framed photos of Ich hang on the wall, his gaze straight and serious. His guitar hangs on the wall, gathering dust. A longtime Q’eqchi’ activist involved in various land struggles, Ich was murdered in September 2009 by private security guards in the employ of Hudbay Minerals.
“We’re going to travel [to Canada] because we want to demand justice,” Choc told The Dominion. “I have faith and hope that we’ll be successful. That’s what we want.” Choc, Chub, Cuc, and two others will travel to Canada for cross-examination by Hudbay’s legal team during the last week in November.
“This will be the first time, as far as I know, that individuals harmed by Canadian mining projects in other countries will have travelled to Canada to provide evidence for use in Canadian courts,” according to Grahame Russell of Rights Action, a solidarity organization involved in supporting community members resisting nickel mining in the El Estor region. “The questioning, under oath, will take place out of court and may be used in court.”
Toronto’s Klippensteins, Barristers & Solicitors, is representing the plaintiffs, whose claims against the Guatemala operations of Toronto-based Hudbay Minerals are serious.
“The evidence that both sides are collecting right now (including the November cross-examinations) will be used at a March hearing which will determine whether the lawsuit should be heard in Canada or in Guatemala,” Cory Wanless, a lawyer at Klippensteins, told The Dominion via email from Toronto. “This is obviously a very important question with potentially very significant ramifications for the rest of the Canadian mining industry.”
“The brutal and arbitrary shooting of Adolfo Ich was caused by the negligent management of Hudbay Minerals both in Canada and in Guatemala,” reads the Statement of Claim filed by Angelica Choc in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Ich and Choc had five children. Their son José, who witnessed the killing, says the security guards hacked at Adolfo with a machete before shooting him in the head.
Angelica Choc is confident that her case is solid. “We know very well who those responsible are, they can’t tell us otherwise,” she said. “We lived it, we’re the ones who have suffered, here, in the flesh.”
The same day Ich was brutally murdered, German Chub was shot by mine security, permanently losing the use of his lower body. The man responsible for the killings, Mynor Padilla, has been jailed in Guatemala since September of this year. Despite high levels of conflict in the area, Chub’s Statement of Claim alleges, “Hudbay Minerals continued to engage under-trained, inadequately supervised and unlawful security personnel while failing to implement or enforce standards of conduct that would adequately govern and control their conduct.”
Chub and Choc are both seeking upwards of $10 million in damages.
“I’m going to Canada with high spirits, in hopes that [Hudbay Minerals] recognizes the harm that they have done to me,” Chub told The Dominion. “I want justice.” Not only has Chub been confined to a wheelchair since 2009, but he still feels threatened by company workers who park in front of his house and monitor his movements. When he wheels himself onto the plane to Canada, it will be his first time leaving Guatemala.
Travelling together with Chub and Choc are Rosa Elbira and Margarita Caal Caal, two women from Lote Ocho, a more distant Q’eqchi’ community where residents were forcibly evicted in early 2007. Their community is built on lands claimed by the company. “During these armed evictions, eleven Mayan Q’eqchi’ women were gang-raped by police, military and mine security personnel,” reads their Statement of Claim. Each of the women is seeking $5 million in damages.
For Maria Cuc, who is Angelica’s sister, the cases against Hudbay are one element of her people’s struggle for land. “Here, there are many transnational companies, foreign companies, which are buying land that belongs to our grandparents,” she told The Dominion. Regardless of the risks to their safety, and of the cold winter that awaits them in Toronto, Cuc, Choc, Chub and others are determined to continue their quest for justice.
Dawn Paley is a freelance journalist and editor with the Media Co-op.
The article originally appeared at the Media Coop. Re-published here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 Canada license
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Q&A with MyDeal founder Sean Senvirtne
#entrepreneur#marketplace#MyDeal#Sean Senvirtne
Sean Senvirtne started Melbourne-based online marketplace MyDeal in 2012. One million users now stop by the e-commerce site every month to browse the 25,000 products. The entrepreneur talks about picking up business tips from the biographies of Henry Ford and Steve Jobs and how he sees e-commerce developing in future.
Internet Retailing: What is MyDeal.com.au?
Senvirtne: MyDeal is a marketplace with 1000 suppliers and 25,000 products. We currently have one million people a month visiting the website. I started the business in 2012. Prior to this I had a couple other online businesses. One was nightguide.com.au, a directory for bars, clubs and restaurants, where I was meeting with 400-500 business owners over the course of three to four years. I realised the trouble they were having getting online. We started out building a turnkey solution for retailers to offer their products and services online and it turned into a marketplace for customers.
How has MyDeal grown and changed over the past four years?
People say it has taken four years to get here, but I worked to midnight for the last two days, so with the amount of work put in, it’s probably nine years. It’s a lot like getting punched in the face every day at work, but you learn how to absorb the punches better. You have to learn fast.
We started out with 1000 people visiting a month, then 10,000, then 100,000, and now we’re approaching one million users a month. Our site crashed a few times last year during the holiday period because our infrastructure couldn’t handle the traffic. We have grown 150 per cent year on year and our team went from three to five to 10 and now 30. Scaling is a very fragile process. You need to make sure that when you grow fast, you still meet customers’ expectations. The theory is that you should take your time with hiring.
Is that something you learned to do in your previous businesses?
MyDeal is a completely different kettle of fish [from my previous businesses]. Its growth happened so fast that it forced us to scale, to hire more engineers and customer service representatives.
I’m an entrepreneur from very early on. I always knew how to work, how to put things together. I don’t have any type of degree. But I’ve read many books about business and biographies of business leaders. From Henry Ford, Dale Carnegie and Ted Turner, who started CNN, to Steve Jobs. And it goes to Frank Packer. You read about those people’s journeys and you can learn a lot. And also my knowledge from my previous startups. It’s like playing a piano or riding a bicycle. The more you do it, the better you understand.
MyDeal recently announced a Series A funding round for $5 million. Where are you in that process?
We came to a point [with MyDeal] where we identified key areas where we can scale up fast with some funding. So we are talking to a lot of people at the moment and we have received a very warm response. We could potentially be closing the round in the very near future. From there onward, we would be using those funds to increase our market penetration and let more customers know about our products and operations.
Looking ahead, how do you see e-commerce evolving in Australia?
We have seen quite a bit of change ourselves in the last four to five years. One of the things is how quickly mobile is taking over. Since we started the business it was probably 80-20, desktop to mobile, but today it’s more than 50-50. Over 50 per cent of the traffic that comes to our website is through mobile, and 50 per cent of the transactions are made on mobile. We’re in the process of updating our website in the next two to three months to be even more mobile-oriented and to make the mobile customer experience even better.
What are the must-haves for selling online today?
One of our secrets is how much we use our data. We analyse it every day, weekly, monthly, and we use it to tell stories. Anyone with an e-commerce website has to know what works and what doesn’t. Google Analytics is absolutely essential. You need to know how many people are coming to your website and be able to identify where they are coming from – SEO, newsletter, or social media. And you have to understand what that answer tells you about your customers. Then you can identify the areas where you can make a significant impact with very little effort.
This interview has been lightly edited.
MyDeal recognised after year of diversification
MyDeal looks to grow, after more than doubling in FY17
MyDeal enters new territory
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David Charles. The National Innovation and Science Agenda – Will it be different this time?
The Prime Minister and his government are welcoming us to the ideas boom. Showing a great sense of timing the innovation statement was made almost at the same time that Atlassian was listing on the NASDAQ. The Statement points to Atlassian as being valued at over US$3 billion. Today the company is valued at close to US$6 billion making billionaires out of its founders Mike Cannon-Brooks and Scott Farquhar and millionaires out of many of their co-workers.
Perhaps it is true that there has never been a more exciting time to be an innovator in Australia. But as the Atlassian example demonstrates, becoming an overnight sensation has taken them 14 years of effort.
With the long running resources boom having passed its peak and commodity prices tumbling, Australia needs to make a transition to a different kind of economy that will be driven by services and high value added manufacturing. Success in these areas is based on innovation.
Prior to the recent change in Prime Minister there was no great sense of confidence that the transition could be made without Australia going through a rough period with low or even perhaps negative economic growth. Part of the reset brought about by Malcolm Turnbull’s government has been to build confidence in Australia’s ability to compete and succeed in the emerging global economy whose features are being redrawn by waves of disruptive technological change, new businesses, new business models and new supply chains.
The innovation statement has been well received with the main quibbles being about its size compared to the opportunities and challenges ahead and the feeling that some are being left out – the statement is primarily perceived as being about start-ups and new business formation and heavily based on STEM skills which doesn’t leave much of a role for the humanities.
For the old hands there is a bit of sense of déjà vu. Haven’t we lived through a number of high profile innovation statements over the last 20 years but in some way the challenges remain the same. For example, the one put out by the Keating Government in December 1995 spoke about Australia adding value to the IP we create. Even more notable was the innovation statement of the Howard Government in January 2001 Backing Australia’s Ability which provided $2.9 billion over 5 years.
The question arises: what is different this time? Is there really something new going on or is this just another worthy effort that will be forgotten in 5 years?
The Innovation Statement
There is about $1.1 billion in initiatives over 4 years provided in the innovation statement. The initiatives are spread across 25 individual measures.
The National Innovation and Science Agenda focuses on four points:
Culture and capital
Talent and skills
Government as an exemplar
As pointed out, the Agenda comes on top of the investment of around $9.7 billion in research and development in 2015-16.
The measures that have received the most media attention are those relating to start-ups. These range from new tax breaks for early stage investors who will receive a 20% non-refundable tax offset based on the amount of their investment as well as a capital gains exemption, to reform of the insolvency laws, to the establishment of two funds designed to assist start ups: the new $200 million CSIRO Innovation Fund and the new Biomedical Translation Fund to co-invest $250 million with the private sector.
Less attention has been given to the additional commitments for building world-class research infrastructure. These measures are important and give greater long term funding certainty. Over the next decade $520 million will be provided to the Australian Synchrotron, $294 million to the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope project while the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy will receive $1.5 billion.
Other measures involving financial commitments are included but arguably of greater importance are the changes that have been introduced in the governance of innovation. One of the key concerns has been the tendency for instability in support arrangements for innovation and science and the lack of real priority accorded to these areas. An important goal should be to ensure that all arms of government are singing from the same hymn sheet and that the music is not changed mid stream.
A Cabinet Committee for innovation and science will be established chaired by the Prime Minister. A new independent statutory authority, Innovation and Science Australia, is also being established supported by a chief executive officer accountable through the Industry Minister to the Cabinet Committee. One of its first jobs will be to review the R&D Tax Incentive to improve its effectiveness and integrity.
Importantly, the innovation statement makes clear that the Government will be open to adapting and changing course if things don’t work.
The Ghosts of Innovation Statements Past
Australia has had quite a number of innovation statements over the last 20 years or so. Rather more, if we take into account the introduction of the 150% R&D Tax Concession in 1985,the Cooperative Research Centres program in 1991 and various attempts to kick start a venture capital sector.
There has been a longstanding recognition that while Australia performs reasonably well in terms of its support for public sector research in the universities and bodies like CSIRO, the return on such investment when measured in terms of the creation of technology intensive businesses based on Australian developed ideas has been less impressive.
The 1995 Keating Government statement on innovation provided about $400 million over four years for a range of measures designed to strengthen Australia’s innovation and science capability. Like the recent innovation statement, the measures supported both the commercialisation of ideas and the science base itself. About $64 million was earmarked for major investments in science facilities. At the time the Australian government was spending about $3.5 billion on support for R&D.
Perhaps as a case of history repeating itself, the then leader of the Opposition claimed the Keating innovation statement was full of ideas stolen from Coalition policy. Perhaps in innovation policy there is something to be said for being a rapid adopter. It has considerable historical precedent.
The next major innovation statement came in January 2001 in the form of Backing Australia’s Ability delivered by the then Prime Minister John Howard. In the statement the government committed $2.9 billion over 5 years to a range of innovation and science initiatives.
The initiative for the statement came from the Innovation Summit held in 2000 in response to urging by the Business Council of Australia who at the time were seeking the restoration of the 150% R&D Tax Concession. While they did not get the answer they were looking for, the government did introduce a wide ranging set of spending commitments in innovation and science. One of the more important, accounting for $736 million, was the doubling in ARC grants to match the earlier decision to double NH&MRC grants.
Reflecting the increasing awareness of the importance of new developments in communications and IT for future economic growth, the National ICT Authority was established.
Two further innovation statements much closer to us in time should be mentioned. Both in their own ways reflected the thought that eco-systems are increasingly important to success.
First, the Gillard Government ‘s “A Plan for Australian Industry and Jobs – Industry and Innovation Statement” of February 2013 which set aside $1 billion for the establishment, amongst other things, of a number of industry precincts.
Second, the Abbott Government’s Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda of October 2014 which allocated about $200 million to a number of measures including the establishment of 5 growth centres which was its centre piece. The language around the statement was in terms of improving collaboration between industry and researchers and lifting commercialisation.
The Business Council of Australia played an important role in preparing the ground for the growth centres initiative.
What is different this time?
While a case can be made that over an extended period the basic objectives of lifting Australia’s innovation performance and building the science base have remained, and hence a lot of the surrounding political rhetoric sounds similar, the reality is that the circumstances facing Australia and the global economy in which it is placed have changed a lot requiring policy settings themselves to change.
What are some of these realities to which policy makers have had to respond?
By and large, Australia has not been a leader in the formulation of policies for innovation and science. Individual initiatives have achieved international recognition (eg the CRC program) but on the whole these have been notable exceptions. As the globalization process has progressed so has Australians awareness of what other countries are doing in these fields. Notable examples in recent times have been the set of innovation policies introduced by the UK Government which have strong echoes in Australia’s recent decisions. The Growth Centres owe a lot to the Catapult Program and the tax breaks for early stage investors to the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme.
Governments in Israel and Singapore have placed a huge emphasis on creating an environment supportive of start-ups. Again, Australian policy has drawn on their experiences as knowledge of them increased.
The potential impact that a more successful approach to encouraging start-ups can bring has been brought home by some spectacular examples such as that with Atlassian which have received very wide media exposure. Start-ups are no longer seen as an interesting but relatively small phenomenon. Much of the growth in the market value of listed enterprises in China is associated with companies like Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent – all IT based companies of recent origin.
Successful policy generally requires that it is running with the grain of economic developments rather than against it. Australia is now starting to see enough examples of successful tech-based start-ups to break through the recognition gap both of entrepreneurial inclined young people and parts of the capital market. A serious effort will be made to support the needed cultural change in terms of the toleration of the risk of failure. While the direction of earlier innovation statements was broadly right, important parts of the underpinnings for success were lacking. The innovation statement has the powerful advantage of building on underlying momentum and giving things a strong additional push.
It is not perhaps something the media has picked up on, but the fact that the Turnbull innovation statement includes important supporting governance arrangements is different from previous experience and gives greater confidence in steadier and more predictable policy making. Turning support on and off is highly disruptive.
People are always important and on this occasion it is notable that key people such as the Chief Scientist, Alan Finkel, the CEO of CSIRO, Larry Marshall, and the Chair of Innovation and Science Australia, Bill Ferris, all have a strong background in new business creation and financing.
All things considered, a case can be made that this time it may well indeed be different.
What lies Ahead?
Innovation and science are now seen on both sides of the political divide as crucial to the successful transition of the Australian economy and to lifting productivity. Hopefully that will result in a workable, if not a high, degree of bipartisanship.
The innovation statement makes it clear that close attention will need to paid to the initiatives that have been taken to ensure that any shortcomings are addressed and that initiatives that are failing to meet their objectives are closed down. As in most areas of policy, a more evidence-based approach is needed.
While the focus of this statement is on start-ups (although it is recognized that some important things have been done to give greater certainly to longer term investments in the research infrastructure), at the end of the day start-ups are by no means the whole innovation story. Attention will need to be continued to be directed to improving the innovation performance of existing businesses. Non science elements such as design should perhaps be given greater attention as they are in successful innovation based economies.
The innovation statement is a valuable start and a strong expression of direction. This is not to be underestimated as we know that industry policy is about 90% psychology. But it should not be seen as the last word on innovation and science, especially at a time of very raid change. More will almost certainly have to be done if Australia is to be globally competitive.
In a difficult fiscal environment there will no doubt be times when parts of government are tempted to ensure innovation and science programs bear there share of the savings burden. This will be a real test of the new governance arrangements and will be a real indicator of whether things this time really are different.
David Charles is a Director of Insight Economics. He was formerly Secretary of the Department of Industry and Commerce from 1985 to 1990. He co-founded the Allen Consulting Group in Melbourne.
This entry was posted in Economy, Politics and tagged Atlassian, culture and capital, David Charles, government and business collaboration, innovation, Turnbull government Innovation Statement. Bookmark the permalink.
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