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Alberto Vitale
Book publishing is far from finished!
Alberto Vitale, you were the Chairman and CEO of Random House, Inc. for ten years, from 1989 to 1998. Do you think that since then many things have changed in book publishing?
Sure, many things, and the biggest change has been a change that was pioneered during my ten years at Random House, and that was the decision not to sign any contract unless we were getting digital rights. I guess that happened in 1993. That really started the digital era for traditional publishing. Digital technology is the really new development in our ability to disseminate intellectual property and eBooks have become another way to read.
Before being at Random House you were the CEO of the Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group and hardcover and paperback books were the only thing available?
Yes. However books started to be digitised in the early nineties and at which time I was already with Random House and it took the major recession that we had in 2007-2008 to wake publishers up to the opportunity presented by eBooks. Publishers who were facing rapidly declining sales of paper books decided to give it a try with eBooks almost in desperation. The rest is history.
Has the total number of readers increased?
I believe it has increased if we put together the number of paper books and eBooks. The publishers realised that the economics of eBooks was infinitely superior to the economics of paper books. With eBooks there are no paper costs, no printing, no warehousing, no pilfering, no transportation, and last, but not least, no returns. The most important thing about eBooks is that they made publishing a real business, producing profits before taxes of anywhere between 12 to 20%, whereas during my days if we had 5, 6 or 7% it made us happy.
What will the future of books be?
It will be a great future, where hardcover books will become more precious, better printed and better bound, but with a much higher price, and I think that this trend is already beginning.
And what about paperbacks?
We have to distinguish between mass-market paperbacks and trade paperbacks. Trade paperbacks will continue to thrive, while rack-size paperbacks will still sell, but in much smaller quantities. But I cannot predict their future because it is very possible that by and large they will be replaced by eBooks.
Are there fewer independent publishers nowadays?
No, there are so many in America that I cannot even give a figure. In addition each large publishing house is made up of many separate imprints that one can equate to an independent publisher. Each imprint is headed by an individual who sets the editorial and the publishing tone for that imprint. In this way you can have great diversity in the types of books you publish and therefore can reach many different types of readers. Each imprint within a large publishing house is a small publishing house itself. In this way you can get the best talent around.
What do you think about the new possible merger of the two Italian major book publishers, Mondadori and RCS Books?
I think it is a good thing to do it, but they have to preserve and strengthen and possibly expand the individual imprints, while at the same time benefitting from economies of scale.
And what about bookstores?
Of course bookstores will be with us for as far as we can see, as well as paper books of course. However, there are ongoing changes in the field of bookstores and only time will tell the future shape of bookstores.
What do you say about Amazon?
It has been the saviour, both for eBooks and regular books. The reach of Amazon is unparalleled. It is true that it competes with bookstores, but publishers would have a terrible time if they did not have Amazon.
Are you still involved with publishing since you left Random House?
I am not active, but I follow everything that happens in publishing and what happens to the many people who worked with me. Since 2007 Random House has a new young CEO, Markus Dohle, who has done a fantastic job for the company.
In 25 years of publishing do you have some books or some authors that you were particularly proud to publish?
I was always very proud and full of admiration for all the books that our imprints published. It would not be fair to single out any particular ones, but among the few where I was involved in the publication process I will always remember Louis L’Amour, Agatha Christie, Ed Doctorow, “90 Minutes At Entebbe” (written, edited and published in less than three weeks), Chuck Yeager, Shirley MacLaine, Mark McCormack, the mega-bestselling autobiography of Lee Iacocca – at the time Chairman and CEO of Chrysler and its saviour, Robert Ludlum, Norman Mailer, Katherine Hepburn, Skip Gates, Elie Wiesel, Ken Follett, Toni Morrison, Colin Powell, just to name a few of the truly great authors we published!
What is the key to success for a publisher today?
As always, pick the right books, pick the right people. It is a very exciting time for book publishing and it is wonderful to see publishing becoming a real business.
PreviousJ. Scott Armstrong
NextElio Toaff
Ian Wardropper
Berel Lazar
George Wachter
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Pilgramage Stock Photos and Images
Perran Sands, Perranporth, Cornwall, UK. 6th March 2016. Hundreds of people attend the annual St Piran play, making a pilgramage to Perranporth and the site of St Piran's Oratory. According to legend St Piran was washed up on the shores of Perranporth having being cast into the sea in Ireland, and became the patron saint of Tinners. Credit: Simon Maycock/Alamy Live News
Perran Sands, Perranporth, Cornwall, UK. 6th March 2016. Hundreds of people attend the annual St Piran play, making a pilgramage to Perranporth and the site of St Piran's Oratory. According to legend St Piran was washed up on the shores of Perranporth having being cast into the sea in Ireland, and became the patron saint of Tinners. Credit: Simon Maycock/Alamy Live Newshttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-perran-sands-perranporth-cornwall-uk-6th-march-2016-hundreds-of-people-97798259.html
medicine, disease, epilepsy, pilgramage the epileptics of Molenbeck, engraving by Hondius, 1642, after painting by Pieter Brueghel the Edler, privat collection, , Artist's Copyright has not to be cleared
medicine, disease, epilepsy, pilgramage the epileptics of Molenbeck, engraving by Hondius, 1642, after painting by Pieter Brueghel the Edler, privat collection, , Artist's Copyright has not to be clearedhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-medicine-disease-epilepsy-pilgramage-the-epileptics-of-molenbeck-engraving-11640789.html
Pilgramage church of the Madonna di Monserrat, Elba, Tuscan Island, Mediterranean Sea, Tuscany, Italy
Pilgramage church of the Madonna di Monserrat, Elba, Tuscan Island, Mediterranean Sea, Tuscany, Italyhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-pilgramage-church-of-the-madonna-di-monserrat-elba-tuscan-island-mediterranean-23955222.html
religion, christianity, pilgramage, pilgrim to the shrin of Saint James, sculptures by Leonhard Umbach, guilded silver, Augsburg, circa 1580,
religion, christianity, pilgramage, pilgrim to the shrin of Saint James, sculptures by Leonhard Umbach, guilded silver, Augsburg, circa 1580,https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-religion-christianity-pilgramage-pilgrim-to-the-shrin-of-saint-james-12826301.html
Tibetan buddhists praying and walking round the great stupa in Boudhnanth, Nepal. A site of pilgramage for Buddhists.
Tibetan buddhists praying and walking round the great stupa in Boudhnanth, Nepal. A site of pilgramage for Buddhists.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-tibetan-buddhists-praying-and-walking-round-the-great-stupa-in-boudhnanth-10125945.html
religion, christianity, pilgramage, pilgrimS s badge, Madonna with Child, solder, France, 13th century, private collection, pilgrim, pilgrims, French, Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, middle ages, gothic, historic, historical, medieval,
religion, christianity, pilgramage, pilgrimS s badge, Madonna with Child, solder, France, 13th century, private collection, pilgrim, pilgrims, French, Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, middle ages, gothic, historic, historical, medieval,https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-religion-christianity-pilgramage-pilgrims-s-badge-madonna-with-child-12826227.html
The Pilgramage of Truth
The Pilgramage of Truthhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/the-pilgramage-of-truth-image184276672.html
religion, christianity, pilgramage, pilgrimS s badge, Madonna with Child, tin alloy, Loreto, 14th century, private collection, pilgrim, pilgrims, Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, middle ages, Italian, Italy, gothic, historic, historical, medieval,
religion, christianity, pilgramage, pilgrimS s badge, Madonna with Child, tin alloy, Loreto, 14th century, private collection, pilgrim, pilgrims, Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, middle ages, Italian, Italy, gothic, historic, historical, medieval,https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-religion-christianity-pilgramage-pilgrims-s-badge-madonna-with-child-12824341.html
w de worde 1526 bonde william pilgramage of perfection st bridget of sweden a nun kneeling st bridget facing left wearing a doub
w de worde 1526 bonde william pilgramage of perfection st bridget of sweden a nun kneeling st bridget facing left wearing a doubhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-w-de-worde-1526-bonde-william-pilgramage-of-perfection-st-bridget-25769353.html
religion, christianity, pilgramage, pilgrimS s badge, Holy House of Nazareth, tin alloy, Loreto, 14th century, private collection, pilgrim, pilgrims, Madonna with Child, Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, middle ages, Italian, Italy, gothic, historic, historical, medieval,
religion, christianity, pilgramage, pilgrimS s badge, Holy House of Nazareth, tin alloy, Loreto, 14th century, private collection, pilgrim, pilgrims, Madonna with Child, Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, middle ages, Italian, Italy, gothic, historic, historical, medieval,https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-religion-christianity-pilgramage-pilgrims-s-badge-holy-house-of-nazareth-12826238.html
Basilica de Guadalupe, a famous pilgramage center, Mexico City, Mexico
Basilica de Guadalupe, a famous pilgramage center, Mexico City, Mexicohttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-basilica-de-guadalupe-a-famous-pilgramage-center-mexico-city-mexico-13560524.html
Nepal Pilgramage of Indian Sadhus celebrating Shivas birthday at Pashuputinath in Nepal
Nepal Pilgramage of Indian Sadhus celebrating Shivas birthday at Pashuputinath in Nepalhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/nepal-pilgramage-of-indian-sadhus-celebrating-shivas-birthday-at-pashuputinath-image1203523.html
Condom near Toulouse in France
Condom near Toulouse in Francehttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-condom-near-toulouse-in-france-20379787.html
Alfriston Medieval Village East Sussex
Alfriston Medieval Village East Sussexhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-alfriston-medieval-village-east-sussex-140110509.html
The Path to Nossa Senhora do Monte Chapel. A roughly fenced path leads to this famous shrine, sited high above the town and lit by the afternoon sun.
The Path to Nossa Senhora do Monte Chapel. A roughly fenced path leads to this famous shrine, sited high above the town and lit by the afternoon sun. https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-the-path-to-nossa-senhora-do-monte-chapel-a-roughly-fenced-path-leads-137996751.html
Tourists at The Longmen (Dragon's Gate) Grottoes in Luoyang, China
Tourists at The Longmen (Dragon's Gate) Grottoes in Luoyang, Chinahttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-tourists-at-the-longmen-dragons-gate-grottoes-in-luoyang-china-49859430.html
Detail from the Nossa Senhora do Monte Chapel. A cross, a dome and a spire decorate this small chapel high above teh town of Agua De Pau. Rua do Pico
Detail from the Nossa Senhora do Monte Chapel. A cross, a dome and a spire decorate this small chapel high above teh town of Agua De Pau. Rua do Pico https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-detail-from-the-nossa-senhora-do-monte-chapel-a-cross-a-dome-and-a-137996742.html
Jun. 06, 1968 - Thr Mellom banking family to see founder's home in Ulster. Fifty members of the MELLON family,one of America's greatest financial dynastiees, makes a pilgramage tomorrow to the cottage in Ulster where the man who began it was born.Thomas Mellom,5,and his parents set out in 1818 from Camp Hill Cottage,Mountjoy,near Omagh Co. Tyrone. to start life anew.Thomas became a lawyer and a judge and later founded the Mellon National Bank and Trust,which has become one of the largest in the United States.His son,Andrew, became Ambassador to London in1932
Jun. 06, 1968 - Thr Mellom banking family to see founder's home in Ulster. Fifty members of the MELLON family,one of America's greatest financial dynastiees, makes a pilgramage tomorrow to the cottage in Ulster where the man who began it was born.Thomas Mellom,5,and his parents set out in 1818 from Camp Hill Cottage,Mountjoy,near Omagh Co. Tyrone. to start life anew.Thomas became a lawyer and a judge and later founded the Mellon National Bank and Trust,which has become one of the largest in the United States.His son,Andrew, became Ambassador to London in1932https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/jun-06-1968-thr-mellom-banking-family-to-see-founders-home-in-ulster-image69436091.html
Nossa Senhora do Monte Chapel. Sited high above the town this small chapel glows in the sunshine as a storm engulfs the hills behind. Rua do Pico de C
Nossa Senhora do Monte Chapel. Sited high above the town this small chapel glows in the sunshine as a storm engulfs the hills behind. Rua do Pico de Chttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-nossa-senhora-do-monte-chapel-sited-high-above-the-town-this-small-137996744.html
La Croix Montjoie near to Vezelay in Burgundy. the cross is the first sight that pilgrims have of the village.
La Croix Montjoie near to Vezelay in Burgundy. the cross is the first sight that pilgrims have of the village.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/la-croix-montjoie-near-to-vezelay-in-burgundy-the-cross-is-the-first-image60704809.html
Nossa Senhora do Monte Chapel. Sited high above the town this small chapel glows in the sunshine as a storm engulfs the hills behind.
Nossa Senhora do Monte Chapel. Sited high above the town this small chapel glows in the sunshine as a storm engulfs the hills behind.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-nossa-senhora-do-monte-chapel-sited-high-above-the-town-this-small-138118515.html
Scenes from Old Montreal / vieux port
Scenes from Old Montreal / vieux porthttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/scenes-from-old-montreal-vieux-port-image187062550.html
Iona Abbey, Iona, Scotland. John Smith former Labour Party leader is buried here. Iona Abbey is located on the Isle of Iona, just off the Isle of Mull on the West Coast of Scotland. It is one of the oldest Christian religious centres in Western Europe. The abbey was a focal point for the spread of Christianity throughout Scotland and marks the foundation of a monastic community by St. Columba, when Iona was part of the Kingdom of Dál Riata. Iona Abbey is home to the Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian religious order, and remains a popular site of Christian pilgrimage today.
Iona Abbey, Iona, Scotland. John Smith former Labour Party leader is buried here. Iona Abbey is located on the Isle of Iona, just off the Isle of Mull on the West Coast of Scotland. It is one of the oldest Christian religious centres in Western Europe. The abbey was a focal point for the spread of Christianity throughout Scotland and marks the foundation of a monastic community by St. Columba, when Iona was part of the Kingdom of Dál Riata. Iona Abbey is home to the Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian religious order, and remains a popular site of Christian pilgrimage today.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-iona-abbey-iona-scotland-john-smith-former-labour-party-leader-is-172743306.html
St.David's Cathedral and the Bishop's Palace, Pembrokeshire, from the gatehouse.
St.David's Cathedral and the Bishop's Palace, Pembrokeshire, from the gatehouse.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-stdavids-cathedral-and-the-bishops-palace-pembrokeshire-from-the-gatehouse-173207203.html
Basilica Notre Dame, Montreal QC
Basilica Notre Dame, Montreal QChttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/basilica-notre-dame-montreal-qc-image187062553.html
Sunrise at Lake Bled.
Sunrise at Lake Bled.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/sunrise-at-lake-bled-image221684288.html
The Jewish Holocaust memorial in the centre of Berlin, Germany
The Jewish Holocaust memorial in the centre of Berlin, Germanyhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-image-the-jewish-holocaust-memorial-in-the-centre-of-berlin-germany-163409088.html
Lake Bled at dusk.
Lake Bled at dusk.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/lake-bled-at-dusk-image221684295.html
Closeup of the scallop marker for the EL Camino de Santiago de Compostela, a Christian pilgrimage that traverses much of Spain.
Closeup of the scallop marker for the EL Camino de Santiago de Compostela, a Christian pilgrimage that traverses much of Spain.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/closeup-of-the-scallop-marker-for-the-el-camino-de-santiago-de-compostela-a-christian-pilgrimage-that-traverses-much-of-spain-image328635995.html
Buddhist Monk visiting temple in Kandy Sri Lanka on Poya day
Buddhist Monk visiting temple in Kandy Sri Lanka on Poya dayhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-buddhist-monk-visiting-temple-in-kandy-sri-lanka-on-poya-day-145185582.html
Montreal, Canada - May 28, 2017: St Joseph's Oratory on Mont Royal with man praying by statue in Quebec region city
Montreal, Canada - May 28, 2017: St Joseph's Oratory on Mont Royal with man praying by statue in Quebec region cityhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-montreal-canada-may-28-2017-st-josephs-oratory-on-mont-royal-with-147344924.html
Montreal, Canada - May 28, 2017: St Joseph's Oratory on Mont Royal with woman praying on steps in Quebec region city
Montreal, Canada - May 28, 2017: St Joseph's Oratory on Mont Royal with woman praying on steps in Quebec region cityhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-montreal-canada-may-28-2017-st-josephs-oratory-on-mont-royal-with-147344915.html
Montreal, Canada - May 28, 2017: St Joseph's Oratory on Mont Royal with people walking climbing steps in Quebec region city
Montreal, Canada - May 28, 2017: St Joseph's Oratory on Mont Royal with people walking climbing steps in Quebec region cityhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-montreal-canada-may-28-2017-st-josephs-oratory-on-mont-royal-with-147344938.html
Dusk Shot of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain
Dusk Shot of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spainhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-dusk-shot-of-the-cathedral-of-santiago-de-compostela-in-galicia-spain-85724046.html
Varanasihttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-varanasi-92627802.html
The Plaza Quintana near the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia Spain. Many pilgrims end their voyage here.
The Plaza Quintana near the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia Spain. Many pilgrims end their voyage here.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-the-plaza-quintana-near-the-cathedral-of-santiago-de-compostela-in-85724038.html
Mahamuni Temple Mandalay Myanmar 12/12/2015 ceremony with girls dressed in white
Mahamuni Temple Mandalay Myanmar 12/12/2015 ceremony with girls dressed in whitehttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/mahamuni-temple-mandalay-myanmar-12122015-ceremony-with-girls-dressed-in-white-image371779244.html
The Mahamuni Buddha Temple, Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma)12/12/2015 interiors
The Mahamuni Buddha Temple, Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma)12/12/2015 interiorshttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/the-mahamuni-buddha-temple-mandalay-myanmar-burma12122015-interiors-image371777922.html
Guildford Cathedral East end, from Children's Garden. Guildford Cathedral, exterior. Edward Maufe, MA FRIBA, appointed Cathedral Architect in 1933. Built 1955-1961. 20th century British architecture. A venue for concerts, Christian worship, and pilgramage
Guildford Cathedral East end, from Children's Garden. Guildford Cathedral, exterior. Edward Maufe, MA FRIBA, appointed Cathedral Architect in 1933. Built 1955-1961. 20th century British architecture. A venue for concerts, Christian worship, and pilgramagehttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-guildford-cathedral-east-end-from-childrens-garden-guildford-cathedral-76253946.html
Qom Iran Shrine Of Fatima. 2nd Most Important Shi'ite Pilgramage Site In Iran & Main Theological Centre
Qom Iran Shrine Of Fatima. 2nd Most Important Shi'ite Pilgramage Site In Iran & Main Theological Centrehttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/qom-iran-shrine-of-fatima-2nd-most-important-shiite-pilgramage-site-image66294025.html
COSTA RICANS PEOPLE PILGRAMAS WALK WHILE KEELING INSIDE OF THE BASILICA DE LOS ANGELES DURING THE DAY OF THE VIRGIN. Costa Ricans pilgrams kneel inside the Basillica of Los Angeles in Cartago, August 2, 2000. This pilgramage celebrates the apparition of the Virgin of Los Angeles patron saint of Costa Rica. More than a million Catholics are expected to take part in the Pilgramage, a tradition of more than 400 years.
COSTA RICANS PEOPLE PILGRAMAS WALK WHILE KEELING INSIDE OF THE BASILICA DE LOS ANGELES DURING THE DAY OF THE VIRGIN. Costa Ricans pilgrams kneel inside the Basillica of Los Angeles in Cartago, August 2, 2000. This pilgramage celebrates the apparition of the Virgin of Los Angeles patron saint of Costa Rica. More than a million Catholics are expected to take part in the Pilgramage, a tradition of more than 400 years.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/costa-ricans-people-pilgramas-walk-while-keeling-inside-of-the-basilica-de-los-angeles-during-the-day-of-the-virgin-costa-ricans-pilgrams-kneel-inside-the-basillica-of-los-angeles-in-cartago-august-2-2000-this-pilgramage-celebrates-the-apparition-of-the-virgin-of-los-angeles-patron-saint-of-costa-rica-more-than-a-million-catholics-are-expected-to-take-part-in-the-pilgramage-a-tradition-of-more-than-400-years-image375219936.html
TWO WOMEN AMONGST CROWDS DURING PILGRAMAGE TO THE BLACK MADONNA, MSTOW, POLAND
TWO WOMEN AMONGST CROWDS DURING PILGRAMAGE TO THE BLACK MADONNA, MSTOW, POLANDhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/two-women-amongst-crowds-during-pilgramage-to-the-black-madonna-mstow-image6498046.html
Search Results for Pilgramage Stock Photos and Images
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Rendezvous Stock Photos and Images
rendezvous bay anguilla |
anguilla rendezvous bay |
rendezvous bay |
rendezvous american west |
fur rendezvous alaska |
rendezvous hotel
Unidentified participants in the Fort Bridger Rendezvous held in Fort Bridger Wyoming
Unidentified participants in the Fort Bridger Rendezvous held in Fort Bridger Wyominghttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-unidentified-participants-in-the-fort-bridger-rendezvous-held-in-fort-73514150.html
Beadwork, Grizzly Mountain Long Rifles Horse Ridge Rendezvous, Deschutes County, Oregon
Beadwork, Grizzly Mountain Long Rifles Horse Ridge Rendezvous, Deschutes County, Oregonhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-beadwork-grizzly-mountain-long-rifles-horse-ridge-rendezvous-deschutes-84137496.html
Apollo 17 Command Module at Rendezvous
Apollo 17 Command Module at Rendezvoushttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-apollo-17-command-module-at-rendezvous-135094093.html
William Tu, Pigeon Rendezvous, 1995. Oil on canvas.
William Tu, Pigeon Rendezvous, 1995. Oil on canvas.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/william-tu-pigeon-rendezvous-1995-oil-on-canvas-image69822256.html
Emma Ciardi - The Rendezvous
Emma Ciardi - The Rendezvoushttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-emma-ciardi-the-rendezvous-99337682.html
Rendezvous with Zarya
Rendezvous with Zaryahttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-rendezvous-with-zarya-52115094.html
The Rendezvous Restaurant, Dean Street, London
The Rendezvous Restaurant, Dean Street, Londonhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/the-rendezvous-restaurant-dean-street-london-image66043429.html
MOVIE SCENE GOLDEN RENDEZVOUS (1977)
MOVIE SCENE GOLDEN RENDEZVOUS (1977)https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-movie-scene-golden-rendezvous-1977-36536567.html
A Leningrad girl during rendezvous on Nevsky Prospekt
A Leningrad girl during rendezvous on Nevsky Prospekthttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-a-leningrad-girl-during-rendezvous-on-nevsky-prospekt-22876776.html
Edouard Manet, print, The Cats’ Rendezvous, 1868
Edouard Manet, print, The Cats’ Rendezvous, 1868https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/edouard-manet-print-the-cats-rendezvous-1868-image333441044.html
people, couples, lovers, rendezvous, couple with tennis racket, Germany, 1912, Additional-Rights-Clearance-Info-Not-Available
people, couples, lovers, rendezvous, couple with tennis racket, Germany, 1912, Additional-Rights-Clearance-Info-Not-Availablehttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/people-couples-lovers-rendezvous-couple-with-tennis-racket-germany-1912-additional-rights-clearance-info-not-available-image241366655.html
Rendezvous Evaluation Pod installed in the equipment section of the Gemini-5 spacecraft at Pad 19.
Rendezvous Evaluation Pod installed in the equipment section of the Gemini-5 spacecraft at Pad 19.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-rendezvous-evaluation-pod-installed-in-the-equipment-section-of-the-48082485.html
Rendezvous in the Street 1841 Joaquin Dominguez Becquer 1817 - 1879 Andalusia Spanish Spain
Rendezvous in the Street 1841 Joaquin Dominguez Becquer 1817 - 1879 Andalusia Spanish Spainhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-rendezvous-in-the-street-1841-joaquin-dominguez-becquer-1817-1879-93265611.html
Rendezvous at the window of the harem, historic illustration, 1877
Rendezvous at the window of the harem, historic illustration, 1877https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-rendezvous-at-the-window-of-the-harem-historic-illustration-1877-79321701.html
Apr. 04, 1971 - Russia Blasts Three Men Into Space To Rendezvous Withe Her Orbiting Space Station: Russia today blasted three men into space to rendezvous with her orbiting space station Salute 1 which was launched on Monday. Aboard the spacecraft Soyuz 10 launched today are two veteran cormonauts - Vladimir Shatalov, 43, commander of the craft and flight engineer Alexei Yeliseyev, 36, both have taken part in previous flight in 1969. The third men, test engineer Nikolai Rukavishnikov, newcomer to space
Apr. 04, 1971 - Russia Blasts Three Men Into Space To Rendezvous Withe Her Orbiting Space Station: Russia today blasted three men into space to rendezvous with her orbiting space station Salute 1 which was launched on Monday. Aboard the spacecraft Soyuz 10 launched today are two veteran cormonauts - Vladimir Shatalov, 43, commander of the craft and flight engineer Alexei Yeliseyev, 36, both have taken part in previous flight in 1969. The third men, test engineer Nikolai Rukavishnikov, newcomer to spacehttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/apr-04-1971-russia-blasts-three-men-into-space-to-rendezvous-withe-image69452608.html
Folkestone, Kent. Shops at numbers 8-10 Rendezvous Street
Folkestone, Kent. Shops at numbers 8-10 Rendezvous Streethttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-folkestone-kent-shops-at-numbers-8-10-rendezvous-street-87911486.html
Poster for International naval rendezvous, Hampton Roads Virginia, April and May 1893
Poster for International naval rendezvous, Hampton Roads Virginia, April and May 1893https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/poster-for-international-naval-rendezvous-hampton-roads-virginia-april-image67636793.html
Pleasant Rendezvous, 36 Picaddilly, London: Advert for Formosa Oolong Tea, early 20th century. Showing: Kirryuzan (Temple),
Pleasant Rendezvous, 36 Picaddilly, London: Advert for Formosa Oolong Tea, early 20th century. Showing: Kirryuzan (Temple),https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-pleasant-rendezvous-36-picaddilly-london-advert-for-formosa-oolong-83342408.html
Alaska Winter in Alaska Blanket Toss at Fur Rendezvous
Alaska Winter in Alaska Blanket Toss at Fur Rendezvoushttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/alaska-winter-in-alaska-blanket-toss-at-fur-rendezvous-image5844922.html
Unidentified participant in the Fort Bridger Rendezvous held in Fort Bridger Wyoming
Unidentified participant in the Fort Bridger Rendezvous held in Fort Bridger Wyominghttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-unidentified-participant-in-the-fort-bridger-rendezvous-held-in-fort-73514528.html
Rendezvous camp, Grizzly Mountain Long Rifles Horse Ridge Rendezvous, Deschutes County, Oregon
Rendezvous camp, Grizzly Mountain Long Rifles Horse Ridge Rendezvous, Deschutes County, Oregonhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-rendezvous-camp-grizzly-mountain-long-rifles-horse-ridge-rendezvous-84137517.html
Rendezvous Mission, Gemini 6 and 7, 1965
Rendezvous Mission, Gemini 6 and 7, 1965https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-rendezvous-mission-gemini-6-and-7-1965-135022061.html
Carlo Magno, Rendezvous, 1981. Oil on canvas.
Carlo Magno, Rendezvous, 1981. Oil on canvas.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/carlo-magno-rendezvous-1981-oil-on-canvas-image69824571.html
An outdoor carnival with rides, games and food brightens the snowy Anchorage landscape during the city's annual Fur Rendezvous, the oldest and largest winter festival in Alaska, USA. Known locally as Fur Rondy, the 10-day February event has been going strong since 1935 when miners and trappers returned to town with gold and furs from their winter labors in the wilderness. The World Championship Sled Dog Races are a highlight of this renowned Alaskan festival.
An outdoor carnival with rides, games and food brightens the snowy Anchorage landscape during the city's annual Fur Rendezvous, the oldest and largest winter festival in Alaska, USA. Known locally as Fur Rondy, the 10-day February event has been going strong since 1935 when miners and trappers returned to town with gold and furs from their winter labors in the wilderness. The World Championship Sled Dog Races are a highlight of this renowned Alaskan festival.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/an-outdoor-carnival-with-rides-games-and-food-brightens-the-snowy-anchorage-landscape-during-the-citys-annual-fur-rendezvous-the-oldest-and-largest-winter-festival-in-alaska-usa-known-locally-as-fur-rondy-the-10-day-february-event-has-been-going-strong-since-1935-when-miners-and-trappers-returned-to-town-with-gold-and-furs-from-their-winter-labors-in-the-wilderness-the-world-championship-sled-dog-races-are-a-highlight-of-this-renowned-alaskan-festival-image240790135.html
Rendezvous Docking Simulator
Rendezvous Docking Simulatorhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-rendezvous-docking-simulator-52115099.html
International naval rendezvous, Hampton Roads Va. Date c1893.
International naval rendezvous, Hampton Roads Va. Date c1893.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-international-naval-rendezvous-hampton-roads-va-date-c1893-83146718.html
RICHARD HARRIS GOLDEN RENDEZVOUS (1977)
RICHARD HARRIS GOLDEN RENDEZVOUS (1977)https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-richard-harris-golden-rendezvous-1977-30915088.html
WWII veterans rendezvous in the memorial Heroic Brest Fortress on the V Day s fortieth anniversary
WWII veterans rendezvous in the memorial Heroic Brest Fortress on the V Day s fortieth anniversaryhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-wwii-veterans-rendezvous-in-the-memorial-heroic-brest-fortress-on-23041438.html
Henri Rousseau, Rendezvous in the Forest, painting, 1889
Henri Rousseau, Rendezvous in the Forest, painting, 1889https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/henri-rousseau-rendezvous-in-the-forest-painting-1889-image260512659.html
people, couples, lovers during rendezvous, drinking tea, eating cakes, Germany, circa 1927, Additional-Rights-Clearance-Info-Not-Available
people, couples, lovers during rendezvous, drinking tea, eating cakes, Germany, circa 1927, Additional-Rights-Clearance-Info-Not-Availablehttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/people-couples-lovers-during-rendezvous-drinking-tea-eating-cakes-germany-circa-1927-additional-rights-clearance-info-not-available-image241333336.html
Rendezvous Bay on the Caribbean island of Anguilla
Rendezvous Bay on the Caribbean island of Anguillahttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/rendezvous-bay-on-the-caribbean-island-of-anguilla-image1693339.html
Rendezvous Saddle Lodge, Steamboat Ski Resort, Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Rendezvous Saddle Lodge, Steamboat Ski Resort, Steamboat Springs, Colorado.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-rendezvous-saddle-lodge-steamboat-ski-resort-steamboat-springs-colorado-93419752.html
Aug. 08, 1967 - a rendezvous for the young-at-heart to act, feel and dress without restriction: 'A Beatnik mate?' a bearded 17 year old youth chunky-knit olive-green sweater was answering my lead they're very generous. Any one of them will give you the Monkey off their back. With that he buffawed beer and vinegar fumes in my face, snapped his fingers in self appreciation of his repartee and walked over the Eel Pie Island bridge to buy another round of fish 'n chips
Aug. 08, 1967 - a rendezvous for the young-at-heart to act, feel and dress without restriction: 'A Beatnik mate?' a bearded 17 year old youth chunky-knit olive-green sweater was answering my lead they're very generous. Any one of them will give you the Monkey off their back. With that he buffawed beer and vinegar fumes in my face, snapped his fingers in self appreciation of his repartee and walked over the Eel Pie Island bridge to buy another round of fish 'n chipshttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/aug-08-1967-a-rendezvous-for-the-young-at-heart-to-act-feel-and-dress-image69430472.html
Modern mountain men and trappers attending a Mountain Man Rendezvous at Bent s Old fort, Colorado.
Modern mountain men and trappers attending a Mountain Man Rendezvous at Bent s Old fort, Colorado.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-modern-mountain-men-and-trappers-attending-a-mountain-man-rendezvous-21275151.html
Young couple with dog. Outdoor rendezvous.
Young couple with dog. Outdoor rendezvous.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/young-couple-with-dog-outdoor-rendezvous-image6851126.html
Rendezvous Seafront cafe, Northern Promenade, Whitley Bay,
Rendezvous Seafront cafe, Northern Promenade, Whitley Bay,https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/rendezvous-seafront-cafe-northern-promenade-whitley-bay-image66205177.html
Alaska Winter in Alaska Fur Auction at Fur Rendezvous
Alaska Winter in Alaska Fur Auction at Fur Rendezvoushttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/alaska-winter-in-alaska-fur-auction-at-fur-rendezvous-image5844921.html
Ride to Rendezvous horse riders, Okanogan County, Washington
Ride to Rendezvous horse riders, Okanogan County, Washingtonhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/ride-to-rendezvous-horse-riders-okanogan-county-washington-image283330965.html
Tennessee Memphis A chef preparing plates of ribs at Rendezvous restaurant
Tennessee Memphis A chef preparing plates of ribs at Rendezvous restauranthttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-tennessee-memphis-a-chef-preparing-plates-of-ribs-at-rendezvous-restaurant-25183415.html
U.S. Sailors transit to a rendezvous point with Belizean service members.
U.S. Sailors transit to a rendezvous point with Belizean service members.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-us-sailors-transit-to-a-rendezvous-point-with-belizean-service-members-105723282.html
Oil painting by Antoine Watteau 1684 - 1721; le rendezvous de chasse, 1720
Oil painting by Antoine Watteau 1684 - 1721; le rendezvous de chasse, 1720https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/oil-painting-by-antoine-watteau-1684-1721-le-rendezvous-de-chasse-1720-image377034795.html
Beneath a Moorish wood-beamed ceiling is a massive staircase rising up to a huge Spanish baroque doorway that leads to lavish ballrooms in the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel that opened in 1923 on Pershing Square in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, California, USA. This view is enjoyed by guests who meet in the Rendezvous Court, once the opulent lobby of the 11-story hotel and a location for several Hollywood movies and television shows.
Beneath a Moorish wood-beamed ceiling is a massive staircase rising up to a huge Spanish baroque doorway that leads to lavish ballrooms in the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel that opened in 1923 on Pershing Square in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, California, USA. This view is enjoyed by guests who meet in the Rendezvous Court, once the opulent lobby of the 11-story hotel and a location for several Hollywood movies and television shows.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/beneath-a-moorish-wood-beamed-ceiling-is-a-massive-staircase-rising-up-to-a-huge-spanish-baroque-doorway-that-leads-to-lavish-ballrooms-in-the-historic-millennium-biltmore-hotel-that-opened-in-1923-on-pershing-square-in-the-heart-of-downtown-los-angeles-california-usa-this-view-is-enjoyed-by-guests-who-meet-in-the-rendezvous-court-once-the-opulent-lobby-of-the-11-story-hotel-and-a-location-for-several-hollywood-movies-and-television-shows-image247590048.html
Rendezvous of Gemini 6 and 7
Rendezvous of Gemini 6 and 7https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-rendezvous-of-gemini-6-and-7-52115430.html
'Le Rendezvous pour Marly' French aristocrats stroll pleasantly in a rural setting Date: 18th century
'Le Rendezvous pour Marly' French aristocrats stroll pleasantly in a rural setting Date: 18th centuryhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-le-rendezvous-pour-marly-french-aristocrats-stroll-pleasantly-in-a-105295588.html
DAVID JANSSEN GOLDEN RENDEZVOUS (1977)
DAVID JANSSEN GOLDEN RENDEZVOUS (1977)https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-david-janssen-golden-rendezvous-1977-30918838.html
An off land rendezvous
An off land rendezvoushttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-an-off-land-rendezvous-22790256.html
Henri Rousseau, Rendezvous in the Forest, painting detail, 1889
Henri Rousseau, Rendezvous in the Forest, painting detail, 1889https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/henri-rousseau-rendezvous-in-the-forest-painting-detail-1889-image260512653.html
people, couples, lovers, embracement, rendezvous in natural surroundings, man want kissing a woman, saying 'Kehre o kehre doch bald mir zurueck Du all mein Sehnen Du all mein Glueck', Austrian postcard, circa 1909, Additional-Rights-Clearance-Info-Not-Available
people, couples, lovers, embracement, rendezvous in natural surroundings, man want kissing a woman, saying 'Kehre o kehre doch bald mir zurueck Du all mein Sehnen Du all mein Glueck', Austrian postcard, circa 1909, Additional-Rights-Clearance-Info-Not-Availablehttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/people-couples-lovers-embracement-rendezvous-in-natural-surroundings-man-want-kissing-a-woman-saying-kehre-o-kehre-doch-bald-mir-zurueck-du-all-mein-sehnen-du-all-mein-glueck-austrian-postcard-circa-1909-additional-rights-clearance-info-not-available-image241333390.html
A small boat rests on the beach at Rendezvous Bay in Anguilla
A small boat rests on the beach at Rendezvous Bay in Anguillahttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/a-small-boat-rests-on-the-beach-at-rendezvous-bay-in-anguilla-image1693337.html
Sign for the emergency services rendezvous point and a notice to visitors warning them about what they cannot bring onto the site.
Sign for the emergency services rendezvous point and a notice to visitors warning them about what they cannot bring onto the site.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/sign-for-the-emergency-services-rendezvous-point-and-a-notice-to-visitors-warning-them-about-what-they-cannot-bring-onto-the-site-image221013165.html
Saint Lucia couple rainbow Rendezvous Resort
Saint Lucia couple rainbow Rendezvous Resorthttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-saint-lucia-couple-rainbow-rendezvous-resort-10196270.html
Mar. 27, 2012 - The Isle of Man - Holiday Rendezvous of thousands.: The Isle of Man is popular holiday resort of thousands every year. Crowds gather for afternoon siesta in the sunshine on the beach at Douglas.
Mar. 27, 2012 - The Isle of Man - Holiday Rendezvous of thousands.: The Isle of Man is popular holiday resort of thousands every year. Crowds gather for afternoon siesta in the sunshine on the beach at Douglas.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/mar-27-2012-the-isle-of-man-holiday-rendezvous-of-thousands-the-isle-image69541894.html
A mountain man makes powder horns from cow horns for flintlock muzzle loading rifles at the Mountain Man Rendezvous
A mountain man makes powder horns from cow horns for flintlock muzzle loading rifles at the Mountain Man Rendezvoushttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-a-mountain-man-makes-powder-horns-from-cow-horns-for-flintlock-muzzle-21269700.html
Skiers climbing the headwall, Rendezvous Mountain in background, Jackson Hole, WY
Skiers climbing the headwall, Rendezvous Mountain in background, Jackson Hole, WYhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/skiers-climbing-the-headwall-rendezvous-mountain-in-background-jackson-image67129432.html
Entrrance to the Rendezvous Seafront cafe, Northern Promenade, Whitley Bay,
Entrrance to the Rendezvous Seafront cafe, Northern Promenade, Whitley Bay,https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/entrrance-to-the-rendezvous-seafront-cafe-northern-promenade-whitley-image66205178.html
Alaska Winter in Alaska Fur Auction at Fur Rendezvous man in wolf hat
Alaska Winter in Alaska Fur Auction at Fur Rendezvous man in wolf hathttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/alaska-winter-in-alaska-fur-auction-at-fur-rendezvous-man-in-wolf-image5844917.html
Ride to Rendezvous horse riders Okanogan County Washington
Ride to Rendezvous horse riders Okanogan County Washingtonhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/ride-to-rendezvous-horse-riders-okanogan-county-washington-image280135075.html
Ken Chezik in the 2012 Fur rendezvous World Sled Dog Championship Races, Anchorage, Southcentral Alaska, Winter
Ken Chezik in the 2012 Fur rendezvous World Sled Dog Championship Races, Anchorage, Southcentral Alaska, Winterhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ken-chezik-in-the-2012-fur-rendezvous-world-sled-dog-championship-49681012.html
Texas Independence Rendezvous, pre 1840 period reenactors, Old Fort Parker, Texas, USA
Texas Independence Rendezvous, pre 1840 period reenactors, Old Fort Parker, Texas, USAhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/texas-independence-rendezvous-pre-1840-period-reenactors-old-fort-image7794627.html
Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous ribs restaurant in downtown Memphis Tennessee TN
Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous ribs restaurant in downtown Memphis Tennessee TNhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-charlie-vergos-rendezvous-ribs-restaurant-in-downtown-memphis-tennessee-43661619.html
A small contingent of Royal Canadian Mounted Police wearing their bright red dress uniforms march in a street parade to celebrate the start of the annual Anchorage Fur Rendezvous, the oldest and largest winter festival in Alaska, USA. Known locally as Fur Rondy, the 10-day event has been going strong since 1935 when miners and trappers returned to town with gold and furs from their winter labors in the wilderness. The World Championship Sled Dog Races are a highlight of this renowned Alaskan celebration.
A small contingent of Royal Canadian Mounted Police wearing their bright red dress uniforms march in a street parade to celebrate the start of the annual Anchorage Fur Rendezvous, the oldest and largest winter festival in Alaska, USA. Known locally as Fur Rondy, the 10-day event has been going strong since 1935 when miners and trappers returned to town with gold and furs from their winter labors in the wilderness. The World Championship Sled Dog Races are a highlight of this renowned Alaskan celebration.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/a-small-contingent-of-royal-canadian-mounted-police-wearing-their-bright-red-dress-uniforms-march-in-a-street-parade-to-celebrate-the-start-of-the-annual-anchorage-fur-rendezvous-the-oldest-and-largest-winter-festival-in-alaska-usa-known-locally-as-fur-rondy-the-10-day-event-has-been-going-strong-since-1935-when-miners-and-trappers-returned-to-town-with-gold-and-furs-from-their-winter-labors-in-the-wilderness-the-world-championship-sled-dog-races-are-a-highlight-of-this-renowned-alaskan-celebration-image265140403.html
Apollo-Soyuz Rendezvous and Docking Test Project
Apollo-Soyuz Rendezvous and Docking Test Projecthttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-apollo-soyuz-rendezvous-and-docking-test-project-52114511.html
Babylonian youth Pyramus has a rendezvous with Thisbe : she, scared by lion, flees ; he finds bloody veil, assumes her dead, kills himself ; she finds him dead, stabs herself
Babylonian youth Pyramus has a rendezvous with Thisbe : she, scared by lion, flees ; he finds bloody veil, assumes her dead, kills himself ; she finds him dead, stabs herselfhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-babylonian-youth-pyramus-has-a-rendezvous-with-thisbe-she-scared-by-83114437.html
This barmaid works at the restaurant Rendezvous in Kiev
This barmaid works at the restaurant Rendezvous in Kievhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-this-barmaid-works-at-the-restaurant-rendezvous-in-kiev-23023053.html
The Island of Lobos, Rendezvous of the U.S. Army under General Scott prior to the Attack on Vera Cruz, February 9th 1847, Mexican-American War (1846-1848), print by PS Duval, 1847
The Island of Lobos, Rendezvous of the U.S. Army under General Scott prior to the Attack on Vera Cruz, February 9th 1847, Mexican-American War (1846-1848), print by PS Duval, 1847https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/the-island-of-lobos-rendezvous-of-the-us-army-under-general-scott-prior-to-the-attack-on-vera-cruz-february-9th-1847-mexican-american-war-1846-1848-print-by-ps-duval-1847-image386061467.html
people, couples, lovers during a rendezvous, Germany, 1913, Additional-Rights-Clearences-Not Available
people, couples, lovers during a rendezvous, Germany, 1913, Additional-Rights-Clearences-Not Availablehttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-people-couples-lovers-during-a-rendezvous-germany-1913-additional-48418252.html
Eastport, Maine the rendezvous of Fenians in the United States 1866. The Illustrated London News
Eastport, Maine the rendezvous of Fenians in the United States 1866. The Illustrated London Newshttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/eastport-maine-the-rendezvous-of-fenians-in-the-united-states-1866-the-illustrated-london-news-image188570649.html
Ices sign on side of old Rendezvous Cafe on dull winter's day, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, England, UK
Ices sign on side of old Rendezvous Cafe on dull winter's day, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, England, UKhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ices-sign-on-side-of-old-rendezvous-cafe-on-dull-winters-day-whitley-20540602.html
Rendezvous Art Deco style cafe on sea front at Duke's Walk North Promenade Whitley Bay Tyne and Wear coast
Rendezvous Art Deco style cafe on sea front at Duke's Walk North Promenade Whitley Bay Tyne and Wear coasthttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/rendezvous-art-deco-style-cafe-on-sea-front-at-dukes-walk-north-promenade-whitley-bay-tyne-and-wear-coast-image221115461.html
Oct. 10, 1962 - Alleged Spy Case Rendezvous: Duchess of Bedford walk, Kensington. London, where, it was said in the Bow Street spy case, a pink chalk-mark on a tree was placed as a signal to Russian agents by William John Vassali.
Oct. 10, 1962 - Alleged Spy Case Rendezvous: Duchess of Bedford walk, Kensington. London, where, it was said in the Bow Street spy case, a pink chalk-mark on a tree was placed as a signal to Russian agents by William John Vassali.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/oct-10-1962-alleged-spy-case-rendezvous-duchess-of-bedford-walk-kensington-image69401958.html
Two mountain men carrying muzzle loader flintlock rifles at sunrise at a Mountain Man rendezvous at Bent s old Fort
Two mountain men carrying muzzle loader flintlock rifles at sunrise at a Mountain Man rendezvous at Bent s old Forthttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-two-mountain-men-carrying-muzzle-loader-flintlock-rifles-at-sunrise-21269811.html
Rendezvous Hotel & restaurant conservatory reflection in still water of Leeds Liverpool Canal Skipton Gateway to the Dales North Yorkshire England UK
Rendezvous Hotel & restaurant conservatory reflection in still water of Leeds Liverpool Canal Skipton Gateway to the Dales North Yorkshire England UKhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/rendezvous-hotel-restaurant-conservatory-reflection-in-still-water-of-leeds-liverpool-canal-skipton-gateway-to-the-dales-north-yorkshire-england-uk-image218268404.html
Entrance to the Rendezvous Seafront cafe, Northern Promenade, Whitley Bay,
Entrance to the Rendezvous Seafront cafe, Northern Promenade, Whitley Bay,https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/entrance-to-the-rendezvous-seafront-cafe-northern-promenade-whitley-image66205099.html
Rendezvous in the Tiergarten, 1870
Rendezvous in the Tiergarten, 1870https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-rendezvous-in-the-tiergarten-1870-48400392.html
Ride to Rendezvous horse riders Okanogan County Washingtonhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ride-to-rendezvous-horse-riders-okanogan-county-washington-75882179.html
Waiting for her lover, who will not come to the rendezvous
Waiting for her lover, who will not come to the rendezvoushttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-waiting-for-her-lover-who-will-not-come-to-the-rendezvous-47983421.html
Weymouth, Dorset / UK - October 10 2018: Rendezvous 'The Anchor' & The Royal Oak at Weymouth Harbour, Dorset, England
Weymouth, Dorset / UK - October 10 2018: Rendezvous 'The Anchor' & The Royal Oak at Weymouth Harbour, Dorset, Englandhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/weymouth-dorset-uk-october-10-2018-rendezvous-the-anchor-the-royal-oak-at-weymouth-harbour-dorset-england-image354427786.html
The blanket toss is one of the many zany events at the annual Anchorage Fur Rendezvous, the oldest and largest winter festival in Alaska, USA. Known locally as Fur Rondy, the 10-day event has been going strong since 1935 when miners and trappers returned to town with gold and furs from their winter labors in the wilderness. The blanket toss is an Alaskan Native tradition with townsfolk flipping a large blanket of walrus skin to hurl anyone who volunteers as high as 20 feet (6 meters) into the air.
The blanket toss is one of the many zany events at the annual Anchorage Fur Rendezvous, the oldest and largest winter festival in Alaska, USA. Known locally as Fur Rondy, the 10-day event has been going strong since 1935 when miners and trappers returned to town with gold and furs from their winter labors in the wilderness. The blanket toss is an Alaskan Native tradition with townsfolk flipping a large blanket of walrus skin to hurl anyone who volunteers as high as 20 feet (6 meters) into the air.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-image-the-blanket-toss-is-one-of-the-many-zany-events-at-the-annual-anchorage-165693308.html
Rendezvous Street Folkestone
Rendezvous Street Folkestonehttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-rendezvous-street-folkestone-37752349.html
A signed portrait of Mr V Gennaro of Gennaro's Rendezvous Restaurant on Dean Street, Soho, London. Gennaro's would later become the site for the Groucho Club. The Restaurant was used as a film set for a number of movies throughout the 1930s.
A signed portrait of Mr V Gennaro of Gennaro's Rendezvous Restaurant on Dean Street, Soho, London. Gennaro's would later become the site for the Groucho Club. The Restaurant was used as a film set for a number of movies throughout the 1930s.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-a-signed-portrait-of-mr-v-gennaro-of-gennaros-rendezvous-restaurant-131024984.html
ANN TURKEL, RICHARD HARRIS, GOLDEN RENDEZVOUS, 1977
ANN TURKEL, RICHARD HARRIS, GOLDEN RENDEZVOUS, 1977https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ann-turkel-richard-harris-golden-rendezvous-1977-36536548.html
A rendezvous in a metro station
A rendezvous in a metro stationhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-a-rendezvous-in-a-metro-station-22840846.html
Newport Beach, MAR 24: Rendezvous Ballroom Historical Marker on MAR 24, 2018 at Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, MAR 24: Rendezvous Ballroom Historical Marker on MAR 24, 2018 at Newport Beach, Californiahttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/newport-beach-mar-24-rendezvous-ballroom-historical-marker-on-mar-24-2018-at-newport-beach-california-image212724060.html
people, couples, couple having a rendezvous, chaperone, circa 1900, Additional-Rights-Clearences-Not Available
people, couples, couple having a rendezvous, chaperone, circa 1900, Additional-Rights-Clearences-Not Availablehttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-people-couples-couple-having-a-rendezvous-chaperone-circa-1900-additional-36908860.html
Holland house, in Kensington, the great rendezvous of all sorts and conditions of Whigs during the first half of the present ce…
Holland house, in Kensington, the great rendezvous of all sorts and conditions of Whigs during the first half of the present ce…https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/holland-house-in-kensington-the-great-rendezvous-of-all-sorts-and-conditions-of-whigs-during-the-first-half-of-the-present-ce-image182897933.html
The Rendezvous at Horgheim, Under the Troktinder, Norway
The Rendezvous at Horgheim, Under the Troktinder, Norwayhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/the-rendezvous-at-horgheim-under-the-troktinder-norway-image240586210.html
May 04, 1963 - ''Rendezvous in May'': For the ''Rendezvous in May'', a great soloisten show, which take place in the Munich Deutsches Museum on May 4th, came the US singer Pat Boone, the English teenager idol Helen Shapiro and the Italian coming star Robertino from left to right In the background the silhouette of the Munich Frauenkirche.
May 04, 1963 - ''Rendezvous in May'': For the ''Rendezvous in May'', a great soloisten show, which take place in the Munich Deutsches Museum on May 4th, came the US singer Pat Boone, the English teenager idol Helen Shapiro and the Italian coming star Robertino from left to right In the background the silhouette of the Munich Frauenkirche.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/may-04-1963-rendezvous-in-may-for-the-rendezvous-in-may-a-great-soloisten-image69405867.html
Mountain men with a flintlock muzzle loading rifles at sunrise at the Mountain Man Rendezvous near Bent s Old Fort in Colorado
Mountain men with a flintlock muzzle loading rifles at sunrise at the Mountain Man Rendezvous near Bent s Old Fort in Coloradohttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-mountain-men-with-a-flintlock-muzzle-loading-rifles-at-sunrise-at-21269579.html
Rendezvous Hotel & restaurant conservatory reflected in still water of Leeds Liverpool Canal Skipton Gateway to the Dales North Yorkshire England UK
Rendezvous Hotel & restaurant conservatory reflected in still water of Leeds Liverpool Canal Skipton Gateway to the Dales North Yorkshire England UKhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/rendezvous-hotel-restaurant-conservatory-reflected-in-still-water-of-leeds-liverpool-canal-skipton-gateway-to-the-dales-north-yorkshire-england-uk-image213200433.html
'Notograph', rendezvous machine in London, 1912
'Notograph', rendezvous machine in London, 1912https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-notograph-rendezvous-machine-in-london-1912-37013893.html
Ride to Rendezvous horse riders, Okanogan County, Washingtonhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ride-to-rendezvous-horse-riders-okanogan-county-washington-75786005.html
Café Rendezvous
Café Rendezvoushttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/caf-rendezvous-image184240425.html
Indian tepees at Texas Independence Rendezvous, pre 1840 period reenactment, Old Fort Parker, Texas, USA
Indian tepees at Texas Independence Rendezvous, pre 1840 period reenactment, Old Fort Parker, Texas, USAhttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/indian-tepees-at-texas-independence-rendezvous-pre-1840-period-reenactment-image7794623.html
ruptured rendezvous
ruptured rendezvoushttps://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-ruptured-rendezvous-141275676.html
Beneath a Moorish wood-beamed ceiling is a huge Spanish baroque doorway leading to lavish ballrooms in the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel that opened in 1923 on Pershing Square in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, California, USA. A chandelier imported from Italy more than 95 years ago shines on two golden figures on the stairway balustrade, the Roman goddess of agriculture, Ceres, and the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa. This view is enjoyed by guests who meet in the Rendezvous Court, once the opulent lobby of the 11-story hotel and a location for Hollywood movies and TV shows.
Beneath a Moorish wood-beamed ceiling is a huge Spanish baroque doorway leading to lavish ballrooms in the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel that opened in 1923 on Pershing Square in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, California, USA. A chandelier imported from Italy more than 95 years ago shines on two golden figures on the stairway balustrade, the Roman goddess of agriculture, Ceres, and the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa. This view is enjoyed by guests who meet in the Rendezvous Court, once the opulent lobby of the 11-story hotel and a location for Hollywood movies and TV shows.https://www.alamy.com/licenses-and-pricing/?v=1https://www.alamy.com/beneath-a-moorish-wood-beamed-ceiling-is-a-huge-spanish-baroque-doorway-leading-to-lavish-ballrooms-in-the-historic-millennium-biltmore-hotel-that-opened-in-1923-on-pershing-square-in-the-heart-of-downtown-los-angeles-california-usa-a-chandelier-imported-from-italy-more-than-95-years-ago-shines-on-two-golden-figures-on-the-stairway-balustrade-the-roman-goddess-of-agriculture-ceres-and-the-spanish-explorer-vasco-nez-de-balboa-this-view-is-enjoyed-by-guests-who-meet-in-the-rendezvous-court-once-the-opulent-lobby-of-the-11-story-hotel-and-a-location-for-hollywood-movies-and-tv-shows-image247590092.html
Search Results for Rendezvous Stock Photos and Images
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The Last Panhard Civilian Car Leaves the Factory
It was the end of an era when on July 20 1967 at 4 pm, the last Dyna 24 Panhard, left the Ivry factory, 76 years after the delivery of the first car to a customer.
Introduced in 1963, the Dyna 24 was notable for its modernity, its aesthetic lines and the power available from the 'Tiger' engine, which delivered a top speed of 160 km/h. Panhard hoped the model would give it a way out of its crisis.
La Dyna 24 ct in its original colours
But the sales did not follow and instead fell from 11631 in 1965 to 3845 in 1966. The merger with Citroën in 1965 was not enough to stop the decline in orders for Panhard cars, which no longer provided what the market wanted. This was the final blow and the decision was made to completely end the production of Panhard civilian cars. On the other hand, the military vehicles department, rated first in the world for wheeled armoured vehicles, was maintained and developed. It became SCMPL (Société de Construction Mécanique Panhard et Levassor) with Jean Panhard named as president.
Book : Bernard Vermeylen, Panhard, ses voitures d’après-guerre, ETAI, 1995
Video : Jean Panhard racontant l’aventure de la Dyna 24, available on : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2ut3kAajzc Reportage sur la Dyna 24, Histoire de Panhard, available on : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3uNp4BZ15g
Source : http://www.tarnretroautoclub.fr/galerie-6-200--hidden-galerie-6-panhard-24-ct-de-1965-r-rouvignac-dsc8033.jpg.html
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Tamara Wilson
American soprano Tamara Wilson is rapidly gaining notoriety for her interpretations of Verdi, Mozart, and Strauss with a voice that is a “veritable force of nature.” (Chicago Tribune)
Recently, Tamara Wilson made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the title role of Aida to great critical and audience acclaim. In the 2015 – 2016 season, Ms. Wilson makes her London debut in Calixto Bieto’s new production of La forza del destino at the English National Opera. She returns to Oper Frankfurt as Elisabetta in Don Carlo and Teatro Municipal de Santiago as Lucrezia Contarini in I due Foscari. She also inaugurates the new opera house in Kyoto, Japan with Seiji Ozawa as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. In concert, Ms. Wilson will perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with Marin Alsop and Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo to be released for commercial recording, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra, Verdi’s Messa da requiem with Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Donald Runnicles at the Grand Teton Music Festival. Ms. Wilson also returns to Cincinnati for her first performances of Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello with James Conlon and the Cincinnati Symphony at the May Festival.
Tamara Wilson made her role and house debut in the demanding title role of Norma at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in the 2014 – 2015 season. She returned to Oper Frankfurt for her first performances as the Empress in Die Frau ohne Schatten which was just released by Oehms Classics. In concert, she returned to the Ravinia Festival as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni under James Conlon and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a role she also debuted with Edo de Waart and the Milwaukee Symphony. Ms. Wilson debuted with the Cleveland Orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 under Franz Welser-Möst, the National Symphony in Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2 (“Lobgesang”) with Matthew Halls and returned to the Baltimore Symphony in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with Marin Alsop.
Tamara Wilson added a new Verdi heroine to her repertoire when she returns to Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse as Lucrezia Contarini in Verdi’s I due Foscari in the 2013 – 2014 season. In celebration of the Verdi bicentenary, she also debuted at Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville as Aida and with Washington Concert Opera in his rarely-heard Il corsaro as Gulnara alongside tenor Michael Fabiano as Corrado. She was heard in Britten’s War Requiem with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under Marin Alsop, as well as with James Conlon and the Colburn Orchestra as part of the Britten 100/LA celebration. Other concert engagements included Bruch’s Moses with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.
Other notable engagements include Elisabeth de Valois in the five-act French Don Carlos at Houston Grand Opera; Amelia in Un ballo in maschera at Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and Teatre Principal de Maó in Menorca, Spain; Leonora in Il trovatore at Houston Grand Opera, Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse under Daniel Oren and Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus at the Canadian Opera Company; Alice Ford in Falstaff for her debut with Washington National Opera; Amelia Grimaldi in Simon Boccanegra at the Canadian Opera Company; the title role in Aida at Opera Australia; her German debut at Oper Frankfurt in concert performances of Wagner’s early opera Die Feen as Ada under Sebastian Weigle; Elettra in Idomeneo under Harry Bicket at the Canadian Opera Company and under James Conlon at the Ravinia Festival; Lady Billows in Albert Herring at Théâtre du Capitole; Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Houston Grand Opera; Malwina in Marschner’s Der Vampyr with the American Symphony Orchestra; Miss Jessel in The Turn of the Screw and the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte at Los Angeles Opera, both under James Conlon.
On the concert stage, Ms. Wilson made her Carnegie Hall debut with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under Marin Alsop in Honegger’s Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher, as well as appeared with the Saint Louis Symphony in Handel’s Messiah, Charlotte Symphony in Beethoven’s Missa solemnis, and returned to the Oregon Bach Festival in Tippett’s A Child of Our Time. Recently, she has been soprano soloist for performances of Missa solemnis with John Nelson and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in Lisbon, which is available on DVD, as well as Mozart’s Requiem with Edo de Waart and the Milwaukee Symphony and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2 (“Lobgesang”) with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra. A favorite of the Oregon Bach Festival, she debuted in Verdi’s Messa da requiem under Helmuth Rilling for the opening of their 40th Anniversary season, subsequently returning for the same piece in Maestro Rilling’s final season as music director. She then returned to sing Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 under Rilling, Marguerite in Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher under Marin Alsop, At the Oregon Bach Festival, and a concert of Verdi, Britten, and Wagner with Matthew Hall. She has toured Japan with Helmuth Rilling and Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.
An alumna of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Ms. Wilson’s awards include the George London Award from the George London Foundation in which she was hailed for a “striking timbre all her own” (Opera News), as well as both a career grant in 2011 and study grant in 2008 from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation. Other notable awards include first place in the 2005 Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers in Houston and finalist in the 2004 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, among others. She was a featured soloist at the 2010 NEA Opera Honors in which she sang “Ernani, involami” from Verdi’s Ernani to honor recipient Martina Arroyo. In addition to her operatic and orchestral performances, Ms. Wilson is an avid lecturer of vocal technique. She has been a Guest Master Class Lecturer for the National Pastoral Musicians in the Chicago area. Ms. Wilson received her degree at the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music.
Meet a Musician
Kevin Chen
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← Updated: Chairman of New Zealand’s Largest Mosque Blames “Mossad/ Zionists” For Christchurch Mosque Carnage
Hearing This: Excess American Muslim Jew-Hatred Mirrors Global Muslim Trends →
Hamas’ Jihad And Jew-Hatred Are Islam’s Jihad And Jew-Hatred
Posted on 1st April 2019 | Comments Off on Hamas’ Jihad And Jew-Hatred Are Islam’s Jihad And Jew-Hatred
Also posted at PJ Media, here.
As a “preface”, I have added the results of the following polling data to put the impact of Hama’s indoctrination of the beliefs of Palestinian Muslim population in real life perspective.
In July, 2011, American pollster Stanley Greenberg reported the results from what was described as an “intensive, face-to-face survey in Arabic of 1,010 Palestinian adults in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.” There were two salient, pathognomonic findings. One was that 73% of the Palestinian Muslims surveyed “agreed with a quote from the [Hamas] charter, [article 7] and a hadith, or tradition ascribed to the prophet Muhammad, about the need to kill Jews hiding behind stones and trees,” i.e., the dictates of Muhammad’s canonical hadith of Jew-annihilation (Sahih Muslim Book 041, Hadith Number 6985), presently ubiquitous in Islamdom. Eighty percent (80%) further agreed with “a quote from the Hamas Charter about the need for battalions from the Arab and Islamic world to defeat the Jews,”i.e., article 15 of the Hamas charter calling for the jihad destruction of the State of Israel by the world’s Muslims, [per the charter, this “jihad becomes a personal duty of every Muslim…[I]t is necessary to raise the banner of jihad. This requires the propagation of Islamic consciousness among the masses, locally (in Palestine), in the Arab world and in the Islamic world”], the same public admonition Mahathir Mohamad gave to the heads of all the nation states of the global Muslim umma at the 2003 OIC meeting in Putrajaya.
Brandishing a handgun, Hamas official Rafiq Abu Hani addressed a crowd of Palestinian Muslims March 17, 2019, and this exchange with his audience was recorded on Hamas/Gaza Al Aqsa TV:
Rafiq Abu Hani: Our goal is Jihad for the sake of Allah! What is your goal?
Crowd: Jihad!
Rafiq Abu Hani: What is your goal?
Rafiq Abu Hani: We all agree that our weapons – in which lie our honor and strength – will be put down only in the Al-Aqsa compound. Oh you despicable traitors, do you think that we would ever sell out this [gun], which we paid for with the livelihoods of our children? By Allah, we say to Mohammed Deif, to the Al-Qassam Brigades, and to the heroes of the resistance in the West Bank and in Gaza: Take our livelihoods from us and buy more of these [guns]! Take our salaries and buy more of these!
The subsequent two weeks have been punctuated by another round of missile attacks on Israeli cities emanating from Gaza, including a long range firing which struck a house in Moshav Mishmeret in the Sharon region. Massive, violent demonstrations at Gaza’s border with Israel have accompanied these missile attacks the latest even “featuring” Hamas “Prime Minister” Ismail Haniyeh, and a cameo appearance by jihad terrorist leader Yahya Sinwar.
Just over 30 years ago, January 31, 1989, addressing the Orwellian named United Nations Human Rights Commission, less than 6-months after the Hamas covenant was made public, the late historian David Littman plaintively warned that the document was,
a blatant blueprint for genocide, undoubtedly inspired by its spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. I have with me a copy of the Arabic text and an English translation. Its aims are clearly defined in article 8, under the title, “Slogan”: “Allah is its target, the Prophet is its model, the Koran its constitution; Jihad is its path, and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of wishes.” Article 13 declares: “There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through jihad.” And article 28 does not beat about the bush: “Israel, Judaism, and Jews challenge Islam and the Muslim people: ‘May the cowards never sleep.’”
Littman observed then, as now, how Hamas was “operating mainly in Gaza—but also in the West Bank—in collaboration with PLO [Palestinian Liberation Organization] groups.” David Littman concluded by excoriating alleged “peacemakers,” whose delusions about Hamas’ openly professed ideology, or the shared ideology of its “PLO” cum Fatah (on again/off again) “coalition partners,” are still wreaking calamitous consequences, repeated by their equally witless policymaking successors today.
These realities cannot be brushed aside simply because they are embarrassing, but should rather serve as a serious warning to the gullible for whom an appeasing, misguiding, “peace in our time,” will-o’-the-wisp remains a constant obsession.
Focus on Hamas’ odious covenant as a binding documentary record of the organization’s specific beliefs and goals is required because it expresses, unabashedly, the same conjoined jihadism and Jew-hatred mainstream Islam inculcates. This indoctrination—sanctioned by Islam’s leading religious teaching institutions, and clerics–in turn animates, and unifies the global Muslim umma’s ceaseless efforts to destroy Israel as an autonomous state, by jihad, and return Israel to Sharia jurisdiction.
The very first statement of Hamas’ foundational Covenant, before the document’s pre-amble, features Koran 3:112. Here is the Arberry translation of 3:112:
Abasement shall be pitched on them, wherever they are come upon, except they be in a bond of God, and a bond of the people; they will be laden with the burden of God’s anger, and poverty shall be pitched on them; that, because they disbelieved in God’s signs, and slew the Prophets without right; that, for that they acted rebelliously and were transgressors”]
In classical and modern Koranic exegeses by seminal, authoritative Islamic theologians (for details, here; excerpted) this central motif is coupled to Koranic verses 5:60, and 5:78, which describe the Jews transformation into apes and swine (5:60), or simply apes, (i.e. verses 2:65 and 7:166), having been “…cursed by the tongue of David, and Jesus, Mary’s son” (5:78). Muhammad himself repeats this Koranic curse in a canonical tradition or hadith [Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 38, hadith 4322] “He [Muhammad] then recited the verse [5:78]: ‘…curses were pronounced on those among the children of Israel who rejected Faith, by the tongue of David and of Jesus the son of Mary’”.
Salah al-Khalidi (fl. late 20th century) made clear how these motifs of Koranic Jew-hatred are interpreted by Hamas in a manner that is entirely consistent with both classical, and modern authoritative exegeses. Extracts (translated from the original Arabic by Dr. Michael Schub in my The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism) are provided below from Khalidi’s major work Haqa’iq Koraniyya al Qadiyya al-Filastinniya [“Koranic Facts Regarding the Palestinian Issue”] which was first published in 1991 by the Hamas Publishing House Manshūrāt Filastin al-Muslima, and translated into Urdu, Hindi, Turkish, Russian, and English (formerly available online at https://web.archive.org/web/19970214030523/http://www.assabeel.com/) due to its international popularity.
Humiliation is attached to the Jews for their entire lifetime: they were humiliated in Egypt, and when they arrived in [sic] Palestine, and when they were exiled from Palestine, and when they dispersed into the valleys of the earth. What concerns us here-in our discussion of the Jewish character-is to indicate that this humiliation is to be considered as an inveterate Jewish character trait, and a destructive Jewish perversion. Humiliation is one of their historical attributes, a fixed fact of their existence, and a qaa`ida, basis of their life… (Koran 3:112) The Jews are humiliated because they disbelieved in Allah, killed His prophets, disobeyed His emissaries, transgressed His prohibitions-all of this is humiliation. They are humiliated-and this is why they search out lustful indulgences, and have become their slaves. All of this is humiliation…It is impossible that the Jews could not be cursed. How could they not be accursed when they are attributed with such degenerate inveterate character traits, twenty of which we have demonstrated above. [Note: Khalidi earlier states, ‘We have extracted from the Koran twenty Jewish traits. The Jews are: liars, perverters (of the Text), envious, tricky, fickle, mercurial, sardonic, treacherous, in error, causing others to be in error, merchants, fools, humiliated, dastards, misers, avid for (this) life, disloyal to their firm contracts, rush into sinful aggression, concealers of true evidence, corrupters in the earth, and obstructors in Allah’s path.‘ For specific Koranic citations confirming his litany see here]. They are worthy of eternal curse because of the villainous traits they display and the corrupt evils they have perpetrated…The Jews are in a condition of mal`ana, i.e. everyone pours out curses on them; Allah has cursed them, the angels have cursed them, their prophets have cursed them, the good people among them have cursed them, and everyone has cursed them. They are deserving of this eternal and continual damnation until the day of resurrection when they will encounter Allah’s wrath, fury, and punishment. They were accordingly exiled from Allah’s mercy, and kept afar from His goodness… Many Koranic verses were revealed emphasizing…the judgment upon them of cursed damnation, and exile from His mercy, e.g. Koran 5:13: “For breaking their covenant, We curse them, and have made their hearts hard.” And Koran 5:60…And Koran 5:64…And Koran 5:78…”
Annihilationist sentiments regarding Jews are also rooted in Islamic eschatology [end of times theology], and incorporated permanently into the foundational 1988 Hamas Covenant. As characterized in the hadith (the words, deeds, and even unspoken gestures of Muhammad as ostensibly recorded by his earliest pious Muslim companions), Muslim eschatology highlights the Jews’ supreme hostility to Islam. Jews are described as adherents of the Dajjâl—the Muslim equivalent of the Anti-Christ—or according to other traditions, the Dajjâl is himself Jewish. At his appearance, some traditions maintain that the Dajjâl will be accompanied by 70,000 Jews from Isfahan wrapped in their robes, and armed with polished sabers, their heads covered with a sort of veil. When the Dajjâl is defeated, his Jewish companions will be slaughtered—everything will deliver them up except for the so-called gharkad tree, as per the canonical hadith (Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Number 6985) included in the 1988 Hamas Covenant (in article 7). This hadith is cited in the Covenant as a sacralized, obligatory call for a Muslim genocide of the Jews:
…the Islamic Resistance Movement aspires to realize the promise of Allah, no matter how long it takes. The Prophet, Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him, says: “The hour of judgment shall not come until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them, so that the Jews hide behind trees and stones, and each tree and stone will say: ‘Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him,’ except for the Gharqad tree, for it is the tree of the Jews.” (Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Number 6985)
This Judeo-centric Sunni eschatology resonates broadly, with an authoritative imprimatur, across Islamdom, in the modern era, and even within the Muslim diaspora. For example, Hajj Amin El-Husseini—“Godfather” of the modern Palestinian Muslim jihadist movement—concluded his compendious 1937 discourse on Islam’s canonical Jew-hatred by reproducing the hadith (Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Number 6985) about how the destruction of the Jews is requisite for ushering in the messianic times. The current Palestinian Authority Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Muhammad Hussein repeated this canonical tradition during a January 9, 2012 sermon. Subsequently, during a May 10, 2013 sermon at Sunni Islam’s Vatican equivalent, Al-Azhar University, and its mosque, Muhammad Al-Mahdi, a senior scholar and head of the Sharia association at Al-Azhar also proclaimed the same end of times Jew-annihilating hadith. Finally, apropos to their longstanding Islamic relevance, Ibn Kathir’s 14th century commentary on Koran 4:155–159, which discusses Isa’s (the Muslim Jesus’) role in defeating the Dajjal (the Muslim “anti-Christ”), and his Jewish minions, invokes this same apocalyptic canonical hadith of Jew annihilation.
Returning to the Hamas covenant, Article 28, which is free of any eschatological references, clearly “widens the circle of hate” towards Jews, as David Littman has observed, targeting all contemporary Jews: “Israel, Judaism and Jews challenge Islam and the Muslim people: ‘May the cowards never sleep.’” Articles 22 and 32 invoke modern conspiratorial themes reminiscent of European (secular) antisemitic motifs, especially the latter (article 32), which makes explicit mention of the Czarist Russian forgery, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. However,even these articles are peppered with Koranic citations, including references in both articles 22 and 32 to Koran 5:64, a sort of ancient antecedent of The Protocols. (Arberry translation, Koran 5:64: “The Jews have said, ‘God’s hand is fettered.’ Fettered are their hands, and they are cursed for what they have said. Nay, but His hands are outspread; He expends how He will. And what has been sent down to thee from thy Lord will surely increase many of them in insolence and unbelief; and We have cast between them enmity and hatred, till the Day of Resurrection. As often as they light a fire for war, God will extinguish it. They hasten about the earth, to do corruption there; and God loves not the workers of corruption.“)
Jihad is the other pillar of Hamas’ foundational Jew-annihilationist ideology featured in the 1988 Covenant. Once again, this is already suggested in the opening statement before the preamble which includes the following quote by Hasan al-Banna, founder of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood: “Israel will exist, and will continue to exist, until Islam abolishes it, as it abolished that which was before it.” Hamas, it should be noted, claims to be a wing of the International Muslim Brotherhood. Article 2 of the Hamas Charter, for example, states: “The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the wings of Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine. The Muslim Brotherhood Movement is a universal organization which constitutes the largest Islamic movement in modern times.”
The body of the Hamas Covenant includes unequivocal statements of Hamas’ irredentist commitment to the annihilation of Israel via jihad. Jihad martyrdom is lauded in article 8 “the Hamas slogan,” (in fact borrowed from the 1928 Charter of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood), which states, “Allah is its target, the Prophet is its model, the Koran its Constitution; Jihad is its path, and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its wishes.” Article 13 makes plain that Hamas’ jihadism is completely incompatible with any meaningful Middle East peace settlement:
Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement. Abusing any part of Palestine is abuse against part of religion. Nationalism of the Islamic Resistance Movement is part of its religion. Its members have been fed on that…There is no solution to the Palestinian question except by Jihad. All initiatives, proposals, and International Conferences are a waste of time and vain endeavors.
Finally, article 15 (subtitled, “Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine is a Personal Duty”) elucidates classical jihadist theory, as well as its practical modern application to the destruction of Israel by jihad:
The day the enemies conquer some part of the Muslim land, jihad becomes a personal duty of every Muslim. In the face of the Jewish occupation of Palestine, it is necessary to raise the banner of jihad. This requires the propagation of Islamic consciousness among the masses, locally [in Palestine], in the Arab world and in the Islamic world. It is necessary to instill the spirit of jihad in the nation, engage the enemies and join the ranks of the jihad fighters. The indoctrination campaign must involve ulama, educators, teachers and information and media experts, as well as all intellectuals, especially the young people and the sheikhs of Islamic movements…It is necessary to establish in the minds of all the Muslim generations that the Palestinian issue is a religious issue, and that it must be dealt with as such, for [Palestine] contains Islamic holy places, [namely] the Al-Aqsa mosque, which is inseparably connected, for as long as heaven and earth shall endure, to the holy mosque of Mecca through the Prophet’s nocturnal journey [from the mosque of Mecca to the Al-Aqsa mosque] and through his ascension to heaven thence. “Being stationed on the frontier for the sake of Allah for one day is better than this [entire] world and everything in it; and the place taken up in paradise by the [horseman’s] whip of any one of you [jihad fighters] is better than this [entire] world and everything in it. Every evening [operation] and morning [operation] performed by Muslims for the sake of Allah is better than this [entire] world and everything in it.” (Recorded in the Hadith collections of Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi and Ibn Maja). “By the name of Him who holds Muhammad’s soul in His hand, I wish to launch an attack for the sake of Allah and be killed and attack again and be killed and attack again and be killed.” (Recorded in the Hadith collections of Bukhari and Muslim)
Hamas’ views on the jihad against Israel, and Islamic Jew-hatred, are entirely concordant with those of the most authoritative religious educational institution within Sunni Islam-Al Azhar University, in Cairo, Egypt. Consider two complementary fatwas, one written January 5, 1956, by then grand mufti of Egypt, Sheikh Hasan Ma’moun, and another January 9, 1956, signed by the leading members of the Fatwa Committee of Al Azhar University—Sunni Islam’s Vatican—and the major representatives of all four Sunni Islamic schools of jurisprudence. These rulings elaborated the following key initial point: that all of historical Palestine—modern Jordan, Israel, and the disputed territories of Judea and Samaria, as well as Gaza—having been conquered by jihad, was a permanent possession of the global Muslim umma (community), “fay territory”—booty or spoils—to be governed eternally by Islamic law.
Muslims cannot conclude peace with those Jews who have usurped the territory of Palestine and attacked its people and their property in any manner which allows the Jews to continue as a state in that sacred Muslim territory. [As] Jews have taken a part of Palestine and there established their non-Islamic government and have also evacuated from that part most of its Muslim inhabitants. . . . Jihad . . . to restore the country to its people . . . is the duty of all Muslims, not just those who can undertake it. And since all Islamic countries constitute the abode of every Muslim, the Jihad is imperative for both the Muslims inhabiting the territory attacked, and Muslims everywhere else because even though some sections have not been attacked directly, the attack nevertheless took place on a part of the Muslim territory which is a legitimate residence for any Muslim… Everyone knows that from the early days of Islam to the present day the Jews have been plotting against Islam and Muslims and the Islamic homeland. They do not propose to be content with the attack they made on Palestine and Al Aqsa Mosque, but they plan for the possession of all Islamic territories from the Nile to the Euphrates.
A synopsis of these pronouncements was even reported in the U.S. press (“PEACE WITH ISRAEL SACRILEGIOUS, SAY LEADERS OF MOSLEMS,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 11, 1956, p.1 ; “MOSLEMS SAY PEACE WITH ISRAEL WOULD BE SACRILEGIOUS,” Chicago Tribune, January 11, 1956, p.24)
Although free of eschatological references, the January 1956 Al Azhar fatwas’ language and arguments—pronounced from Sunni Islam’s most esteemed religious teaching institution—are otherwise indistinguishable from those employed just over three decades later by Hamas (in its 1988 covenant), revealing the same intertwined motivations of jihad, and conspiratorial Islamic Jew-hatred. Furthermore, espousing these ugly Islamic religious teachings at Al-Azhar has continued unabated over the intervening six nearly decades, till now. Al-Azhar’s two most recent spiritual leaders, Grand Imam Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi (who held that position from 1996-2010), and his successor, current Grand Imam, Ahmed al-Tayeb, have each reinforced this ignoble tradition of promoting jihadism and Islamic Jew-hatred directed at Israel, and Jews, generally.
From January 1989, till his death in May, 2012, David Littman’s tireless efforts to cajole the moral cretins at the UN Human Rights Commission into condemning Hamas’ “sacralized” ideology of genocidal Islamic Jew-hatred, included these admonitions from 2002:
It will be hard enough to strive for the creation of stable, democratic states in the Middle East even without widespread conspiracy theories and the Hamas genocidal charter – a charter denounced neither by Muslim spiritual and political leaders nor by the United Nations…if Hamas refuses to scrap its genocidal charter and renounce the ideology of jihad-war – there can be no possibility of serious progress toward a Middle East peace, with two states coexisting side by side.
Littman’s nearly quarter century of appeals and admonishments went completely unheeded, and the global community is still grappling with the bloodthirsty, Jew-annihilationist aspirations of an unreformed Hamas, sanctioned by mainstream Islam. Israel’s continuing defensive operations are, and will, remain an eminently just and reasonable response to the unconscionable menace posed by a Hamas the rest of the world, ignores, appeases, or abets.
Andrew G. Bostom is the author of The Legacy of Jihad (Prometheus, 2005) and The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism " (Prometheus, November, 2008) You can contact Dr. Bostom at @andrewbostom.org
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Did You Know? offers a quick look at the broad scope of activities underway within the ANSI Federation, highlighting the people and initiatives making waves in standardization.
NEMA Establishes New Electric Vehicle Working Groups
The Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment/Systems Section of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), a member and accredited standards developer of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), has established two new working groups to address gaps in electric vehicle (EV) charging standards as identified in the ANSI Electric Vehicle Standardization Roadmap.
One working group will focus on developing standards for network roaming of public charging stations that permit EV drivers to locate and reserve public charging sites, support roaming that allows charging services from a provider other than the EV user's home charger, and address offline access control at charging stations. To address gaps related to communication aspects of EV meters, a second working group will develop standards that will communicate metering data from the end user to the vehicle.
For more information on ANSI's work in electrical vehicle standardization, visit the ANSI Electric Vehicles Standardization Panel homepage.
NCCER Offers Training Toolbox for the Construction Industry
ANSI member the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) has developed a Training Toolbox for NCCER sponsor representatives, assessment administrators, master trainers, and craft instructors that provides the necessary tools, resources, and practical support to promote the importance of training throughout the construction industry.
The Toolbox offers resources for training new workforce personnel and developing existing employee skills, and business improvement recommendations for devising a plan that fits a broad spectrum of company or organization needs. To access the Toolbox, click here.
IICRC Launches New Website
ANSI member and accredited standards developer the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) recently launched a new website allowing the general public and industry professionals to access resources and information about consumer and registrant benefits, education and training, and standards for the health, safety, and welfare of the built environment.
IICRC is a certification and standard-setting non-profit organization for the inspection, cleaning, and restoration industries. In partnership with regional and international trade associates, the IICRC serves more than 25 countries with offices in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. To access the new website, visit www.iicrc.org.
MHIA Releases Forecast for Growth in Material Handling Equipment
A 16% increase in material handling equipment orders in 2011 is among the positive economic indicators contained in the latest Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing Forecast (MHEM), published by ANSI member and accredited standards developer the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA). Looking forward, the MHEM forecasts up to a 9% growth in 2012 and 12% growth in 2013.
In addition, material handling equipment shipments grew over 17% in 2011, and are forecasted to grow 9% in 2012 and 11% in 2013. And domestic demand grew 19% in 2011 and will likely mirror shipment growth in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
The MHEM looks 12 to 18 months ahead to anticipate changes in the material handling and logistics marketplace. The most recent report is available here.
New DOE Appliance Standards Promise Energy and Cost Savings alongside Consumer Choice and Performance
ISO Launches Database of Standardization Education Materials
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Singapore Corporate Service Provider
Ansunle Management Consulting
Audit & Accounting Firm in Singapore
Incorporation & Business Set-up
Singapore Company Incorporation
Singapore Company Incorporation for Foreigners
Singapore Subsidiary, a Representative Office or Branch Office Incorporation
Why Singapore
Why Singapore is the Best for Doing Business
What are the Requirements for Incorporating in Singapore
The Challenges in Hiring Foreign Workers in Singapore
The Challenges in Hiring Foreign…
Work Visas: The Challenges of Hiring Foreign Workers in Singapore
The guidelines relating to hiring foreign workers in Singapore are becoming tougher. A lot of prominences is currently being given to locals for the higher quality hires, and whether you are a foreigner or a citizen looking forward to getting in some foreign workers to join your workforce, you should know that things have changed and it is not going to be as easy as it used to be a while back. Here is a look at some of the challenges you are likely to run into:
The Fair Consideration Framework
The Fair Consideration Framework was launched in 2014, and it had a direct effect on the rate of work visa approval in Singapore. It stipulated a list of tough hiring requirements that every business bringing in foreigners had to meet before a work visa was granted. This was aimed at ensuring that the citizens and the local workforce could have access to more job opportunities before such were availed to foreigners. With this framework, a lot of work visas are not being renewed, and this implies that the foreign workforce is shrinking at a very faster rate. In a few years to come, you will need to have skills that are completely not available in Singapore for you to have a work visa.
Rules to get tighter after 2018
In addition to the Fair Consideration Framework, rules for employing foreign workers in Singapore have become tighter after 1st of July 2018. A directive was issued that any company interested in bringing in foreigners to join their workforce with a fixed monthly salary of SGD 15,000, such has to be first advertised in the National Jobs Bank board for a period of at least 14 days. The company will be allowed to consider foreign workers only if there are no citizens to fill up that position.
Initially, such a requirement was applicable for positions with fixed salaries of SGD 12,000 and for companies with at least 25 employees. But that has since changed, and everything has to go through the job portal which is a special reserve for citizens and permanent residents.
Dependents are also affected
It is not just foreign workers in Singapore who are affected by the changes, but also their dependents. For example, you may wish to bring your spouse in Singapore when you get a work visa, but things have also tightened on the conditions under which such dependents will be allowed into the city-state. At the moment, if you have a work visa in Singapore, you must have a minimum salary of $6000 for you to bring in your spouse and children. If you want to bring in your parents, then you must have a minimum salary of $12,000. This is an increase of $5000 and $10,000 respectively on the monthly salaries.
As it stands, getting a work visa to Singapore is not going to get any easier and the country is now keener on having the best opportunities for their citizens. However, the country is facing serious problems due to an ageing population and a low fertility rate which is slowly eating into the base of the citizens.
The government is trying to come up with measures to preserve the best for their citizens, as well as to deal with the diminishing manpower, and it will take time before rules are relaxed for foreign workers in Singapore. For business, there will be the need to work with the manpower currently available if the entry requirements for foreigners can’t be met, or there might be the need to sponsor citizens to acquire the specific skills for which a foreign worker may be needed.
Category: BlogBy Ansunle Management Consulting November 19, 2018
Author: Ansunle Management Consulting
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2404 - 17 August 2019
News In Brief – including an export block issued on JMW Turner landscape
A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including a JMW Turner landscape valued at £10m being barred from exported overseas.
ATG Reporter
JMW Turner’s 'The Dark Rigi, the Lake of Lucerne' (1842) could leave the UK unless £10m can be raised.
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Turner Rigi work could leave the UK
A JMW Turner landscape valued at £10m will be exported overseas unless funding can be raised to keep it in the UK.
The current owner of The Dark Rigi, the Lake of Lucerne, painted in 1842, bought it in 2006 and recently an export licence has been applied for.
In 1802 Turner made the first of many visits to Europe during which he completed numerous preparatory sketches. The watercolour at risk of export was completed following Turner’s 1841 visit to Switzerland where he completed a number of studies of the Rigi mountain, and is part of a trio of famous works: The Red, The Blue and The Dark Rigi.
The decision on the export licence applications for the watercolour will be deferred until December 1 and could be extended until June 1, 2020, if a serious intention to raise funds is made.
Turner left behind more than 30,000 works on paper, 550 oil paintings and 2000 watercolours when he died. The work at risk of export is the only remaining work from the Rigi series not in a public collection. A number of Turner pictures have been barred from export to keep them in the UK. In 2007 Tate managed to raise £5m to purchase The Blue Rigi, Sunrise (1842).
NAVA autumn forum announced
The annual NAVA Propertymark Autumn Forum will take place this year on October 10 in Droitwich, Worcestershire.
Attendees will hear from firearms specialist Bill Harriman on the latest firearms laws and Mark Hayward, NAEA Propertymark chief executive, on anti-money laundering laws.
The event will also host the novice auctioneer of the year competition, co-sponsored by ATG parent Auction Technology Group.
The competition involves novice property, chattels and livestock auctioneers hosting a sale in front of a panel of judges and an audience of experienced auctioneers playing the role of bidders.
Cultural goods crackdown
A multi-national police crackdown on illicit cultural goods led to the arrest of 59 people and the seizure of more than 18,000 items.
Police authorities from 29 countries joined forces to launch the operation that was coordinated by the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) and supported by Europol, Interpol and the World Customs Organization (WCO).
The operation, named Pandora III, began last year and investigated the trafficking of cultural goods and focused on online sales made by criminal groups. According to the recently published joint statement from Interpol, the 18,000 items seized included archaeological items, furniture, coins, paintings, musical instruments and sculptures.
Morris/Bauhaus exhibition appeal
An exhibition exploring links between William Morris and Bauhaus, two of the major names in the last 150 years of design, is set to launch in London provided enough money is raised.
Walthamstow’s William Morris Gallery launched a 30-day crowdfunding campaign on July 25 in a bid for the final £15,000 needed to stage Pioneers: William Morris and the Bauhaus. It is planned for October, coinciding with the Bauhaus centenary.
The fundraising campaign is accessible on the Art Fund’s Art Happens site.
FBI and Christie’s return looted vases
The FBI’s art crime team and auction house Christie’s have returned a pair of Louis XVI bronze vases valued at $120,000 that were stolen by the Nazis to the heirs of the original Jewish owners.
They were consigned to Christie’s New York by an unnamed source but it was discovered through the due diligence process, which included checking lost art databases, that the pieces were part of the unrestituted property that had belonged to Lucie Mayer-Fuld in the 1930s.
One of a pair of Louis XVI vases looted by the Nazis and now returned by the FBI to the original owners.
They had previously surfaced in London at an auction in 1997, and then again in another auction in 2000. When asked by ATG, the FBI would not release any details about these earlier auctions nor say whether they were sold or withdrawn but did confirm that they were in a private collection in the US before being consigned to Christie’s.
Christie’s worked together with the FBI to secure the return of the vases.
New high as gold soars even further
The price of gold reached an all-time high at the end of last week as the spot-rate continued to rise above the record levels set the week before.
Gold has risen by 25% over the last three months, while silver also reached a 12-month high last week.
The most viewed stories for week August 1-7 on antiquestradegazette.com
1 Fake or Fortune? art sleuths investigate whether Sir Thomas Lawrence or Maria Cosway painted mystery portrait
2 Rare watercolour of Venice brought into charity shop sells for £2400 at Somerset auction
3 Chinese vase sleeper awakens with £200,000 bid at Felixstowe saleroom
4 Scrap gold rises close to all-time high in UK
5 Yongzheng perfection sets house record in Bath
The multiple of the high estimate of £150 that a 11in (27cm) high Chinese vase sold for at Diamond Mills in Felixstowe.
News in Brief - issue 2284
Mid-century makes its journey to Hong Kong
Chance to buy Westminster street signs at auction as London council upgrades its portfolio
An Art Nouveau brooch and a Charles II pewter candlestick are among seven lots to watch at auction
Top stories this week – including news of Sotheby’s relocating in France
Police alerted to missing collection of porcelain from Wiltshire auction house
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Brazilians’ attitudes toward Arabs, Muslims
Rasheed Abou-Alsamh
Despite the fact that the first Muslims arrived in Brazil over 180 years ago among the slaves brought from Africa to work on Brazilian farms, and that the first Arab immigrants arrived here over a 100 years ago, distorted ideas, unfortunately, still remain in the minds of some Brazilians of what it means to be an Arab or a Muslim.
In the Brazilian imagination, Gulf Arabs are all rich sultans with immense oil wealth and could do anything to earn an extra dime. This stereotype comes from the days when the first Arab immigrants came here and worked as door-to-door salesmen hawking household goods, and were mistakenly called “Turks” because of the Ottoman passports they used to enter Brazil. And like most Arab immigrants to Brazil they were Christians, which made their assimilation into Brazilian culture easier and quicker. In fact, I have met many Brazilians of Arab descent. They do not speak the language, have never been to the Middle East, and have Arab food as the only surviving link, as well as their Arab surnames, to their Arab ancestors.
The Muslim stereotype may be worse in the Brazilian imagination after centuries of brainwashing by the Catholic Church, beginning in the Crusades where the Christian kings of Europe traveled to Jerusalem to wrest control of the holy city from Muslim rulers. For some Brazilians being Muslim seems to be worse than being an atheist or even worse, such is the level of defamatory propaganda against the religion and its followers, and the lack of willingness of these people to learn about the religion of more than one billion inhabitants of this planet. In this distorted view, Muslims are seen as backward, sexist, violent and as terrorists.
The popular soap operas on Brazilian television are also to blame for some of this stereotyping, showing Arabs and Muslims as cartoon characters, presenting them in an exaggerated way. Globo TV’s soap opera “Alto Astral,” that just ended last week after a six-month run, was one of those guilty of presenting rather silly depictions of Arabs. One of the characters was the ruler of a fictional Arab country called “Maktub.” In many scenes, the ruler was shown wearing turbans and fancy shalwar-kameez, which looked much more like something an Indian Maharaja would wear rather than an Arab king.
And that is the problem with many Brazilian authors. For them the Arab world is the same thing as the Indian subcontinent and Turkey. All are orientalisms that these authors use and abuse, mixing the three at will, and make of all of this a cultural swill that makes us shudder because the result is so idiotic, horrible and just plain wrong.
Last week a Syrian friend who lives in São Paulo showed me an article that was published in a satirical Brazilian site about an alleged Arab billionaire who wanted to marry seven Brazilian women at the same time, and would supposedly pay each one $100 million. The billionaire’s requirements were that that women had to accept each other; not be self-interested and marry for love (for $100 million, who would not be self-interested?), and should be between 18 and 45 years of age. A very badly photoshopped photo of the man accompanied the article. Despite being an obvious bad joke, the article was shared 240,000 times on Facebook, and many Brazilian women seemed to believe it. If Brazilians knew more about Islam, they would know that a Muslim man can marry only up to four women at a time, not seven as claimed in the article. And a Muslim can only do this if he treats each wife exactly the same, buying the same things for each, and spending the same time with each wife.
Finally, when the adviser of the Embassy of Oman in Brasilia, Marcelo Bulhões dos Santos, was arrested by federal police on April 24, 2015, on suspicion of falsifying documents, the Brazilian media treated him with total disrespect. Instead of focusing on him being a lawyer, they focused on him being a Muslim and used it to speculate that he had possible links to terrorists. But the police denied that its investigation had anything to do with terrorism. Nevertheless, Veja magazine speculated that Bulhões was the target of an investigation on suspicion of complicity with terrorists and because he had converted to Islam. All this without citing any source or showing any proof of what they were accusing him of. In the magazine’s desperation to paint the lawyer as a sympathizer of “terrorists” Veja cited a statement from Bulhões on his Facebook page supporting the Palestinian group Hamas. Now, everyone knows that Veja is extremely anti-Palestinian, so this criticism is not valid and is certainly no proof that Bulhões is involved with dubious groups.
Worst were the websites that blared Bulhões religion in their headlines, as did the “Diario do Poder”: “Muslim investigated for terrorism worked with Dilma.” I do not see how his religion makes any difference to the story that he had been detained for questioning. This is pure discrimination against Muslims, implying that all are terrorists because of the evil deeds of Al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State. Can you imagine if a Brazilian newspaper had a headline like this: “Jew investigated for terrorism”? It would be taken as a great slander against Jews, and as racist.
Arab and Muslim groups in Brazil have to organize to fight against all these forms of discrimination and stereotypes that they encounter every day in Brazilian society. It is up to us to educate the Brazilian public to respect us and to better know our culture, history and religion that are so rich and ancient.
— The writer is a Saudi journalist based in Brazil.
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point-of-view
Yasar Yakis
Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor
Faisal J. Abbas
Yossi Mekelberg
Sinem Cengiz
Eyad Abu Shakra
Maria Hanif Al-Qassim
Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri
Zaid M. Belbagi
Ray Hanania
Osama Al-Sharif
Richard N. Haass
Andrew Hammond
Chandrahas Choudhury
Ranvir Nayar
Ellen Wald
Asma I. Abdulmalik
Dr. John C. Hulsman
Talmiz Ahmad
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Everything We Think We Know About Drug Violence Is Wrong /
Everything We Think We Know About Drug Violence Is Wrong
Johann Hari
Rosalio Reta was at summer camp, like all the other American teenagers his age. He was a short Texan fifteen-year old with spiky hair, nicknamed “Bart” because he looks like a less yellow Bart Simpson, and loves to skateboard. He was also into the Power Rangers, alternative pop, and Nintendo 64, especially The Mask of Zelda and Donkey Kong.
At camp in this particular year, he was learning useful skills, ones he will remember for the rest of his life. Only at this camp, you don’t learn how to canoe, or sing in a chorus, or make a log fire. You learn how to kill.
When I met him, he was 23, but he could still describe the techniques he learned here and later. Take beheading, for example. “There’s times I’ve seen it they’ve done it with a saw,” he told me through the prison glass. “Blood everywhere. When they start going they hit the jugular and –” he clicks his fingers – “[it’s] everywhere… They put the head right there. The head still moves, makes faces and everything. I think the nerves, you can see inside, the bone, everything’s moving. It’s like they’ve got worms. I’ve seen it move, when it’s on the ground. If he’s making a screaming face, it stays like that sometimes. Sometimes it slacks off.”
I have been thinking a lot about Rosalio as I read the media’s coverage of “drug-related violence.”
At the moment, it is widely believed in the US that what the media calls “drug-related violence” has a simple cause: a person uses drugs, goes crazy, and attacks somebody. That is what your media is telling you is happening all over the country.
I used to believe that too. But then I went on a 30,000-mile journey across a dozen countries to investigate the war on drugs for my book ‘Chasing The Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs’. I spent a lot of time with Chino Hardin, a transgendered former crack dealer in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and I met Rosalio through thick reinforced glass. (You can listen to my interviews with them here. I spoke to the leading academic experts on this, and pored over their research. And it turns out almost everything we have been told about drug-related violence is wrong.
Professor Paul Goldstein decided to look at every killing described as a “drug-related murder” in New York City in 1986, and he found something striking. It turned out 7.5 percent occurred after somebody took drugs and acted irrationally – the story the media presents as the whole picture. A further 2 percent were the result of addicts trying to steal to feed their habit and it going wrong. And all the rest – the vast and overwhelming majority – had a very different cause: one that has nothing to do with drug use at all.
The best way to understand it – and I was taught this by Chino, as he tutored me in the world of crack-dealing – is to imagine you wanted, as soon as you finish reading this article, to steal some vodka. You go to your local liquor store. You put it under your jacket. And if they catch you, they call the cops, and the cops will take you away. So that liquor store doesn’t need to be violent, or intimidating – they are backed with the power and force of the law to protect their property rights.
Now imagine you wanted to steal, not vodka, but (say) cannabis, or cocaine. If the guy in your neighborhood who sells them catches you, obviously, he can’t call the cops – they’d arrest him. So he has to fight you. He has to protect his property rights with violence. Now, obviously, he doesn’t want to be having a fight like that every day – so he has to establish a reputation for being so violent that nobody will dare to fuck with you. The best way to do that is to be terrifying, and to establish your reputation with a few theatrical acts of aggression.
As a dealer, you establish your patch against other dealers by force and terror, and you maintain your patch by force and terror. You don’t just hurt other dealers – you hurt cops, and any civilians who get caught in the cross-fire. The Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman calculated this dynamic causes an extra 10,000 killings every year in the US.
These killings have nothing to do with drugs – they are entirely to do with prohibition. Al Capone wasn’t getting drunk and shooting people up; the St Valentine’s Day massacre in Chicago, at the height of alcohol prohibition, wasn’t carried out by alcoholics. He was killing people to protect his product in a prohibited market. When alcohol prohibition ended, all that violence ended. Ask yourself: where are the violent alcohol-dealers today? Does the head of Smirnoff go and shoot the head of Heinneken in the face? Of course not. It’s not the alcohol that has changed. It’s the decision to stop banning it, and so to take it back from armed criminal gangs, and give it to licensed and regulated legal sellers. If milk was banned, and people still wanted milk, exactly the same process would take place.
This is what is causing the majority of the drug-related violence in the US. The killings that are rocking Chicago – the city Al Capone dominated under the last great wave of prohibition – are just one example, and a huge number of people are being caught in the cross-fire. To pluck just one example: Hadiya Pendleton was a 15-year old cheerleader who performed at President Obama’s inauguration, and was shot by a dealer aiming at another dealer.
This is terrible enough in the US. It is even more horrific in Northern Mexico, where I went for the book, and where Rosalio butchered or beheaded around 70 people, between the ages of 13 and 17. He was sent to his summer camp by one of the deadliest cartels – the Zetas. These gangs control the massive drug trade that runs through the country to supply the US and Europe, and they have simply taken over great swathes of the country. As a result, more than 100,000 people have been killed – for exactly the same reasons the small-time dealer in Kalgoorie was cut up. While Donald Trump shrieks about the border being insecure, he fails to see that the single biggest cause of violence along the border is a policy imposed by the US on the rest of the world.
This violence can be ended, if we make a better choice.
How can I be so sure? I studied the evidence from the US: it only started once the trade was criminalized, and transferred to criminals. And – even more crucially – I went to the countries that have moved beyond the drug war. For example, I went to Switzerland, where heroin has been made legal for addicts, who get it from clinics. The most detailed academic study, by Professor Ambrose Uchtenhagen, found 55% fewer vehicle thefts and 80% fewer muggings and burglaries, and a fall in crime that was – as the study puts it – “almost immediate.”
Do you know how many violent heroin dealers there are now in Switzerland? None. They don’t exist.
There were no violent drug-dealers before the war on drugs; and there are no violent drug dealers after the war on drugs.
But some people worry, totally understandably – wouldn’t there be a big increase in drug use, and therefore the (much smaller, but real) violent crime rate among users? I too was worried about this. But I went to Portugal, where they decriminalized all drugs – and transferred all the money they used to spend on punishing users and addicts, into helping them to turn their lives around instead. Injecting drug use fell by 50 percent, and crimes caused by addicts are significantly down.
When you end the drug war, you can reduce the small amount of violence caused by drug users, and end the huge amount of violence caused by drug dealers.
I stared at Rosalio through thick reinforced glass in a prison in rural Texas. He will be released – if he makes it that long – when he is in this mid-80s, six decades from now. I keep wondering: by the time he feels the sun on his face, will the war he fought and killed for still be raging across the world – or will we have chosen a sane path, at last?
This article draws on material from Johann Hari’s New York Times best-seller ‘Chasing The Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs’; other articles published elsewhere have also drawn on this material. To find out why it is the only book to ever be praised by everyone from Bill maher to Elton John to Glenn Greenwald, go to www.chasingthescream.com or to www.facebook.com/chasingthescream
You can follow Johann on Twitter at www.twitter.com/johannhari101
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Brian McFarlane
Brian McFarlane’s latest book is Four from the Forties: Arliss, Crabtree, Knowles and Huntington, Manchester: MUP, 2018. He has had three overlapping careers, as teacher, academic, and writer. He is the author or editor of over twenty books and hundreds of articles and reviews on film and literature and related matters. He co-edited The Oxford Companion to Australian Film and was compiler, editor and chief author of The Encyclopedia of British Film. His most recent books include: Twenty British Films: A guided tour and Double-Act: The remarkable lives and careers of Googie Withers and John McCallum. He is currently serving as Adjunct Professor at Swinburne University of Technology and as Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University.
Brian McFarlane reviews 'Martin Boyd: A life' by Brenda Niall
Published in November 1988, no. 106
Brian McFarlane reviews 'Simple Gifts: A life in the theatre' by George Ogilvie
Published in October 2006, no. 285
Brian McFarlane reviews 'Sybil Thorndike: A star of life' by Jonathan Croall
Published in February 2009, no. 308
'J.M. Coetzee and Philip Roth on Screen' by Brian McFarlane
Published in June 2009, no. 312
Brian McFarlane reviews 'People of the Book' by Geraldine Brooks
Brian McFarlane reviews 'Dirt Music' by Tim Winton
Brian McFarlane reviews 'Performing Hamlet: Actors in the modern age' by Jonathan Croall
Published in January-February 2019, no. 408
Published in ABR Arts
Brian McFarlane reviews 'Anthony Powell: Dancing to the music of time' by Hilary Spurling
Published in January–February 2018, no. 398
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Officially Official: Jaguar C-XF Concept - pics galore
Jan 3rd 2007 at 1:45AM
click on the image above to view the full high-resolution gallery of 34 pics
Embargo breaking notwithstanding, there is still lots of information to share on the C-XF Concept that Jaguar will officially debut at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week. The design finally breaks Jaguar away from the ball and chain of its own traditions with a decidedly un-retro shape that still manages to exude a feline quality. This cat is more like a lion, however, thanks to a 4.2-liter supercharged V8 producing 420 hp and 368 ft-lbs. of torque driving the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The C-XF also showcases some new technology, including something called JaguarSense that allows certain functions in the cockpit to be activated with a gesture of the hand instead of the push of a button. The interior also employs advanced lighting that bathes the cabin in an electric blue when the vehicle is started. Now, Jaguar's design director Ian Callum and his team want us to know that we are not staring at the next S-Type sedan, though the C-XF does display the brand's new design direction going forward.
As we said, there's lots more material on the CX-F, so check out Jaguar's press release after the jump and a full high-resolution gallery of 34 pics here. They're all 1,280 pixels wide, so feel free to make one your next desktop wallpaper.
[Source: Jaguar]
THE ALL-NEW JAGUAR C-XF REVEALED
All-New Jaguar Concept Car Reveals Dramatic New Design Direction for Future Sport Sedans
IRVINE, Calif. January 3, 2007 – The all-new Jaguar C-XF concept car, a stunning four-door sedan that blends dynamic, modern features with classic, heritage cues, will make its debut at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich. This concept, which boasts a 4.2-liter supercharged V8 engine, signifies a new era for the company and is a clear indication of the design direction for the company's next-generation of sport sedans.
Headed by Jaguar Director of Design Ian Callum and Head of Advanced Design Julian Thomson, the concept was designed by the same team that produced the award-winning 2007 Jaguar XK Coupe and Convertible. The team looked to create a vehicle that presents a confident statement of design purity. In doing so, the C-XF possesses a sense of latent power through a look that is dynamic and athletic.
"The Jaguar C-XF concept is the most dynamic and modern four-door car that Jaguar has ever created, a design showcase heralding the next generations of our sports saloon models," says Ian Callum. "It signals a future for Jaguar that is as exciting as the C-XF itself."
The concept sedan features single, slim-wedged headlamps which have evolved from the twin-lamp motif seen on past Jaguars. The lights are thin and angular, producing an aggressive look for the car's front profile. Running from the headlamps to the rear wheel haunch is an unbroken, main feature line that gives the car a sense of power and movement. Furthering the vehicles aggressive appearance are the muscular bonnet, side power vents, tapered tail and deeply recessed front grille.
The vehicle's modern, sports design philosophy is applied to the cabin as well, with the emphasis tailored toward performance as opposed to luxury. Inside are lightweight, sculpted bucket-style front seats and twin individual rear bucket seats. Running in between the seats is a tall, central transmission tunnel that gives the occupants a sense of sitting deep within a futuristic cockpit. In addition, a brushed aluminum fascia wraps around the cabin, producing a dynamic linear graphic that instills a sense of velocity. Design Director Ian Callum describes the cabin of the all-new C-XF concept car as "one of the most exciting interiors Jaguar has ever done."
Enhancing the cabin experience is the introduction of the vehicle's new technologies that blend simplicity of design with practical innovation. JaguarSense, a prototype technology which employs motion detecting sensors to activate certain vehicle features, reacts to the sweep of a hand, making it advance yet intuitive. Also, the C-XF has a jewel-like Power button that pulses like a heartbeat on the center console and once pushed, aluminum rings lower from the center console to reveal the gear shift knob. As the engine starts, a blue light sweeps around the cabin, the entire roofline illuminates with a muted blue light and a final blue light shines from the front grille, signifying the car's ignition.
The C-XF is not just another concept car – it is much more than that. Its dynamic styling and modern design offer a glimpse to the future for Jaguar. The exterior is pure and athletic, the interior striking and contemporary while the technology innovative and practical. The C-XF is the new direction of Jaguar design.
From its beginning as a manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars in 1922, Jaguar Cars has grown to become one of the world's premier manufacturers of luxury sedans and sports cars and with that, one of the most recognized commercial brands. The company's vision is simple: To produce beautiful fast cars that are desired the world over. The company operates two manufacturing plants in the United Kingdom and is fully engaged in environmental programs, community work and brand awareness exercises such as motorsports.
C-XF
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Barone Defense Firm Home
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Sanilac County Michigan is located on Michigan’s “thumb” and boasts 42 miles of Lake Huron shoreline. The County was named after a Huron Indian Chief by the same name. Sanilac County is relatively conservative politically and has a strong tendency to vote Republican. In criminal cases jurors therefore tend to be on the law-and-order side of things, making it a more challenging county in which to defend criminal cases.
Misdemeanor criminal charges in Sanilac County will be handled before the District Court judge in the 73A judicial District Court. The Court is located at: 60 West Sanilac, Room 302, Sandusky, MI 48471.
The prosecutor on the District Court case will depend on several factors, most directly, the prosecuting attorney’s office who wrote the warrant. Crimes typically handled in the 73A District Court include such common crimes as operating while intoxicated or DUI, domestic violence, many forms of assault and retail fraud. These cases usually begin with an arraignment, after which one or more pretrials will be scheduled. Most misdemeanor cases are resolved through plea negotiations. However, where the prosecutor is unwilling or unable to offer a charge reduction that is satisfactory to the accused, the case will proceed to either a bench (judge) trial or a jury trial.
Felony cases in Sanilac County will begin in the 73A District Court with an arraignment on the warrant. Next, a probable cause conference will be held, followed by either a voluntary “bind over” to the Circuit Court, or a preliminary examination. In those cases where the accused or the prosecutor elects to pursue a preliminary examination witnesses will be called and the District Court Judge will determine if enough evidence has been presented to prove, by a probable cause standard, that a crime has been committed and that the accused committed that crime. If such evidence exists, then the case will be sent to the Sanilac County Circuit Court.
The Sanilac County Circuit Court, also sometimes called the 4th Judicial Circuit Court, is in the same building as the Sanilac County District Court. The room of course is different, being 303 rather than 302, and the jurisdiction is different, because unlike the District Court, the Circuit Court has the power and authority over felony cases. A felony is a crime punishable by more than 1 year in jail, and because felonies are more serious than misdemeanors, they require a judge in a “higher” court to preside over them.
Examples of felony crimes that may take place in the Sanilac County Circuit Court include all felony drunk driving, such as OWI third offense, OWI causing serious injury and OWI causing death. Most criminal sexual conduct crimes prosecuted at the State level (as opposed to federal CSC cases) are felonies, including child pornography called at the state level child sexually abusive material (CSAM), many kinds of financial crimes, various gun and weapons charges and cases involving more serious forms of assault including those causing serious injury or death.
Once a felony case gets “bound over” from the District Court to the Circuit Court, there will another arraignment, called an arraignment on the information, then if a plea is not entered at the arraignment, one or more pretrials. If the case is not resolved through motions or plea negotiations, then the case will set for trial.
If you have been charged with a crime in Sanilac County, then please contact the Barone Defense Firm for your free case review. We have been appearing in Sanilac County since the early 2000s and can apply our many years of knowledge and experience to your case.
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Patrick Barone is the ONLY choice for DUI defense. He was realistic from the start and made it a point to look at my case before taking my money. As a business owner, when I think of attorneys, I think of the "shark infested waters. Patrick is a shark alright, but his prey is not the client; it's justice for his client. Ten stars Patrick!! Chris F.
Attorney Patrick Barone was very helpful and helped me understand the charge and sentence absolutely clearly. He also guided me through step by step helping me form a statement. His instructions were clear and detailed. It was obvious he cared about me understanding every important detail within my case. I would absolutely recommend this defense firm to anyone in need. Aaron B.
The Barone Defense Firm is the firm I recommend. They are truly concerned about the person, not just the legal issue, but the person as well. They are the most knowledgeable defense firm that I am aware of, having actually written the book on DWI Defense. If you are faced with a DWI you will not find a more professional and skilled law firm. But, most importantly, they care about how the accused individual recovers his or her life when the case is complete. Very remarkable group of lawyers. William H.
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Police & Fire: Car and driver in the Battle Creek River
CAR IN RIVER: A 44-year-old woman was taken to Bronson Battle Creek Friday morning after her car went into the Battle Creek River. Battle Creek police and firefighters were called at 8:25 a.m. to the river at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Jackson Street. A witness told officers the car was eastbound on Jackson Street and accelerated at the intersection and drove between some trees and into the north side of the river. Police said the woman left the car and began walking to the middle of the river but then returned to shore. The incident remains under investigation.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Battle Creek police arrested a man, 34, after his wife, 34, said she was assaulted in the 100 block of South Beckman Avenue at 8:48 a.m. Wednesday. The woman sustained minor injuries.
DRUGS: A 60-year-old man was arrested by Battle Creek police after he was found with cocaine near Merritt Street and Cherry Street at 10:10 a.m. Thursday.
Call Silent Observer at 269-964-3888 or text CRIMES (274637) SOTIP or see www.crimereports.com with information about crimes.
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The protests in Iraqi Kurdistan, and the injustices of the Kurdish…
POWERING IRAQ: CHALLENGES FACING THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR IN IRAQ
THE PROSPECTS OF ESTABLISHING A SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND IN IRAQ
Early elections in Iraq.. Challenges and Pathways
Al-Bayan Center
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ISIS and its impact on Iraq: an overview
National security and defense Aymen Al-Faisal - 08/10/2020
Since the formation of the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" or "ISIS" in 2013, Iraq has become the preferred arena for the...
Al-Bayan Center participates in series of discussions in Germany on economic...
Al-Bayan Center meets with European Union Assistance Mission (EUAM)
Al-Bayan Centre participates in a programme of economic and political dialogue...
The protests in Iraqi Kurdistan, and the injustices of the Kurdish...
Constitution, law and justice 12/31/2020
The Anti-Domestic Violence Bill on the Voting Table
Education, Society and Public Opinion 09/03/2020
The Gulf-Iranian Conflict after the Israel-UAE Normalization
Foreign Policy & International Affairs 09/02/2020
Iraqi Women: Fears of a New Economic Crisis
Economics and development 07/26/2020
Al-Bayan Center for Planning and Studies is an independent, nonprofit think tank based in Baghdad, Iraq. Its primary mission is to offer an authentic perspective on public policy issues related to Iraq and the neighboring region. Al-Bayan pursues its vision by conducting autonomous analysis, as well as proposing workable solutions for complex issues that concern academia and policymakers.
Contact us: info@bayancenter.org
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Па́вел Вале́рьевич Дацю́к, центр
The Russian National Team (screw that O.A.R. crap) just won the Gold Medal in Olympic Hockey. Led by former NHL standouts Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk, the Russians squeezed out Germany in overtime, 4-3. As the Olympic flag was raised over the arena, the Russian team started singing their National Anthem. Problem is, their anthem was banned during some Olympic Committee standoff with the Russians over doping allegations.
Point is, they sang the song and the Russians deserved Gold. After the medal ceremony:
"I think from the beginning we had this inkling inside each one of us and then, as we lined up, we said we will sing the anthem and that's it," Bogdan Kiselevich told reporters after the OAR's 4-3 overtime win. *We're prohibited from having the flag so we had to do something at least. We sang because we're Russian people and when you win, the anthem is played. It was in our souls and heart." Questioned whether he was afraid the team would be punished for singing the anthem, Kiselevich responded: "It's freedom of speech."
-CNN February 25,2018
The same day, arguably the best Russian hockey player in the world, Alexander Ovechkin, was helping his NHL team, the Washington Capitals, pound Eastern Conference doormats, the Buffalo Sabres, 5-1. Despite scoring 2 goals, where do you think Ovechkin wanted to be? As great as Datsyuk is, he's 40. So not only did the Russians win, but they won without their best player. Did the Russians have an advantage? Yes they did, because the KHL DID send their best players to PyeongChang.
The Olympics are now history and it's time to start looking toward Bejing. What does NHL Commissioner think about THAT Olympics? Funny you ask, he just held a new conference a few days ago and said this: Scumbag Gary Bettman on 2022 Olympics: ‘I don’t know that we want to go to China’
FIRE GARY BETTMAN
Update March 1, 2018
The video of the Russians singing their national anthem disappeared from the internet. I can't find another version of it anywhere.
#BettmanSucks
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MLB Betting Tips: Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers
July 1, 2019 Rodney K MLB
Monday night features a battle of AL West foes as the Los Angeles Angels (42-43) travel to Globe Life Park in Arlington to take on the Texas Rangers (46-38). While there is currently a gap between these two teams and the first-place Astros (the Rangers are in second but 6.5 games back), the postseason is still definitely in focus for both teams. Texas currently sits in the second Wild Card spot, a half-game ahead of the Indians and the A’s, while the Angels sit 4.5 games back of that second spot. With that in mind, both teams know that every win is vital coming down the stretch.
The pitching matchup for this one features a matchup of southpaws as the Angels will send Jose Suarez (2-1, 5.57 ERA) to the mound to square off with the Rangers’ Mike Minor (8-4, 2.40 ERA). First pitch for this contest is scheduled for 8:05 pm ET.
The moneyline for this contest is set at the Los Angeles Angels +129 and the Texas Rangers -139. The over/under for runs scored is set at 10.
On the offensive side, both of these two come in the top half of the majors in terms of runs per game. The Rangers currently rank fifth overall with an average of 5.47 runs per game (5.70 at home), while the Angels come in at 12th with an average of 5.01 runs per game (4.93 on the road).
On the pitching side, Texas holds a slight advantage, although neither of the two teams is stellar. The Rangers rank 20th in the majors in earned run average with a staff ERA of 4.69 (4.51 at home). For the Angels, they come in at 23rd with an ERA of 4.88 (5.13 on the road).
When you put it all together, it is Texas that holds the edge in run differential. They currently rank 11th with a run differential of +40, while the Angels come in at 15th with a differential of +7.
Angels Look For Road Win
The Angels are in the precarious position of not being especially close to a playoff spot but aren’t too far away either. They would really like to make a push prior to the trade deadline to get a clearer idea of their positioning. Going for the win on Monday will be lefty Jose Suarez. In four starts this year, Suarez is 2-1 with a 5.57 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and opponents are hitting .275 against him.
Suarez is actually coming back up from Triple-A to make this start. In fact, he has kind of bounced back and forth between the minors and the big club all season as his last start with the Angels came back on June 20 (he gave up five runs in five innings to the Blue Jays).
On the offensive side, it is easy to talk all day about Mike Trout, but a couple of other Angels have been contributing this year as well. Tommy La Stella was selected to be an All-Star this season, and for good reason. In the first half, he hit .304/.356/.500 with 16 home runs, 44 runs batted in and 49 runs scored. Additionally, since returning from the injured list, Shohei Ohtani has been on a small tear. In 174 at-bats, he is hitting .299/.356/.552 with 12 home runs, 35 runs batted in and 25 runs scored. Those two mixed with Trout, Justin Upton, and Albert Pujols makes for a formidable lineup.
Texas Tries To Keep Rolling
Despite dropping two of three to the Rays over the weekend, the Rangers have been one of the hottest teams in baseball. In fact, in June they went 18-11 to cut the gap with the Astros from double digits to 6.5 games. Still, they know they have work to do and will turn to Mike Minor to try to get them on the right foot this series.
Minor has been rather impressive this year. In 17 starts he has gone 8-4 with a 2.40 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and opponents are hitting just .221 against him. In 112 2/3 innings, he has allowed just 89 hits, 30 earned runs, 12 home runs and has struck out 110 versus just 37 walks. There was a notion that if the Rangers fell out of contention, he would be a prized trade chip; instead, he has turned into their ace.
On the offensive side, Joey Gallo has been dominating. He is hitting .286/.426/.683 with 20 home runs, 46 runs batted in and 45 runs scored in just 189 at-bats. The Rangers’ offense as a whole has ridiculous power. They have six players that have double-digit home runs and can hit the long ball just about anywhere in the order. They also got one starter in the All-Star Game. Hunter Pence has revitalized his career this season, hitting .294/.353/.608 with 15 home runs, 48 runs batted in and 44 runs scored. All in all, this is a lethal offense that can make opposing pitchers pay.
Rangers Take Game One
For me, this one comes down to the pitching. For the Angels, they are calling on a pitcher that they are pulling up from Triple-A, one that has only made five starts and gave up five runs in his last outing. On the other hand, the Rangers are going with Minor, who has won three games in a row, including a complete-game win in his last outing. Throw on top of that the fact that the Rangers’ offense has been rather lethal this season, and I feel much more comfortable putting my money on Texas. Granted, any time that Mike Trout is on the other side of the field, you have to have doubts, but I think the safer bet is the Rangers at -140.
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Policy and Industry
Submitted by Amanda Doyle on Thu, 2020-04-02 11:46
A Global Look at the COVID-19 Pandemic with Infectious Disease Expert Davidson Hamer, MD
Changing worldwide conditions may merit comprehensive re-evaluation of our public health preparedness and response to viral spread, he suggests.
HealthCity sat down with Davidson Hamer, MD, an infectious disease specialist and expert in travel and tropical medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, to talk about the coronavirus (COVID-19). As COVID-19 has quickly evolved into a global pandemic, and has particularly impacted the United States, Hamer has become an authoritative voice on the virus and its implications for communities locally and abroad.
He offers his insights into the global impact of the virus and how we need to think more comprehensively to prevent future pandemics in conditions that are increasingly conducive to viral spread.
HealthCity: How would you compare this pandemic to others we’ve seen in the past?
Davidson Hamer, MD: The most recent real pandemic was H1N1 in 2009. Experts estimated about 200 million people were infected. The difference with H1N1 is it was influenza — we already had some effective antiviral drugs we could use, and we had vaccines we could use, scale up quickly, and tailor to that stream of the virus. So we were better off, so to speak, because we already had tools in place both for treatment and prevention. With COVID-19, we are starting almost at ground zero.
"With COVID-19, we are starting almost at ground zero."
Going back in time, we've had other bad flu pandemics. In particular, 1918 was a pandemic with many important lessons learned. A lot of people died of bacterial pneumonia, so not having antibiotics at the time was part of the problem, but some of the lessons we learned were that intensive social isolation measures (or what are sometimes called non-pharmacologic interventions) controlled the spread of the influenza virus. There have been some really interesting retrospective analyses of this concept showing that if you start out with non-pharmacologic interventions early enough in an outbreak, you can truly flatten the curve.
HC: What are the worldwide implications of a pandemic like COVID-19?
DH: At this point, we don’t know if every single country in the world has been impacted by COVID-19, but a good majority of them have been. What really worries me as a global health researcher is what's happening in low- and middle-income countries. If we're running out of personal protective equipment (PPE) here, imagine what's going to happen in countries like Bangladesh as this takes off.
HC: How has limited testing influenced our understanding of the virus’s impact?
DH: Certainly the countries that have done best are those that test everybody and then try their best to isolate anyone who's infected to prevent continued transmission. We have not done this very well in the U.S. I'm worried about the approach we've taken — telling people with mild symptoms that they don’t really need to be tested and to just stay at home and tough it out. There's a risk for that person to infect their family members and anybody who they have contact with.
Another strategy that the U.S. has not really started, at least not on a widespread basis, is contact tracing — when you identify and test people who had contact with the infected person over the last 14 days. The problem is, people who have mild symptoms or no symptoms yet would probably be advised to not have the test because they’re in limited supply. Massachusetts Department of Public Health has mentioned they're going to start doing contact tracing, but there are so many other issues they're trying to address concurrently.
HC: What do we need to consider when trying to prevent this from happening again? What risk factors are we up against?
DH: It’s going to require a lot of investigation, but basically, humans having unusual dietary habits can lead to exposure to unknown viruses. And because COVID-19 is capable of human-to-human transmission, it led to a very rapid spread. The risk becomes greater for many other reasons, too. One being that the population of the planet is increasing and therefore, more urban areas are developing, especially urban slums. The demographics of our planet are changing, with a greater number of people living longer, so there are more people who have weaker immune systems and are more susceptible. We also have to consider deforestation and climate change — both can lead to increased interaction between humans and unknown environments.
HC: As these factors continue to change and increase risk, what are you most concerned about?
DH: The two biggest areas that concern me are respiratory viruses like COVID-19 — which can easily spread person-to-person and lead to widespread outbreak — and vector-borne diseases — those carried by mosquitoes and other insects. With global climate change, we're going to be seeing larger-scale outbreaks. Look at the West Nile virus or Zika virus. West Nile was only introduced in the United States in 1999 and then spread rapidly across the country, and Zika appeared in a big way just a couple of years ago. Before then, they were unheard of. We may be facing more of these and other novel emerging pathogens in the future.
"With global climate change, we're going to be seeing larger-scale outbreaks. We may be facing more of these and other novel emerging pathogens in the future." Click To Tweet
HC: What do you hope people take away when we’re past the worst of this?
DH: I hope people begin to better understand how readily transmissible respiratory viruses can be and ultimately implement strategies to reduce individual risk as well as the risk to our overall public health. As a country, we need to better prepare, making sure we can meet the demand on personal protective equipment and have adequate testing. We really fell short on the testing side, which has led to delays in being able to identify infected patients and isolate and quarantine them. We're catching up now, but we're catching up late. And that has an impact on everyone.
Read more related to:
Our Partners in Development
Boston Medical Center’s Office of Development is the hub for philanthropic support for the hospital, honoring the tradition of exceptional care, without exception alongside its generous donors, foundations, and corporations.
Provider Language Choice Associated with Higher Vaccination Rates
Jazmin Holdway January 14, 2021
Trauma, COVID-19 Vaccine Concerns, and the Way Forward
The Editors January 8, 2021
How to Talk With Patients About the COVID-19 Vaccine
David C. Henderson, MD December 23, 2020
HealthCity Newsletter
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About Bonclarken
Map of Grounds
Request for Availability
Event Promotion Toolkit
Weddings at Bonclarken
ARP Events
500 Pine Drive, Flat Rock, NC 28731 (p) 828-692-2223 (e) [email protected]
DirectionsContact Us
Lou Ann Aheron
Director, Human Resources,
Purchasing & Special Projects
Lou Ann has been full time with Bonclarken since 2016. Her responsibilities include hiring and employee onboarding, payroll, purchasing, and managing the Gift Shop. In conjunction with our VP for Operations, Lou Ann coordinates our annual Volunteer Work Week and our summer staff.
Lou Ann grew up in Eden, NC, and Rock Hill, SC. When she is not working, she loves running and working out. Lou Ann also enjoys helping out with the youth group at Reformation ARP Church and the middle school youth retreats at Bonclarken.
Brian Beers
Assistant Director,
Brian came to Bonclarken in 2013. His main focus is care and attention to the cleanliness of our guest housing.
Brian comes to us from the Keystone State, Pennsylvania. When not at work, Brian enjoys playing the guitar.
Zac Burd
Assistant Director, Food Services
Zac has lived most of his life in Hendersonville, NC, and considers himself a native. He started his first job in the kitchen at Bonclarken in 1988.
Zac is an invaluable member of the Food Service team at Bonclarken, knowing all the ins and outs of the kitchen and overseeing all meal preparations for our guests.
In his free time, Zac enjoys tinkering with and riding his motorcycle, playing guitar, and spending time with family and friends.
Jim Champion
Jim moved to Flat Rock, NC from Gastonia, NC. He started at Bonclarken in 2012, with the intention of only helping out in the kitchen for one summer season.
Jim serves the Food Service department as sous chef and leads the part-time staff. He oversees Camp Joy and Camp Bonclarken meals in the the Convocation kitchen each summer.
When he is not at work, Jim enjoys listening to music, hitting a few golf balls on the green, and spending time with his two pups.
Sheri Clarke
Sheri started working at Bonclarken in 1996. As a member of the office staff, Sheri is responsible for individual reservations, property owner dues, financial records, and donor acknowledgements.
Sheri comes to us from Clover, SC, and has been coming to Bonclarken all of her life—both with her immediate family and Crowders Creek ARP Church. Sheri likes to collect interesting stamps that come to Bonclarken in the mail and she plans on using them in a craft project when she retires.
Ashley Clouse
Ashley is our newest full-time employee. He started working at Bonclarken in 2020. He works in the maintenance department, helping to keep our grounds and facilities in excellent condition for our guests.
Ashley originally hails from Ellettsville, IN. When he is not at work, he enjoys hiking with his children.
Gary Cox
Gary has worked at Bonclarken since 2000. He focuses on plumbing and other maintenance projects that help keep Bonclarken running efficiently.
Gary is a native of Hendersonville, NC. When he has time away, he likes to relax by a mountain stream fishing for trout.
Carol Davis
Finance & Facilities
Carol came to Bonclarken in 2014. She oversees all of the financial operations at Bonclarken and manages the Human Resources, Maintenance, and Food Service departments.
Carol is originally from Cocoa, FL, and lived in Tampa, NYC, Atlanta, and Raleigh before making her home in Flat Rock. She and her husband have two grown sons.
Carol especially looks forward to seeing the campers from Joni & Friends and Camp Joy every year. When not at Bonclarken, she loves to hike and work on terrariums, aquariums, and all things growing.
Michael Dill
Mike has been at Bonclarken since 2009. He works directly with Marketing and Programs and also manages the Guest Services and Reservations departments. Mike coordinates our summer staff program and Volunteer Work Week in conjunction with Human Resources and our annual See the Leaves program.
Each summer, Mike trains our recreation staff in first aid, lifeguarding, and other skills. As a member of the Association for Challenge Course Technology, he participates in the Workshops Committee helping to plan workshops for their annual conference.
Mike grew up in a small town in Ohio and traveled around the country working at camps and conference centers before finally settling down in Hendersonville. When Mike is not at work, he loves hanging out beside mountain streams, enjoying great views from the Blue Ridge Parkway, and taking his wife and daughter to Disney World.
Susan Frohlich
Susan worked on summer staff in the Bonclarken office while in college and started full time at Bonclarken in 2015. Susan works with coordinating group details, booking new groups, group billing, and assisting with Bonclarken Camps registration. She also enjoys leading tours and researching and sharing Bonclarken history.
Susan comes to us from Greensboro, NC, where she attended the Covenant Fellowship ARP Church. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Erskine College in 2010 and Master of Arts in History with a Public History concentration and a Museum Studies Certificate from the University of West Georgia in 2013. Her free time is filled with walking, exploring Western North Carolina, and spending time with her church family.
Marcesa Harper
Marcesa's first job at Bonclarken was as a member of the kitchen summer staff in 2004. She continued serving in the summers until 2010. In 2020, she returned as our Food Service Director.
Marcesa is a native of Hendersonville, NC, and a graduate of Gardner Webb University and the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. She oversees all Food Service operations for the conference center and leads a team committed to delivering excellent customer service to Bonclarken guests.
Marcesa lives at Bonclarken with her husband and two children where they enjoy daily visits with the ducks at the lake and getting to know the homeowners and guests on their walks. They also like to go on hikes in our beautiful WNC mountains.
Heather Hayes
Heather joined Bonclarken in 2008. Her main focus is ensuring that the housing and meeting spaces are prepared for the guests of Bonclarken and for them to enjoy their time of inspiration and renewal.
Heather was born in Washington DC, but grew up in Washington State. She loves to camp with her children. In her free time, Heather also enjoys painting and doing crafts, taking care of plants, and rescuing animals. She is a passionate baker and loves to cook for others.
Noah began working at Bonclarken in 2015. He oversees the maintenance of Bonclarken facilities and buildings and grounds projects that provide a comfortable and safe environment for our guests and staff.
Noah grew up in Asheville, NC. After moving away for his father's seminary education and pastorate, he has returned to his Western North Carolina roots at Bonclarken.
Noah and his wife and their four children love living at Bonclarken and being a part of their homeschool and church communities. Noah's passion is mountain biking and doing anything that gets him out on the mountain trails.
Bill Mcgee
Bill started working at Bonclarken in 2014 on summer staff while attending Erskine College. He joined us full time in 2018 when he graduated. Bill works in Guest Services and Housekeeping cleaning guest accommodations and setting up meeting spaces.
Bill is originally from Ware Shoals, SC, and he grew up in the Due West ARP Church. His favorite pastime is drawing— specifically making digital art.
Alex Mooneyhan
Alex started working as a summer staffer at Bonclarken while he attended Erskine College from 2012-2016. Upon his graduation he became the Assistant Director of Guest Services and has been taking care of our guests since then.
Alex is originally from Gastonia, NC. As a member of the Pisgah ARP Church, he has been coming to Bonclarken since childhood. In his free time, he can be found playing board games with his friends or going to the movies. A couple of Alex's favorite board games are Clue and Settlers of Catan.
Samuel Orihuela
Sam has been with Bonclarken since 2000. He works in our Guest Services and Housekeeping departments cleaning and making sure all rooms are ready for guest use.
Sam moved to the United States 30 years ago from Mexico City. Sam loves to garden and spend time with his family when he is not at work.
Nathaniel Pace
Nathaniel started at Bonclarken in 2018. He works in Guest Services and Housekeeping to prepare housing and meeting spaces for guest use.
Nathaniel is a Hendersonville native. When he is not at work, he enjoys building and flying drones. He also enjoys the art of bonsai.
Lynn Rogers
Reservations, Marketing & Communications
Lynn has worked at Bonclarken since 2003. Her main responsibilities include: handling group reservations, managing the office staff, collaborating on publications and social media, and coordinating our camp accreditation.
Lynn is a proud West Virginian! She has also lived in Ohio, Florida, Texas, Mexico, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Argentina. Growing up as the daughter of an ARP pastor and missionary, Lynn considered Bonclarken a home she could return to no matter where she lived in the world. She is thankful that she now gets to help create that same sense of belonging for our Bonclarken guests.
In her free time, you can find Lynn reading, playing video games, experimenting in the kitchen, or hitting the trails. A few of her favorite hikes are Pink Beds (WNC), Grayson Highlands (VA), and the New River Gorge and many state parks of her home state. Lynn also enjoys cataloging the butterflies, dragonflies, and mushrooms of Bonclarken in photographs and cultivating her pollinator garden.
Chip Sherer
Joseph H. (Chip) Sherer became Bonclarken’s President in January 2007. His focus has been and continues to be sustaining Bonclarken’s mission of “providing and promoting a Christian environment for inspiration and renewal.” A native of Starr, South Carolina, Chip holds a Master of Arts from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science from Erskine College. He and his wife Cynthia are proud parents of two children, Emma and Joseph.
“I am honored to be entrusted with guiding a place that Associate Reformed Presbyterians hold so dear. From our founding in 1922, Bonclarken has been a place set-apart, a place of mountain beauty where guests have come to be rejuvenated and more importantly to be inspired and renewed in their faith in Jesus Christ. We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us, those visionaries and servant leaders who laid the foundation that would develop this place into the conference center we all enjoy today.”
Chip is a cabinet member of the Carolinas-Virginias section of the Christian Camps and Conference Association. He has served on the Diaconate at Pinecrest ARP Church. He was inducted into the Erskine College Flying Fleet Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013 and into the Crescent High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.
Chip is an avid golfer— his dream of playing at the Augusta National Golf Club has yet to be fulfilled, but maybe one day….
Jimmy Sherman
Jimmy started with Bonclarken in 2005. He is the Assistant Director of Maintenance and a master carpenter. He works hard to keep our building and grounds in top-notch shape so our guests will have a issue-free visit.
Jimmy is originally from the Hendersonville area. Outside of work, he likes to spend time with his grandkids and ride his motorcycle.
500 Pine Drive
Your financial support helps ensure that Bonclarken will be able to provide a Christian environment for inspiration and renewal to our guests for years to come.
Bonclarken Camps
Music Conference
Volunteering with Bonclarken
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Bahai introduction
Article written by: The British Library
Theme: The Baha’i Faith
An overview of articles relating to the Baha'i Faith.
The Baha’i Faith originated in 19th-century Iran as a development from Shiʻa Islam. As a new monotheistic global religion it emphasised the ‘oneness’ of God with different faiths representing different approaches to the one religion. Today the Baha’i Faith thrives with several million adherents worldwide. The central figure is Mirza Husayn ‘Ali Nuri (1817–1892), who took the title Baha’u’llah, and whose writings represent the latest revelation of the Word of God. He was preceded by Sayyid ‘Ali Muhammad Shirazi (1819–1850), the Bab (‘Gate’), whom Baha’is regard as having paved the way for Baha’u’llah. Both the Bab and Baha’u’llah are termed ‘Manifestations of God’, and are viewed as intermediaries between God and humanity. Baha’u’llah was succeeded by his eldest son ‘Abbas Effendi, known as ‘Abdu’l-Baha (1844–1921) and after him by ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani (1897–1957). Today a nine-man body, the Universal House of Justice, first elected in 1963, is the international governing body of the worldwide Baha’i community.
Introduction to the Baha'i Faith
Peter Smith looks at the central features of the Baha’i Faith, including its history, and the key beliefs, organisation and world-view of the Baha’i community.
Baha'i sacred texts
The Baha’i Faith is a scriptural religion. Dr Moojan Momen explains the Baha’i beliefs about sacred texts and prophets, the transmission and distribution of the scripture and its role in the community.
Central figures of the Baha’i Faith
Dr Moojan Momen explores life of the founder of the Baha’i Faith, as well as the lives of his forerunner and successor. He delves into the key events concerning their beliefs and teachings and reflects on their legacy.
More on the British Library website
Postson the Asian and African Studies blog:
https://blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2019/09/marking-the-bicentenary-of-the-birth-of-the-b%C4%81b.html
Endangered Archives Programme:
https://eap.bl.uk/
Written by The British Library
More articles on The Baha’i Faith
An introduction to the Baha’i Faith
Baha’i sacred texts
Related Collection Items
The Bab’s Star Tablet
Album of Baha’i calligraphy
The Qayyum al-asma' (‘Maintainer of the names’), the first major work of the Bab
The Persian Bayan (‘Explanation’)
Kitab-i Iqan (‘Book of Certitude’), a major Baha’i work by Baha’u’llah
‘Abdu’l-Baha’s treatise on the establishment of a just, progressive and divinely-based government
The ‘Hidden Words’, Baha’u’llah’s mystical sayings
Kitab al-aqdas and other Tablets by Baha’u’llah
Baha’i ‘Revelation’ Writing
Baha’u’llah’s letter to Queen Victoria
The earliest Baha’i publication
Collection of Baha’i Tablets
Supported since inception by
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Pre-1900 Fiction
The Palliser Series
Anthony Trollope The Palliser Series
By megustaleer,
December 31, 2014 in Pre-1900 Fiction
megustaleer
technopobe
LocationSussex by the Sea
Having enjoyed my slow amble through the Barsetshire Chronicles I have decided to give the Pallisers a try.
I have vague memories of this series being dramatised on TV back in the nineteen seventies, but not having a TV at that time, and still having memories of the interminable Forsyte saga, I did not watch any of it.
I have now ordered the unabridged audiobook (22discs ) of the first in the series, Can You Forgive Her? from the library. It is currently on loan from the only branch that can trace it, and is due back in March. My reservation runs out in September.
I do not anticipate posting on this thread for a while, but if anyone has read this book, or any of the subsequent titles in the series feel free to add your comments here.
cherrypie
LocationBedfordshire, UK
Current Book:The Sound and The Fury - William Faulkner
Meg, I have not read any of these books but I did read and loved the Barchester Chronicles this year. I have considered reading this series so will be interested to hear what you think of the first book. Once I have finished Middlemarch by Goerge Eliot I may give it a go.
No significant clergy in book one of the Palliser Series so very different from the Barchester Chronicles, but the style and tone are very similar.
There is the occasional nod towards Barchester, as Plantaganet Palliser is the nephew of the Duke of Omnium and a good portion of the plot concerns whether or not Palliser's wife can produce an heir.
Sir Harry Hotspur of Humblthwaite
By megustaleer
A sad little story, about as near to a tragedy as Trollope comes.
Sir Harry Hotspur is a wealthy land owner. He had a son, of whom he was very proud, and a daughter, Emily, who was bright and obedient. Sir Harry was happy that the future of the Hotspur name was secure, knowing that his lands and fortune and the title would be passed down to his son. The sudden death of this son upset all his plans. The law said that he could leave his estate to his daughter, but the title had to go to the next legal Hotspur, one George Hotspur, a distant cousin, a man of great personal charm but a spendthrift, a gambler and a card cheat.
When George and Emily meet she falls for his charm, and is convinced that she can win him away from his disreputable life to become suitable husband material. Her father is set against any such idea, and tries to find a suitor more to his own taste, who would take the Hotspur name upon marriage, but Emily will not comply
George continues his courtship of Emily, convincing her that he loves her and that only she can save him from his disreputable life. Her father is determined to prove George totally unworthy.
Gradually poor Emily is stripped of her illusions, and when George is finally paid off by her father’s lawyers and leaves her to marry his long-time mistress, an actress who has paid his debts on many occasions, she is carted off to Italy in the vain hope of recovering from her broken heart.
Can You Forgive Her? (Palliser novels)
Can You Forgive Her? is the first book in the series of six Palliser novels (also known as the "Parliamentary Novels") by Anthony Trollope.
The common thread of the series is the wealthy aristocrat and politician Plantagenet Palliser and (in all but the last book) his wife Lady Glencora. The plots involve British and Irish politics in varying degrees, specifically in and around Parliament. The Pallisers do not always play a major role; in The Eustace Diamonds (the third novel) they only comment on the main action.
I am listening to this on an unabridged audiobook read by Timothy West, who was also the reader of the Chronicles of Barsetshire which I have listened to at intervals over the last couple of years. Hearing the same voice reading a narrative that is recognisably Trollope is very comfortable, and though only two CDs in I am expecting to enjoy this, even if it is politics.
It was serialised for BBC television in 1974, and although I didn't follow it I must have seen an episode or two along the way, as I remember very clearly Susan Hampshire in the role of Lady Glencora.
By Momo
The Warden – Barchester Chronicles 1 - Anthony Trollope - 1855
I read this first of the Barchester Chronicles with my former book club in England. I have been trying to read one book every year ever since.I loved all of the books and have started a thread on each one of them so we can discuss the books separately.
Framley Parsonage
Framley Parsonage – Barchester Chronicles 4 - Anthony Trollope - 1861
As all the other novels of the Barchester Chronicles, this book is very interesting as it describes the life of ordinary and non-ordinary people of his time so well. The problems the main character has seem so well known even a decade and a half after his story.
The Barchester Novels
Rescued Thread:
Anthony Trollope - The Barchester Novels
Claire 26th September 2006 01:28 PM
Who else has read any of these?
I reread The Warden over the summer and enjoyed it just as much as the first time.
I liked the fact that the characters were so varied and rounded. Many of them had a touch of the ridiculous about them, but managed to remain likable and plausible, rather than turning into caricatures. I enjoyed the dilemma in the middle of the plot as well - that it wasn't a simple case of "goodies and baddies", and there was some reason and sense on the part of most of the protagonists. I also thought the love story at the centre of it was lightly handled with just the right touch of sentimentality.
I also reread Barchester Towers - another great novel. Mr Slope, The Bishop and Mrs Proudie are wonderfully funny in their political manoueverings - and another sweet love story too.
Does anyone else think there is a touch of Jane Austen in Trollopes dry observations on the silliness of some of his characters?
Haven't read any further in the series yet, but I'm looking forward to doing so, though I'm not sure how much time I'll have for reading once term starts (and Rebecca is next on my list) As someone about to start training for the Church of England, I do hope Trollopes observations about the clergy are not too accurate!!
Phoebus 26th September 2006 05:46 PM
I read The Warden in my early twenties and adored it. Very amusing with lovable characters. I think it was the Penguin edition that I read but the illustrations were fantastic and as good as Phiz.
I was intending on rereading it this year (the first book that I would have ever reread) followed by the others in the series. I wouldn't mind buying a nice boxset of hardback editions.
Everyman or something, but Everyman are in the process of changing their covers so it's a little difficult to be sure of buying the covers with the same style when you're buying on the internet.
Incidentally, I went to school with one of Trollope's relatives. His father was a vicar !
yorkshire rose 26th September 2006 09:47 PM
I loved these. Trollope is so humane, you can tell he loves his characters -even the awful ones. I heard Alan Plater tell a funny story about them years ago: he was giving an after dinner speech at the General Synod. Someone asked him what he was currently working on. He said 'A programme about corruption and nepotism in the Church of England' - gasps and worried faces all around. Then he said he was dramatising Barchester Towers for the BBC - sighs of relief from assembled clerics....
woofwoof 27th September 2006 04:55 PM
I've been working through these for years. So far I've read the first four. I enjoyed "The Warden" very much, but "Barchester Towers" is even better. In this second book, Trollope introduces a whole range of interesting characters - The Bishop, Mrs Proudie, Mr Slope, of course and the Stanhopes. It's fascinating the way that the book starts with Mrs Proudie/Mr Slope as the powers behind the puppet Bishop in their battle with the Archdeacon, the ex-warden (forgotten his name) and the old church establishment. Then of course that coalition falls apart as Mr Slope is drawn in all directions by his conflicting loyalties and ambitions. There are some real gems eg the first conversation between the Bishop's party and the Archdeacon where the Bishop hardly says a word: "the Bishop believes, and I agree with him...". Also when young Stanhope gets chatting to the Bishop at a tea party ("I suppose it must be busy work being a bishop"). Also that wonderful line at the end: "there was one lesson that the Bishop had learned very well and that was never to disagree with his wife again"! One aspect of the story that struck me is the way that Mr Bold dies and leaves all his money to his wife (the warden's daughter). However his sister clearly has inherited nothing from their father - all the money obviously went to her brother who has now left it all to his widow. She has no option but to live with her brother's widow. It seems that whereas Mrs Bold has numerous suitors (being a rich widow), Miss Bold has none (being penniless). Miss Bold is not mentioned in the two later books.
One criticism I do have is that Trollope really doesn't know how to tell a story. The pompous, verbose narrator is too strong a presence in these first two books and poohpoohs the idea of keeping people in suspense about the direction of the plot. In fact halfway through the book he openly tells the reader that such and such a person is not going to marry someone. The ending is also a little bit weak.
After the glories of Barchester Towers, one inevitably feels let down by Dr Thorne - a bit like reading Agnes Grey after Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. It's a good enough little story but is odd in that none of the characters in the first two books appears at all. It's also fairly obvious from about chapter 3 what is to happen. It does however introduce one of Trollope's memorable characters, namely the outspoken oil of lebanon heiress, Miss Dunstable. (No doubt when the book came out Miss D would have appeared to be very outspoken indeed whereas this is a little bit lost on us now). Framley Parsonage is also adequate as novels go. It does have the advantage over Dr Thorne that some of the characters have appeared in the previous novels - e.g. the Bishop and his wife, the archdeacon and his wife make an albeit brief appearance. Also, the plot is a little too similar to the one in Dr Thorne.
Still to come: The small house at Allington and the last chronicle of Barsetshire.
Sorry to keep going on about screen adaptations but I have to say that the BBC's production of the Barchester Chronicles (early 1980s) is absolutely magnificent. The casting was spot on - Geraldine McEwan as the Bishop's wife, Mrs Bouquet's husband as the Bishop, Susan Hampshire as the countess, Alan Rickman as Mr Slope, Donald Pleasance as the warden, and of course the star of the show: Nigel Hawthorne as the Archdeacon. Whenever anyone mentions the archdeacon at our church, I always think of Nigel Hawthorne pompously flapping about...
Found this after starting the individual threads on the different books. But I think this is a great thread to discuss the chronicles as a whole.
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Heart and Science
Wilkie Collins , Wilkie Collins , Wilkie Collins
English novelist, credited with writing the first mystery. Wilkie (William) Collins was born in London on January 8, 1824. His father (also called William) was a landscape painter, but it seems his father had ambitions for his son outside the arts. Wilkie was first found a place in the tea trade, but displayed no aptitude for commerce. He then studied law at Lincoln's Inn, he was admitted to the bar in 1851 but didn't prosper here either. It was only when he started writing that he seemed to find his vocation. His first published work was written in memory of his father, who died in 1847. Memoirs of the Life of William Collins, Esq., R.A. was published in 1848. He started writing fiction shortly afterwards. Antonina was published in 1850 and Basil in 1852. In April 1852 Wilkie wrote a piece for Charles Dickens' weekly: Household Words. This marked the start of a professional relationship which was to last for ten years, and which left both men better writers for their aqaintence. Wilkie was immensely popular in his time, and wrote 25 novels and over 50 short stories. His most successful works were The Woman in White, No Name, Armadale, and The Moonstone. He was one of the first, and is still one of the greatest, writers of mystery fiction, and has been much imitated over the years. He died in London on September 23, 1889
Letteratura, Classici della letteratura, Teatro
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Women in work report highlights importance of training and apprenticeships
by Neil Franklin • HR, News
Self-employed women, who earn an average of 16 per cent less than self-employed men, should be supported with greater training and development opportunities, a new report has said. The government should also remove any barriers preventing young women embarking on apprenticeships, according to the report published by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Women and Work. The report, How to Recruit Women for the 21st Century, is the product of a year’s research by the APPG, which is jointly chaired by MPs Jess Phillips and Gillian Keegan.
The recommendation on self-employment is part of IPSE’s (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) contribution to the report. IPSE’s evidence suggests that the gender pay gap among self-employed people is smaller the greater their skill level. The report warned, however, that it was harder for the self-employed to access training because they often struggle to take unpaid days off work for it.
The report also contains a toolkit to help employers “shift the persistent obstacles that women face when entering, progressing in, and returning to the workplace”. It includes a recommendation to broaden the apprenticeship levy to be used as a training and skills levy. Making the levy more flexible will allow many thousands more temporary workers to benefit from training. To improve fairness in recruiting and selecting candidates allowing women more opportunities in the jobs market, the APPG has also recommended the importance of using recruitment agencies affiliated with trade associations.
Chloé Jepps, IPSE’s Deputy Head of Research, comments: “Women – and particularly mothers – are one of the fastest-growing groups in the self-employed sector. In fact, IPSE’s own research shows that the number of freelance mothers has doubled since 2008. But, as this report shows, like in so many other areas of the workforce there are still far too many obstacles holding them back.
“It is simply unacceptable that in 2019, the average female freelancer still earns 16 per cent less than their male counterpart. It is time for government and industry to step up and address the challenges faced by female freelancers. They should start by opening up more accessible training and development opportunities for female freelancers – and, indeed, all the UK’s self-employed.”
The bumpy road to automation, dancing elephants, free beer and some other stuff Northern English cities bear brunt of government spending cuts
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Why is this image so small?
This image is presented as a "thumbnail" because it is protected by copyright. The Brooklyn Museum respects the rights of artists who retain the copyright to their work.
Louise Nevelson (American, born Russia, 1899-1988). The Shadow City, 1952-1954. Etching and drypoint on paper, sheet: 13 5/8 x 20 3/4 in. (34.6 x 52.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 58.44.2. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 58.44.2_PS6.jpg)
Louise Nevelson (American, born Russia, 1899-1988). The Shadow City, 1952-1954. Etching and drypoint on paper, sheet: 13 5/8 x 20 3/4 in. (34.6 x 52.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 58.44.2. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 58.44.2_bw.jpg)
The Shadow City
ARTIST Louise Nevelson, American, born Russia, 1899-1988
MEDIUM Etching and drypoint on paper
DIMENSIONS sheet: 13 5/8 x 20 3/4 in. (34.6 x 52.7 cm) (show scale)
SIGNATURE Signed lower right in graphite: "Louise Nevelson'
ACCESSION NUMBER 58.44.2
EDITION Edition: 1/20
CREDIT LINE Dick S. Ramsay Fund
RIGHTS STATEMENT © artist or artist's estate
Copyright for this work may be controlled by the artist, the artist's estate, or other rights holders. A more detailed analysis of its rights history may, however, place it in the public domain. The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
CAPTION Louise Nevelson (American, born Russia, 1899-1988). The Shadow City, 1952-1954. Etching and drypoint on paper, sheet: 13 5/8 x 20 3/4 in. (34.6 x 52.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 58.44.2. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 58.44.2_PS6.jpg)
IMAGE overall, 58.44.2_PS6.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2011
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Senator Bernie Sanders 2020 Campaign Update
2020-02-06T16:04:31-05:00https://images.c-span.org/Files/a12/20200206130523013_hd.jpgSenator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, spoke to reporters in Manchester, New Hampshire, to update them on his campaign and in particular, the ongoing counts from Iowa’s 2020 caucuses.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, spoke to reporters in Manchester, New Hampshire, to update them on his campaign and in particular, the ongoing counts from Iowa’s 2020 caucuses.
Filter by Speaker All Speakers Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders U.S. Senator (Class 1) [I] Vermont
Sanders Presidential CampaignSanders Presidential Campaign
Congressional News Conference
Manchester, New Hampshire, United States
Feb 06, 2020 | 1:03pm EST | C-SPAN.org
Feb 06, 2020 | 11:41pm EST | C-SPAN 1
Feb 06, 2020 | 1:03pm EST | C-SPAN 3
Feb 06, 2020 | 4:02pm EST | C-SPAN RADIO
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User Clip: BERNIE IOWA TOO COMPLICATED
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Michelle Hunziker Net Worth
How much is Michelle Hunziker Worth?
in Richest Celebrities › Models
Michelle Hunziker Net Worth:
Michelle Hunziker Net Worth: Michelle Hunziker is an Italian-Swiss actress, musician, model, and TV host who has a net worth of $10 million. Born in Sorengo, Switzerland, in 1977, Michelle Hunziker decided to pursue modeling after she moved to Milan, Italy with her mother. She landed an agent and began working with famed brands such as La Perla, Rocco Barocco, and Armani. Hunziker faced backlash from some in the industry who claimed she was too short and fat to model successfully. In 1990, she began hosting the TV series "Paperissima Sprint". Two years later, she was the co-host of "Scherzi a parte". In 1996, Hunziker appeared in an episode of "I misteri di Cascina Vianello". She also appeared on "La forza dell'amore" and "Voglio stare sotto al letto" before becoming the host of "Erstes Gluck" in 2000. She starred in 2004's "Love Bugs". Her other recent TV and film credits include "Ancient Warriors", "Natale in crociera", "Natale a Rio", and "Christmas in Beverly Hills". Hunziker has appeared in several musicals, including "Cabaret" and "The Sound of Music" in Italy. She hosted the popular Festival di Sanremo in 2007, an Italian singing competition. In 1998, Hunziker married famous Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti. They had one child together before their 2002 separation and 2009 divorce. Hunziker is now with her partner Tomaso Trussardi, with whom she has a daughter.
Eros Ramazzotti Net Worth
Vanessa Hessler Net Worth
Allan K Net Worth
Date of Birth: Jan 24, 1977 (43 years old)
Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m)
Profession: Actor, Model, Singer, Presenter
Nationality: Switzerland
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Michela Quattrociocche Net Worth
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Capucine Poncet
Capucine is currently working on a contemporary art exhibition initiated by the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Family Research, organised by the Fitzwilliam Museum and curated by Coralie Malissard. The exhibition seeks to present a diverse, complex and authentic view of family life in the light of Professor Susan Golombok’s research and from the lens of the contemporary artistic production.
Prior to this, she received her MA in Curatorial Studies from The Courtauld Institute of Art, London in 2019, after completing her BA in History of Art at the University of Glasgow in 2018, for which she completed dissertations that respectively looked at the reception of the work of Félix González-Torres and Simon Hantaï. She has contributed to modern and contemporary art exhibitions at institutions including Musée National Picasso, Paris, Barbican Art Gallery, London, Somerset House, London and Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, has published reviews in various publications and organised panel discussions for the Courtauld Institute of Art’s Research Forum.
Not available for consultancy
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Civil Litigation Brief
Updates and Commentary on Civil Procedure, by Gordon Exall, Barrister, Kings Chambers, Leeds, Manchester & Birmingham.
Browse: Home » 2018 » February » 15 » THE COURT “REGRETTED IF NOT DEPLORED” EXCESSIVE EXPENDITURE ON JURISDICTION ISSUES: COURT OF APPEAL DECISION
THE COURT “REGRETTED IF NOT DEPLORED” EXCESSIVE EXPENDITURE ON JURISDICTION ISSUES: COURT OF APPEAL DECISION
February 15, 2018 · by gexall · in Appeals, Applications, Bundles, Case Management, Proportionality
In Ogale Community & Ors v Royal Dutch Shell Plc & Anor [2018] EWCA Civ 191 the Court of Appeal made observations about the need to keep applications about jurisdiction in proportion.
“... hearings concerning the issue of appropriate forum should not involve masses of documents, long witness statements, detailed analysis of the issues, and long argument. It is self-defeating”
The claimants were bringing an action against the defendants alleging loss following oil leaks in the Niger Delta. The claimants were unsuccessful on the issue of jurisdiction, they then appealed to the Court of Appeal. The claimants were equally unsuccessful. However the Court made some observations about the way in which the applications had been conducted.
THE JUDGMENT
“C. The approach to the issue of jurisdiction
1. Initial observations
This appeal and the hearing before the Judge raise in stark form how the court should, and can properly be expected to, determine the issue of jurisdiction.
The issue was considered by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury in VTB Capital plc v. Nutritek International Corp [2013] 2 AC 337:
82. The first point is that hearings concerning the issue of appropriate forum should not involve masses of documents, long witness statements, detailed analysis of the issues, and long argument. It is self-defeating if, in order to determine whether an action should proceed to trial in this jurisdiction, the parties prepare for and conduct a hearing which approaches the putative trial itself, in terms of effort, time and cost. There is also a real danger that, if the hearing is an expensive and time-consuming exercise, it will be used by a richer party to wear down a poorer party, or by a party with a weak case to prevent, or at least to discourage, a party with a strong case from enforcing its rights.
83. Quite apart from this, it is simply disproportionate for parties to incur costs, often running to hundreds of thousands of pounds each, and to spend many days in court, on such a hearing. The essentially relevant factors should, in the main at any rate, be capable of being identified relatively simply and, in many respects, uncontroversially. There is little point in going into much detail: when determining such applications, the court can only form preliminary views on most of the relevant legal issues and cannot be anything like certain about which issues and what evidence will eventuate if the matter proceeds to trial.
In the following paragraphs Lord Neuberger referred to the number of occasions on which the courts had regretted, if not deplored, the expenditure of time, effort and financial resources on jurisdiction issues, see for example, Cherney v. Deripaska (No.2) [2009] EWCA (Civ) 849 at [6] and [7]; Friis v. Colburn [2009] EWHC 903 (Ch) at [3] and [5]; and Alliance Bank JSC v. Aquanta Corp [2012] EWCA (Civ) 1588 at [4].
At [89] he referred to the court’s case management powers and added:
Accordingly, judges should invoke those powers to ensure that the evidence and argument on service out and stay applications are kept within proportionate bounds and do not get out of hand.
In the present case, the central issue is relatively easy to state: whether the claimants are able to demonstrate (to the standard required) that RDS owed them a duty of care (in the relevant respects). For reasons that I will come to, neither the hearing of the application nor the appeal proceeded as it should.
Before elaborating on this point, I would note that this is not the type of case, referred to by Lord Neuberger in [82] of the VTB Capital case (above), where there was a risk that one party was seeking to wear down the other party by the deployment of superior resources. Both parties are well-resourced and neither has been diffident about introducing material that it believed would advance its case on the application and the appeal.
2. The practical issues arising on the application and appeal
The parties deployed a large number of witness statements and exhibits before the Judge and on this appeal.
At the hearing before the Judge the parties’ ‘skeleton arguments’ ran to 259 pages, plus 17 additional pages of detailed criticism of the other side’s case and 61 pages of post-hearing notes. RDS deployed 13 lengthy witness statements and 3 expert reports; and the claimants served 15 witness statements and 2 expert reports. The total length of the witness statements ran to over 2,000 pages of material, quite apart from the 8 files of exhibits.
In advance of the appeal, the claimants and defendants served further skeleton arguments and additional material running to 40 pages with the permission of Jackson LJ, and RDS served a further skeleton argument of 19 pages. Following the conclusion of the hearing the Court invited the parties to serve additional written material which they had not been able to deploy in the 3 days set aside for the hearing of the appeal. The parties took this to be an invitation to set out further lengthy written submissions much of which amounted to re-argument.
I mention these matters because it seems to me that the hearings of what should have been a confined issue became overburdened with paper long before the hearing of the appeal; and it is in the light of this background that the criticisms of the Judge must be seen.
Although I will endeavour to deal with all the relevant material, I am firmly of the view that steps must be taken by courts to control and limit what is placed before the Court in the future, as Lord Neuberger indicated at [89] in the VTB Capital case (above).
The Judge in the present case was also concerned about the nature of the hearing. He expressed himself at [10] of the judgment as follows:
I am however firmly of the view that the views of Lord Neuberger must be observed. The current approach of parties in litigation such as this is wholly self-defeating, and contrary to cost-efficient conduct of litigation. This case is an ideal example of one with ‘masses of documents, long witness statements, detailed analysis of the issues, and long argument’ being deployed on both sides. The costs burden upon the parties must be enormous, and this approach is, in my judgment, diametrically opposed to that required under the overriding objective in CPR Part 1. It would be regrettable if the only way that compliance could be ensured were to be by the court imposing a strict limit on the number of witness statements that could be lodged, and also restricting their length. Experienced legal advisers ought not to need such strictures in order to concentrate their minds. However, a fundamental change of approach is required by the parties in cases such as these for applications of this nature.
With those observations, and in particular the last sentence, I entirely agree.
In a case where the central issue is whether a duty of care is owed by an anchor defendant to a claimant, one would expect the facts giving rise to that duty to be set out in a pleading and a statement of truth. If a defendant challenges the factual assertions in a Particulars of Claim it can do so in witness statements in response, with an opportunity to a claimant to provide a witness statement in reply. The parties should not be allowed to file large quantities of material, much of which is unlikely to resolve the central issue, without the leave of the court. On any view of the matter such cases need watchful case management before they come to a hearing.”
Tags: Applications, Conduct, hearings
← LIMITATION: DATE OF KNOWLEDGE: IT IS A MATTER OF FACT
SECTION 33 IN AN INDUSTRIAL DEAFNESS CASE: COURT OF APPEAL SAYS NO →
© Gordon Exall, Civil Litigation Brief, 2013-2021. Unauthorised use and or duplication of the material contained on this blog without permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Gordon Exall and Civil Litigation Brief with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
PROVING THINGS 203: EVIDENCE AND SCOTT SCHEDULES IN COERCIVE CONTROL CASES: SCOTT SCHEDULES “INEFFECTIVE AND FREQUENTLY UNSUITABLE”
ANOTHER WITNESS STATEMENT THAT STRAYED INTO INADMISSIBLE ARGUMENTS, PROTRACTED COMMENTARY AND EXPERT EVIDENCE
CLAIMANTS SUED THE WRONG (NON-EXISTENT) DEFENDANT – AND THE LIMITATION PERIOD HAD EXPIRED: DON’T START BREAKING THE CROCKERY JUST YET
PROVING THINGS 201: THE WHITE LION HOTEL CASE AND PROVING BREACH OF DUTY BY AN OCCUPIER
LAWFULNESS OF DAMAGES BASED AGREEMENTS UPHELD BY THE COURT OF APPEAL
CLAIMANTS SUED THE WRONG (NON-EXISTENT) DEFENDANT - AND THE LIMITATION PERIOD HAD EXPIRED: DON'T START BREAKING THE CROCKERY JUST YET
PROVING THINGS 203: EVIDENCE AND SCOTT SCHEDULES IN COERCIVE CONTROL CASES: SCOTT SCHEDULES "INEFFECTIVE AND FREQUENTLY UNSUITABLE"
Coronavirus: Guidance for lawyers and businesses
Fatal Accident Law
Personal injury: Liability and Damages
Munkman & Exall on Damages for Personal Injuries and Death 14th ed
The APIL Guide to Fatal Accidents 4th edition
Kings Chambers
Kings Chambers Costs & Litigation Funding
Kings Chambers Serious Injury
The Civil Procedure Rules
www.Bailii.org
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Texas D.W.I. Driver’s License Suspension Following Arrest
December 6, 2018 by Case Darwin
After a D.W.I. arrest, such person has issued a temporary driving permit, which is good for 40 days only. See Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 724.035(c) (West 2018). After 40 days, your driver’s license will be suspended. See Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 724.035(c) (West 2018). The natural question is for how long will my driver’s license be suspended for?
Driver’s License Suspension for Refusal to Allow the Taking of a Specimen
Generally, your license will be suspended for 180 days based on your refusal. See Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 724.035(a) (West 2018). If you refuse and have a prior D.W.I. conviction or prior refusal within the past 10 years, the driver’s license suspension period is for 2 years. Id. § 724.035(b) (West 2018).
Driver’s License Suspension for Failure to Pass Test of Where D.W.I. Is by a Minor (Under 21 years of Age)
Generally, for an adult, your license will be suspended for 90 days if you failed the test. See Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 524.022(a)(1) (West 2018). If you have a prior D.W.I. or refusal within the past 10 years, your license will be suspended for 1 year. See Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 524.022(a)(2) (West 2018). If you are a minor (under 21 years of age), your driver’s license will be suspended anywhere from 60 days to 180 days, depending upon whether such minor has previous alcohol-related offenses. See Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 524.022(b)-(c) (West 2018).
Challenging the Temporary Driver’s License Suspension
If you want to challenge your driver’s license suspension, you must request an ALR hearing within 15 days of your arrest. This hearing is to determine whether or not probable cause existed or not to charge you with a D.W.I. If there was probable cause, your driver’s license will remain suspended.
Obtaining an Occupational License
Also, you may be eligible for an occupational license during your driver’s license suspension period. A court may not grant an occupational license for persons driving with a commercial license (“CDL”). See Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 521.242(f) (West 2018). A minor is eligible for an occupational license but must wait either 30 or 60 days and, in some cases, is not eligible whatsoever. See Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 524.022(d) (West 2018).
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Home » News » Europe
‘It’s quite sad at the moment’: coronavirus curbs deprive part of border parish of public Masses
St. Brigid’s, Glassdrummond, one of the three churches of the Parish of Upper Creggan. Credit: uppercreggan.co.uk.
CNA Staff, Oct 15, 2020 / 09:05 am MT (CNA).- As the clock struck midnight on Oct. 6, Fr. Dermot Maloney’s parish underwent a dramatic transformation -- though it remained invisible to the naked eye.
The Irish government decreed that from Oct. 7 the whole country would be placed under “Level 3” restrictions for three weeks as a result of an increase in coronavirus cases. Public worship would be suspended for a second time this year.
This created a peculiar situation in the Parish of Upper Creggan because it straddles the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, where public Masses are still permitted, albeit with restrictions.
Maloney would therefore only be permitted to celebrate Mass with a congregation present in two of the three churches in his parish: St. Patrick’s, Crossmaglen, and St. Brigid’s, Glassdrummond.
The parishioners at his third church -- Sacred Heart, Shelagh -- are not, however, permitted to attend public worship. (The parish’s relationship to the border can be seen on this map.)
Maloney told CNA Oct. 15 that the situation was a “sad” anomaly.
“I think it’s quite sad at the moment that we’re not able to minister as fully as we would like to do,” he said.
Maloney himself is based in Crossmaglen, a village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. When he drives south to serve parishioners at Sacred Heart, Shelagh, there is no indication that he is crossing a border, apart from the road signs changing from miles to kilometers -- the preferred unit of length in the Republic of Ireland.
Asked how parishioners in Shelagh were coping with the changes, he said: “They’ve just accepted it, because all their neighboring parishes in County Louth are the same.”
The plight of the Parish of Upper Creggan has caught the attention of Maloney’s archbishop.
Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh told CNA last week: “Part of my diocese is in Northern Ireland. And the other part of my diocese is in the Republic of Ireland, and as of yesterday the Republic of Ireland restrictions don’t allow us to gather for public worship. In Northern Ireland, we can still have public Masses.”
Martin and the three other Catholic archbishops of Ireland have requested a meeting with Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin to seek the restoration of public worship in all parishes.
Fr. Maloney said: “It would be easier if we had one rule for all. It would be a lot easier if there was more cooperation, that we weren’t trying to think of two different rules and regulations at the one time.”
Armagh is not the only diocese that has to deal with two different sets of coronavirus regulations.
In a statement Oct. 15, Bishop Larry Duffy, who leads the Diocese of Clogher, said: “As bishop of a diocese that is divided by the border, I am very aware of the fear, frustration and inconvenience that people are experiencing.”
“I am especially conscious of the loss felt by so many on the southern side of the border at not being able to celebrate public Mass together. In fact, in some of our parishes Mass is available in one part while not in the other.”
“The Eucharist is an essential part of the spiritual nourishment of Catholics and I look forward to the day when we can all celebrate it again.”
Asked what the ideal outcome would be for the Parish of Upper Creggan, Maloney said: “That things will go back. That there’ll be a vaccine got for the coronavirus and that everything will be able to operate as it was prior to the coronavirus.”
“And people will be able to come to Mass and able to pray for their loved ones, and able to have their weddings and their baptisms and their celebrations, with no limits to numbers that can come to them. At the moment, we’re very limited to the numbers we can have in our churches.”
Tags: Catholic News, Catholic Church, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Coronavirus
‘It places Christ at the center’: All-Ireland Primate’s rosary crusade against COVID-19
The Primate of All Ireland has launched a nationwide Family Rosary Crusade, encouraging...
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History & Successes
Data Quality and HMIS Guides
Point-In-Time (PIT) Count
Youth Outreach & Count
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CT HMIS Steering Committee
Empowering the Field
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2020 Annual Training Institute
Document Ready
One of the most time-consuming processes in housing a client can be getting them document ready. This webinar focuses on tips to expedite the process of getting the forms in order, from disability verification to housing history for chronic clients, as well as what each kind of program requires and how to lower the barriers to advocate for your client. This webinar includes important updates from the Department of Housing, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the Balance of State.
Getting clients document ready is part of the Zero:2016 initiative to end chronic homelessness by the end of 2016. Chronic homeless client can pose some of the most difficult challenges in getting disability verification, verification of chronicity, and other barriers. This training helps to address these challenges and help to get navigate the path to documentation.
Department of Housing and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services funded agencies are strongly encouraged to have front line and management staff view the recorded webinar or attend an in-person training. Click here to check for upcoming trainings or view the recorded webinar below.
Webinar on Accelerating the Pace: Moving your Clients into Housing
Click here for Brief Tutorial on Completing the Documentation for Chronic Homeless Clients
Click here to View full Live Recording
Sarah Fox, Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness
Kara Capobianco, Department of Housing
Leigh Church-Shields, Department of Housing
Alice Minervino, CT Department of Mental Health & Addiction Servicess
Beau Anderson, Department of Housing
Document Ready Powerpoint
HUD: Flowchart on HUD’s Definition of Chronic Homelessness
HUD: Sample Chronic Homelessness Documentation Checklist
When to Administer the VI-SPDAT
HMIS Process: Accessing the Client Face Sheet
HMIS Process: Upload Documents
Disability Verification for Chronic Homelessness
Connecticut Balance of State Continuum of Care Eligibility Verification Resources
Zero: 2016, 90 in 90 Challenge
Quick Reference Guide to the HUD Definition of Chronic Homeless
257 Lawrence Street Hartford, CT 06106
Keep up-to-date on our advocacy and programs with our Monthly Newsletter.
© 2015 Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness
MUNICIPAL WORKSHOP: Sustainable CT Homeless Certification
CCM and Sustainable CT join CCEH in presenting a draft of proposed actions for a new Homelessness certification framework for feedback from your membership. Our goal would be to present our work to date as a proposed roadmap for how towns and cities across the state can take concrete steps to address homelessness in their towns and surrounding communities. This session will be a “roundtable” format to provide input on the framework and more broadly on how we can support municipal staff in meeting the needs of residents confronting homelessness.
Panelist:
Alyssa Norwood
Sustainable CT
Lisa Noriega
Environmental Intern
Housing Plus Services: Understanding and Meeting the Health and Support Needs of People Experiencing Homelessness
Join us for a special discussion about how we understand and meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
Beacon Health Options
Steve DiLella
Connecticut Department of Housing
Sarah Gallagher
The Corporation of Supporting Housing
Eliminating Shelter Waitlists
People who cannot be diverted from shelter end up on long-waitlists when there is no room in shelters. This panel discussion will explore ways to eliminate the shelter waitlist.
Kay Moshier McDivitt
National Alliance to End Homelessness
Jessica Kubicki
Supportive Housing WORKS
Hamden Virtual Town Hall
Join a special panel showcasing how one of Connecticut's 169 towns is finding innovative ways to meet the needs of town residents facing homelessness.
Richard Cho
Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness
Adam Sendroff
Town of Hamden
Phil Costello
Cornell Scott Community Health Center
William C. Onofrio
Hamden Police Department
Lisbette De La Cruz
Columbus House
Theresa Ott
Hamden Public Schools
MUNICIPAL WORKSHOP: Mayor’s Homelessness Prevention Task Force
CCM Homelessness Task Force Chairs Ben Blake and Erin Stewart join CCM’s Joe Delong and CCEH's Richard Cho in a roundtable discussion celebrating the role that municipalities played in staving off the spread of the pandemic within our state among those experiencing homelessness and to explore where we go from here. The session will kick off with introductions from Joe, Mayor Blake and Mayor Stewart and will include a presentation on the current state of homelessness in CT municipalities and the proposed Sustainable CT framework (in draft form for feedback) before opening up to discussion between mayors and first selectmen about measures towns and cities can take together to end homelessness in their communities.
Joseph DeLong
Connecticut Conference on Municipalities
Mayor Erin Stewart
City of New Britain
Mayor Benjamin Blake
City of Milford
Lynn Stoddard
TRAINING: Critical Time Intervention in Rapid Re-Housing Programs
Critical Time Intervention (CTI) is a time-limited evidence-based practice that mobilizes support for society’s most vulnerable individuals during periods of transition. It facilitates community integration and continuity of care by ensuring that a person has enduring ties to their community and support systems during these critical periods. This workshop will provide an overview of CTI and focus on the benefits of using a housing-focused CTI case management model in Rapid Re-Housing programs. During the workshop we will discuss how to measure the impact of CTI, share successes and discuss challenges and lessons learned along the way. In addition to CTI, other best practices and recommended tools and strategies providers can use to improve the success of their Rapid Re-Housing programs will also be discussed.
Dr. Carolyn Hanesworth
Randy Grant
New Reach
What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You: Helping Clients Face Their Health Fears
The COVID-19 pandemic has made even clearer that the key to health is regular health monitoring, screening, and testing. At the same time, people experiencing homelessness have had many of the same fears and anxiety with COVID-19 testing that they have exhibited when faced with testing and health monitoring for other health conditions--from cancer to HIV/AIDS to Hepatitis C. While these fears and anxiety are understandable--people experiencing homelessness are already under significant stress and also worry about how they will manage health conditions given their lack of stable housing--they nevertheless serve as barriers to getting people the care and treatment they need to improve their health status. This workshop will discuss how health fears have served as a barrier to helping people experiencing homelessness confront and address health issues, as well as on strategies to empower clients to overcome fears and confront their health needs.
Kasey Harding
Linda Casey
Jim Pettinelli
Liberty Community Services
Nancy Sienkowski
Community Health Network of CT
Traci Burdick
ROUNDTABLE: The Changing Landscape of Homeless Outreach During COVID-19
This roundtable discussion will ask homeless outreach providers how their work has changed in 2020, and allow people with lived experience to share what homeless outreach services meant for them.
Facilitator:
David Gonzalez Rice
Michele Conderino
Open Door Shelter
David Horst
NLHHC
Marianne Farr
The Friendship Center
Samm Williams
Sharice Coleman
Help, Not Handcuffs: Improving and Reducing Police Responses to Homelessness and Behavioral Health Crises
Homelessness presents challenges to police officers. Learn about innovative alternative approaches police are taking.
Brian Preleski
Connecticut State's Attorney
Kimberly Karanda
DMHAS
Nydia Rios-Benitez
DMHAS Office of the Commissioner
Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement (CABLE)
Sgt. Michael Fumiatti
Wanda Jofre
Community Mental Health Center
A Tour of the Homeless Response System
Join staff from 211, a local diversion center, and a local shelter for a special tour of the homeless response system. This tour will help you understand how our members partner to assist clients facing homelessness.
Madeline Ravich
Tanya Barrett
United Way of Connecticut
Bobbi Riddick
Kandyce Aust
South Park Inn
Jane Banks
Maryann Herbert
When Kids Experience Homelessness
Identifying and resourcing minors experiencing homelessness relies on a patchwork of providers from Runaway Homeless Youth grantees, McKinney Vento liaisons and the Department of Children and Families. This presentation, discussion and response session will combine advocates, service providers and young people to take a critical look at the current system of services and suggest change. The strength of peer-to-peer networks will be emphasized in the context of school-community partnerships and youth leadership opportunities.
Marina Marmolejo
DreamKit
Tim Maguire
Youth Continuum
Chris Venable
KEYNOTE: COVID-19, Systemic Racism, and Homelessness
People experiencing homelessness and the people who serve them have been hit this year with a perfect storm: a new public health crisis layered on top of the long-standing crisis of homelessness on top of the even longer-standing crisis of systemic racism. These intersecting challenges feel insurmountable, but they can be overcome. The first step is to understand how we got here, and then identify the steps we can collectively take to weather and to overcome them. National Health Care for the Homeless Council CEO Bobby Watts will share his national and historical perspectives on the intersecting crises of COVID-19, systemic racism, and homelessness, and provide his thoughts for the blueprint for tackling these crises.
Bobby Watts
National Healthcare for the Homeless Council
Building Community for People With Disabilities Experiencing Homelessness
Join us for a special discussion about special considerations for resolving homelessness for people with disabilities.
Kathy Flaherty
Connecticut Legal Rights Project
Sandra Roberts
Center for Disability Rights
Eileen M. Healy
Independence Northwest
Erin Kemple
CT Fair Housing Center
Building Our Movement
It takes a village to end homelessness. Join us for a vibrant discussion about how we can mobilize people throughout Connecticut to advocate for our work.
Sue Murphy
Liberty Bank Foundation
Tiheba Bain
Women Against Mass Incarceration
Matt McDermott
Anderson Curtis
ACLU-CT
PANEL: Building our Movement
KEYNOTE: Get Out The Vote Rally
The stakes have never been higher. Join us for a special conversation about why this upcoming election matters so much and hear how grassroots advocates are adopting innovative approaches to getting out the vote during COVID-19.
National Field Director
Ann Faust
Coalition on Housing and Homelessness
Bob Joondeph
Disabilities Rights Connecticut
Deni Young
Clayton Burkhardt
Family Homelessness
Join us for a special discussion about special considerations for working with families experiencing homelessness.
Monica Torrijos
Lisa Limone
Nancy Ramos
Jessica Remmey
Mental Health Connecticut
Shanaya Metz
Marlenis Garcia
Denise Kilic
Normaliza Paucar
Family and Children's Agency
Ashley Butler
Felicity Eles
Shelter Now
Kaitlen Mcgriff
Alysia DaSilva
Nancy Cannavo
Sheyla Ramos
Access Agency
Silvia Narvaez
Beth-El Center
Nadine Joyner
Spooner House
Trisha Shah
Always Home
Willem Donahue
NWCT YMCA
Margaret Frias-Negron
Christian Community Action
Christine Thebarge
St. Vincent DePaul
Jim Mourneault
Faith Roldan
Friendship Service Center
Training: Shelter Diversion
This workshop will explore problem-solving tools that you can use to support clients in finding housing solutions.
Marcy Thompson
Stop the Revolving Door
Join us for presentations from key partners in the creation and implementation of one of CT's newest programs focused on reducing the intersection between incarceration and homelessness. Panelists will share background, goals, and progress related to the Department of Correction Re-entry Housing Assistance Program (D-RHAP). Topics will include project history, program goals and design, roles of collaborative partners; and preliminary data, outcomes, and stories.
Mary Ann Haley
Eleanor Michael
CT Office of Policy and Management
Court Support Services Division
Nicole Thibeault
CT Department of Corrections
Ron Steed
New London Homeless Hospitality
KEYNOTE: Justice Starts at Home: A Conversation on Criminal Justice, Housing, and Segregation
While Connecticut has made significant criminal justice reforms in the last several years—leading to significant reductions in incarceration levels—Connecticut continues to see significant racial disparities in its criminal justice system, as well as continuing challenges with meeting re-entry needs among people leaving prisons. Many believe that these disparities and challenges stem from issues that relate to housing access: the criminalization of homelessness, the lack of housing options for people leaving the criminal justice system, and residential segregation that results in disparities in policing patterns and outcomes. These intersections compel us to ask: Is the next frontier of criminal justice reform to improve housing access and equity? During this plenary panel, national experts and state leaders will engage in a rich conversation on this question, discussing the relationship between policing, criminal justice involvement, homelessness, housing access, and segregation.
Kelan Lyons
Donald Whitehead Jr
National Coalition for the Homeless
Monica Bell
Brandon McGee
Connecticut State Legislature
Angel Quiros
Connecticut Department of Correction
Marc Pelka
Connecticut Office of Policy and Management
Welcome Keynote: Homelessness in 2020
Where are we now and how did we get here? A look at the challenges our sector has ahead of us during the pandemic.
Keynote:
Nan Roman
Youth Homelessness
Join us for a special discussion about special considerations for working with homeless and unaccompanied youth.
Omar McDew
New Britain High School
Glori Bowman
Katie Durand
CT Department of Housing
Angel Cotto
Police - Social Worker Partnerships in Homeless Outreach
This panel will explore the potential of close working partnerships between law enforcement officers and social workers to engage and serve CT residents experiencing homelessness. We will hear from communities where these collaborations are already working, and present new training content CCEH is producing in partnership with DESPP to encourage more collaboration across the state.
Aubrey Lee Minkler
Officer Matthew Gotowala
City of Bristol Police Department
Lori Walling
Officer Michael DiGiovancarlo
City of Waterbury Police Department
KEYNOTE: Crisis in the Rental Market
Although it has long been assumed that homelessness is primarily due to the lack of affordable housing, research conducted by Zillow has found a clear link between rates of homelessness and rising rents. Specifically, Zillow’s research has found that homelessness increases in communities when average rents in that community rise above 32% of average household income. While Connecticut has not yet reached this tipping point, rents in Connecticut have been trending in this direction. Dr. Cheryl Young, Senior Economist at Zillow, will present Zillow’s research linking rising rents and homelessness, discuss the state of the rental market in Connecticut, and suggest steps that Connecticut can take to address rising rents to prevent increases in homelessness. Following her presentation, national housing policy experts, Ann Oliva and Jill Khadduri, will describe policy solutions and opportunities at the state and federal levels to help communities avoid reaching this tipping point and thereby keep rates of homelessness low.
Dr. Cheryl Young
Ann Oliva
Center for Budget and Policy
Jill Khadduri
This session is designed for Special Points of Contact (SPOCs) and Connecticut colleges and universities.
Stacey Havlik
Shelley Stoehr-McCarthy
Joel Dodson
Teresa Montanari
Jacob Chamberlain
The pandemic has been a game-changer for the homeless response system. Join experts for a discussion of guidance on best practices during this difficult time.
Dr. Lynn Sosa
Connecticut Department of Public Health
Emily Mosites
U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
Leigh Shields-Church
Kara Zichichi
Changing the Narrative that Pets are a Barrier to Housing
This panel will launch our new statewide program for flexible emergency assistance for households experiencing homelessness with pets. This fund is generously funded by the PetSmart Foundation, and will be accessible to cover veterinary costs, pet deposits, vaccinations, and other associated costs that prevent people from staying in or finding housing. We will focus on the importance of keeping households with their pets and the unnecessary trauma separation can cause amidst an already stressful housing crisis. We will also discuss the specifics of the program and how to access the funds through CCEH.
Kelly Balthazor
Garrett Parsons
Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati
Theresa Geary
Connecticut Humane Society
TRAINING: The Homeless Students' Bill of Rights (McKinney-Vento Training)
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act provides for the delivery of services that remove barriers to the enrollment and retention of homeless children and youth in schools. Local homeless liaisons ensure that homeless children and youth are identified, enrolled immediately in school, and linked to services. Whether new to this role or not had an opportunity to attend a prior orientation, this session will be beneficial and provide information to assist school staff in the liaison role. While this webinar is targeted at liaisons, much of the information provided may be valuable to others working with children and youth experiencing homelessness.
Louis Tallarita
Education Consultant
CT Department of Education
Using the Past to Drive Today’s Change
In what ways have we grown as a society with regard to racial injustices in housing and how might history be repeating itself? Join us for a discussion on moments in history that have had major impacts on the housing and homelessness racial disparities we are seeing today, and learn about present day challenges and housing victories. Hear from a nationally recognized historian, statewide organizer and leader, as well as a local catalyst for change.
Bishop John Selders
Amistad United Church of Christ
Urban Hope Refuge Church
Fiona Vernal
KEYNOTE: Housing as a Right
During the 2019 state legislative session, State Senator Saud Anwar introduced Senate Bill 105, An Act Establishing a Right to Housing, articulating a state government obligation to protect Connecticut residents from eviction and housing loss, to assist people out of homelessness, and to reduce rent burdens. Although the bill did not pass (the legislative session came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic), its introduction was an important first step in having Connecticut join a global movement to secure a right to housing. At the helm of that movement is Leilani Farha, founder and Global Director of the Shift, an organization working to help more communities and countries establish a right to housing.
At the first plenary session of CCEH’s Housing Equals Justice conference, Ms. Farha, the former Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing for the United Nations, will discuss how housing is increasingly being treated as a commodity and a financial asset rather than a basic human need, why it is critical that housing is recognized as a human right, and what establishing a right to housing entails. Following her remarks, State Senator Saud Anwar will share what led him to the view that Connecticut must establish a right to housing and what the prospects to secure that right are in the upcoming legislative session. U.S. Congresswoman Jahana Hayes will then speak about the opportunities and challenges to secure a right to housing at the federal and national level.
Leilani Farha
Representative Jahana Hayes
State Senator Saud Anwar
Can They Do That? Understanding and Protecting Tenants Rights in Connecticut
Join us for a Jeopardy-style quiz show, where experts on fair housing explain supports available to individuals facing eviction and then play out real-life scenarios involving clients of homeless services who have experienced questionable or exploitative practices from landlords.
Fionnuola Darby-Hudgens
The Connecticut Fair Housing Center
Amy Eppler-Epstein
Staff Attorney
New Haven Legal Assistance
Jessica Lebrancis
CT Fair Housing
Michelle Dumas-Keuler
Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities
This is a test of hovering .
Roy Graham
Youth Special Projects Coordinator
rgraham@cceh.org
Roy joined CCEH in October of 2018. He works on the Youth Homelesss Demonstration Project (YHDP) by coordinating the Youth Shelter Diversion and Rapid Exit programs, supporting the Youth Navigators, supporting housing inspections, and providing general training and technical assistance to youth homeless providers.Roy has been working with youth and young adults for over 15 years. He was a Consultant for the Governor’s Prevention Partnership, partnering with mentoring programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and True Colors. He worked for the Center for Children’s Advocacy as their Outreach Coordinator where he conducted youth outreach and case management. Roy came to CCEH from the Women & Families Center where he was a Residential Coordinator for the Project REACH Transitional Living Program housing six youth and young adults who have experienced homelessness.
“While common people like you and me, we’ll be builders for eternity. Each is given a bag of tools, a shapeless mass and a Book of Rules.” – R.L. Sharpe
Carolyn Thomas-Davis
Director of Finance & Administration
cthomas@cceh.org
Carol Thomas comes to CCEH with more than 15 years of experience in both the non-profit and municipal accounting sectors. Carol was appointed and served two Rhode Island municipalities in the capacity of Deputy Finance Director, as well as the Town of Monterey, Massachusetts, as Town Accountant. Most recently, Carol served as Finance Manager for the Brattleboro Housing Authority in Brattleboro, Vermont. Carol attended both Howard University in Washington, DC and Johnson & Wales University in her hometown of Providence, RI earning a BS in Accounting. Carol also earned an MBA in Global Business Leadership & Forensic Accounting from Johnson & Wales University. Carol is passionate about community service and social justice and often renders her training and skill sets to organizations and causes that represent her values. Carol has served as Treasurer of the NAACP in Providence, RI, as well as the Springfield Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (a public service organization) and has worked with Crossroads Rhode Island and the Urban League of Rhode Island training staff and volunteers to provide free income tax preparation services through the Internal Revenue Services’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
Carol is the mom of three amazing children, enjoys traveling, cooking, live music and her fur baby (cat) Cinnamon.
Amber Freeman
Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator
afreeman@cceh.org
Amber Freeman comes to CCEH with over fifteen years of experience in the human service and behavioral health field, with the last eight years being in management positions. At CCEH Amber is our Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator and because of her expertise she also leads our Rapid Re-Housing Learning Collaborative and assists with the coordination and compliance of other projects and initiatives. Over the years Amber has worked in various capacities with individuals and families in diverse settings. Amber has experience working with and managing programs for individuals with mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring diagnoses as well as individuals experiencing homelessness and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Most recently, Amber was a Program Manager where she managed community support case management programs and permanent supportive housing programs. Amber is a two time graduate of Hampton University in Hampton, VA where she received her BA in Psychology Education and her MA in Community Agency Counseling.
“Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” –George Bernard Shaw
rcho@cceh.org
Dr. Cho joined CCEH in November 2018 and brought 20 years of experience in the housing and homelessness sector. From 2013 to 2016, Cho served as the Deputy Director at the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the federal agency that coordinates the federal response to homelessness. At USICH, Dr. Cho was responsible for coordinating the efforts across 19 federal departments to implement Opening Doors, the federal strategic plan to end and prevent homelessness in America, and played a key role in the national push to end veteran and chronic homelessness.He also held several positions at the Corporation for Supportive Housing, where he spearheaded the development of supportive housing models and policies for people experiencing homelessness, veterans, justice-involved populations, and other vulnerable populations. For the last two and half years, Cho has been helping to lead national efforts to improve police interactions with people with mental health needs, and to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jails, including helping to increase connections to stable housing. He currently serves on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Crisis Prevention and Response Task Force, as well as the Kings County/Brooklyn (NY) District Attorney Eric Gonzalez’s Justice 2020 Committee, Mental Health Subcommittee. He brings a breadth of national and regional experience to the role.
Information and Referral Advocate
Sandra Roberts was raised locally in Clinton, CT and currently lives in New Haven, CT. She was born with a physical disability and was one of the first students to be mainstreamed in the public schools. She earned her Bachelors in Social Work in 1990 from Southern Connecticut State University and her Masters in Social Work in 2002 from Southern Connecticut State University.
In 1990 she was hired by Center for Disability Rights currently located in West Haven and has worked there performing various roles like Peer Counseling, Individual Advocacy, Independent Living Skills Training and Youth Transition Coordinator. Her current role is Information and Referral Advocate.
Sandra realizes the challenges personally of locating affordable and accessible housing. She also sees the challenges in the disability community of assisting consumers with all disabilities in finding housing given the enormous waiting lists for affordable housing and waiting lists even for homeless shelters and their inability in accommodating disabilities.
Connecticut Legal Rights Project, Inc
Since 2015, Kathy has served as Executive Director of Connecticut Legal Rights Project, Inc. (CLRP) (www.clrp.org) a statewide non-profit agency that provides legal services to low income individuals with mental health conditions, who reside in hospitals or the community, on matters related to their treatment, recovery, and civil rights. Kathy spent 13 years as a Staff Attorney at Statewide Legal Services of CT, Inc., the centralized intake hotline for all the Connecticut legal services programs.
Kathy combines her personal experience as a recipient of mental health services and her legal background to speak to issues affecting those living with mental health conditions.
Kathy is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers-CT (the state’s lawyer assistance program) www.lclct.org ; she is a former member of the Advisory Board of the Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement (CABLE) (www.cableweb.org.) Kathy is the former co-chair of the Keep the Promise Coalition (http://www.ctkeepthepromise.org/), a coalition of advocates (people living with mental health conditions, family members, mental health professionals and interested community members) with a vision of a state in which people with mental health conditions are able to live successfully in the community because they have access to housing and other community-based supports and services that are recovery oriented, person-driven and holistic in their approach to wellness. She is currently a member of the steering committee of the Connecticut Cross Disability Lifespan Alliance (http://bit.ly/CCDLA), an alliance of people of all ages with all disabilities who pursue a unified agenda in support of building a great life in the community.
A graduate of Wellesley College and Harvard Law School, Kathy has dedicated her professional life to advocating for the rights of the underserved.
Kathy lives in her hometown of Newington with her husband, Jim Valentino.
Carl Asikainen
Youth Systems Coordinator
casikainen@cceh.org
Carl Asikainen comes to CCEH with 20 years of experience working to address food insecurity and homelessness. Most recently, Carl worked as a Food Systems Manager at TEEG, a human service organization that lends aid and support to communities of Northeastern Connecticut. Prior to that, Carl worked as an outreach worker for End Hunger CT! and for Project Home in Philadelphia. Currently he is the Youth Systems Coordinator at CCEH and is working throughout the state helping to advance community capacity building efforts to end youth homelessness.
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” -Martin Luther King Jr.
Marianna Wells
Development & Communications Intern
mwells@cceh.org
Marianna Wells is a senior at Connecticut College. She studies International Relations and first learned about policies to end homelessness in Connecticut in conjunction with her research on anti-trafficking, immigration, and mass incarceration. She has previous experience in Development and Communications at organizations in the New London area.
rkelly@cceh.org
Rose joined CCEH in October of 2019 as a data analyst. Prior to working with CCEH she worked with Atrius Health in Massachusetts for nine years as a data analyst for high-risk patient care and interventions. She also taught sociology as an adjunct instructor in California and Massachusetts over the past 15 years. She discovered a passion for using data to help at-risk groups in need of services and care as well as educating the public about social issues. Rose holds an AA in Psychology, as well as a BA and a Masters in Sociology from California State University San Marcos.
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle” - Rev. John Watson, Free Church of Scotland
Ryan Beach
Marketing and Development Manager
rbeach@cceh.org
Ryan comes to CCEH from The Connecticut Forum. His background is in non-profit development and marketing for arts and cultural organizations, but volunteering for organizations focused on ending homelessness helped him to realize his true passion for that cause. He has a B.A. in English Literature from The Ohio State University.
“Take a sad song and make it better” – The Beatles
Allan Vega
avega@cceh.org
Allan is a native of Caracas, Venezuela but has lived a great part of his life in Hartford. From a young age Allan discovered a passion for helping others. He was a Community Organizer at the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice where he organized community members around the closing of the Hartford landfill. Around this time Allan discovered a passion for communications. He graduated from the University of Hartford with a BA in Communications. For the last few years Allan has been working in direct services for agencies such as AIDS CT and The Village for Families and Children. Most of the people Allan has helped are experiencing housing issues and for this reason he decided to work for the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness in order to help alleviate his community.
Rachel Spears
Advocacy Intern
rspears@cceh.org
Rachel joined CCEH in November 2020 as a Youth Outreach intern. With a degree in psychology from Agnes Scott College, she's passionate about helping people on an individual level while also advocating for system-level changes. During her time in college, Rachel interned at different non-profits and learned how various factors such as policies, income inequality, and lack of opportunity greatly affected people's ability to meet their basic needs and thrive in their communities. At CCEH, she hopes to contribute to long-lasting work that will create sustainable interventions for youth populations experiencing homelessness and further learn about best practices.
Development Advisor and Director of the be homeful Project
mravich@cceh.org
Madeline Ravich is a Connecticut-based development consultant who is currently overseeing CCEH’s fundraising efforts. She has more than a decade of experience managing development initiatives for a wide range of nonprofits and has also provided corporate responsibility consulting services to companies and industry associations. Madeline holds a BA in Art History and Linguistics from University of Chicago and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. She lives in Hamden with her husband Scott and her daughter Lilo.
“There’s no place like home.” – The Wizard of Oz
Vicky Luo
Senior Data Analyst, HMIS and Strategic Analysis
vluo@cceh.org
Shujie (Vicky) Luo is a visionary with a strong passion for the field of Data. Vicky developed solid data analytics skills and hands-on project management experience while working at P&G and Xiaohongshu (Top social-based E-Commerce Company in China). Before CCEH, Vicky gained NGO experience at NoSchoolViolence (NSV) as a data engineer to help the organization set up data architecture to reduce school violence in the data aspect. Vicky holds an MS in Business Analytics and Project Management from the University of Connecticut.
As a member of the data team at CCEH, Vicky will work to impact the community by taking advantage of data.
Michelle Jones
Data Analysis Intern
mjones@cceh.org
Michelle joined CCEH in September 2019 as a Data Analysis intern. She graduated that same year with a degree in mathematics from Yale. At CCEH, Michelle has been helping put together the results from the 2020 Point-in-Time count, and have also worked with criminal justice data from the CT Department of Corrections. Aside from housing, Michelle has done research into voting rights and the math of gerrymandering, and has been involved with immigrants’ rights organizations in New Haven.
dgrice@cceh.org
David Gonzalez Rice comes to CCEH from the New London Homeless Hospitality Center, where he developed a supportive housing program and supervised coordinated intake and street outreach staff. While at NLHHC, he also supplied key leadership to regional efforts to end chronic homelessness. A former educator and researcher, David holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University. His research focused on grassroots social justice movements, and in school he worked as a community organizer and international human rights observer. In 2013, seeking a more direct role in service to those most in need, David transitioned from academia to human services.At CCEH, David serves the Southeast CT Coordinated Access Network, where he facilitates inter-agency collaboration toward the goal of ending all forms of homelessness.
Rosie Armstrong
Executive Assistant to the CEO
rarmstrong@cceh.org
Rosie brings with her more than 20 years of experience in the non-profit world. Rosie has an array of administrative skills and is an avid advocate to affect positive change in lives of countless residents in the greater Hartford area. As the Advocacy Team Leader at Community Health Services, Inc. in Hartford, Rosie was recognized two years in a row on a National level (National Association of Community Health Centers/NACHC) for her efforts to support critical Health Center Reauthorization policy (S.901 and HR 1343) and keeping her community engaged, aware and excited about the value and importance of advocacy! She is looking forward to being an added force to our team here at CCEH in our charge to prevent and end homelessness in Connecticut.
Sarah Fox, LMSW
Director of Advocacy and Community Impact
sfox@cceh.org
Sarah Fox is the Director of Advocacy and Community Impact for CCEH. She is responsible for managing statewide advocacy initiatives and advancing community capacity building efforts. Prior to her current position, Sarah worked as a Project Coordinator in New Haven and Norwalk, helping to provide leadership, technical assistance, and project management to reach regional, state, and federal goals to end homelessness. Before joining the CCEH Team, Sarah worked as a family violence victim advocate at Domestic Violence Services of Greater New Haven and as a recovery and advocacy advisor working with individuals living with chronic mental illness at Fellowship Place, Inc. Sarah received her B.S. in Communications with a concentration in Program Planning and Development from Cornell University and her M.S.W. with a concentration in Policy Practice from UCONN School of Social Work. In her graduate career, Sarah interned in the Office of Congressman Christopher Murphy, the Office of State Representative Toni Walker, and the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work.
Madison Alexander
malexander@cceh.org
Madison Alexander is an MSW candidate concentrating in Community Organizing at the University of Connecticut. She received her BA in Social Psychology from Bennington College in 2017. During that time, she completed an internship with the Poor People’s Campaign that solidified her interest in grassroots organizing around economic and racial justice. Since then, she has worked in direct care and in-home mental health counseling with children and youth as well as case management for the homeless population. Madison continues to engage in organizing efforts surrounding racial justice as well as tenants’ rights and housing justice concerns heightened by COVID-19. As a ’20-‘21 intern, she is looking forward to working with the CCEH team to put her skills to use and grow as a future social worker and organizer.
Visiting Senior Fellow
Ms. Oliva is a Visiting Senior Fellow with the Housing team. Prior to joining the Center, she was the Senior Policy Advisor at the Corporation for Supportive Housing. From 2007 to 2017 Oliva was a career federal official at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), most recently overseeing the Department’s multi-billion dollar homelessness and HIV/AIDS housing portfolio as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs. She also worked as Director of Programs at the Community Partnership in Washington, D.C. and as a human services consultant in multiple communities nationwide. In 2015, Oliva was named one of the 50 Most Influential Leaders in HUD’s 50-year history and was honored with the True Colors Fund’s True Leader Award. Moreover, she was a finalist for a "Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal" (Sammie) for the distinction of management excellence in 2011, and was part of an interagency team that won a Sammie for reducing veteran homelessness in 2012.
Oliva has a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) from the University of Pittsburgh.
Patricia Hidalgo
Project Coordinator for the Re-entry Housing Assistance Program
phidalgo@cceh.org
Patricia came on board with CCEH on September 9, 2020. Patricia is passionate about connecting individuals and families to resources in their communities. Patricia is aware of the vast cultures and languages that make up our society and how difficult it is for individuals and families to translate or communicate what their needs are to thrive. Armed with her determination and knowledge of resources, Patricia spent several years as an employee of UNICEF an international non-profit organization based in New York City. After moving to Connecticut to pursue new initiatives, Patricia was also employed with LifeBridge, The Salvation Army and The Workplace Inc. all non-profits located in Bridgeport, CT. Patricia considers herself a life-long learner. Patricia believes people should be passionate about the life they have been given and it is her goal to make people feel better after they have interacted with her.
Rachel Givens
rgivens@cceh.org
Rachel Givens lives in Wolcott, CT and is a recent graduate from the University of Connecticut. Rachel graduated in May 2020 from UConn with a BA in Human Development and Family Sciences and minors in Gerontology and Psychological Sciences. The highlight of undergrad for her was participating in an intergenerational learning program through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UConn where she took classes with students over the age of 50 and formed friendships with her classmates of all ages. Rachel was also a member of several service organizations during undergrad. Rachel is now enrolled at UConn School of Social Work as a Master of Social Work student with a concentration in Community Organizing. She is also working a job on campus in the Field Education department. In her free time, she enjoys going for walks and gardening.
Linda Casey, MS, MPH
Director of HMIS and Strategic Analysis
lcasey@cceh.org
Linda brings more than twenty years of management and information systems experience in the private sector, leading strategic product planning and delivering innovative solutions. With experience in diverse environments ranging from healthcare technology start-ups to mid-growth and established organizations, Linda has collaborated with pharmaceutical companies, military and government agencies, international telecom companies, and hospital systems to solve business challenges through the use of technology and organizational efficiencies. Linda holds a BA in French from Cornell University and an MS in Management Information Systems from the George Washington University School of Business. She recently completed the Master of Public Health at UCONN that leverages her data and analytical skills with her passion for improving the lives of others.
Diana Berube
Program Manager for Prevention and Exit Strategies
dberube@cceh.org
Diana Berube is a resident of Bristol, CT where she lives with her three beautiful children. Diana began work in the homeless services field in Connecticut in 2015 as a Grant Coordinator providing McKinney-Vento services to unstably housed students and families for Bristol public schools. In this position, she joined her local task force to end homelessness and quickly realized her passion for the work. This task force saw a need for homeless outreach in Bristol and created a new position through a grant from the Main Street Community Foundation. Diana gladly accepted the position. As Housing Coordinator for the task force and later as Navigator for St. Vincent DePaul Emergency Shelter, Diana enjoyed working out in the community identifying literally homeless individuals and helping them navigate homeless and housing services. Her most recent position has been conducting CAN assessments as Housing Support Specialist for CHR at the Central CT Coordinated Access Network Diversion Center. Diana is thrilled to be taking her experiences in working on the front lines of homeless services to her new position as Program Manager for Prevention and Exit Strategies.
Coordinated Access Network Manager
Leigh has over 18 years of experience in homeless and housing services, beginning her career in an emergency shelter in Seattle, WA. Prior to working at the Dept. of Housing, Leigh directed the New Haven Shelter Plus Care program and provided clinical care at the CT Mental Health Center with the affective disorders team. She completed a BA in Public Administration and Political Science from Stonehill College, and holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Connecticut.
Lisa is a graduate student pursuing an MS with Bard College's Center for Environmental Policy. She is interning with Sustainable CT for the Summer and Fall of 2020 to assist with the development of actions to further advance municipal sustainability. Lisa is a southern California native, graduating with her Bachelor's degree in environmental science and resource management in 2018 from California State University, Channel Islands. She then began her career managing energy and sustainability for the same university, doing work that ranged from on-campus activism to creating and implementing sustainability certification programs.
Global Director
Leilani is the Global Director of The Shift, an international movement to secure the right to housing and the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing (2014-2020). The Shift was launched in 2017 with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and United Cities and Local Government and works with multi-level stakeholders around the world including with several city governments in North America and Europe.
Leilani’s work is animated by the principle that housing is a social good, not a commodity. She has helped develop global human rights standards on the right to housing, including through her topical reports on homelessness, the financialization of housing, informal settlements, rights-based housing strategies, and the first UN Guidelines for the implementation of the right to housing. She is the central character in the award-winning documentary PUSH regarding the financialization of housing, directed by the Swedish filmmaker Fredrik Gertten. PUSH is screening around the world and to continue its momentum Leilani and Fredrik now co-host a podcast – PUSHBACK Talks - about finance, housing and human rights.
Pastor AJ Johnson
Christian Activities Council
Pastor AJ Johnson is a faith-influenced voice for urban resurgence and revival and a pace-setting champion for justice and community-wide uplift. As a trailblazer, Johnson leads The Urban Hope Refuge Church, an influential church where passionate worship and community activism meet in Hartford, Connecticut. Johnson works at the Christian Activities Council as a Community Organizer. He spearheads Small Business Night Out, a network of minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs; Calling all Brothers, a widely hailed male mentor-ship and leadership organization and Brothers Johnson 1929 Hat Company, a clothing brand reflecting strength, loyalty, and distinction.
Reverend Doctor John L. Selders
The Right Reverend Doctor John L. Selders, Jr. is an ordained minister serving in the United Church of Christ, the Organizing Pastor of Amistad United Church of Christ.
Bishop Selders has done his academic and theological reflection attending Life Christian Bible College, Webster University, Eden Theological Seminary and Anglican Divinity School. In addition to being a talented award winning songwriter, musician and performer with local, national, and international credits, he is also the Bishop Presider of The Inter-Denominational Conference of Liberation Congregations and Ministries (ICLCM) and is the Co-Convening Bishop of The Sacred College of Progressive Episcopates (SCPE). Bishop Selders is a founding member of Moral Monday CT, a grassroots statewide organization committed to a wide range of social justice issues.
Pet Program Coordinator
Garrett Parsons, LSW - Garrett serves pet owners experiencing homelessness as Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati’s Pet Support Coordinator. For the past 4 years, Garrett and a team of dedicated volunteers have kept hundreds of pets with their families and out of animal shelters. In his work, Garrett ensures pet owners struggling in the Greater Cincinnati area have access to the resources they need. He also tries to bridge the gap between animal welfare and social services so the community can work together to keep families together. Garrett is active in the animal welfare community working with domestic and wild animals.
Associate Professor of Law & Sociology
Monica C. Bell is an Associate Professor of Law & Sociology at Yale Law School. Her areas of expertise include law and inequality, policing and the criminal legal system, welfare and public benefits law, housing law and residential segregation, and race and the law. Her scholarship has appeared or is forthcoming in the Yale Law Journal, American Journal of Sociology, NYU Law Review, Law & Society Review, Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, and other journals. She has also published writing in popular outlets such as the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Washington Post, and The Appeal.
Undersecretary of Criminal Justice Policy and Planning
Marc Pelka is Undersecretary of Criminal Justice Policy and Planning at the Office of Policy and Management, an agency providing information and analysis to formulate public policy for the state on Governor Lamont’s behalf. His responsibilities rest at the intersection of criminal justice data analysis, policy development and implementation, administration of state and federal grants, and convenings of state and local officials as well as stakeholders. Prior to this position, he worked for ten years at The Council of State Governments Justice Center, where he helped state policymakers from across the country use a Justice Reinvestment approach to avoid corrections costs and reinvest in public safety strategies. Reinvestments states made as part of this approach included community behavioral health treatment as well as victim services. Prior to this experience, he held public affairs and policy positions in the Connecticut House of Representatives. He earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from New York University a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School
Town of Hamden, CT
Adam Sendroff is the Community Development Manager for the Town of Hamden, CT. He is a former chairperson of the Hamden Board of Education, of which he was a member for 10 years. Adam previously worked in academic publishing for over two decades, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Health.
Ofc. Matthew Gotowala
City of Bristol, CT
Officer Gotowala has served the city of Bristol for nine past years as a Police Officer and for and the last three years as a School Resource Officer and Community Officer. He currently patrols Bracket Park and works directly in Bristol Central High School. For the past three years he has also worked as part of the City of Bristol Youth Commission.
Aubrey Minkler
Program Coordinator of Community Service
Aubrey Minkler currently works as the Program Coordinator of Community Service for the City of Bristol. The Bristol Office of Community Service aims to empower city residents through short term case management and outreach. Prior to this roll Aubrey worked as the Assistant Program Coordinator of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Supported Employment Program at Community Mental Health Affiliates in New Britain. She also recently worked as the lead facilitator on the Peer Fit Pilot Project through Dartmouth University. The project aimed to study the cardiometabolic risk reduction in patients with severe mental illness.
As the Director of Operations, Theresa is responsible for directing and overseeing the daily operations in all three of the adoption centers and the Fox Memorial Clinic. This includes animal care, pet intake, adoptions, medical care, behavioral care and facilities maintenance.
Prior to CHS, Geary was VP of Operations at Dumb Friends League in Denver, known nationally for its innovative work and leadership among leading animal welfare organizations. Prior to working in Denver, she was the Director of Operations at the New York City Animal Care and Control and held positions at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Humane Society of Boulder, and the Larimer Humane Society. Geary holds a B.S. from the University of Connecticut in Animal Science.
Jahana Hayes
U.S. Representative for the Fifth Congressional District of Connecticut
Representative Hayes was elected to the United States House of Representatives in November 2018, making her the first African-American woman and the first African-American Democrat to ever represent the state of Connecticut in Congress. Hayes first garnered widespread notoriety while serving as a teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury, when she was selected as the Connecticut Teacher of the Year, before going on to earn the distinction of 2016 National Teacher of the Year (NTOY), leading to an invitation to the White House by then President Barack Obama. In her capacity as NTOY, Hayes traveled the country and the world as an ambassador for public education engaging all stakeholders in policy discussions meant to improve outcomes for students.
She is a graduate of Naugatuck Valley Community College, Southern Connecticut State University, the University of Saint Joseph and the University of Bridgeport. Having earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in history and secondary education, a Master’s of Arts in curriculum and instruction, and a degree in administrative leadership.
Saud Anwar
Connecticut State Senator
State Senator Saud Anwar was elected in February 2019 to represent the residents of the 3rd State Senate District towns of East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington and South Windsor. Saud was first elected to public office in 2011 as a member of South Windsor’s Town Council. He has served two terms as South Windsor mayor, once from 2013 to 2015 and once from 2017 to 2019. Saud is a medical doctor with specializations in treating lung diseases and critical care medicine, occupational and environmental medicine. He currently serves as Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at Manchester Memorial and Rockville General Hospitals. Saud was trained in pulmonary and critical care medicine at, and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from, Yale University.
Stacy Havlik
Stacey Havlik is an associate professor in the Department of Education and Counseling at Villanova University, where she is the graduate counseling program director. She teaches both graduate and undergraduate level counseling courses. She received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Maryland. As a former school counselor, she specializes in training pre-service school counselors and other school personnel to be leaders and advocates in meeting the diverse needs of all students. Her research interests include investigating the academic, social/emotional, and career/college development needs of students experiencing homelessness and first-generation college students. She has published and presented her research nationally and internationally and has been featured on national media outlets sharing her findings. She is currently a consultant for the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) Single Point of Contact Pilot Program where she provides trainings for states across the country developing SPOC programs.
Marina Marmolejo, MPH is an anti-poverty advocate that is changing how we engage with communities experiencing homelessness. Marina is courageously innovating in a space that has seen very little innovation over the last decade. She believes homeless agencies are overworked and understaffed, and the current antiquated systems cannot adapt to the rapidly changing needs of folks experiencing homelessness. Marina sees the power of technology, real-time data, and human-centered design to create sustainable solutions for this vulnerable and incredibly resilient population. After graduating from the Yale School of Public Health, Marina founded DreamKit, a web-based app that financially supports youth experiencing homelessness to build skills and reconnect with their community.
With more than twenty years’ experience in corporate philanthropy, social responsibility, and grantmaking, Kelly Balthazor started her nonprofit career in fundraising and corporate partnerships. In 2016, Kelly joined PetSmart Charities as a Regional Relationship Manager where she directs the owned pets grant portfolio for the East Region. As the largest animal welfare funder in North America, PetSmart Charities annually distributes over $35 million in grants and adoption rewards to fulfill their mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.
Carolyn Hanesworth, PhD, LCSW
Assistant Professor of Social Work
Carolyn Hanesworth is a Critical Time Intervention Trainer, Researcher, and Consultant. In addition to her work with the Center for the Advancement of Critical Time Intervention, Dr. Hanesworth is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY. She has worked as a service provider, leader, and consultant for organizations serving homeless children and families in Texas and New York City for the past 25 years. Recently, she served as the Project Director for the CTI for Rapid Rehousing Pilot Study in Connecticut, where she assisted in adapting and implementing CTI for Rapid Rehousing recipients.
Jessica Labrencis
Ms. Labrencis joined the Center as a fair housing enforcement staff attorney in 2014. Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Labrencis was an associate attorney at a law firm in San Diego where she represented employees in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour cases. She received her B.A. in English from Stonehill College, and her J.D. magna cum laude from California Western School of Law, where she was a member of the Public Service Honors Society.
Senior Technical Assistance Specialist
Ms. Moshier McDivitt has more than 20 years experience developing and administering rapid re-housing and homelessness programs, as well as leading a local homeless coalition and Continuum of Care. As a Technical Assistance Specialist, she develops and delivers training and technical assistance on best practices, including rapid re-housing, retooling transitional housing and building a crisis response system. Additionally, Ms. Moshier McDivitt developed the Alliance’s Rapid Re-Housing Learning Collaborative, which helps rapid re-housing providers build their capacity and adopt best practices. Before joining the Alliance, Ms. Moshier McDivitt served as the Community Homeless Advisor for the Lancaster County (Pa.) Coalition to End Homelessness, providing leadership for the county’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness and Continuum of Care. She also served as Vice President for Programs for Tabor Community Services Inc., during which time she oversaw a number of model program initiatives focused on ending homelessness, including prevention and rapid re-housing approaches. Ms. Moshier McDivitt received her degrees in Social Work and Sociology from Eastern Mennonite University.
Ms. Roman is a leading national voice on the issue of homelessness. Under her guidance, the Alliance has successfully identified and promoted innovative strategies for ending homelessness that have been adopted by communities across the country. In her role, Ms. Roman works closely with members of Congress and the Administration, as well as with officials and advocates at the state and local levels. She collaborates with Alliance partners to educate the public about the real nature of homelessness and effective solutions. She has researched and written on the issue of homelessness, regularly speaks at events around the country and frequently serves as an expert on the issue for the media. Her perspective on homelessness and its solutions comes from more than 20 years of local and national experience in the areas of poverty and community-based organizations.
Ms. Bain is Founder and Executive Director of Women Against Mass Incarceration, a grassroots organization empowering justice involved women and girls. Currently she is on staff at The National Council for Incarcerated and formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. Tiheba is a public speaker who played an integral role in passing legislation SB13 for incarcerated women and girls in the State of Connecticut. She sits on the African American
sub commission of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity. Tiheba also participated on the State Collateral Consequences Task Force. In the past she sat on the mass incarceration sub-committee for Governor Ned Lamont’s Transitional Policy committee.
Ms. Bain hosted the second annual Free Her conference. She also spoke at Columbia University, Yale University, UCONN, John Jay College, the CT Public Defender National Conference and at IMRP Annual Building Bridges Conference. Recently Ms. Bain was inducted into the CT Hall of Change for her exemplary work in the community. While obtaining her dual undergraduate degree in Psychology and Women and Criminal Justice, she co-wrote a chapter of the book Race Education and Reintegration. Ms. Bain also is an alumni of Heyman Center for Humanities Justice-in-Education Scholar program, at Columbia University.
Director of Programs
Jessica Kubicki, LCSW, joined Supportive Housing WORKS in January 2016 as the Rapid Exits Manager and transitioned her role to the Director of Programs in May 2017. She also serves as the Leader of the Norwalk Housing First Team which focuses on the collaborative efforts of providers within Greater Norwalk to provide services and resources to the most vulnerable, chronically homeless individuals and families. Jessica provides leadership in maintaining a strong housing placement system, collaborates with providers through the Housing First Collaboratives within the four sub-communities of Fairfield County, and assists in the implementation of statewide housing policies and procedures within the Coordinated Access Network. Jessica also provides clinical and programmatic support to the Rapid Re-Housing Program.
Ben Blake
Ben was born in Milford and his parents, grandparents, and even a generation before that made Milford their home. He grew up riding Bus “K” to Calf Pen Meadow Elementary and playing sports at Foran High. He attended the University of Richmond in Virginia where he studied History and Government. While in Virginia, Ben taught Civics to high school juniors and seniors. He then returned to Connecticut, attended law school at Quinnipiac University, and from 2004 through 2011 practiced law on the beautiful Downtown Green.
Now in his fifth term as Mayor, Ben has enacted a series of cost cutting initiatives and streamlined City operations to make Milford government more effective and efficient; Milford taxpayers have experienced five consecutive tax cuts while the City’s bond rating was upgraded to an enviable AAA credit score. Ben’s focus on economic development has stimulated a tidal wave of business expansion that has grown the City’s tax base; Milford’s Grand List is now the largest in New Haven County and one of the top in the State. Most notably, Ben has led Milford through Storm Sandy and Blizzard Nemo, and has received widespread praise for his management during two of the worst natural disasters in the City’s history.
When not conducting Milford business, Ben and his wife, Sandy, delight in raising their three children, Carter, Caroline and Tucker, in a home behind the Library – in walking distance to Milford’s beaches, harbor, downtown, and the City’s other fantastic amenities.
English Professor
Shelley Stoehr-McCarthy has taught in the English Department and First-Year Studies at Southern Connecticut State University since 2017. She was awarded SCSU's Outstanding Teacher Award for Part-Time Faculty in 2018 and the Connecticut Board of Regents Systemwide award for Best Adjunct Teacher in 2020. In 2019, Shelley had an idea for a program in which SCSU graduate students would help youth experiencing homelessness to apply for college. Since then, she and several colleagues in the SCSU English Department have begun partnering with local service providers Y2Y New Haven and Youth Continuum New Haven to develop and begin implementation of Shelley's vision.
Since June 2019, Michele Conderino, MSW, has served as Executive Director of Open Doors. During her time here, Michele has helped lead Open Doors to the greater adoption of innovative and evidence-based practices to end homelessness.
Prior to her role at Open Doors, Michele has worked for nearly two decades in homeless, human services, and mental health services, including as the Regional director for Northern Fairfield County and Director of Homeless Services at Catholic Charities overseeing outreach services.
Outreach Case Manager
Samm has been a part of Open Doors since 2018 and recently took on the role of outreach case manager for the greater Norwalk area. Before launching the new outreach program, she worked as a support supervisor at Open Doors, overseeing the evening and night functions of shelter. Samm's philosophy is that outreach is more than just a job, it’s a lifestyle: "It’s a reminder of a past of my own. I was homeless on the streets of NYC at 19 years old, and I had an aunt who was also street homeless in NYC and died at a bus stop days before she planned to get her life together. Ending street homelessness is important to me because it saved my life."
City of New Britain Community Service Department
Omar McDew is currently the Youth Advocate for the City of New Britain’s Community Services Department. A graduate of Central Connecticut State University and lifelong resident of New Britain, he has worked with at-risk youth for over 31 years.
Omar got his start with the New Britain Parks and Recreation Department in 1989 where he provided summer and afterschool programming for youth. From 1996 – 2006 he was a caseworker for the New Britain Juvenile Justice Center where he dealt with medium to high level juvenile offenders. He moved into his current role as Youth Advocate in 2006 where he runs the Juvenile Review Board and provides mentoring for kids 9-18. In addition, he has been an assistant football coach at New Britain High School for 20 years.
Manager of the Intensive Care Management Department
Nancy Sienkowski, RN, BSN, CCM is an Intensive Care Management (ICM) department manager at Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc.® (CHNCT), the medical Administrative Services Organization (ASO) for the State of Connecticut’s HUSKY Health program. Nancy has been an ICM manager for six years, working with her team to provide care coordination to HUSKY Health members with complex health conditions, using a person-centered approach. After graduating from Skidmore College, Nancy worked at Yale New Haven Hospital before moving into home healthcare. Nancy held a variety of positions with home healthcare, ranging from Director of Clinical services up to administrator.
Angel Cotto is a youth with lived experience of homelessness who works for the Youth Action Hub as an action Researcher in Connecticut. He has worked with neighborhoods, organizations, and statewide workgroups advocating for different youth, educational, and LGBTQ+ rights and community issues. Angel facilitates the Reaching Homes CAN/Homeless response workgroup and co-chairs the youth partnership task group. Much of Angel’s work is around implementing youth partnerships across the state including the technical advising he provided during Connecticut’s 100 Day Challenge. He hopes to grow the work of the Hub and replicate it in other areas of the nation.
Community Health Worker
Traci Sedacca Burdick is a Certified Community Health Worker at Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc. (CHNCT), the medical Administrative Services Organization (ASO) for the state's HUSKY Health program. Traci is a native of Florida and moved to New England in 2008. She has worked in the healthcare field for over 15 years and has developed a strong passion for the underserved, and a heart for homeless individuals and their families. Traci earned her undergraduate degree from University of Phoenix in Business Management and her graduate degree from University of Phoenix in Business Administration. In her spare time, Traci enjoys golfing, traveling, and spending time with close friends and family.
Jim is the Executive Director of New Haven’s Liberty Community Services, a greater New Haven-based nonprofit that provides a range of housing and support services. He previously served as Assistant Director of CIRA's Community Research and Implementation Core, where he was instrumental in helping to form CIRA's model New England HIV Implementation Science Network. Jim is dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders, mental health issues, and those living with HIV/AIDS.
Managing Director of CSH’s Eastern Region
Sarah is currently Managing Director of CSH’s Eastern Region. She has expertise in health/housing collaborations, data matching, interagency collaboration, homeless programs and reentry. Previously she served as CSH’s Director of Strategic Initiatives leading CSH’s efforts to scale and replicate proven supportive housing models as part of the Government Affairs & Innovation team at CSH as well as the Director of CSH’s Connecticut Program, overseeing all of CSH’s training, lending, technical assistance, and systems change work throughout the state. Sarah worked with State agencies to increase the use of supportive housing as a public policy solution, including project management of the Frequent User Services Engagement Program (FUSE), a supportive housing pilot program aimed to break the cycle of homelessness and incarceration for frequent users of jail and shelter, and assisting the State, and health care and supportive housing providers to integrate health care and housing for vulnerable populations. Previously, Ms. Gallagher served at the first Executive Director of Journey Home, the local homeless funding and planning body for the Capitol Region, where she oversaw the development and implementation of the community’s Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. Sarah was also the Executive Director for Discharge Planning at the New York City Department of Corrections, where she oversaw the discharge planning programs on Rikers Island and worked with City agencies in order to overcome barriers that people face when leaving jail. Ms. Gallagher holds a Master degree in Urban Policy and Management from the Milano Graduate School at the New School and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Connecticut.
Supportive Housing Administrator
The Friendship Service Center
Marianne is a part-time outreach worker in Bristol through SVDP and Brian’s Angels. She is also a supportive housing administrator at The Friendship Service Center in New Britain, CT.
Matt McDermott has served the Lead Organizer of CONECT (Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut) for the last 8 year. CONECT is a broad-based organization – multi-racial, multi-faith, urban and suburban – made up of 29 congregations from East Haven to Stamford that organize together to take action on issues of common concern to their families and communities and for the greater good. McDermott has led CONECT though successful campaigns on issues as varied as immigrant rights, health insurance rates, school discipline policies, police accountability, and numerous local issues.
McDermott joined CONECT with more than 12 years of prior experience organizing in the greater Chicago area. McDermott served as lead organizer of Lake County United, senior organizer of United Power for Action and Justice, lead organizer of the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP).
McDermott is a graduate of the University of Michigan Residential College with a BA in history. A native of the South Side of Chicago, McDermott lives in the New Haven area with his wife and two daughters.
Criminal Justice Reporter
Kelan Lyons is CT Mirror’s Report For America Corps Member, covering the intersection of mental health and criminal justice. Before joining CT Mirror, Kelan was a staff writer for City Weekly, an alt weekly in Salt Lake City, where he covered an array of topics including economic development, immigration and state and local politics. Prior to reporting in Utah, Kelan was a courts reporter for The Bryan-College Station Eagle, covering criminal and civil trials and hearings in the Brazos County Courthouse and won a first place feature writing award from the 2018 Texas Associated Press Managing Editors for his story on how a 35-year-old cold case still affects the community. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. He is originally from Philadelphia.
Associate Professor of History and African Studies
Fiona Vernal, (PhD, Yale University), is Associate Professor of History and African Studies and director of the new initiative, EPCOH: Engaged, Public, Oral, and Community Histories at the University of Connecticut. Building on oral histories, archival research, and iterative exhibitions, her research chronicles African American, Puerto Rican, and West Indian settlement in the Greater Hartford region.
Michelle Dumas Keuler
Human Rights Attorney
Michelle Dumas Keuler is a Human Rights Attorney with the State of Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (“CHRO”). Founded in 1943, the CHRO is the nation’s oldest state based civil rights organization. The Commission is charged with investigating and prosecuting cases of employment, housing, public accommodation and credit discrimination. As a Human Rights Attorney, Ms. Dumas Keuler represents the agency in its prosecution of employment, housing and public accommodation discrimination cases before agency Human Rights Referees and in state court. Ms. Dumas Keuler has extensive experience training in the areas of housing and employment discrimination, employer best practices and sexual harassment discrimination. She has trained countless landlords, tenants, housing authorities, state and municipal employees and employers regarding discrimination statues and their enforcement by the CHRO. She also implemented and supervised a Fair Housing Testing program at the CHRO funded by HUD. She is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University and Western New England University School of Law.
Connecticut Department of Corrections
Commissioner Quiros started his career with the Connecticut Department of Correction in 1989 as a Correction Officer. He has gone on to work in the following capacities for the agency: Lieutenant, Captain, Unit Manager, Major, Deputy Warden and Warden. He served in the position of District Administrator from 2011-2019.
Commissioner Quiros has extensive experience in the development of correctional institutional policy and possess in-depth, hands-on institutional skills developed by serving in a variety of correctional settings.
He is a Management Trustee of the Connecticut State Retirement Commission, as well as a Criminal Justice Consultant for The Moss Group.
In March of 2019, then Commissioner Rollin Cook appointed Angel Quiros to the Office of Deputy Commissioner of Operations and Rehabilitative Services Division (OARS). This division is comprised of 14-correctional facilities. As Deputy Commissioner he also oversaw the Parole and Community Services Division.
Mr. Quiros served as Interim Commissioner of the department from July through August 2020.
Governor Ned Lamont announced on September 2, 2020, that Angel Quiros was his nominee to be the 11th Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Correction. Commissioner Quiros is the first Latino to serve as Commissioner of the State’s prison system.
Commissioner Quiros holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Springfield College. He is married, and the couple are parents to one adult-aged son.
Director of Individual and Family Support Program
Steve is the Director of the Individual and Family Support Program Unit at the Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH). Steve has been with the State working on ending homelessness for the past twelve years. During this timeframe, Steve has managed all state funded homeless service programs including homeless outreach, homeless diversion, emergency shelter, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing, as well as assisting in the creation of Connecticut’s Coordinated Entry System. Connecticut has over 5000 units of permanent supportive housing and over $3 million dollars of funding for rapid rehousing for homeless individuals and families. Within the 5000 units of permanent supportive housing are various special initiatives that target homeless individuals and families that are high cost users of institutional settings. Steve has also pushed the Connecticut homeless service system toward a housing first and low barrier model and has instituted harm reduction policies in all homeless programs. In addition to Steve's roles with DOH, he serves as the Co-Chair for the Connecticut Balance of State Continuum of Care, which has leveraged significant resources over the past ten years to create more permanent supportive housing units for the disabled homeless population.
University of Connecticut School of Social Work
Rachel lives in Wolcott, CT and is a recent graduate from the University of Connecticut. Rachel graduated in May 2020 from UConn with a BA in Human Development and Family Sciences and minors in Gerontology and Psychological Sciences. The highlight of undergrad for her was participating in an intergenerational learning program through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UConn where she took classes with students over the age of 50 and formed friendships with her classmates of all ages. Rachel was also a member of several service organizations during undergrad. Rachel is now enrolled at UConn School of Social Work as a Master of Social Work student with a concentration in Community Organizing. She is also working a job on campus in the Field Education department. In her free time, she enjoys going for walks and gardening.
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What is Legionnaires' disease?
The name "Legionnaires' disease" was coined in 1976 after a respiratory disease affected many delegates attending a convention in Philadelphia held by the American Legion of Pennsylvania. Eventually, the bacteria that was responsible for the disease was isolated and named as Legionella pneumophila.
Two distinct illnesses, Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever, have been associated with the Legionella species. Legionnaires' disease is a severe pneumonia. Pontiac fever is a mild, non-pneumonia influenza-like illness.
In this document, we refer only to Legionnaires' disease.
What is the cause of Legionnaires' disease?
The bacterium responsible for Legionnaires' disease belongs to the genus Legionella. There are approximately 35 Legionella species known to produce the disease. Legionella species are commonly found in any aquatic environment. They can survive for several months in a wet environment and multiply in the presence of algae and organic matter.
What are the signs and symptoms of Legionnaires' disease?
Legionnaires' disease usually begins with a headache, pain in the muscles and a general feeling of unwellness. These symptoms are followed by high fever (up to 40-40.5°C or about 104-105°F) and shaking chills. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur. On the second or third day, dry coughing begins and chest pain might occur. Difficulty with breathing is often reported. Most patients develop pneumonia, a condition in which some of the lungs' air sacs fill with fluid or pus. The pneumonia might involve both lungs and become so severe that hospitalization is required. Pneumonia resulting from Legionnaires' disease is similar to pneumonia from other causes. Laboratory tests are necessary for a diagnosis.
Mental changes, such as confusion, disorientation, hallucination and loss of memory, can occur to an extent that seems out of proportion to the seriousness of fever. Complete recovery can take several weeks. About 30% of known cases of Legionnaires' disease have been fatal.
How is Legionnaires' disease recognized and treated?
To distinguish Legionnaires' disease from pneumonia from other causes, laboratory tests are needed that are not normally carried out on patients with fever and pneumonia. The diagnosis is confirmed by laboratory examinations that isolate Legionella from respiratory secretions (sputum) or testing a patient's blood or urine.
Legionnaires' disease is treated with antibiotics. Early treatment helps reduce the chance of serious complications.
How is Legionnaires' disease transmitted?
The transmission of Legionnaires' disease is not completely understood. The normal presence of Legionella in water and soil is not automatically associated with an outbreak of the disease. It appears that the Legionella microbe must reach the lungs in order to produce the disease. Inhalation of small particles of contaminated water (aerosols) or soil seems to be the key. Aspiration is another way that the Legionella microbes can enter into the lungs. Aspiration means choking during drinking, ingesting or swallowing. This action allows fluids and particles to enter the lungs instead of going into the stomach.
Evidence of person-to-person transmission has not been found. Therefore, attention has focused on the spread of Legionella by ventilation systems in buildings. Legionella can thrive in warm stagnant water. When the circulated air picks up droplets of contaminated water, the bacteria can be transported throughout a building. If the droplets are small enough, they can be inhaled, thus providing a way for the bacteria to enter the lung.
How are Legionella bacteria spread in indoor environments?
Cooling towers are part of large air-conditioning systems. They are used to cool water and dissipate unwanted heat to the atmosphere through water evaporation. Warm water flows into the top of the cooling tower through spray nozzles (as shown in the schematic Figure 1). While the water passes through the nozzles, tiny airborne droplets are formed, providing maximum contact between the water and the air moved through the tower by fans. To prevent droplets from fusing into larger ones, splash bars are placed below the nozzles.
While falling through the tower, some of the water evaporates. Because evaporation consumes heat, the remaining water is cooled. Air pushed through the tower by fans also cools the water. Some droplets, known as drift, are carried out of the tower by the air stream produced by the fans. This water loss is reduced by a drift eliminator positioned at the top of the tower. The cool water collects at the bottom of the tower and is pumped back for another cycle.
Evaporative condensers (Figure 2) are similar in their construction and operation to cooling towers.
Cooling towers and evaporative condensers may contain Legionella and other microorganisms brought in by circulating air or water.
Legionella grows easily in the water, especially if algae and scale are present. Legionella can be dispersed with aerosolized drift or with the evaporate, but it may enter the air-conditioning system if there is a break between its ducts and those of the cooling tower or evaporative condenser.
Legionella has also been found in hot water tanks, hot water from showers and faucets, whirlpool spas, hot tubs, public spas, and humidifiers. It is not known whether Legionella enters a building's water from municipal feeder systems or adjacent contaminated cooling towers.
Who is more likely to get Legionnaires' disease?
Legionnaires' disease usually strikes middle-aged people, although cases have been reported in all age groups. The disease frequently occurs in people whose resistance to infection has been reduced, but apparently healthy people may also develop the disease. People suffering from cancer or chronic kidney diseases are among those less able to fight infections. Chronic diseases, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), diabetes and alcoholism, also seem to increase vulnerability to Legionnaires' disease. Cigarette smokers are also more likely to contract Legionnaires' disease.
What occupations are at risk for Legionnaires' disease?
Workers most at risk are those with occupations that require them to work in sealed buildings including those workers who maintain water cooling towers in air conditioning systems.
Some outdoor occupations may be considered at risk as well. Soil disturbed in areas where surface or aerosolized water discharge occurs has the potential to cause exposure to the microorganism.
In a few cases, the Legionella bacteria from cooling towers has survived and spread into the air for distances of several kilometers.
How can we prevent Legionnaires' disease?
The likelihood of Legionella infection can be best reduced by good engineering practices in the operation and maintenance of air and water handling systems. In all cases, follow the manufacturer's instructions for operation, cleaning, and maintenance. Cooling towers and evaporative condensers should be inspected and thoroughly cleaned at least once a year. Corroded parts, such as drift eliminators, should be replaced. Algae and accumulated scale should be removed. These measures will not only control the growth of bacteria, but will also maintain operating efficiency. During cleaning operations in confined spaces, safety procedures for entry into confined spaces should be applied.
Cooling water should be treated constantly. Ideally, an automatic water treatment system should be used that continuously controls the quality of the circulating water.
Fresh air intakes should not be built close to cooling towers since contaminated aerosols may enter the ventilation system. Air filters should be examined, cleaned and/or replaced periodically and tested for leaks. Cooling towers should be positioned so the drift or evaporate does not enter the fresh air intake. Hot water tanks, which might provide ideal conditions for the growth of Legionella, should be cleaned regularly. The water system should be flushed out on a regular basis to prevent the water from stagnating.
Document last updated on August 13, 2015
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Swire officials were unavailable for comment on how many jobs the center might create in Johnstown, about 20 miles south of Fort Collins. The company has distribution centers throughout the west from Washington to Arizona and as far east as Nebraska. Swire has seven locations in Colorado, most along the I-25 corridor.
IN FORT COLLINS: Three stores open in new homes at The Square
The sale of 11 acres to Swire leaves roughly 150 of the original 542 acres in the 2534 development still undeveloped, with the largest tract at about 40 acres, said Ryan Schaefer, CEO of Chrisland Real Estate, which represented Gerrard.
Some of the remaining land is under contract, though the sale has not closed, Schaefer
"There will be hundreds of millions of dollars in construction out there," Schaefer said. "A lot of it is already underway."
Swire hopes to break ground immediately and be open in the first quarter of 2017, Schaefer said. It will join Scheels sporting goods store, Liberty Firearms Institute, Northern Colorado Rehabilitation Hospital and several other retailers at the site on the south side of U.S. Highway 34, across from the Promenade Shops at Centerra.
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ATX Television Festival’s Virtual Edition Programming Revealed
ATX Television Festival tv news TV Premiere
By Grant Hermanns
While the physical version of the event has been cancelled due to global events, ATX Television Festival will continue through a virtual edition entitled “ATX TV…From The Couch!,” which has unveiled its first wave of programming including The Bold Type, New Amsterdam and P-Valley, according to Deadline.
RELATED: Orphan Black Cast Reuniting for Two-Episode Virtual Table Read
The virtual edition marks the first time the festival has not been held in person, but will still include industry-forward panels with showrunners and executives, sneak previews of upcoming series and fun events including TV trivia and a music showcase. ATX TV…From The Couch! is going to be free to access via the festival’s official YouTube channel, with the option for viewers to donate to select organizations providing COVID-19 relief regionally and nationally.
The programming line-up is set to include panel conversations with the cast and creators of Freeform’s The Bold Type, as well as a special sneak peak at the fifth season premiere on June 11, NBC’s New Amsterdam, in which they will discuss using fiction to navigate important conversations about health and healthcare access in undeserved communities, and The CW’s Nancy Drew, which is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the creation of the titular teen sleuth.
Latinx content creators will get the spotlight with “Celebrating Authentic Stories,” a conversation with panelists Gloria Calerón Kellett (One Day at a Time), Tanya Saracho (Vida), Steven Canals (Pose) and Ilana Peña (Diary of a Future President) about celebrating and continuing the push for positive Latinx representation on screen and how those in the industry can amplify the community’s voices.
RELATED: Community Cast Sets Long-Awaited Reunion for a Virtual Table Read
Other special events set to appear at the festival include an exclusive first look at Starz’s upcoming drama P-Valley, along with a conversation with the creative minds behind the series and the cast, and a Scrubs reunion with creator Bill Lawrence and stars Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, John C. McGinley and Judy Reyes, as well as a Cougar Town reunion with Busy Philipps and Christa Miller.
ATX TV…From The Couch is set to be held from June 5-7.
ComingSoon.net recommends all readers comply with CDC guidelines and remain as isolated as possible during this urgent time.
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CONTACT: Steven Sapp
Community Relations Director
Columbia Police investigate home invasion robbery on Oct. 17, one arrest made
Columbia Police officers were dispatched to a report of a home invasion in the 100 block of West North Cedar Lake Dr., at 10:41 p.m. on Oct. 17.
The investigation revealed two males forced entry into the residence while brandishing firearms and stole property from the residence. No injuries were reported. The first suspect was described as a white male, approximately 5'06" and 200 lbs. The second suspect was described as a slender black male, approximately 5'10" and 150 lbs.
Detectives arrested the first suspect identified as Christopher T. Russell, 19, of Columbia for 1st degree Robbery and Armed Criminal Action. Bond was not set. The investigation is ongoing and detectives are working to identify and locate the second suspect.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to please contact the Columbia Police Department at 573.874.7652 or CrimeStoppers at 573.875.TIPS to remain anonymous.
Christopher T. Russell
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Willa Hope & Louis Pigeon-Owen
Binge Watching on Netflix
Get your Netflix fix
Victoria (2015) A revolution in cinematic history, Victoria tells the story of a girl on a night out in Berlin – but incredibly, it’s filmed continuously in one single take. Yet, aside from its technical achievement, the film showcases amazing talent, fantastic plot and beautiful cinematography. – Willa Hope Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013) This…
Get your Netfix
i love you philip morris (2009) I know, I know, you’ve heard it all before: straight-laced cop (Jim Carrey) comes out, turns con-man and falls in love with fellow inmate (Ewan McGregor) in a Texas jail. Although the hilarious, off-beat flick has enough cartoon slapstick to make Laurel and Hardy blush, Carrey’s surprisingly sensitive and…
Netflix film reviews
Seven Psychopaths (2012) A man with writer’s block gets more than his fair share of inspiration when his life is filled with vengeful murderers and kidnapped dogs. This is a darkly comical and comically dark story that pokes fun at everything from serial killers, to Shih Tzus, to the Hollywood Dream and still has a…
Netflix film reviews: Whiplash, Green Room & We need to talk about Kevin
Whiplash (2014) This film never ceases to amaze me; Whiplash will increase your blood pressure more than any thriller ever will. With unbelievable music to accompany equally incredible performances from Miles Teller and JK Simmons, Whiplash tells the story of a student’s undying love for jazz, whatever trials and tribulations it may bring. – Willa…
Film, Venue
Filth (2013) Corruption in the Edinburgh police force, drug abuse, borderline-personality disorder … it could only be another Irvine Welsh film. Starring James McAvoy as the psychopathic Detective Sergeant Bruce, this film is trippy, terrifying and darkly comical. Despite Bruce’s sadistic and megalomaniacal pursuits, you can’t help but sympathise with his broken shell of a…
The Legend of Barney Thompson (2015) Robert Carlyle writes, directs and stars in this noir comedy about a reluctant serial killer who becomes Scotland Yard’s ‘Most Wanted’ by accident. As the body count rises, all he really wants is to continue giving short back and sides to customers in his hair salon, but an angry…
The Big Short (2015) While not always the easiest to comprehend due to the complexity of the subject, The Big Short is one of the most revealing films about America we have seen yet. Sporting an A-list cast and, arguably, Christian Bale’s best performance in cinema, this film examines the bleak and unflattering story of…
The lobster (2015) Set in a hotel where the guests have forty-five days to find true love before they are turned into an animal, The Lobster is as funny and freaky as it sounds. Humour dryer than a meal of soda crackers in the desert during a drought, this is dead-pan black comedy at the…
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Ohio Politics
Ohio Gov. John Kasich scores highest rating yet in Quinnipiac poll; leads all Democratic challengers
Updated Jan 12, 2019; Posted Feb 28, 2013
Ohio Gov. John Kasich delivers his State of the State speech Feb. 19 in Lima. The Republican got good news Thursday from a Quinnipiac University poll that shows his job approval rating at 53 percent and a 6 to 10 percentage point lead on four potential Democratic rivals in 2014.
By Henry J. Gomez, cleveland.com
As he continues efforts to sell
his budget plan
and his Democratic opponents showcase prospects to run against him next year, Ohio Gov. John Kasich got a boost Thursday from fresh polling numbers.
The Republican's job approval rating climbed to 53 percent in
a Quinnipiac University survey
of registered voters -- an all-time high for him in this particular poll. Of the 1,011 respondents, 32 percent disapproved of Kasich's performance since taking office in 2011.
These numbers show considerable improvement since
Quinnipiac's last look at Ohio
. In early December the governor's approval-disapproval rating was 42 percent to 35 percent. And only 36 percent believed Kasich deserved a second term. This time, 46 percent of those asked said he should be re-elected. More than half -- 51 percent -- said they believed Kasich has kept kept his campaign promises, a metric that cuts both ways.
"What a difference a few months make," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Not that long ago, Democrats were licking their lips at the prospect of taking on an unpopular governor who had a disapproval rating in the 50s. Now his job disapproval rating is just 32 percent and his chances of re-election appear to be much better than they were thought to be as recently as December. "
The survey was conducted by live interviewers who called land lines and cell phones Feb. 21-Feb. 26. The poll has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
It is the first public poll since former Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, announced he would pass on a 2014 rematch with Kasich and the first since Kasich unveiled his two-year budget proposal. While the results were encouraging for Kasich, voters clearly are curious about other Democrats who might challenge him.
Kasich does not top 50 percent in any of the four hypothetical match-ups Quinnipiac surveyed, even though name-recognition for all four remains relatively low.
Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald,
who has done the most to prepare a bid
, would fare the worst against Kasich if the election were held today. The former Lakewood mayor would lose by double digits: 45 percent to 35 percent. Yet when asked if they had a favorable opinion of FitzGerald, 80 percent of the respondents said they haven't heard enough about him. That's an improvement since December, when 84 percent hadn't.
The Democrat who would give Kasich the best race right now is former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, who would lose 44 percent to 38 percent. Yet 62 percent also haven't heard enough about Cordray, whose job directing the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Washington prevents him from politicking back home.
Former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton would lose to Kasich by seven percentage points -- 45 percent to 38 percent -- while 69 percent haven't heard enough. Sutton, of Copley Township,
is considering a run
. She also is mentioned for down-ballot statewide races.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, who recently has shown
increased signs of interest
in the race, would lose to Kasich 44 percent to 36 percent. As with the others, his margin of defeat correlates with his name-recognition; 72 percent don't know enough about him.
And here are numbers that matter as Kasich navigates opposition to his budget from both parties in the General Assembly. Forty-five percent approve of his budgeting, another all-time Quinnipiac high, while 39 percent disapprove. Meanwhile the job approval-disapproval rating for the legislature is upside down: 39 percent to 42 percent.
Quinnipiac also asked about Ohio's U.S. senators, Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman. More than half of the respondents -- 51 percent -- approve of Brown's performance. Portman also scored a positive rating of 44 percent approval, 24 percent disapproval.
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Council to consider free sanitary products in schools
Posted on May 16 2018, 4:22 PM
Denbighshire County Council has voted to consider providing free sanitary products to every young woman and girl in schools across the county, following a motion put forward by the Plaid Cymru group on the Council this week.
Plaid Cymru’s motion called for free sanitary products to every young woman and girl in Denbighshire Schools to be provided in a way that respects their dignity and independence.
Rhondda Cynon Taf have already agreed to such a move following a campaign by young Plaid Cymru Councillor, Cllr. Elyn Stephens.
Plaid Cymru said that a recent End Child Poverty report noted that, after housing costs, 27% of children in Denbighshire lived in poverty and over 3,000 girls and young women attended High Schools in the County. Many of these young women and girls were put in a position of having to choose between sanitary products and food, which, Cllr. Swingler said, was wrong and not their fault.
Cllr Glenn Swingler, Upper Denbigh and Henllan, who proposed the Period Poverty motion, said "It’s not right that young women are having to make do with unhygienic homemade sanitary products simply because they or their family can't afford them from a shop, and the discomfort and embarrassment that entails. This in turn impacts on their education, and I have no doubt that it leads in some cases to some young women failing to attend school because of their discomfort. It’s wrong that in twenty first century Wales young women should live in period poverty. We believe that Denbighshire County Council should ensure that every young girl has access to free sanitary products in our schools in a way which respects their dignity”.
Councillors expressed a clear support to the principal of the motion, including the Education portfolio holder, Cllr. Huw Hilditch-Roberts. However the final decision rests with the Council’s Cabinet. The Council therefore agreed that Officers should bring detailed figures to the Cabinet within four months in order for the Cabinet to make a final decision.
Sanitary Products Poverty Rhondda Cynon Taf Elyn Stephens Glenn Swingler
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Respect Your Elders: Jasper Johns
#RespectYourElders: More than 60 years since his artwork first drew attention, Jasper Johns continues to make an impression on America. And he’s still not giving people answers about the meaning behind his work.
Johns (born 1930) is often regarded as “America’s most acclaimed living artist.” But he grew up in in a town he said didn’t appreciate art or artists: “In the place where I was a child, there were no artists and there was no art, so I really didn’t know what that meant.” That didn’t stop him from beginning to draw at the age of three — and he hasn’t stopped since.
An accomplished painter, sculptor and printmaker, Johns is best known for his 1954 painting, “Flag,” which he said was inspired by a dream about the American flag. Although he has created many works on the theme of the American flag, he never shares the details of that dream. In fact, he’s known to keep people guessing about the meaning behind all of his pieces — even friends he’s known for decades. A recent interview with The New York Times said, “…everyone agrees that certain topics reliably engage [Johns], such as gardening and cooking, but that attempts to discuss the meaning of his work with him will bring on instantaneous silence.”
Johns continues to create new works. His most recent collection, “Regrets,” premiered in 2014 at The Museum of Modern Art. It encompassed two paintings, 10 drawings and two prints.
Johns has also been honored many times. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts, an award created by the U.S. Congress, in 1990. And, he received the Presidential Medal Freedom in 2011 — the first painter or sculptor to do so since 1977. Although he keeps quiet about his philanthropy, he gives back to the artistic community often, as well. He focuses on supporting younger artists, and he plans to turn his 170-acre estate into an artists’ retreat.
Johns’ work is continuously sought after. His most expensive piece was reportedly sold for $110 million in 2010. And, museums continue to hold exhibitions of his work. The Broad, an art museum in Los Angeles, is currently showing a special exhibition, “Jasper Johns: Something Resembling Truth.” The exhibit features more than 120 of Johns’ paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings.
Read the full New York Times’ profile of Johns here.
By CMSS|2018-03-27T12:21:31-05:00February 20th, 2018|Categories: Respect Your Elders|Comments Off on Respect Your Elders: Jasper Johns
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Past Speakers Jullie Kan
Jullie Kan
Vice Chairman Southeast Asia, Private Banking, Credit Suisse
Are you interested in learning more about the Credit Suisse Asia Entrepreneurs' Forum? To find out more:
Jullie Kan is a Managing Director and Vice Chairman for Private Banking Southeast Asia. In this role, she provides senior management client coverage of ultra-high-net worth and key clients across the main Southeast Asia markets, particularly in Malaysia. In May 2016, she was appointed to the Senior Entrepreneurs Coverage role in the ultra-high-net-worth Entrepreneurs Coverage Unit.
Ms Kan joined Credit Suisse in July 1998 as a member of the Private Banking Asia Pacific senior management team, responsible for the Private Banking business in Malaysia. Prior to her current role, she was the Market Group Head for Malaysia (previously known as Market Leader Malaysia) from July 1998 to January 2013 based in Singapore, while also leading the Private Banking Singapore market between June 2006 and September 2008. In addition, she was appointed Deputy Head of Private Banking Southeast Asia between 2008 and 2010. Between 2013 until November 2018, Ms Kan was the senior advisor for the bank’s strategic young talent recruitment “Emerging Talent“ programs as well as for the bank’s Talent Development strategy.
Prior to joining Credit Suisse, Ms Kan was a long-standing member of Deutsche Bank Malaysia's senior management team, where she held several senior management positions including being a member of the credit committee as well as the asset liability committee.
Ms Kan has more than 40 years of experience in the banking industry. In November 2014, she was conferred the designation of IBF Fellow for Wealth Management by The Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore, in recognition of her industry standing in wealth management and her demonstration of mastery of the profession and exemplifying thought leadership and commitment to industry development.
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We were ranked the eighth largest accounting firm in Hong Kong for three consecutive years from 2014 to 2016 by the magazine Hong Kong Business (HKB) of the Charlton Media Group. Our International Liaison Director Mr Charbon Lo attended the joint awards ceremony held on 25 July 2017 to receive the Business Ranking Award on behalf of our company.
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Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area
A post-holiday COVID-19 surge? Nothing significant seen yet in Illinois, but experts still wary.
40 years ago, America's deadliest plane crash killed 273 people at O'Hare and changed air travel forever
Joe Ricketts, Cubs family patriarch who closed DNAinfo after union vote, to launch Omaha-based ‘unbiased’ news site
Orland Park in new talks to develop Triangle property in downtown
Rebekah Jones, state’s former COVID-19 data manager, bonds out of Florida jail
Blitz Package:
Reasons why Sunday’s Bears-Packers tilt is still worth watching
Got nothing to do this Sunday afternoon? Still passionately devoted to the Chicago Bears despite their 3-10 record and last-place standing?
Either way, the Bears' Week 15 challenge – a Sunday home game against the rival Green Bay Packers – still carries plenty of intrigue. More than you might think.
As a primer, we're offering you a half-dozen legitimate reasons to watch Sunday's game, presented in numerical form.
That's the all-time series record in the rivalry, in favor of the Bears. So yes, Sunday marks the Packers' first chance to even the score since the series was deadlocked at 11-11-3 way back in 1933. In dominating the 1940s, the Bears beat the Packers 16 times. The Bears' success in the late 1980s and early '90s, also included a stretch of eight straight wins from 1985 through 1988. However, in the 50 games started by quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, the Packers hold a record of 36-14 and have been swept by the Bears just twice – in 2005 and 2007.
Yards needed by Bears running back Jordan Howard to reach 1,000 for the season. Howard should reach that milestone sometime in the first half on Sunday. Only three Bears running backs have rushed for 1,000 yards in their rookie seasons – Matt Forte (1,238 in 2008); Anthony Thomas (1,183 in 2001) and Rashaan Salaam (1,074 in 1995). Howard's average of 5.0 yards per carry this season also ranks third in the NFL among backs with at least 100 carries behind only LeSean McCoy (5.2) and Mark Ingram (5.1)
Turnover total for current Bears quarterback Matt Barkley in his last two starts. Barkley's last interception came on the opening drive of the second half in a 27-21 loss to the Titans in Week 12. The 26-year-old quarterback has gone 22 possessions and 83 pass attempts since without turning the ball over. In that time, he's also led eight scoring drives. That's one of the promising signs the Bears have seen in their confident quarterback.
Number of 100-yard games by receiver Alshon Jeffery this season. That came way back in Week 1, a 105-yard showing in a loss to the Texans. Jeffery also has only one touchdown reception this season. The Bears top receiver has missed the past four games due to a performance enhancing drug suspension. His return to the offense will be welcomed by Barkley and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, who will now have a major big-play threat to factor into their game planning. Jeffery's conditioning will be worth tracking. With three games left in a contract year and coming back off such an embarrassing absence, the veteran receiver should also be fully motivated to shine over the final three weeks.
Sacks needed by Bears outside linebacker Leonard Floyd to reach 10 for the season. Floyd had two sacks in the first meeting with the Packers in October, including a third quarter takedown of Rodgers in which he forced a fumble and recovered it for a touchdown. The only rookie to ever record at least 10 sacks for the Bears was Mark Anderson, who had 12 sacks in 2006.
The score of last weekend's Packers home win over the Seahawks, an eye-opening blowout that pushed Green Bay's winning streak to three. The Packers, at 7-6, are still two games back of the Lions in the NFC North. But with a Week 17 showdown with the Lions and a 34-27 victory head-to-head in Week 3, the Packers need only make up one game in the standings the next two weeks to set up a winner-take-all division championship showdown on New Year's Day. The Packers follow Sunday's game at Soldier Field with a Christmas Eve home game against the Vikings. The Lions face the Giants on the road this weekend before a Week 16 trip to AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
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Toronto Blue Jays - PlayerWatch
3B-OF Russ Canzler, 26, was claimed off waivers from Cleveland. He appeared in 26 games for the Indians, batting .269 with three home runs and 11 RBI. In 130 games with Class AAA Columbus, he hit .265 with 36 doubles, 22 home runs and 79 RBI.
RHP Mickey Storey, who was claimed off waivers from Houston, was assigned outright to Class AAA Buffalo to make room for3B-OF Russ Canzler on the 40-man roster.
RHP Dave Bush, 33, who broke into the majors with the Blue Jays after he was a second-round draft choice out of Wake Forest in 2002, is among Toronto's minor-league signings. He was 4-3 with a 3.16 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 11 starts at Class AAA in the Phillies' organization before opting out of his contract to pitch in Korea. He figures to pitch for Class AAA Buffalo. He was 10-15 with a 4.15 ERA in two seasons with Toronto and is 56-69 with a 4.70 ERA in the majors that includes stints with Milwaukee and Texas.
CF Colby Rasmus has survived the offseason changes but so has top prospect CF Anthony Gose despite being mentioned in trade rumors. Gose had a taste of the majors late in 2012 and has shown enough to put some pressure on Rasmus if he falters again in 2013. Rasmus had 23 homers and 75 RBI but most of those came in the first half of the season. After the All-Star break he had six homers and 23 RBI.
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MSHP arrests area residents
Three area residents were arrested on Aug. 13 by the Missouri State highway Patrol (MSHP) in various parts of the state.
According to reports at about 4:19 p.m., on Aug. 13, in Clinton County troopers arrested Shawn P. Shamp, 43, Hamilton, for alleged felony unlawful use of a weapon. Shamp was placed on a 24-hour hold at the Clay County Sheriff's Department.
Troopers also arrested 31-year-old Derrick B. Stonger, Brookfield, at about 6:20 p.m., Aug. 13 in Linn County for alleged driving while suspended. He was later released from the Brookfield Police Department, according to the report.
Kelton G. Diggs, Chillicothe, was arrested at the State Fair, in Pettis County, at about 9:26 p.m., on Aug. 13, for alleged DWI. He was processed at the State Fair Zone Office and released.
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Chillicothe Area Christian Builders seeking applicants for 2020 home
Angie Talken @ctnews_mo
The Chillicothe Area Christian Builders are seeking applicants for their 2020 home.
For the last 20 years, the group formerly known as Habitat for Humanity has been building one home each year for a family in Chillicothe.
The group, according to Brenda Wright, vice president of the 10-member board, hosts an orientation meeting each year.
"Anyone who wants to put in an application to be considered for the home has to attend this meeting," she said. "There is quite a process."
Those interested must attend the meeting, fill out a detailed application and welcome one of the group's committees for a home visit. In their November board meeting, the group will decide which family gets the 2020 home.
Last year, five families applied to be chosen for the newly constructed home.
Most of the work is one by volunteers, and those interested in volunteering or donating should call Wright at 247-3143.
The organization is funded through grants, donations and the repayment of loans given to the homeowners for the cost of the home loan.
Those interested in applying are asked to attend an orientation meeting at 6 p.m., on Sept. 9, at the Farmers Electric Building, 201 W. Business Highway 36. Call, 247-3143, for more information.
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Doctors Are Warning People About The Effects of Taking Ibuprofen for Pain Relief
Science | By Ian Anglin | October 20, 2017
Taking Ibuprofen is becoming second nature for a lot of people. Anytime you have a headache, menstrual pain, muscle aches or some small fever, you take one of these "magical" pills, and 9 times out of 10 - the pain goes away. What you didn't know is that each time you take one of these Ibuprofen pills, you pay a price. Each time you take on of them, you make yourself less healthy in the long-term. Ibuprofen damages many different organs in your body, and today, I will explain all of this to you.
Ibuprofen Was Discovered in 1961
1961 is less than 20 years after WWII. It is weird to think how fast time flies by, and fast is the technological process. Ibuprofen is now traded as a generic drug, and one of the most sold trade names are Advil and Motrin.
It's Been Sold OTC Since 1983
For the first few decades after Ibuprofen as first released, you couldn't just buy it anywhere, and many places didn't have it as an OTC drug. It was in 1983 that Ibuprofen got OTC status in the US, and in just 2014 alone, Americans spend 4 billion on the drug.
All Drugs Come with Risks
Yeah, a lot of people know that taking drugs comes with risks and potential long-term organ damage, but not too many drugs are taken as easily and as often as Ibuprofen. This is one of the saddest parts of today's society - we always try to take the easy way out.
The FDA Tried to Tackle the Problem
After getting more thorough research on the harms and dangers of consuming Ibuprofen, the FDA tried to tackle the problem by placing warning labels on the boxed editions of the drug. This was first done in 2005, and continues to this day.
Ibuprofen can Cause Heart Attacks and Strokes
10 years after the original warning label was placed on the Ibuprofen bottles, the text got updated to include the risk of getting heart attacks and strokes from using the pain reliever. Sadly, these are not the worst possible side-effects of the drug's usage.
Stokes May Occur Within the First Week
One of the new parts of the warnings included with every Ibuprofen drug, is that they may cause heart attacks and stroke, even in the FIRST week of usage, with every additional week of usage, increasing the chances of this happening.
Everyone Is Affected By These Risks
One of the worst aspects of this whole scandal, is that you don't need genetic predispositions to get a heart attack from the consumption of Ibuprofen. Everyone is vulnerable, even healthy, young individuals can get fatal results from using the drug.
There Are No Plans to Ban the Drug
Despite the inherent risks, there are no plans to ban the drug, since for most people, the damage doesn't occur instantly, and the pharmacy lobby in Washington is quite strong. A similar drug, Vioxx, was pulled off the market in 2004 after causing 140,000 heart attacks.
NSAID's are Not Just Used in Pain Relievers
If you think you are safe from using Ibuprofen or other NSAID's (they are all dangerous) by not using pain relievers - think again. Drugs that are sold for the treatment of cold, flu and sleep problems can also contain various types of NSAID's.
The Higher the Dosage, the Higher the Risk
This is the same as with all drugs, even the illegal ones - the more you take of something, the higher the risk of something bad happening. This is so true, that people can even get an overdose from getting too many vitamins - think about that.
Doctors Believe the Labels Need to Get Immediately Updated
Dr. Steven Nissen, chief of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, has told reporters that he thinks the labels on NSAID'S need to get updated as soon as possible. He says some of the pills got approved because the FDA didn't have enough research done prior to the approval.
Dr. Nissen Was the Doctor behind the Vioxx Study
The doctor I referenced in the previous picture, Dr. Steven Nissen, was the one who did the study that ultimately stopped the sales of the deadly Vioxx drug. Unfortunately, he says we still don't have enough research done on the bad side-effects on NSAID usage.
He Led "The Precision Trial" Ground-Breaking Study
Dr. Steven Nissen is actually a very amazing doctor and researcher. He was the one who led the ground-breaking study called "The Precision Trial," a study that compared Ibuprofen, Celebrex, and naproxen, and ultimately proved that Celebrex was the safest drug.
Even Celebrex is Not Safe
Reading the previous picture, you might think that "Great, I'll just stock-up on Celebrex and be done with using Ibuprofen." That is not the case, as even Celebrex as some serious side effects - including gastrointestinal problems, which could damage your stomach's lining.
It Was a Massive Research
The research began in 2005 and was simultaneously done in 13 different countries, with a total of 900 involved medical centers. They focused on different kinds of patients, who used the pills for different kinds of pains - that is how we got the knowledge that NSAID's are dangerous.
The Most Famous Celebrity From Every State The Most Famous Celebrity From Every State
Bear Cubs Left To Drown By Their Mother, Until Help Came To Rescue Them Bear Cubs Left To Drown By Their Mother, Until Help Came To Rescue Them
Brutally Honest Parenting Comics That Are All Too Real Brutally Honest Parenting Comics That Are All Too Real
Wondering where to go in 2020 for an amazing deal, to beat the crowds, or for a truly once-in-a-lifetime travel experience? These destinations are on travel addicts’ radar for rightfully hyped 2020 events, new offerings, and recent developments that make them a must-visit right now.
On top of the majestic scenery its long been known for, Montana is a newly trendy nature getaway celebrated for its expanding luxury hotel scene, culinary offerings, and shop-local boutiques, according to an American Express study detailing where cardholders are traveling in 2020. But Montana is also about to get more accessible than ever before thanks to emerging flight routes sure to stir up competition. Launching two brand-new seasonal routes to Big Sky country, American Airlines will fly from New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Bozeman and Kalispell, Montana, beginning mid-year and continuing through Labor Day. Take advantage of the new direct route before the secret gets out, and so that they’ll continue next year.
One of the cities featured in Booking.com’s travel trends for 2020, Urugay’s capital Montevideo is a stable and LGBT-friendly destination to visit in South America—a continent that’s seen dips in tourism of late thanks to political instability in travel destinations like Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. Travelers identified the city as a trending travel destination for anyone seeking an immersive, one-stop escape; according to the study, “over half (54 percent) of global travelers say they want to go on one long trip to a place that has all of their favorite activities and sights close together.” Montevideo’s offerings include beaches, nightlife, markets, theaters, culinary prowess, and festive Gay Pride Day celebrations in September.
Europe’s intensely overtouristed spots (Venice, Barcelona, Santorini) have new Eastern European hotspots to thank for stealing away some of the spotlight: Romania is making a name for itself as one of the top five most trending Airbnb booking destinations for 2020. The nation that’s home to Transylvania, Dracula’s castle, and well-preserved medieval towns nestled among rolling hills has seen a 298 percent annual increase in Airbnb bookings.
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Dane Mitchell
Jim Barr & Mary Barr
As we write this piece, one of the works from Dane Mitchell’s series Present Surface of Tell, is in front of us.[1] Cast in plaster this object is both physically heavy and brittle. At first glance, it appears to be the model of an archaeological site. There are clear indications of an amphitheatre and some bunker-like buildings while the site itself is set in frozen chaos. Small rectangular frames are scattered about while the forms of the amphitheatre sit in a turbulent sea of plaster. Parts of the amphitheatre have been thrown up on angles as though they have been rent in two. Clearly these structures have been subjected to cataclysmic forces.
Closer examination reveals that the main structures are cast from the carousel of a slide projector, and that the scattered architectural frames are moulded from plastic or cardboard slide-holders. This realisation shifts the experience of the work from the science of archaeology to the abstraction of metaphor. From our bird’s-eye-view (the work is typically shown on the floor) this architectural ruin is rich in associations. The now virtually obsolete Kodak carousel projector, introduced in 1961[2], mechanized the presentation of art and made it very easy to finalize and protect the order of slides in projector’s finned carrier. Everyone had the opportunity to tell their own version of art history again and again. Mitchell’s ruined carousel offers a poignant commentary on the death of narrative art history in a digital age.
Slides of art works had another life outside the formality of the carousel projector. They were presented by artists in clear plastic sheets as an introduction to their work to art dealers and collectors.[3] The image of an art dealer holding a sheet of slides to the light and peering at them with unfocussed eyes illuminates one of the cruellest engagements between art and commerce.[4]
The other thought that comes to mind looking at Present Surface of Tell is its complicating of inside and out. The carousel, typically used inside a darkened room, is re-presented here as exterior architecture. The meeting of the interior world of the projector and its projected image and its physical abandonment as an architectural relic in the series is troubling. Even the humour of the work is shadowed by this confusion of inner and outer experiences. We suspect the same interest in dissembling ideas of what is outside and what is inside will be a telling factor in the wall work Mitchell is proposing for the gallery A Gentil Carioca in Rio de Janeiro.
For perversity’s sake, let’s first stand behind the wall, behind the outside of the wall, that is. We are told that the shelter Mitchell plans to suspend will be attached to the outside wall of the gallery. The initial plan was for him to work inside the gallery until he was asked to take himself outside. An outsider then by suggestion, if not by choice. It’s tough out there in the real world where art must foot it with the everyday rather than relax in the familiar context galleries provide. Even if it’s not a white cube, we know we are supposed to look for the art, and we know what to look for.
Playing the insider on the outside is a role that suits Mitchell. Think of it like peeling a glove from a hand. Just as the stitching is revealed and the structure made apparent in an inside-out glove, an outside wall has a roughness and directness that the smoother surface of any inside wall can’t match; especially one in a contemporary art gallery.
For the duration of Mitchell’s work nothing will so become the inside wall of A Gentil Carioca as its exterior. The thought of Mitchell’s installation hanging just out of reach is tantalizing. If anyone was to climb the wall and wait on this precarious shelf, they will be at once close to and distant from anyone inside the gallery. So near and yet so far. Psychology gives proximity a key role in analysing the forces of human attraction. But what do we make of a proximity that hits the wall?
This oddity of proximity is further confused by a potential dweller’s own freedom on the other side of the wall. While being lashed to a rope high above the street might be a strange idea of freedom, there is the freedom to stop, to pull out, to come down to earth. Other artists have pushed at this freedom through proxies. Mexican artist Santiago Sierra paid wages to a man who agreed to be bricked up and fed through a small gap at the bottom of the wall.[5] Edgar Allen Poe would have understood because even the art-required escape clause takes away none of the emotional and metaphorical resonance from Sierra’s work.
In front of the wall
By exhibiting behind the wall, Mitchell is plugging for outsider status, but despite the opportunities for passers-by to see the work in their world, he is very much an insider. This relationship with the audience is a conundrum that shapes the work of many artists today. A quick chronological traverse of this terrain by quote might look something like this:
“The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to the creative act.”
“Everyone is an artist.”
“If I am an artist working in a studio, then everything I make must be art.”
“I’m interested in blurring the line, in terms of how art is perceived and how one approaches what is deemed to be art and the possibility of doing it another way.”
The work is, in some ways at least, also about isolation. And isolation within a busy public space. This connection makes it hard not to reach for Vito Acconci. The resonance between Acconci scrunched beneath floor boards beating to the rhythm of steps on the floor above him and a dweller breathing alone in the small tent are irresistible. People inside the gallery might be forgiven for taking advantage of their own insider standing to reach for a glass to press against the wall. Whatever one chooses to do in these cramped quarters, however, can only amplify the very private nature of this public exhibition. Art, with its often suspicious and doubting audience, brings its own form of privacy with it.
Like the people behind the wall we can only guess at the technical difficulties that will attach themselves to this project. Walls are infrequently subjected to the insult of climbing bolts and it is anybody’s guess how the bricks and mortar will respond to such probing. Attempting to sleep on the shelf, even at this un-alpine altitude, is not for the weak kneed. The truth is that even a fall from a moderately high ladder can be fatal. At least with that famous pair of art climbers Picasso and Braque, there was someone to hold fast to the rope if one of them slipped.[6]
From here in New Zealand, a country that boasts Mt Everest’s first conqueror as its most valued citizen, the thought of scrambling up the wall of an art gallery reveals the same mock heroics that he gives his faux archaeological drawings. As with his other work this project is wrapped in a cloak of serious fun. Will it be the no-nonsense spirit of Acconci or the merry presence of Maurizio Catalan in that small tent clamped to the wall? Give us enough rope and we could let you know.
[1] A "tell" is a mound or elevated land that has arisen by repeated and long-term rebuilding of the same site. Layers of civilizations can be found at different strata. Intriguingly it is also a gambling term for an action that gives the game away.
[2] Kodak Carousal projectors were discontinued by Kodak in 2004.
[3] New Zealand artist, Julian Dashper has used the slide to interrogate the role it has played in contemporary art.
[4] For a quintessential example refer to Lord Snowdon’s photograph of Sir Anthony Blunt practising connoisseurship in Private View published by Nelson in 1965.
[5] He was isolated for 360 hours (three weeks) and paid $10 per hour. The work was installed in New York’s PS1 Gallery in 2000 and called Person renumerated for a period of 360 consecutive hours.
[6] Braque’s claim that he and Picasso were “like two mountain climbers roped together” was too good an opportunity to let pass.
Dane Mitchell © 2020
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Investments in energy efficiency close to halve the cost of achieving the 2030 goal
Denmark has set an ambitious and important goal, namely a 70 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
In order to achieve this goal it is essential that we invest in the right tools, including energy efficiency, sector coupling and sustainable energy. Investments in energy efficiency and sector coupling are the quickest and cheapest way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, investing in energy efficiency means less investment in grid connections, the expansion of the electricity grid and energy storage, and energy is freed up for the sector coupling and power-to-X technology that is necessary to reach the green transition target.
The costs do not include measures that were adopted with the Energy Agreement in 2018 and reductions from agriculture and environment are not valued. The reduction costs are calculated for 2030. The reduction process and the sequencing of measures between 2020 and 2030 are not analyzed; The stated costs assume linear development in costs between 2020 and 2030.
In a new analysis, Ea Energy Analyses concludes that:
Pre-existing technologies can contribute towards a total of 66 percent of greenhouse gas reductions within a realistic cost target. The remaining 4 percent are expected to be achieved through technology development and innovation in the energy system.
By 2030 the socio-economic additional net costs are almost halved, from DKK 30 billion (EUR 4 billion) to DKK 16 billion (EUR 2.15 billion), through investments in energy efficiency.
The socio-economic gain of investing in energy efficiency comprises lower energy costs, including saving on the costs of grid connection, expanding the electricity grid and developing electricity storage. In addition, it would lead to a growth in exports of Danish technology and services, which contributes to the creation of sustainable jobs and provides greater tax revenues for the state.
The biggest energy efficiency gains are found in buildings and industry, where emissions can be reduced by 2 million tonnes of CO2 in 2030, corresponding to 16 percent of the 70 percent goal.
The biggest contribution to the 70 percent goal comes from an implementation of sector coupling technology. Sector coupling will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5.6 million tonnes of CO2 in 2030, corresponding to 44 percent of the necessary reduction in order to live up to the 70 percent goal.
Heat pumps for both heating supply and in industry are the biggest contributors with a reduction of 2.2 million tonnes of CO2, while initiatives to electrify the transport sector (excluding electrofuels) provide a reduction of 1.5 million tonnes of CO2.
By 2030 net added costs will almost be halved from 4 bn EUR to 2.1 bn EUR when investing in energy efficiency
Investing in energy efficiency is the cheapest solution
The cheapest socio-economic solution for achieving a 66 percent reduction would result in necessary investments corresponding to DKK 175 billion (EUR 23.4 billion) for electrification and sector coupling initiatives, energy efficiency and the production of renewable energy. Of this, DKK 23 billion (EUR 3 billion) would be investments in energy efficiency.
If investments are not made in energy efficiency, the total additional investments required to achieve a 66 percent reduction (solely through renewable energy, electrification and sector coupling) increase to around DKK 207 billion (EUR 27.7 billion).
Solutions, studies and articles
A new shade of green for grocery stores
The supermarket Aktiv & Irma in Oldenburg, Germany, has pressed the start-button to a solution enabling it to store and generate electricity.
Electrification and sector coupling achieve CO2 goals
The FlexHeat district heating plant at Copenhagen’s Nordhavn harbor emits 315 fewer tonnes per annum of CO2 than the LPG gas-based alternative.
Vision and pathway for decarbonizing the European heating and cooling sector
Heating and cooling accounts for half of the EU’s energy consumption. To succeed with the energy transition in Europe, decarbonizing our heating and cooling supply is essential.
To enable Europe’s clean energy future, we need to buckle up and couple up
The future holds plenty of potential and must rest on further integration across sector and policies to ensure we optimize our energy systems for optimal performance and efficiency.
Learn more about energy efficiency and explore more solutions.
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Video: DCCCD Network News June 30, 2017
Good afternoon! The summer semester is in full swing, and so are all of the activities and news we've seen and read over the past few weeks.
The Texas Legislature ended its 85th session last month. The governor has been busy signing a number of bills that included the state's budget, as well as SB 2118, which I mentioned in our last discussion.
The governor's signature on SB 2118 only two weeks ago means that DCCCD got the green light to offer baccalaureate degrees in early childhood education, nursing, and applied technology.
State Senator Royce West and Representative Helen Giddings filed bills to address the shortage of early childhood teachers in the North Texas area. The language from their bills became part of SB 2118 by Chairman Kel Seliger.
The legislation will help us provide a solution to a shortage of more than 4,000 early childhood education teachers in Dallas County. We want to thank everyone who helped us with this effort, which was one of our key goals for this session.
And we were excited to read a great editorial in the Dallas Morning News that said, "It's smart to emphasize early childhood training."
The budget for the next biennium gives the district an increase of approximately $2 million, and it also provides 90% of the funds needed for Starlink and our Small Business Development Centers.
The Recruit Texas bill also passed, which will help attract companies to Texas and then involve them with the state's community colleges. I have already had discussions with the Texas Workforce Commission and area economic development teams about how we can partner together to take the lead on Recruit Texas.
Now we wait for a special session, which was called by the governor and will start on July 18.
The last time we talked, the issue of concealed carry was top-of-mind across our district. Our trustees met earlier this month and approved my recommendations for our concealed carry policy. That policy starts on August 1st of this year, as required under state law.
Our district is committed to protecting the health and safety of the DCCCD community as we respect the rights of individual members.
Passing this policy allows us to comply with the law, without compromising our mission, purpose, or the environment in which we all work and learn.
You can find specifics about the new concealed carry policy on our district website. Our trustees also decided to review the policy in two years.
Thank you again to everyone who provided their input and who worked on crafting this policy so that we would be ready to move forward this coming academic year.
In the meantime, we received notification that DCCCD once again has earned a triple-A bond rating from Fitch Ratings for our general obligation bonds.
Our business affairs administrators and staff members follow strong financial management practices over the long term, with the support of our trustees. Those practices ensure that we have the money we need for operations in the district.
The bottom line is that we conduct business well, with transparency and flexibility. Ratings we receive from Fitch and other financial organizations reflect that fact.
I also would like to mention a workforce-related program that will help veterans. Last week, Amazon announced that it is bringing a new apprenticeship program to the DFW area.
The company is partnering with Richland College to offer a 16-week certificate program in which veterans can learn the in's and out's of cloud computing.
Then they will complete a year-long apprenticeship program with Amazon, where they will get critical on-the-job experience. At the end of the program, participants are guaranteed an interview for a full-time position with the company.
Amazon is involved in an ongoing effort to hire and train veterans.
DCCCD is dedicated to helping veterans continue their education and providing job skills so that they can build new careers following their service. This new apprenticeship opportunity with Richland College is an excellent example of those efforts in action.
Finally….The first anniversary of the tragic July 7 police shooting in Dallas will be here soon. We once again thank the DCCCD police officers at El Centro College who bravely defended our students, faculty and staff that night.
El Centro has scheduled a memorial event that will focus on honoring police officers who died, who were wounded, and who responded that night. The program also will focus on renewal and the importance of community building.
The tribute will be held on Friday, July 7, at 11 a.m., in the El Centro College Student Center. Dr. Adames and Dallas City Councilman Adam McGough will speak, along with one or two other people. A student artwork also will be unveiled. All members of the DCCCD community are invited to participate.
Enjoy your weekend and have a safe Independence Day next week.
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About Connie Nicholas Carberg
Connie Nicholas Carberg was the NFL’s first female scout and broke barriers without even trying. Growing up around the team that she’d love more than most anything else was a blessing for Connie. It all began when her father, Dr. Calvin Nicholas became the Jets’ team internist (and would be for 24 more years). It was one thing to go to every Jets game, but another to turn it into a profession. Following high school, Connie attended the Ohio State University and learned more about football from her mentor and friend, Woody Hayes. Woody took the young Connie under his wing, allowing her to attend every OSU practice, open or closed to the public.
After graduation, Connie was offered a job as a secretary with the New York Jets, and subsequently showed her talents, moving into the scouting department, and marking the first time a woman ever made a draft selection in the NFL (she chose Mike Bartoszek, in the 17th round).
Connie was named the first female scout in NFL history in 1976, under Mike Holovak, and some of the best drafts in New York Jets history occurred with her help. Connie also discovered the passionate defensive end, Mark Gastineau, solidifying her contributions to Jets history.
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Home » Courts » Oral Arguments » Oral Arguments Archive » Oral Argument Before the Hawaii Supreme Court
Oral Argument Before the Hawaii Supreme Court
No. SCWC-12-0001114, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014, 10 a.m.
STATE OF HAWAI`I, Respondent/Plaintiff-Appellee, vs. LAST KONY, Petitioner/Defendant-Appellant.
The above-captioned case was set for argument on the merits at:
Supreme Court Courtroom
Ali`iolani Hale, 2nd Floor
417 South King Street
Attorney for Petitioner:
Jon N. Ikenaga, Deputy Public Defender
Attorney for Respondent:
Donn Fudo, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
NOTE: Order accepting Application for Writ of Certiorari, filed 07/15/14.
COURT: MER, C.J.; PAN, SSM, RWP, & MDW, JJ.
[ Listen to the entire audio recording in mp3 format ]
On June 2, 2014, Last Kony (Petitioner) timely filed an application for writ of certiorari (Application) to review the April 2, 2014 judgment of the Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA), issued pursuant to its February 28, 2014 Summary Disposition Order, which affirmed the Judgment of Conviction and Sentence entered by the Circuit Court of the First Circuit (circuit court) on November 28, 2012.
Petitioner was charged with three counts of sexual assault in the first degree, in violation of HRS § 707-730(1)(c), and six counts of sexual assault in the third degree, in violation of HRS § 707-732(1)(c). During trial, the State elicited testimony from its expert witness regarding the general nature of child sex abuse, which included testimony regarding statistical percentage and behavioral evidence relating to characteristics of typical sex offenders and child victims. Following trial, Petitioner was convicted on six of the nine counts charged.
Petitioner timely filed a notice of appeal with the ICA, asserting that the circuit court erred in allowing the expert’s testimony regarding statistical and behavioral profile evidence of typical sex offenders and child victims because the testimony was (1) not relevant, (2) did not assist the jury, (3) improperly bolstered the complaining witness’s credibility, and (4) improperly profiled him as a sex offenders or, in the alternative, was misleading and highly prejudicial. The ICA majority rejected all four of Petitioner’s arguments. The ICA minority concurred in the majority’s disposition as to the first two points of error, but would have found that the latter two points of error should be measured by Hawai`i Rules of Evidence Rule 403. However, the minority concluded that the latter two points had been waived by Petitioner. The ICA affirmed the circuit court’s judgment.
In his Application, Petitioner contends that the ICA erred in its holding because the expert’s testimony was not relevant, did not assist the jury in understanding the dynamics of child sexual abuse, improperly bolstered the complaining witness’s credibility, and was unfairly prejudicial. In its response to the Application filed September 16, 2014, the State maintains that the expert’s testimony assisted the jury, did not improperly bolster the credibility of the complaining witness, was not unduly prejudicial, and Petitioner failed to object to any of the questions asked of the expert on the grounds that the answer would be prejudicial.
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Michael's On East - Original Eats
At Michael's On East
Written by Co-Proprietor, Michael Klauber:
"After my hospitality studies at Cornell, I was hired by the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans as their first ever management trainee. The GM of the hotel was the dynamic Archie Casbarian. Archie was considered one of the top hoteliers in the US at the time. Archie took me under his wing and moved me through all the different food & beverage departments at the hotel (which I loved!) over 2 years. One afternoon, he surprised me with a big announcement. He was leaving the hotel after 20 years and purchasing the iconic Arnaud’s Restaurant in the French Quarter. The restaurant dated back to 1918 and had been deteriorating for decades. Archie asked me to come with him as his assistant and of course I said YES! We spent a year-and-a-half restoring the dilapidated structure and focused on returning the restaurant to its former glory. Every detail was thought through and the history of the restaurant was showcased through the menu. One of the former owner’s (Count Arnaud - a self-proclaimed Count) favorites was bananas flambéed and the Count's version of the New Orleans classic “Foster” was what we tested and ultimately showcased on the menu for our re-opening in 1977. That is where I learned to make the dish tableside and trained many of our new staff on creating the “show” at the table! Today, Archie’s wife Jane and their two children - Katy and Archie Jr. continue to carry on the great tradition of hospitality at Arnaud’s. You can be sure that their dining room is filled with the excitement each night as table after table is served this celebratory dessert! Much like the "Pompano Casbarian" on our dinner menu, I continue to be forever grateful for the mentorship I received from Archie, and am proud to have another piece of my culinary history showcased on our menu!"
BANANAS FOSTER À LA ARNAUD'S
BANANAS SAUTÉED IN BUTTER, BROWN SUGAR, CINNAMON, DARK RUM, BANANA LIQUEUR,
HOUSEMADE VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM AND FLAMBÉED TABLESIDE
Original Eats Price: $17
Click Here to learn more about Michael's On East
Founded on April 27, 1987, the celebrated Michael’s On East restaurant takes fine dining to another level, offering award-winning cuisine and outstanding service, in an exceptional 1940s supper club atmosphere. Michael’s On East was one of only ten restaurants in the nation to be inducted into the 2009 Nation’s Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame, considered the Oscars of the restaurant industry, and received their 31st consecutive AAA Four-Diamond Award in 2020. In February 2012, U.S. Airways Magazine selected Michael’s On East as an East Coast Icon, in good company with the ‘21’ Club in New York City.
Now a part of Sarasota’s history, partners Michael Klauber and Phil Mancini have built their unmatched reputation for exceptional service and inspired cuisine on the principle that “each guest should be treated the way they expect to be treated,” every moment of each and every visit. The Sarasota culinary duo have been recognized regionally and internationally for their dedication in helping more than 500 nonprofit organizations throughout Sarasota and Manatee Counties, and giving back more than one million dollars through in-kind donations, contributions and partnerships.
Located at 1212 S. East Avenue in Midtown Plaza, the iconic fine dining restaurant is currently taking dinner reservations from 5:30pm to 8:30pm Monday–Thursday and Friday & Saturday 5:30–9:00pm.
Michael’s Lounge and Bar open at 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday until close, featuring Happy Hour specials from 5–7pm. Live entertainment in the lounge begins each night starting at 6:30pm. The restaurant is currently closed on Sundays. The restaurant’s Private Dining Room can accommodate up to 48 guests. Michael’s Wine Cellar can seat up to 50 guests for private events.
As you prepare for your dining experience at Michael’s On East, we often receive questions about the appropriate dress. We suggest “business casual” or cocktail attire. Ties and jackets are not required for gentlemen.
Reservations for the restaurant are accepted online or can be made via phone from 10am to 10pm, Monday through Saturday. For more information about Michael’s On East, call 941-366-0007.
1212 East Avenue South
Visit the Michael's On East Website
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Manager Profiles
FPL Central
Home > Player Profiles > Virgil van Dijk – The colossus at the heart of Liverpool’s title challenge
Virgil van Dijk – The colossus at the heart of Liverpool’s title challenge
by Ganapathi Ramanathan - November 27, 2018 October 2, 2019
🗣 “Virgil van Dijk. Too big. Too fast. Loves fighting. Smells nice. He runs past you and you’re like ‘ooh’ smelling him.”
– Troy Deeney, Circa 2018
He might have only been with Liverpool for the better part of a year, but both fans and critics describe Virgil van Dijk using superlatives – Gargantuan. A cult hero. Towering. A buff Lin Manuel Miranda. Unshakeable. Unflappable. Uncompromising. The praise keeps flowing.
But if you were to describe Virgil van Dijk with just one word, it would be Colossus. And for good reason. Similar to how the Colossus stood over the Rhodesian harbour, overseeing the entry and exit of ships, the towering defender from the Netherlands commands composure, comprehensively constructing a cohesive defense and is often seen initiating the slick counter-attacking football that the Anfield faithful call poetry in motion. It’s been a solid season for the lad from Breda so far. Last week, he captained the Oranje to the semifinals of the Nations League, volleying home a 90th-minute equalizer against Germany. His influence in the dressing room got him voted in as third choice captain for The Reds despite only joining the club last winter. However, all this pales in comparison to his greatest achievement: he made Dejan Lovren look good!
With consistent performances week in and week out, complemented by the omnipresent attacking threat, van Dijk has silenced his critics and has proved himself worthy of that record transfer sum.
van Dijk was imperious against Watford, winning every tackle and aerial duel. He also made 8 clearances and completed 93 passes, the most for any Liverpool player on the pitch.
However, things weren’t always so rosy for the lad born and brought up in the picturesque southern city of Breda. If you somehow invented a time machine to go back 11 years, you might meet a 16-year-old Virgil washing pots at a certain Oncle Jean restaurant in Breda, If you were lucky, you’d hear the manager, a certain Jacques Lips tell him to give up his dreams and work there, for he’d at least make some money there. Today, he eats humble pie as he acknowledges the quality of his ex-employee.
“Nobody at this place has ever forgotten Virgil. He was a great lad. In fact, we’ve always kept his name and phone number in our workbook for temps. His name and number are still there. I’ve tried to call him. No not to ask him to come back, I just want to congratulate him. I’m so proud of him. He’s now the £75m man in the world of football.”
– Jacques Lips.
van Dijk’s Celtic shirt at the restaurant.
While you might have rolled your eyes at Jacques Lips’ reservations today, you might have agreed with him then. Despite training hard and giving it everything he had, Virgil would never make it big at his neighbouring club, Willem II. He was deemed unfit to play, the coach thought he was too small and slow. This was compounded by the defender getting hospitalised due to an abdominal issue. After just one season, he left for Groningen in 2010 on a free transfer. One can imagine the 17-year-old youth, travelling 225 km away to live his dream, despite being told he wasn’t good enough.
However, things started to look brighter with the Eredivisie side. His recovery was called a miracle by his overjoyed parents. He suddenly became bigger and a lot faster, as puberty him like a truck. For him, it was a fresh start. Deployed as a striker, he constantly ruffled the opposition defence whenever he was brought on, by virtue of his physique and finesse.
“We’d put Virgil on for the last 10, 15, 20 minutes and he would wreak havoc among the opponents.
He was quite effective. He did a great job for us as he was just so powerful, allowing him to hold the ball up.
Virgil was also good with the ball at his feet so he was a useful weapon when we needed him.”
– Tim Sparv, who was his teammate at Groningen.
Virgil made good of his opportunity, scoring 5 goals during his short stint at attack before the club felt his attributes could be put to greater use in defence. His physicality was his greatest asset, and he put in the shift too, training with his teammates to build his body when he really didn’t need to. He was calm and composed, winning aerial balls with ease. His speed and sense of direction helped him too, allowing him to track back and win the ball in case of a rare error. Groningen, however, was not where he grew into his position as a natural leader. That was for another page in the chapter he was writing into the book of football.
In the summer of 2013, Virgil signed for Celtic at a fee reported to be at around £1.5million. Celtic were overjoyed, they hardly expected it to be this easy. In the words of Neil Lennon, who brought him to Celtic:
“When I saw him playing for Groningen, he used to bring the ball out of defence, hit the ball 40-50 yards on a sixpence to the winger. He was attacking the ball in both boxes. I thought: ‘There must be English scouts watching this guy’. In the end, we got him for just over £1.5 million.I couldn’t believe my luck really. On the first day when we got him into training I said: ‘Look, enjoy yourself here, you’ll not be here long’.”
Lennon took the defender to Celtic for just over £1.5million
Virgil did stick around for two seasons at Celtic and matured into the player we see today. He was influential in both seasons, helping them win two consecutive titles. He led the team from the back, scored freekicks for fun and was a constant threat. When Celtic met Barcelona in October 2013, they might have lost 1-0, but the 22-year old’s performance against the likes of Neymar and Alexis Sanchez was the talk of the town.
However, his time at Celtic wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Ronny Deilla, then coach, had issues with his attitude. He felt that the exciting new prospect, despite having the potential, needed to stop being complacent. He made that clear to Virgil a few training sessions in. In response, Virgil van Dijk went on to do what Virgil van Dijk did, and towards the end of his period in the Scottish Premiership, was named in the Scottish Team Of The Year twice running. When he told Ronny about his decision to leave, the coach was left with nothing but praise for the Number 4:
“When he said he was going I told him not to go to Southampton or Sunderland but straight to Manchester City or United. I said to him he was that good. I told City and they regret it now.”
In 2015, Virgil van Dijk signed a contract with Southampton and the rest, as they say, is history.
Nobody really needs stats to acknowledge the importance of Virgil in the Liverpool defence, but I’ll just throw in one that emphasises his embodiment in the team.
Liverpool Defensive Numbers:
Pre- van Dijk (2017/18) – 28 Goals Against in 23 Games – 1.22 GA/Game
Post- van Dijk (2017/18) -10 Goals Against in 15 Games – 0.66 GA/Game
https://twitter.com/WC_LFC_Torres/status/1066383711367806977/photo/1
In the 2017-18 season, before -van Dijk era, Liverpool were languishing with a defence that was abysmal, to say the least. There was a centre-back problem, and it was not going anywhere. Gomez was inexperienced and injured, the jury was still out on Lovren, his woeful performance against Harry Kane doing him no favours. Joel Matip was hit and miss. Ragnar Klavan, despite being solid, was not exactly what the Kop had in mind. Opposition teams had scored 28 goals against them in 23 games, averaging 1.22 goals per game. Enter van Dijk, and the numbers dropped considerably to 0.66 goals per game. With 75 million, Klopp effectively doubled the capability of the defence.
Today, at 26, Virgil van Dijk stands in a place I’m not sure even his 16-year-old self would have dreamed of. Last weekend, he played an important part (role?) as Liverpool won a smash and grab fixture at Watford to remain unbeaten so far this season. The weekend before that, he scored to send the Netherlands to Portugal and was seen consoling a distressed referee barely recovering from personal tragedy, a class act. He’s easily up there with the world’s best defenders on current form, and many pundits still feel we haven’t seen the best of him yet.
Today, van Dijk is seen as an integral part in the resurrection of two teams: Liverpool, who are still eyeing that elusive silverware, and the Netherlands national team, who want to put the disappointing few years behind them. Prospects for both teams look promising, and if there is one man capable of leading both teams from the back, both literally and figuratively, it is the giant of a Dutchman with the number four emblazoned on his back.
Feature Image via Getty
van Dijk numbers against Watford via BET 365
van Dijk Shirt in restaurant via Mirror
Neil Lennon and VVD image via The Scottish Sun
More from Ganapathi Ramanathan here
Read More | Klopp’s midfield conundrum |
Read More | Oh Captain, My Captain? |
Read More | Andy Robertson – To Hull And Back |
Read More | Mo Salah: The King Of Egypt |
Read More | Liverpool’s Transfer Window – Is This Their Year?|
Read More | Kenny Dalglish – The King Of The Kop |
Read More | Fight Or Flight: Breaking Down Liverpool’s Nightmarish Fixture List |
Tagged Breda Celtic groningen Klopp Kop Liverpool Neil Lennon Virgil van Dijk Willem II
Ganapathi Ramanathan
http://www.elartedf.com
Premier League Recap – October 20th – November 11th
How Can Chelsea Win the League?
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Home » About The Council » The Council » Councillors » Kent County Council
Cllr Andrew Bowles
Mr Andrew Harry Thomas Bowles was elected to the County Council in May 2005 as the Conservative Member for Swale East.
Mr Bowles has served as a Borough Councillor from 1987 until the election of 2019.
He was the Leader of the Council from 2002 until 2019. He served as a Parish Councillor for Graveney Parish Council from 1976 until 2015. He has been chairman of Selling Parish Council since 2019.
He was the last Chairman of the Local Government Association's Rural Commission before it was abolished and is now substitute Member for Culture, Tourism and Sport Committee of the LGA.
He was a school governor at Graveney Primary School from 1980 until 2017 twice serving as Chairman. He is now a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Academy. Mr Bowles lists his interests as the environment, rural affairs, cricket and walking. He is a member of the National Farmers' Union and is a former Chairman of the NFU's Swale branch. He is a Freemason.
He is Chairman of the County Councils Regulation Committee and also of the Commissioning Board. Represents the County Council on the Environment Agency's Regional Flood and Coastal Committee. He is a County Council representative on the Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority. Mr Bowles has two grown up children and four grandchildren
Lambert Leese
4 Selling Court
Faversham, Kent
ME13 9RJ
andrew.bowles@kent.gov.uk
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ESTONIAN NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
KALLE RANDALU, NEEME JÄRVI
Released in 2016.
Nominee of Estonian Music Award 2017 in the category of classical music; best CD in the category of symphonic and stage music. 5-CD-set GREAT MAESTROS, piano concertos by Beethoven, symphonies by Brahms.
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Kalle Randalu (piano), conductor Neeme Järvi
Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms
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Beethoven. Piano Concerto No 5, fragm, 4 min 40 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps
The grand man of Estonian music, Maestro Neeme Järvi − a conductor “from God” − is probably the best known Estonian musician in the world beside Arvo Pärt. It is almost impossible to fully sum up the long and prolific career of one of the most sought after conductors of our time.
Neeme Järvi has conducted 157 orchestras, held the position of chief conductor (currently chief conductor emeritus) of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the Scottish Royal National Opera (currently its honorary conductor), music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (currently music director emeritus), music director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (currently honorary conductor), chief conductor of the Hague Residentie-orchestra (currently chief conductor emeritus) etc. The considerable increase in the artistic level of these orchestras has greatly been his service. As has the respect from these orchestras and their ongoing wish to continue their co-operation.
His discography is likewise impressive. Among others he has recorded all symphonies by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, R. Strauss, Mahler, Dvořák, Glazunov, Grieg, Sibelius, Nielsen and Brahms.
Having served as chief conductor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra from 1963 to 1979, he took a difficult decision in 1980 and emigrated from the artistically oppressive USSR to the West where he made it his mission to introduce Estonian music to the world. He has conducted works by Rudolf Tobias, Artur Kapp, Arvo Pärt, Eino Tamberg, Veljo Tormis, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Peeter Vähi and other Estonian composers − but first and foremost by Eduard Tubin with whom he closely collaborated artistically.
By today Neeme Järvi has re-established his contact with re-independent Estonia. In 2001, Neeme, the head of Järvi “Dynasty” together with his two sons, conductors Paavo and Kristjan, initiated the international conducting master classes in Pärnu which by today have grown into the Järvi Academy. Since 2010 Neeme Järvi has again been chief conductor and artistic director of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.
Kalle Randalu is an internationally sought-after pianist from Estonia. He has studied under Prof Bruno Lukk in the Tallinn Conservatoire and in the Moscow Conservatoire under Prof Lev Vlassenko. He is a laureate of several international piano contests, among others prizes from the International Robert Schumann Contest in Zwickau (1981), the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (1982) and First Prize from the ARD International Music Competition in Munich (1985).
Kalle Randalu settled in Germany, 1988. 1994−1997 he was a professor at the Freiburg University of Music and since 1997 has held a professorship at the Karlsruhe University of Music.
Kalle Randalu has given concerts in most European countries, the USA, Australia, Russia and Japan. Among the venues where he has performed are the Wiener Konzerthaus, the Hercules Hall in Munich, the Berliner Konzerthaus, the Grand Hall of Moscow Conservatoire, the Grand Hall and Small Hall of St Petersburg Philharmonia, the Finlandia Hall in Helsinki, the Great Festival Hall in Salzburg and the Rosengarten Mannheim.
Kalle Randalu has performed with numerous orchestras, among others with the Orchestra of the Bayerische Rundfunk, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Hamburger Philharmoniker, the St Petersburg and Moscow Philharmonics, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Württemberg, Berlin and Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestras as well as most of the Estonian orchestras.
Randalu has worked with prominent conductors such as Neeme Järvi, Mariss Jansons, Maxim Shostakovich, Juha Kangas, Leif Segerstam, Osmo Vänskä, Paavo Järvi and Eri Klas.
Kalle Randalu’s repertoire contains over 50 piano concertos and a large number of solo and chamber works. In collaboration with the Finnish conductor Juha Kangas he has played all the Mozart piano concertos. Randalu has on many occasions played all the Beethoven concertos.
For over 20 years he has been connected with Villa Musica, one of Germany’s biggest concert institutions, which brings together leading German musicians.
Kalle Randalu has released numerous CDs. A sensational success were the seven volumes of the complete Hindemith sonatas with Ensemble Villa Musica, which have repeatedly received prizes, including the Classical Award in France and the Klassik-Echo Prize in Germany. Latest recordings feature Marginalia by Jaan Rääts (2014, ERP), various piano works by Brahms on a double-CD and three volumes of chamber music by Schumann.
The history of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (known in Estonian as Eesti Riiklik Sümfooniaorkester or ERSO) dates back to 1926 and is connected to the birth of the national broadcasting. Today, it is the longest continually operating professional orchestra of its kind in the country. There are more than 100 musicians playing in the orchestra.
Chief conductor and artistic director Neeme Järvi has led ERSO since 2010, while Paavo Järvi has been its artistic advisor since 2002, and Olari Elts its principal guest conductor since 2007. The orchestra’s previous principal conductors have been Olav Roots (1939−1944), Paul Karp (1944−1950), Roman Matsov (1950−1963), Neeme Järvi (1963−1979), Peeter Lilje (1980−1990), Leo Krämer (1991−1993), Arvo Volmer (1993−2001) and Nikolai Alexeev (2001−2010).
ERSO has toured in Europe, the United States and the former Soviet Union. The orchestra has taken part in many Estonian and international music festivals, including the Europamusicale in Munich, the Musiksommer in Gstaad, the Baltic Sea Festival in Stockholm and Il Settembre dell’Accademia in Verona.
The orchestra’s repertoire ranges from Baroque music to contemporary works. ERSO has performed symphonic pieces by most Estonian composers, often premiering them. The quality of ERSO’s recordings has been praised in renowned classical music magazines and been rewarded with a number of prizes, the biggest of which was a Grammy in 2004 for Sibelius cantatas.
Download CD booklet (20 pages, in Estonian and English, PDF, 21 MB)
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Sigrid Kuulmann. Works for Solo Violin
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Prelude €13.85
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Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard's 'Undivided' Is Country Music's Latest Misunderstanding of Unity
We love a good reconciliation, don’t we America? So long as we’re not reminded what divided us in the first place.
By Justin Kirkland
Elaine Chung
One week after MAGA insurrectionists led by Donald Trump's vile rhetoric stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to turn the results of a democratically held election, Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line have released a song called "Undivided."
Here's the solution the duo suggests in the song:
I think it's time to come together, you and I can make a change
Maybe we can make a difference, make the world a better place
Look around and love somebody, we've been hateful long enough
Let the good Lord reunite us 'til this country that we love's undivided
During the past week, members of the GOP have argued that we as a country should move on together. Even President Trump has said that an impeachment would only further divide this country. The idea of unity, in this moment, means that we forgive and forget our differences. But right now, our differences are between right and wrong. For McGraw and Hubbard to release this song, with this language, right now, shows an astounding inability to read the room—or a baffling disconnect with what is actually happening in America.
Written in November by Hubbard and Chris Loocke, this song was conceived long before Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. It was written during a year defined by a global pandemic, a revolt against systemic racism, and the most important presidential election of our lifetime. The track is rife with vague notions of acceptance, moving forward, race, and a twangy banjo. Yet, it doesn’t address any of these specific issues (short of a flippant reference to being “all white or all black”). It is a vague call for unity that, even in November, would have seemed like a hollow, toothless gesture. But to release it right now feels at once ignorant and opportunistic—an effort to get some good press by cashing in on a moment of national anger and confusion. The language of the song also seems to imply that these issues our country faces (none of which are identified in “Undivided”) can be solved over a friendly glass of Mamma’s sweet tea.
Part of the problem is the lack of clarity in the writing. Throughout the Trump era, we’ve learned first hand how dangerous vague language can be. “Good people on both sides,” can and was read as a dog whistle to white supremacists. The same goes for this undefined message of unity. At one point in the song, they sing the lyrics, “Why’s it gotta be all white or all black?” Though the idea might have had the best intentions, it acts here as an ineffective sidebar about race that could read as an “All Lives Matter” message and discredits the thousands who marched for racial justice this summer.
Don't get me wrong: the idea of undividedness is a nice one. McGraw and Hubbard are also two of country music's more liberally outspoken artists, with Hubbard coming to blows with the more conservative, Florida-half of Florida-Georgia Line following this year's election. The two have since reconciled. Speaking with CBS This Morning, Hubbard said of the song, "It just felt like a message I wanted to say and it felt like it needed to be heard. Not just by the fans, but even by myself, I think." The two were interviewed about the release of the song and its timeliness to last week's events. "The Capitol thing was something I don’t know that I’ve processed well enough to put into words, it was so sad, " McGraw explained. "But the song speaks more to the social contract we have with each other. It’s not about politics. It’s about how we’re supposed to treat each other."
Country music stars @TheTimMcGraw and @FLAGALine's Tyler Hubbard have teamed up for a new song, #Undivided.@AnthonyMasonCBS spoke with McGraw & @THubbmusic about the state of the country, their reaction to the attack on the Capitol, and the song's message of unity. pic.twitter.com/DjYELsPzzZ
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) January 13, 2021
That apolitical, unity song has been written though. It's one that has been echoed in country music over and over in the past few years—odes to peace, God, and civility that simultaneously speak so particularly and so generally that it manages to say nothing at all. These songs are empty promises, drenched in emotion, devoid of substance. It's the notion that we love reconciliation, so long as we're not reminded what divided us in the first place. It's an idea that does not work in this first month of 2021. But by not addressing anything specifically, it not only allows for listeners to fill in the blanks with their own perceived grievances—and let's be honest, that's what the songs are for—but it allows artists to market and sell their music without ruffling anyone's feathers. To McGraw and Hubbard, it's a song about being good to your neighbor. To me, it's a song about acceptance of people from walks of life not like your own. To a far-right radical, it could be a theme song for excusing acts against our country. It's a plug and play song, so long as it makes someone money.
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In "Undivided's" second verse, Hubbard sings, "I just kind of wish we didn't think like that. Why's it gotta be all white or all black?" The bridge features the line, "I'm tired of looking left or right, so I'm just looking up." This represents the struggle country music faces going forward—an inability to comment on our current times, while not alienating any listeners who support Trump. That notion is long gone. We are in a moment of unprecedented change in this country—one that Hubbard and McGraw don't care to recognize.
The "come together" messaging is tired, if not dangerous. I never thought that any trope could topple the grotesque "Daisy Dukes in my pickup truck" notion, but vague songs about unity are getting close. Right now is not the time to live and let live. It's time to come together and collectively point a finger at what's wrong in this country. To recognize how some people are inherently given a hand that's easier to play with in this poker game called life. To step into the light and loudly recognize that disgruntled Americans, under the sham of lies, Republican-stoked anger, and conspiracy theories, tried to dismantle a country we all claim to love. Until we're willing to recognize that, there is no hope for unity. Unaddressed fractures have no chance of healing properly.
Justin Kirkland Justin Kirkland is a writer for Esquire, where he focuses on entertainment, television, and pop culture.
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Playing In The Background
For five years, the world's most obsessive music fans watched and listened to Daniel Richards in their millions - but few ever knew his name. This is what life is like in the backing band of the biggest pop phenomenon of our times, and what happens when it all comes to an end
By Dave Wingrave
One afternoon on the American leg of their 2012 tour, on the cusp of becoming Britain's first international teen super-phenomenon since The Spice Girls, One Direction changed their line-up—radically. Just that morning it had included Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, and Harry Styles. Now only Styles remained. Into the vacant spots stepped Jon Shone, Sandy Beales, Josh Devine, and Daniel Richards.
There had been a mix-up. One Direction's management had phoned ahead to the Atlanta aquarium, where Styles was spending a free afternoon, but staff had been given incomplete information. They didn't know that the four people accompanying the singer were not, in fact, his bandmates, but the group's session musicians. Not to be found on bedroom posters or obsessed over in forums, these were the people whose job it was to bob around at the rear of the stage, playing the guitar, bass, and drums, who brought instrumental chops to the spotlighted personalities. Whose job often meant sleeping on the bus. Now, they were getting asked for autographs, and people were crowding around for photographs. Harry, far from acting the diva, never corrected anyone assumptions.
"He said to just go with it," Daniel Richards, told me one evening in March. "It's hard to remember now that it took One Direction a while to become instantly recognisable in America. People could sense fame, but they weren't too good with specifics. So we all played along." Easy enough: with his alert blue eyes and sculpted, caramel-blonde hair, he looks famous. "We ended up having this amazing day, playing with dolphins. Aquarium VIP is a lot cooler than you might think."
And for that afternoon at least, he was an officially documented, full-fledged celebrity member of the group he would go on to play with for five years.
"I think there's still a photo in Atlanta commemorating the occasion. Hopefully it doesn't actually identify us as One Direction."
From 2011 to 2016, very nearly their entire duration as a band, Richards was the group's live guitarist. Whenever they toured, or made TV appearances, or performed charity concerts, he played for them.
Richards and I met seventeen years ago, at a small comprehensive in North Devon. I have always known him as plain Dan. To his million-plus social media followers, however, he is GuitarmanDan, and if he isn't a household name, he has certainly appeared in many households. Even though he did not record with the group, anyone who has ever attended a One Direction concert, or listened to one of their live cuts, or saw them make their start on the X-Factor tour, has seen and/or heard him. That's a lot of people. Their 2014 Where We Are stadium tour made 235 million pounds, the highest grossing, ever, by a vocal group. They've even played for the Queen. When, recently, Dan wished Styles happy birthday on Twitter, it was retweeted almost ten thousand times.
Happy Birthday @Harry_Styles hope you're having a good one bro! 😁🎉🎂
— Dan Richards (@GuitarmanDan) February 1, 2017
Dan's philosophical about his particular brand of fame, about being celebrity for being a near-celebrity."One thing it has been incredibly useful for is complaining to companies," he laughed. "I'll tell you what, airlines will find your luggage a lot faster if they start getting hundreds of messages from outraged teenagers." He pauses. "That one I feel a bit bad about. Once I had posted about the bags I realized how careful I had to be on the Internet. But I did get my stuff back."
Dan and I had anonymous, soporific adolescences. North Devon had delusions of being California, only with a tenth of the surfing and none of the sun. We wore Quicksilver and Billabong. We waited for buses. We complained about "grockles"—tourists down from London. And most of us, most of us very badly, played the guitar.
Dan came to the instrument 'late,' at thirteen. I remember several other boys, who had already established themselves as the school's musicians, discussing his bandwaggoning with contempt. Within a year, he was better than all of them. For most of us, the days of fumbling through Under the Bridge were destined for nothing more than wincing Facebook photo nostalgia. Dan was obsessed. He couldn't wait to get home from school to practice. But as aspiring musicians are constantly reminded, talent and perseverance are not guarantees of success.
Dan's first job after graduating from the London College of Music was a four-month stint in the house band for an old ferry that had been converted into a cruise ship, the "Island Escape," which drowsily ploughed the Balearic.
"Christ, you wanted to escape that thing," says Dan, with a still-uneasy laugh. "They told us we'd only be playing in the evening, and that the boat docked at a new place everyday, so we'd be able to disembark. That reality was crushed very quickly. When we arrived they took our passports. Any prospects of getting off the ship and actually seeing anything went out the window. And that window was this tiny porthole in a room where the previous week, the toilet had overflowed and warped all the furniture. We slept on top bunks."
The workload, too, was not as advertised.
"Even if they'd given our documentation back we couldn't have gone ashore. In addition to the three sets every evening, they had us play one or two around noon every day, right by the pool. I'm pretty sure that was illegal, all that electronic equipment so close to the water. Little kids would be doing dive bombs and splashing us."
How do you go from the captivity of international waters to backing the biggest act of the next decade? After his time at sea, Dan returned to London and enrolled to do a masters degree. His life became a round of school, work and endless practice: "While I was studying I played function gigs—weddings, birthdays. I was playing for about eight different bands." He soon realised that networking was the key to a future that held more than wedding receptions. "That's how it works, of course. You can be the best player in the world, but if no one knows who you are you're not getting any gigs. That's basically it."
A colleague of Dan's, a bass player, heard from a friend of a friend that someone was looking to put a band together. That was the sum total of the brief. Calls for performers can be vague, and careers usually more of a grind than a gift from God. Big Breaks are only privately believed in.
And not always easy to spot. "One Direction had only just finished up on The X-Factor. I had never actually heard of them, even, by that point, and we had no idea what we were auditioning for. We were simply sent two songs the night before, with instructions to learn them by ear."
The process, says Dan, was conducted like a mini X-Factor. And it was his time on the cruise ship that had prepared him. "I knew we had to look the part, dress well, act like we were already part of a professional outfit. They had a day for drummers, a day for guitarists, a day for bass players. Then they brought them together in groups and pitted them against each other."
One Direction's musical director wanted to see how different combinations would vibe with each other. He tested them on their mastery of the songs they'd been sent, asking them to improvise solos on the fly, or suddenly omit certain sections. He had them jam to see how their playing styles meshed, and would ask they pick a key to play in, and then see if they could all keep up with one another.
"In the end, they stuck the two surviving groups in different rooms, then announced to one that it wasn't them."
The shadow competition was complete. Second place missed out on accompanying the only group to have their first four albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200.
Later, on tour, the musical director explained what had cinched it for Dan's group. A SONY executive had seen them walking from the studio to get lunch. Turning to the director, he asked if he thought they looked like a band. They did.
According to my observations on Facebook over the years, life with One Direction was not too dissimilar to life as One Direction: a series of vast crowds and red carpets, interrupted only for a photo with Ronnie Wood, or Will Smith, or Pudsey Bear. In my imagination, life on the road was one part exotic location, one part dramatic lighting, and three parts TMZ.
"No, it's a lot of work," Dan explains. "It's obviously exciting to play huge shows, but that's not what you're doing a lot of the time. And in terms of a tour, there's no difference between playing a theater and a stadium. We'd spend a week, ten days arranging the songs. A standard One Direction track might have five or six guitar parts. I can't play all of them, so we'd have to arrange which lines to incorporate. And plan when to insert or solo or whatever. Basically, arrange it so the experience wasn't the same as pressing play on the record."
Dan laments that as One Direction got bigger and bigger, more and more people started to poke around in it.
"People had to justify their existence to the project. We'd have complete randoms bursting into our practice room, screaming that the snare was too loud. It wasn't too loud, of course, it was exactly right, we'd been doing this for years." Dan is perpetually rational regarding the work's many frustrations, which itself seems to be a job requirement. "We'd just promise to fix it and carry on."
The gig economy has few poster boys, but Dan could be one. With One Direction, he both literalised the concept, toured the world, and made what a "very busy plumber" would in London. He held what Simon Cowell once described to them as "the best job in the world."
Throughout, One Direction themselves displayed a touching loyalty to their session band. "It was the One-D boys who looked after us," says Dan. "Had it not been for them, our experience could have been much worse. It's not common for the band to stay with the talent, but Niall saw us once, not looking our best, and after that insisted we join them at their swanky hotels."
Dan was grateful for a relationship with the group that does not come as standard. Many touring bands find themselves far lower in the hierarchy that runs the show. "We were incredibly lucky in many respects," says Dan. "And I know I've been very privileged. But the reality of being a session musician for that kind of act means that you're always going to be vulnerable. You can be picked up and put down as suits management. They can always find someone else to do your job, for less, in worse conditions."
Last summer, touring with One Direction took Dan to New York, where I was living at the time. We had only seen each other once or twice since school, where my friend had been small, skinny as a flute. Striding toward me in Washington Square Park, he looked like a rock star. Which is to say, he looked like what a certain teen demographic might associate with rock stardom. Which is to say, a hunk. The smile he gave me was framed by a jawline like a snooker triangle. The hand he offered bore an arm I presumed had been stuffed with cantaloupes.
Summoning all my maturity, I decided to remind him of his schoolday nicknames, which had been mostly based around rodents, or upon his remarkable resemblance to Elijah Wood, or creative combinations of the two.
"Ratboy Baggins, you've changed," I said.
But Dan wasn't invested in being a hunk for the sake of being a hunk. The buff look was part of the job description, the show. To be in a boy band you had to look like a person who was in a boy band, so Dan did.
Later, I admitted that I didn't actually listen to One Direction, but he dismissed the confession with a sincerely unoffended of course you don't.
Tonight at the #TripleHoShow great to be back in San Jose! pic.twitter.com/j8jf9TR44v
— Dan Richards (@GuitarmanDan) December 3, 2015
You guys were awesome tonight, can't believe it's the final show tomorrow! #OTRASheffield2 pic.twitter.com/zfrZnurBUJ
— Dan Richards (@GuitarmanDan) October 30, 2015
After Zayn Malik left the group in 2015, One Direction went on hiatus to recoup and pursue individual projects. They had barely been adults when they emerged into the beginnings of their global fame. Dan says he can't even imagine what it must have been like to be in that position, despite seeing that position evolve up close. "They are kind lads, good people, and they had a good team around them, in terms of being looked after and protecting them from scandals. But it was an intense rise. It's completely amazing to me that they all managed to stay grounded. They had toured almost constantly. Burnout was sort of inevitable."
Members of the backing band were free to be themselves, too. "Unemployment really sucks," Dan says. "I have so much sympathy for anyone who's been laid off. You always think 'oh, you'll find another job," but it really isn't that simple."
Dan now works as a freelance guitarist, and manages the booking agency, Matchbox Music, which he began because of his own sometimes unpalatable experiences with function gigs.
"The point is to never put bands out for less than 175 pounds, which is the minimum fair wage." It's a welcome counter to the predatory behavior of some agencies, which exploit young musicians' desire for work and exposure.
Alongside his agency, Dan has started Tux Bolo, a songwriting collaborative with a few other session musicians. Tux Bolo hopes, like more established pop teams such as Stargate, to provide songs for whoever needs them. He's now based in L.A., the Californian imitation we played out in Devon made real, and is still very much in contact with the band. "We see each other for drinks. It's calmed down a bit, relatively. In London, Niall and I used to go for drinks in Camden, just because there were so many 'rockers' around, and he knew the chances of being recognised were much lower. Now I run into them in bars in LA, and we hang out."
On Skype, Dan often pauses to think before answering my questions, like he needs to double-check the unlikely route that has led him from country lanes of England to Hollywood Boulevard. It's not that he doesn't miss the excitement of touring and performing, but he seems happy now, doing his own, quieter thing.
"I can't tell you how many artists want to break out of their recording contracts," he says at one point. "What's inescapable is the eventual need for creative control." He pauses again. "It's like that VIP day at the aquarium, actually, when we were mistaken for the band — of course it was incredible to swim with dolphins, but..." He doesn't finish, but I think I know what he means. Even then, he would liked to have signed autographs with his own name.
Daniel Richards, aka 'GuitarmanDan' / PHOTO: Twitter, @GuitarmanDan
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Office of the TRibunal
1. What is marriage?
CAN. 1055 §1. The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life and which is ordered by its nature to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring, has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament between the baptized.
According to the teaching of Christ and the Church, marriage is a covenant by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life. By its nature, marriage is ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of children. Christ the Lord has raised marriage between two baptized persons to the dignity of a sacrament. This partnership requires that the two truly become one, that they are faithful to one another, and that they maintain their irrevocable union until death.
Marriage comes about by the consent of the parties, which is exchanged in a manner recognized by the state and the Church. Therefore, even though a priest or deacon serves as the official witness at a Catholic wedding, it is really the bride and groom who are the ministers of the sacrament. In this sense they bring marriage into being when each one gives his or her consent and receives the consent of the other. Thus, the validity of a marriage is to be upheld until the contrary is proven.
2. What is an annulment?
It refers to an official declaration by the appropriate Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the Catholic Church that what appeared to be a marriage was, in fact, not a true marriage that is binding upon the parties for life. An annulment, or declaration of nullity as it is correctly named in Church law, does not deny that a relationship really existed. A declaration of nullity means that the consent exchanged at the wedding fell short of at least one of the essential elements for a binding union.
An annulment is not a Church divorce. A civil divorce decree breaks a marriage bond. In "no-fault" divorces, the parties get divorced by agreeing to revoke their consent. According to the teaching of Christ and the Church, once the parties legitimately and validly exchange their consent, they cannot revoke it later on at their own will. An annulment is a declaration from the Tribunal that the marriage was invalid from the moment of the wedding.
3. Who can apply for an annulment?
Anyone who has been previously married, whether baptized or non-baptized, Catholic or non-Catholic, may petition for a declaration of nullity. All previously married persons are eligible to petition, because the Church presumes that every marriage, whether it involves Catholics or non-Catholics, is valid and binding once it has been entered into by a man and woman. Thus, even a non-Catholic who was previously married and now wishes to be married to a Catholic must petition for a declaration of nullity.
Before applying for an annulment, a person must provide a certified copy of the decree that proves that a civil divorce has already been granted.
The one who petitions for the declaration of nullity is referred to as the Petitioner. The other party to the marriage is referred to as the Respondent.
An annulment petition must be submitted to the Tribunal that has jurisdiction over the marriage in question. The Tribunal also may have jurisdiction if the Petitioner and Respondent live in the territory of our diocese or if the majority of proofs live within the boundaries of the Diocese of El Paso.
4. What does the process need?
The work of the Tribunal is governed by procedures determined in Church law – Canon Law. These procedures are intended to safeguard the integrity of marriage and to protect the rights of all parties involved. Here is a summary of the steps involved in a formal marriage nullity case.
1. The completed petition must be submitted to the Tribunal by the one who seeks a declaration of nullity. The petition must be accompanied by the following documents:
A recently issued certificate of Baptism,
A certified copy of the marriage license,
A certified copy of the civil divorce decree.
A minimum of three witnesses that have knowledge of the courtship, engagement, marriage and separation.
2. Once accepted, the petition is put on the Tribunal docket. Each case is handled in its turn. The Tribunal sends a citation (notification) to both parties (Petitioner and Respondent). The Respondent has the right to participate in the process and be heard.
3. Both parties have the right to present any documents and to name witnesses to corroborate the facts of the case.
4. Under the direction of the Judge, both parties may review documents and each other's testimony and the proofs of the case. Only the Petitioner, Respondent, and Tribunal staff have access to the case material. Otherwise the information is confidential.
5. A Defender of the Bond reviews every case before a decision is rendered. The Defender is responsible for presenting all reasonable arguments in favor of the validity of marriage bond.
6. The Judges carefully study the documents and testimony that have been submitted. They also examine the written observations of the Defender of the Bond, and the arguments of the Advocates (if they have been presented). If the Judges reach moral certitude that invalidity has been proven according to the law and jurisprudence of the Church, then the Judges issue a declaration of nullity in writing and this decision is shared with the parties. If the Judges fail to reach moral certitude about the nullity of the marriage, then the validity of the bond stands.
7. Both parties have the right to appeal the Judges' decision. Appeals are generally heard by the Tribunal of the Diocese of San Antonio. In some cases the Tribunal of the Roman Rota may hear the appeal.
8. If there is an appeal, the case must be reviewed by the Tribunal of the Diocese of San Antonio. A case is not considered to be final until the decision has been confirmed by the Appellate Tribunal.
9. In some cases, the Tribunal will order that before either of the parties marries again, he or she must undergo a professional evaluation or special marriage preparation. This is to make sure that past problems will not be repeated again.
10. No wedding preparation should take place before an annulment has been finalized.
5. How long does it take?
The cooperation of the Petitioner, Respondent, and witnesses, and the quality of their testimony and if a hearing is necessary have an effect on the length of time it takes to investigate a case. The number of cases and the requirement that some cases be reviewed by an Appellate Tribunal also impact the time each case takes to complete. There is no way that any member of the Tribunal staff can predict when a given case will be finished.
It is important to note that Church law stipulates that no new wedding may be scheduled in any Catholic parish until the annulment process is complete, with an affirmative decision given and subsequently confirmed by an appellate tribunal. Those who participate in the annulment process are asked to cooperate fully and, please, to be patient.
6. Is there a fee?
Fees for the annulment process, procurators, advocates and interpreters are free of charge in the Tribunal.
7. Are there any civil effects from a Church annulment?
In the United States there are no civil effects from a declaration of nullity issued by the Tribunal. It does not affect in any manner the legitimacy or custody of children, property rights, inheritance rights, names or ANY civil matters. These issues are under the jurisdiction of the civil courts.
8. What about the legitimacy of children?
Children born of a marriage that might later be declared invalid are, of course, considered legitimate. Some people think that a declaration of nullity makes the children illegitimate. In fact, a marriage that the Church presumed to be valid at the time of the wedding is called a putative marriage. All children born of a putative marriage are legitimate, and a subsequent declaration of nullity cannot affect their legitimacy.
They are regarded as having the same dignity as any person, since all are created in the image and likeness of God.
9. How does one begin?
A packet with instructions and the forms to be completed are available in every parish in the Diocese of El Paso. It is a good idea to contact the parish priest, deacon, or pastoral minister who can assist initially.
You can also access the document through the diocesan website. Just download the application form and you can fill out using a black pen or typing it up in your computer.
10. Can I still receive the sacraments?
A civil divorce does not prohibit a Catholic from receiving the sacraments. Nevertheless, a Catholic who remarries civilly after divorce, without a declaration of nullity (and a Catholic who is married to someone with a previous marriage that has not been declared null), is not to receive Holy Communion. The Church encourages a Catholic in such circumstances to continue practicing the faith by remaining members of a parish and by regular attendance at Sunday liturgy and other parish functions.
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Termination & Layoffs
Call us at 1 (000) 000-0000
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Home Employment Law Wages and Hours Overtime
Overtime Laws: Part-Time Workers
To earn overtime, you have to work more than 40 hours in a week -- or, in some states, more than eight hours in a day.
If you are eligible for overtime (that is, you don't fit into one of the exempt categories, such as for executive employees or outside salespeople), you must be paid time and a half for every extra hour you work. Because part-time employees typically work less than a full week, they usually don't earn overtime. Regardless of whether an employee is classified as part time or full time, however, the employee is entitled to overtime pay if he or she works more than 40 hours in a particular week -- or, in some states, more than eight hours in a day.
Overtime Basics
Under federal law and the laws of most states, employees who are eligible for overtime are entitled to be paid an overtime premium if they work more than 40 hours in a week. The overtime premium is 50% of the employee's regular hourly rate. For example, if an employee is paid $14 an hour, the employee would be entitled to be paid an extra $7 an hour -- or $21 total -- for every overtime hour worked.
A few states have a daily overtime standard. In these states, including California, an employee is entitled to overtime after working more than a certain number of hours a day. If a part-time employee works three ten-hour days in California, the employee wouldn't be entitled to overtime under federal law, because the employee has worked fewer than 40 hours. However, the employee would have earned six hour of overtime under California law, which requires overtime pay if an employee works more than eight hours in a day.
Part Time or Full Time?
The law isn't concerned with how your employer classifies employees. Whether you are called a part-time employee or a full-time employee, you are entitled to overtime when you work overtime hours. Of course, part-time employees typically don't work a full work week, and so wouldn't often be entitled to overtime based on a weekly standard. If you have an exceptionally busy week, however, and you put in 50 hours, you are entitled to overtime pay. And, if you work in a state with a daily overtime standard, you are entitled to overtime if you hit the state threshold.
If your employer hasn't paid you for overtime you've earned, consider talking to a wage and hour lawyer. An experienced lawyer can quickly figure out whether your employer is complying with the applicable state, federal, and local law. If your rights have been violated, a lawyer can explain your options and help you choose the best strategy to protect yourself, including filing a complaint with the federal or state labor department or even filing a lawsuit.
Need a lawyer? Start here.
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Portraits of New York City’s Pigeon Keepers
By Melissa Breyer on September 9, 2013
The Bronx pigeon guys are more scattered than those in Brooklyn, but if there is a center, it’s East Tremont. That’s where I found Jesus, in front of a stand alone house nestled amongst huge bulking apartment buildings. It’s an architectural anachronism—a rural Puerto Rican home complete with chickens in the heart of the Bronx. Jesus was returning with a captured pigeon, bringing it to the coops he keeps on a nearby apartment building where he is the super.
Photographer Chris Arnade has described New York City’s pigeon keepers as “true artists, creating beauty where few expect to find it.” And indeed, with feathers and flight as their media, these men from the jagged neighborhoods of Bushwick, Bronx, and East New York create mesmerizing tableaus of birds swirling in the sky.
Pigeon keeping was brought to New York by Italian immigrants in the early 1900s, and although its number of enthusiasts has dwindled, the passion with which they delicately tend to their flocks is alive and well. Now it’s mostly Dominican and Puerto Rican men—as shown here in Arnade’s series Pigeon Keepers of NYC—who breed and collect the birds, which they keep in hand-built rooftop coops. When it comes time to fly the flocks, the birds take to the sky, synchronized as if performing a ballet, treating their keepers and passersby to moments of spectacular grace all too rare in the chaos of city life below.
Goodwin’s flock over his house near sunset.
Shy, 46, born and raised in the projects of East New York, fell in love with pigeons when he was six. “I was always watching them. I got sent to a camp one summer and spent most of the time watching the birds.” In his late teens he got into drugs, dealing and smoking crack. It ended with 11 years in jail for manslaughter, the result of a deal gone bad. He was released in ’99 and has been clean since.” Jail changed me. I saw guys in there who ain’t ever coming out. Ever.” Now he does some odd construction jobs, spending most of his free time on the roof of an abandoned building where he keeps his birds. “I got no need for attitude anymore. That’s all gone. I am just happy sitting up here tending to my birds. I ain’t got much else, but when I am up here I can be happy and hope something better comes the next day.”
Slice, 40, has been keeping pigeons since he was 13. Raised by a single mother, he started dealing drugs at 16. Two years later he was sentenced to 14 years in jail. After being released he met his wife. Now he manages three buildings in East Tremont, Bronx that house AIDS patients. When I asked him if prison helped reform him he said, “Ha! Prison is a racket. They just want to keep recycling you. I helped myself by deciding I ain’t ever going to be part of that racket again.” Now he is “locked down by my wife and birds. Both of them keep me out of trouble. When I am up here on the roof, I am in another world. I can leave all the past behind. All that below us, that’s gone.”
Delon spends time on his Uncle Luis’ roof in Bushwick, helping with the pigeons. He says he used to be mostly a snake and lizard kid, but is now becoming a pigeon guy like his uncle. His uncle taught him how to catch and hold a pigeon recently, so he had to show me.
Johnny, 86, has been keeping birds in Bushwick since he was a boy. Goodwin brought me to meet Johnny, who keeps his birds on one of Goodwin’s roofs. Asked why he gave Johnny the space for free, Goodwin said, “He is a good person, and the birds are what keep him happy now.” Climbing the ladder to the roof was a chore for me, but Johnny’s age does not seem to slow him down. He has a small collection, but they are all gorgeous.
Kevin, 45, started keeping pigeons at the age of nine. He and Mike Tyson grew up flying pigeons together in their Brownsville neighborhood. Kevin spent his entire life in Brownsville, and has worked for the parks, sanitation, and now the housing department. When he was younger he “had a few problems. Growing up here it’s hard not to, but that’s all behind me now. God is now shining his light on me.” For the last 15 years he has “stayed away from everything. Now I spend my evenings on the roof with my birds and a Pepsi. The pigeons don’t talk back to you and my wife always knows where I am. I can put everything behind me when I am up on the roof.”
Mike, 37, grew up on the Lower East Side, one of fourteen children of a mother addicted to heroin. He was taken from her at the age of eight and put in group home until 13. Soon after he returned, she died of AIDS. He spent the next year homeless, living in flop houses, short stay motels, and abandoned buildings dealing drugs to try and clear $57 a day. “That way I could stay in a room where I did not have to share a bathroom. In those places you never knew what or who you would find in the bathroom.”
He was eventually given four years in juvy. “It was my only time. I learned I never wanted to be there again.” He has been keeping birds since a child, a way to relax and stay away from drugs. “I have never used. I know what it does.” Up on his roof in Hunts Point, with views of Laguardia and Manhattan, breezes blowing above the taut humid streets below, watching pigeons catch the light, I viscerally understand this old sport. “My wife, three kids, my birds. That’s all that is keeping me alive.”
Rubin called me this week and told me I had to come up and see something amazing. One of his pigeons had given birth to a baby with only one wing. Both Rubin and Vinny, life-long pigeon keepers, had never seen anything like it in over 40 years of flying and breeding pigeons. They let me know that they were going to do everything they could to make sure the pigeon stayed healthy and safe. When the mothers start trying to push the babies out of the nest (in a few weeks) they will transfer this one to a special cage they built. They still haven’t come up with a name yet, although they are leaning towards “Lefty.”
Willie is the super in the building where he keeps his pigeons. Presently he has the most pigeons in Bushwick. Here he is inside one of his three coops.
This post was contributed by writer and photographer Melissa Breyer.
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Qualcomm demos AllJoyn peer-to-peer sharing / gaming technology (video)
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It's simple, but highly complex. You dig? Qualcomm's AllJoyn demonstration here at MWC was quite the eye-opener, but it's hard to say how much traction it'll gain in a world already inundated with short-range transfer protocols. Bluetooth, Infrared, Wi-Fi Direct... the list goes on and on (and on). Essentially, AllJoyn is an open-source software system that doesn't actually have to run atop Qualcomm hardware; if implemented in a particular app, it can enable peer-to-peer sharing with others based on location. If you're standing near someone who also has an AllJoyn-enabled application, you two (or more) can interact -- if you're both using Bluetooth, the range will be around 30 feet, but if you're both using Wi-Fi, it'll obviously be greater. Qualcomm's hoping to entwine its homegrown FlashLinq (more on that in a separate article) in order to let people use this while being up to 1km away from one another.
The company describes AllJoyn as a software framework for developers that enables easy P2P access; rather than an app developer having to write this functionality in from scratch, they can simply grab Qualcomm's code and integrate it. Currently, the spec only supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but Wi-Fi Direct and FlashLinq support it in the works, and those will hopefully be added by the end of the year. We're told that the company's also working to create a constant link between devices, which could one day (soon) enable streaming support. There's C++, Java and Javascript models available, with Qualcomm's goal being to have developers port this all over the place. The demo (embedded after the break) involved a foursome of phones sharing photographs with one another, while a nearby laptop was shown engaging in a multiplayer game with two smartphones. We were told that the company's currently in talks with a number of large gaming firms to get this ingrained in future titles, but no specifics were available. Another application would be within a social network, enabling AllJoyn apps to alert users when a friend is nearby. A huge boon there is that this doesn't require data, so international groups who'd like to keep tabs on one another's location will be able to do so without roaming on a foreign network. So, any app developers considering bundling this in with your next update?
Gallery: Qualcomm's AllJoyn peer-to-peer sharing / gaming technology at MWC 2011 | 8 Photos
See more video at our hub!
In this article: alljoyn, bluetooth, demo, hands-on, p2p, peer to peer, peer-to-peer, PeerToPeer, qualcomm, sharing, video, wi-fi direct, Wi-fiDirect
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Press release IV: FANRPAN convenes climate change meeting for senior policy makers
Policy makers and scientists from eastern and southern Africa are meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa to discuss strategies for adapting to climate change which has implications for food security.
The Food Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) are hosting a meeting which has brought together policy makers and scientists to network in developing adaptation strategies to ensure regional food security in the light of adverse weather changes. More than 40 delegates from 12 countries are attending the meeting with the theme, "Strategies for Adapting to Climate Change in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa: Targeting the Most Vulnerable".
Scientists and researchers have warned that climate change - described as long term changes in average weather conditions - is a global phenomenon affecting plants, animals, people and agriculture. The Global Food crisis presents an opportune moment for southern Africa to review its policies and put in place long term strategies that will make it food secure and eliminate poverty. Researchers working on climate change projects in eastern and southern Africa presently do not have strong links with policy makers. As a result, there is a high level of uncertainty about policy on climate change. Strong and inclusive policies are key to increasing agricultural productivity and investment, to support Africa’s green revolution.
FANRPAN Director for Research, Dr. Douglas Merrey, said his organization is well placed to act as a broker between scientists, doing research on climate change and adaptation to climate change, and policy makers to make critical decisions, some of which have irreversible effects if they are uninformed.
"Our main focus is on the policy implications of climate change, that is to say, what policy support will be needed to enable Southern African food systems to adapt to climate change in terms of rainfall and temperature," said Dr. Merrey.
FANRPAN's interest in climate change policy extends beyond specific projects in the region to researchers and representatives of civil society who need to know what is required of policy.
"As FANRPAN we are interested in policy development because people are facing the reality of uncertainty and unpredictability in terms of rainfall and temperatures," Dr. Merrey said, adding that, "The workshop intends to develop a work plan for a three year project which started in May 2008 and will end in May 2010."
The German Ministry of Cooperation (BMZ) through IFPRI is funding this climate change research project in eastern and southern Africa. It has brought in climate modeling experts. The experts have developed climate models which simulate possible scenarios based on actual agriculture and weather data. Climate models help project future trends in terms of the magnitude of climate change.
According to Gerald Nelson, Senior Research Fellow at IFPRI, the central issue during the meeting is to figure out how to deal with the likelihood of adverse effects of climate change.
"Some changes are inevitable," said Nelson "We need to figure out how to adapt to the changes that are coming such as the variability in weather patterns…What is the best scientific evidence about where changes will take place in terms of precipitation and temperature change?"
Nelson said IFPRI was collaborating with FANRPAN and ASARECA to promote collaboration between international and national research institutions on climate change policy. IFPRI is well known for its agricultural policy modeling work and will use its expertise to inform policy development in sub-Saharan Africa.
"We want to listen to what policy makers from various countries see as their priorities in terms of climate change and policy," he said noting that "There are many, many projects related to climate change and adaptation in southern Africa. It seems many are doing the same thing and we have asked them to tell us about their projects and look for ways to achieve synergies among them."
Both SADC and the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) with the participation of FANRPAN and other partners are developing a comprehensive approach and initiative to address climate change.
FANRPAN's CEO, Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, is participating in a workshop on Carbon Finance at which COMESA seeks to attract investors to purchase carbon offsets from land-use projects through a Carbon Fund. This Fund will provide critical financial support to make such projects feasible and channel income to local communities, especially small holder farmers.
For further information and interviews, please contact:
Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, CEO, FANRPAN,
141 Cresswell Street, Weavind Park 0184
Private Bag X813, Silverton 0127
Email: lmsibanda@fanrpan.org
Website: www.fanrpan.org
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ISM: Manufacturing Slows Slightly, Remains Strong
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in November for the 18th consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 66th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.
Jon Minnick, Associate Editor, Manufacturing Business Technology
Manufacturing expanded in November as the PMI registered 58.7 percent, a decrease of 0.3 percentage point when compared to October’s reading of 59 percent, indicating growth in manufacturing for the 18th consecutive month. A reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally contracting.
“The past relationship between the PMI and the overall economy indicates that the average PMI for January through November (55.8 percent) corresponds to a 4.2 percent increase in real gross domestic product (GDP) on an annualized basis,” says Bradley J. Holcomb, CPSM, CPSD, chair of the ISM Business Survey Committee. “In addition, if the PMI for November (58.7 percent) is annualized, it corresponds to a 5.1 percent increase in real GDP annually.”
A PMI in excess of 43.2 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy. Therefore, the November PMI indicates growth for the 66th consecutive month in the overall economy, and indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector for the 18th consecutive month.
Orders, Production and Inventory
ISM’s New Orders Index registered 66 percent in November, an increase of 0.2 percentage point when compared to the 65.8 percent reported in October, indicating growth in new orders for the 18th consecutive month. A New Orders Index above 52.1 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Census Bureau’s series on manufacturing orders (in constant 2000 dollars).
ISM’s Production Index registered 64.4 percent in November, which is a decrease of 0.4 percentage point when compared to the 64.8 percent reported in October, indicating growth in production for the ninth consecutive month. An index above 51.1 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Federal Reserve Board’s Industrial Production figures.
“Production is always geared toward full utilization of labor on-hand, as well as asset availability,” notes Holcomb. “So it’s using all of its existing labor to produce as much as it can in view of those strong orders, but the backlog of orders has crept up 2 points. That promises to flow into December where we would expect to have another good month as a result.”
ISM’s Backlog of Orders Index registered 55 percent in November, which is 2 percentage points higher than the 53 percent reported in October, indicating growth in order backlogs for the second consecutive month. Of the 87 percent of respondents who reported their backlog of orders, 27 percent reported greater backlogs, 17 percent reported smaller backlogs, and 56 percent reported no change from October.
The Inventories Index registered 51.5 percent in November, which is 1 percentage point lower than the 52.5 percent registered in October, indicating raw materials inventories are growing for the fourth consecutive month. An Inventories Index greater than 42.8 percent, over time, is generally consistent with expansion in the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ (BEA) figures on overall manufacturing inventories (in chained 2000 dollars).
“The Inventories Index is a reflection on that strong production number just eating off inventories,” says Holcomb. “I think inventories are a little lower than manufacturers would like in view of those strong new orders. Their comments, which are more forward looking, seem to be very optimistic. I think the Inventories number is a reflection of supplier deliveries slowing even faster — and that’s a good sign in this environment where it shows tightness in the supply chain up and down.”
ISM’s Employment Index registered 54.9 percent in November, which is a decrease of 0.6 percentage point when compared to the 55.5 percent reported in October. This is the 17th consecutive month of growth in employment. An Employment Index above 50.6 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on manufacturing employment.
“In the mid-50s, it’s down just a bit from last month, but still in a very nice position,” explains Holcomb. “It’s growing for 17 consecutive months that should translate into some solid numbers later on in the week from the government.”
Exports, Imports and Prices
ISM’s New Export Orders Index registered 55 percent in November, which is 3.5 percentage points higher than the 51.5 percent reported in October. November’s reading reflects growth in the level of exports for the 24th consecutive month.
ISM’s Imports Index registered 56 percent in November, which is 1.5 percentage points higher than the 54.5 percent reported in October. This month’s reading represents 22 consecutive months of growth in imports.
“The only downside to the encouraging ISM report is that the manufacturing trade deficit continues to worsen, as imports are growing faster than exports,” cautions Daniel Meckstroth, chief economist for the MAPI Foundation, the research affiliate of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation. “But even in the trade indicator there was some improvement. The export index rose from 51.5 in October to 55 in November, suggesting that export growth has picked up.
The ISM Prices Index registered 44.5 percent in November, which is a decrease of 9 percentage points compared to the October reading of 53.5 percent. In November, 14 percent of respondents reported paying higher prices, 25 percent reported paying lower prices, and 61 percent of supply executives reported paying the same prices as in October. This is the first time that raw materials prices have registered a decrease since July 2013 when the Prices Index registered 49 percent. A Prices Index above 49.7 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Producer Price Index for Intermediate Materials.
"The drop in the Prices Index are driven by oil, gas and energy in general," says Holcomb. It’s good it two ways, because it costs less to run our plants and it also reflects in lower cost of many raw materials. Its definitely good for manufacturing, as well as for consumers that will have some of this benefit passed on to them."
The November ISM report is a very positive sign that the economic expansion is fundamentally solid because the manufacturing base is growing. “We expect consumer-driven manufacturing to provide a solid base for manufacturing production growth that will be enhanced by strong business equipment spending and a rebound in material manufacturing. The MAPI Foundation predicts that manufacturing industrial production will grow 3.5 percent in 2015 and 3.9 percent in 2016. The expected pace of growth is faster than the growth rate of the overall economy,” concludes Meckstroth.
In his role as the chair of the Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, Bradley J. Holcomb writes the monthly Manufacturing ISM Report on Business based on the survey results of approximately 350 professionals across 18 different industry sectors. The report is released on the first business day of each month, and features the PMI Index as its key measure. For more information on the Institute of Supply Management, visit www.ism.ws.
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US Formally Exits Paris Climate Pact
There are 189 countries that remain committed to the 2015 accord.
Frank Jordans
A makeshift globe burns in front of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 21, 2020.
AP Photo/Michael Probst
BERLIN (AP) — The United States on Wednesday formally left the Paris Agreement, a global pact forged five years ago to avert the threat of catastrophic climate change.
The move, long threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump and triggered by his administration a year ago, further isolates Washington in the world but has no immediate impact on international efforts to curb global warming.
There are 189 countries that remain committed to the 2015 Paris accord, which aims to keep the increase in average temperatures worldwide “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), ideally no more than 1.5C (2.7 F), compared to pre-industrial levels. A further six countries have signed, but not ratified the pact.
Scientists say that any rise beyond 2 degrees Celsius could have a devastating impact on large parts of the world, raising sea levels, stoking tropical storms and worsening droughts and floods.
The Paris accord requires countries to set their own voluntary targets for reducing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. The only binding requirement is that nations have to accurately report on their efforts.
The United States is the world’s second biggest emitter after China of heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide and its contribution to cutting emissions is seen as important, but it is not alone in the effort. In recent weeks, China, Japan and South Korea have joined the European Union and several other countries in setting national deadlines to stop pumping more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has said he favors signing the U.S. back up to the Paris accord.
The German government said it was “highly regrettable” that the United States had left the pact.
“It's all the more important that Europe, the EU and Germany lead by example,” said government spokesman Steffen Seibert, citing the EU's goal of becoming the first climate neutral continent by 2050.
While the Trump administration has shunned federal measures to cut emissions, Seibert noted that U.S. states, cities and businesses have pressed ahead with their own efforts.
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Dec 16, 2020, 10:39am EST |
Cyberpunk 2077’s PS4 And Xbox One Issues Are Masking Its Actual Biggest Problem: AI
Paul TassiSenior Contributor
News and opinion about video games, television, movies and the internet.
Loibl-GP
Imagine a world in which Cyberpunk 2077 arrived and simply…worked. No bugs, no poor performance on any platform. Nothing like the utter mess we have seen on PS4 and Xbox One in particular, or the blatant cover-up CDPR did to try to hide it until after launch.
What would we be talking about instead?
Sure, many of the positives like its story and characters. But I think all these tech problems and cloak and dagger tales of deceived reviewers and customers are masking some truly core problems with the game that cannot simply be chalked up to glitches and bugs and performance issues.
There is one very, very obvious problem at the core of Cyberpunk 2077: Computer AI
AI is essentially how non-player characters behave in the world. In some games, that could be allies, in most it’s going to be adversaries. And in open world games like this and Watch Dogs and GTA, it’s also neutral characters, civilians.
Cyberpunk 2077 has genuinely some of the worst, most archaic NPC AI I have ever seen in a modern video game. Or not even a modern video game, as some of these issues are things other games have addressed generations ago.
We’ll start with the worst example:
The Cops
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The police and “wanted” system in Cyberpunk is just out-of-this-world awful on a level I didn’t think was possible. They are simultaneously deadly, instantly teleporting on top of you when you get a wanted star, no matter where you are, assassinating you. But if you manage to escape on foot or in a car, they simply forget you exist if you move 100 feet away.
There are just…not mechanics at all here. Police will not chase you in cars for any significant length of time, if at all. And they will not work their way toward you, they literally appear on top of you, which has resulted in some truly funny and horrible clips.
Even being on completely isolated balcony won’t save you:
I swear even Grand Theft Auto three had a better cop AI system than this in 2001. It’s laughable, and I wonder why there are even police in the game at all if this is how they function.
There may be a lot of citizens in Night City, but boy do they feel like the dumbest of constructs at all times. They have essentially three modes. Walking around as normal (often pacing back and forth in place, if you really look at them), and then when danger breaks out they all either instantly cower or run away. Some of whom run away even if they are characters in a wheelchair.
Again, other games will have NPCs with varying personalities that may fight you or call the cops or do any number of things. Here, NPCs do almost nothing if they are not despawning altogether.
Enemy AI is probably the best of all of these, and it’s still bad. Yes, enemies will shoot and take cover, but that’s about it. I have seen them confused by simple things like you hiding behind a door or having gone up stairs, as they simply don’t know how to pursue you. It is beyond easy to avoid detection and hide when spotted which makes outsmarting enemies in stealth pretty pointless.
Enemies might hit hard at higher difficulties, but they are generally speaking just dumb as rocks in a way that I have not seen in a game in a very long time.
This is the problem. We can talk about bugs and glitches and how “hey, remember Witcher 3 had a rough launch too,” but a completely bad AI system is an issue that isn’t just going to be patched in. It’s something wrong with the game’s core that would take a tremendous amount of work to fix, and of course there are a million other things to do first. I don’t know how this could be addressed without a total overhaul of all the AI in the game, but if there was ever a title that needed it, it’s Cyberpunk.
Follow me on Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels Herokiller and Herokiller 2, and read my first series, The Earthborn Trilogy, which is also on audiobook.
Paul Tassi
I write about video games, television, movies and the internet.
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Share this Story: Boser’s mammoth month in UFC a big hit
Boser’s mammoth month in UFC a big hit
Jul 31, 2020 • July 31, 2020 • 7 minute read
Tanner Boser, who trains out of the Little Sweatshop in Sherwood Park, won two big UFC bouts in a month’s span. James Bonnell/Postmedia Network
If Tanner Boser’s fight flight path continues on its current trajectory, he might soon not only be able to train out of Sherwood Park, but also be able to afford to live there.
Boser, who is a member of the Shaved Bears MMA fighting troop training out of the Little Sweatshop gym in Sherwood Park, has had a whirlwind month with a pair of hugely successful bouts on the UFC circuit sandwiched in between a lengthy spell in quarantine.
Boser’s mammoth month in UFC a big hit Back to video
Then sporting a 1-1 record in UFC fights, Boser returned to the ring on June 27 in Las Vegas when he defeated well-respected fighter Philipe Lins via a first-round knockout.
Tanner Boser, who is a member of the Shaved Bears MMA fighting troop training out of the Little Sweatshop gym in Sherwood Park, has had a whirlwind month with a pair of hugely successful bouts on the UFC circuit sandwiched in between a lengthy spell in quarantine. Photo Supplied
The Bonnyville native returned home to Edmonton to quarantine for two weeks and to then resume what he thought would be a healthy and prolonged training regimen before being offered another fight in extremely short order that would see him come in as a last-minute replacement to take on Brazilian Raphael Pessoa (then 10-1 in UFC competition) in a heavyweight bout set for July 26 on the Fight Island card on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Nicknamed the Bulldozer, Boser lived up to the moniker with a second round TKO over Pessoa, who outweighed him by 30 pounds, catching him with a left hand shot to the eyeball that ultimately ended the bout.
“For me, it was a matter of trying to land the low kicks, the body shots and slow him down, he is a big guy,” said Boser in his official UFC post-fight interview. “So I needed to make him a little more tired, a little slower, and then I could land the big shots. And it worked good.
“I felt my hand go into his eye. I don’t know if there was damage to his orbital bone, but it was a solid shot. I felt it in my knuckles. And then I just tried to finish him off.
“I’m never the bigger guy. I have to be strategic and win with smarts and with the skill set that I have. I am not one of these big juggernauts like all of these other guys, so I have to find a way to beat them.
“I feel great, that is the best result I could possibly get. Now I am just going to go home and maybe take one week off — actually two weeks because Canada has a quarantine — and then get back to the gym as soon as I can.”
Boser was so impressive in improving to 3-1 during his second UFC conflict in a month that he was awarded the Fight Island’s performance of the night bonus of $50,000 US.
Tanner Boser, left, has signed a new four-fight deal with the UFC. Photo Supplied
His Sherwood Park-based head coach Jeff Montemurro said it is incredible what has happened in such a short period of time, especially when fights are so hard to come by in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis which has brought the global sporting world to its knees.
“We had a good deal of training before this because once the COVID hit, he basically went to ground and trained like it was an off-season,” said Montemurro, whose Sherwood Shaved Bears team has quickly grown to become one of the top training centres in Canada. “He was able to get stronger, faster, in better shape, he was able to do all of that stuff without doing a lot of the contact and wrestling kind of stuff. Then, all of a sudden UFC decides to do the fights in Florida and Fight Island and things were starting to come to fruition and he took things even more seriously and he got that first fight in Las Vegas. That was against Philipe Lins and that was a great result because Lins was a PFL champion, which is significant because he won the million dollars in 2018. It was important to beat that guy.”
That’s when things took a sudden twist and Boser, 28, ended up back in the ring much sooner than expected.
“Tanner gets back and quarantines for 14 days as you are supposed to when returning to Alberta from outside the country, and then on Day 1 when he emerges from that, on a Monday, he comes up to me and says that he had been offered another fight,” Montemurro said. “It was a great fight, a good match-up. But it was a logistical nightmare. He had been quarantined for the previous 14 days, sitting in his apartment and probably drinking a little bit to celebrate a good win, he gets out to taste fresh air for the first time and they offer him a fight. It was a good fight, but the logistics weren’t something I was happy with. So I put him through this insane workout to see if he had lost anything, and he met all the metrics I wanted to see. He still looked great, so we took the fight. He trained hard for three days and then left for Abu Dhabi. He got out of quarantine on Monday and then left to fight again on the Thursday. He had to go back to Vegas and get tested there, then on to Abu Dhabi where he was tested again and quarantined for 48 hours in the hotel. Then he had another great fight, which was awesome.”
The pair of punishing victories has left Boser as very much an up-and-comer on the UFC scene.
“He had two great fights, which put him on a great track,” Montemurro said. “He got a lot of attention and he is a great speaker — he has a great personality and people like him, he is a blue-collar worker and salt of the earth type. His parents work really hard and so does he and he sees this as a profession and treats it as such. It was a clutch move for him to be able to take this most recent fight at the last minute. I think the UFC recognized that as a really decent thing to do, and as a result they have now signed him to another four-fight deal. He is going to be fighting up-and-comers to work his way into the top 15 and eventually into the top 10.”
Boser knows he should take a bit more time off, but is the type that would likely jump back into the ring as soon as called upon.
“I want Maurice Greene next, hopefully in the fall,” he said. “But I’m dumb. If they offer me a fight and I am not hurt, I am probably just going to take it. So you never know.”
Boser had relatively low-key plans to celebrate after winning his most recent bout, which was almost cancelled when one of his cornermen falsely tested positive for COVID-19.
“The staff at the hotel lost my shorts a few days ago, but they brought me a bucket of beer to say sorry. So I have four beers waiting for me in the hotel room,” he said in his official UFC interview. “Thank you to the staff that lost my shorts and then gave me the beers for it, because I am going to get done those beers right now.”
The Park-trained fighter further endeared himself to fight fans after the bout when he was seen opening up a can of beer with his teeth.
Montemurro toldThe News that Boser can now celebrate on a bit broader scale than that with a significant influx of UFC cash, maybe even enough to make his training commute to the Little Sweatshop a much shorter one indeed.
“With that new money, maybe he can own a home,” he said. “It has been five or seven years in the making for him to make enough money at this to be able to eventually buy a place. Maybe he will want to be closer to the gym.
“It has been so nice seeing Tanner do so well. He has worked so hard for so long. To see him put do much into this and to now start seeing the rewards, he deserves it. He is a true professional now, who is making money he can live off of.”
Shaved Bears a top club in Canada despite pandemic pause
Another member of the Sherwood Shaved Bears is also very much on the UFC radar at the moment — KB Bhullar.
“He is taking part in the Contender Series, which is a series of fights where Dana White can offer you a contract at the end if he likes what he sees,” Montemurro said. “It’s a season, like a reality show of sorts. His fight is on Sept. 1. KB is a thoroughbred. He is a talented, talented kid. He is lucky in a sense that he gets to work with Tanner because these guys can throw and they go at each other. Tanner brings his work ethic, which rubs off on KB. He is a talented, stand-up fighter. He has kicks and punches with lightning speed, he has lightning reflexes. He is just a super gifted athlete and has outstanding fighting techniques. The stuff he has also learned from his and Tanner’s Muay Thai kickboxing coach, Keijiro Noda out of Frank Lee’s Gym in Edmonton, it is just great.”
Montemurro added that he can’t wait for the entire sleuth of Shaved Bears to come out of hibernation and to continue to prove why they are perhaps the best MMA squad in Western Canada.
“We had a good year last year with a lot of guys who fought internationally, including with the UFC. But 2020 has kicked everybody in the junk,” he said. “There are just so few fights on the horizon, pretty much just UFC. For us to go internationally, it is not going to happen right now, nor are local fights. When it comes back, if we ever get through this COVID thing and the economic recession that went with it, as a fight team we are still on the rise. Hopefully, we can get a bunch of new young guys coming up after this.”
sjones@postmedia.com
twitter.com/Realshanejones
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GENOCIDEWATCH
Genocide Watch exists to predict, prevent, stop, and punish genocide and other forms of mass murder. Our purpose is to build an international movement to prevent and stop genocide.
Ten Stages
About Genocide
Eric Reeves | SUDAN Research, Analysis
New Militia Attacks on African Villages in Darfur Are Emblematic of Continuing Genocide: The World’s
The militia attacks near Nierteti (western Central Darfur) reported today by Radio Dabanga are identical to those that were occurring fourteen years ago, down to such grim details as the cutting down of mature fruit trees to ensure there is nothing to come back to in the destroyed villages. Genocidal violence has at times ebbed over the past fourteen years but has never ceased.
Photograph of village burning in Darfur 2005 following Janjaweed attack; photograph taken by military observer and former U.S. Marine Brian Steidle
The UN/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) is completely powerless to protect non-Arab/African civilians under assault, even if it were inclined to, which it clearly is not. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), responsible for the reported attacks, have been formally incorporated into the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and thus acknowledged and supported in ways Khartoum never dared with the “Janjaweed,” even when these less well-organized militia groups were working hand-in-glove with the SAF. Denial was essential, as UN Security Council Resolution 1556, under Chapter 7 authority, “demanded” that Khartoum disarm the “Janjaweed” and brings its leaders to justice:
Resolution 1556 (2004) Adopted by the Security Council at its 5015th meeting, on 30 July 2004 | http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/1556%20(2004)
Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, [the UN Security Council]…
§7 Demands that the Government of Sudan fulfill its commitments to disarm the Janjaweed militias and apprehend and bring to justice Janjaweed leaders and their associates who have incited and carried out human rights and international humanitarian law violations and other atrocities, and further requests the Secretary General to report in 30 days, and monthly thereafter, to the Council on the progress or lack thereof by the Government of Sudan on this matter and expresses its intention to consider further actions, including measures as provided for in Article 41 of the Charter of the United Nations.
Massive violence and human displacement have been continuous in Darfur, despite occasional ebbing
Now confident of victory in its genocidal counter-insurgency in Darfur, the regime feels bold enough to praise and embrace the RSF. There could be no better example of UN and African Union hypocrisy, weakness, and fecklessness. The refusal by these international bodies now even to acknowledge the continuing ethnically-targeted violence directed against the non-Arab/African tribal populations of Darfur is the very face of the UN and African Union politically.
The international community as a whole—including the EU, the U.S., Japan, India, the countries of South America, and others—is content to allow the lack of a human rights reporting presence and the total absence of independent journalists in Darfur to justify indifference and willful blindness to catastrophic human suffering and destruction.
The same regime that now formally employs the Rapid Support Forces in Darfur is described by former U.S. Special Envoy for Sudans Princeton Lyman as capable of “carrying out reform via constitutional democratic measures”:
“We [the Obama administration] do not want to see the ouster of the [Khartoum] regime, nor regime change. We want to see the regime carrying out reform via constitutional democratic measures.” (Interview with Asharq al-Awsat, December 3, 2011 | http://english.aawsat.com/2011/12/article55244147/asharq-al-awsat-talks-to-us-special-envoy-to-sudan-princeton-lyman )
Former U.S. Special Envoy for Sudans Princeton Lyman still believes that the Khartoum regime can “carry out reform via constitutional democratic measures.”
Such gross and preposterous mendacity defines U.S. Sudan policy to this day, and increasingly the “international community” as a whole.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(c) 2017 Eric Reeves
Did Ethiopia’s attack on Tigray violate international laws?
As War Goes On in Ethiopia, Ethnic Harassment Is on the Rise
Kenya: Referendum new sticking point in BBI constitutional amendment bill
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Massive Windows Phone 7 update rumored for January
The new features could include cut and paste and turn-by-turn directions from Bing
Jared Newman (PC World (US online)) on 01 December, 2010 03:34
Windows Phone 7 early adopters won't have to wait long to get some major missing features, according to the latest murmurs.
Chris Walshie, who is part of the team that created Windows Phone 7's first jailbreaking tool, has tweeted about a "massive" update for Microsoft's newborn mobile OS. He said Microsoft was working on the update long before the phone launched, and that the company "could have called it Windows Phone 8."
Walshie added that "MS took 3 months to do what Apple did in 3 years." It's unclear how he got this information.
What's on the table if this rumor pans out? Copy and paste is an obvious candidate, given that Andy Lees, Microsoft's senior vice president of mobile communications, said the feature will arrive early next year.
We could also see some sort of multitasking for third-party apps, turn-by-turn directions from Bing and custom ringer support, according to an earlier rumor from WPCentral. However, this report is pretty shaky, originating from a forum post by someone who reportedly talked to an unnamed Microsoft employee.
Of course, if Microsoft adds all of those features in January, it would go a long way toward closing up all the major holes people have complained about with Windows Phone 7. Meanwhile, the platform's app marketplace is filling up nicely, and Verizon Wireless is supposedly "excited" to offer Windows Phones when they're ready for CDMA networks.
I often hear Apple-bashers complain when Microsoft is criticized for Windows Phone 7's missing features, because the iPhone didn't add the same features until two or three years after launch. That's irrelevant. What's important is the current state of all smartphone platforms, and Microsoft has some catching up to do. If these rumors pan out, it's not too late.
Tags MicrosoftsmartphonesAppleiPhonePhonesconsumer electronics
Jared Newman
PC World (US online)
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Société Renault Frères
Peter Helck was born in 1893 and by the time of his death hehad seen automobile racing from its early beginnings on Long Island to the rear engined single seaters we are accustomed to today. He knew drivers from Louis Wagner to Mario Andretti and his paintings documented their exploits as none had before or since.
As a young boy he would garner rides with race car driver Al Poole testing the latest cars from Simplex. The first race that he attended was the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup on Long Island. He grew inspiration from legendary French artist Edouard Montaut who’s exaggeration of speed leant his work a sense of super realism. While an art student in New York he would spend many a lunchtime gazing at all of the wonderful showroom displays along that city's automobile row. His first published work was for the Brighton Beach Motordrome. Commissions for the Sheepshead Bay Speedway soon followed.
In time Helck worked for most of the major publications of the day including The Autocar through which he traveled to England and the continent. While there he witnessed major races in France and Italy. In the 1930's he was commissioned by the Sinclair Oil-Company to create a five paneled map. The result was a portfolio of lush service station scenes which monumentalized Sinclair and the idea of driving for pleasure. Helck himself has estimated that he created more than 600 racing sketches, drawings, and paintings that are owned by both private individuals and museums.
In 1941 "Old 16", arguably America's most famous race car, passed into the ownership of the one remaining man who could fully appreciate the drama and history caught up in the big gray car - Peter Helck who immortalized the Locomobile race car in one of his greatest paintings. The big Loco still carries the original gray paint and racing number from the 1908 Vanderbilt race - Helck had promised both drivers, Tracy and Robertson that the car would never be "restored." Upon his death it was bequeathed to the Henry Ford Museum.
Peter Helck was born in New York City in 1893. He studied art at the Art Students League in Manhattan and later studied in England with muralist Frank Brangwyn. From the 1920's through the 1940's Helck was very successful as a magazine illustrator and advertising artist. His commissions frequently were of industrial scenes, or featured cars, trucks and locomotives. During that period he also painted pictures of famous automobile races -- having been an avid fan of the sport since childhood. In 1944 he did a series of paintings for Esquire magazine in which he recreated the excitement of automobile races from the first decades of the 20th century. To his great satisfaction, these pictures proved very popular, and in the following decades he developed a large market for paintings of old cars. It is for this genre that he is mostly remembered today.
His death in 1988 at the age of 95 closed a window to the past when men drove huge monstrous machines at tremendous speeds over rock strewn roads. Beyond his paintings Helck authored many articles and at least two books, The Checkered Flag and Great Auto Races
Official Website: http://www.peterhelck.com/index.php
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Home :: Military :: Library :: News :: 2017 :: August ::
Military Menu
Daesh fires several rockets into Lebanon, army shells terrorists' positions
Mon Aug 7, 2017 5:56PM
The Daesh Takfiri terrorist group has reportedly fired seven Grad rockets into the Lebanese territories from a militant-held enclave on the Syria-Lebanon border.
A Lebanese security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, further said that the attack had been carried out on Monday, without causing any casualties.
The source also said that the rockets fell in the vicinity of al-Qaa town, in Baalbek-Hermel province, and prompted the Lebanese army to respond by shelling Daesh positions in the nearby hills.
The development came as the Lebanese army has intensified its shelling of Daesh posts in recent days amid reports that it is set to launch an operation aimed at purging the Takfiris out of the border region with Syria.
The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement formally announced an end to its security operation around border town of Arsal against members of the foreign-sponsored and Takfiri Jabhat Fateh al-Sham – previously known as the Nusra Front – militant group.
Hezbollah launched a major push on July 21 to clear both sides of Lebanon's border with Syria of "armed terrorists." Hezbollah fighters have fended off several Daesh attacks inside Lebanon. They have also been providing assistance to Syrian army forces to counter the ongoing foreign-sponsored militancy.
On Friday, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said that the next phase of the battle with terrorists would be aimed at eliminating the Daesh Takfiri terrorists in the border areas between Lebanon and Syria. He also asserted that Hezbollah fighters were backed by the Syrian army in their battle with Takfiris.
Israel, which continues to occupy Lebanon's Shebaa Farms and Syria's Golan Heights, is widely reported to be offering medical help to Takfiri terrorists injured in Syria. In December 2015, British newspaper, the Daily Mail, said Israel had saved the lives of more than 2,000 Takfiri militants since 2013.
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Standardised diagnostic criteria for dementia
Katie Rainey, Tarun Kuruvilla,
GM, 08, 2013
Our ageing population has led to an increase in the rates of dementia with an estimated one million people in the UK living with dementia by 2021, and with current costs to the economy of dementia care being around £23 billion a year.1
The National Dementia Strategy has highlighted the benefits of early, accurate diagnosis of dementia and its subtypes, not just for early access to disease-specific treatments, such as acetyl-cholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimer's disease, but also because early diagnosis followed by education, signposting to services and planning, has been shown to significantly improve quality of life for patients and carers thereby delaying residential care, the most expensive aspect of dementia care.2
Despite this, only around 43% of people with dementia have been formally diagnosed, with wide regional variations, leading to an All Party Parliamentary Enquiry group being set up to improve dementia diagnosis rates.3 All primary care and most secondary care clinicians are going to see more people with dementia; hence it is important to have an understanding on how to diagnose dementia and its sub-types.
For most of the diseases causing dementia, definitive diagnosis can only be made by characteristic neuropathological changes on post-mortem examination or brain biopsy. However, there are several standardised clinical diagnostic criteria that have been shown to have good accuracy when compared with post-mortem changes.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia accounting for about 62% of all dementias with mixed (Alzheimer's and vascular) dementia accounting for a further 10%.4 Alzheimer's disease has an insidious onset and gradual progression with mean survival from diagnosis being 8-10 years.5 Typically, there is initial memory impairment accompanied by at least one of aphasia, apraxia, agnosia and disturbance in executive functioning, such that there is a progressive deterioration in the ability to carry out activities of daily living. There may also be behavioural changes including apathy, social withdrawal, agitation and psychotic symptoms. Other causes for cognitive impairment need to be excluded such as delirium, side-effects of medication, depression and intracranial conditions.
The 30-year-old National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS-ADRDA) criteria6 were well validated with a sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 70% compared to post-mortem changes7 and had been widely used in clinical trials and research. These criteria were updated, incorporating recent advances, in 2011 to the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) criteria8 that proposes diagnostic criteria for the three stages of Alzheimer's disease: the pre-clinical or asymptomatic stage (mainly for research purposes); the prodromal or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) stage; and the clinical or Dementia stage (Box 2).
It is worth noting that the NIA-AA criteria allows diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in the dementia stage to be made solely on clinical grounds without needing confirmatory tests like neuroimaging or neuropsychological testing.
It recognises atypical non-amnesic initial presentations such as Posterior Cortical Atrophy (visual variant Alzheimer's disease)9 and it also allows diagnosis of mixed aetiology eg. Alzheimer's and vascular dementia to be made under possible Alzheimer's disease dementia.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
The NIA-AA criteria allow the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease to be made in the prodromal or MCI stage. The clinical criteria for this are:
1. Concern regarding change in cognition reported by patient, informant or clinician
2. Objective evidence of impairment in one or more cognitive domains, typically memory
3. Preservation of independence in functional abilities
4. Not demented.
Meeting the clinical criteria and positivity for one or more of several biomarkers increases the predictability of MCI converting to the dementia stage. Clinically accessible biomarkers include markers of neuronal injury such as hippocampal atrophy on structural brain imaging; hypometabolism on FDG-PET brain scans and hypoperfusion on HMPAO-SPECT cerebral perfusion scans. Biomarkers currently being researched are markers of brain amyloid deposition such as cerebrospinal fluid amyloid assay and amyloid-labelled PET scans.
Vascular dementia
Vascular dementia due to significant cerebrovascular disease may account for about 17% of all dementia.10 The best validated and most widely used diagnostic criteria for Vascular dementia is the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke with the Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l'Enseignement en Neurosciences (NINDS-AIREN) criteria (Box 3), which requires demonstrating a relationship between the dementia and cerebrovascular disease.11
Post-mortems studies have shown that vascular dementia commonly coexists with Alzheimer's disease as a mixed dementia.11 Further, vascular risk factors may also be risk factors for Alzheimer's disease12 and structural brain imaging changes of white matter ischaemia can also be seen in Alzheimer's disease.
Dementia with Lewy bodies
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is closely associated with Parkinson's disease. It is characterised anatomically by the presence of Lewy bodies in post mortem brain histology. Clinically it is characterised by fluctuations in awareness, visual hallucinations and delusions, increased propensity to falls and Parkinsonism (rigidity, tremor, bradykinesia, poverty of expression). The average life expectancy from diagnosis is five to seven years.
There are three clinical phenotypes that have been described: Parkinson's disease (if the Lewy body pathology is predominantly in the subcortical structures); Parkinson's disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies (where the Lewy body pathology is also seen in the cerebral cortex). The latter two can be distinguished by the timing of the onset of dementia. If the dementia occurs within a year of onset of motor symptoms the diagnosis is dementia with Lewy bodies, if it is after a year the diagnosis is Parkinson's disease dementia. Dementia is very common in patients with Parkinson's disease with up to 75% of individuals developing it during the course of the disease.13
The best validated diagnostic criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies is the Third DLB Consortium Consensus Criteria.14
Fronto-temporal dementia
Although Fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) accounts for only 2% of all dementias it is the second most common cause of dementia (after Alzheimer's disease) in patients under 65 years, with the average age of onset being 54 years.15 There may be a positive family history and the prognosis is variable, with life expectancy from diagnosis ranging from two to 10 years. There are three recognised phenotypes:
• Behavioural variant Fronto-temporal dementia (previously known as Pick's disease): characterised by early personality and behavioural changes, loss of insight, disinhibition and lack of social awareness. These features usually predate memory impairment. Disturbance of mood, speech and continence often occur
• Progressive non-fluent aphasia: patients present with impaired fluency of speech due to articulation difficulty, phonation of speech and syntactic errors. Speech comprehension is preserved
• Semantic dementia: patients remain fluent with normal phonology and syntax but increasing difficulty with comprehension, especially single-word comprehension.
The clinical diagnostic criteria for behavioural variant Fronto-temporal dementia16 from 1998 were updated in September 2011 by the International Consensus Criteria and shown to have good sensitivity.17
It is important to diagnose dementia early and to differentiate its sub-types because the treatment options and prognosis for these diseases vary.17 As summarised in the text, most of the current, well-validated and widely used diagnostic criteria rely mainly on the clinical features, with diagnosis being supported by neuroimaging and neuropsychological testing. It is therefore important for all clinicians to have an understanding of these criteria in order to improve the diagnostic rates and to also be wary of diagnosis solely based on brain imaging and neuropsychological testing without clinical co-relation. Diagnostic criteria for the rarer sub-types of dementia are beyond the scope of this paper.
Conflict of interest: none declared
1. Dementia 2012: A national challenge. http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/
2. Living well with dementia: A National Dementia Strategy. Department of Health. February 2009 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/living-well-with-dementia-a-national-dementia-strategy
4. Dementia UK: The full report. The Alzheimer's Society. 2007 http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/download_info.php?fileID=2
5. Leishman W. Organic Psychiatry: The Psychological Consequences of Cerebral Disorder. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Science; 1987
6. McKhann G, Drachman D, Folstein M, et al. Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: report of the NINCDS-ADRDA Work Group under the auspices of Department of Health and Human Services Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease. Neurology 1984; 34(7): 939-44
7. Knopman DS, DeKosky ST, Cummings JL, et al. Practice parameter: diagnosis of dementia (an evidence based review). Neurology 2001; 56: 1143-53
8. McKhann G, Knopman D, Chertkow H, et al. The diagnosis of dementia due to Alzheimers disease: Recommendations from the national institute on Aging and the Alzheimers Association workgroup. Alzheimers Dement 2011; 7(3): 263-69
9. Benson F, Davis J, Snyder BD. Posterior cortical atrophy. Arch Neurol 1988; 45: 789-93.
10. Dementia UK: The full report. The Alzheimers Society. 2007
11. Schneider JA, Arvanitakis Z, Bang W, Bennett DA. Mixed brain pathologies account for most dementia cases in community-dwelling older persons. Neurology 2007; 69: 2197-204
12. Gorelick, Philip B, et al. Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke 2011; 42(9): 2672-713
13. Aarsland D, Andersen K, Larsen JP, Lolk A, et al. Prevalence and characteristics of dementia in Parkinson disease: an 8-year prospective study. Arch Neurol 2003; 60(3): 387-92
14. McKeith IG, Dickson DW, Lowe J, et al. Diagnosis and management of dementia with Lewy bodies: third report of the DLB Consortium. Neurology 2005; 65: 1863-72
15. Picks disease, Semantic dementia - semantic, frontotemporal dementia and Picks disease. PubMed Health. February 2012.
16. Neary D, Snowden JS, Gustafson L, et al. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration: a consensus on clinical diagnostic criteria. Neurology 1998; 51(6): 1546-54
17. Rascovsky K, Hodges JR, Knopman D, et al., Sensitivity of revised diagnostic criteria for the behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia, Brain 2011; 134(Pt 9): 2456-77
#dementia
#vascular dementia
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BITE-SIZED HISTORY
Published in Issue 1 (January/February 2020), News, Volume 28
Rebranding at Galway Museum
Fáilte Ireland, through the National Tourism Development Authority, has committed a record €6.64m to develop a new state-of-the art museum in Galway city. Rebranded as the Atlantic Museum Galway, the new three-story interactive museum will be developed at Comerford House, next to the current Galway City Museum, which stands on the left bank of the River Corrib. It will highlight the influence that the Atlantic has had on the people, cultures and traditions of this ‘Merchant City’. The square between the Spanish Arch and the existing museum will be remodelled into a new public space that will bring all elements of the attraction together. Visitors will be able to take in the vista of Galway Bay, the Claddagh and the River Corrib from a new viewing point on top of the Spanish Arch. This represents the single biggest Fáilte Ireland investment in a tourist attraction and is expected to generate €29.3m in revenue for the region in its first five years of opening. The total project cost, including funding from Galway City Council, will be €10.2m.
Caught on film
Rare photographs of IRA men patrolling the streets of West Belfast during the early days of the Troubles have been donated to a unique on-line archive. Dozens of pictures taken over several years have been handed over to the Belfast Archive Project by a former amateur photographer from West Belfast. The man, who is now aged 78, took hundreds of images as the Troubles erupted in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The images he captured on his Pentex camera include photos of armed IRA members in the Lenadoon area of West Belfast during a gun battle that marked the end of the 1972 truce. Others show the aftermath of a Loyalist attack on Catholic homes in Bombay Street in August 1969. The unnamed photographer also photographed British soldiers erecting the first ‘peace-line’ in Belfast in September 1969. His collection, along with other photographs in the Belfast Archive Project, can be seen at belfastarchiveproject.com.
Above: An illuminated page from the Book of Kells, which will be out of sight of the public until March 2020 owing to ‘necessary works’ to Trinity College’s Old Library. (Trinity College, Dublin)
Book of Kells stand-in
The Book of Kells has been removed from public display in Trinity College, Dublin, for four months as part of the first phase of redevelopment of Trinity’s Old Library. Trinity College says that the redevelopment is ‘to ensure the conservation of the eighteenth-century building and the preservation of its precious manuscripts and research collections for generations to come’. As part of the plan, the display area of the Book of Kells, which is located in the Old Library, will be undergoing ‘necessary works’, which will require the removal of the fabled manuscript book for the duration. The Book of Kells will be out of public sight until March 2020. During this period, the Book of Kells ‘Turning Darkness into Light’ exhibition will remain open to the public, with ticket prices reduced by 15%. All other areas in the Old Library will also be accessible, including the Long Room. Visitors will still get an idea of what the Book of Kells is like, as a full-colour replica will be on display in the Long Room. I wonder whether the general visitor will notice the difference?
‘Bend in the Boyne’
Archaeologists are conducting a survey of the River Boyne, believed to be the first of its kind. The team’s members come from University College Dublin’s School of Archaeology and Ulster University’s School of Geography and Environmental Science, and the survey is funded by the Royal Irish Academy. The archaeologists are concentrating on the riverbed where it runs through the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site as part of a project called ‘Bend in the Boyne’. So far the survey has identified 40 previously unknown monuments close to Newgrange and has identified 100 items of interest in a 10km stretch. Ten of these appear to be ‘log-boat-type anomalies’. This is not so unusual, as there have been log boats, including one that dated from the Neolithic era, found in the Boyne before. There are also sixteen items that appear to be large boulders. It is speculated that they were destined for use in the construction of the monument at Newgrange. Among the other finds are weirs, accumulations of debris that could be of archaeological importance, and some 31 very modern tyres! The research findings are part of a temporary exhibition housed in the newly redeveloped OPW Brú na Bóinne visitor centre.
Oireachtas 1919–2019 goes on-line
The Oireachtas Library and Research Service recently launched an on-line Bibliography of Parliament 1919–2019. The bibliography aims to be an authoritative but not exhaustive list of works relevant to the first 100 years of parliamentary self-government in Ireland. It was commissioned as part of the Houses of the Oireachtas Centenary Programme to commemorate the centenary of the First Dáil. It was compiled in partnership with the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Limerick. Subjects covered in the on-line archive include the administration and role of the Oireachtas, parliamentary business and parliamentary reform, as well as elections and members of the Oireachtas. The bibliography can be accessed on the Houses of the Oireachtas website, https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/visit-and-learn/bibliography/, via Zotero.org. By registering for a free account and joining the group, visitors can download or export items to guide further reading.
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Harriet Bond Stirling
Stirling Why Choose Harriet Bond?
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Facts About Stirling
56.12 / -3.95
Information About Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland.
Stirling is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area.
Stirling is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth.
Stirling was strategically important as the "Gateway to the Highlands", with its position near the boundary between the Scottish Lowlands and Highlands.
Stirling has been described as the brooch which clasps the Highlands and the Lowlands together.
Stirling 's position as the nearest crossing of the Forth to the river mouth meant that many of its visitors were in fact invaders.
According to legend, when Stirling was under attack from Viking invaders, a wolf howled, alerting the townspeople in time to save the town.
Once the capital of Scotland, Stirling contains the Great Hall and the Renaissance Palace.
Stirling also has its medieval parish church, The Church of the Holy Rude.
Stirling and the wider urban area including Bridge of Allan and Bannockburn has a population of 45,750.
This makes Stirling the smallest city in Scotland.
Stirling is smaller than many of Scotland's larger towns.
One of the principal royal strongholds of the Kingdom of Scotland, Stirling was created as Royal burgh by King David I in 1130.
In 2002, as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee, Stirling was granted city status.
Stirling is renowned as the Gateway to the Highlands.
The land surrounding Stirling has been most affected by glacial erosion and deposition.
Stirling has grown up around its castle which stands atop an ancient quartz-dolerite sill.
Areas in and Around Stirling
Chartershall
Craighill
Cities Close to Stirling
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Heathside secures Ofsted approval to extend school to Year 11
Following a rigorous inspection by Ofsted, Heathside School, Hampstead, part of Dukes Education, has secured all necessary approvals to extend the school to Year 11 and begin offering GCSEs.
An inspection in November, which carefully scrutinised Heathside’s proposals for Key Stage 4, gave a clean bill of health. Now the school, which already takes children to Year 9, will be offering students an opportunity to take GCSEs in all core subjects, with specialist teachers supporting them all the way through to exams and to reaching their full potential.
Katherine Vintiner, Headteacher Heathside School, said, “This approval is the result of a great deal of planning and preparation by our leadership team and I am absolutely delighted with the outcome. Now, our senior school students can continue with us to Year 11, in the same nurturing and supportive environment they are used to, and with the high standards of academic rigour they have experienced in Key Stage 3. Being a school from age 2 to 16 means children can grow with us and chose the pathway to senior school that suits them best, whether that is the 11+ or 13+ route, or remaining at Heathside. And with this important decision confirmed, we can now look forward to the next chapter for Heathside – with new students joining us, and to finding the right building for what we are confident will become a thriving senior school.”
Aatif Hassan, Chair of Governors, Heathside School, said: “This is a terrific and well deserved result for Heathside. The turnaround they have accomplished in such a short period is outstanding and I am very proud of the whole team for such a great achievement. Heathside provides a unique experience for children in north London and it is fantastic news that we can now provide them with the opportunity to enjoy it until they are 16.”
We’d love to welcome you to Heathside. Find out how you can take the first step and become part of our community.
At Heathside, we are dedicated to supporting each student to develop into a confident, independent learner.
Here you can find more information about our school, including Term Dates, Policies, and Inspection Reports.
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Eugene Plumbing
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The Oregon Department of Health announced Monday that a Polk County resident has died of an E. coli infection, bringing the number of cases in Oregon this year to more than 1,000. The alleged case, which was originally reported in Deschutes County, was later reported in PORTLAND on May 13, OHA said. Polk County Health and Human Services declared the cause of death Tuesday in a press release from the Oregon Department of Health. On Tuesday, it was announced that Helen Eddy has been hired to take up her role as the new director of Oregon's Office of Public Health, Public Safety and Environmental Health.
Dr. Eddy earned her medical degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as a general surgeon in Medford. She has served Southern Oregon for over 20 years with experience and maintains a vast network of over 500 locations in the United States. Muriel has taught health education for 12 years, served in nursing school, served on the Board of Deschutes County Health and Human Services, and was an associate professor at Oregon State University Health Sciences Center. 15) has served in Oregon and Washington in various public health, public safety and environmental health roles.
As a general surgeon in Oregon, Dr. Eddy's wide range of tools includes a drill cord drill, an electric drill and a variety of other tools. She specializes in general surgery, orthopaedic surgery and other surgical procedures, as well as general anesthesia.
If you have problems with your water heater or choose a new model, you better call a professional plumber. You want to check the qualifications of the plumbers you are calling and if you need to hire them, make sure you get in touch with them before you give them the job. Plums certificates vary, so it is best to ask a potential plumber for a certificate of qualification that they have.
The selection below will help you find the best plumbers in the Eugene area without a fuss. The Omaha Professional Instumbers Association (OPA) and its website will help you find a good plumber in Omaha, NE.
Brink Abelein was born in Davenport, Washington, and lives in Northeast Portland, Oregon. Located in the heart of downtown Eugene, just blocks from the Oregon State Capitol, this water-line company can help you efficiently.
If you need plumbing services in West Medford, Networx can help you solve problems - and quickly. If you don't have an emergency, you have more time to read through the suggestions, get a feel for the recommended Eugene area plumber and choose the one that is most suitable for you. It is always a good idea to get recommendations from friends and family members and look at the ratings of the plumber you want to hire. Note: Please note the "urgently" category when a consumer calls for a sanitary facility.
ShoutWire's comparison tools can help you keep up with the best plumbing companies in the White City in the Eugene area for your plumbing needs. Equipped with a list of plumbing work to be done and a detailed description of the plumbing work in your area, the veranda can be used to search for experienced plumbers in our area. You can quickly compare the quality and price of services in Eugene, West Medford and other parts of Eugene and choose a good plumbing company in WhiteCity for what you need.
While some Medford plumbers are generalists, others specialize in certain areas, and while others specialize in a specific area such as repairing and replacing water heaters, a 24-hour emergency plumber can perform urgent repairs to homes. Plumbers will have the skills and tools to repair or replace cracked or clogged sewer pipes, and they will be able to handle water - including repairs and spare parts for heaters.
If you just want to plug a drain or have a leaking toilet repaired, only a certified plumber can do the project, but it is possible that the plumbers will make matters worse. You are not experienced enough to work on certain issues, and you may need to hire a licensed plumber to do more than plug the pipes, install a new faucet, or deal with a leaking toilet.
You need to know the scope of the project to ensure that the plumber is qualified to address the problems.
This is a public structure that provides services that affect all in the Polk County. Polk CDC provides tenants and owners of Polk County, Oregon, with access to the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS), which is responsible for helping Oregon achieve well-being and independence through over 25 years of experience. Here is your contact person if you need help repairing sanitary facilities or maintaining sanitary facilities in Polk, County, Dallas or Oregon.
We offer commercial, industrial and small scale refurbishment for a variety of installations. Our technicians specialize in repair and replacement of plumbing fittings and pipes, detection and repair of plates and leaks, piping in and out of homes, installation of water heaters, etc.
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Senior Loeb Scholar Lecture: CANCELLED – “Words Build Worlds” with Nicolai Ouroussoff, Florencia Rodriguez, and Thomas Weaver
March/10,/2020
GSD, Gund Hall Piper Auditorium
View all Senior Loeb Scholar Lecture events
This event has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
With Words Build Worlds, Sarah M. Whiting, Dean and Josep Lluís Sert Professor of Architecture, invites three distinct voices from the world of contemporary publishing to the GSD for a conversation around the power and importance of the written word within the design fields now. Nicolai Ouroussoff, Florencia Rodriguez, and Thomas Weaver come together from different corners of the criticism, journalism, print and digital media, and editorial fields to discuss what a commitment to the curation and publication of design discourse through writing means in this moment in time.
As Senior Loeb Scholars within the Loeb Fellowship program, Ouroussoff, Rodriguez, and Weaver will spend a week at the GSD interacting with students, faculty, and Loeb Fellows and offering new and different perspectives on the range of issues we are facing within the design disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning and design. Words Build Worlds is the keynote public event for the 2019-2020 Senior Loeb Scholars.
Nicolai Ouroussoff is a writer and critic living in New York. He is currently completing a book on architecture, culture and politics from the First World War to today, which will be published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Since 2011 he has taught on modern and contemporary architecture at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, the Strelka Institute in Moscow and the Columbia University graduate school of architecture. From 2004 to 2011 he was the architecture critic of The New York Times, were he wrote widely on architecture and urbanism in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and where he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in both 2006 and 2011. Previously, he was the architecture critic of The Los Angeles Times, where he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for a series on the cultural decline of Baghdad. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1962.
Florencia Rodriguez, LF '14, is an architect, and has dedicated her career to writing and editing. In 2014 she received the Loeb Fellowship from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In 2010, Florencia founded PLOT magazine, which continued to direct until 2017. Under her stewardship, PLOT quickly became one of the leading publications in the region. In early 2017 Florencia embarked on a new project with Pablo Gerson, the editorial platform Lots of architecture -publishers, which main product is the periodical publication –NESS. On Architecture, Life and Urban Culture. Rodriguez was curated several exhibitions and organized international symposia. She was a Professor of Landscape Theory and Technology Theory in the Torcuato Di Tella University graduate programs and has taught theory courses at other universities such as Universidad del Litoral and The Boston Architectural College. She has received awards for her editorial work and published a number of articles in books and specialized media like Domus, Oris, summa +, Arquine, a+u, or Uncube, among others.
Thomas Weaver is an architectural writer, teacher and editor, and senior commissioning editor for art and architecture at MIT Press. Educated at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, and at Princeton University, he subsequently combined editorial positions – at ANY magazine in New York, and later, and for more than a decade, editing AA Files at the Architectural Association in London – with academic appointments at the Cooper Union and currently as a visiting fellow at the Berlage Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design, TU Delft. He has lectured extensively, and is the author (with Alessandra Ponte and Laurent Stalder) of GOD & CO: François Dallegret Beyond the Bubble (2011), AA Files Conversations (2013), Against Research/Model-maker Grimm (2018), From Soane to The Strip (2018, with Denise Scott Brown) and Writing not Typing (2019), in addition to numerous essays and published conversations.
Sarah M. Whiting is Dean and Josep Lluís Sert Professor of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Co-founder of WW Architecture, she served as Dean of Architecture at Rice University for nine years. She received her BA from Yale, MA from Princeton, and PhD in the History and Theory of Architecture from MIT.
Whiting’s research is interdisciplinary, with the built environment at its core. An expert in architectural theory and urbanism, she has particular interests in architecture’s relationship with politics, economics, and society and how the built environment shapes public life.
Whiting has taught at various universities and lectures globally. She serves as a critic of architecture and urban design and is an Associate member of the American Institute of Architects. Whiting is also a prolific published writer and editor in her field, and is the founding editor of Point, a book series aimed at shaping contemporary discussions in architecture and urbanism.
This program is supported by the Loeb Fellowship at the GSD.
Kersten Geers, James Graham, Ashley Schafer, Jennifer Sigler, Thomas Weaver, Andrea Zanderigo: “The Periodical Literature”
Writing Architecture: Christopher Hawthorne, Florencia Rodriguez, Michael Sorkin and Oliver Wainwright on criticism today; moderated by Michael Hays
Architecture Film Soirée: “Francis Kéré: An Architect Between”
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Business leaders scorch new NLRB rules change
As expected, the National Labor Relations Board’s proposal to streamline the union voting process drew both sharp criticism and strong support in a recent hearing before the House Education and Workforce Committee.
Michael Lotito, a lawyer for the firm of Jackson Lewis in San Francisco, testified that the rules change “all but shuts the door on employers providing critical information to employees about the petitioning union, collective bargaining and potential strikes.”
Michael Eastman, a spokesman for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said the proposal is part of the Obama administration drive “to tilt the playing field in organized labor’s favor,” according to a Bloomberg account of the hearing.
But Kenneth Dau-Schmidt, a labor professor at Indiana University in Bloomington, testified that “”The board’s election procedure is broken and in need of an overhaul … It allows unscrupulous employers to control the election process through delay and intimidation.”
For the full Bloomberg story, go here.
Big changes called for
As you’ll recall, the NLRB proposes to change the rules governing the time frame and administration of the elections companies hold to decide whether the majority of their employees wish to form a union.
The changes would give employers less time to make management’s case against organizing, require employers to make worker info (like personal phone numbers and email addresses) available to union officials, and delay the resolution of disputes over which employees are eligible to vote in the secret ballot elections.
The NLRB is also expected to hold its own public hearings on the proposal July 18 and 19 in Washington, D.C.
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December 10, 2020 2:11PM EST
“Kill Them, They Are Sodomites”
Police Violence Against LGBT People in Tunisia
Published in: Nawaat
Rasha Younes
Researcher, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program
@Rasha__Younes
Saif Ayadi, LGBT rights activist at Damj Association, surrounded by protesters on October 6, 2020. © 2020 Ahmed Zarrouki for Nawaat
On October 6, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists in Tunisia raised their voices and banners in the street, amid the hundreds of demonstrators who were peacefully protesting a draft law that would drastically limit criminal accountability for the use of force by the security forces. By a cruel irony, police attacked the demonstrators, including LGBT activists, and arbitrarily arrested them.
The proposed law, if passed, would embolden security forces in their use of excessive force and send an alarming message to Tunisians, especially members of marginalized groups, already vulnerable to police misconduct, that they will not be protected from police violence.
For LGBT people, who are often excluded from government protection, the passage of this law is terrifying. Here’s why:
On August 5, Ahmed El-Tounsi, a transgender Tunisian man and founder of the trans rights organization OutCasts, thought he would bleed to death on the street.
El-Tounsi and other trans activists were walking near the French Embassy in Tunis when police officers guarding the embassy approached them and asked for their IDs. When the officers saw the mismatch between their IDs and their gender expression, and after a verbal altercation, the police physically and verbally assaulted them, the activists said.
Bloodied and humiliated, they tried to run, but additional police officers arrived and beat the activists, while inciting bystanders to join in – cursing, hitting, and dragging the activists by their clothes on the street, they told me.
“Kill them, they are sodomites,” the officers told bystanders, El-Tounsi said.
“They [private individuals] followed us into alleyways and beat us unconscious,” he said. “They snatched our phones to delete evidence of the assault, and said, ‘We will slaughter you,’ It felt like our entire country beat us that day.”
When he sought medical care at Habib Thameur Hospital, El-Tounsi was denied treatment based on his gender expression. “The doctor said, “You’re a special case, I can’t treat you here. Go somewhere else,”” El-Tounsi said.
“My chest was swollen from the beatings, I couldn’t breathe, I was bleeding profusely, I could barely stay conscious,” he said. When he went to Charles Nicole Hospital, administrative staff refused him entry after seeing his ID, and referred him to a women’s hospital, despite his self-identification as a man.
Activists took El-Tounsi to Wassila Bourguiba Hospital, which specializes in women’s health. “I’m bleeding, I’m going to die, please treat me,” El-Tounsi pleaded, but the doctor responded, “You look like a man, this is a women’s hospital.”
After he waited for hours and negotiated with the doctor, she checked El-Tounsi’s injuries while seven nurses stood around him, interrogating him about his gender identity, and addressing him with female pronouns. “They mocked me. They didn’t treat my injuries. They didn’t even give me a medical report.”
Activists turned to the courts and filed a complaint, seeking to hold police and embassy officers accountable. Several lawyers involved in the case told me that the head of a first instance court in Tunis dismissed the request to review camera footage near the embassy, which lawyers said would show the officers’ role in the assaults. The lawyers appealed in late October and await a decision.
Saif Ayadi, a social worker at Damj, a Tunis-based LGBT rights group, was there during the attacks on trans activists in August, and was among those arbitrarily arrested and beaten at the protest in October. He spoke to me about the increasing police violence against LGBT people in Tunisia, and the insurmountable dangers that would accompany the passage of the draft impunity law.
Ayadi said that in 2020, Damj provided legal assistance to LGBT people at police stations in 75 cases and responded to 98 requests for legal consultations. “These figures are five times higher than those we recorded in 2019, indicating an alarming increase in persecutions of LGBT people during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he told me.
Ayadi said that between March and September, his organization recorded 21 cases of violence against trans people in public, 10 torture cases, and 2 cases of bullying by security officers against trans people in detention facilities. There were also 12 prison sentences against trans people and gay men under articles 230, 225, and 125 of Tunisia’s penal code, which criminalize “sodomy,” “indecent behavior in public,” and “insulting a public officer,” respectively.
Tunisian law does not provide a clear or accessible path to legal gender recognition for transgender people, who face systemic discrimination compounded by the incongruity between their official documents and gender expression.
Amal Ayari, a prominent advocate for women’s and LGBT rights in Tunisia, told me, “Tunisia is considered a country where rights and freedoms are protected, but such flagrant violations of citizens’ rights show that this discourse is just slogans, and is an attempt to whitewash Tunisia’s international image.”
Instead of granting more power to the police, the Tunisian government should decriminalize same-sex conduct and protect LGBT people from discrimination and police violence. The proposed bill, Number 25/2015, a shameful step backward, should not pass.
August 5, 2020 News Release
Tunisia: Homosexuality Convictions Upheld
July 6, 2020 News Release
Tunisia: Two-Year Sentence for Homosexuality
February 28, 2020 Report
Tunisia: Unfinished Rights Business
September 3, 2019 Report
“Don’t Punish Me for Who I Am”
Systemic Discrimination Against Transgender Women in Lebanon
“They’re Chasing Us Away from Sport”
Human Rights Violations in Sex Testing of Elite Women Athletes
“Every Day I Live in Fear”
Violence and Discrimination Against LGBT People in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, and Obstacles to Asylum in the United States
March 19, 2020 Q & A
Human Rights Dimensions of COVID-19 Response
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NewsLocal NewsMichigan
Retired MSP trooper reflects on young officer's death
By: Ryan Cummings
Posted at 7:28 PM, Aug 01, 2020
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — First responders and law enforcement agencies around the country are posting their condolences tonight after a Michigan State Trooper died in the line of duty.
A drunk driver hit Trooper Caleb Starr three weeks ago and he’d been in the hospital ever since.
His family is now planning a funeral, while his brothers and sisters in blue are getting ready to say goodbye.
The body of MSP Trooper Starr left the Grand Rapids area Saturday morning followed by dozens of squad cars on I-96, headed to a funeral home in Lansing.
Trooper Starr was on duty July 10th responding to a call in Ionia County.
MSP says a drunk driver crossed the center line on Grand River Avenue in Boston Township hitting his patrol car head-on.
The 33-year-old had to be cut from the vehicle and then flown to Grand Rapids.
“I don’t know how to describe it, it’s just a long process of grieving,” said former MSP Trooper David Hampton.
While he didn’t know him personally, Hampton worked with the young trooper’s wife for four years.
He says the bond between the blue is strong.
“And there’s that tight bond,” said Hampton. “You fight for each other look out for each other like all police officers and so when you see that happen, that could’ve been me.”
Trooper Starr of the Lakeview Post joined the agency in September of 2018.
Badge #485 was on tour for 1 year and 10 months.
“You feel blessed in some ways, then you feel that guilt that it could have been me,” said Hampton. “How did I survive for 31 years where a young trooper like Caleb - you know his life is gone, and he's got two daughters and leaves behind a wife.”
Before Starr’s death, Trooper Timothy O’Neill at the Rockford Post was the last MSP officer to die in the line of duty.
He was killed in a crash in September of 2017 while patrolling on his motorcycle.
Hampton attended that funeral as well.
“You know when all those police officers come together and you see the patrol cars and uniforms and all those different agencies come together, it’ll just, if that doesn’t make you cry nothing will.”
That’s felt throughout the entire law enforcement community.
MSP has already changed its profile picture on social media to display the badge signifying an officer’s death.
Several agencies including the Kent County Sheriff’s Office also posted their condolences as well saying their hearts are heavy. Especially knowing that Starr’s life ended because of a drunk driver.
“Whatever religion you are to be in a high stress job like this, you have to have a forgiving heart and let the justice system work, that that person is gonna be punished by our criminal justice system - and not hold that anger inside,” said Hampton.
The 28-year-old driver from Utah is still believed to be in the hospital and we’re told charges against her are pending.
Funeral arrangements for Starr are still being worked out.
MSP says when a trooper is killed in the line of duty, no one else will ever get that badge number.
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Delayed for months due to lack of jurors, trial begins for man accused in ex's brutal murder
By Ben Handelman
Trial begins for man accused of killing ex-girlfriend
Emmanuel Sanchez
MILWAUKEE -- A homicide trial delayed for months due to a lack of jurors finally got underway on Tuesday, Nov. 27, and prosecutors wasted no time displaying what they said was the murder weapon.
Emmanuel Sanchez, 28, faces one count of first degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, and one count of knowingly violating a domestic abuse order/injunction, domestic abuse assessments. He is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Crystal Leopold.
In court on Tuesday, a Milwaukee police detective held up a blood-stained butcher knife prosecutors said was used to kill the 24-year-old woman in August of 2017. Leopold's family was more than ready to get the trial underway after a rare setback delayed proceedings for roughly five months.
"I know that everybody gets a fair trial, and how the justice system works, but at the same time, it's frustrating," said Natasha Leopold, Crystal Leopold's sister, back in July.
That's when the family learned not enough jurors met the criteria needed to fill a jury panel for the trial, so it was delayed until November.
According to prosecutors, just days after Leopold took out a restraining order against her ex, Sanchez broke into her apartment. Roommates who were home at the time heard screams for help, and told police they saw Sanchez fleeing before they found Leopold with a butcher knife sticking out of her chest. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sanchez's lawyer said there's no evidence his client wanted his ex dead. He said Sanchez's DNA is missing from the bloody knife's handle, and several questions remain about the events that led to Leopold's death.
"He does deserve a fair trial. We do agree on that, and I do want to see the right outcome," said Natasha Leopold in July.
In addition to officers who worked the case, a man who was waiting for Leopold in his vehicle outside to go on a date the night she was killed also took the stand on Tuesday.
The jury trial is expected to last until Thursday, Nov. 29.
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Athletes with Sickle-Cell Trait at Risk for Death
The growing number of exercise-induced deaths among athletes with sickle cell trait can be curtailed with proper treatment and greater awareness among team doctors and athletic trainers, a national medical group said in a report released Wednesday.
The National Athletic Trainers' Association report, released at the group's annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif., only suggests, not recommends, that schools screen players for the inherited blood disorder.
The symptoms of explosive muscle breakdown tied to sickle cell trait are "underrecognized and often misunderstood" by team medical workers who mistake the injury for heat exhaustion, muscle cramps or heart problems, the report found.
"Sickling collapse is a medical emergency," the report states.
Nine athletes have died under such circumstances in the past seven years, ranging in age from 12 to 19. The NATA study also notes the deaths of 13 college football players at schools that did not test for sickle cell trait or had "a lapse in precautions."
Three of those deaths occurred over the past three summers. The group includes former Missouri reserve linebacker Aaron O'Neal, who collapsed on the field near the end of a preseason workout in July 2005.
"I have no doubt that I'm very typical of a lot of sports medicine professionals," said Scott Anderson, head athletic trainer at the University of Oklahoma and a co-chairman of the NATA task force that produced the report.
"There's knowledge of sickle cell trait, but a great lack of understanding of the associated risks," he said.
In Missouri, a county medical examiner listed O'Neal's official cause of death as viral meningitis. That determination was challenged by several people, including outside experts and the chairman of the university's pathology department.
Individuals with sickle cell trait have one normal gene for hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells, and one abnormal gene. Unlike normal, rounded red blood cells, the sickle-shaped cells carry less oxygen and can clog blood vessels that flow to the heart and other muscles.
The trait is distinct from sickle cell disease, a condition that affects far fewer people and in which two abnormal genes are present.
Sixty-four percent of the colleges that responded to a 2006 survey said they give blood tests to athletes to determine the presence of sickle cell trait.
NCAA guidelines treat the hereditary condition found in an estimated 8 to 10 percent of the U.S. black population as a "benign condition" and ask members only to consider voluntary testing.
The risks to athletes are heightened during common preseason performance tests such as mile runs or repetitive sprints, the study found. Heat, dehydration and high altitude can exacerbate the risks.
The NATA recommends an adjusted training regimen for athletes with sickle cell trait, including longer rest periods and a more gradual build up to intense repetitions. Such athletes should be excluded from performance tests that could escalate the risk of sickling collapse, the report urges.
For Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devard Darling, the issue is a personal one. His twin brother DeVaughn, an 18-year-old linebacker, collapsed and died during a 2001 offseason workout at Florida State. Medical examiners said the disorder may have contributed to the death.
Darling worries that the win-at-all-costs mind-set in major college and pro football won't necessarily make room for such precautions.
"How does getting a water break make you weak?" he said.
The dangers of sickle cell collapse have long been known in the military. After the collapse of four recruits in four years - one of whom died - the U.S. Air Force Academy temporarily barred applicants with sickle cell trait in the early 1970s.
A later study found that military recruits with sickle cell trait were 30 times more likely to die during basic training.
At the pro level, the National Football League tests prospective players for sickle cell trait at its annual scouting combine.
The NATA stopped short of embracing a call for mandatory testing because "there isn't hard evidence that if you screen, you will prevent death," said Anderson.
The study does call for schools to confirm the trait by asking players to report their genetic history during preseason physical exams. But it also notes that many athletes don't know their status, making self-reporting unreliable.
A study cited in the NATA report lists explosive muscle breakdown from sickle cell trait, or acute exertional rhabdomyolysis, as the third-leading cause of non-traumatic sports deaths among high school and college athletes behind heart illnesses and heat stroke.
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Missile Strike on Suspected Al Qaeda Hideout in Pakistan Kills 30
MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan – Uzbeks, Chechens and Arabs were among about 30 militants killed in a missile attack on a suspected Al Qaeda hideout in northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border, officials said Wednesday.
Several more militants were wounded Tuesday when three missiles allegedly fired from Afghanistan destroyed an Islamic seminary in the border village of Mami Rogha, 25 miles west of Miran Shah, the main town in North Waziristan, two intelligence officials told The Associated Press.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad said Tuesday the explosions were caused when bombs the militants were making at an isolated compound exploded accidentally. He said between 20 and 25 militants died in the blasts.
But Wali Khan, a cleric who lives near Mami Rogha, told the AP that 34 people died in the attack.
He claimed that he had seen "mutilated bodies and body parts" hours after the blast. He gave no details about the slain men, saying only that "we don't agree with the government that they were terrorists."
The two intelligence officials put the toll at about 30, saying the slain men included Chechens, Uzbeks, Turkmen, Arabs, local militants and some Afghans.
They said the seminary was used as a training facility by Al Qaeda and local militants.
"Their bodies were retrieved by their supporters and buried in some unknown place," one of the officials said. He said he had obtained his information from local residents and other sources close to the militants.
The compound that came under attack is located about two miles inside Pakistan and is surrounded by forests, the official said.
He said nearly three dozen militants were sitting in an open area of the seminary when the attack happened, but could not confirm exactly who fired the missiles, although both officials claimed the missiles came from Afghanistan.
Lt. Col. David Accetta, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, said Tuesday he was "not aware of any reports" of missiles being fired from Afghanistan into Pakistan.
"Pakistan is a sovereign nation, and we respect sovereignty," he said.
Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters are believed to shelter in North Waziristan, where last September Pakistan, a key ally in the U.S.-led war on terrorism, signed a peace deal with Taliban sympathizers as part of its bid to bring the lawless region under control.
Critics, however, say the agreement may have allowed militants a freer hand to stage attacks on U.S. and NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan.
Insecurity and obstruction by officials make the area off-limits to all but the most intrepid outsider, and opposition lawmakers on Wednesday protested the lack of information about the incident, staging a brief walkout from the national parliament in Islamabad.
Human Rights Watch said the government should allow an independent investigation or face growing speculation that it "has something to hide," such as civilian casualties.
"In the absence of a credible account of what happened, legitimate anti-terrorist efforts will only be undermined," Ali Dayan Hasan, the New York-based rights group's Asia researcher, said.
Several raids on suspected terror targets in Pakistan have apparently been launched from Afghanistan.
In January 2006, a CIA Predator drone hit houses in a Pakistani border village in Bajur, a tribal region north of Waziristan, where Al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri was expected to visit, Pakistani intelligence officials said. Al-Zawahri escaped injury but 13 other people were killed.
The U.S. government never confirmed its involvement in that strike.
In December 2005, a Hellfire missile allegedly fired by an unmanned American warplane killed an Egyptian Al Qaeda figure, Hamza Rabia, in North Waziristan. Pakistan's army, however, maintained that Rabia had died in a bomb-making accident.
Pakistani forces have also raided suspected militant hide-outs using U.S.-supplied helicopters.
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VOA: SHIA MILITIAS USE MOBILES TO COUNTER GORY IS NARRATIVE
Expertly produced videos of beheadings, executions, people being thrown off buildings – these are images the Islamic State has used to hone its reputation as the most brutal of terror organizations. But also lurking online are hundreds more equally brutal videos, meant to outdo those of the Islamic State.
"Shia militias have deliberately pushed out very brutal images and a lot of really nasty things," said Phillip Smyth, a University of Maryland researcher who specializes in Iraq’s militia activity. "Since about fall of 2014, there’s been a real upsurge in terms of quite, quite brutal imagery." In many cases, all it takes in a mobile phone.
"Fighters are taking this imagery and putting it up," Smyth said. "They wish to kind of demonstrate that they can be tough and just as brutal as the ISIS people and they’re not messing around."
One of the most disturbing of these videos is that of a Sunni boy, accused of working with the Islamic State. He is on his knees, his hands are bound behind his back, as armed men raise their machine guns, shooting him in the head.
To see video click here
In another video, two men are forced to their knees next to a pile of motionless and bloody bodies. As in the first video, they are accused of helping the Islamic State. They are shot and beaten and shot again.
Other videos show men in military gear celebrating after a civilian is beheaded or even as a man’s head is being cut off, a banner with a picture of a Shia saint in the background.
Videos hard to authenticate
The videos are difficult to authenticate, many done in such a way that it can be difficult, if not impossible, to determine when or where the events took place. And while new videos are being posted constantly, old videos are also recycled.
Analysts who spoke to VOA say despite the questions, the videos do appear to show the perpetrators are Shia, whether they are with the Iraqi military or with militias, as evidenced by the chants they sing, the banners they use or because of the social media accounts posting the material.
More difficult to determine is whether the victims in these videos actually have any real connection with the Islamic State.
"You can’t really tell if these people were ISIS members," said Smyth, using an acronym for the would-be caliphate. "Many of these groups were involved in nasty sectarian bloodletting for many years."
Rights abuses cited
U.S. officials say the videos are "obviously very concerning."
On Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said allegations of human rights abuses had already caused the U.S. to withhold assistance for some Iraqi military units.
"There are laws in place that have been in place for some time that we have applied to some Iraqi units and certainly we would continue to apply those if applicable," she said. "Their behavior must be beyond reproach or they risk being painted with the same brush as ISIL fighters."
But analysts argue, in many cases, that is exactly what the Shia forces want.
"Now there’s a way to project within the Shia community and say, well, we’re strong and we’re tough and we’re so tough, we’re going to do the same exact things that they tried to do to us and we’re going to show them," Smyth said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Thursday again called for restraint from all forces fighting against the Islamic State, decrying the presence of "infiltrators who want to tarnish our victories by committing crimes and serious violations against the security and property of people."
Bloody boasts
But even if his repeated calls resonate with Iraqi forces, many of the Shia militias answer to Iran. Analysts say Tehran so far has shown little inclination to push back against the spread of such graphic images.
The allure of social media – with constant posts and status updates, combined with the availability of mobile phones – also poses a challenge.
While taking video of beatings, beheadings and other atrocities may seem repulsive to many in the West, for individuals on the ground, it’s a quick and easy way to snap a war trophy – or to build an online resume.
"If I’m a guy who wants to join a militia, there’s a strong possibility that I want to get a shot," said Smyth. "I want to show that I showed ISIS something, 'Hey, what did you do? I have a picture.'"
Source: http://www.voanews.com/content/shia-militias-use-mobiles-to-counter-gory-is-narrative/2678047.html
Foreign Relations Bureau - Iraq هيئة العلاقات الخارجية - العراق
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Erbil - Iraq
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Updated on : Saturday, April 11, 2020, 9:53 AM IST
Facebook spent USD 23.4 million on Mark Zuckerberg's security, air travel in 2019
According to a CNBC report citing Facebook's financial filing, the social networking giant also spent $2.95 million for Zuckerberg's private air travel.
San Francisco: Facebook spent $23.4 million on its CEO Mark Zuckerberg's personal security and air travel last year -- $3.4 million up from what he received for security and air travel in 2018.
"The cost includes an additional $10 million required to protect him and his family. For comparison, Facebook spent $9.95 million on private security in 2018 and $7.5 million in 2017," according to the financial filing by Facebook submitted with the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday.
Samsung, Facebook announces to donate smartphones, video-calling devices
Zuckerberg takes $1 as salary each year but his total compensation was $22.6 million in 2018 -- more than double since 2017 when he made $9.1 million in total compensation.
Facebook's chief operating officer (COO) Sheryl Sandberg received a little over $875,000 in base pay, up from $843,000 in 2018.
Sandberg took home $902,740 as bonus, up from $638,000 in 2018, and $19.67 million in stock awards.
Sandberg personal security cost $4.37 million in 2019, up from $2.9 million in 2018.
"Because of the high visibility of our company, our compensation, nominating and governance committee has authorized an 'overall security program' for Mr. Zuckerberg to address safety concerns due to specific threats to his safety arising directly as a result of his position as our founder, CEO, Chairman, and controlling stockholder," read the filing.
"Our compensation, nominating and governance committee has also authorized a security program for Ms. Sandberg, including certain personal security measures, to address safety concerns resulting from her position as our COO," it added.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg
US VP-elect Kamala Harris resigns from Senate seat on eve of Presidential inauguration
FPJ Evening Brief: India's historic Test win against Australia; Centre asks WhatsApp to withdraw privacy changes - Check out top 5 news updates of January 19, 2021
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5 Fascinating Facts About International Chess Champion Lyudmila Rudenko
The chess Grandmaster broke glass ceilings in Soviet Russia.
Kat Tenbarge
The scope and impact of Lyudmila Rudenko’s chess legacy can be summed up by a few of her many titles: first female International Master, second women’s world champion, and Woman Grandmaster. For a span of about 30 years, the player honored with July 27’s Google Doodle broke glass ceilings in Soviet Russia while reigning supreme in the international chess community.
What Was Rudenko’s Most Iconic Game?
The World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri curates profiles for notable players throughout history, including Rudenko. It lists her 1950 spar with Mona May Karff in Moscow as her most important game. There’s even an animation illustrating the moves Rudenko made before being crowned champion.
John Donaldson, a chess historian with the World Chess Hall of Fame, reviewed 55 matches Rudenko played between 1946 and 1963 to determine some of her most iconic games. According to Donaldson, she became a serious chess player in her twenties, which would be considered late today, in the age of computer class playing.
What Match Allowed Rudenko to Become a Professional?
Rudenko studied under another legendary chess player: Peter Romanovsky. Until the master coach’s leadership, she won three of Leningrad’s women championship titles.
Rudenko’s father taught her to play chess at the tender age of 10 as a child living in modern-day Ukraine. She pursued a career in economic planning before moving to Moscow in 1925, three years after the Soviet Union took control of Russia. It was then that Rudenko won her first women’s chess championship, which kicked off a career of record-shattering wins and milestones.
Today's Google Doodle portrays Lyudmila Rudenko on what would have been her 114th birthday.
During the evacuation of Leningrad during World War II that Rudenko orchestrated as an Economics Planner, one of the children rescued due to her efforts was future World Champion Boris Spassky. He went on to play a famous chess match against Bobby Fischer, which allowed chess to enter the public eye in the US.
When Did Rudenko Become a World Champion?
Later, Rudenko’s predecessor, Vera Merichik, the then-Women’s World Champion title holder, died in an air raid in 1944. After the fighting in World War II ceased, the World Chess Federation held a new tournament, where 16 women from 12 countries competed. With nine wins, five draws, and one loss, Rudenko took her place as the world champion.
What Style Allowed Rudenko to Be Successful?
“I would characterize her as primarily a positional player, but one with a keen tactical eye who could attack when the position required it as seen in her game against the English player Rowena Bruce,”Donaldson tells Inverse in an email.
In that 1946 game, where Bruce represented England, Rudenko sacrificed one of her white pieces in order to render Bruce’s black pieces defenseless. She utilized the same style of positional play with a tactical blow to finish off her opponent in matches with Maria Teresa Mora Iturralde in Moscow in 1950, Valentina Borisenko in 1954, and Olga Rubtsova in 1956.
In the next championship cycle, Rudenko lost her crown to Elisaveta Bykova, but her legacy had already been sealed. In 1976, she was finally awarded the title of Female Grandmaster.
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Current: MEMO: Women are dying in Texas, …
MEMO: Women are dying in Texas, Zika spreads in Florida: When will Congress stop attacking women’s health?
For Immediate Release: Sept. 6, 2016
In this memo:
Continued Attacks in Congress on Family Planning
What you Need to know About Senate Republicans Failed Zika Bill
Public Health Experts Have Spoken
Who are ProFamilias, the Puerto Rican Health Clinic Under Attack
Planned Parenthood Raises Awareness of Zika in Florida
Congress is set to return today without a path forward on Zika emergency funding and as the Centers for Disease Control are nearly out of usable funds to address the crisis. This is after having voted 9 times in this Congress to defund Planned Parenthood, taking 24 anti-women’s health votes, and pushing to end funding that 4 million Americans rely on for access to contraception and other family planning services. These are the very same services the CDC recommends as the primary strategy to reduce the Zika-related pregnancy complications.
Yet, the same misguided and irresponsible agenda being set forward by the majority in Congress is only frustrated by years of attacks we have seen in the very same states that are now seeing an increase in cases of the Zika virus. New data in Texas shows maternal mortality rates in Texas have doubled in the past two years -- coinciding with stringent funding cuts for women’s health care and defunding Planned Parenthood. And over the last month in Florida there have been 47 cases of locally transmitted Zika this summer and a multitude of attacks on their providers. Texas, which has already seen one Zika-related death, has seen a near 200% increase in abortion in one county and a doubling of pregnancy related deaths.
A new study from the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology revealed the rate of pregnancy-related deaths in Texas to havenearly doubledsince 2010.
New York Times: America’s Shocking Maternal Deaths: “Such increases typically happen during war, natural disasters and severe economic distress. State Republican lawmakers sharply reduced spending on women’s health care in 2011 in an effort to eliminate government funding of Planned Parenthood.”
New data in the Austin American Statesman revealed that abortions went up nearly 200% in Gregg County after the state’s devastating cuts to women’s health funding and efforts to block care at Planned Parenthood.
A study from PLOS medicine showed that after Ohio politicians targeted medication abortion with medically unnecessary laws, health outcomes were worse for women with “the percentage of patients requiring additional medical treatment rose from 5 percent to 14 percent.”
In August, a federal district court halted Florida Governor Rick Scott’s efforts to block reproductive care like birth control, cancer screenings, STI tests, and other preventive care for thousands of Floridia patients at Planned Parenthood. Data shows that more than a third of Florida counties don’t have an ob-gyn provider. Florida is already tied for lastwhen it comes to women’s health and well-being, and is facing some of the highest cervical cancer rates in the nation.
Florida has the third highest number of gonorrhea infections and the highest number of annual HIV diagnoses in the nation.
Despite the growing body of evidence showing the damage politically motivated attacks can have on health outcomes, Congressional attacks against women’s health continue as we anticipate another attempt to jam through the same failed bill that underfunds the response needed and disqualifies the family planning providers uniquely suited to care for the most at-risk populations and cuts hundreds of millions from the Affordable Care Act.
In addition to blocking family planning providers from emergency funds, a budget deadline is rapidly approaching and House Republicans remain poised to pass a bill that will end the funding that 4 million Americans rely on for access to contraception and other family planning services by eliminating funding for the Title X program. Planned Parenthood health centers provide preventive care to approximately 1.5 million people served by the Title X family planning program, — roughly a third of the people served by the program. ProFamilias is also a recipient of Title X funding.
What you Need to know About Senate Republicans Failed Zika Bill:
Zika virus can be sexually transmitted and can especially harm pregnant women, making reproductive health providers all the more central to the response. Zika can cause microcephaly and other severe brain problems. It is also associated with impaired fetal growth, hearing loss in infants and other complications for pregnant women, including miscarriage.
But the bill that Congressional Republicans have failed to gain bipartisan support makes unnecessary and harmful changes to important federal programs that provide family planning and maternal health. The legislation also excludes qualified providers, like ProFamilias in Puerto Rico, simply because of their affiliation with the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
Public Health Experts Have Spoken:
The public health community has spoken with one voice: family planning --- including birth control, condoms, and education --- must be part of combating Zika. Family planning is the primary strategy recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce Zika-related pregnancy complications.
The World Health Organization Director General has said, "the response now requires a unique and integrated strategy that places support for women and girls of child-bearing age at its core."
The president of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said plainly: “Immediate efforts to improve access to contraception and prevent pregnancy will help us to avoid the long-term effects associated with the Zika virus.”
ACOG continued: “The Zika virus outbreak is a stark reminder that birth control is essential preventive medicine, and is one of our most effective weapons in our war on Zika. Congress should treat Zika like the emergency it is and swiftly enact a bill, free from tradeoffs and offsets.”
Peter Shin, MPH, a public health professor at George Washington University said: “When they’re taking money away from Planned Parenthood, they’re basically taking it away from young, high-risk women.”
Who are ProFamilias:
ProFamilias is an important provider of sexual and reproductive health care in Puerto Rico and reaches populations that others do not. ProFamilias has two clinics in San Juan, both of which offer gynecological services, HIV testing and counseling, and sexual health counseling. One of these clinics is funded by the Title X program, the U.S’s only dedicated federal source of family planning, for low-income and uninsured women. In addition, ProFamilias provides sexual health services and education in community centers in other areas of the island. They have launched an education campaign specifically around the Zika virus and was the first organization on Puerto Rico to publicly discuss the connection between Zika and sexual and reproductive health.
In 2015, ProFamilias provided 146,691 services.
Almost half of services were provided to individuals under age 25, reflecting the organization’s focus on adolescents and young adults.
The total number of contraceptive services in 2015 was 88,536, or 60 percent of total services the network provides
But if Congressional Republicans had their way, this important community-based health care provider would be excluded from emergency funds to fight Zika – that’s the last thing we should be doing in a public health emergency.
Americans Agree Zika Response Needs to Include Family Planning:
Americans agree that this is not the time for politics. A new poll released in July from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that the majority of Americans are following the outbreak of Zika closely and most also want reproductive health care to be part of the solution.
In May, Senator Patty Murray of Washington state led a bipartisan compromise that passed the Senate. Unlike the current bill that recently failed, this bill did not limit the types of providers who could assist during a public health crisis. Republicans actively added new, unnecessary restrictions to a traditional funding mechanism, the Social Services Block Grant, that would restrict family planning providers, like Planned Parenthood, who are uniquely suited to help in this crisis, from receiving additional funds.
In spite of the political attacks, Planned Parenthood remains committed to educating the public about the risks of Zika. Canvassers with Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida’s (PPSENFL) are spending the next six weeks educating Miami communities — especially women of reproductive age in medically underserved areas — about the Zika virus, mosquito transmission, sexual transmission, travel-associated risks, and prevention of Zika. The canvass will reach approximately 25,000 doors in predominately Latino and Haitian neighborhoods. Materials will be available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.
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Indigenous peoples in Panama
There are seven indigenous peoples of Panama. These are the Ngäbe, the Buglé, the Guna, the Emberá, the Wounaan, the Bri bri, and the Naso Tjërdi. Although Panama has adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, its indigenous communities are facing a number of challenges, especially in relation to recognition of and rights to territories as well as forcible eviction.
7 indigenous peoples can be found in Panama
417,559 inhabitants, or 12 per cent of the total Panamanian population are indigenous peoples, according to the 2010 census
2007: Panama adopts the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
There are seven indigenous peoples of Panama. Although Panama adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007, its indigenous communities are facing a number of challenges, especially in relation to recognition of and rights to territories as well as forcible eviction.
Moreover, the Government of Panama announced in 2010 that it would ratify ILO Convention 169, an international legal instrument dealing specifically with the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples. However, no significant progress has been made in this regard.
The indigenous peoples of Panama
The seven indigenous peoples of Panama are the Ngäbe, the Buglé, the Guna, the Emberá, the Wounaan, the Bri bri, and the Naso Tjërdi. According to the 2010 census, they number 417,559 inhabitants or 12% of the total Panamanian population.
There are five regions, or comarcas, which are recognised by independent laws and are based on the indigenous peoples’ constitutional rights. These are the Guna Yala (1938), Emberá-Wounaan (1983), Guna Madungandi (1996), Ngäbe-Buglé (1997), and Guna Wargandí (2000). In total, these comarcas cover an area of 1.7 million hectares.
Main challenges for indigenous peoples in Panama
2016 was markedly different from the previous year in Panama, as the Panameñista Party government curtailed implementation of indigenous rights in various ways. For example, Interior Minister Milton Henríquez stated in front of the leaders of all the country’s indigenous congresses and councils that the state would only recognise the traditional authorities of the five existing comarcas, thus side-lining the authorities of 30 indigenous territories from any future consultations and negotiations. The Minister was consequently declared persona non grata by all the indigenous authorities. Some decided not to participate as beneficiaries in the Indigenous Peoples' Comprehensive Development Plan.
Another challenge relates to Law 37 of August 2016. It establishes the mechanism for indigenous peoples’ prior, free and informed consent and, if applied appropriately, has the potential to prevent many future conflicts. Despite its draft bill having initially been presented by an indigenous Member of Parliament, and having been considered by the Legislative Committee for Indigenous Affairs, the law was not put out to consultation with the indigenous peoples.
On another note, the Barro Blanco hydroelectric project in the Ngäbe-Buglé territory continues to be implemented without consent, with funds from the German Development Bank, a subsidiary of the German public financial institution, KfW and the Dutch Development Bank, FMO. Indigenous communities were forcibly evicted from the project area in order to begin a test fill of its reservoir, which flooded sacred sites, farmland and houses. These apparent violations led the indigenous authorities, in cooperation with activists, to draw international attention to the matter.
Potential progress for Panama’s indigenous peoples
Potential progress for the indigenous peoples of Panama may be found in the alternative way of obtaining the titling of collective lands. Since 2008, Law 72, has set out the special procedure for awarding a collective title to the lands of indigenous peoples, not within comarcas. To date, only five territories have been titled under this law, and these were smaller in size than the actual area of traditional territory claimed.
It is estimated that once the process of collective land titling is completed, a total area of 2.5 million hectares will have been recognized to the indigenous peoples, covering 63% of the country’s forests. A number of protected areas have been superimposed on these territories, without gaining the consent of the indigenous peoples. The titling of 25 outstanding territories is an urgent need given that it has been shown to be an effective way of preserving Panama’s forests, which have been cleared at a rate of around 16,000 hectares a year over the last 10 years.
In 2017, the youth of the Gunayala Comarca held their first Guna General Congress, where they approved a set of resolutions, such as the creation of the Guna youth training school, use of traditional dress, a request to show a greater interest in meeting and conversing with indigenous youth, the creation of a youth commission to support the Secretariat of Territorial and Defence and participate in the activities that are carried out.
Indigenous World 2020: Panama
Written on 11 May 2020 . Posted in Panama
The 2010 national census concluded that 438,559 or 12.8% of the country’s 3.4 million inhabitants self-identified as Indigenous. The Gunadule, Emberá, Wounaan, Ngäbe, Buglé, Naso Tjer Di and Bri Bri peoples have all obtained recognition and had their territories demarcated, albeit according to the vagaries of the state’s political-administrative divisions, and are currently represented by 121 congresses and councils.
The UN Special Rapporteur calls for dialogue in Panama
Written on 08 February 2012 . Posted in Panama
In a press release issued on 7 February 2012, the Special Rapporteur urged the Government of Panama and indigenous peoples to initiate a dialogue due to the situation of tension and violence following indigenous protests. In recent days, Ngäbe-Buglé indigenous representatives have blocked different points of the Inter-American highway in protest of proposed mining and hydroelectric activities on their territories.
IACHR: Demands on indigenous consultation to ratify free trade agreements
Written on 15 December 2016 . Posted in Panama
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) emphasised the duty of states to consult indigenous peoples on free trade agreements when they affect their territories and natural resources. The thematic hearing particularly discussed the case of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which will directly affect Chile, Mexico, and Peru.
Download The Indigenous World
All countries featured on our website can be found in the Indigenous World - IWGIA's global report on the rights of indigenous peoples.
Read the full text about the countries in the newest version of The Indigenous World.
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Other Herbicides are Available
BY: zia | March 8th 2016
The world continues to obsess about glyphosate:
The EU has announced that it is likely to renew the licence to use glyphosate.
While Greenpeace EU’s Food Policy Director called for an “exit strategy from chemical pesticides”.
Although it doesn’t point to glyphosate directly, a study from Argentina suggests that people living in areas of heavy agriculture may be more likely than the national average to die of cancer. It’s unclear too whether the study shows any difference in overall mortality rates or life expectancy – or whether it compensates for differences between rural and city living.
In other news, the US food agency the FDA has announced that they will be testing foods for glyphosate.
To be clear, Defra and other agencies in the UK already regularly test for pesticide residues in food, including glyphosate. Food testing may also have additional significance in the US, where GMO crops including soybean are widely grown – allowing the crops to survive being sprayed with pesticides and potentially increasing residual content.
So where does Japanese Knotweed Solutions stand in all of this?
Well, first of all, we have a duty of care to our employees, our clients and to the public. We take that seriously, employing and continuously reviewing stringent safety measures. We also monitor information about the substances and the equipment that we use, ensuring we maintain the highest standards through our continued individual or company memberships of bodies like the Amenity Forum, BASIS, INNSA, IOSH and SSIP providers like SMAS and SafeContractor.
What’s more, we are at the forefront of best practice in the invasive species industry, contributing to and complying with the INNSA Code of Practice, as regulated by the Property Ombudsman service.
JKSL’s CEO Mike Clough regularly delivers CPD presentations around the UK, hosts our annual seminar and provides updates to clients and suppliers alike on new developments in our industry.
Japanese Knotweed Solutions is not only open to a herbicide-free future, but has been actively looking towards the possibility for some years. Much of JKSL’s work is already carried out without the use of pesticides and we continue to implement and advise our clients on the requirements of the Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations.
What’s more, JKSL continues to offer our patented MeshTech system for controlling Japanese knotweed and giant hogweed, which can only become more popular in a future where existing chemistry is being withdrawn and new products are slow to come to market.
The key to such bold proposals as those from Greenpeace is to ensure that each step focusses on what is best for people and our environment over the long term – not just a short-sighted view that anything that causes cancer must be immediately banned.
As Operations Manager, I look at a lot of our Health and Safety documents in detail, and from a safety point of view, there are several substances that it would be ideal to remove from the business – however, safer alternatives are not available. You might be surprised to learn that the chemicals at the top of my list of hazards are not herbicides but actually petrol (and diesel). Petrol is a class 1 carcinogen (where glyphosate is currently classed as 2a) and what’s more, it poses a risk of harm to the unborn child.
I would be interested to know of the people who are currently fretting about glyphosate: do they wear gloves when they fill up the car? Do they ensure they wash their hands afterwards (especially if they just filled up on the way into the supermarket)? No criticism – just curiosity…
Our current situation is not one where pesticides are being used for fun, and in many cases, there are no safer, effective alternatives (see Azulam). Pesticides are a cornerstone of modern agriculture around the world, and it is no exaggeration to state that they are used in life-or-death situations in airfields, railways and highways where accidents can cause tragic loss of life.
There is a balance – and if you push on one side, there will be consequences on the other. While it can be argued that many of these consequences are manageable, many of them are not insignificant. Others, like food price rises, could have globally significant impacts.
The invasive species industry would survive without herbicides and I am confident that JKSL would continue to prosper – however, impacts on biodiversity, flooding and crucial industries from housebuilding to transport infrastructure must feature in any sensible road map to a (more) chemical-free future.
Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd
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Junior League of Richmond
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JLR Kicks Off LBDI 2018!
The Junior League of Richmond is once again participating in the Little Black Dress Initiative, a week long fundraising initiative where participants wear the same black dress for an entire work week to highlight the struggles of people who live at or below the poverty line.
This year our fundraising goal is $35,000. The funds raised from this campaign will go directly to purchase an Eviragrow Mobile Learning Center that will be placed at one of our community partners in the East End of Richmond. The Eviragrow Center will provide workforce development, help reduce the food desert within that community, offset grocery costs for our community partner, and provide a platform to teach about health and nutrition.
To get started, we kicked off the week with a give back lunch at Travinia Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar. Thank you to Travinia for graciously donating 15% of proceeds from today’s lunch to LBDI! Pictured below is a group of ambassadors who had lunch at Travinia.
What is poverty? Why is the JLR doing this? Below is some valuable information to help you get started on understanding our journey this week! What can you do to help? Click here to donate and help us reach our goal!
Poverty Definitions and Statistics
Poverty is defined as the lack of means necessary to meet basic needs such as food, clothing and
The World Bank Organization describes poverty in this way: “Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty has many faces, changing from place to place and across time, and has been described in many ways. Most often, poverty is a situation people want to escape. So poverty is a call to action — for the poor and the wealthy alike — a call to change the world so that many more may have enough to eat, adequate shelter, access to education and health, protection from violence, and a voice in what happens in their communities.”
A food desert is a geographic area where affordable and nutritious food is alleged to be hard to obtain, particularly for those without access to an automobile. Some research links food deserts to diet-related health problems and health disparities in affected populations.
Food insecurity means that these families experience an uncertainty of having, or an inability to acquire, enough food for all household members because of insufficient money or other resources.
Percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunch 80% (as of Jan. 2009) (RPS)
”One in four Richmond residents lived in poverty in 2015 — the second-highest concentration of indigence among Virginia’s 30 largest cities and counties, according to statistics released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.” (S. CENSUS BUREAU)
Envirable Grow Systems LLC will provide locally-grown, leafy greens and herbs free of harmful chemicals for our community. (https://enviragrow-indoor.farm/who-we-are)
Persons in poverty 26.2% (U.S. CENSUS BUREAU)
Children below poverty level:(http://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-Richmond-Virginia.html)
Richmond, Virginia 42.6%
State 13.9%
Almost 40% of Richmond Public School students live in poverty. (Source: RPS)
Children who live in poverty are likely to suffer from poor nutrition during infancy, experience emotional distress, and have an increased risk for academic failure and teenage pregnancy. (Source: VAperforms.gov)
There are over 200 areas that have been identified as food deserts in Virginia. For people who don’t have cars, food deserts limit their access to nutritious foods. (Source: NBC12)
There is a direct relationship between education level and employability. In 2015, an adult (25+) with a bachelor’s degree earned about 40% more than an adult with just a high school diploma. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)
The Junior League of Richmond is an organization of women committed to the mission of promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.
The Junior League of Richmond is open to women who possess an interest in voluntarism, a commitment to community service, and an interest in developing their potential through effective action and leadership.
2605 West Cary Street
The Junior League of Richmond’s Annual Fund helps make our community a better place by supporting the League’s community programs and meaningful training and leadership development opportunities for members.
Copyright © 2010, 2021 Junior League of Richmond
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In Ohio, David Chambers has been arrested in connection with the death of 18-month-old LaKaylee Chambers. LaKaylee passed away at Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati. Mr. Chambers faces charges in Adams County. Mr. Chambers allegedly has a significant history for violent behavior including domestic violence and other convictions.
The Keane Law Firm seeks to raise public awareness about child abuse, child abuse prevention and the rights of children that have been catastrophically injured. Please call the office or visit our website for a consultation.
https://www.keanelaw.com/
Address: Keane Law Firm, 1388 Haight Street, No. 244, San Francisco, CA 94117
Attorney Christopher Keane has devoted his Bay Area practice to representing children whose lives have been irrevocably altered by abuse, neglect, injury, or death. He is a member of the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center (SFCAPC), and is currently serving as the President on their Board of Directors. The prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers has awarded Christopher Keane a top rating and, reflecting his dedication to professional excellence. In addition, Mr. Keane is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum Top Trial Lawyers in America, listed in the top 500 Plaintiff's attorneys in America by Lawdragon.com and as a principal member of Keane Law has acted as lead plaintiff’s lawyer on a number of successful multi-million dollar cases.
California child abuse settlement against CPS $1,825,000.00
California child sex abuse settlement Confidential
California child abuse lawsuit settlement Confidential
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What's next? Senate GOP scrambles after health care flop
AP SOURCE: AP
Now what?Senate Republicans were scrambling to pick up the pieces Tuesday after their attempt to repeal and replace the Obama-era health care law collapsed a second time. After working for months on a new health package, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Tuesday that the Senate would vote to move ahead on a straight-up repeal early next week, at the request of President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other Republicans. But even that effort is failing. At least three GOP senators came out against that plan, which would deny McConnell the votes needed to even debate a bill. McConnell noted that a Republican-led Congress voted to repeal the law in 2015. But President Barack Obama was in the White House at the time, so Republicans knew he would he would veto the measure. This time, with Republican President Donald Trump in the White House, the vote would count. "If you voted in 2015 for it and now you're going to vote against it, you've got some explaining to do," said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. A look at what could come next:___ ONE MORE TIME If Senate Republicans can't round up the votes to repeal the health care law, they have several options. They can keep talking among themselves in an attempt to come up with another Republican-only plan. This strategy has been unsuccessful so far because, with 52 members, Senate Republicans can only afford to lose two votes. Conservatives and moderates in the House managed to bridge their differences and narrowly pass a bill. Since then, the president has called the House measure "mean" and Senate Republicans have been unable to rally around a replacement. Senators like Rob Portman of Ohio and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia are concerned that too many low-income people in their states would lose coverage, especially as those states fight an opioid epidemic. Conservative Republicans like Paul complained that the most recent Senate package didn't completely repeal the health care law.___ HELLO, DEMOCRATS Senate Republicans can work with Democrats on ways to improve the program, but this would be a difficult marriage to arrange. Republicans say they are committed to repealing Obama's health care law, which is a nonstarter for Democrats. Democrats say they are open to improving the program, but that would fall well-short of Republican campaign promises. "Rather than repeating the same failed partisan process yet again, Republicans should work with Democrats on a bill that lowers premiums, provides long-term stability to the markets and improves our health care system," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said.___ CUT AND RUN TO TAX REFORM Congressional Republicans could drop health care and move on to overhauling the nation's tax code, but they will probably run into many of the same problems. Trump seemed to push this approach Tuesday. "I think we're probably in that position where we'll just let Obamacare fail," the president said. "We're not going to own it. I'm not going to own it. I can tell you that the Republicans are not going to own it." Trump said letting the program fail will encourage Democrats come to the table and negotiate. Republicans might find that they could use help from Democrats in tackling a tax overhaul as well. So far, Republicans are excluding Democrats from tax talks, just like they have on health care. But Republicans' slim majority in the Senate isn't going to get any bigger before the 2018 midterm elections, and it could get smaller after that. Taxes are likely to cause just as many divisions among Republicans as health care, both ideological differences and regional ones. For example, House Republicans and Trump have proposed eliminating the federal deduction for state and local taxes to help pay for lower overall income tax rates for everyone. Eliminating the deduction would raise about $1.3 trillion over the next decade, which could pay for a lot of other tax cuts. But the deduction is very important to high-tax states such as New York, New Jersey, California and Connecticut. All of these states are traditional Democratic strongholds, but some send quite a few Republicans to Congress - votes that GOP leaders will need to overhaul taxes. Rep. Leonard Lance, a five-term Republican from New Jersey, is leading the effort to keep the deduction. He said the White House "knows my position on this issue."
Senate Republicans were scrambling to pick up the pieces Tuesday after their attempt to repeal and replace the Obama-era health care law collapsed a second time.
After working for months on a new health package, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Tuesday that the Senate would vote to move ahead on a straight-up repeal early next week, at the request of President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other Republicans.
But even that effort is failing. At least three GOP senators came out against that plan, which would deny McConnell the votes needed to even debate a bill.
McConnell noted that a Republican-led Congress voted to repeal the law in 2015. But President Barack Obama was in the White House at the time, so Republicans knew he would he would veto the measure.
This time, with Republican President Donald Trump in the White House, the vote would count.
"If you voted in 2015 for it and now you're going to vote against it, you've got some explaining to do," said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
A look at what could come next:
If Senate Republicans can't round up the votes to repeal the health care law, they have several options. They can keep talking among themselves in an attempt to come up with another Republican-only plan.
This strategy has been unsuccessful so far because, with 52 members, Senate Republicans can only afford to lose two votes.
Conservatives and moderates in the House managed to bridge their differences and narrowly pass a bill. Since then, the president has called the House measure "mean" and Senate Republicans have been unable to rally around a replacement.
Senators like Rob Portman of Ohio and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia are concerned that too many low-income people in their states would lose coverage, especially as those states fight an opioid epidemic.
Conservative Republicans like Paul complained that the most recent Senate package didn't completely repeal the health care law.
HELLO, DEMOCRATS
Senate Republicans can work with Democrats on ways to improve the program, but this would be a difficult marriage to arrange.
Republicans say they are committed to repealing Obama's health care law, which is a nonstarter for Democrats. Democrats say they are open to improving the program, but that would fall well-short of Republican campaign promises.
"Rather than repeating the same failed partisan process yet again, Republicans should work with Democrats on a bill that lowers premiums, provides long-term stability to the markets and improves our health care system," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said.
CUT AND RUN TO TAX REFORM
Congressional Republicans could drop health care and move on to overhauling the nation's tax code, but they will probably run into many of the same problems.
Trump seemed to push this approach Tuesday.
"I think we're probably in that position where we'll just let Obamacare fail," the president said. "We're not going to own it. I'm not going to own it. I can tell you that the Republicans are not going to own it."
Trump said letting the program fail will encourage Democrats come to the table and negotiate.
Republicans might find that they could use help from Democrats in tackling a tax overhaul as well.
So far, Republicans are excluding Democrats from tax talks, just like they have on health care. But Republicans' slim majority in the Senate isn't going to get any bigger before the 2018 midterm elections, and it could get smaller after that.
Taxes are likely to cause just as many divisions among Republicans as health care, both ideological differences and regional ones.
For example, House Republicans and Trump have proposed eliminating the federal deduction for state and local taxes to help pay for lower overall income tax rates for everyone. Eliminating the deduction would raise about $1.3 trillion over the next decade, which could pay for a lot of other tax cuts.
But the deduction is very important to high-tax states such as New York, New Jersey, California and Connecticut. All of these states are traditional Democratic strongholds, but some send quite a few Republicans to Congress - votes that GOP leaders will need to overhaul taxes.
Rep. Leonard Lance, a five-term Republican from New Jersey, is leading the effort to keep the deduction. He said the White House "knows my position on this issue."
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Nicopolis ad Istrum III
A late Roman and early Byzantine City: the Finds and the biological Remains
Poulter Andrew Poulter
Oxbow Books
This, the third and final monograph, completes the description of the excavations carried out by the British team, part of the Anglo-Bulgarian archaeological programme on the site of Nicopolis ad Istrum in northern Bulgaria, one of the best-preserved ancient cities of the Roman Empire. The site provided a unique opportunity to compare the changing layout and economy of an urban centre from the Roman to the late Roman and the early Byzantine periods (c. AD 100-600). The excavations, geophysics, coins and wall-plaster were published in volume 1. Volume 2 describes the evidence for economic changes between the Roman and early Byzantine periods and contains full reports on the pottery and the glass. This volume includes full descriptions of all small-finds (ceramic copper-alloy and iron objects, glass, lamps, sculpture, architecture and flints) each object provided with a description of its archaeological context and the date of deposition. The second half of the volume identifies the environmental and economic differences between the three main periods in the history of the site. Reports include quantified assemblages of zooarchaeological finds (large and, small mammals), fish, birds, archaeobotanical remains, mollusca and human skeletons as well as the results of metallurgical analysis: copper-alloy, iron and 'natural' steel. Not only is this range and quantity of finds in these reports unparalleled in the Balkans, they represent a valuable resource for the material culture of the Roman and late Roman periods coming, as they do, from a part of the Roman Empire which has produced very few comparable assemblages. Of no less importance are the quantified bioarchaeological data which offers a unique insight into the charging morphology and economy of a Roman, late Roman and early Byzantine city.
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SEC’s Co-Chief of Enforcement (Asset Management Unit) Describes Enforcement Priorities for the Year
Client Alerts | March 3, 2015 | Hedge Funds
The Co-Chief of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Asset Management Unit (the “AMU”) recently provided a revealing and important glimpse into the SEC’s priorities in bringing enforcement actions in the investment fund community. Julie M. Riewe gave an overview of the AMU’s capabilities and accomplishments in the five years since it was formed, and provided a detailed summary of the AMU’s enforcement initiatives in the coming year at last month’s IA Watch 17th Annual IA Compliance Conference.
Ms. Riewe’s key note address makes it clear that the SEC’s Asset Management Unit is armed with significant new capabilities. Given the resources now being devoted to the AMU and the AMU’s close coordination with other arms of the SEC, its 2015 enforcement initiatives must be taken very seriously. Funds which fall under the AMU’s purview are advised to review their policies regarding conflicts of interest closely and to be mindful of the many issues which are now prominently on the SEC’s radar.
2015 Priorities
According to Ms. Riewe, the AMU has greatly expanded its roster to 75 professionals who are now housed in all 12 SEC offices. The AMU also is cooperating closely with other divisions of the SEC, specifically the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”), the Division of Investment Management, and the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis. Ms. Riewe was forthcoming about the AMU’s priorities for 2015 enforcement actions against three separate classes of investment vehicles: registered investment companies, private funds (both hedge funds and private equity funds), and other accounts (e.g., separately managed accounts/retail accounts).
With respect to registered investment companies, Ms. Riewe stated that the AMU’s enforcement priorities would include “valuation and performance and the advertising of that performance; funds deviating from their investment guidelines or pursuing undisclosed strategies; fund governance, which includes boards’ and advisers’ discharging of their obligations under Section 15(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 […] when they evaluate advisory and other types of fee arrangements; and fund distribution[.]” Ms. Riewe mentioned that fund distribution was of particular concern given the conflicts of interest that it presents (more on this subject below).
With respect to hedge funds and private equity funds, Ms. Riewe stated that the AMU’s 2015 priorities included “conflicts of interest, valuation, and compliance and controls.” Specifically as to hedge funds, Ms. Riewe anticipated enforcement actions involving undisclosed fees, undisclosed conflicts (including related-party transactions), and valuation issues, including the use of friendly broker marks. Ms. Riewe referenced the Aberrational Performance Inquiry, an effort to use proprietary risk analytics to identify hedge funds with suspicious returns, and mentioned that the AMU had recently brought its eighth case generated by this initiative. Specifically with respect to private equity, Ms. Riewe noted that the AMU continues to work closely with the OCIE and that she expects to see more misallocated fee and expense cases brought in 2015.
With respect to other client accounts, Ms. Riewe stated that the AMU’s enforcement priorities in 2015 would include “conflicts of interest, fee arrangements, and compliance.” On the compliance front, Ms. Riewe discussed the efforts of the AMU in bringing cases as part of its Compliance Program Initiative, a joint effort with OCIE to identify advisory firms that lack effective compliance programs. She noted that eleven cases had been brought under this initiative, which “targets firms that have been previously warned by SEC examiners about compliance deficiencies but failed to effectively act upon those warnings, or firms that have wide-ranging compliance failures.”
The running theme of the address, and one given special attention by Ms. Riewe, was conflicts of interest. Ms. Riewe prefaced this portion of her speech by noting that all of the AMU’s ongoing matters involve an examination of whether the adviser in question has discharged its fiduciary obligation to identify its conflicts of interest and either (1) eliminated them, or (2) mitigated them and disclosed their existence to boards or investors. Ms. Riewe emphatically noted that [“a]n adviser’s failure to disclose conflicts of interest to clients subjects it to possible enforcement action.”
The AMU’s 2015 enforcement actions will potentially include a variety of matters, including “matters involving best execution failures in the share class context, undisclosed outside business activities, related-party transactions, fee and expense misallocation issues in the private fund context, and undisclosed bias toward proprietary products and investments,” according to Ms. Riewe. She also stated that the AMU anticipates enforcement action from the “Distribution in Guise Initiative” under which the AMU is examining “conflicts presented by registered fund advisers using the fund’s assets to grow the fund and, consequently, the adviser’s own fee.”
Speaking directly to investment managers regarding their efforts to identify and address conflicts of interest, Ms. Riewe had much to say about best practices. Her remarks are best excerpted in their entirety:
Take a step back and rigorously and objectively evaluate your firm, its personnel, its business, its various fee structures, and its affiliates. Is the firm a dually registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, or does the adviser have an affiliated broker-dealer? If so, the firm will have inherent conflicts risks if it engages in principal transactions or trades through its brokerage arm or an affiliated broker-dealer. Does the firm manage clients side-by-side? If so, and if the firm’s clients are funds, do they engage in inter-fund lending or investing? Does the firm receive compensation from any third parties for recommending investments or using certain service providers? Does it engage in proprietary trading or investing? If so, has the firm disclosed its potential biases and that its investment advice could be tainted by compensation received from any third parties or from proprietary investing?
For each conflict identified, as a threshold matter, can the conflict be eliminated? If not, why not? If the adviser cannot, or chooses not to, eliminate the conflict, has the firm mitigated the conflict and disclosed it? Is there someone – a person, a few individuals, a committee – at the firm responsible for evaluating and deciding how to address conflicts? Is that person or individuals or committee sufficiently objective? Is the process used to evaluate and address conflicts designed to be objective and consistent? Does the firm have policies and procedures in place to identify new conflicts and monitor and continually re-evaluate ongoing conflicts? As to mitigation, are the firm’s policies and procedures reasonably designed to address the conflicts the firm has identified, and are they properly implemented?
As to written disclosure, has the firm reviewed all of the relevant disclosure documents – among others, Forms ADV, private placement memoranda, limited partnership agreements, client agreements, prospectuses – to ensure that all conflicts are disclosed, and disclosed in a manner that allows clients or investors to understand the conflict, its magnitude, and the particular risk it presents? Does the firm review those documents regularly to ensure that new or emerging conflicts are disclosed in a timely way? Further to disclosure, is the adviser keeping the chief compliance officer and boards of directors (if any) informed about conflicts of interests, particularly the adviser’s analysis and decisions on whether to eliminate or mitigate a conflict?
The Takeaways
Ms. Riewe’s key note address provides a very helpful look into the new capabilities of the AMU, its close cooperation with other arms of the SEC, and its enforcement initiatives for the coming year. As noted above, funds falling under the AMU’s purview are advised to review their policies regarding conflicts of interest closely, and to be mindful of the many issues which are likely areas of interest to the AMU.
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New coronavirus cases in US may be leveling off, but more and more are being hospitalized and dying
Updated: 11:53 AM CST Dec 23, 2020
Eric Levenson, CNN
KATELYN: GOOD MORNING. MOST PEOPLE WHO PLAN TO TRAVEL FOR THE HOLIDAYS ACCORDING TO AAA WILL DO SO ON THE ROADS BY CAR. ALTHOUGH YOU MAY SEE MORE TRAVELERS OVER THE HOLIDAYS THAN YOUR AVERAGE DAY, AAA DOES EXPECT A 30% DROP IN TROUBLE OVER THE HOLIDAYS. IT CONSIDERS THE HOLIDAYS STARTING TODAY AND RUNNING THROUGH JANUARY 3. IT EXPECTS 34 MILLION FEWER TRAVELERS DURING THAT TIME THAN LAST YEAR. COVID RESTRICTIONS WOULD HAVE PEOPLE OPTING TO STAY HOME AND TRY TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS. AAA SAYS 81 MILLION PEOPLE WILL TAKE OF THE ROADS. THAT IS A 25% DROP FROM LAST YEAR AND 3 MILLION WILL TAKE TO THE SKIES. THAT IS A 60% DROP. IF YOU PLAN TO TRAVEL, PLAN AHEAD. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE COVID RESTRICTIONS THAT MAY BE IN PLACE AT YOUR DESTINATION. BE PREPARED TO TAKE A COVID-19 TEST OR POTENTIALLY QUARANTINED WHEN YOU RETURN HOME. IF YOU’RE HEADING OUT, MAYBE PACK SOME FOOD TO TRY TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF STOPS YOU HAVE TO MAKE DURING THE TRIP. THERMOMETER AND HAND SANI
An average of more than 200,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 every day for two straight weeks in the United States, a toll that has led to record numbers of people hospitalized and dying of the virus.The U.S. reported over 195,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, putting the seven-day average of daily new cases at just over 215,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That is only slightly changed from the number of newly infected back on Dec. 10, when the seven-day average of daily new cases reached 212,000, which suggests that new cases may have flattened at a high daily average.Yet because hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 generally follow a week or two after new cases, the number of Americans hospitalized and dying from the virus has continued to increase.On Tuesday, the U.S. reported 117,777 people hospitalized with COVID-19, the most since the pandemic began, according to the Covid Tracking Project. In addition, 3,400 people were reported dead of the virus on Tuesday, the second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths in a single day.The nationwide data also somewhat masks how different states are dealing with the virus. States like California, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Rhode Island are seeing huge surges in new cases, while cases in much of the Midwest have declined since its recent peaks.Whether the number of new daily cases begins to decline nationally from here is dependent, as always, on people's behavior — and how America's systems of power influence that behavior. Public health officials, like Dr. Anthony Fauci, have cautioned people against holding large, indoor, unmasked gatherings this Christmas and New Year's."I want people to be more careful. I want them to limit traveling to the extent possible. And when you congregate, try to do it with a limited number of people," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN on Tuesday."If we can do that now and get through this season, enjoy it to the extent that you can, but it is not going to be the way a normal Christmas season is. As we get through that, the light at the end of the tunnel is the vaccine."Concern around UK variantA variant of the novel coronavirus that has spread widely in the United Kingdom has caused renewed alarm, and a number of countries have closed their borders to the U.K. in the past few days.Scientists advising the U.K. government have estimated that this variant could be up to 70% more effective at spreading than other variants.Peter Horby, chair of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG), said Monday that experts "now have high confidence that this variant does have a transmission advantage" over other variants.The U.K. variant does not appear to cause more severe disease, and it appears that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines will still be effective.Scientist Neil Ferguson, a member of NERVTAG, said Monday that there is a "hint" that the coronavirus strain identified in the U.K. could have "a higher propensity to infect children" compared with earlier strains. Severe illness due to COVID-19 is still relatively rare for children.Has this strain made its way to the U.S. yet? Researchers studying it think it likely arrived in the U.S. in mid-November, and that many people in the U.S. could already be infected."If I had to guess, I would say it's probably in hundreds of people by now," said Michael Worobey, head of the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona. "It's very possible it's arrived multiple times in multiple places."Scientists have scoured genetic sequences of coronavirus in the US to see if any match up with the U.K. variant. So far, they haven't found any, but they say that's likely because the U.S. surveillance system isn't catching them."It could be in the United States, and we might not have yet detected it," Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brett Giroir said Monday.Dr. Fauci says Biden administration will be differentDr. Anthony Fauci predicted the incoming Biden administration won't send "mixed signals" when it comes to communication on the coronavirus pandemic."There will probably be a uniformity of message instead of mixed signals," Fauci told the FiveThirtyEight podcast, which aired Tuesday. "I think there'll be more central guidance as opposed to leaving the states completely on their own and letting them do things the way they want to do it."Fauci, President-elect Biden's chief medical adviser, said he believes the biggest hurdle for Biden is going to be the "divisiveness" in American society."It's unfortunate that we've plowed through a historic pandemic, like nothing we've ever seen in 102 years, and it's been done in the context of a great deal of divisiveness in society," Fauci said. "I don't think that necessarily is going to change right away with the change of administration."Fauci was asked, based on how President Donald Trump has handled the pandemic, how the president could have saved more lives."Obviously, there have been some bumps in the road," Fauci said. "But, in general, particularly when you look at the science and the vaccine success, that is huge. I mean, that's something that's really quite unprecedented."He also said when it comes to fighting a pandemic, a nation can always improve their response."Obviously, you could always look back at your public health response and say, 'Could you have done better?' And the answer is: 'Of course.' I think any country looking back at their response will say that they could have done better."
An average of more than 200,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 every day for two straight weeks in the United States, a toll that has led to record numbers of people hospitalized and dying of the virus.
The U.S. reported over 195,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, putting the seven-day average of daily new cases at just over 215,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That is only slightly changed from the number of newly infected back on Dec. 10, when the seven-day average of daily new cases reached 212,000, which suggests that new cases may have flattened at a high daily average.
Yet because hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 generally follow a week or two after new cases, the number of Americans hospitalized and dying from the virus has continued to increase.
On Tuesday, the U.S. reported 117,777 people hospitalized with COVID-19, the most since the pandemic began, according to the Covid Tracking Project. In addition, 3,400 people were reported dead of the virus on Tuesday, the second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths in a single day.
The nationwide data also somewhat masks how different states are dealing with the virus. States like California, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Rhode Island are seeing huge surges in new cases, while cases in much of the Midwest have declined since its recent peaks.
White House coronavirus task force warns of surging cases in more populated states
Whether the number of new daily cases begins to decline nationally from here is dependent, as always, on people's behavior — and how America's systems of power influence that behavior. Public health officials, like Dr. Anthony Fauci, have cautioned people against holding large, indoor, unmasked gatherings this Christmas and New Year's.
"I want people to be more careful. I want them to limit traveling to the extent possible. And when you congregate, try to do it with a limited number of people," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN on Tuesday.
"If we can do that now and get through this season, enjoy it to the extent that you can, but it is not going to be the way a normal Christmas season is. As we get through that, the light at the end of the tunnel is the vaccine."
Concern around UK variant
A variant of the novel coronavirus that has spread widely in the United Kingdom has caused renewed alarm, and a number of countries have closed their borders to the U.K. in the past few days.
Scientists advising the U.K. government have estimated that this variant could be up to 70% more effective at spreading than other variants.
Peter Horby, chair of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG), said Monday that experts "now have high confidence that this variant does have a transmission advantage" over other variants.
The U.K. variant does not appear to cause more severe disease, and it appears that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines will still be effective.
EXPLAINER: Are new coronavirus strains cause for concern?
Scientist Neil Ferguson, a member of NERVTAG, said Monday that there is a "hint" that the coronavirus strain identified in the U.K. could have "a higher propensity to infect children" compared with earlier strains. Severe illness due to COVID-19 is still relatively rare for children.
Has this strain made its way to the U.S. yet? Researchers studying it think it likely arrived in the U.S. in mid-November, and that many people in the U.S. could already be infected.
"If I had to guess, I would say it's probably in hundreds of people by now," said Michael Worobey, head of the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona. "It's very possible it's arrived multiple times in multiple places."
Scientists have scoured genetic sequences of coronavirus in the US to see if any match up with the U.K. variant. So far, they haven't found any, but they say that's likely because the U.S. surveillance system isn't catching them.
"It could be in the United States, and we might not have yet detected it," Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brett Giroir said Monday.
Doctors explain the new mutant coronavirus strain that shut down the UK
Dr. Fauci says Biden administration will be different
Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted the incoming Biden administration won't send "mixed signals" when it comes to communication on the coronavirus pandemic.
"There will probably be a uniformity of message instead of mixed signals," Fauci told the FiveThirtyEight podcast, which aired Tuesday. "I think there'll be more central guidance as opposed to leaving the states completely on their own and letting them do things the way they want to do it."
Fauci, President-elect Biden's chief medical adviser, said he believes the biggest hurdle for Biden is going to be the "divisiveness" in American society.
"It's unfortunate that we've plowed through a historic pandemic, like nothing we've ever seen in 102 years, and it's been done in the context of a great deal of divisiveness in society," Fauci said. "I don't think that necessarily is going to change right away with the change of administration."
'He is good to go': Dr. Fauci says he gave Santa Claus a COVID-19 vaccine
Fauci was asked, based on how President Donald Trump has handled the pandemic, how the president could have saved more lives.
"Obviously, there have been some bumps in the road," Fauci said. "But, in general, particularly when you look at the science and the vaccine success, that is huge. I mean, that's something that's really quite unprecedented."
He also said when it comes to fighting a pandemic, a nation can always improve their response.
"Obviously, you could always look back at your public health response and say, 'Could you have done better?' And the answer is: 'Of course.' I think any country looking back at their response will say that they could have done better."
Pfizer to supply US with additional 100 million doses of vaccine
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Bennett Lawrence Management’s Top Stock Picks
Published on February 3, 2014 at 10:40 am by Mehmet Tunc in Hedge Funds, News
Bennett Lawrence Management is a long/short hedge fund founded by Van Schreiber in 1995. The fund’s strategy focuses on long-term investments in small and mid-cap stocks. On the short side, Bennett Lawrence Management focuses on growth stocks with deteriorating prospects. The fund’s portfolio consists of 139 positions with a value of $617 million. Let’s take a look at the fund’s top three positions.
Brunswick Corporation(NYSE:BC)
The first one is Brunswick Corporation(NYSE:BC), which is the largest position in Bennett Lawrence’s 13F for the last quarter of 2013. The fund reported ownership of 534,800 shares of the $3.77 billion market cap company. The fund increased its position in Brunswick by 15,800 shares versus the previous quarter. The stock trades at 34 times of its earnings of $1.21 per share. The firm estimates $2.50 EPS for 2014, the stock trailing a forward P/E of 16.
Phill Gross and Robert Atchinson’s Adage Capital Management owns the most shares of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE:BC) among more than 300 hedge funds we track. The fund owns 2.2 million shares with a value of $92 million. Adage Capital increased its position in the firm to 2.2 million shares from 0.5 million shares in the third quarter of 2013. Mariko Gordon’s Daruma Asset Management owns the second largest chunk of shares. Gordon owns 2.03 million shares, a slight decrease by 0.1 million shares in the position from a quarter earlier. Brunswick Corporation (NYSE:BC) experienced no insider purchases in 2013. However, insiders sold 1.6 million shares at an average price of $40 per share.
Brunswick Corporation (NYSE:BC) focuses on boats, fitness equipment, bowling equipment, and other recreational products. The firm designs, manufactures, and markets its products worldwide. The firm was founded in 1845 and is headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Sunedison Inc (NYSE:SUNE)
Sunedison Inc (NYSE:SUNE) represents the second biggest position in Bennett Lawrence’s equity portfolio. The fund owns 1.8 million shares of the company, with a dollar value of $24 million. The fund increased its position in Sunedison Inc (NYSE:SUNE) by some 560,000 shares over the quarter. The stock’s last reported EPS is -$1.37 per share, with a forward P/E ratio of 26. The firm is expected to earn $0.53 per share in 2014.
Sunedison Inc (NYSE:SUNE) is a technology company operating in semiconductor and integrated circuits industries. The company offers prime polished wafers and annealed products in the semiconductor industry. The firm’s Solar Energy Segment provides solar energy services that include designing, installation, financing, monitoring, operation, and maintenance. The firm was founded in 1984 and headquartered in St. Peters, Missouri.
Deckers Outdoor Corp (NASDAQ:DECK)
Deckers Outdoor Corp (NASDAQ:DECK) represents the third biggest position Bennett Lawrence holds, in terms of value. The fund owns 261.100 shares of the company, worth $22.1 million. The fund initiated the stake in Deckers Outdoor Corp (NASDAQ:DECK) in the last quarter of 2013. The stock trades at 26 times of its earnings of $2.95 per share. The firm is expected to generate a $4.95 EPS, with a forward P/E of 16 in 2014.
Chuck Royce’s Royce & Associates has the most shares of Deckers Outdoor Corp (NASDAQ:DECK) among the more than 300 hedge funds we track. The fund owns 931,500 shares of the company, with a last reported value of $61 million. The fund decreased its position in the company by 184,200 shares in the third quarter of 2013. John Thiessen’s Vertex One Asset Management owns the second largest chunk of shares. Thiessen owns 912,200 shares of the company in the equity portfolio. The fund decreased its position by 203,000 in the third quarter of 2013. Patrick Mccormack’s Tiger Consumer Management owns 0.8 million shares of the company. Mccromack decreased his position in the company by almost 50% in the third quarter of 2013. The company had no insider purchases since 2012. On the other hand, insiders sold 68,000 and 16,000 shares in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
Deckers Outdoor Corp (NASDAQ:DECK) operates in the consumer goods sector. The firm designs, manufactures, and markets footwear and accessories for outdoor activities and casual lifestyle use for men, women, and children in the United States and internationally. The firm sells its products under UGG, TSUBO, MOZO, Teva, Sanuk, Ahnu, and Hoka One One brand names. Deck was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Goleta, California.
Disclosure: none
Steven Owsley’s Madison Street Partners Is Betting on Mastercard Inc (MA), Apple Inc. (AAPL) & Others
David Einhorn and Insiders Are Bullish About These Stocks
Hedge Fund Highlights: Daniel Loeb, Steven Cohen & Paul Singer
Brunswick Corporation (BC)Chuck Royce Royce & AssociatesDeckers Outdoor Corp (DECK)John Thiessen Vertex One Asset ManagementMariko Gordon Daruma Asset ManagementNASDAQ:DECKNewsfeedNYSE:BCNYSE:SUNEPatrick Mccormack Tiger Consumer ManagementPhill Gross Adage CapitalRobert Atchinson Adage CapitalSunedison Inc. (SUNE)Van Schreiber
Ranjan Tandon’s New Moves 5 Stocks With Multiple Insider Purchases Sander Gerber and Hudson Bay Capital’s Recent Moves in 5 Stocks Brian Taylor’s Pine River Capital Management Changes a Few Positions 3 Recent Moves by Benjamin Taylor’s Sophrosyne Capital Jim Roumell’s Roumell Asset Management Dumped QAD Inc. (QADA) and Dover Motorsports...
Published on February 3, 2014 at 10:40 am by Inan Dogan, PhD
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Home News Analysis Breaking Down the Chain of Illegal Gold in Peru
Breaking Down the Chain of Illegal Gold in Peru
Miriam Wells
Illegal gold mining has devastated the Madre de Dios region
Two seizures of illegal Peruvian gold have reportedly been traced to a Russian businessman who was part of an exploitative export chain in Peru that reaches all the way to Switzerland. The seizures shed light on the workings of an illicit trade worth more to Peru than cocaine.
The Russian, Oleg Lipin, is considered one of the biggest providers of illegal Peruvian gold exported to Switzerland, reported newspaper El Comercio, which chronicled the seizures of the metal that took place last month and in November 2012 as part of its long-running investigation of the industry.
Peru is known for its coca production, which, according to the United Nations, became the largest in the world last year. But with government-estimated profits of up to $3 billion a year, illegal gold is thought to be worth twice as much as the country’s cocaine trade.
The country legally exported 150 tons of gold in 2012, making it the largest gold-producing nation in Latin America and the sixth largest in the world, as reported by the watchdog group Verite. The Minister of Energy and Mines said that year that, with illegal mining taken into account, Peru would be the fifth largest producer in the world. Research by Verite and others indicates that around 20 percent of Peru’s gold exports are produced illegally, most in the departments of Madre de Dios, Puno and Arequipa.
A Complex Web Reaching to the Top
Lipin’s operations were typical of the way the illegal gold market works. The seizures from Lipin, in which a total of around eight kilos of gold were confiscated, led police to a company named Suwit Mining and Services. El Comercio said the company was set up by Lipin in 2006 when he bought a mining concession near Puerto Maldonado, the capital of the remote jungle region of Madre de Dios, Peru’s illegal gold mining heartland.
Over the following six years, the company failed to declare any production with Peru’s Energy and Mining Ministry (Minem), though that changed in 2012 when Suwit registered on the formal list of major gold producers in the area. That year, Lipin declared production of 207 kilos of gold, said El Comercio.
After the November 2012 seizure, Lipin told police that the confiscated gold had come from his legal concession, but an inspection revealed no recent mining activity in that location. The investigation revealed the gold had come from La Pampa, a center of illegal mining near Puerto Maldonado, according to El Comercio.
Financial records obtained by Peru’s anti-money laundering body, the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), reportedly showed Suwit received $3.4 million through 64 bank transactions between May and August 2012. Most of that money, around $3.2 million, came in the form of transfers or deposits from the AS Peru Corporation, while the rest came from Universal Metal Trading. According to El Comercio, Suwit currently has an official value of $26.5 million.
AS Peru Corporation and Universal Metal Trading are the major exporters of illegal gold from Madre de Dios to Geneva and Zurich, as El Comercio reported last year. In 2012, these companies sent more than nine tons of metal to Swiss refineries PAMP and Metalor, said the newspaper. Universal Metal Trading exported 19.2 tons of gold, worth $901 million, to Switzerland in 2011, making it the country’s biggest exporter.
Extensive fieldwork carried out by Verite, a US-based fair labor non-governmental organization, found that Universal Metal Trading sourced gold from Madre de Dios, where 97 percent of the metal is mined illegally. The trade there has devastated the rainforest, contaminated water supplies and drives forced prostitution and labor in extremely hazardous conditions.
In March 2012, Luis Zavaleta Vargas, then-director of Hydrocarbons at the Minem, was forced to resign and charged with tax evasion after El Comercio revealed he owned Universal and his brother ran the company.
Gold’s ‘Illegal’ Origin
Gold production is Peru is a complex patchwork of mines, miners and processing plants of different types, sizes and levels of legality. Interwoven with those extracting and processing the gold are the concession owners and a network of middle men known as “acopiadores,” who buy and sell the mineral, and “facturadores,” who provide fake receipts for gold produced at illegal mines.
Technically all miners and companies who are extracting gold from concessions they do not own and do not have official authorization to mine — along with a raft of other paperwork such as an approved environmental impact study and water rights — are working illegally.
But many of these are impoverished individuals who have worked the same land for years making just enough to support their family. Many may have “permission,” but not the long list of documents required. Others are working in conditions of debt bondage. The vast majority are working in highly dangerous conditions.
As Verite explains, the government has set a series of deadlines for miners to complete the formalization process, but has been forced to repeatedly push it back in the face of widespread violent protests. However, while informal mining provides one of the few sources of employment in the area, its black market nature also makes it ripe for exploitation along the entire distribution chain.
‘Gold Capos’
Above the individual miners are those who run small-scale and medium mines or own concessions. This is where more traditional “illegal” activity begins to take place, even in those companies that do own the concessions from which they are extracting.
Powerful families, politicians and foreign groups are among the so-called “gold capos.” This group is a chief beneficiary of the aforementioned billions in profits from small to medium-scale informal mining operations, in which forced labor and child labor are prevalent, and bribery or threats are used to bypass supposed regulations.
SEE ALSO: Coverage of Mining
Verite received reports of Russian, Chinese and Brazilian armed groups buying up concessions and forcing people to work, employing Peruvian guards who appeared to have military training.
“Conditions were much worse than we expected,” said Verite lead researcher Quinn Kepes. “Verite has done research on forced labor in places like Bangladesh, Guatemala, Bolivia, Liberia, and the US. I haven’t seen anything this bad.”
In addition to human trafficking for forced labor, mining camps in Madre de Dios are also often home to brothels offering trafficked women, and there is evidence of drug traffickers laundering proceeds through mines in Puno. These are just two other examples of criminal activity intersecting with Peru’s mining industry.
From Processing Plant to International Market
Once the gold has been mined — either in the form of ore encased in hard rock chiseled out of the ground or sediment mixed into sand and dirt and sluiced from a river — it heads to a processing plant. The handover provides more opportunities for exploitation.
Only gold that comes with a receipt proving its provenance from a formal mine is legally allowed to be sold. Subsistence, unformalized miners, cannot provide receipts, nor can miners working for small and medium-scale companies who are paid in gold, a common practice in the informal sector. They are beholden to the acopiadores or the processing plants, who will take the gold without a receipt, but at a low price. Often, extra charges will be applied if the gold offered is deemed to be of “low” quality.
The processing plants are also exploitative. Employers use forced labor, often under extremely hazardous working conditions, with processors operating unprotected amidst cyanide and mercury.
After the gold ore is extracted from the rock or from the dirt and sand, it travels to the international market. Processing plants and acopiadores pay for fake receipts from the facturadores to be able to sell the gold. It may be passed along a chain of several acopiadores or sold directly to large-scale buyers and export companies, such as Universal Metal Trading, which allegedly exported Oleg Lipin’s gold. Some is turned into jewelry in Lima before being exported.
This process of legalizing illegal gold is finished abroad, primarily in Switzerland, which refines around 70 percent of the world’s gold. Melted down by international companies — which are technically required to monitor their supply chain — the dirty gold gets mixed into the clean. There is no way of tracing it back to its country and region of origin.
While there are a number of international corporate social responsibility programs for companies that refine and sell gold, such as the Responsible Jewellery Council and the London Bullion Market Association Responsible Gold Guidance Programme, they are voluntary.
“There’s this very clean, crisp image of ‘Swiss gold,'” Kepes told InSight Crime. “But if we take this figure that 20 percent of Peruvian gold is mined illegally, and the fact that Peru is the fifth largest producer of gold worldwide, then a significant amount of gold being consumed worldwide is being produced in illegal gold mines in Peru. If we say even one percent of the gold in all of our wedding rings comes from an illegal gold mine in Peru where these horrendous things are taking place, then that’s a pretty powerful thing.”
‘It’s like the war on drugs’
Back in Peru, it is an immensely challenging issue to tackle. With billons of dollars at stake, it is no surprise that corrupt state officials and security force members facilitate the illegal gold trade at every level: “Gold is like drugs,” one high-level government official in Cusco told Verite.
SEE ALSO: Peru News and Profiles
The government wants the $250 million plus of annual tax revenue that the gold mined illegally would bring in if it were legal. But corruption is even worse on a local level than on a national level. Many areas where illegal mining takes place have very little state presence and resources.
“How are you going to tell a labor inspector that has to pay his own gas and pay to send his paperwork back to Lima to go into a remote mining area being protected by armed guards, where any outsider trying to enter is shot?” asked Kepes.
The Ministry of Labor has demonstrated a commitment to improving the horrendous conditions and exploitation that the workers suffer, said Kepes, including recognizing the existence of forced labor in illegal mining, establishing a new National Plan to Combat Forced Labor, and re-centralizing the labor inspectorate to combat corruption and improve efficiency. However, the subject has not been included in government roundtables on how to formalize the market.
Meanwhile, the High Commissioner of Mining Formalization within the government reiterated last month the authorities’ will to fight the illegal trade, stating they were stepping up controls on gasoline provision and air travel in illegal mining areas. The latest deadline for informal miners to complete their formalization process is April next year, while the government has set itself the deadline of 2016 to have all small-scale mining operations under regulation.
It’s an extremely ambitious goal, admitted Kepes.
“It’s going to be tough. It’s like the war on drugs: there’s a lot of money to be made, a huge profit margin that fuels corruption and bribery and unscrupulous criminal elements that are involved,” he said.
Soaring Gold Prices During Pandemic Fuel Peru’s Illegal Mining
Satellite Images Show Evolution of Illegal Gold Mining in Peru
Illegal Gold Mining Operations Enter New Parts of Peru
Will Peru’s Gold King Ever Be Held Accountable?
Peru Targets Multinationals Linked to Sale of Illegal Gold
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What A Writer's Conference, Editorial Feedback and Critique Taught Me That Books on Writing/Editing Could Not
It's been a week since I got home from the American Christian Fiction Writers' (ACFW) Conference yet it seemed just like yesterday.
My husband said when I entered the kitchen, "So how was the conference?"
"Like Grand Rounds!" (Note for non-medical readers: This is a medical conference held when a patient's case becomes too problematic for one doctor and needs the input of other medical experts).
And I had every reason to say that. Three weeks ago, the first 50 pages of my manuscript came back to me splattered with blue and red inks, bruised and bleeding. I could barely touch it.
My editor, Julie Marx warned me that I had to be thick-skinned for editorial feedback and critique.
I am Titanium, right? I can handle this. I've had lots of practice in medical school. But no, my skin peeled like onions bringing tears to my eyes (weeks after the shock). It was like an encounter of the third-kind, (with my family and friends as the two other kinds who'd dare read my drafts).
My manuscript required major catastrophic revision. And she said things that shook the very foundation of my story. When I quoted the book of Revelation as a spring board for my dystopic fantasy world, she warned me against it. She suggested making it purely fantasy so no one will accuse me of being heretical. That really bothered me and it fed on my doubt whether I should heed her advice or not.
"You prayed that I would use her to speak My message and I have spoken," the Lord said.
"But how can I be sure that it is You and not the enemy trying to deceive me? I mean, look at Peter. You told him that he is the rock and upon him you will build your church and yet, the next minute he opened his mouth, you rebuked him and said, `Get away from me Satan, your thoughts are not God's thoughts. Anyone can be your mouthpiece and the devil's mouthpiece at the same time! How will I know?"
"Because I will speak in the silence and peace of your heart where love, faith and hope reside."
Argh. "My mind and spirit are anything but silent right now. You shook the very foundation of my book," I said.
"So now, it is Your book. I thought it was to be My book and you'd only take dictation. Didn't C.S. Lewis teach you that?"
"I know, I know."
"And what did he say?"
I sighed and mouthed verbatim… "Quote, I never exactly made a book. It's rather like taking dictation. I was given things to say. End of quote."
And I relented and knew that fighting the Lord would just put me in Jacob's position. Even if I win, I will end up with a limp and would be begging for His blessing.
"So how can I create a pure fantasy world out of this manuscript that have quotes and quotes from the Bible?" I asked my angel. "It's impossible! And she also said I should remove the Prologue. But I love that Prologue. It's a very beautiful Prologue. God dictated that to me, remember? I could not have come up with that Prologue on my own!"
"That Prologue is for you, not for your readers," my angel said.
"It's your synopsis, a guide, map, whatever you wish to call it."
"But the Abbot of the Abbey, writing a love story... it's both ridiculous and brilliant! It's a great hook."
My angel allowed the reading of the day to speak to me, as though he had grown tired of my whining: Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
"Didn't you ask what God thinks of your manuscript and use the editor as His mouthpiece? And now He's telling you-- go back to the drawing board," my angel added.
I sighed. When I heard the editor say that, I just stared at her. Literally, I could feel nothing. Was I angry? No. Was I sad? No. Numb. That was how I felt. Wrapped in God's grace, I didn't feel the sting.
But when I got home that day and my husband asked me, "So what did she say?"
"She shredded my manuscript to pieces," I joked.
"But did she say anything good about it?"
I scanned my brain and all I could think of were all the things I needed to improve on. She may have said something but my disappointment at not having floored her with my "wonderful" writing blared like a horn that would have drowned any positive remarks. Doubt settled in the pit of my stomach like a demon and I served it with coffee, tea and biscuits.
I wanted to dig the soil and bury what little talent I thought I had.
"You do know what the Master said to that servant with that one talent?" my angel said.
Yes, I sighed. The gospel reading that Sunday shouted at me:You worthless and lazy servant, you could have deposited it in a bank for an interest.
In my writer's mind, it translated:
"If you're too lazy to revise your manuscript and do the hard work required of traditional publishing, instead of burying your work in the hard drive of the computer to see no light of day, you could at least go indie and publish it in kindle. Someone could stumble upon it, through some mysterious designs which only I would know, and read the message I planted in those pages."
I sighed. I don't want to self-publish another rough draft. "Yes, Lord. I will try to revise it."
So I tried to rewrite the first line and chapter, in vain. For 21 days I struggled to get out of my titanium cell of self-doubt. I had high hopes. The idea of not being able to pitch my work at ACFW and miss the only chance I have this year to speak with an agent disheartened me.
Yet I had prayed that God would use my editor to tell me exactly what to do and I'd obey it.
"I'm really getting conflicting signals here," I complained to my angel. "He said, the time has come. So why this? Is this like Moses going to Pharaoh and then getting denied multiple times?"
Humility and obedience. The words hammered in my head. Okay. Okay. I will not pitch. I tried to convince myself. My flicker of hope dimmed every minute as I repeated the words.
"But you need to prepare your one-sheet and synopsis," my angel said.
"What? But the manuscript is not ready. I don't have the first five chapters."
"The bridegroom comes like a thief in the night. You don't want to be caught sleeping without oil in your lamp."
"Alright, alright. I will do it."
In the conference, the first friendly face I saw was that of my editor.
She hugged me and said, "How's your manuscript going?"
"Nowhere." I laughed. "It's still in the ICU needing resuscitation."
She looked me in the eye and said, "You have a story to tell. Believe you can do it."
Her words sent 200 joules of shock that brought my pulse of hope in fibrillation.
Validation. For one week, this word evaded me yet it sat at the tip of my tongue. What was that word The I desperately needed to bring back my inspired creativity? Affirmation? confirmation? Assurance? No. Validation-- the knowledge that I'm pursuing God's Purpose, that my dreams are aligned with His plans.
I had hoped that He would send me signs, signals and people. For weeks, words of inspirations from the Bible could not get me out of my pit of despair. The promise of wonderful things to happen at ACFW hung like flimsy thread that I could not grasp. I didn't have what it takes to be a writer: these words roped around my neck. But with Julie's validation, the coil loosened.
"Pray for me," I said.
And she did. Right there in the middle of the lobby. I saw the silver lining in my dark clouds. She pulled me and introduced me to the other writers who lifted me with their warm smiles.
Sarah-Meg Seese approached me and said, "In 2015, I came at a conference like this for the first time. Now, I'm a published author."
Is that another dangling carrot for me, Lord? I thought.
"Learn what you can from the masters. Rub elbows with published authors. This is your reality. It is not a dream anymore," my angel whispered.
In the large banquet hall, I watched with awe when the emcee called out those who've signed their first contract and published their first books after last year's conference. Sarah was among them.
I could be that person next year. My pulse steadied but still fluttered on occasions .
Come CEU time, I entered a smaller room. Best selling author James Rubart spoke. My eyes fixed on him. I understood his language, I thought in amazement. He spoke of my hearts' desires in the light of God's designs and my destiny. He also happened to write in my genre, speculative fiction. I held on to each word that came out of his mouth. "Write from your heart. The best story you can write is your own story. The movies that you watch, books that you read all have a common theme. You are drawn to it because of God's design and purpose written in your heart."
I approached him after the conference and talked to him about my book. When he nodded and said he liked the idea, adrenaline rushed through my veins. A best-selling author actually thinks the story is good! My heart pumped with vigor and oxygen entered my shriveled brain.
The more I connected with authors and writers, the more I saw my inadequacy. I looked at my syllabus and realized, in my lofty pride, I signed up for the upperclassmen courses when I was just a freshman. I thought I had bought and read every writing and editing book out in the market and had no need of the workshops. I failed to grasp that theoretical knowledge does not make one a writer.
My angel laughed and said, "Remember how annoyed you were with patients who consulted Dr. Google and think they already know their diagnosis and treatment?"
I shook my head. Even after I graduated from my internship, I was not confident of my ability to treat a patient. It took years of residency and clinical practice before I sharpened my clinical eye and learned my craft.
"It's the same with the writing craft," my angel said. "You may not kill a patient physically but you can kill a soul for eternity with your written words. Learn and master the craft."
"You are writing into someone's eternity." These words had been repeatedly spoken throughout the conference, from the emcee's lips Colleen Coble, the keynote speaker Randy Alcorn and the worship minister Rachel Hauck.
That brought me to my senses. I joined the freshmen workshops like Crafting the First Line by Rachel Hauck and the first chapter revealed itself to me--paragraphs I've struggled with for six versions. The workshop on Creating Settings That Become Characters by Liz Johnson made me see, smell, taste, and touch my world of fantasy.
When I shared my idea for my first line and first chapter to another editor Kathy Ide, during the 15-minute consult, she said, "I like it. That's so much better than what you submitted for critique." She discussed other techniques that I could use to improve my first five chapters.
Another 200 joules of shock catapulted my manuscript.
Finally, I sat in a roomful of people waiting for my agent's appointment. Some looked fidgety and nervous. My seat mate asked me, "Are You pitching?" I smiled and said, "No, my manuscript is not yet ready. I just want get up close and personal with an agent to remove that notion that they would bite and devour me."
And so I approached Julie Gwinn and asked her to critique my one-sheet because I had no idea what a one-sheet was until that conference. She started asking questions about my characters and I started revealing my plot and the three book ideas I had in mind. We had a lively exchange with each plot twists.
"I love it," she said.
I thought I saw her eyes lit up which made me blurt with disbelief, "You do?"
"If you can write it the way you said it and send me the proposal."
That delivered the final 200 joules that stabilized my patient.
"I wish I had a videocamera here that recorded all that I told you," I said and joined in her laughter.
The Lord in His mysterious ways had molded me to act, think and speak in a manner that brought about His purpose, and brought me back on my writing track. I received the validations I had sought for, from chance encounters in restrooms with strangers-turned-friends (Kristen Joy Wilks), seat mates who'd manifest God's leadings in my life (yes, Andrea Michelle Wood, feel free to ask me about medical stuff), fellow writers who sat on my dining table, sharing their journeys, struggles and triumphs (Bruce and Joyce Hammack, you're one inspiring power couple), generous souls who'd offer to sign up in my Newsletter to increase the number of my subscribers (yes, Janine Rosche, your 30 is an incomparable feat to my 3, which includes my ever-supportive mother-in-law), push books through their reviews (Zan Marie Steadham, I salute you for what you do), and give so much of themselves to support organizational endeavors (Jessica White, you could run an LLC with all the things that you do as a support staff). It was like I had come home to my pack, where I felt safe, comfortable and at peace.
This morning, while running on the trail with these events in my head I realized that the Lord gave the most difficult task to my first editor, AJ Marx. She spoke as a prophet with words that are not easy to embrace. And I have to say unless an author learns to accept critique with humility and obedience, she will never grow as a writer.
Had Julie "played it safe" and encouraged me to go for it, I would have pitched a raw manuscript that anyone would spit out. I would have left that conference comatose. It took a lot of courage on her part to be the bearer of bad news but her loving prayers gave me the grace to accept the harsh reality in humility and obedience. So when I got the critique from Kathy, I had been embraced in grace. I no longer needed the titanium shield to hear that my first few pages did not do my story justice at all.
Because I had no intention of pitching, I approached agent Julie G. calm and relaxed. I spoke to her the way I would speak with a friend-- animated and full of humor. I avoided what every newbie would suffer when pitching their first baby--high tension nerves--and the common result that would go with it, a glazed look of disinterest from the agent that could peel a fragile onion skin apart.
The scriptural reading for that day could not stress it more:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.
I never thought a single ACFW Conference could propel my writing into a crucial momentum. All the experts in one venue were used as the Lord's channel of revelation. It was not coincidence but synchronicity that the event was just a short drive from my house.
Truly, the Lord provides for His beloved as they slumber.
Now I can say, my manuscript is ready… to be taken to the operating room for major reconstructive surgery.
The Value of Discernment and Why I'm Pursuing Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing
This morning, on the drive to school, after we had prayed the rosary, my daughter said, "I'm concerned about the five Advanced Placement (AP) courses I'm taking next school year."
At that moment, I knew I needed God to speak through me. I didn't want to give the wrong advice. I prayed in my mind, "Lord, use me as your mouthpiece."
And the first thing that came out of my mouth was, "What made you say that?"
She heaved out a sigh and said, "Right now, with just these two regular non-AP summer classes, I feel so tired and demotivated already. What more with the 5 AP classes?"
And I surprised myself with my answer and knew it to be divinely-inspired.
"To compare these two summer classes with your 5 AP subjects, you need to compare your reactions to these. Didn't you tell me that you hated these two subjects... that you dozed off in class out of boredom? And yet, the five AP subjects that you're about to take next school year made you so excited. You actually look forward to it. Realize that there are things that just flow easily from you, like your singing. Didn't you find it easier to present your research paper by using the Bohemian Rhapsody as your melody for your research summary and incorporated it in your powerpoint slide presentation because you hated public speaking? And you got an A for that. Some things flow naturally from you with less effort because that is your natural talent and gift. Just like a boat, when you do something that's not of your own interest, it's like sailing against the wind. But like your musical paper presentation, it was like you captured the wind with your sail and your boat traveled faster. It's like active transport in biochemistry when you do things that do not flow naturally from you. But when you use your talents and gifts, it's passive diffusion. It does not require much energy."
She nodded so I went on. "That's why we never forced any course on you for college. We always tell you to find a course that would develop your natural inclination and your passion so you don't end up with a job that you need to drag your feet on Manic Mondays and would always Thank God on Fridays. We want you to have a work that every day seems like a weekend."
She laughed, and I knew it made sense her. "So don't feel afraid and overwhelmed with your AP classes. He will give you the grace necessary to do these. But you have to offer all these to God and lift it up to Him. Allow Him to intervene. Tell Him, 'Lord, if I'm doing too much, please block or remove any AP subject that is not Your will.' Like I told you, He never imposes His will on people. You need to allow Him so He can intervene. Informed consent, that's what He obtains from us," I said and spoke like a research nurse that I once was.
"He will show you all the options before you. If you choose option A, this is the consequence. If B, then this and so and so forth. Sometimes, we think God is punishing us when bad things happen because of a wrong decision. Well, in the first place, He already gave an indication that that bad thing would happen if you do it and yet you still choose to do it. So the consequence shouldn't come as a surprise to you. Then there are options that He would present as more difficult, but He will also show you a better outcome from that. If you choose that, you need to brace yourself for the hard work, but He will assure you of a more glorious outcome. Remember Jesus--even He sweated and cried tears of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane and had said, 'Lord take this cup away from me.' He was not really excited about His crucifixion. He saw what was about to happen, but the Father also showed Him the glory that would come out of that severe suffering. So in the end, He chose the difficult option and said, 'But not My will but Yours be done.' And see what glorious victory the resurrection gave Him. So do the same. Don't be afraid. Offer it all to God, and you will find the courage to do His will."
I pulled over to the curb. My daughter smiled and said, "Thanks, mommy," and got out of the car. As she took out her stuff from my backseat, she said, "Love you."
I smiled and said, "Love you, and God bless your day."
I sighed as I pulled away from the curb. Amazement and awe filled me as I reflected on what God had said to her through me. I smiled when I recalled how she once said, "How do you do it? I ask one simple question, and you talk and simply slip into a homily seamlessly."
I said, "I guess this is God's call for me, to preach and spread the good news to you on my driver's seat. This," I tapped on the steering wheel, "is to be my pulpit."
And yes, God did it again. I chuckled.
And I thought about the "informed consent process" God did with me concerning my manuscript. He also presented me with two scenarios when I debated whether to self-publish or to publish traditionally.
I chanced upon Rachelle Gardner's ebook last March, How Do I Decide? Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing (A Field Guide for Authors). God used it to speak to me. Before reading this book, I had considered self-publishing in Amazon Kindle for ebook and Amazon Scout for print and prayed to God about this. Both will not cost me anything, and I can have my book published without the rigorous process of querying, pitching and sending my manuscript to agents and editors and risk rejections.
After reading the book, I remembered what happened to my first self-published book, Running the Millionaire Lane. The Claretian Publications printed 1,000 copies, and most of these just gathered dust. After going through the Longridge Writer's Course, I realized I had published a rough draft. It was sheer vanity that pushed me to self-publish. No wonder people called it Vanity Press. Although my book had inspired some to start running, the book did not succeed as I hoped and dreamt it would.
Now, I feel the call to undergo the rigorous process of traditional publication for my novel. A book I deemed to help build God's kingdom deserved no less. I will avoid Cain's path; he presented the Lord with ordinary crops and did not make Him happy. I will imitate Abel who presented God with the best of his flock, thereby garnering God's favor. This would mean hard work, sacrifice, and patient waiting for the perfect time. God will get the book published in due season but not until He had purified my skill and my intentions, like gold tested in fire.
Prayer and discernment had revealed to me that if I choose to self-publish the trilogy, I would be so busy marketing the first book, I will not have the time to write the second one and the third. My impatience and haste will only lead to greater delay. And the risk of failure is higher because my book would not be refined, and not marketed professionally. I know there are those who've succeeded tremendously in self-publication, but they are more talented both in writing and marketing than I am. I know my weaknesses in both areas, and the only way to combat these is through traditional publication. This decision had given me peace.
It's the same decision-making process God did with my writer's life. He made me see what I enjoyed doing most, and it was blogging and novel writing. So I streamlined my efforts and let go of all the others. I felt more centered, focused and at peace with my writing career and ministry. It was a slow progress, but less chance of stumbling and falling on my butt.
I entered the garage and parked the car. The drizzle this morning had become a downpour, so I went straight to the treadmill for my 30-minute daily run.
The Youtube video, Supernatural Secrets of Destiny Dreams by Dr. Michelle Corral caught my eye. I had a weird dream this morning; and actually, not just today but for several weeks now. Perhaps she can shed some light into those dreams.
For instance, last week, I dreamt of two surgeons, fully scrubbed with masks, caps and gloved hands holding surgical knives. But I noticed that from waist down, they didn't have legs. Instead, their lower halves looked like trunks of trees with branches and some leaves. They looked odd and queer. They both addressed a patient (or was it me?) and said, "We need to operate on you and take out your trunk because it looks weird. You need to have real legs." And I thought, geez, why don't you operate on yourselves first. When I mentioned this to my aunt, she had said, "Wasn't that the same message that you wrote in your blog about taking out the plank in your own eye first before taking out the dust from the other's eye?" She was right. It was a call to humility and avoid a judgmental attitude.
The video only affirmed all of God's messages for me on discernment, humility, and the works of the Holy Spirit. He had used Dr. Michelle Corral as His mouthpiece and had spoken through her. He had addressed my concerns as He had addressed those of my daughter's this morning.
He also cast a light on why I had more dreams lately. I didn't realized until now the value and significance of night prayers. I thought saying my morning prayers were more important and missing my night prayers did not matter much. How wrong I was!
He truly speaks in many ways—through dreams, people, events, books, and videos. I only need to listen so I’d recognize His voice, choose from the many options, and decide well according to His will.
Amazing grace. Amazing God.
Three Days of Heat: When the Going Gets Tough, How the Crucified Christ Gets the Writer in Me Going
"Thank You for the clouds," I told my Lord the other day. The sun would have toasted me the way it did the day before that; for despite my cap and sunscreen, I got sunburnt.
Yesterday, the 100-degree Fahrenheit (more like Freakingheat) weather hit me. At first, I thought I could offer the heat for the poor souls in purgatory but decided to run on the treadmill instead. Prudence dissuaded me from sun exposure and the risk of fainting in the middle of the trail.
Today, I woke up early, to avoid running under desert conditions.
I ate a toast for my carb fix and a small amount of black coffee. Anything more within 2 hours would be bladder disaster.
The right piece of my wireless earphone refused to stay put and I had to use a bigger right bud. So much ceremony just for a run, I thought. Had I donned my running shoes and headed out without all these gadgets, I would have gone at 7:30 am and not at 8 o'clock.
But after 15 minutes on the trail, I delighted in the music; the random mix from the Don't You Worry Radio station in Pandora beckoned me to move and keep on going.
Lately, God's messages had preventive themes: protecting me from heat, shielding me from harsh criticisms, pulling me out of situations where I am most vulnerable and fragile and prone to fall, and delaying my success, so I don't get drunk and go tipsy from it.
"But just because He protected you from all these, that doesn’t mean He'll roll the red carpet for you," my angel blurted.
I winced and remembered the email query I had submitted to an agent. My countdown had started--and from the sound of my angel—I guess, to another rejection?
"You knew that God's favored ones did not live a life of pleasure, ease, and luxury."
Yes, I knew. David had to do the lowly task of being a shepherd in a brood of eight. Abraham had to endure the endless battle among his sons and descendants to this day. Joseph was sold into slavery. Peter, Paul and most of the apostles and disciples were killed. Even Jesus, the Begotten, the Christ and the Chosen One was tortured, whipped, crowned with thorns, treated like a vile criminal, made to carry a cross fitted for a bigger man (Barabbas), crucified and hanged until He died of asphyxia. His lungs swelled that water and blood came out from His pierced side.
God did not treat His favored ones lightly.
Now, the waiting was killing me…waiting to hear a reply from the literary agent. In the middle of the wait, I seesawed from high to low. One moment I'd be dreaming of a `yes', and the next of a `no'. I swung from one end of my emotional pendulum to another.
I had tried to dispel all my doubts with prayer and reading, but I'd often succumb to my fears and insecurities. Even with networking and a supportive community, I heard the voices within me the loudest, and they fought and disagreed about my destiny as a writer: these three voices, the evil, the good and my own voice (which tends to shift based on my spiritual predicament).
And I thought, what a beggar I was. Even in my writing, I was like that woman in the Gospel who would be grateful for the crumbs that would fall from the table, the morsel meant for the dogs. Something, anything that would encourage me to continue with this endeavor would do.
Like this pilgrim in the desert, I'd settle for a drop of water because I had been drinking from the sweat of my brow to quench my thirst.
I wished I resembled the saints who would be satisfied with knowing that they had done what they needed to do, and need not hear the praise of the Master for they merely did their duties as servants. But I didn't have that spirit of detachment. I'd often find myself peeking at my social media posts and counting the likes or hoping to read a comment only to be disappointed.
Then I'd plunge into self-pity and think, “It's maybe because the words are not from You, my Lord, so it's not touching the hearts of men. You have not inspired it with your Holy Spirit. It's just me and my delusion of being Your inspired writer.”
At one point, I cried to God and said, "I feel like a voice in the wilderness. I don't think anyone is reading all these stuff I'm writing." Then I cringed from my insolence. How full of self-love and attachment from my work those words had sounded! Those words obviously came from a typical middle child with attention-seeking behavior, or what I'd loosely and jokingly self-diagnose as the Middle Child Syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorder subtype.
But kind and tender that You are, my Lord, that's when You sent Your little angels here on earth to encourage me with a simple word, an email from a friend, a comment, a like/love on the blog post. These boosted my dampened spirit. The loving tolerance of my family for allowing me to stay at home and live the writer's life should be more than enough. Even my busy junior high schooler took time to edit some of my posts. Their unending support should have made me very grateful.
Forgive me for lacking this gratitude when my mind is plunged into the darkness of desolation.
As I ran, I thought I had come so far with my running. I ran just because I loved to run. I didn't need anyone to encourage me.
I should feel the same with my writing.
I must simply write because I love to write but the waiting had paralyzed me and for the past days; I had not touched the book. And I felt dead.
I realized novel writing had become like oxygen for me in the same manner that music was for my oldest daughter. She would not and could not stop singing. When we left the house of my sister-in-law, where we stayed temporarily in transition for the move last year, the one thing my brother-in-law noticed when we were gone, was the house was quieter. Even with their small boys running about and shouting inside their house, the voice of my daughter singing every day and every moment of the day had filled the house with another dimension of sound.
Yes, that was my daughter. She can't stop singing. She'd rather be dead than not sing. So when we left, my brother-in-law noticed the difference.
That was passion.
And I felt the same way with novel writing. And I knew it was not just writing per se because this would be my third blog for the week. The Lord had inspired me to cut my blogs shorter (yet I still ended up with more than 1,000 words) into more manageable chunks as the inspirations just kept on pouring whenever I ran. I knew copywriters tend to go on and on and were known for the "But-wait…here's-more" kind of writing, but I felt people nowadays tend to be busier too. With long copies, they skim through most of the materials and inadvertently miss the more important ones.
Anyway, despite these three blogs, I still felt I had not done my writing. It was the novel. The books had been calling me to work on them. With the waiting, I realized I needed to start on something: the second book of the trilogy. This will keep me going, knowing that there was more at stake for me.
"Let love alone push you for it was love that pushed me to the Cross."
The voice startled me. It's my Lord!
"Let your righteousness surpass that of the Pharisees."
This gospel reading the previous day called me to write, not just out of discipline, routine, and habit, the same manner that these Pharisees performed their works out of tradition, ceremony, and even showmanship. That amounted to writing for the sake of getting likes and shares in FB and driving traffic to my website.
"Go beyond the practice. Live the spirit of what of you do, the spirit of love," the priest had said. I must have love. The priest said these Pharisees had become so picky with all their rituals in their rigid interpretation of the law that it had almost become impossible to perform all of it. It had become a severe burden too heavy to carry. The Catholic Church would suffer the same criticism. And time and again, You would remind us, Lord of the very essence of why we do the things that we do.
You did not want to take out all these customs and traditions for these are what binds us to our Apostolic heritage. You have come not to abolish the law, but to fulfill. The sacrificial lamb had become You. The blood offered for the atonement of sins had become Your blood. Truly, as You have said, "Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place." And You have fulfilled the Messianic promises and prophecies. We are physical beings and need to hold onto something tangible. And Your Incarnation is the very essence of Your physical presence. You who used to be intangible and out of reach came down from heaven and lived among us so we may touch You and hold You.
And should You deprive us of Your Physical Presence when You've promised that You shall be with us until the end of time? No, You did not. You continue to be physically present among us.
And this is what we are celebrating tomorrow, Corpus Christi Sunday: the Feast of the Body of Christ. Your body remains with us. Now in an even humbler form, in the form of the bread.
And what is this bread, my Lord?
On the night that You were betrayed, You took this bread, gave thanks to the Father and told Your disciples, "Take this, all of You and eat of it. For this is my body which will be given up for You. Do this in remembrance of Me." And You've done the same with the wine. And it shall become Your blood, the blood of the New and Everlasting Covenant so that sins may be forgiven. And again, You wanted us to do it in remembrance of You.
You've instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist on the night of Your betrayal and the eve of Your Passion and Death. At this point, Your disciples have not known and come to a full appreciation of this most blessed mystery of the Holy Eucharist.
But when You resurrected and made Your presence known in the breaking of the bread, Your disciples remembered this night and realized why their hearts were burning with Your presence.
It is You, broken and eaten by Your people so we can have that Physical Intimacy which You so longed to have with us.
But what had become of my heart, my Lord? Why does it not constantly burn when I look at the bread. Why does it wax and wane in its fervor and belief, sometimes cold, tepid and lukewarm and at other times full of love and desire for You? It's as though a veil is before my eyes, sometimes lifted and at other times covered my face.
The priest in the Miracle of Lanciano, who had raised the bread, had the same cold and tepid heart and doubted Your existence in the Eucharist, my Lord. But what did You do? You proved Your Presence once and for all and erased all his doubts. And to this day, these species of Your real presence still exists-- the bread that had turned into flesh, and not just any flesh but the flesh of Your heart, the very muscles of your Sacred Heart! No wonder many loved and devote themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We eat the flesh of Your Heart so our hearts will transform and burn with the same love as Yours. And Your blood, type AB, was just as fresh as it was before. Science had proven that these are real flesh and real blood without traces of preservatives.
Extract and peel the cataracts and scales off my eyes as You've done to Tobit, and to Paul for I am still blind. Let me see You, my Lord, in the Most Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Sacrament. Let my heart burn for Your heart constantly. Let me eat and drink You with a fervor and faith that can move mountains and change this cold and tepid heart so it may burn with love for You.
"Saul became blind because of the fierce bright light from heaven," my angel said.
I gasped at what my angel said. Saul was blinded by the light because God is like the sun that our eyes cannot behold. He was too bright but hidden in the most Blessed Host, I could stare at Him in loving adoration for hours without going blind!
I remembered that one day while driving, I noticed the sun hiding behind the thick clouds and I stared at it; but the light did not hurt my eyes. It glowed like a round host of the Blessed Sacrament. I realized at that moment how much You loved us! You keep on stooping down to our level so we could reach You, stare at You and even consume You.
Humility. This is something I need to learn more in this steep climb toward publication.
As though to show me the meaning of this, I approached an uphill terrain in my run. I took a shorter and lower stride (where my feet barely lifted from the ground) and clipped my hands to my side. I discovered this stance made the climb easier.
"When the going gets tough, remain grounded in Christ. Humility and obedience will make it easier for you to swallow words of criticism and turn it into points for improvement," my angel said. "Fix your eyes on the Crucified Christ as you struggle with your writing. Each rejection is akin to the nails on your hands and feet, the scourging on your tired back. Each turn-downs would be like the crown of thorns and the lance on your side."
I winced from the image—me in the place of my Crucified Lord?
"Don't think you can avoid the Cross. You must embrace it. Unless you die with Him, you will not rise with Him. Patience, persistence, and passion—these three will lead you to success."
I sighed and prayed for more detachment. I prayed that love alone would suffice to move me to write, not the praises of men because I also wither from false praises or empty encouragements. I'd rather have none and be grounded in the work of the Lord.
I will do what it takes to get His work published. I will train like a soldier so that I can worthily deliver His message in the service of my King.
The song, Don't You Worry, Child played, as if on cue. And I almost cried in the middle of the street. Trust God to send His tender whispers when I just braced and prepared myself for the whiplash. God would be like that. Now I wanted to bawl like His little child.
I finished my run on high spirits.
Thank You, Lord for the endogenous endorphins; just what I needed today.
Writing at a Level that a Child can Read and Understand: A Rule for Every Copywriter
Cupcakes are muffins that believed in miracles.
I laughed at these very simple but profound statement printed on the box that housed delicious cupcakes, cakes, and biscuits from the Silos Baking Co.
We were on our way to San Antonio, TX from Dallas and we thought it would be nice to have breakfast at this much-much-celebrated place in Waco called Magnolia Market. Apart from this bakery with a long queue, food trucks flanked the market complex and a playground with tables and benches in the open ground.
Who would have thought that a simple idea bred out of a woman's passion would give birth to this success slowly evolving into a tradition?
And that's God's promise to those who pursue one's passion and purpose: a life of fullness and abundance. The closer you get to your purpose, the happier you become.
And I thought about writing—my passion and purpose. I've never been happier with my work until now. I know I am drawing closer to my purpose, each day I write.
Last Wednesday, it was 88F outside, but I abandoned the treadmill and headed for the park. I was glad to be home. The three-day break rejuvenated me, but I longed for my routine once again—pray, run, read and write.
I ran in silence, enjoying the warm air. I had the park to myself. Suddenly, I saw in my mind a funnel.
What was that?
"God wants you to be a funnel."
It was my angel.
"He gave you a gift—the ability to devour books and understand the complicated."
He was right. It was a gift. "Why did He give me that gift?"
"He wants you to distil all the things that you've read and come up with the essentials. Like a funnel, open and wide at the top, you shall only pour out in digestible amounts the things He wants to your narrow bottom. Make the complicated simple."
I understood. I was once a research nurse. I rewrote many informed consents to readable level—7th grade. To do this, I employed the Flesch-Kincaid and Fry readability formulas.
I also gave a talk on how to create readable informed consents at the Health Care Education Association Conference. I didn't expect to find educators having trouble making this paragraph simple during the workshop portion:
This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial that aims to test the hypothesis that the investigational drug XYZ100 can alter the course of disease ABC by delaying progression of myocardial fibrosis and reducing ambulatory deterioration.
I was surprised when they clapped at my simplified version.
This is a study that will test whether study drug XYZ100 will reduce heart scarring and delay loss of ability to walk. You will be assigned to two groups in a random manner. This is like drawing lots or flipping a coin. One group will receive the study drug and another group will receive the placebo. Placebo is not a drug but it looks and tastes like a real drug. It is sometimes called a sugar pill or starch pill. This is a double-blind study. This means that neither you nor your study doctor will know what drug you are receiving.
"Don't think your past experiences were for nothing. God uses all your existing skills and abilities to build His kingdom."
I was excited. "So what am I to do?"
"Speak about the kingdom in the language of a child for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
"Oh..."
"Remember St Therese of Lisieux?
"Yes, she made sanctity simple and easy. She wrote The Story of a Soul as a simple testimony, her story. That's why it became a best-seller," I said.
This way of writing is also what attracted me to copywriting. Copywriters write to push people to action. It's direct response marketing and not mere advertising. And the power of this type of writing lies on the credibility of the testimony.
And I realized, the Scripture writers were the greatest copywriters in the world. With their testimonies, billions had come to believe in Jesus. And as a Christian copywriter, this was part of my call, to testify to the Lord's work in my life. My message can only evoke a response from the reader when it is personal, simple and credible. Readers can smell a fake from afar. And if not, they'd do when they come near.
"How did St. Therese surmount the steep summit of perfection?" my angel broke into my reverie.
"A lift." That was how she described it.
"How different, Lord, are the paths along which You guide souls!" she had written in The Story of a Soul. "In the lives of the saints, we find many who left nothing behind them… but there are others, like our Mother St. Teresa, who have enriched the Church by their teaching. They were not afraid to reveal "the secrets of the King," so that souls, by knowing Him better, would love Him more… Unfortunately, when I have compared myself with the saints, I have always found that there is the same difference between the saints and me as there is between a mountain whose summit is lost in the clouds and a humble grain of sand trodden underfoot by passers-by."
"Instead of being discouraged, I told myself: God would not make me wish for something impossible, and so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint," she wrote. "It is impossible for me to grow bigger, so I put up with myself as I am, with all my countless faults. But I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new. We live in an age of invention. We need no longer climb laboriously up flights of stairs; in well-to-do houses there are lifts. And I was determined to find a lift to carry me to Jesus, for I was far too small to climb the steep stairs of perfection. So I sought in Holy Scripture some idea of what this lift I wanted would be, and I read these words from the very mouth of eternal Wisdom: "Whosoever is a little one, let him come to me." I drew nearer to God fully realizing that I had found what I was looking for. I also wanted to know how God would deal with a "little one," so I continued my search and found this: "You shall be carried at the breasts and upon the knees; as one whom the mother caresseth, so I will comfort you."
And this was the core of St. Therese of the Child Jesus' simple spirituality, and why she was embraced by all, this little flower. She would add, "Never before had I been gladdened by such sweet and tender words. It is Your arms, Jesus, which are the lift to carry me to heaven. And so there is no need for me to grow up. In fact, just the opposite: I must stay little and become less and less."
"This is hard," I told my guardian angel. "But probably the only way to pass through the eye of the needle, to be little."
"With man, it is impossible. But anything and everything is possible with God," he said.
He was right. I remembered just the other day when I dropped off my daughter at school, the traffic officer blew his whistle vigorously at me for trying to make a right pass (which was normally allowed during regular school days, but apparently not during summer classes). My blood boiled, and I was tempted to ignore him. At the same time, I felt the gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit calming my nerves. And the Spirit won and fanned down the angry flames in my eyes. I felt something die within me as I maneuvered the car to obey the traffic enforcer's bidding.
"You just chipped off a piece of your mortal shell," my angel had said.
"So is this how I am to kill the old man?"
"Yes. Each time you swallow your pride, bite your tongue from saying hurtful and angry words, overcome your weakness, you break off a piece of your sinful mortal shell, and the light within you is able to pierce out into the darkness of your earthly existence."
An antiviral, my antidote, I thought.
"Among the many," he had said.
"The Body and Blood of Jesus I took this morning, it healed me. The words 'Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, (this house that is mostly in disarray and dirty), but only say the word, and my soul will be healed,' did its purpose.”
Yes, those were the very same words the centurion told Jesus when he asked the Lord to heal his servant. His words amazed Jesus because the Roman soldier manifested a faith in Jesus’ authority over the spirits even from afar. It was Paulo Coelho who brought this to my attention in his book, The Alchemist.
"That is the most potent antidote to your viral illness. When He enters your body, He melts the mortal shell and thins it out," my angel said.
I envisioned His resurrection, and how the severe light pierced through His dead and mortal body, burning it into dust, leaving only the wounds that He bore as evidence of His former human body and how He assumed His Divine body that even Mary Magdalene did not recognize Him and thought He was the gardener.
"But why do some people remain wicked despite the fact that they receive His body and blood regularly?" I asked, and added to myself, just like me.
"Because venial and mortal sins thicken the mortal shell. As soon as He melts the shell away, these foolish men and women run out and cover their body with the filth of slander, malice, deceit, lies and these loathsome clothing as though they could not do without it for just a single day. So they lose the grace that His mystical presence provides. Because as I told you, it is by man's cooperative will that he is to be saved. God already opened the door for him, but he needs to make a move to enter the door of salvation and stay inside. More often than not, he ignores the open door. Worst for some, they enter and then decide to go out, lured by their former lives like the Israelites who clamored to Moses to go back to Egypt and eat the food of slaves rather than be in the desert of purification and eat the manna from heaven that the Lord provided freely. The foolishness of man…" I could sense my angel shaking his head in frustration.
So this is the reason why I also need to be cleaned regularly through the Sacrament of Confession.
I remembered Fr. Dom Gueranger's writing in the Liturgical Year, "It is the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts for the sole purpose of forming Christ, the New Man, within us, to the end that we may be united with Him forever as His members."
I imagine Him building Himself within me piece by piece, cell by cell, and the Holy Spirit gluing His pieces together until one day He will completely possess me. But each time I sin, the glue weakens. So I must strive to be loving to strengthen the glue. With the grace of the Holy Spirit, this love is infused with much warmth and fire.
"The Holy Spirit unceasingly shows His disciple the Great Original Whom he is to copy, namely Jesus, in Whom are all the virtues in all perfection." These words from Fr. Gueranger's book struck me.
It spurred me to deeper reflection. As we are a cell in God's most Holy Body, we embody a piece of God's perfection. When we perfect ourselves, we glorify God because we manifest a piece of His perfection on earth. We must encourage each other to be perfect because it makes God's image clearer to us, like putting pieces of the puzzle together to make a whole picture—God's Holy Image.
To imprint the message deeper in my soul, the priest in his homily gave a fresh take on the gospel reading about paying taxes, when Jesus had asked whose image was on the coin. And the reply was Caesar's and He had said, "Give to Caesars what is Caesars and to God what belongs to God." The priest then asked, "if the coin held Caesar's image, what holds God's image that should be given back to God?"
After a brief pause, he said, "WE hold God's image… Therefore, we must give our entire being back to God."
I was deeply moved to the core of my being.
God does not just want a piece of me or just a part of my life. He wants all of me; Everything that I am, I owe it back to God.
Total surrender.
And St Therese did just that, as a child, she surrendered herself and entrusted her whole being to God.
Do with me as you please.
"You are a muffin right now. But God dreams that you shall become a beautiful cupcake—"
"Someday…" I sighed.
"He wants you to see that dream, share that dream and even live that dream now, not someday, when you're no longer living this earthly life, but now, so people will see that Jesus can truly bring the dead back to life, can perform wondrous miracles in the here and now—"
"—can turn muffins into cupcakes now," I added with a smile. If He can multiply the fish and bread, He can definitely turn this muffin into a cupcake.
I sighed and took a bite off the delectable cupcake. And I sighed with pleasure.
"God's pleasure will be immense when He sees your transformation from a muffin to a cupcake."
My heart dilated with joy because I believed.
And that's all it takes for a miracle to happen.
Finding Your Niche, Embracing Your Passion, Owning Your Identity and Redefining Your Purpose
Last Wednesday morning, the Feast of the Ascension, I joined the mini-retreat for moms. Fr. Nathan Cromly of the Eagle Eye Ministries talked about Eagle Moms. And I thought, what a powerful image—a mom with an eye of an eagle, looking out for her eaglet even from afar. This image stuck with me because I have an eaglet who'd soon be flying out of my nest and going to college.
That evening, at Galleria Mall, five much-sought-after schools sent out their admission representatives to talk about college applications and admission: Harvard, Standford, Georgetown, Duke and Penn State.
My daughter, who is a Junior, is looking at these schools. I always tell her, in an echo of what my college teacher had once told us, “Aim for the moon, so when you fall, you will land on the trees. Don’t just aim for the trees, for you may land on the ground.”
And so there we were. My daughter sat beside me, listening.
Come Q&A and here was my little eaglet, the second who would raise her hand amidst hundreds of students and parents in a huge ballroom of the Westin Hotel. And she asked, "What are you looking for in an applicant?"
I smiled and thought, that was a very simple question, but probably the one question that hounded all these students and parents who attended the event, and it drew the whole panel to give their thorough and comprehensive answers. And these were the answers (not verbatim because I did not transcribe, but as how it was ingrained in my mind):
“No, we don't look at just the SAT and ACT scores, although these are part of the criteria, and would ensure that the student would be able to handle the rigor of our academic load.”
“And no, we don't look at just the transcripts either, but these too would also reveal their historical performance, their consistency, and discipline with which they would handle academic responsibility.”
“The above two are just quantitative and objective measurements that we look at the bare minimum.”
“We are looking for something more because many students would be able to meet the above criteria. But what would set a student apart from the others?”
“We look at the student as a whole person.”
“No, we're not just looking at the well-rounded student, the student who is involved in many different and varied extra-curricular activities. We want to see the quality of the involvement of these students, not jut mere memberships and attendance to multitudes of clubs.”
“We also look at the well-angled student, the one who would own her passion and purpose, the one who would have the drive to go beyond what is expected of the norm, and push herself to be good at what she is doing and even not be afraid to explore and expand her own capabilities.”
“In short, we want to see a student who is deeply in touch with his identity and uniqueness--
...one who would embrace his voice that would show up in his essay,
...one who is deeply authentic to excel in his field of interest and endeavor,
...one who is true to himself,
because this student will make the greatest good and impact in the society.”
And I guess, for all of these schools, that's one thing that they hope to be their legacy, to send out men and women who can make a difference to the society as a whole.
Quoting Oscar Wilde, one of the speakers said, “Be yourself, because everyone else is already taken."
And I admire these institutions of excellence. I perceive that they see themselves as fertile soils for seeds to grow. But first, the seeds (these students) must know what kind of plant they are and will turn out to be and seek the right kind of soil where they will thrive, flourish and bloom.
"Be yourself."
This is the same message God had been telling me this week.
When the Lord had not spoken through my angel, He spoke through events, through people around me, through books and through the priest in his homily, when he told the graduating students, "This is not the end; it is just the beginning of another phase in your life. You will be sent out there to fly."
I thought of my daughter, my eaglet, who will soon be set free from my nest, to be trained to become an eagle, out there in college.
What can I give her?
Have I given enough?
She still has many questions left unanswered. The eagle mom in me longs to protect her from the strong wind of the world that may confuse her, from the predators that may harm her, and from the vicious hunters that may kill her spirit and identity. But she must fly if she is to become an eagle herself. I cannot clip her wings and tie her to my nest. I can only equip her and send her out to face the necessary elements that will make her strong and soar the sky with confidence.
And even if, someday, she does not become an eagle mom in the metaphoric sense of the word, she will certainly become a spiritual mother to someone, for all women are called to be that at every stage in our journeys. Spiritual nurturing is part of our call because eaglets—male and female alike cannot soar the sky without the eagle moms who would nurture them.
In my writing, I too have learned to embrace my identity. I found my niche.
In my spiritual journey, I have searched for my faith, and it led me to many places…
to a school run by the RVM sisters where my faith would bud,
to the Born-again Fundamentalist Movement, where my faith would be challenged and deepened,
to the Catholic Charismatic Movement, where my faith would transform and burn,
to the Catholic Defenders of the Philippines, where my faith's questions would be answered,
to the Focolare Movement where my faith would expand and embrace other faiths,
to the Opus Dei where my faith would seek its roots and traditions,
to the Carmelite monastery where my faith would be nurtured with divine contemplation,
to the Jesuit volunteer program where my faith would express itself into action,
to the Dominican medical education where my faith would preach through the healing ministry, and so on and so forth…
My faith has expanded and yet has remained deeply grounded in my heritage and my identity. And I have learned to embrace my faith.
I am a Catholic.
And I love my religion…
no matter the imperfect people in it,
the pretentiousness of some and the blasphemy of the others,
the sacrilege and scandal that some have brought to this religion.
Because I also have seen people who are deeply faithful and pious. I’ve seen the devoted, the profound, the mystics, the Desert Fathers, the wise, the happy, the joyful, loving, and the humble… these small and great saints alike who would be salt and light to the world.
I love the mysteries of this religion… because it makes me more in touch with my humanity and limitations. It makes me accept that there will always be things in this world that I cannot fathom and answer…
Like how the Bread and Wine would turn into the real Body and Blood of Christ, that would heal my spiritual disease and transform my body into His body, the viral antidote to my weakness and sinfulness...
His Body in me, His Blood in me, and His Cells in me,
Because what I eat, I become.
Him in me,
Transforming me.
I go to Church not for the music, because even without the uplifting effect of this, there is something more that uplifts me.
Not for the preacher, because even when this fail,
there is something more that will speak in and to me,
Not just for the community and fellowship,
because even when this too shall fail,
there is something more that binds me to Him.
I go because of His real and physical presence in the Eucharist, He, Who nourishes me, no matter where I am, no matter the language with which the Mass is spoken and celebrated, no matter who the priest who celebrates it.
The Eucharist is the same in form and substance,
Universal,
One Body,
One Faith,
One Baptism in Christ.
Because He had promised and He fulfilled His promise: "I shall be with You until the End of time."
And for me as a Catholic, it is in the Blessed Sacrament, the tabernacle where He assumes the form of the bread so my humanity could be united with His Divinity in the most physical sense.
And I know this is hard to accept and He had said so. In fact, many of His disciples deserted Him when He started talking about `eating His flesh and drinking His blood.' It’s something that logic and reasoning cannot comprehend.
But isn't that what faith is all about? When you no longer go by what logic and reason would tell you?
And as soon as I have embraced this identity, I found my niche—a Christian Catholic writer.
Catholicism is where I’m fed and nurtured. This is what I understand and what makes the greatest sense for me. This is where I thrive. This is where I give back.
But just when I thought I understood it all, my angel spoke, "You have not fully understood what it is to be Catholic."
And he surprised me. "You've not spoken much lately," I said.
I sensed his smile, and he said, "Because you've been doing much of the talking."
"I’m sorry."
"Don't be. It is to be. Now that you’ve found your voice use it for God's greater glory and honor. Do not stifle your spirit anymore. Speak with freedom and liberty. As long as you’re confident of God's love burning in your mouth. All the words—whether praise or rebuke, whether words of encouragement or enlightenment—it shall fulfill its purpose, for the love that wraps around each word would be like a balm. Even though the words may be like a sharp sword that would cut through the heart, the healing balm of kindness, mercy, forgiveness and love shall instantly dress the wound and make it whole again. Nothing that comes from the mouth of the Lord will cause chaos and disunity but only to those hearts who are not yet ready. So discern the proper time when you shall speak in the name of the Lord because there is a proper time and there is necessary preparation for it, the way Queen Esther prayed and fasted for three days before she took upon herself to speak to the King on the people's behalf. You must also assume that same spirit of humility and submission to the Holy Spirit within you, to only go when summoned by the Lord and to speak only when prompted. With freedom comes restraint and prudence so you may know that what you do, you do for the glory of the Lord and not to satisfy yourself."
I turned to him and asked him. "So what is it that I have not yet understood about my religion?"
"It is all Universal and All-embracing."
I sat astounded, and the words of the Lord came upon me. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God."
It came to me that as a Catholic, I must be all-embracing of all faiths. To embrace people of different faiths and seek to understand their faith is part of my Catholic identity.
“You must look for what unites and not what separates,” my angel said.
Then I came to understand, and my eyes were opened.
I saw how the people of other faith religions are in quest of the same thing—they are all in search of their identity, their purpose, the meaning of their lives, how to express their passion, to live for something bigger than themselves. They are all in search for God.
Even the pagans and the unlearned who have no knowledge of God would manifest this inner desire and this search by worshiping the sun or nature for lack of knowledge of whom to worship.
"They just have this inner instinct to worship something bigger than themselves. And how apt that they should find the sun to represent You, my Lord," I whispered in awe. "For aren't You like the sun, my Lord? Planets, the stars, the moon and other celestial bodies have their places in our milky way and revolve around the sun in such an orderly fashion. And as long as they stay where they should be and rotate in the manner that they are to rotate, everything is in order and harmony. But when one stays out of their own orbit then they collide with the others and cause harm and damage. Aren't we like those planets and celestial bodies, my Lord? We have our own place in this vast universe. It is so big that we should not even worry about using someone else's space. Yet when we stay out of our own orbit, that's when chaos happens and when we hurt ourselves and others. If only we are more mindful of the sun, that is You, our God, as the center of our existence, to revolve and rotate around You in a focused way, we would all live in unity, harmony, and peace."
"Truly, oh Lord, in our differences and uniqueness we can only come to unity with You and in You, because we are all made in your image and likeness. Only in You shall we achieve that oneness of body, mind, and spirit.
But to those who refuse your Lordship, who refuse to acknowledge their identity as Your mirror image, who refuse to surrender to Your love, who considers themselves or the world as their masters, you shall become like a sword that would divide—divide the father from the son, the mother from the daughter, the siblings from each other, for they shall not be of one mind and purpose. They shall be pursuing their own purposes and interests.
Only under Your Lordship shall we all be united—You, being the vine and us your branches. Apart from You, we separate ourselves from the body that is the Church. And You do not want to scatter but rather gather your people so we may all be one just as You and the Father are one. In humility, obedience, and self-knowledge we will all come together in peace, unity, and harmony."
Today, the Sunday of the Ascension, we remember the great event of Jesus gloriously embracing and claiming His full identity as Son of God and Son of Man—True God and True Man.
By assuming His throne in Heaven, He opened the gates of heaven to mankind again and gave him back his full stature of being a child of God. Jesus had united mankind once again to the Father. He had undone the separation that happened at the Garden of Eden when man rejected God and disobeyed His command, and in turn, God had rejected man and cast him out of the Garden. The Feast of the Ascension is the turnaround of the casting out of mankind from heaven. Today celebrates the opening of the Gate of Eden to mankind, and anyone who believes in this mystery will be welcomed.
And it is our duty as Christians to spread this good news to everyone. We are not to close the gates of heaven to people because Jesus had opened it to everyone. Who are we to do that? Our role on this earth is to invite as many people to enter heaven and come to eternal life. For what is eternal life?
"This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ (John 17:1-11)."
That is eternal life—full knowledge of God.
And that is our duty according to the Lord before He ascended, "to go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."
This was His specific command…
To make disciples of our children, of our family, of our friends and relatives, of everyone by making sure they are baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit—no matter what Christian denomination.
We have received One Baptism.
That is the source of unity of all Christians that we are all baptized in the same manner, with water, in the name of the Holy Trinity.
But we do not stop there, we are to teach them to observe what Jesus had commanded … and what is His greatest commandment?
“Jesus had replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
“Yes, this is how you are to teach men,” my angel said, “because love is the universal language that crosses all borders and barriers of dialect, race, culture, age, gender and all your differences. Love is the one that would unite mankind. It is your common identity because God is love. You must mirror His image, that is love. Let there be love and there shall be peace, unity and harmony. And that is your identity and the one thing you should seek to achieve in self-knowledge—to know how to be love in the middle of everything, how to express your love.”
“Your identity and purpose mix and intermingle with the means that you use to express love to God and to His children,” he continued. “You can express it in various ways—your work, your everyday activities, your writing, the songs that you sing, and so on and so forth, but it only becomes the perfect way of expression when done in the light of God, when done for His greater glory, purpose and in accordance to His will. Knowledge of God as the Perfect Image is a prerequisite for the knowledge of you as His mirror image.”
As though to reinforce the message, I hear in my mind St. Catherine of Siena again, saying, "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."
And St. Francis de Sales, "Do not wish to be anything but what you are and try to be that perfectly."
And St. Therese of Lisieux, “Perfection consists in doing His will, in being that which He wants us to be.
And finally, St. Peter, the first Pope as he spoke in 1Peter 4:8-11, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."
And my angel finally said, “To be a saint is simply to be true to yourself, to your identity as a child of God.”
To heed to Jesus' prayer that all may be one as the He and Father is one.
To dispel the spirit that separates us and embrace the spirit that unites us
For in the end we are all in this same journey
Seeking our purpose
Seeking the meaning of our life here on earth
Seeking for fulfilment
Seeking for real happiness, peace, joy, love, belongingness
Wanting to live a life of purpose, of leaving a true and lasting legacy to the world
Seeking for the power bigger than ourselves
These are the things that unite us
And I as a Catholic will strive to live as one,
To embrace all faith without losing my own
To embrace all tradition without losing my own
To embrace all race, gender, beliefs without losing my own sense of identity and giving up my own beliefs.
"It is a tight rope to tread," I said.
"That's why you need the power of the Holy Spirit because it is that power that will make people believe, through the signs and wonders manifested through His power. It is the only way that people will come to believe in what you believe in."
The power of the Holy Spirit.
Forty days ago, I found my voice and came out a new man through the power of His Resurrection.
Today, I embrace my true identity as an heir through His Ascension. Now, I look forward to Pentecost, to be empowered to live out this call and identity, so I can fulfill that part of my call.
I have received, now I must give.
It is not enough to enbrace Him as my personal Lord and Savior. I am called to embrace everyone as He embraced them all in His love.
I can only love in the same way through the power of His Spirit.
The Paraclete is coming that He may unite all men into one family. Let us put an end to our dissensions and prove ourselves to be members of the brotherhood established by the preaching of the Gospel.
"Be prudent and watch in prayer so the Holy Spirit may come upon you in His fullness," my angel said. "Remember what Jesus had said, "'When the spirit comes, the spirit of truth, He will give testimony of me and you shall give testimony'."
"He is the power of the Most High so you too will have power and not rely in your own strength and own wisdom. Everything shall come from the Spirit."
My heart swelled in excitement and I thought, "The Spirit will help us become Soldiers of Light to combat against three enemies -- the devil, the world and ourselves (our vile weaknesses and earthly passions and inclinations)."
Let us therefore desire to receive Him and we who have already received Him in the Sacrament of Confirmation must prepare ourselves to be imbued with the grace to release His power within us so He may no longer be stifled by fear, ignorance and concupiscence.
Now I understand when you say, my Lord:
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:12)
Edit, Edit, Edit: The Art of Not Giving Up
I woke up from my dream.
I was in a running race, and when a lot of runners had slowed down to a walk, I was still running. The song Titanium played in the background. It kept me going and drove my feet on the pavement, up and down the road. God had used that song a million times to inspire me to go on.
I am Titanium. You shoot me down, but I won't fall. I am Titanium.
And in my dream, I had gained distance and ran with the leaders of the race. And I woke up.
God had spoken in my dream, through the song.
Yesterday I was filled with self-doubt about my writing. I had gotten feedbacks, and I had to rewrite the first few chapters, again, for the nth time; I could no longer remember.
The dream reminded me. I’m bulletproof, nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away.
He wanted me to keep on writing, keep on standing even when bullets of criticisms shoot me and machine guns of editorial comments about the draft barrage me. He wanted me to be bulletproof from these, to harden myself from the blows. He reminded me that for as long as I still feel sensitive about my work, I had not arrived at the detachment that was required of me. I still considered it to be my work. Yet, I knew even though I wrote it, the message was not mine. I was just a `hand piece'. But I was an imperfect one. So the message was delivered in an imperfect style that still needed to be perfected. And it was that style that was being targeted, skinned and tested in the fire so the message can shine. That was why it hurt because it was my style in the line of fire. I had to keep on trying until I achieved that perfect style, rewrite and edit relentlessly.
And at one point, I just wanted to cry and give up. This draft was rejected early last year. And I took the blow so hard that I hibernated and shoved the work in the shelves. It gathered dust for a long time. I only picked it up after a year. Why? Because it kept on beckoning me. And I will never be able to rest until I heeded that voice that kept telling me I need to write that book.
Clarity. Another song that hit me when I was running. I didn’t know why that song pierced my heart when I had no relationship of that sort, tragic or insane, that would make me relate to that song. And yet the lyrics nagged and my eyes watered. And then it hit me.
You are a piece of me, I wish I didn't need
Chasing relentlessly, still fight and I don't know why.
If our love is tragedy why are you my remedy
If our love's insanity why are you my clarity.
It was my writing dream, that piece of me that I wished I didn't need, that I've been chasing relentlessly and still fought, and I didn't know why. Yes, my writing dream had remained to be my remedy for this soul that ached to express itself in this world of noise. My writing dream was my insanity and yet also my clarity.
And when I realized it, I cried. I cried my heart out. There was no escaping my writing dream. It will continue to nag and bug until I heeded its voice, my writing dream.
And then the next song played, Don't You Worry, Child, the song that my Lord would use to comfort me.
Don't you worry child, heaven has a plan for you. Don't you worry now.
Three songs spoke to me. And now, it was speaking again to comfort me, encourage and tell me not to give up, that this road will have a lot of challenges and hurdles, the road to my writer's life. And just like running, my body will ache, my muscles will turn sore, my breath will run out but I only need to put one foot in front of the other and continue running, and I will reach my goal of 30 minutes every day.
One word at a time, and I shall achieve my goal, that too.
I remembered the book, The Artful Edit. It used Gatsby as an example. Fitzgerald, the author, edited his book for probably a million times, who knows, until he thought it was perfect and it was published and had become a classic. So successful was it that it had become a must-read book in high school, part of the curriculum for English composition and literature. And yet now, editors would still find many things in it that still could be edited to make it better, because the rules had changed, the styles had changed. And the two other books I had read on editing would speak about these changes in styles: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers and The First Five Pages.
Then my daughter pointed out that these books may have run out of style too. They were published in 2007, 2004 and 2000 respectively. And I cringed because I had depended so much on these three books when I edited the entire manuscript the third time since I picked it up early this year.
Too fast pace, lacking the main character's voice, too much information—these were my daughter's observations of my first chapter of the manuscript. All these required another rewrite. And with the last one, I discarded the entire first chapter and started with a blank page. I realized, the voice of my character in chapter 25 was so different from the one in chapter 1. He had opened himself like a rose, and started as a bud that slowly and silently bloomed before my eyes.
I shoved my hands into my hair and cradled my head. When will this editing stop?
“You're pulling your hair again.”
I jolted. He was back, my angel. "You weren't around to hold my hands," I told him.
Yes, these past few days, I've been running on my own. Inspirations came in glimpses and were like flashes of light. I felt like my angel of inspiration deserted me. "You said you would not, but you did."
The tone of my voice challenged him. I realized I was wrestling with my guardian angel again, just like Jacob. He wrestled and wrestled until the break of day.Then the angel struck his hip, when it was apparent that Jacob would prevail over him. But in the end, Jacob sought the angel's blessing, for he was God's face in human form. Yes, I can wrestle with my angel and even with God, but in the end, I knew I needed God's blessings, and I know He'd bestow it through His angel.
"I never left you. I just did not talk," he said.
"Because you didn't want me to. If there's one command the Lord had stressed more than the others, it's to respect your will. I was to watch and guard your every step and protect you, but I must respect your will."
“My will?” And then I realized I had doubted his identity, his presence, and existence. And I thought I was better off without listening to his voice because I may be led astray and be deceived if I discerned him wrong. So he remained silent. He respected my will.
"Forgive me. I doubted you." I'm amazed he had not struck me like the angel who struck Zechariah dumb when he doubted the angel's message.
"If it had been Gabriel the Archangel, yes, he would have struck you dumb," my angel said. "But no, you're not Zechariah, and I'm not an archangel. I am your guardian angel."
Zechariah. He mentioned it as though to remind me of another Zechariah.
"I read the book of Zechariah, and I realized I had not given you the respect that you deserve, my lord," I said. Yes, that was how Zechariah addressed his angel—my lord, with small letters, not capitalized one, to distinguish him from the Lord.
"You are my angel," I said, "but you're also a mighty being created by the Lord to be His hands to guide me and protect me. I have not treated you accordingly, according to your stature. Forgive me for my insolence, my lord. You’re His divine representative here on earth. You’re His emissary. You do as He says. My mind cannot fathom the mysteries, and I will not delve into it unless you enlighten me. You have knowledge of good and evil. You chose to obey the Lord and remained in Him and with Him. Therefore you’re an extension of Him, like His hands that will not move of its own accord, unless willed by the Lord, its owner. I, therefore, submit to your counsel and guidance as I submit to the Lord."
"Your repentance is your forgiveness," he said. "I do not condemn you. Neither will the Lord. In the end, the words that you speak, all the words, will be the ones that will condemn you at the end of your life. So be careful and choose to be silent unless heeded and summoned to speak. And speak only what you deem to be true, for there is no guilt in innocence."
"And what if I speak something that is not true without meaning to, when I make a mistake?”
"Truth seeks the light, so falsehood is exposed. And truth thrives in humility. Admit your mistake, make amends and recompense and move on."
"And how do I know when it's truth and not a lie that I speak?"
"A tree is known by the fruit it bears. Truth bears the fruits of peace and joy."
"Peace and joy," I whispered.
"And humility, most importantly,” he said. “So why were you pulling your hair again?
“I had to rewrite Chapter 1 of my manuscript.”
“Version 5.0?”
He knew. "I'm tired of editing and rewriting. When will it ever be good enough? I have gone through it so many times. It has been ingrained in my mind, the characters lived and breathed with me. I used these three books on editing—"
"Three, that is a good sign," he said.
The Power of Three, I thought and smiled.
“But will I ever be good enough?”
“You offend the Lord when you say that!”
I shuddered at the ominous tone in my angel's voice. It was a grave warning.
“Everything that the Lord had created was good. He declared it to be good. It is false humility, a lie to say you can never be good enough, to say that you are not good enough. You are the mirror image of the Lord. Understand that? A mirror... of His Divine Image.”
I shook and trembled as I nodded my head. My angel sounded terrible to my spirit's ears.
“And like a mirror, you are nothing when you do not behold His image. Did you hear me? Nothing. But when you behold His image you are everything. You shall reflect all His goodness, His kindness, His greatness, and His love. Understand? You can be everything in Him.”
“Yes, yes, I can be everything in Him. But without Him I am nothing.” I cried and trembled.
My angel relented and said in a softer voice that comforted me, “You are His masterpiece. He, the Author of your life will not grow tired of editing you, His grand masterpiece. Each time you make a mistake, He will pick up the eraser and wipe away your mistakes. Each time you write a crooked line, He will straighten it. Each time. Each time. You are His masterpiece. You understand, dear child? He wants you to be perfect just as He is perfect.”
Tears streamed down my face. “He will not grow tired of editing me?”
“No. Never.”
“Remember your three songs,” he said. “Play it whenever you feel discouraged. And the three books, read and reread until your work had become a masterpiece. Do not grow tired and weary because He did not grow tired and weary with you, His masterpiece in the making.”
I nodded and wiped away my tears. My heart dilated from the breath of God's fresh air. Don't you worry, child, heaven has a plan for you. My weakened muscles started to move. I am Titanium. Shoot me down, and I won't fall. I will chase relentlessly because writing is my clarity.
“Did you know that that song is also Jesus' song for you?”
“Clarity. You are a piece of Him that He’s been chasing relentlessly.”
I cried at the thought. It shook me to the bones because in my mind I imagined and saw Jesus, heard Him as though He spoke the words of the song, `If our love is tragedy why are you my remedy?’ He thirsted for me and my love. And this thirst, I had the power to quench. I was His remedy for His thirst.
Jesus, on the cross, mangled and bleeding was a great tragedy. He had cried `I thirst,’ and in my mind, He seemed to speak, `If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity.’ Insanity, indeed that this Lord of heaven and earth should come down and take the form of man, the all-powerful and Almighty God to become the all-helpless baby. That only proved how much He loved me, His clarity, that He loved me tremendously, enough to leave Heaven and live on earth so I can live in heaven when I leave earth. And He did it all for me because I was His masterpiece in the making. He laid down His life for me. I was His clarity. I showed Him what He was willing to do to save me, the immensity of His love. He laid down His life for me.
I picked up my pen and started rewriting.
I will also not grow tired of editing and revising until this masterpiece was good enough. No, not just good enough. Until it was perfect before His eyes because He will make it perfect when I could not.
I did not want to make a disposable trinket. I wanted a diamond that would glitter in the sunlight, a masterpiece. Right now I still see gold wrapped in ore. I was the ore, and God's message the gold. Fire needed to burn the ore and it will hurt because I was the ore. I will have to die, so the Lord's message will emerge pure… pure gold, to die to myself as He died for me.
No longer will I ask how long still or how much more edits still? My Lord will declare the time, and I shall wait.
In the meantime, I will continue to edit, edit and edit and I will not give up until this piece had become a true masterpiece, worthy to be called the Lord's masterpiece. In the process, I too will grow to be God's masterpiece, the Lord's hand piece for His message.
The Use of Signs and Symbols in Enriching Writer's Content
"I never realized until now that the Bible would have so many signs and symbols. It's like a treasure buried by the inspired authors," I told my angel. "The frankincense, myrrh, and gold—it's amazing that these symbolize Christ's role as priest, prophet, and king."
"And mirrors your call as priest, prophet, and king."
I thought that was right.
I had a call to pray and worship -- priestly role,
to preach, teach and spread the Good News-- prophetic role,
and the call to serve and minister through my work-- kingly role.
"The Power of Three," he said, and I laughed.
Indeed, there it was again.
"You know why the use of signs and symbols?" he said.
I raised my eyebrows. Why, indeed?
"Because you don't want to throw pearls to the pigs who would merely trample on these treasures. Some truths are hard to swallow, so you hide it in symbols. The graver the truth, the more powerful the symbol. But be careful with symbols because some meanings of symbols change through time and events."
“The cross used to be a symbol of shame,” he continued. “Death through the cross used to be very demeaning and associated with heinous crimes. But Jesus changed its meaning. Now the symbol of the cross means salvation and freedom from our crimes and sins. The cross is honored and glorified in memory of Him who allowed himself to be hanged on such a demeaning wood, a tree so that those who embrace this tree, this cross will have life. It is the antidote for the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil which gave us death. This is the tree of life, the cross, and its fruit is Jesus, our source of eternal life. Just like the symbol of the serpent, which used to denote evil and the cause of our death. But when Moses took a serpent and mounted it on a pole, it denoted healing for those who believed.”
“But there are times when something becomes both a symbol and a sign, like the cross. The symbol of the cross had become the Sign of the Cross. Why do you make the sign of the Cross? Remember the door post that the Israelites had to mark with the blood of the lamb, so the angel of death will pass over them and spare their firstborn child from death? In the same manner, the Sign of the Cross marks you as a child who had been saved by the shedding of the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus.”
“It is a sign of salvation. So do not be ashamed to make the Sign of the Cross. By it, you mark yourself as a child of God. Early Christians signaled to other Christians their belief through the Sign of the Cross. It was a sign that they are to gather together at some catacomb and celebrate the breaking of the bread, away from the eyes of Roman soldiers who were ordered to kill them. It was a powerful sign of unity and community, of fellowship that they belonged to a church that believed in one faith—that Jesus Christ had risen and is alive, among them, with them and in them through the breaking of the bread. So make the Sign of the Cross with as much reverence as you have in your heart for by the Cross you have been saved.”
“Don't make the Sign of the Cross in haste like you are swatting and shooing away flies, mosquitoes, and gnats.”
I lowered my head, ashamed and nodded.
"So do you know the difference between a sign and a symbol?"
I sat in silence. No, I didn’t. "That is a good question," I said.
"Funny how you compliment me to hide your ignorance."
I turned red—a sign of my pretentiousness. "Alright, I don't know. That is really a good question because I don't know how to answer that. My best guess is that a symbol is a subjective representation of a belief. It can change. When it has transformed into an objective representation of truth and reality, it becomes a sign."
"So bury the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God through signs and symbols,” he said, “just like the parables. So they will look but not see, and they will hear but not understand."
I marveled at this. "And it is through the Holy Spirit that I'm able to decode the hidden message, to unearth a parable within a parable, within a parable."
I remembered the Russian doll. You pry open one and inside you find the same doll but smaller. And when you open it, you find another smaller one, and so on and so forth.
And it came to me, another hidden meaning for the Parable of the Sower for a writer like me.
His words of inspirations would fall on many aspiring writers. But the words would fall on different paths—the unbelieving hearts, the rocky ground where the word will be received with joy but they have no root, so they fall away in the time of trial, and then there are those writers who hear but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit.
"I don't want to be those kinds of writers," I told my angel. "I want to be a rich soil where His words of inspiration will bear fruit and nourish my readers. I want to be a moist and fertile soil."
"And you shall be, for as long as you continue to drink the water of prayer, bodily disciplines, and spiritual reading,” he said. “God will nurture the word with His living water, air and light."
I smiled in my musings. There it was again, water. Leitmotiv.
"And symbolism," my angel added, reading my thoughts. "If He is the living water, you shall be like a mikvah."
"What?" Then I remembered Anne Rice's book. She described mikvah as a pool that the Jews used for purification where water flows and drains continuously.
So if I am to inspire as a writer, I need to be like a vessel that captures the water and has a hole that allows the water to flow freely so it does not stagnate. To become like a mikvah—a vessel of God's living water that purifies—I shuddered at the immensity of the call.
And I cried.
"Why do you cry?"
"Because I am not a mikvah. I am more like a broken vessel… a leaking clay pot."
"But don't you see, it is because of your leakiness and brokenness that makes the water flow freely—the living water. Remember, the water that drenches the soil will fulfill its purpose and does not come back to the heavens without having done what it had been sent to do… to moisten the dry soil of men. You just need to listen."
"Listen—but how?"
"In the silence of your heart. In the prayer of the quiet, where you do not speak, but you merely sit and wait for Him to speak. To say, `Speak Lord, your servant is listening.' To be ready to obey when He speaks, because the antidotes of pride and disobedience are humility and obedience."
I was struck. I remembered St. Bernard's writing regarding the ear, of how it was the instrument of our fall. It was through the ears that the words of temptations were whispered. Therefore, God had to keep the ears intact. We may not see Him, but we shall hear Him. It will be through the ears that we shall be brought back to Him. 'Hear o sinner so that you will see.' Everyone was blinded, but the ear was left intact. Therefore those who hear need to believe before they will see. To believe is to see, and not, to see is to believe. Faith. That is faith. And it will be conferred by hearing. And to hear, someone needs to proclaim… a prophet…
My thoughts ran like a train on mag lev. My angel had to pull it back to a screeching halt.
"Did you not wonder that when you read, the ear hears? There's a voice that speaks in the mind when the eye does its function."
So I paused and turned back my attention to him. Read and hear a voice. So I did. And yes, there it was. I heard it! My voice, my real voice. Deep in my mind. It is beautiful. It is the divine voice that speaks to my Divine Lord, his mirror voice image within my soul. Created in His image and likeness. My soul. Light for light. Love for love.
Once again, my angel pulled me back to a halt.
"Conform your natural voice to that divine voice. A voice lesson of sorts. Make it as your standard. Soon you shall speak your divine voice in the natural way. Then the ears of the called ones will hear," he said.
I nodded. I remembered the lecture on Death and Dying. My teacher said the ear is the last sense that goes away when one is dying and dies. So whisper to the ear of your beloved. Tell the departing soul your prayer intentions that you want to raise to heaven.
"Listen to the silence," my angel blurted through my thoughts. I was running a commentary again. I smiled sheepishly and fixed my attention on him. "That is where God is. Listen to the white noise. That is where you can speak to Him. Ignore all the other noise. Seek that static sound. It's like a radio frequency to the spiritual realm. It's a frequency where you and God can communicate apart from this world. It's a frequency where He can impart truth to you. It's a frequency where you feel relaxed and calm and joyful and happy. It's the frequency of prayer and meditation."
"You're right,” I said. “In the morning I feel like my mind's molecules have scattered everywhere and I had to draw them all back into me and unite them to God's Spirit so I can hear Him well. Otherwise, it just collects all these noises from around me and feeds me with all sorts of worthless and useless information. But when I gather them together and unite them with my body and spirit then my soul hears God clearly. It's like it had filtered out all the noise around and only feeds me with God's voice. Then I start hearing Him talk to me through people around me, events around me, books I read and just a silent knowing of what He wants of me."
"It signifies that all your bosons had gathered together,” he said, “and all your senses are recollected and waiting for Him to speak. Go to that frequency as often as you can throughout the day, and He shall lead you and I can guide you."
"Boson?"
"Look it up," he said and I googled.
"It's some subatomic particle that's too technical for my dull brain to understand," I said.
"To listen in God's radiofrequency, a frequency where you can discern His will, is to gather these particles together."
"Gather—oh, you mean, when I come to His presence before I pray and after I read His words…"
"Yes, what do you do?"
"I collect my scattered thoughts and put them on a leash then I let silence settle in my mind. Wipe it blank. I listen to the sound of silence. It's like collecting back my thoughts when I wake up to remind myself of who I am, where I came from, where I'm going, like what you said…. Oh, it's recollection! I collect my scattered bosons."
"That's how you shall put yourself in God's presence. Stay in that SRF throughout the day and you shall be calm and at peace at all times, well disposed to hear His voice and commands, and obey His will."
"SRF?"
"Just a code for you, a symbol of sorts: Spiritual Radiofrequency."
"The white noise…"
"Listen to it."
I did, and I noticed that when I was anxious and worried, I didn't hear the white noise. Or when I had negative thoughts about other people. I had to ask pardon for those thoughts before I could hear the white noise again.
So that's why Jesus first greeting to his anxious and fearful disciples was "Peace be with you," because without peace they cannot hear Him. It was imperative that the apostles and disciples let go of anxiety, fear and worry for them to hear Him, to forgive and be at peace with one another, to hear His voice. It was even more crucial when He would ascend to heaven because they would no longer see Him but would depend on their spiritual ears to hear His voice from within, the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you. Be at peace with yourself and with one another because unrest and absence of peace will block the SRF.
A sort of tampering of the Spiritual Radiofrequency.
So I started to listen for the white noise during my runs. I noted that it was easier to hear and dwell on the SRF when I was outside because it resembled the sound of the gentle wind constantly blowing and rustling through the leaves-- swoooosh, the merging sound of cicadas-- chhhchhhchhh, the sound of flowing water chshchshchsh.
The sound of silence.
My angel seemed pleased.
Search for that SRF. It's like looking at 3D illusions. Once you break through it, you see a different realm and dimension. You'll see that the waves and patterns that you encounter in this world have a deeper meaning. You find a parable within a parable within a parable. The more you look deeper into it, the more your eyes open to a different image and reality, to different signs and symbols.
I vowed never to underestimate the power of signs and symbols again.
The Power of Three that Broke through my Writing Challenges
"Help me thank the Lord," I told my guardian angel.
"For what?" he asked.
I smiled and presented him the full draft of my manuscript, the first book of a trilogy.
"I wouldn't have made it this far. I know I have more distance to cover but there's no stopping now. I have come a long way—from the stressed-out, multi-tasking, work-from-home mom, to a disciplined writing disciple.”
“You've evolved,” he said.
"The power of three," I said. "I wouldn't have accomplished this much in my writing had I not heeded your call to discipline myself during the 40 days of Lent. Three things you required of me on those sorrowful days—PRAY, READ and RUN—led to this glory. I didn’t know how powerful those 40 days of mortification could be.”
"The power of forty," he said.
"Leitmotiv," I said and laughed.
“So have you done your homework?” he said.
“I did. I realized that the Bible had a lot of recurring themes, leitmotivs, but these two numbers tend to recur more— 40 and 3.”
“Forty years in the desert,” I said, “for the Israelites to journey and reach the Promised Land; but for Jesus, it was just forty days in the desert of temptation, and He was purified of all earthly motives before He started His ministry. That was my forty days of Lent, it purified my motives for my writing ministry. Forty days as well, from His Resurrection until His Ascension to heaven. And I am living and celebrating these glorious days of the Easter season until the Feast of the Ascension on May 28, 2017. The Power of Forty.”
“And the Power of Three?” he asked.
“The Trinity. The Mystery of the One God in Three Persons—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And using another leitmotiv,” I said, my eyes dilated with excitement, “WATER, which I discovered to be the one that would be mentioned from Genesis to Revelation in a recurring way—I discovered the mystery of the Trinity.”
“Water… H20,” I said. “One molecular structure, two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen, yet can exist in three forms: liquid, solid and gas, and remains the same—just like God.”
My angel nodded. This spurred me to continue, encouraged. “All three existed in the beginning, the Wind, the Word but it was the Water that covered the earth. Water that would be essential—that would compose a huge part of our human body, 55-60%. Water that would flood the earth, water that would part into two to free the Israelites from Egypt and slavery, water that they would cross to go to the Promised Land, water that would baptize, wash away our sins and make things new, water that would give us rebirth— to be born again, because our first birth was with water and blood, out of our mother’s womb; so to be born again is to be baptized with water, water that would come out from the pierced wound of Jesus together with the blood. Liquid water.”
My angel nodded. “And the solid part?”
“The Son, who came in a solid form, who was touched by mankind, who touched mankind. He allowed Himself to be touched, held, embraced, kissed, cuddled. Who ate and drank with mankind. The one who came down and allowed Himself to be trapped in the same mortal shell that I am entrapped. To feel the weakness and temptations of the body, and showed me that it can be overcome. The one who pierced this same mortal shell with His light and broke out of it forever. The One who assumed a new body and showed us that it can be done, and opened the path and the way for mankind to do the same— in the same manner that He did, following His way, following His footsteps.”
“Very good,” he nodded. “And then gas?”
“The Holy Spirit, of course. The one who will bestow me with supernatural gifts, to remind me that though I am a Divine Being trapped in this temporary, mortal shell, the body, He can exercise His power and perform signs and wonders through me, that this mortal shell shall no longer be able to stifle my spirit. It’s the same Spirit that turned the coward apostles into fearless and courageous disciples, who would heal the sick, raise the dead, and shed their blood to spread this Good News—that Jesus, once and for all, has freed us from this slavery of the body, saved us from the slavery of the mind, and has the capacity to release the potentials of the spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit that I anticipate to reveal more and more of Himself in the Feast of the Pentecost.”
I sensed my angel's pleasure at my answers. My spirit lifted.
"If you did not push me to discipline myself,” I added, “I wouldn't have been able to do it. Yes, during that Lenten season, you showed me how to enforce discipline on myself to nurture my body, mind and spirit. To change my habits.”
“Another three— body, mind and spirit,” he said.
“It was hard… to nurture my spirit,” I continued, “to wake up early in the morning to pray. I had to drag this mortal shell out of bed and pry open my droopy eyes. Yet these became my antidote to the viral symptom of spiritual amnesia. It’s like I had to remind myself each day of who I am, of my divine nature. The spiritual amnesia seemed to reboot my system when I sleep, so I had to reload the program at the start of the day, to remind me of my identity, where I came from, what’s my purpose and where I'm going. And I have to do it through prayer, at the start of the day, with the Word—to ponder on it and let it soak my spirit.”
“So now you know why Jesus had to wake up at dawn to pray to the Father,” my angel said. “Shackled with the same mortal shell, He was fully human, trapped with your human weaknesses. He was not born with the full knowledge that He was God. Just like you, He had to discover His identity and learn from His parents who were bestowed with the gift through the Angelic Revelation, nurtured by reading the scriptures and learned from men, and when the time came, confirmed by the Father and the Spirit at His baptism at the Jordan River."
I was silenced. God, in the form of a human, the God-Man, the Son of God and Son of Man… what a divine mystery. Unfathomable.
“Go on,” my angel interrupted my reverie.
I jolted back to my reality. Where was I? Oh… the mind.
“It was hard… to nurture my mind,” I continued. “To give up social media and blogging. Yet, these became my antidote to the viral symptom of distraction, lack of focus and noise. And I recovered a significant chunk of time for reading and learned so much from spiritual books, books on writing and editing; learned from those who've made it—the spiritual giants and the experts on writing.”
“And you realized how far still you had to go, and that you needed endurance and perseverance, which required the discipline of the body,” my angel prompted.
“Yes.” I sighed and grimaced. “It was hard… to nurture my body.”
“Was it more like... to torture your body?” my angel joked and I laughed.
“Yes,” I said, “hard to run everyday for 30 minutes. Perhaps this was the most difficult exercise of all. I realized it was my body that needed a lot of beating and mortification. It was prone to eating unhealthy food and prone to laziness, which made it hard to drag it to move and run. Yes, this mortal shell, my shackle. I had to trim down the excess weight, the flab that bears it down, trim it down with abstinence and fasting.”
“Yet, as you learned to tame it, you realized something,” he reminded me.
I smiled. That was true. “I soon realized it became my ally as it grew stronger. Nurtured by my spirit and mind at first, it eventually nurtured my mind and spirit. For when I ran, there I found silence, solitude, serenity, calm, focus, creativity, and inspiration. Much so that it would now complain and become painful when I don't push it to exercise… when I don't run. It seemed, even the body which I thought was my enemy, my shackle, had become my friend—the temple of my spirit, and the Holy Spirit.”
“Don’t forget the perks you got from the torture.”
I smiled. Perks, indeed. I’d rather call it unexpected and welcome side effects—trimmed belly, less flabby abs, and stronger core that warded off my chronic back pain.
“Now you know why you needed to undergo the 40 days of Lent.”
“Yes, I realized that Lent would prepare my body, mind, and spirit for His next spiritual gift—the gift of the Holy Spirit—the Pentecost. Now, I look forward to this most glorious event. Even with the gifts He had bestowed upon me, He still wants to give me more. Oh, how generous is my Lord. I only have to do my part, to make sure that my house is in order, ready and prepared for His coming.”
My angel nodded. “Like a thief in the night, like the bridegroom who arrived at dawn, He can come anytime to visit you. Your house, that is, your body, mind, and spirit must always be prepared and ready.”
I bowed in thanksgiving.
"That is how you can thank the Lord. Make sure His abode is always in order. So He will come to you and dwell in you. And you shall experience the mystery of the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of the Father and the Son in you."
The Power of Three in me.
I smiled.
It sounded heavenly.
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Unseat Adverbs and Adjectives with Similes, Metaphors and Leitmotifs, and Unearth Writing Treasures from the Bible
"Pulling your hair again?" My angel said.
I looked at him in despair.
"You'd be bald by the time you finish writing the book."
"I know. " I sighed. "There are too many rules on writing that I am not even sure why the Lord chose me as His messenger: I, who am not well adept at grammar and syntax."
"The Lord chooses the weak to shame the strong," my angel said. "So what is your problem?"
"Editors hate adverbs and loath imprecise and non-specific adjectives. They say the use of such weakens writing."
He nodded and said, "We wouldn't want lame writing, do we? Excise the unwanted fat and tighten the sagging skin."
He was right. Lean and trim writing, armed with muscles and 6-pack abs that punch the readers and cajole them back-- that was my dream form.
"Have you studied the Bible?"
I stared at him. He knew the answer to that question, but…. maybe I didn't.
"Not read, meditate or contemplate," he said like I was slow of hearing or understanding, "but have you looked at its structure and style? What makes it easy to read for both young and old alike, easy to translate in more languages you could imagine, and yet, interpreted and discerned in more ways than millions, making each word living and kicking?"
My eyes widened. The pages ran through my mind. Similes, metaphors, symbolism, personification, foreshadowing--
"Leitmotiv," he said.
"I could sense his disbelief that I hadn't heard of the word. As though something dawned on him, he said, "Leitmotif, perhaps?" like I would understand it with just a change in one letter. Really.
Coming to a realization and acceptance that he had a rough diamond to work with, my angel sighed and sat beside me. "Look it up," he said.
I already did, just before he spoke. "Google says leitmotiv is a recurrent theme in a literary composition," I said. "This German word became leitmotif in the late 19th century."
He nodded and said, "Weave all these styles and forms into your writing and you'd have less need of adverbs and adjectives."
"Just like that?"
"Come, I'll show you something." He brought me to the Garden of Eden again. He must had sensed my thoughts because he said, "Why do I keep on bringing you here?"
I lowered my gaze and dared not speak.
"Because this is where it all began," he said. "And unless you understand you will never understand."
He smiled and shook his head at the look on my face. "I'm not speaking in tongues," he said, "yet you fail to grasp my language. Perhaps I should speak in yours."
He pointed at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and said, "The devil is like a virus that infected that tree. When Eve and Adam ate of the fruit, they got the disease and passed it on to their children, including you. The primary manifestation of this viral malady is amnesia of your true identity. Babies are conceived with memories wiped slate clean, ready for the imprint of truth or lie. Good or evil is known and written in memory from womb to tomb.
I shook at the analogy. The scientific part of my brain whirred as I thought about the property and characteristic of a virus.
"If the devil is a virus then it cannot live without a host." I gasped when reality struck me. "The devil was created as an extension of God, just like you."
"And he thought he was God and could live apart from Him. But when he removed himself from God, he realized his impending doom. He had become like a virus separated from his life source, his host, so he must have possessed the tree, a living organism," I said.
"And was trapped in the tree that became the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil."
"Because he mutated from good to evil with his severance from God. Then he must have possessed the serpent that went near the tree and enticed Eve to eat of its fruit, thereby multiplying himself in his new hosts, mankind."
It made a lot of sense now: why Legion begged Jesus to allow them to possess the pigs after being cast out of the demoniac. They needed a host.
"There is some truth to what you said, but your knowledge is not perfect. Seek not to discover beyond your capability. That was the devil's downfall. Your next task," my angel's voice broke into my epiphany, "is to search for the leitmotifs in the Bible. It shall lead you to your anti-virals, some more potent than the others. These antidotes will help you regain your divine identity. Your memory will come back. Until then, one question will hound you for the rest of your life -- 'Who Am I?' But once you arrive at the answer, you shall cease to struggle with your writing."
Leitmotif will provide the clue to the anti-viral... the cure, I thought. What recurrent theme or symbol appears in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation?
He looked at me and his eyes softened. "Don't pull your hair with this task. You only need to call on me, you know. I don't understand why you always like to do it the hard way-- relying on your own understanding."
He shook his head and added, "Another symptom of the virus."
I gripped my pen instead of my hair. My angel gripped my hand in return, reminding me of his presence, of who he was.
I smiled and hope welled within me.
Show, Don’t Tell: Even God Found This Principle Effective
One day my angel found me slumped on my desk. He asked me why.
"Show don't tell. Show don't tell. I'm sick and tired of this rule, yet I can't seem to master it," I said.
He looked at me and sighed.
I looked back and begged him, "Please help me. Tell me what to do."
"I will not tell you. "
Tears welled in my eyes. Despair crept in my soul.
"I will show you," my angel said.
He led me to the Garden of Eden and showed me the Fall of Mankind.
"You know the story. It's been told millions of times. I want you to show me what happened. I want to see it in your eyes, in your own words," my angel said.
"Show don't tell?" I said.
He nodded. “Eve took the fruit, bit into it, and gave it to Adam,” my angel prompted.
I took a deep breath.
"Why did you do it?" Adam said. His eyes had widened. "God said not to eat of that fruit."
"Look," Eve said, "I did not die. You must have heard Him wrong. He told you you'd die as soon as you eat of it and you told me I'd die, too. But the serpent said I won’t. And now," she said spreading her arms, "I'm still alive!"
Adam squinted, his mouth pinched. Eve shrugged her shoulders then offered the half-eaten fruit. He hesitated then took it. As soon as he bit into the flesh, the tree of life burst into flames. The fire drew and sucked the light out of their bodies. When the light of life had left them, they were skinned with the mortal bodies, encased in a shell of imperfection.
Adam saw Eve with new eyes. “You are naked.”
“So are you.”
Everything around them darkened.
"What have we done?" Adam cried. He turned at Eve. "You did this. We should not have eaten of the fruit--"
"I'm sorry. I did not know."
"I told you but you did not believe me."
Eve shuddered and hugged herself, shaking.
“And God cursed them and sent one of the angels to banish them away from Eden,” my angel said. “Go on.”
Each day as Adam toiled the soil, his blood boiled. He'd scorn Eve. "If you did not trick me, we'd still be in paradise, and I didn't have to work."
"Look, the serpent tricked me. He told me we won't die. How was I to know that we'd die a slow death."
Adam sneered. "Of course, you fell for it. And you'd have to drag me along with you."
"You don't have to be so bitter. I'm the one who needs to take care of these little ones," Eve cried, drawing the baby in her arms as the other child gripped her elbow.
"Well, it's your fault. Damn this soil, and damn you." He pounded the wood, threw it on the ground and walked away, leaving Eve in tears with two bawling children.
What had she done? He was right. This was all her fault. If only she had listened. Then a voice called out to her.
"Eve, Eve."
"Yes, Lord," she said with bowed head.
"You know this would happen. I told Adam, but you did not believe him." The gentle voice pierced her heart.
"Yes, Lord." Eve wept.
"But you heard when I said, someday a woman just like you will undo this curse," God said.
Eve looked up at the bright light.
"Yes, her obedience will undo your disobedience."
Tears streamed down her face at His words.
"Her offspring shall crush the head of the serpent who tricked you. But until then, you and your offspring will endure the punishment of your action."
The words tore her heart apart. She winced and covered her face.
"Embrace the consequences of your deeds. Bear it with resignation, but you shall be gifted with tenacity and endurance like no other man, able to withstand the pain that goes beyond child-bearing. But the day will come when you will raise your head and look up to her who will do the right thing— who will listen to the new Adam, her offspring, who will undo everything and bring the light back to your soul. When this is all fulfilled, you will regain your dignity, your inner light, and eternal life."
She raised her eyes, hope shimmering.
It sounded so real in my ears, it's surreal. I felt like I was eavesdropping in someone else’s kitchen.
But my angel only said, “It can be better, but you’re learning. It will take time to build the muscle memory for this writing rule. Show, don't tell. Because people don't like to be told. People learn better by showing them what to do, not telling them. Even children will mimic what you show them and disobey what you tell them.”
“And God, Himself, knew it was better to show than tell,” my angel added.
“Come, I’ll show you something,” he said.
He took me on top of the mountain. There I saw Moses holding the stone tablets.
"The Ten Commandments,” I said.
“God told the people how to love. He told them to obey what’s written on the tablets. But the people did not understand the law. They misinterpreted it. God had to show them instead,” my angel said.
He took me to another mountain. And there I saw Jesus crucified and dead. Blood covered his mangled face and body. I trembled at the sight.
“He showed them love, humility, obedience…” my angel said. “And it worked. The blood of the martyrs could attest to this. You want a book that shows and does not tell? Read the Bible. Learn from it. That is why it is the Living Word. By showing, it allows man to listen and the Spirit to speak.”
Show don’t tell. Then they will understand.
Remember, a teacher is more effective than a preacher, because a teacher shows while a preacher tells.
Someday, I will master it, I vowed to myself. Someday. And until then, I will not grow tired of trying because Jesus showed me how.
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The Inside Story of Tom Brady's Fight for Redemption
by Casey Sherman
by Dave Wedge
ON SALE: July 31st 2018
Genre: Nonfiction / Sports & Recreation / Football
Hardcover Audiobook Downloadable Unabridged Trade Paperback
The thrilling behind-the-scenes account of how the NFL’s most sensational scandal culminated in sports history’s greatest comeback, featuring dozens of exclusive interviews with Patriots players — including Tom Brady himself.
In January 2015, rumors circulated that the New England Patriots — a team long suspected of abiding by the “if you ain’t cheating you ain’t trying” philosophy — had used under-inflated footballs in their playoff victory against the Indianapolis Colts. As evidence began to build, however, a full on NFL investigation was launched, exploding an unsubstantiated rumor into an intense scandal that would lead news coverage for weeks. As shockwaves rippled throughout the NFL system, the very legitimacy of one of the league’s most popular teams and their star quarterback began to erode, even as the Patriots and Brady went on to win that year’s Super Bowl.
But as the celebrations gave way to the offseason, the investigation only intensified, reopening old wounds between the Patriots’ powerful owner, Robert Kraft, and the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell. Brady was devastated and seemingly more nervous in front of a judge that on a game-winning drive.
When the dust settled, Brady would be able to play again – but only after watching the first four games of the 2016 season from his couch. The pressure couldn’t have been more intense: Brady’s legacy was at stake. If he failed to return to his usual self, all the critics and even the history books would have to put a giant asterisk next to his name, signifying one thing: he was a cheater.
12 is the propulsive story of this gritty comeback. It’s a drama that unfolds in the locker room, the court room, and under the brightest lights in all of sports — the Super Bowl. Now for the first time, readers will have an exclusive look into Tom Brady’s experience and the NFL’s shocking strangle-hold on their players. With unprecedented access to Brady himself, his teammates, and his lawyers, we will see just how a football legend went up against one of the largest corporations in the world to stage the greatest comeback in NFL history and emerge a god of the gridiron.
12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady's Fight for Redemption
7 Books to Kick Off the 2018 NFL Season
"Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge's "12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady's Fight for Redemption" delivers what the title promises ... First-timers to the absurdity of the endlessly baffling Deflategate investigation should be able to follow it easily. That was no small feat in real time. Sherman and Wedge steer readers through it all without leaving anything essential out or dumbing things down."—Washington Post
"Authors Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge lay bare an incredible tale laced with hatred, deceit, mistrust and petty grievances ... For any football fan, 12 is an interesting and revealing look at the NFL and one of its premier players. For the New England fan, it is an oh-so-sweet tale of revenge and resurrection of the reputation of one of the greatest players to ever grace a football field... 12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady's Fight For Redemption takes us places in this amazing Patriots' story where we've never been before."—The Providence Journal
"A welcome addition to many a football fan's library."—Publishers Weekly
"12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady's Redemption Season is worth the read...there is plenty for the average NFL fan to enjoy."—Windy City Gridiron
"Giving readers a close look into Tom Brady, his marriage to Gisele and his bounce back after deflate-gate, this book explores the relationship between the NFL and its players through dozens on exclusive interviews with NFL players including Brady himself."—Today.com
"Expect sports-talk radio to be buzzing over this one."—Booklist
"Shocking new tell-all"—Radar Online
"Just how Brady attempted to defend himself in court and his redemptive return to lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl triumph is retold in detail in 12, the book title that bears Brady's jersey number."—The Christian Science Monitor
"The book gives readers a glimpse of the power politics behind the NFL shield."—The Patriot Ledger
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Target species
The project LETSGO GIGLIO “Less alien species in the Tuscan Archipelago: new actions to protect Giglio island habitats” is a project that has a very ambitious goal: that of improve the quality and natural character of the ecosystem present on the Giglio Island, protecting its habitats and some species that live there, in line with the provisions of the Council Directive of 21 May 1992 (Directive 92/43/EEC) Conservation of natural and semi-natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna, also called “Habitats” Directive.
The actions of the project will take place on the important Natura 2000 site, which includes the Giglio Island almost entirely. The island features many habitats and species of community interest and most of them are threatened by the spread of invasive alien species (also called “IAS”, an acronym for Invasive Alien Species).
The activities will extend over 3 and a half years, from July 2019 to December 31, 2023.
The partnership is made up of: the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, coordinating beneficiary, together with associated beneficiaries: the Department of Biology of the University of Florence and NEMO, Nature and Environment Management Operators.
Resto con Life
Tuscan Archipelago National Park
57037 Portoferraio (LI) – Italia
info@lifegogiglio.eu
Project Life LETSGO Giglio - Website by Promo PA Fondazione
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