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__label__wiki	0.723414	0.723414	By its resolution 63/111 of 5 December 2008, the UN General Assembly decided that, as from 2009, the United Nations will designate 8 June as World Oceans Day. The General Assembly also recognized the important contribution of sustainable development and management of the resources and uses of the oceans and seas to the achievement of international development goals, including those contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration. The resolution calls upon user States and States bordering straits used for international navigation to continue to cooperate by agreement on matters relating to navigational safety, including safety aids for navigation, and the prevention, reduction and control of pollution from ships. Member states are also urged to increase the coverage of hydrographic information on a global basis to enhance capacity-building and technical assistance and to promote safe navigation, especially in areas used for international navigation, in ports and where there are vulnerable or protected marine areas. Events June 8 68 – The Roman Senate proclaims Galba as emperor. 218 – Battle of Antioch: Elagabalus defeats with support of the Syrian legions the forces of emperor Macrinus. He flees, but is captured near Chalcedon and later executed in Cappadocia. 793 – Vikings raid the abbey at Lindisfarne in Northumbria, commonly accepted as the beginning of the Scandinavian invasion of England. 1191 – Richard I arrives in Acre (Palestine) thus beginning his crusade. 1405 – Richard le Scrope, Archbishop of York and Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Norfolk, are executed in York on Henry IV's orders. 1690 – Siddi general Yadi Sakat, razes the Mazagon Fort in Mumbai. 1776 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Trois-Rivières – American attackers are driven back at Trois-Rivières, Quebec. 1783 – The volcano Laki, in Iceland, begins an eight-month eruption which kills over 9,000 people and starts a seven-year famine. 1789 – James Madison introduces twelve proposed amendments to the United States Constitution in the House of Representatives; by 1791, ten of them are ratified by the state legislatures and become the Bill of Rights; another is eventually ratified in 1992 to become the 27th Amendment. 1794 – Robespierre inaugurates the French Revolution's new state religion, the Cult of the Supreme Being, with large organized festivals all across France. 1856 – A group of 194 Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the mutineers of HMS Bounty, arrives at Norfolk Island commencing the Third Settlement of the Island. 1861 – American Civil War: Tennessee secedes from the Union. 1862 – American Civil War: Battle of Cross Keys – Confederate forces under General Stonewall Jackson save the Army of Northern Virginia from a Union assault on the James Peninsula led by General George B. McClellan. 1887 – Herman Hollerith applies for US patent #395,791 for the 'Art of Applying Statistics' – his punched card calculator. 1906 – Theodore Roosevelt signs the Antiquities Act into law, authorizing the President to restrict the use of certain parcels of public land with historical or conservation value. 1912 – Carl Laemmle incorporates Universal Pictures. 1928 – Second Northern Expedition: The National Revolutionary Army captures Peking, whose name is changed to Beiping ("Northern peace"). 1941 – World War II: Allies invade Syria and Lebanon. 1942 – World War II: Japanese imperial submarines I-21 and I-24 shell the Australian cities of Sydney and Newcastle. 1948 – Milton Berle hosts the debut of Texaco Star Theater. 1949 – Celebrities Helen Keller, Dorothy Parker, Danny Kaye, Fredric March, John Garfield, Paul Muni and Edward G. Robinson are named in an FBI report as Communist Party members. 1949 – George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four is published. 1950 – Sir Thomas Blamey becomes the only Australian-born Field Marshal in Australian history. 1953 – Flint-Worcester tornado outbreak sequence: A tornado hits Flint, Michigan, and kills 115. 1953 – The United States Supreme Court rules that Washington, D.C. restaurants could not refuse to serve black patrons. 1959 – The USS Barbero and United States Postal Service attempt the delivery of mail via Missile Mail. 1966 – An F-104 Starfighter collides with XB-70 Valkyrie prototype no. 2 destroying both planes during a photo shoot near Edwards Air Force Base. NASA pilot Joseph A. Walker and United States Air Force test pilot Carl Cross are both killed. 1966 – Topeka, Kansas is devastated by a tornado that registers as an "F5" on the Fujita Scale: the first to exceed US$100 million in damages. Sixteen people are killed, hundreds more injured, and thousands of homes damaged or destroyed. 1967 – Six-Day War: The USS Liberty incident occurs, killing 34 and wounding 171. 1967 – Six-Day War: The Israeli army enters Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs. 1968 – Robert F. Kennedy's funeral takes place at the Basilica of St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City. 1972 – Vietnam War: Associated Press photographer Nick Ut takes his Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of a naked 9-year-old Phan Thị Kim Phúc running down a road after being burned by napalm. 1982 – Bluff Cove Air Attacks during the Falklands War: 56 British servicemen are killed by Argentine air attack on two landing ships : RFA Sir Galahad and RFA Sir Tristram. 1984 – Homosexuality is declared legal in the Australian state of New South Wales. 1987 – New Zealand's Labour government establishes a national nuclear-free zone under the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987 1992 – The first World Ocean Day is celebrated, coinciding with the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 1995 – Downed U.S. Air Force pilot Captain Scott O'Grady is rescued by U.S. Marines in Bosnia. 2004 – The first Venus Transit in modern history takes place, the previous one being in 1882. 2007 – Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, is hit by the State's worst storms and flooding in 30 years resulting in the death of nine people and the grounding of trade ship, the MV Pasha Bulker. 2008 – The Akihabara massacre takes place in the Akihabara shopping quarter in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Tomohiro Katō drives a two-ton truck into a crowd before leaving the truck and attacking people with a knife. Holidays and observances Bounty Day (Norfolk Island) Christian Feast Day: Chlodulf of Metz William of York June 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Earliest day on which Queen's Birthday can fall, while June 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Monday in June. (Australia, except Western Australia) Primož Trubar Day (Slovenia) World Brain Tumor Day World Oceans Day (International) For details, contact Datacentre	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1806
__label__cc	0.545878	0.454122	Royal Society archives online Posted on October 26, 2011 by petrel41 This video from England is called Treasures of the Royal Society Archive – Horizon: Science Under Attack, Preview – BBC Two. From Nature News Blog: Royal Society frees up journal archive Ben Franklin’s account of his electric kite experiment (1752) and Isaac Newton’s first ever paper (1672) are among 60,000 historical scientific papers now freely accessible online, after Britain’s Royal Society opened up its journal archive. The archive goes all the way back to 1665, when Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society first appeared – probably the world’s first peer-reviewed scientific journal. It’s now fully searchable, and all papers published more than 70 years ago are free to view. (You’ll still have to pay for the newer ones). The BBC picks out some weird and wonderful papers, including the woman who swallowed a bullet (in 1668), and an experimental canine blood transfusion (1666). The archive was digitized in 1999 by JSTOR, the US-based archive for academic journals, for a sum in the ‘high five figures in US dollars’. Royal Society commercial director Stuart Taylor says they have been thinking about making part of the archive free for some time. As digitization of print works gets easier and cheaper, “we do not feel it is justifiable to continue charging for access [to out-of-copyright material]”, Taylor said. The Royal Society’s pay-per-view income for the entire archive (including papers after 1941) amounts to less than 0.5% of their total publishing revenues. In July, programmer Greg Maxwell uploaded nearly 19,000 articles from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, all of them published before 1923, onto the file-sharing website The Pirate Bay (in stated support for computer coder Aaron Swartz, who is still facing a federal indictment for downloading over 4 million articles from JSTOR). The Royal Society’s release today means that the articles Maxwell uploaded are all now free to view. Maxwell’s action did not affect the Society’s decision, says Taylor. Posted by Richard Van Noorden on October 26, 2011 This entry was posted in Biology, Computers, Internet, Physics and tagged UK by petrel41. Bookmark the permalink. 1 thought on “Royal Society archives online” Pingback: Women in British science, new research \| Dear Kitty. Some blog	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1807
__label__cc	0.533364	0.466636	DeKalb District 7 Commissioner to host back-to-school town hall featuring DeKalb Schools Superintendent Metro ATL Decaturish.com Aug 5, 2020 DeKalb County Super District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson discusses the temporary dollar store ban. CREDIT LISA RAYAM / WABE Decatur, GA – DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson will host a special countywide community meeting to share important information with parents and students on how to best prepare for the upcoming school year, a press release says. The virtual Back-to-School Town Hall will take place Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 6 p.m. and will feature DeKalb County School District Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris. Recently, the DeKalb County Board of Education voted to adjust the calendar for the 2020-2021 school year, delaying its start in order to make accommodations to operate virtually for the first few weeks. Aug. 17 has been set as the official first day of the upcoming school year. “Due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, the Board of Education had to make critical decisions to protect DeKalb students and staff,” said Commissioner Cochran-Johnson. “With the launch of the school year taking place virtually, it’s important parents and students know what to expect to ensure they are successful.” Parents will be provided with critical updates on virtual learning, best practices, and current school guidelines. In addition, attendees will learn about the best resources available to students as well as the district’s plan to address the digital divide between those who have ready access to computers and the internet, and those who do not. “At DeKalb County School District, we believe in creating joyful and empowering educational experiences for our scholars and we’re planning to do just that through virtual learning. We’re excited about this school year and developing engaging opportunities for our students,” said Watson-Harris. The Back-to-School Town Hall is free and open to all DeKalb residents. Interested individuals should register at https://bit.ly/2P5i2AL. Decaturish.com is working to keep your community informed about coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. All of our coverage on this topic can be found at Decaturishscrubs.com. If you appreciate our work on this story, please become a paying supporter. For as little as $3 a month, you can help us keep you in the loop about what your community is doing to stop the spread of COVID-19. To become a supporter, click here.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1808
__label__cc	0.594709	0.405291	DXC17 Bailey Greenspon Acting Co-CEO, G(irls)20 Bailey Greenspon is the Acting Co-CEO at G(irls)20, a global charity advancing young women in leadership and decision-making spaces. She has served in progressive leadership roles overseeing programming and global engagement at G(irls)20 since 2017. With a background in gender equality and development, Bailey has worked with young leaders across the G20, in West Africa, South Asia, and Canada. She is a global advocate for young women’s economic participation and is advancing intersectional, gender-based policies through the G20’s Women’s Engagement Group as the Canadian delegate, as a former advisor to the Department for Women and Gender Equality’s (WAGE) GBA+ Forum, at Canada’s G7 Youth Engagement Group. Bailey is also a proud ambassador for her hometown Toronto. She is a Founding Advisor to Progress Toronto and for the Institute for Canadian Citizenship’s 6 Degrees, and is most likely found cycling through Toronto ravines. Democracy According to Bailey Greenspon Why did you get involved with DemocracyXChange? In the past few years, we’ve seen the small “democracy sector” transform into a creative, youthful, diverse space. I want to get involved to help welcome in new activists and advocates who at the intersections of different issues pushing for progress. When did you first start to care about democracy? I can’t remember a time when I didn’t care about democracy! But I do specifically remember taking the bus over the US border with hundreds of other women, joining half a million others as we marched in Washington for the 2017 Women’s March and saw, with my eyes, what the “power of the people” can do. What democracy book/article/podcast/show/movie has had an impact on you during the pandemic? The Revolution Will Not Be Funded – INCITE	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1809
__label__wiki	0.707035	0.707035	Tour Championship: Rory McIlroy wins by four shots for second title (Photo by Instagram) Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy won the Tour Championship for a second time to secure the FedEx Cup title. McIlroy, 30, carded a final-round 66 to finish on 18 under par, four shots clear of second-placed Xander Schauffele and five ahead of third-round leader and world number one Brooks Koepka at East Lake Golf Club. He pockets $15m (£12.2m) – a prize fund he has previously questioned. “To play like that alongside Brooks and win, it’s awesome,” said McIlroy. Speaking to the Golf Channel, he added: “My goal today was to win by even strokes.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1810
__label__wiki	0.615399	0.615399	Constitutional Law in Context R.A.V. v. St. Paul (1992) R.A.V. v. St. Paul: Background How is the issue involved in R.A.V. different from the issue raised in Beauharnais? When will a statute banning fighting words violate the 1st Amendment according to R.A.V.? What are the three exceptions to the R.A.V. exception to the rule that fighting words are unprotected? R.A.V. assumed the expression by R.A.V. had been punished under a statute limited to fighting words. Are there reasons to believe the statute is not so limited? What are they? “Hate speech” raises difficult and contentious issues. The term is not entirely clear. It has been used to include attacks on individuals or groups because of their race, religion, ethnic origin, gender, or sexual orientation. Even most of those who believe in a right to engage in many forms of “hate speech” would not believe it is “right” to do so. If “hate speech” is banned, the next problem is defining it. The problem involves arriving at an acceptable legal definition, one that targets the evil without unduly suppressing speech that should be protected (overbreadth) and that defines the crime with sufficient specificity so that it is not vague. Should general negative descriptions of groups be protected speech, but face to face verbal attacks be subject to punishment? Should negative descriptions of groups also be included? How should lines be drawn? Proponents of “hate speech” laws argue that dignity, equality, and equal respect are basic goals of our society, aspirations included in some of our basic Founding documents and protected, to some extent at least, by constitutional guarantees. They say free speech should be tempered by the broad policy underlying the Constitution’s equality guarantees. Furthermore, they argue that attacks on groups or individuals are a form of assault, psychological to be sure, but nevertheless injurious. They point out that Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942) defined unprotected words as those that by their utterance inflict injury as well as invite violent reaction. They also note that democracy requires a certain level of civility and respect. Finally they argue that “hate speech” is a form of defamation and should therefore be unprotected. For articles calling for a revised constitutional doctrine to allow broader suppression of “hate speech,” see, e.g. Mari Matsuda, Public Response to Racist Speech: Considering the Victim’s Story, 87 Mich. L. Rev. 2320 (1989) and Charles R. Lawrence, III, If He Hollers Let Him Go: Regulating Racist Speech on Campus, 1990 Duke L.J. 431. Arguments against “hate speech” suggest that face to face verbal attacks focused on a particular individual can already be handled under the fighting words exception. Critics claim that proposed broader exceptions threaten freedom of expression. Free speech has been a crucial weapon for groups subject to discrimination and subordination. So doctrines that shrink the scope of freedom of expression are particularly dangerous for suppressed groups. Theories advanced to silence anti-slavery speech — that it was group libel of slaveholders, that it had a bad tendency, that it violated other constitutional commitments — have at least a general resemblance to their more modern counterparts. Similarly, in the civil rights struggle of the 1960s, advocates of integration harshly criticized the Southern establishment which, in turn, sought to suppress critical speech. Advocates of broad suppression of “hate speech” respond that different rules are appropriate for the oppressor and the oppressed or for dominant and non-dominant groups. MacKinnon, Only Words at 80–86; Matsuda, 87 Mich. L. Rev. at 2358. Critics of “hate speech” laws worry about providing a different measure of free speech for different groups and fear that dominant groups will adapt these concepts to silence their critics. Critics of broad “hate speech” laws also worry that the laws actually advance prejudice by encouraging bigots to make their messages more subtle and therefore more effective. Mark A. Graber, Old Wine in New Bottles: The Constitutional Status of Unconstitutional Speech, 48 Vand. L. Rev. 349 (1995); John Blim, Undoing Our Selves: The Error of Sacrificing Speech in the Quest for Equality, 56 Ohio St. L.J. 427 (1995). They point out that advances in protection of civil rights occurred when no “hate speech” bans existed. They believe free speech is the best antidote to bigotry and hatred. Finally, there is a Jungian psychological argument advanced by Professor Calvin Massey. Massey argues that each person has a “shadow,” or an “unconscious collection” of primitive impulses and emotions. We project our shadows on others, so the loathing we have for others is often that which we have for our own shadow side. Massey argues that people who face the evil within themselves have begun the process of transcending it. Banning “hate speech” lets society tell itself that it has no problems, that the only problem is with those espousers of “hate speech” who need to be muzzled. Calvin Massey, Pure Symbols and the 1st Amendment, 17 Hast. Const. L.Q. 369 (1990). Some skeptics of broad “hate speech” legislation suggest that we look for alternatives to suppression — such as teaching how to communicate non-violently, to avoid name calling, to improve communication skills, to resolve conflict, and to make peace. For sources on these methods, see, e.g., Gray Cox, The Ways of Peace: A Philosophy of Peace in Action (1968); Neil H. Katz and John W. Lawyer, Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills (1985); Marshall B. Rosenberg, A Model for Nonviolent Communication (1983); the Dalai Lama, Healing Anger: the Power of Patience From a Buddhist Perspective (1997); Nat Hentoff, The Boy With a Confederate Flag on His Back, Village Voice, July 5, 1988, at 31. A number of democratic nations, including Germany and Canada, have upheld bans on “hate speech” in at least some of its incarnations. The German Constitution, “Grundgesetz” or Basic law, was originally promulgated in 1949, after the formation of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). It states in Article 2(1) that “[e]veryone has the right to the free development of his personality insofar as he does not violate . . . the constitutional order or morality.” Article 5(1) guarantees, “[t]he right freely to express . . . opinion by speech, writing and pictures and to freely inform himself. . . . Freedom of the press . . . [is] guaranteed. There shall be no censorship.” However, subsection 2 of the same article has been used by the FRG to severely limit any speech or expression furthering the causes of political parties or hate groups deemed to be outside Germany’s recognized constitutional order. Subsection 2 provides: “These rights are limited by the provisions of the general laws, the provisions of law for the protection of youth. . . .” The German Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch, StGB) of 1998 includes criminal penalties of fines and imprisonment up to three years for those who publicly disseminate “propaganda” or its “symbols” furthering the aims of former National Socialist organizations or other parties directed against “the free democratic constitutional order” or “the idea of international understanding.” (StGB § 86-86a) These Codes have been upheld by the German Constitutional Court as necessary in the light of German historical experience and as constitutional through Article 5(2). The German Constitutional Court upheld a city government order prohibiting a conference to be addressed by the Holocaust revisionist historian, David Irving. The Court held there was a high probability based on the invitation to the conference and Irving’s own statements that his talk would deny the Holocaust, in violation of German criminal law. The Court said the denial insulted those who had been persecuted and denied the reality of their suffering, which would inflict psychological harm and invade the Jewish people’s right to their identity. BverfGE 90, 241. The Canadian approach is somewhat similar. In Regina v. Keegstra (Canada 1990), the Canadian Supreme Court upheld “hate speech” legislation against claims that it violated the free expression guarantees of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms of the Canadian Constitution. James Keegstra, a ninth grade teacher in Alberta, had described Jews as “treacherous,” “money loving” “child killers” who had “created the Holocaust to gain sympathy.” He marked his students down if they did not restate his views on their exams. Keegstra was convicted under § 319(2) of the Canadian Criminal Code, which prohibits communicating statements that willfully promote hatred against any identifiable group distinguished by color, race, religion, or ethnic origin. Although the Canadian Charter protects “freedom of thought, belief, and expression,” § 1 also states that rights and freedoms are “subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.” Chief Justice Dickson reasoned that this qualification applied to “hate speech”: “Expression intended to promote the hatred of identifiable groups is of limited importance when measured against free expression values” because it contributes little to truth and tends to frustrate the autonomy and political expression of members of the targeted groups. Dickson noted he would be reluctant to overrule Beauharnais v. Illinois (1952) if he were in America. He noted that hate speech has two adverse consequences that justify its prohibition: 1) it humiliates and degrades the individuals that it targets; and 2) it affects society at large by recruiting people to groups that have an anti-social agenda and by implicitly giving credibility to the claims made by such groups. R.A.V. v. St. Paul [Majority: Scalia, Rehnquist (C.J.), Kennedy, Souter, and Thomas. Concurring: White, Blackmun, O’Connor, and Stevens.] Justice Scalia delivered the opinion of the Court. In the predawn hours of June 21, 1990, petitioner and several other teenagers allegedly assembled a crudely made cross by taping together broken chair legs. They then allegedly burned the cross inside the fenced yard of a black family that lived across the street from the house where petitioner was staying. [O]ne of the two provisions under which respondent city of St. Paul chose to charge petitioner (then a juvenile) was the St. Paul Bias-Motivated Crime Ordinance, St. Paul, Minn., Legis. Code § 292.02, which provides: Whoever places on public or private property a symbol, object, appellation, characterization or graffiti, including, but not limited to, a burning cross or Nazi swastika, which one knows or has reasonable grounds to know arouses anger, alarm or resentment in others on the basis of race, color, creed, religion or gender commits disorderly conduct and shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Petitioner moved to dismiss this count on the ground that the St. Paul ordinance was substantially overbroad and impermissibly content based and therefore facially invalid under the 1st Amendment. The trial court granted this motion, but the Minnesota Supreme Court reversed. That court rejected petitioner’s overbreadth claim because, as construed in prior Minnesota cases the modifying phrase “arouses anger, alarm or resentment in others” limited the reach of the ordinance to conduct that amounts to “fighting words,” i.e., “conduct that itself inflicts injury or tends to incite immediate violence . . . ,”. . . . [Petitioner has also been charged, in Count I of the delinquency petition, with a violation of Minn. Stat. § 609.2231(4) (racially motivated assaults). Petitioner did not challenge this count.] . . . Accordingly, we accept the Minnesota Supreme Court’s authoritative statement that the ordinance reaches only those expressions that constitute “fighting words” within the meaning of Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942). Petitioner and his amici urge us to modify the scope of the Chaplinsky formulation, thereby invalidating the ordinance as “substantially overbroad”. We find it unnecessary to consider this issue. Assuming, arguendo, that all of the expression reached by the ordinance is proscribable under the “fighting words” doctrine, we nonetheless conclude that the ordinance is facially unconstitutional in that it prohibits otherwise permitted speech solely on the basis of the subjects the speech addresses. The 1st Amendment generally prevents government from proscribing speech . . . because of disapproval of the ideas expressed. Content-based regulations are presumptively invalid. From 1791 to the present, however, our society, like other free but civilized societies, has permitted restrictions upon the content of speech in a few limited areas, which are “of such slight social value as a step to truth that any benefit that may be derived from them is clearly outweighed by the social interest in order and morality.” Chaplinsky. We have recognized that “the freedom of speech” referred to by the 1st Amendment does not include a freedom to disregard these traditional limitations. See, e.g., Roth v. United States (1957) (obscenity); Beauharnais v. Illinois (1952) (defamation); Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (“fighting words”). Our decisions since the 1960’s have narrowed the scope of the traditional categorical exceptions for defamation . . . but a limited categorical approach has remained an important part of our 1st Amendment jurisprudence. We have sometimes said that these categories of expression are “not within the area of constitutionally protected speech,” or that the “protection of the 1st Amendment does not extend” to them. Such statements must be taken in context, however. . . . What they mean is that these areas of speech can, consistently with the 1st Amendment, be regulated because of their constitutionally proscribable content (obscenity, defamation, etc.) — not that they are categories of speech entirely invisible to the Constitution, so that they may be made the vehicles for content discrimination unrelated to their distinctively proscribable content. Thus, the government may proscribe libel; but it may not make the further content discrimination of proscribing only libel critical of the government. . . . Our cases surely do not establish the proposition that the 1st Amendment imposes no obstacle whatsoever to regulation of particular instances of such proscribable expression. . . . That would mean that a city council could enact an ordinance prohibiting only those legally obscene works that contain criticism of the city government or, indeed, that do not include endorsement of the city government. Such a simplistic, all-or-nothing-at-all approach to 1st Amendment protection is at odds with common sense and with our jurisprudence as well. It is not true that “fighting words” have at most a “de minimis” expressive content, or that their content is in all respects “worthless and undeserving of constitutional protection;” sometimes they are quite expressive indeed. We have not said that they constitute “no part of the expression of ideas,” but only that they constitute “no essential part of any exposition of ideas.” Chaplinsky. The proposition that a particular instance of speech can be proscribable on the basis of one feature (e.g., obscenity) but not on the basis of another (e.g., opposition to the city government) is commonplace and has found application in many contexts. We have long held, for example, that nonverbal expressive activity can be banned because of the action it entails, but not because of the ideas it expresses — so that burning a flag in violation of an ordinance against outdoor fires could be punishable, whereas burning a flag in violation of an ordinance against dishonoring the flag is not. See Texas v. Johnson (1989). Similarly, we have upheld reasonable “time, place, or manner” restrictions, but only if they are “justified without reference to the content of the regulated speech.” And just as the power to proscribe particular speech on the basis of a noncontent element (e.g., noise) does not entail the power to proscribe the same speech on the basis of a content element; so also, the power to proscribe it on the basis of one content element (e.g., obscenity) does not entail the power to proscribe it on the basis of other content elements. In other words, the exclusion of “fighting words” from the scope of the 1st Amendment simply means that, for purposes of that Amendment, the unprotected features of the words are, despite their verbal character, essentially a “nonspeech” element of communication. Fighting words are thus analogous to a noisy sound truck: each is a “mode of speech,” . . . but neither has, in and of itself, a claim upon the 1st Amendment. As with the sound truck, however, so also with fighting words: the government may not regulate use based on hostility — or favoritism — towards the underlying message expressed. The concurrences describe us as setting forth a new 1st Amendment principle that prohibition of constitutionally proscribable speech cannot be “underinclusiv[e],” — a 1st Amendment “absolutism” whereby “[w]ithin a particular ‘proscribable’ category of expression, . . . a government must either proscribe all speech or no speech at all.” That easy target is of the concurrences’ own invention. In our view, the 1st Amendment imposes not an “underinclusiveness” limitation but a “content discrimination” limitation upon a State’s prohibition of proscribable speech. There is no problem whatever, for example, with a State’s prohibiting obscenity (and other forms of proscribable expression) only in certain media or markets, for although that prohibition would be “underinclusive,” it would not discriminate on the basis of content. Even the prohibition against content discrimination that we assert the 1st Amendment requires is not absolute. It applies differently in the context of proscribable speech than in the area of fully protected speech. The rationale of the general prohibition, after all, is that content discrimination “raises the specter that the Government may effectively drive certain ideas or viewpoints from the marketplace.” But content discrimination among various instances of a class of proscribable speech often does not pose this threat. When the basis for the content discrimination consists entirely of the very reason the entire class of speech at issue is proscribable, no significant danger of idea or viewpoint discrimination exists. Such a reason, having been adjudged neutral enough to support exclusion of the entire class of speech from 1st Amendment protection, is also neutral enough to form the basis of distinction within the class. To illustrate: a state might choose to prohibit only that obscenity which is the most patently offensive in its prurience — i.e., that which involves the most lascivious displays of sexual activity. But it may not prohibit, for example, only that obscenity which includes offensive political messages. And the Federal Government can criminalize only those threats of violence that are directed against the President, see 18 U.S.C. § 871 — since the reasons why threats of violence are outside the 1st Amendment (protecting individuals from the fear of violence, from the disruption that fear engenders, and from the possibility that the threatened violence will occur) have special force when applied to the person of the President. See Watts v. United States (1969) (upholding the facial validity of § 871 because of the “overwhelmin[g] interest in protecting the safety of [the] Chief Executive and in allowing him to perform his duties without interference from threats of physical violence”). But the federal government may not criminalize only those threats against the President that mention his policy on aid to inner cities. And to take a final example (one mentioned by Justice Stevens), a State may choose to regulate price advertising in one industry but not in others, because of the risk of fraud (one of the characteristics of commercial speech that justifies depriving it of full 1st Amendment protection. . . .) But a state may not prohibit only that commercial advertising that depicts men in a demeaning fashion. Another valid basis for according differential treatment to even a content-defined subclass of proscribable speech is that the subclass happens to be associated with particular “secondary effects” of the speech, so that the regulation is “justified without reference to the content of the . . . speech,” Renton v. Playtime Theatres, Inc. (1986). A State could, for example, permit all obscene live performances except those involving minors. Moreover, since words can in some circumstances violate laws directed not against speech but against conduct (a law against treason, for example, is violated by telling the enemy the Nation’s defense secrets), a particular content-based subcategory of a proscribable class of speech can be swept up incidentally within the reach of a statute directed at conduct rather than speech. Thus, for example, sexually derogatory “fighting words,” among other words, may produce a violation of Title VII’s general prohibition against sexual discrimination in employment practices. Where the government does not target conduct on the basis of its expressive content, acts are not shielded from regulation merely because they express a discriminatory idea or philosophy. These bases for distinction refute the proposition that the selectivity of the restriction is “even arguably ‘conditioned upon the sovereign’s agreement with what a speaker may intend to say.'” There may be other such bases as well. Indeed, to validate such selectivity (where totally proscribable speech is at issue) it may not even be necessary to identify any particular “neutral” basis, so long as the nature of the content discrimination is such that there is no realistic possibility that official suppression of ideas is afoot. (We cannot think of any 1st Amendment interest that would stand in the way of a State’s prohibiting only those obscene motion pictures with blue-eyed actresses.) Save for that limitation, the regulation of “fighting words,” like the regulation of noisy speech, may address some offensive instances and leave other, equally offensive, instances alone. Applying these principles to the St. Paul ordinance, we conclude that, even as narrowly construed by the Minnesota Supreme Court, the ordinance is facially unconstitutional. Although the phrase in the ordinance, “arouses anger, alarm or resentment in others,” has been limited by the Minnesota Supreme Court’s construction to reach only those symbols or displays that amount to “fighting words,” the remaining, unmodified terms make clear that the ordinance applies only to “fighting words” that insult, or provoke violence, “on the basis of race, color, creed, religion or gender.” Displays containing abusive invective, no matter how vicious or severe, are permissible unless they are addressed to one of the specified disfavored topics. Those who wish to use “fighting words” in connection with other ideas — to express hostility, for example, on the basis of political affiliation, union membership, or homosexuality — are not covered. The 1st Amendment does not permit St. Paul to impose special prohibitions on those speakers who express views on disfavored subjects. In its practical operation, moreover, the ordinance goes even beyond mere content discrimination, to actual viewpoint discrimination. Displays containing some words — odious racial epithets, for example — would be prohibited to proponents of all views. But “fighting words” that do not themselves invoke race, color, creed, religion, or gender — aspersions upon a person’s mother, for example — would seemingly be usable ad libitum in the placards of those arguing in favor of racial, color, etc., tolerance and equality, but could not be used by those speakers’ opponents. One could hold up a sign saying, for example, that all “anti-Catholic bigots” are misbegotten; but not that all “papists” are, for that would insult and provoke violence “on the basis of religion.” St. Paul has no such authority to license one side of a debate to fight freestyle, while requiring the other to follow Marquis of Queensberry rules. What we have here, it must be emphasized, is not a prohibition of fighting words that are directed at certain persons or groups (which would be facially valid if it met the requirements of the Equal Protection Clause); but rather, a prohibition of fighting words that contain (as the Minnesota Supreme Court repeatedly emphasized) messages of “bias-motivated” hatred and in particular, as applied to this case, messages “based on virulent notions of racial supremacy.” One must wholeheartedly agree with the Minnesota Supreme Court that “[i]t is the responsibility, even the obligation, of diverse communities to confront such notions in whatever form they appear,” but the manner of that confrontation cannot consist of selective limitations upon speech. St. Paul’s brief asserts that a general “fighting words” law would not meet the city’s needs because only a content-specific measure can communicate to minority groups that the “group hatred” aspect of such speech “is not condoned by the majority.” The point of the 1st Amendment is that majority preferences must be expressed in some fashion other than silencing speech on the basis of its content. . . . What makes the anger, fear, sense of dishonor, etc., produced by violation of this ordinance distinct from the anger, fear, sense of dishonor, etc., produced by other fighting words is nothing other than the fact that it is caused by a distinctive idea, conveyed by a distinctive message. . . . [T]he symbols which will arouse “anger, alarm or resentment in others on the basis of race, color, creed, religion or gender” are those symbols that communicate a message of hostility based on one of these characteristics. St. Paul concedes . . . that the ordinance applies only to “racial, religious, or gender-specific symbols” such as “a burning cross, Nazi swastika or other instrumentality of like import.” . . . The content-based discrimination reflected in the St. Paul ordinance comes within neither any of the specific exceptions to the 1st Amendment prohibition we discussed earlier nor a more general exception for content discrimination that does not threaten censorship of ideas. It assuredly does not fall within the exception for content discrimination based on the very reasons why the particular class of speech at issue (here, fighting words) is proscribable. As explained earlier, the reason why fighting words are categorically excluded from the protection of the 1st Amendment is not that their content communicates any particular idea, but that their content embodies a particularly intolerable (and socially unnecessary) mode of expressing whatever idea the speaker wishes to convey. St. Paul has not singled out an especially offensive mode of expression — it has not, for example, selected for prohibition only those fighting words that communicate ideas in a threatening (as opposed to a merely obnoxious) manner. Rather, it has proscribed fighting words of whatever manner that communicate messages of racial, gender, or religious intolerance. Selectivity of this sort creates the possibility that the city is seeking to handicap the expression of particular ideas. That possibility would alone be enough to render the ordinance presumptively invalid, but St. Paul’s comments and concessions in this case elevate the possibility to a certainty. St. Paul argues that the ordinance comes within another of the specific exceptions we mentioned, the one that allows content discrimination aimed only at the “secondary effects” of the speech, see Renton v. Playtime Theatres, Inc. According to St. Paul, the ordinance is intended, “not to impact on [sic] the right of free expression of the accused,” but rather to “protect against the victimization of a person or persons who are particularly vulnerable because of their membership in a group that historically has been discriminated against.” Even assuming that an ordinance that completely proscribes, rather than merely regulates, a specified category of speech can ever be considered to be directed only to the secondary effects of such speech, it is clear that the St. Paul ordinance is not directed to secondary effects within the meaning of Renton. As we said in Boos v. Barry (1988), “Listeners’ reactions to speech are not the type of ‘secondary effects’ we referred to in Renton.” . . . It hardly needs discussion that the ordinance does not fall within some more general exception permitting all selectivity that for any reason is beyond the suspicion of official suppression of ideas. The statements of St. Paul in this very case afford ample basis for, if not full confirmation of, that suspicion. Finally, St. Paul and its amici defend the conclusion of the Minnesota Supreme Court that, even if the ordinance regulates expression based on hostility towards its protected ideological content, this discrimination is nonetheless justified because it is narrowly tailored to serve compelling state interests. Specifically, they assert that the ordinance helps to ensure the basic human rights of members of groups that have historically been subjected to discrimination, including the right of such group members to live in peace where they wish. We do not doubt that these interests are compelling, and that the ordinance can be said to promote them. But the “danger of censorship” presented by a facially content-based statute requires that that weapon be employed only where it is “necessary to serve the asserted [compelling] interest.” The existence of adequate content-neutral alternatives thus “undercut[s] significantly” any defense of such a statute. . . . The dispositive question in this case, therefore, is whether content discrimination is reasonably necessary to achieve St. Paul’s compelling interests; it plainly is not. An ordinance not limited to the favored topics, for example, would have precisely the same beneficial effect. In fact the only interest distinctively served by the content limitation is that of displaying the city council’s special hostility towards the particular biases thus singled out. That is precisely what the 1st Amendment forbids. The politicians of St. Paul are entitled to express that hostility — but not through the means of imposing unique limitations upon speakers who (however benightedly) disagree. Let there be no mistake about our belief that burning a cross in someone’s front yard is reprehensible. But St. Paul has sufficient means at its disposal to prevent such behavior without adding the 1st Amendment to the fire. The judgment of the Minnesota Supreme Court is reversed, and the case is remanded for proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion. It is so ordered. Justice White, with whom Justice Blackmun and Justice O’Connor join, and with whom Justice Stevens joins except as to Part I-A, concurring in the judgment. I agree with the majority that the judgment of the Minnesota Supreme Court should be reversed. However, our agreement ends there. This case could easily be decided within the contours of established 1st Amendment law by holding, as petitioner argues, that the St. Paul ordinance is fatally overbroad because it criminalizes not only unprotected expression but expression protected by the 1st Amendment. Instead, “find[ing] it unnecessary” to consider the questions upon which we granted review, the Court holds the ordinance facially unconstitutional on a ground that was never presented to the Minnesota Supreme Court, a ground that has not been briefed by the parties before this Court, a ground that requires serious departures from the teaching of prior cases and is inconsistent with the plurality opinion in Burson v. Freeman (1992). . . . I-A. . . . [T]his Court has long held certain discrete categories of expression to be proscribable on the basis of their content. For instance, the Court has held that the individual who falsely shouts “fire” in a crowded theater may not claim the protection of the 1st Amendment. Schenck v. United States (1919). The Court has concluded that neither child pornography nor obscenity is protected by the 1st Amendment. And the Court has observed that, “[l]eaving aside the special considerations when public officials [and public figures] are the target, a libelous publication is not protected by the Constitution.” All of these categories are content based. But the Court has held that the 1st Amendment does not apply to them because their expressive content is worthless or of de minimis value to society. Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942). We have not departed from this principle, emphasizing repeatedly that, “within the confines of [these] given classification[s], the evil to be restricted so overwhelmingly outweighs the expressive interests, if any, at stake, that no process of case-by-case adjudication is required.” This categorical approach has provided a principled and narrowly focused means for distinguishing between expression that the government may regulate freely and that which it may regulate on the basis of content only upon a showing of compelling need. . . . [T]he majority holds that the 1st Amendment protects those narrow categories of expression long held to be undeserving of 1st Amendment protection — at least to the extent that lawmakers may not regulate some fighting words more strictly than others because of their content. The Court announces that such content-based distinctions violate the 1st Amendment because “[t]he government may not regulate use based on hostility — or favoritism — towards the underlying message expressed.” Should the government want to criminalize certain fighting words, the Court now requires it to criminalize all fighting words. . . . It is inconsistent to hold that the government may proscribe an entire category of speech because the content of that speech is evil, [New York v.] Ferber (1982); but that the government may not treat a subset of that category differently without violating the 1st Amendment; the content of the subset is by definition worthless and undeserving of constitutional protection. . . . Fighting words are not a means of exchanging views, rallying supporters, or registering a protest; they are directed against individuals to provoke violence or to inflict injury. Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire. Therefore, a ban on all fighting words or on a subset of the fighting words category would restrict only the social evil of hate speech, without creating the danger of driving viewpoints from the marketplace. . . . The overbreadth doctrine has the redeeming virtue of attempting to avoid the chilling of protected expression, but the Court’s new “underbreadth” creation serves no desirable function. Instead, it permits, indeed invites, the continuation of expressive conduct that in this case is evil and worthless in 1st Amendment terms, see Ferber; Chaplinsky, until the city of St. Paul cures the underbreadth by adding to its ordinance a catchall phrase such as “and all other fighting words that may constitutionally be subject to this ordinance.” Any contribution of this holding to 1st Amendment jurisprudence is surely a negative one, since it necessarily signals that expressions of violence, such as the message of intimidation and racial hatred conveyed by burning a cross on someone’s lawn, are of sufficient value to outweigh the social interest in order and morality that has traditionally placed such fighting words outside the 1st Amendment. Indeed, by characterizing fighting words as a form of “debate,” the majority legitimates hate speech as a form of public discussion. Furthermore, the Court obscures the line between speech that could be regulated freely on the basis of content (i.e., the narrow categories of expression falling outside the 1st Amendment) and that which could be regulated on the basis of content only upon a showing of a compelling state interest (i.e., all remaining expression). By placing fighting words, which the Court has long held to be valueless, on at least equal constitutional footing with political discourse and other forms of speech that we have deemed to have the greatest social value, the majority devalues the latter category. I-B. In a second break with precedent, the Court refuses to sustain the ordinance even though it would survive under the strict scrutiny applicable to other protected expression. Assuming, arguendo, that the St. Paul ordinance is a content-based regulation of protected expression, it nevertheless would pass 1st Amendment review under settled law upon a showing that the regulation “‘is necessary to serve a compelling state interest and is narrowly drawn to achieve that end.'” . . . [T]he [majority opinion] treats strict scrutiny analysis as irrelevant to the constitutionality of the legislation: The dispositive question . . . is whether content discrimination is reasonably necessary to achieve St. Paul’s compelling interests; it plainly is not. An ordinance not limited to the favored topics, for example, would have precisely the same beneficial effect. Under the majority’s view, a narrowly drawn, content-based ordinance could never pass constitutional muster if the object of that legislation could be accomplished by banning a wider category of speech. This appears to be a general renunciation of strict scrutiny review, a fundamental tool of 1st Amendment analysis. . . . The majority appears to believe that its doctrinal revisionism is necessary to prevent our elected lawmakers from prohibiting libel against members of one political party but not another and from enacting similarly preposterous laws. The majority is misguided. Although the 1st Amendment does not apply to categories of unprotected speech, such as fighting words, the Equal Protection Clause requires that the regulation of unprotected speech be rationally related to a legitimate government interest. A defamation statute that drew distinctions on the basis of political affiliation or “an ordinance prohibiting only those legally obscene works that contain criticism of the city government”, would unquestionably fail rational-basis review. . . . [T]he St. Paul ordinance . . . would pass equal protection review. The ordinance proscribes a subset of “fighting words,” those that injure “on the basis of race, color, creed, religion or gender.” This selective regulation reflects the city’s judgment that harms based on race, color, creed, religion, or gender are more pressing public concerns than the harms caused by other fighting words. In light of our Nation’s long and painful experience with discrimination, this determination is plainly reasonable. . . . I-C. The Court has patched up its argument with an apparently nonexhaustive list of ad hoc exceptions. . . . To save the statute, the majority has engrafted the following exception onto its newly announced 1st Amendment rule: Content-based distinctions may be drawn within an unprotected category of speech if the basis for the distinctions is “the very reason the entire class of speech at issue is proscribable.” . . . The exception swallows the majority’s rule. Certainly, it should apply to the St. Paul ordinance, since “the reasons why [fighting words] are outside the 1st Amendment . . . have special force when applied to [groups that have historically been subjected to discrimination].” To avoid the result of its own analysis, the Court suggests that fighting words are simply a mode of communication, rather than a content-based category, and that the St. Paul ordinance has not singled out a particularly objectionable mode of communication. Again, the majority confuses the issue. A prohibition on fighting words is not a time, place, or manner restriction; it is a ban on a class of speech that conveys an overriding message of personal injury and imminent violence, a message that is at its ugliest when directed against groups that have long been the targets of discrimination. Accordingly, the ordinance falls within the first exception to the majority’s theory. As its second exception, the Court posits that certain content-based regulations will survive under the new regime if the regulated subclass “happens to be associated with particular ‘secondary effects’ of the speech . . . ,” which the majority treats as encompassing instances in which “words can . . . violate laws directed not against speech but against conduct. . . .” Again, there is a simple explanation for the Court’s eagerness to craft an exception to its new 1st Amendment rule: Under the general rule the Court applies in this case, Title VII hostile work environment claims would suddenly be unconstitutional. Title VII . . . makes it unlawful to discriminate “because of [an] individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin”, and the regulations covering hostile workplace claims forbid “sexual harassment,” which includes “[u]nwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature” that create “an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.” The regulation does not prohibit workplace harassment generally; it focuses on what the majority would characterize as the “disfavored topi[c]” of sexual harassment. In this way, Title VII is similar to the St. Paul ordinance that the majority condemns because it “impose[s] special prohibitions on those speakers who express views on disfavored subjects.” Under the broad principle the Court uses to decide the present case, hostile work environment claims based on sexual harassment should fail 1st Amendment review; because a general ban on harassment in the workplace would cover the problem of sexual harassment, any attempt to proscribe the subcategory of sexually harassing expression would violate the 1st Amendment. Hence, the majority’s second exception, which the Court indicates would insulate a Title VII hostile work environment claim from an underinclusiveness challenge because “sexually derogatory ‘fighting words’. . . may produce a violation of Title VII’s general prohibition against sexual discrimination in employment practices.” But application of this exception to a hostile work environment claim does not hold up under close examination. First, the hostile work environment regulation is not keyed to the presence or absence of an economic quid pro quo, but to the impact of the speech on the victimized worker. Consequently, the regulation would no more fall within a secondary effects exception than does the St. Paul ordinance. Second, the majority’s focus on the statute’s general prohibition on discrimination glosses over the language of the specific regulation governing hostile working environment, which reaches beyond any “incidental” effect on speech. . . . [A]ll St. Paul need do to bring its ordinance within this exception is to add some prefatory language concerning discrimination generally. As to the third exception to the Court’s theory for deciding this case, the majority concocts a catchall exclusion to protect against unforeseen problems, a concern that is heightened here given the lack of briefing on the majority’s decisional theory. This final exception would apply in cases in which “there is no realistic possibility that official suppression of ideas is afoot.” As I have demonstrated, this case does not concern the official suppression of ideas. . . . Although I disagree with the Court’s analysis, I do agree with its conclusion: The St. Paul ordinance is unconstitutional. However, I would decide the case on overbreadth grounds. . . . I agree with petitioner that the ordinance is invalid on its face. Although the ordinance as construed reaches categories of speech that are constitutionally unprotected, it also criminalizes a substantial amount of expression that — however repugnant — is shielded by the 1st Amendment. . . . The Minnesota Supreme Court erred in its application of the Chaplinsky fighting words test and consequently interpreted the St. Paul ordinance in a fashion that rendered the ordinance facially overbroad. In construing the St. Paul ordinance, the Minnesota Supreme Court drew upon the definition of fighting words that appears in Chaplinsky — words “which by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace.” . . . I [understand that the Minnesota Supreme Court] ruled that St. Paul may constitutionally prohibit expression that “by its very utterance” causes “anger, alarm or resentment.” Our fighting words cases have made clear, however, that such generalized reactions are not sufficient to strip expression of its constitutional protection. The mere fact that expressive activity causes hurt feelings, offense, or resentment does not render the expression unprotected. . . . Although the ordinance reaches conduct that is unprotected, it also makes criminal expressive conduct that causes only hurt feelings, offense, or resentment, and is protected by the 1st Amendment. The ordinance is therefore fatally overbroad and invalid on its face. . . . Justice Blackmun, concurring in the judgment. . . . I see no 1st Amendment values that are compromised by a law that prohibits hoodlums from driving minorities out of their homes by burning crosses on their lawns, but I see great harm in preventing the people of Saint Paul from specifically punishing the race-based fighting words that so prejudice their community. I concur in the judgment, however, because I agree with Justice White that this particular ordinance reaches beyond fighting words to speech protected by the 1st Amendment. Justice Stevens, with whom Justice White and Justice Blackmun join as to Part I, concurring in the judgment. Conduct that creates special risks or causes special harms may be prohibited by special rules. Lighting a fire near an ammunition dump or a gasoline storage tank is especially dangerous; such behavior may be punished more severely than burning trash in a vacant lot. Threatening someone because of her race or religious beliefs may cause particularly severe trauma or touch off a riot, and threatening a high public official may cause substantial social disruption; such threats may be punished more severely than threats against someone based on, say, his support of a particular athletic team. There are legitimate, reasonable, and neutral justifications for such special rules. This case involves the constitutionality of one such ordinance. Because the regulated conduct has some communicative content — a message of racial, religious, or gender hostility — the ordinance raises two quite different 1st Amendment questions. Is the ordinance “overbroad” because it prohibits too much speech? If not, is it “underbroad” because it does not prohibit enough speech? . . . III. . . . The St. Paul ordinance is evenhanded. In a battle between advocates of tolerance and advocates of intolerance, the ordinance does not prevent either side from hurling fighting words at the other on the basis of their conflicting ideas, but it does bar both sides from hurling such words on the basis of the target’s “race, color, creed, religion or gender.” . . . Finally, it is noteworthy that the St. Paul ordinance is, as construed by the Court today, quite narrow. The St. Paul ordinance does not ban all “hate speech,” nor does it ban, say, all cross burnings or all swastika displays. Rather it only bans a subcategory of the already narrow category of fighting words. Such a limited ordinance leaves open and protected a vast range of expression on the subjects of racial, religious, and gender equality. . . . In sum, the St. Paul ordinance (as construed by the Court) regulates expressive activity that is wholly proscribable and does so not on the basis of viewpoint, but rather in recognition of the different harms caused by such activity. Taken together, these several considerations persuade me that the St. Paul ordinance is not an unconstitutional content-based regulation of speech. Thus, were the ordinance not overbroad, I would vote to uphold it. Note: Wisconsin v. Mitchell In Wisconsin v. Mitchell (1993), the Court considered a Wisconsin statute that provided for enhanced penalties for certain racially motivated crimes. Mitchell’s sentence for aggravated battery was enhanced because he intentionally selected his victim because of race. He claimed the enhanced punishment violated the rule of R.A.V. v. St. Paul (1992), and won on that basis in the State Supreme Court. A unanimous United States Supreme Court held Mitchell’s 1st Amendment rights were not violated by the application of the penalty-enhancement provision in sentencing him. The Court noted that sentencing judges have traditionally considered a wide variety of factors, such as a defendant’s motive for committing the offense, in addition to evidence bearing on guilt. It recognized that a sentencing judge may not consider a defendant’s abstract beliefs, however obnoxious. But it held the Constitution does not erect a per se barrier to the admission of evidence concerning beliefs and associations at sentencing simply because the beliefs are protected by the 1st Amendment. The Court distinguished R.A.V. v. St. Paul, saying that the ordinance in R.A.V. was explicitly directed at speech, while the Wisconsin statute was aimed at conduct unprotected by the 1st Amendment. It further held that a state’s desire to redress what it considers the greater individual and societal harm inflicted by bias-inspired conduct provides an adequate explanation for the provision over and above mere disagreement with offenders’ beliefs. Finally, the Court announced that the statute had no “chilling effect” on free speech, and therefore was not unconstitutionally overbroad. It dismissed the prospect of a citizen suppressing his bigoted beliefs for fear that evidence of those beliefs would be introduced against him at trial if he committed a serious offense against person or property as too speculative a hypothesis.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1812
__label__wiki	0.689582	0.689582	Robert Redford cast as President Robert Redford in HBO’s Watchmen It’s a direct nod to the original comic books. A Hero’s Ending: Why Robert Redford Didn’t Strike Out Golden boy Roy Hobbs meets a far different fate on the silver screen. by Matt Melis on March 28, 2019, 12:15pm William Goldman, one of Hollywood’s greatest screenwriters of all time, has died at 87 Two-time Oscar-winning screenwriter, novelist, and playwright leaves behind an epic legacy. Film Review: The Old Man & the Gun Makes For a Proper Movie Star Farewell Robert Redford’s alleged final go-around on the big screen is custom-built for his particular kind of charm. by Clint Worthington The 25 Most Anticipated Films of Fall 2018 A guide to the movies that have us (and hopefully you) most excited for the rest of 2018. Robert Redford confirms his retirement from acting The Old Man & The Gun will be the Hollywood icon’s last film. Watch the trailer for Robert Redford’s final movie The Old Man And The Gun David Lowery follows up last year’s fantastic A Ghost Story with this true-life story. Nas and Jack White cover “On the Road Again”, a 1928 blues song — watch From White, T Bone Burnett, and Robert Redford’s forthcoming American Epic project. on May 11, 2017, 11:59am Film Review: The Discovery A curious but sometimes frustrating sci-fi take on what a proven afterlife would do to the world. The afterlife is real and our world is dying fast in the trailer for The Discovery — watch Charlie McDowell’s sci-fi feature will be released via Netflix on March 31st. President Obama awards Bruce Springsteen the Presidential Medal of Freedom: “I am the President, he is The Boss” POTUS called Springsteen’s music “the anthems of our America.” President Obama awards Bruce Springsteen with Presidential Medal of Freedom Other recipients include Diana Ross, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Lorne Michaels, and Michael Jordan.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1813
__label__wiki	0.712768	0.712768	Entertainment Weekly Unveils Cover of Brie Larson as Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel By Mr. DAPs\|2018-09-05T09:26:51-07:00September 5th, 2018\|Categories: Entertainment, Marvel\|Tags: Avengers, Avengers: Infinity War, Brie Larson, Captain Marvel, Clark Gregg, Disney News, Entertainment Weekly, EW, Marvel, Marvel News, Marvel Studios, Movies, Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Samuel Jackson\| Captain Marvel still might not be in theaters until next year, but she is starting to show up in magazines! Today, Entertainment Weekly released the cover showcasing her. It is part of a full magazine [...] Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to Return for Sixth Season By Mr. DAPs\|2018-05-14T13:27:17-07:00May 14th, 2018\|Categories: Entertainment, Marvel\|Tags: Agent Coulson, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel, Clark Gregg, Disney News, Marvel, Phil Coulson, Renewed, S.H.I.E.L.D., season 6, shield, TV\| It is confirmed, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be returning for a sixth season. The original Marvel television show has been given a sixth season 13-episode order. The series is built around Agent Coulson, originally a [...] It’s a Full Season for ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ By Mr. DAPs\|2013-10-10T12:04:06-07:00October 10th, 2013\|Categories: DAPs Magic News, Disney, Geek, Geek News, Marvel\|Tags: ABC, DAPs, Disney, Magic, Marvel, MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D, News, Phil Coulson, shield, Television, TV\| Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is off to a good start. In fact, it is good enough to stick around for an entire season. After just airing three episodes, ABC has picked up Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for the [...]	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1820
__label__wiki	0.735706	0.735706	Spring flowers bloom in front of Altgeld Hall at the University of Illinois. Sovereignty and Indigeneity in the Big Ten: Telling Our Stories 3:00 to 4:30 pm Central Time / 4:00 to 5:30 pm Eastern Time Sponsored by the Big Ten Native Alliance Please register to receive Zoom link. Join us this Indigenous Peoples’ Day for a collaborative panel discussion led by Native researchers and practitioners in the Big Ten. The panel will focus on Native experiences in academia, Indigenous led research and pedagogy, and how these are reflected in the national political and social climates. Learn more about the panel and related Indigenous Peoples’ Day events. If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate in this program, please contact Nichole Boyd at nboyd4@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time for your access needs to be met. Lisa Aguilar (Three Affiliated Tribes, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) – Indiana University Bloomington Assistant Professor of Counseling and Educational Psychology Lisa Aguilar is a recent graduate from Mizzou’s school psychology program. She has worked closely with small tribal schools in Alaska and North Dakota both in an applied and research capacity. Lisa has published in research and practitioner focused journals, presented at local and national conferences, and contributed chapters to various school psychology texts. Her research interests include increasing academic success for Indigenous youth in schools and communities, multicultural competency training for graduate students and professionals, and academic interventions as a form of prevention and culturally responsive education. Native-Serving Resource at IU First Nations Educational & Cultural Center American Indian Studies Research Institute Melissa Beard Jacob (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) – The Ohio State University Intercultural Specialist, American Indian/Indigenous Student Initiatives Melissa Beard Jacob (she, her, hers) is Ojibwe from Northern Michigan and an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Her traditional name in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe Language) is Awunkoquay, which translates into Woman in the Fog. She is eagle clan and embraces a number of roles and responsibilities as an Anishinaabekwe (Ojibwe woman), mother, wife, daughter, granddaughter, sister, cousin, educator, writer and historian. Melissa received her PhD in Cultural Studies from George Mason University and her research interests include Native American boarding school histories, collective memory and cultural trauma, Indigenous methodologies and performance theory. Her dissertation entitled “Reclaiming My Family’s Story: Cultural Trauma and Indigenous Ways of Knowing” is an Indigenous autoethnographic study of her own family’s story of survival through the Native American boarding school system. Melissa also holds a BA in Journalism from Michigan State University and a MA in Film and Media Studies from Wayne State University. Native-Serving Resource at Ohio State Multicultural Center Jenny L. Davis (Chickasaw Nation) – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Associate Professor of Anthropology and American Indian Studies Director of the American Indian Studies Program Jenny L. Davis is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. Her research focuses on contemporary Indigenous language revitalization; Indigenous gender and sexuality; and collaborative methods, ethics, and repatriation in Indigenous research. Her research has been published in the Annual Review of Anthropology, American Anthropologist, Gender & Language, Language in Society, and the Review of International American Studies (RIAS), among others. She is the recipient of two book prizes: the 2019 Beatrice Medicine Award from the Association for the Study of American Indian Literatures for Talking Indian: Identity and Language Revitalization in the Chickasaw Renaissance (University of Arizona Press, 2018) and the 2014 Ruth Benedict Book Prize from the Association for Queer Anthropology and the American Anthropological Association for her co-edited volume Queer Excursions: Retheorizing Binaries in Language, Gender, and Sexuality (Oxford University Press, 2014). Native-Serving Resource at Illinois American Indian Studies Program Native American House Native American House Facebook Page Bethany Hughes (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) – Michigan Assistant Professor, Department of American Culture Bethany Hughes is a cultural historian and performance scholar interested in how performance constructs culturally recognizable categories and offers possibilities to resist or remake those same categories. Her book project draws on the fields of Native American Studies, Theatre, and Performance Studies asking questions about racialization, representation, authenticity, and authority. Hughes is also interested in federal Indian law, musical theatre, and how economic and organizational structures shape cultural production. Native-Serving Resource at Michigan Native American Studies – Department of American Culture Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs Doug Kiel (Oneida Nation) – Northwestern University Assistant Professor, Department of History Doug Kiel is a citizen of the Oneida Nation and studies Native American history, with particular interests in the Great Lakes region and twentieth century Indigenous nation rebuilding. He is working on a book manuscript entitled Unsettling Territory: Oneida Indian Resurgence and Anti-Sovereignty Backlash. Prior to joining the Northwestern faculty, he taught at Williams College, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Middlebury College. He is the recipient of grants and fellowships from the Ford Foundation, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation, the American Philosophical Society, the Newberry Library, and the School for Advanced Research (SAR) in Santa Fe, NM, among others. Native-Serving Resource at Northwestern Multicultural Student Affairs Center for Native American and Indigenous Research Native American and Indigenous Initiatives Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion Terese Mailhot (Seabird Island First Nations) – Purdue University Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of English Terese Mailhot is a visiting assistant professor in English. Mailhot holds an M.F.A. in fiction writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts and a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from New Mexico State. She spent the 2017-18 academic year at Purdue University as a Tecumseh Postdoctoral Fellow, furthering her research while also mentoring graduate and undergraduate students. In February 2018, she released Heart Berries: A Memoir, a New York Times bestseller and selection in the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers series. Mailhot has worked as an English and composition instructor at Dona Ana Community College in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and as a columnist at Indian Country Today, a Native American news source. Her work has appeared in The Rumpus, the Los Angeles Times, Carve Magazine, The Offing, The Toast and Yellow Medicine Review. She is the recipient of the SWAIA Discovery Fellowship, Vermont Studio Center Fellowship, Writing by Writers Fellowship, and the Elk Writer’s Workshop Fellowship. Native-Serving Resource at Purdue Native American Educational and Cultural Center (NAECC) Native American and Indigenous Studies Bayley J. Marquez (Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians) – University of Maryland Assistant Professor, Department of American Studies Bayley J. Marquez is an Indigenous scholar from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. She earned her doctorate in Education as a part of the Social and Cultural Studies program from the University of California, Berkeley in 2019. Her research examines the role of schools in settler colonialism, antiblackness, and imperialism and particularly how forms of teaching traveled and changed in different racialized and colonial contexts. Her archival research on Black and Indigenous industrial schools has been supported by the College of Arts and Humanities Junior Faculty Fellowship, the Ford Foundation, and the Joseph A. Myers Center for Research on Native American Issues. Her current book project, titled “Teaching Slavery and Settlement: Plantation Pedagogies in Currents of Conquest,” examines the role of industrial education in the production of settler colonial space, structuring the “afterlife of slavery,” and the racialization of imperial subjects. Native-Serving Resource at Maryland Native American Indian Student Involvement – Adele H. Stamp Student Union – Center for Campus Life Dylan Miner (Métis Nation) – Michigan State University Director of American Indian and Indigenous Studies Professor in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities Dylan AT Miner, PhD is an artist, activist, and scholar. He is Director of American Indian and Indigenous Studies, as well as Professor in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, at Michigan State University. In Spring 2019, he was Denison Visiting Professor of Native American Studies at Central Michigan University. In 2010, he was an Artist Leadership Fellow at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution. He serves on the board of the Michigan Indian Education Council and is a founding member of the Justseeds artist collective. His book Creating Aztlán: Chicano Art, Indigenous Sovereignty, and Lowriding Across Turtle Island was published by the University of Arizona Press. He has published multiple risograph books and booklets, including an artist’s book titled Aanikoobijigan // Waawaashkeshi; a booklet on Métis and Anishinaabe beadwork; a chapbook on quillwork; a notebook for learners of the Odawa and Ojibwe language; and a poem-book titled Bakobiigwaashkwani // She Jumps into the Water. Miner is presently working on a multivolume portfolio of prints on activist-athletes and a risograph book of floral beadwork patterns. Miner is a registered citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario. Native-Serving Resource at Michigan State Danielle Yancey (Menominee/Santee Nations) – University of Wisconsin-Madison Director, Native American Center for Health Professions, School of Medicine and Public Health Danielle Yancey (Menominee/Santee) has worked in public service for more than fifteen years focusing on programs that promote social justice, education access, and equity. Currently, she serves as the director for the Native American Center for Health Professions at the School of Medicine and Public Health at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to her present role, she served as a Career Pathways Coordinator at UW Health as part of the newly formed Allied Health Education and Career Pathways department, which focuses on workforce development in the healthcare industry. For several years, Danielle also served as a tribal liaison for the State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation in Tribal affairs. In this capacity, she worked closely with Tribal communities to establish workforce development opportunities and capacity building initiatives to enhance employment access on transportation projects. Danielle is originally from the Menominee Indian reservation, and moved to the Madison area to pursue her education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She graduated with undergraduate degrees in women’s studies and social welfare, Master of Science in urban and regional planning, and holds a sustainability leadership graduate certificate from Edgewood College. Native-Serving Resource at Wisconsin The Native American Center for Health Professions Information Technology Academy Lac du Flambeau Information Technology Academy Onidea	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1829
__label__wiki	0.827601	0.827601	Multi-venue film club Deeper Into Movies is devoted to showcasing interesting and unusual films, often partnering them with enlightening documentaries, DJ sets and lectures by leading commentators. They celebrated their third birthday in May this year, and as part of the ongoing celebrations they’ve announced a screening that promises to deliver much more than the average film experience. Alejandro Jodorowsky’s ‘The Holy Mountain’ was controversial upon it’s initial release in 1973 due it’s sacrilegious imagery and provocative symbolism. Described as a “psychedelic masterpiece” by Fact Magazine, the film follows a Christ-like character and his seven companions on their journey to the Holy Mountain, where they hope to achieve enlightenment. On July 28th the film will be screened at the Rio Cinema with a live accompaniment by Japanese experimental noise band Bo Ningen, who have composed an all-new soundtrack for the event. The four-piece are well-regarded for their explosive live performances, and have been compared to the likes of Can and Boredoms. Bo Ningen live score the ‘The Holy Mountain’ takes place on Saturday July 28th at the Rio Cinema, Dalston. Ryuichi Sak... The Store X... Late Juncti...	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1831
__label__cc	0.595573	0.404427	DSSS: Critical Zone Evolution by Jerks: Impacts of Carbon and Water Through-flux2 min read by ESD News and Events on February 7, 2014 Announcements Events Who: Jon Chorover, Ph.D., University of Arizona What: Download the Flyer (pdf) Where: Building 66 Auditorium, hosted by Peter Nico When: 10:30 am to 12:00 noon, February 21, 2014 Why: About the Distinguished Scientist Seminar Series Jon Chorover is Professor and Chair in the Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science at the University of Arizona (UA). He received his M.S. (Forest Science), and Ph.D. (Soil Science) from UC Berkeley, worked as an NSF postdoctoral fellow in Analytical Chemistry at University of Geneva, and was on the faculty of Penn State University before joining the faculty at University of Arizona. His research group explores the biogeochemistry of soil, sediment and water using laboratory and field-based experimental approaches probed with state-of-the-art tools in analytical chemistry. Of particular interest is resolving how mineral-organic interactions influence the weathering of soils, the stabilization of organic carbon, and the speciation, mobility and bioaccessibility of pollutants. He directs a core analytical chemistry facility, the Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants (http://www.alec.arizona.edu/), and serves as PI of the UA-led, NSF-funded Santa Catalina Mountains – Jemez River Basin Critical Zone Observatory (http://criticalzone.org/catalina-jemez/). Pulsed water and organic matter inputs to soils and the deeper subsurface critical zone (CZ) affect not only short-term biogeochemical dynamics and fluxes, but also subsurface structure evolution over the longer time scales of pedogenesis and landscape evolution. Plants and microbes colonizing the CZ surface exert modulating control through carbon (e.g., CO2 exchange) and water (e.g., transpiration) partitioning, and mediation of redox reactions. In water-limited systems such as those our team studies in the semi-arid southwestern US, precipitation in excess of evapotranspiration promotes mineral weathering, whereas organic carbon inputs deliver reducing equivalents, protons, and complexing ligands that affect the rates and trajectories of mineral, metal and organic matter transformation. Evolved CZ structures affected by input dynamics of water and reduced carbon include the bonding environment of toxic metal(loid)s, the molecular-to-grain scale composition of mineral-organic complexes, the pore size distributions and preferential flow paths of aggregated porous media, the pedon to catchment-scale depletion and enrichment of lithogenic elements, and the ecosystem-scale pattern of carbon stabilization. Unraveling the coupled processes that influence CZ change over short and long time scales requires close collaboration on measurements and modeling among ecologists, hydrologists, soil scientists, geochemists and geomorphologists.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1832
__label__cc	0.680094	0.319906	ECC instructors put the novel in novel coronavirus Hadley Corbett ECC professors recommended many books including “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “Ethics for the New Millennium.” Hadley Corbett, Staff Writer While social distancing may be keeping you from spending time with your favorite people, it doesn’t have to stop you from delving into the lives of literary characters. Whether you are looking for a quick read or something to keep you busy for hours, a fantasy novel or a philosophical discourse, a tear jerker or a comedy, Elgin Community College instructors have you covered with a book that will fit your mood during the COVID-19 quarantine. Jason Kane, an ECC professor II of English, thinks “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman, is a good book to read no matter your time restraints. “The book is what I’d call a good read, well-written but not too complex, something you could read in the afternoon or in snippets before falling asleep at night, as I tend to read,” Kane said. “Although the book addresses loss, sadness, depression, and attempted suicide, it is filled with humor, heart, and ultimately shows how the lonely title character becomes part of a diverse, supportive community within his neighborhood. It’s one of those books where you are likely to laugh and cry, but will feel good [and] reassured at the end about the human capacity to overcome and to love. And that seems like a good vibe these days.” Mary Elfring, an ECC English adjunct faculty member, recommends “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” by Helen Simonson. “It takes place in England, and it is about a man, Major Ernest Pettigrew, who lives alone and whose brother has just died sending him into a funk,” Elfring said. “He meets a local Indian woman who intrudes into his staid and proper English life.This novel is about how one’s life and beliefs are shaken up when the perceptions of their world are radically challenged. It is about letting go of one’s long held view on life and accepting a new and most pleasant reality. I loved it! It is a sweet tale.” David Zacker, ECC professor of humanities, recommends “Ethics for the New Millennium” by the Dalai Lama to everybody to help make sense of everything that is going on. “It is a thought provoking book that helps you think through how to be happy,” Zacker said. “It is not just a self-help book, but goes deep into thought provoking ideas about how we come to be who we are… without getting so far into the philosophical weeds that you have to think hard to enjoy it. It [explains how] we are all dependent upon each other and leads to the conclusion that the most important human emotion is empathy [because] through empathy we can act spiritually, and thus morally toward our fellow humans and nonhuman animals. It is a philosophically satisfying book and opens you up to further questioning.” Jeffrey Weisman, ECC assistant professor of English, has a book recommendation for someone who is trying to keep their children or siblings entertained and learning as well as themselves. “A book my nine-year-old daughter and I just read, that we both loved, was “George’s Marvelous Medicine” by Roald Dahl…who is simply one of the greatest children writers ever,” Weisman said. “Overall, it really is an excellent book…and will take at most a few hours to read. In the story, George wants revenge on his grandmother so he goes all around his house [collecting items] to make his ‘marvelous medicine’. It is absolutely hilarious! Seeing how we are all stuck at home, thinking about what’s around us is kind of funny and insightful since we don’t always do that. Also, on a more base level, trying to take control over a situation that is dominating you is a pleasant release right now. I would definitely recommend it for children, children at heart, and those who like the preposterous made real.” Joshua Thusat, ECC assistant professor of English, thinks the new book, “Nothing to See Here” by Kevin Wilson, will satisfy readers interested in magical realism. “The plot is irresistible,” Thusat said. “A woman must take care of kids who catch on fire. Certainly, it’s symbolic. But, these twins literally get angry and ignite, and their nanny must keep it quiet for their political father. It’s a quick, enjoyable read.” Johanna Cummings Bernard, ECC professor of English, suggests people reread our favorite stories from childhood. “Go back to the books you loved as a child,” Bernard said. “Maybe it was “The Chronicles of Narnia” or “Anne of Green Gables.” Maybe it was “Little Women” or “The Fellowship of the Ring.” Maybe it was “Harry Potter” or “The Secret Garden.” Whatever it was, try to remember the joy you felt when you were first immersed in that fictional world. We’ve all been reminded in times of trouble to look… for examples of good in a world that feels dark.” All of these professors seem to understand the value of a good read. During times of uncertainty it can be comforting to find support in the pages of a book. [During this time,] look at the art you loved as a child,” Bernard said. “[Do so] because, it is the art – books, music, and movies – that is worth living and fighting for.” This is my second year at ECC and I joined The Observer to meet new people and learn more about the school and community. In my free time I enjoy reading,... Virtual schooling challenges faced by students with disabilities Students show off artistic side for ice carving class Students’ day-to-day lives changed in quarantine ECC combines Shakespeare and Broadway with “Kiss Me, Kate” ECC students share their ways of de-stressing. Horror Floral presents: “Suffering Organic Impairments” ECC’s first time voter prepare for the upcoming election From the coronavirus to learning a new language: struggles of ECC’s Chinese international students A look into ECC’s non-traditional students ECC introduces new music classes to curriculum	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1835
__label__wiki	0.681697	0.681697	Down along the Piney Reviews of Ozarks books and museums by John Mort About John Mort Contact John Mort The Maid’s Version (2013), by Daniel Woodrell September 11, 2018 September 13, 2018 / johnbmort Reviewers often compare Daniel Woodrell to William Faulkner (easy to see), Flannery O’Connor (not really; she was a devout Catholic and much funnier), and Cormac McCarthy (again, because of the Faulknerian prose, the violence, the testosterone). One might also add Jim Harrison (Harrison was better with plots), Thomas McGuane (more absurd), and here’s an odd one: Erskine Caldwell. Caldwell had none of Woodrell’s dark vision, his style was less elegant, but Woodrell shares Caldwell’s acquaintance with Southern poverty and his proletarian sensibilities. The other factor complicating how to regard Woodrell is the movies: Ride with the Devil (from Woe to Live On) and particularly, the movie that launched Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone. The movies are Woodrell’s work, too, if only indirectly. Still, with all of that, one shouldn’t lose sight of the writer himself. He’s not an imitator. For one thing, he writes fiction about the Ozarks, and not many good writers have. I was partly raised in a town not far from West Table (apparently, West Plains, Woodrell’sYoknapatawpha) and he gets every detail right without obsessing over those details. Woodrell draws from an actual event, a dance hall explosion in West Plains in 1928. Thirty-nine people died, many were injured, and the cause was never quite pinned down. (There’s also a non-fiction account from 2010 by Lin Waterhouse, The West Plains Dance Hall Explosion (https://www.amazon.com/West-Plains-Dance-Explosion-Disaster/dp/1609491165/ref=sr_tc_2_1?ie =UTF8&qid=1533097990&sr=1-2-ent) Woodrell opens with the maid of the title, an old woman named Alma Dunahew, who’s hosting her grandson, Alek, for the summer. The short novel, almost a novella, is Alma’s account to Alek of the family’s tough history. Alma came from an abusive home. She’s all but illiterate, and eked out a bitter living working for West Table’s more prosperous families. She hardly had food for her own children. But the reader suspects she knows the cause of the explosion, and that’s all Woodrell needs for suspense and to drive to the heart of this old mystery. After Alma sets things up, Woodrell tells his story with short chapters, featuring portraits of local hussies, St. Louis gangsters, bankers, drunks, and snobs, all of whom may be candidates for the ultimate ruin. These quick, seemingly casual characterizations are the best part of the book. In particular, there’s the fire-and-brimstone preacher, a character who shows up often in Southern fiction, but Woodrell dusts him off and makes him real again: “Preacher Willard accepted the Ten Commandments as a halfhearted start but kept adding amendments until the number of sins he couldn’t countenance was beyond memorization.” Gradually, two characters emerge as more important than the others: Alma’s younger sister, Ruby, much more comely, much more flirtatious than Alma; and Arthur Glencross, a self-made man, appealing but flawed, who heads the local bank and whose sound judgment saved it from disaster. He’s an upright guy but can’t resist Ruby, and she, a woman who’s made a career out of mesmerizing men, can’t resist him, either. Their affair edges right up to lurid—and stops. That’s all there is to the plot except for the brilliant end. Woodrell tells a brooding, sorrowful story, in the process offering up an incisive portrait of the Ozarks that used to be—not corny, not even quaint, but universal. ← Lightning Bug (1970), by Donald Harington Down Along the Piney, reviewed by Timothy J. Bazzett (amazon) →	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1836
__label__cc	0.601976	0.398024	Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act Adjusts Popular Program Posted June 9, 2020 by Jonathan Dyer Home » Small Business » Small Business News » Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act Adjusts Popular Program As businesses across the country slowly begin to reopen their doors, those entrepreneurs who took out Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans are getting some new updates. For the unfamiliar, the initiative was initially introduced as part of the better known CARES Act and brought $349 billion in loans to small businesses. However, the first round of funding ran out in less than two weeks, leading lawmakers to authorize another $310 billion. Through the entire process, the agency and Congress have also worked to close loopholes and further clarify policies that may not have been clear when the plan was put together. Now PPP is evolving once again thanks to the passage of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, which President Trump signed into law this past week. Among the changes that the newly-signed bill brings to the program, small business owners are now only required to use 60% of the loan for payroll in order to qualify for forgiveness whereas the original threshold was 75%. As CNBC reports, the updated bill also makes clear that, if a borrower uses less than 60% on payroll, they may still be eligible for partial loan forgiveness. Prior to this, some entrepreneurs feared that falling even a bit below the required amount would void their opportunity for forgiveness entirely. Also important is that, while borrowers were originally given a timeframe of eight weeks to use the funds, this has now been extended to 24 weeks. Meanwhile, loans issued on or after June 5th will now have five year terms instead of the original two years. Finally, the bill officially names June 30th, 2020 as the last day to apply for PPP loans. In a joint statement regarding the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said, “This bill will provide businesses with more time and flexibility to keep their employees on the payroll and ensure their continued operations as we safely reopen our country. We look forward to getting the American people back to work as quickly as possible.” The duo also praised a bipartisan list of leaders, stating, “We want to thank President Trump for his leadership and commend Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader McCarthy for working on a bipartisan basis to pass this legislation for small businesses participating in the Paycheck Protection Program.” Although the Paycheck Protection Program may not have been perfect in its original form and led to frustration for many small business owners, it’s hard to argue that the loan program wasn’t a net positive on the whole. Furthermore, it’s nice to see that the SBA and Congress have been listening to feedback and were able to make some much-needed adjustments. Hopefully, with these most recent changes, small business owners will be one step closer to getting back on their feet. "Second Draw" PPP Loan Applications Open as Forgiven Loans Total $100 Billion Last year, as part of the CARES Act meant to address some of the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Small Business Administration introduced the Paycheck Protection Program. With this, small businesses could apply for loans that could then be forgiven if certain terms were met. The program... PayPal Commits Additional $5 Million to Black-Owned Small Business Grant Program Even as the first COVID-19 vaccines begin distribution, the pandemic continues to impact millions of Americans. Among those hardest hit are small business owners — with Black business owners being disproportionately affected even among this group. Because of this reality, PayPal has announced that it will fund a grant program... Americans Fear For Small Businesses as 2020 Nears an End This week, the first round of an approved COVID-19 vaccine begin shipping across the nation. As a result, many Americans are feeling a cautious sense of hope as a harsh year nears an end. Survey Finds Small Business Owners Less Confident in the Economic Conditions Ahead As 2020 finally nears an end, small business owners and many others are already looking to the future. Unfortunately, while there are reasons to be hopeful, the immediate future may not seem all that different from our current reality. In fact, a recent survey from Bank of America found that... Small Business Saturday Sales Reach Record $19.8 Billion Dec 3, 2020 by Jonathan Dyer On November 28th, Small Business Saturday was celebrated once again. This year's event was the 11th to occur as the Amex-founded retail holiday celebrated its 10th anniversary. Now, new figures suggest that the 2020 installment of Small Business Saturday was a success, with total sales nearing $20 billion. According to...	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1840
__label__cc	0.658934	0.341066	E3 Spark Plugs >> Don?t Miss the WSORR E3 Spark Plugs Show-Me-State Showdown, May 31-June 1, 2008 Don’t Miss the WSORR E3 Spark Plugs Show-Me-State Showdown, May 31-June 1, 2008 E3® Spark Plugs makes it’s debut in off-road racing as event sponsor for the Lucas Oil World Series of Off-Road Racing’s (WSORR) opening race weekend May 31 and June 1 at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO., airing nationally on the Speed TV Network. Considered to be the “Diamond of Dirt Tracks,” there could be no more fitting sponsor than E3 Spark Plugs, known for their breakthrough “Diamond Fire” design which employs electrode technology to help users increase power, improve fuel efficiency and reduce engine emissions that contribute to global warming. E3 Spark Plugs, available for automotive, Lawn & Garden and Powersports, are the only spark plugs on the market that improve horsepower and fuel economy. E3 also dramatically lowers hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions in 2 & 4 stroke engines. Now found in over 15,000 stores nationwide including: Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Pep Boys, Advance Auto, CSK Auto, Strauss, Sears, Tractor Supply, Canadian Tire, Summit, JEGS, JC Whitney and more, it is has been proven to improve power from 2 to 13 hp, depending on engine class as compared to all other brands of premium plugs. According to E3 president Todd Arey, the company has looked forward with great anticipation to this exciting kick off event. “We are pleased to welcome back all of the best off-road racers in the nation to the E3 Spark Plug Show-Me-State-Showdown. We know the commitment it takes to become the best in your field, and applaud your dedication to excellence. At E3, our goal is to continuously strive to achieve that same level of excellence through consistent innovations in spark plug technology.” “E3 Spark Plugs is another one of the leading edge companies that we have found make a perfect fit with the World Series,” said Doug Davis, managing general partner, WSORR. “E3 is the first spark plug manufacturer to take a major position in short course off-road racing and we are glad they chose WSORR,” he said. For more information or to purchase reserve seats online, go to LucasOilSpeedway.com. A ticket to any day of the O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals also allows entrance for Sunday’s event. For more information about E3 spark plugs, including performance and emission test results, visit www.e3sparkplugs.com.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1842
__label__wiki	0.738512	0.738512	Seafloor Features Are Revealed by the Gravity Field 2014PNG It has been said that we have more complete maps of the surface of Mars or the Moon than we do of Earth. Close to 70 percent of our planet is covered by water, and that water refracts, absorbs, and reflects light so well that it can only penetrate a few tens to hundreds of meters. To humans and most satellite eyes, the deep ocean is opaque. But there are ways to visualize what the planet looks like beneath that watery shroud. Sonar-based (sounding) instruments mounted on ships can distinguish the shape (bathymetry) of the seafloor. But such maps can only be made for places where ships and sonar pass frequently. The majority of such measurements have been made along the major shipping routes of the world, interspersed with results from scientific expeditions over the past two centuries. About 5 to 15 percent of the global ocean floor has been mapped in this way, depending on how you define “mapped.” There is another way to see the depths of the ocean: by measuring the shape and gravity field of Earth, a discipline known as geodesy. David Sandwell of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Walter Smith of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have spent much of the past 25 years negotiating with military agencies and satellite operators to allow them access to measurements of the Earth’s gravity field and sea surface heights. The result of their efforts is a global data set that tells where the ridges and valleys are by showing where the planet’s gravity field varies. The map above shows a global view of gravity anomalies, as assembled by Sandwell, Smith, and colleagues. Shades of orange and red represent areas where seafloor gravity is stronger (in milligals) than the global average, a phenomenon that mostly coincides with the location of underwater ridges, seamounts, and the edges of Earth’s tectonic plates. Shades of blue represent areas of lower gravity, corresponding largely with the deepest troughs in the ocean. The second map shows a tighter view of that data along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Africa and South America. The maps were created through computer analysis and modeling of new satellite altimetry data from the European Space Agency’s CryoSat-2 and from the NASA-CNES Jason-1, as well as older data from missions flown in the 1980s and 90s. CryoSat-2 was designed to collect data over Earth’s polar regions, but it also collected measurements over the oceans. Jason-1 was specifically designed to measure the height of the oceans, but it had to be adjusted to a slightly different orbit in order to acquire the data needed to see gravity anomalies. But how does the height of the sea surface (which is what the altimeters measured) tell us something about gravity and the seafloor? Mountains and other seafloor features have a lot of mass, so they exert a gravitational pull on the water above and around them; essentially, seamounts pull more water toward their center of mass. This causes water to pile up in small but measurable bumps on the sea surface. (If you are wondering why a greater mass would not pull the water down, it is because water is incompressible; that is, it will not shrink into a smaller volume.) The new measurements of these tiny bumps on the sea surface were compared and combined with previous gravity measurements to make a map that is two- to four times more detailed than before. Through their work, Sandwell, Smith, and the team have charted thousands of previously uncharted mountains and abyssal hills. The new map gives an accurate picture of seafloor topography at a scale of 5 kilometers per pixel. From these seafloor maps, scientists can further refine their understand of the evolution and motion of Earth’s tectonic plates and the continents they carry. They can also improve estimates of the depth of the seafloor in various regions and target new sonar surveys to further refine the details, especially in areas where there is thick sediment. This third map shows the gravity data as a cartographer would represent the seafloor, with darker blues representing deeper areas. NASA Earth Observatory maps by Joshua Stevens, using data from Sandwell, D. et al. (2014). Caption by Mike Carlowicz. Scientists read the bumps on the ocean surface to understand the shape of the seafloor below. Image of the Day for December 29, 2015 Image of the Day Water Remote Sensing Sandwell, D. et al. (2014) New global marine gravity model from CryoSat-2 and Jason-1 reveals buried tectonic structure. Science, 346 (6205), 65–67. Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2014, October 2) Marine Gravity from Satellite Altimetry. Accessed December 23, 2015. Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2014, October 2) New Map Exposes Previously Unseen Details of Seafloor. Accessed December 23, 2015. Carlowicz, M. (1995, October 31) New Map of Seafloor Mirrors Surface. EOS, Transactions, AGU , 441–442. University of Sydney (2014, October 5) Mapping the Seafloor from Space. Accessed December 23, 2015. Scientific American (2014, October 9) Just How Little Do We Know about the Ocean Floor? Accessed December 23, 2015. Schmidt Ocean Institute (2013, March 12) The Ocean: Haven’t We Already Mapped It? Accessed December 23, 2015. NOAA National Ocean Service (2015) What is geodesy? Accessed December 23, 2015. NOAA National Ocean Service (2015) How much of the ocean have we explored? Accessed December 23, 2015. New Seafloor Map Helps Scientists Find New Features The recent discovery of the Mammerickx Microplate was made possible by new satellite-derived maps of the ocean floor. Earth’s Gravity Field The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) has released its first science product: the most accurate map yet of Earth’s gravity field. Image of the Day Land Water Water Flow in the Amazon First Global Water Vapor Map from OSTM Image of the Day Atmosphere Water	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1843
__label__cc	0.600396	0.399604	Edinburgh Trades Convenery Deacon Conveners Magdalen Chapel Seal of Cause Edinburgh Trades Fund History of the Hospital “Ye dainty deacons and ye douce conveners” Mary Erskine’s Life and Legacies. The Blue Blanket. The Magdalen Chapel. Skinners’ quarrel with the Fleshers. Riding of the Marches. Kirking the Deacons at Beltane. Origins of the Trades’ Heraldry Shop / Books The Convenery of the Trades of Edinburgh consists of the deacons of all the incorporated trades, who meet together regularly for the mutual benefit of incorporations. Any Deacon unable to attend is expected to send a proxy to stand in for him or her. The Convenery was formed just after the Reformation in about 1562 with the aim of combining the strength of the trades in the Town Council and in the city in general, to combat the power of the merchants of the burgh. In the broadest sense of the term the Convenery may be looked upon as embracing all the freemen and freewomen of all the incorporations, their deacons merely forming a committee of management. Any member of an incorporation has the right to appear before the deacons to have a petition heard or a grievance settled. In the 21st century the Convenery continues to look after the interests of the incorporations and their freemen and members. It co-ordinates many of their activities, such as the Kirking of the Deacons (usually the first week in May) and the Riding of the Marches (early September). It also administers the Trades Maiden Fund, which was founded by the Trades of Edinburgh and Mary Erskine in 1704 to promote girls’ education. Deacons ceased to form part of the Town Council in 1833 and further privileges were lost in 1846. Since then, the Convenery has continued to play an important role in controlling the crafts and helping them when required. At the present time the Convenery helps to co-ordinate the activities of the incorporations, including the Kirking of the Deacons (usually the first week in May) and the Riding of the Marches (early September), when the banners of all the incorporated trades are carried in procession. It also administers the Trades Maiden Fund, which was founded by the Trades of Edinburgh and Mary Erskine in 1704 to promote girls’ education. The Convenery is headed by the Deacon-Convener of the Trades of Edinburgh, who has the distinction of being the first tradesman in Scotland. He also takes precedence among the citizens of Edinburgh in third place, after the Lord Provost and the Lord Dean of Guild. Just another Ezone Multisite site Furriers Hammermen Wrights & Masons Fleshers Cordiners Waulkers Bonnetmakers & Dyers Candlemakers	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1845
__label__wiki	0.812695	0.812695	Barrington High grad leading effort for later school start times Eric Albrecht, 30, of Bloomingdale, advocacy program manager for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, hopes middle and high schools nationwide will implement later start times based on scientific research showing that students need more sleep. He is a graduate of Barrington High School. Courtesy of Eric Albrecht Elena Ferrarin Follow @ElenaFerrarin Posted9/23/2020 1:54 PM Eric Albrecht remembers well getting to the bus stop by 6:30 a.m., sleepy and tired, to attend classes at Barrington High School. The district has since done what Albrecht, now 30 years old and advocacy program manager for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, hopes middle and high schools nationwide will do: implement later start times based on scientific research showing that older students need more sleep. Albrecht, who lives in Bloomingdale, helped initiate and co-write a bipartisan resolution developed by the Academy to designate the third week of September as National Student Sleep Health Week. The resolution was introduced Sept. 11 in the U.S. House by U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from California, with primary co-sponsor Republican U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis of downstate Illinois. Seventy-five percent of high school students report getting insufficient sleep on school nights, which negatively affects their health -- both mental and physical -- and their ability to concentrate and learn properly, according to the Academy. Teenagers should get eight to 10 hours of sleep per night, Albrecht said. Also, youths in their later teen years are biologically predisposed to staying up later, such as 11 p.m. or midnight, compared to younger kids who are able to go to sleep earlier, he said. For all those reasons, later school start times for older kids make perfect sense, he said. The Academy advocates start times after 8:30 a.m. for middle and high school. "That has been a big passion for our membership," he said. The goal is to drive public policy and legislative changes so that later school start times are mandated by law, he said. One model is California, which passed a bill that mandates that by July 1, 2022, high school will start after 8:30 a.m. and middle school will start after 8 a.m., he said. Albrecht, who graduated from Barrington High in 2008 and Indiana University in 2012, said there's been no movement among Illinois lawmakers to implement later school start times. Some school districts, typically wealthier ones with parents who are actively engaged in things like PTOs, have tackled the issue, but then it becomes an educational disparity issue, he said. "That's why it's important to have legislative action for school start times." Barrington Area Unit District 220 Barrington Newsletter	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1846
__label__wiki	0.581452	0.581452	Home > Press & Publications > Press & News > Blog > Facial recognition: A solution in search of a problem? Facial recognition: A solution in search of a problem? “Be water”. This is the evocative and enigmatic phrase of the current mask-wearing protestors in Hong-Kong. It seems to represent the fight of citizens for the right to be shapeless and anonymous among the crowd, including when exercising the right to protest, versus surveillance by the state authorities. It is undeniable that facial recognition, the biometric application used to identify or verify a person’s identity, has become increasingly present in many aspects of daily life. It is used for ‘tagging’ people on social media platforms and to unlock smart phones. In China it is used for airport check-in, for monitoring the attentiveness of pupils at school and even for dispensing paper in public latrines. In the general absence of specific regulation so far, private companies and public bodies in both democracies and authoritarian states have been adopting this technology for a variety of uses. There is no consensus in society about the ethics of facial recognition, and doubts are growing as to its compliance with the law as well as its ethical sustainability over the long term. The purposes that triggered the introduction of facial recognition may seem uncontroversial at a first sight: it seems unobjectionable to use it to verify a person’s identity against a presented facial image, such as at national borders including in the EU. It is another level of intrusion to use it to determine the identity of an unknown person by comparing her image against an extensive database of images of known individuals. There appear to be two big drivers behind this trend. Firstly, politicians react to a popular sense of insecurity or fear that associates the movements of foreigners across borders with crime and terrorism. Facial recognition presents itself as a force for efficient security, public order and border control. Facial recognition is a key component of the general surveillance apparatus deployed to control the Uighur population in Xinjiang, justified by the government on grounds of combating terrorism. The second justification is the lure of avoiding physical and mental efforts - ‘convenience’: some people would prefer to be able to access to an area or a service without having to produce a document. France aims to be the first European country to use such technology for granting a digital identity. Meanwhile the Swedish data protection authority recently imposed a fine on a school for testing facial recognition technology to track its students’ attendance. Although there was no great debate on facial recognition during the passage of negotiations on the GDPR and the law enforcement data protection directive, the legislation was designed so that it could adapt over time as technologies evolved. The privacy and data protection issues with facial recognition, like all forms of data mining and surveillance, are quite straightforward. First, EU data protection rules clearly cover the processing of biometric data, which includes facial images: ‘relating to the physical, physiological or behavioural characteristics of a natural person, which allow or confirm the unique identification of that natural person’ (GDPR Art. 2(14)). The GDPR generally forbids the processing of biometric data for uniquely identifying purposes unless one can rely on one of the ten exemptions listed in Art. 9(2). Second, any interference in fundamental rights under the Article 52 of the Charter must be demonstrably necessary. The bar for this test becomes higher the deeper the interference. Is there any evidence yet that we need the technology at all? Are there really no other less intrusive means to achieve the same goal? Obviously, ‘efficiency’ and ‘convenience’ could not stand as sufficient. Third, could there be a valid legal basis for the application of such technology given that it relies on the large-scale processing of sensitive data? Consent would need to be explicit as well as freely-given, informed and specific. Yet unquestionably a person cannot opt out, still less opt in, when they need access to public spaces that are covered by facial recognition surveillance. Under Article 9(2)(g) the national and EU legislators have the discretion to decide the cases where the use of this technology guarantees a proportionate and necessary interference with human rights. Fourth, accountability and transparency. The deployment of this technology so far has been marked by obscurity. We basically don’t know how data is used by those who collect it, who has access and to whom it is sent, how long do they keep it, how a profile is formed and who is responsible at the end for the automated decision-making. Furthermore, it is almost impossible to trace the origin of the input data; facial recognition systems are fed by numerous images collected by the internet and social media without our permission. Consequently, anyone could become the victim of an algorithm’s cold testimony and be categorised (and more than likely discriminated) accordingly. Finally, the compliance of the technology with principles like data minimisation and the data protection by design obligation is highly doubtful. Facial recognition technology has never been fully accurate, and this has serious consequences for individuals being falsely identified whether as criminals or otherwise. The goal of ‘accuracy’ implies a logic that irresistibly leads towards an endless collection of (sensitive) data to perfect an ultimately unperfectible algorithm. In fact, there will never be enough data to eliminate bias and the risk of false positives or false negatives. It would be a mistake, however, to focus only on privacy issues. This is fundamentally an ethical question for a democratic society. A person’s face is a precious and fragile element her identity and sense of uniqueness. It will change in appearance over time and she might choose to obscure or to cosmetically change it - that is her basic freedom. Turning the human face into another object for measurement and categorisation by automated processes controlled by powerful companies and governments touches the right to human dignity - even without the threat of it being used as a tool for oppression by an authoritarian state. Moreover, it tends to be tested on the poorest and most vulnerable in society, ethnic minorities, migrants and children. Where combined with other publicly available information and the techniques of Big Data, it could obviously chill individual freedom of expression and association. In Hong Kong the face has become a focal point. The wearing of masks has been a reaction to the use of facial recognition and in turn has been prohibited under a new law. Does my face look bothered? It seems that facial recognition is being promoted as a solution for a problem that does not exist. That is why a number of jurisdictions around the world have moved to impose a moratorium on the use of the technology. We need to assess not only the technology on its own merits, but also the likely direction of travel if it continues to be deployed more and more widely. The next stage will be pressure to adopt other forms of objectification of the human being, gait, emotions, brainwaves. Now is the moment for the EU, as it discusses the ethics of AI and the need for regulation, to determine whether- if ever - facial recognition technology can be permitted in a democratic society. If the answer is yes, only then do we turn questions of how and safeguards and accountability to be put in place. Independent DPAs will be proactive in these discussions.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1847
__label__wiki	0.94554	0.94554	London and Continental Railways London and Continental Railways (LCR) is a property development company owned by the Government of the United Kingdom for developing former railway land. The company was originally established in 1994 as a private consortium to own European Passenger Services and build the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) under a contract agreed with the government. London and Continental Railways Limited 20 Cranbourn Street, Department for Transport lcrhq.co.uk After the full length of the CTRL was opened and rebranded as High Speed 1 (HS1) in late 2007, the company subsequently ran into financial difficulties and was nationalised by in June 2009. 1.1 Creation 1.2 Financial problems 1.3 Government support 1.4 Railtrack crisis 1.5 CTRL completion 1.6 Nationalisation 1.7 Eurostar restructuring 1.8 High Speed 1 concession 1.9 BRB (Residuary) assets 1.10 Eurostar divestment 2 Current operations CreationEdit LCR was established in 1994 during the privatisation of British Rail. LCR bid for and won the contract from the UK government in 1996 to build and operate the Channel Tunnel Rail Link between London and the Channel Tunnel, under the terms of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996.[1] As part of this deal European Passenger Services (EPS) and Union Railways, companies owned by British Rail, were transferred to LCR ownership, as well as key pieces of railway infrastructure including St Pancras railway station and the King's Cross Central lands nearby. EPS was the British arm of the joint Eurostar operation, along with SNCF in France and SNCB in Belgium. LCR renamed EPS as Eurostar (UK) Ltd (EUKL). Union Railways had been developing plans for the CTRL since before the opening of the Channel Tunnel and became the construction company of the CTRL under the ownership of LCR. The original shareholders of LCR were Bechtel (19%), Warburg (19%), Virgin Group (18%), National Express (17.5%), SNCF (8.5%), London Electricity (8.5%), Arup (3.5%), Halcrow (3%) and Systra (3%).[2] As part of the 1996 contract, LCR was to finance and construct the CTRL itself, funding the project from income received from the Eurostar operation. LCR also planned to raise additional capital from a partial stock market flotation once the project was underway.[3] Financial problemsEdit In January 1998 LCR ran into major financial difficulties after finding that income from its share of the Eurostar operation was not at the level it expected. It blamed the lower level of passenger growth on disruption caused by a November 1996 fire in the Channel Tunnel and the growth of competing low-cost airlines. LCR's planned flotation, which had already been delayed, was aborted. With the entire CTRL project in doubt, LCR appealed to the British government for help.[4] Government supportEdit To enable the project to continue, LCR was allowed to issue £3.7bn of private bonds, which the government pledged to guarantee. In return the government gained a percentage of future profits from the operation of the CTRL once completed, as well as a golden share in LCR. As part of the deal LCR was forced to appoint a management contract for EUKL. This was won by Inter-Capital and Regional Rail (ICRR), a consortium of National Express (40%), SNCF (35%), SNCB (15%) and British Airways (10%). The contract was to run from 1998 until 2010.[5] Following the access to finance, LCR was able to begin the CTRL project. Rail Link Engineering (RLE) was appointed to design and engineer the CTRL. RLE was a group made up of the four engineering companies involved in LCR; Bechtel (50%), Arup (19%), Halcrow (17%) and Systra (14%).[6] In addition, Railtrack was brought into the project by the government and agreed to purchase the CTRL from LCR once completed. To reduce the risks surrounding the project, the construction was split into two phases. Section 1, from the Channel Tunnel to Fawkham Junction in Kent, was to be managed by Union Railways (South) under the control of Railtrack, who committed to purchase Section 1 from LCR once complete for the cost of its construction. The more complex part, Section 2 running from Fawkham Junction to London St Pancras was to be managed by Union Railways (North). Railtrack also purchased an option, to be exercised by 2003, to control Union Railways (North) during construction and acquire Section 2 once complete. It was intended that with the completed full-length CTRL then in Railtrack's future ownership, EUKL would then pay track access charges to use the line. Railtrack crisisEdit Following a series of rail accidents and a subsequent share price collapse, Railtrack announced in April 2001 that it would not take up its option to project manage and then purchase Section 2. Instead, Section 2 would be owned on completion by LCR, with Railtrack owning Section 1 as well as being responsible for operating both sections.[7] In October 2001, Railtrack was placed into "railway administration" with debts of £7.1bn and in October 2002 Railtrack's assets were transferred to a newly created "not for dividend" company called Network Rail, whose debts would be guaranteed by the government. LCR re-purchased Railtrack's interest in Section 1 for £295m, meaning that both sections would once again be in LCR's ownership upon subsequent competition. Network Rail agreed to pay LCR £80m for the right to operate and maintain HS1 on LCR's behalf once complete.[8] CTRL completionEdit Section 1 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link was completed in September 2003 and handed over by Union Railways (South) to London and Continental Railways. Eurostar services started using Section 1, leading to international journey reductions of approximately 20 minutes. In March 2006 LCR shareholders rejected a takeover bid led by businessman Adrian Montague. Shortly afterwards the Office for National Statistics reclassified LCR as a public corporation due to LCR's reliance on government funding and the resulting high levels of influence the government enjoyed over the company.[9] The Channel Tunnel Railway Link was finally finished when Section 2 was completed and handed over by Union Railways (North) to LCR. In November 2007 the full length of the line was opened to the public, rebranded as High Speed 1 (HS1) with Eurostar trains operating international train services from St Pancras railway station, and a further 20-minute journey time reduction. NationalisationEdit Following the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Supplementary Provisions) Act 2008, the Department for Transport took direct ownership of LCR in June 2009 for a nominal price. This was possible due to the company's dependence on £5.1bn of government-guaranteed debt, and the government's special share in LCR giving it a wide range of control over the business.[10] The government stated it planned to sell off LCR's assets, such as EUKL and HS1, as individual companies to recoup some of the large amounts of government money paid to LCR since 1998.[11] Eurostar restructuringEdit On 31 December 2009, EUKL was renamed Eurostar International Limited (EIL). On 1 September 2010, the three national Eurostar operators merged into a single company with a single management structure. Following this change, the ICRR management contract for the UK business was terminated.[12] All Eurostar assets were transferred to EIL, with LCR's holding in the new company becoming 40%. The remaining shares were held by SNCF (55%) and SNCB (5%).[13] High Speed 1 concessionEdit In November 2010, a 30-year concession to own and operate HS1 was sold to a Canadian consortium of Borealis Infrastructure and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan for £2.1bn.[14] BRB (Residuary) assetsEdit Following the abolition of BRB (Residuary) Limited (BRBR) on 30 September 2013, LCR took ownership of a number of former British Rail offices in Croydon, Derby, Manchester and Birmingham, as well as sites in Oxford and Leeds. It also took over the management of the closed Waterloo International railway station and North Pole depot, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport. The remaining BRBR assets and responsibilities were split between the Highways Agency, Network Rail and the Rail Safety and Standards Board.[15] Eurostar divestmentEdit On 4 December 2013, the government announced that it intended to sell LCR's 40% stake in EIL.[16] In June 2014, the shareholding was transferred from LCR to HM Treasury[17] and the sale process was subsequently launched on 13 October 2014.[18] The sale was completed in March 2015, raising a grand total of £760 million. Current operationsEdit As of 2015[update] LCR is a state-owned railway property development company. It is involved in a number of regeneration projects on former railway land, including King's Cross Central, Stratford City and Manchester Mayfield. It also manages Waterloo International railway station and North Pole depot, as well as providing property advice to HS2 Limited. Derek Hornby ^ London & Continental wins Eurostar and Channel Tunnel Rail Link THe Railway Magazine issue 1141 May 1996 page 9 ^ "Stakeholders London and Continental Railways". OMEGA Centre. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012. ^ "LCR set to award contracts for rail link tunnels". The Independent. 3 January 1998. ^ "Shooting Star". Marketing Week. 5 March 1998. (subscription required) ^ "Memorandum by Inter-Capital and Regional Rail Ltd (RES 4)" (Press release). Parliament.uk. 20 November 1998. ^ "United Kingdom High Speed 1" (PDF). Systra. ^ "Railtrack share collapse continues". BBC News. 4 April 2001. ^ "Railtrack". The Guardian. 27 June 2002. ^ "Debt-laden Channel tunnel rail link is 'nationalised'". The Guardian. 21 February 2006. ^ Government acquires LCR Railway Gazette International July 2009 page 9 ^ "London and Continental Railways Limited (Oral statement)" (Press release). Department for Transport. 8 June 2009. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. ^ "Eurostar restructure sees UK expand rail stake". AllRailJobs.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. ^ "Eurostar Ownership & Structure". Eurostar. Archived from the original on 8 May 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2012. ^ "£2.1bn HS1 sale lifts privatisation prospects". The Financial Times. 5 November 2010. ^ "LCR takes on BRBR properties". LCR. 30 September 2013. ^ "UK government revives infrastructure drive". The Financial Times. 4 December 2013. ^ "House of Commons Hansard Ministerial Statements for 19 June 2014 (pt 0001)". UK Parliament. House of Commons. Retrieved 3 October 2014. ^ "Eurostar rail stake touted for sale by UK government". BBC News. 13 October 2014. Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=London_and_Continental_Railways&oldid=1001065487"	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1848
__label__cc	0.614692	0.385308	USA Choose another country City All city Atlanta Auburn Baltimore Boston Chicago Dallas Denver Florence Fort Lauderdale Key West Las Vegas Los Angeles Miami Monterey Myrtle Beach New Orleans New York Panama City Beach Philadelphia San Diego San Francisco Santa Monica Santa Rosa Sarasota Seaside Heights Sedona The Hawaiian Islands Tucson VA-Happy Vinita Washington Category All category Animals Aquariums Area Sights Beach Bridge Construction sites Hotels Insects Nature A park Port Restaurants Sea Ski resorts Sports grounds Browse webcams The mountains Urban views Volcanoes Online tv Duval Street, Key West webcam online If you've never been toKey West– you mean you never enjoyed the real measured rest in a place where time slows down its pace. Locals like to joke that this "tropical Paradise" should come no more than 2 hours, otherwise there is a risk to remain here for life. So, for example, has been one of the outstanding writers of the nineteenth century – Ernest Hemingway, who purchased the mansion and held it for a perfect years of his life, giving the world outstanding, full of inspiration work. In the writer's house is now a Museum and home to about 40 cats, among which the famous six-toed breed. Key West is not just a city, or an island, although it is both. It is, above all, a special atmosphere, mood, and mental state. Coming here, forget about the hustle and bustle of everyday life and plunge headlong into the unhurried days, replacing each other, like ocean waves. Here, even on cars city taxi, instead of "checkers", appears the inscription: "leave my job and move to Key West". So that got here almost does not remain chances to get out to the hitherto usual life. It remains only to enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings, breathtaking views of the Atlantic ocean and a leisurely lifestyle. Key West is also the southernmost pointUSA– this reads another famous inscription, which is printed on the monument in the form of a buoy that adorn the waterfront. Now, the main earnings citizens is based on tourism. Once these places have been developed great factory for the production of cigars, processing turtles, sponge and fish. Another type of income, the locals got from wrecks, which often broke here on the coastal reefs. On this era tells the city's Shipwreck Museum. Also, on one of the streets of Key West you can see the beautifully preserved mansion of the cigar magnate, where now is located the luxurious. The special charm of this place add hundreds of yachts, motor boats and boats, which, like storming the island. Renting such vessel, or book a tour, you can enjoy exciting boat trips along the Gulf of Mexico and the neighboring Islands. In addition to the tourist facilities on the island is a strategic air base of the U.S. Navy, training flights which can be observed here year round, thanks to the great weather. Tags: USA Key West The webcam shows street Duval Street in Key West, Florida in real time. Key West is the southernmost city of the continental United States, he is on the island, which is part of the Florida Keys in southern Florida. Key West, USA 06.10.18 In Key West is mile zero of the first road ("US Route 1" or simply "US 1"), which runs through the Eastern part of the country to Canada, crossing the Miami, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, new York and Boston. Webcam broadcasts beach State Park Fort Zachary Taylor. Built in 1845, is currently the Fort covers 87 acres of land and is a national historic landmark. In 1850 it was named in honor of President Zachary who died in the same year. When the civil war began in 1861, the Fort was in the hands of the Union, for them, Key West was an important Outpost. The island of Bahia Honda Key offers a wide variety of options for fun and health benefits to spend your leisure time. Of course, the main site of this nature reserve is the national Park Bahia Honda State Park Webcam broadcasts at the Ocean Key Resort is conveniently located between Key West Harbor and Mallory square on the famous Duval Street which stretches through the entire island, from the Atlantic coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Webcam hotel "Harborside Motel & Marina" in the city of Key West broadcasts a panoramic view of the Harrison Bay Bytes. Butterfly Conservatory Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory is located on Duval street in Key West, Florida. It is a Park, surrounded by glass walls, which are about 60 different species of live butterflies from around the world. A greenhouse is an ideal place for family holidays, and group tours. A webcam broadcasts the pool of the hotel 24 North Hotel in Key West. Key West (Key West) is a town on the eponymous island in the Florida Keys, center for Monroe County, Florida. The webcam transmits real-time Gulf of Mexico of the hotel's 24 North of Key West. Webcam Key West online give you the opportunity to make a virtual journey to this town on the eponymous island in the Florida Keys, and the administrative center of Monroe County Florida in the United States. The webcam transmits real-time hotel 24 North located in the city of Key West, 350 metres from highway 1. It offers an outdoor swimming pool with sun terrace and loungers. The old town and the Hemingway house are within 12 minutes ' drive away. Islamorada Island is a year-round paradise for fishermen and an unofficial world capital of sport fishing. Here you can fish from the pier, from old bridges, and from a rented boat you can catch even a swordfish or a shark. On the southern tip of the island of Key West is the southernmost point of the United States. In confirmation of this there is also a special red-black-yellow buoy. The inscription on it reads: "the southernmost point of the continental United States. 90 miles to Cuba". Panoramic web camera online broadcasts of the grounds Southmost Beach Resort located in the southernmost city of the continental US States Panoramic webcam broadcast beach Southmost Beach Resort in Key West. A panoramic web camera broadcasts the pool of the Southmost Resort in Key West.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1849
__label__wiki	0.737197	0.737197	Tag Archives: Steve Knight California Congresswoman Katie Hill had sex with female and male staffers in violation of House Resolution 6 On January 9, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 6 on the rules governing the 116th House. Among other rules, H. Res. 6 specifically bans sexual relationships between House members — Congressman and Congresswomen — and their staff. Katherine Lauren “Katie” Hill, 32, is a freshman, openly bisexual (but married to a man named Kenny Heslep) Congresswoman (D-California) who defeated incumbent Republican Steve Knight in the 2018 mid-term elections. Note: Most of the $6.3 million raised by Katie Hill came from the online Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, which has funds from donors such as one of Soros’s sons, Jonathan. Hill has received $25,633 from J Street and $5.1 million from former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Independence USA PAC. Katie Hill’s Republican opponent, Steve Knight, raised $1.3 million, none of which came from the major Jewish or pro-Israel donors. (Source: the algemeiner) Before she was elected to Congress, Hill was executive director of People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), a statewide “non-profit” organization working to end homelessness throughout California. Since homelessness is getting only worse in California, but Hill nevertheless was rewarded with a “promotion” to Congress, she is a perfect example of the Peter Principle. In office for less than ten months, since January 3, 2019, Hill has already made a stinky name for herself by violating H. Res. 6, engaging in threesome and lesbian sex with her staffers. Hill is denying the sexual allegations. The only problem is the inconvenient fact that RedState has photographs and text messages showing Hill involved in a long-term sexual relationship with a younger, female campaign staffer, as well as an adulterous relationship with a male staffer. The woman, 22, whose name is not being released, was hired by Hill in late 2017 and quickly became involved in a “throuple” relationship with Hill and her now-estranged husband who is seeking a divorce. Reporting for RedState, Jennifer Van Laar presents the following evidence of Rep. Hill’s illicit sexual involvement with two of her staffers: (1) Intimate photos of Hill and the lesbian staffer, such as the photo below, taken in Alaska. The trio took multiple vacations together, including to Alaska. (2) Even more “intimate” photographs of Hill and the female staffer, which RedState has in possession but chooses not to publish. (3) Text messages between Hill and the female staffer. A source “close to the staffer” told RedState the throuple agreed to continue their committed relationship when Hill moved to Washington, D.C. in January 2019, but that Heslep and the staffer quickly noticed a difference in Hill’s demeanor. By late May, Hill broke off her relationships with both Heslep and the staffer, claiming she wants “to be entirely focused on this work that…is so important,” and that she just wants “to be alone” and “accountable” to no one else. In text messages to Hill (see the message below), the staffer was distraught and trying to figure out how to move on with her life. (4) RedState also has text messages of Hill being involved in a year-long sexual relationship with Graham Kelly, Hill’s former finance director who is now her legislative director. On his now-deleted Facebook account, Hill’s cuckolded husband, Heslep, posted a screenshot of a text message between himself and a friend of the couple in which the friend admits that he knows about the Hill/Kelly affair. Heslep asked the friend: I’m just going to ask you this plainly bc I respect you. Did you know about Graham and Katie? The reply: I do know, yes, but I didn’t know until recently. Heslep promptly filed for divorce after he found out about the affair between Hill and Kelly. So a threesome of two-women-one-man is okay, but his wife being sexually involved with another man is not okay. Katie Hill and Kenny Heslep are both skanks. In June 2018, just a year before Heslep filed for divorce, Katie Hill had called Heslep “the love of my life” on Instagram. (Heavy.com) But what is at issue isn’t “just” Hill’s violation of H. Res 6, there is also the matter of national security. As RedState‘s Van Laar points out: In addition to the legal and ethical issues raised by allegations of a congresswoman having not one, but two extramarital affairs with people on her staff, concurrently, there are issues of national security. Hill serves on two influential committees in that regard: Oversight and Reform and Armed Services. She has access to extremely sensitive national security information. If people who don’t have our nation’s best interests at heart had access to the photographs, text messages, and other information provided to RedState, Rep. Hill would be an easy blackmail target. Matthew Boyle of Breitbart highlights the Katie Hill scandal being of potential benefit to Trump and the GOP: Hill represents California’s 25th congressional district, a true battleground district that Republicans lost to her in the 2018 midterm. Its Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI), published by the Cook Political Report, which rates how solidly Republican or Democrat each congressional district is nationwide, rates the district as EVEN–meaning it could break towards a Republican or a Democrat at any time. If Hill ends up in serious political trouble as a result of this story, it could be a boon for Republicans given the fact that this district is not one of the 31 districts currently represented by a Democrat in which Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton in his 2016 victory. Of those 31, 13 of them are districts that Trump won by six percent or more–and Republicans only need to take back a net 19 seats to retake the House majority. Losing districts outside of that core 31, as Hill’s battleground in the 25th is for Democrats, would endanger Democrat chances of holding the majority even more than they already are. On October 23, 2019, the Demonrat-dominant House Ethics Committee announced it would conduct an investigation into the allegations against Hill. Yesterday, October 27, 2019, the disgraced and disgusting Katie Hill resigned from the House of Representatives. In a statement, she moaned she was resigning “with a broken heart” and that it was “the hardest thing I have ever had to do.” (LifeZette) Drudge Report has gone to the dark side. Check out Whatfinger News, the Internet’s conservative frontpage founded by a military veteran! Posted in 2018 midterm elections, 2020 Election, Congress, Judaism/Jews, lawlessness, Liberals/Democrats/Left, Republican Party, United States Tagged Graham Kelly, House Resolution 6, Katie Hill's legislative director, Kenny Heslep, Rep. Katie Hill, Steve Knight	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1851
__label__wiki	0.710261	0.710261	Tag: Passengers Kygo, The one and only At the age of 22 Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, otherwise known as Kygo, is already dominating the music scene with his one of a kind productions that has caught the attention of some reputable artists such as Coldplay, Diplo and Avicii. With what his fans dubbed tropical house music, Kygo has truly created music that can stand in on its own. Starting his musical journey at the age of 6 taking up the piano, it would not be for another 10 years of training till Kyrre would move onto his own compositions. But it wasn’t until he heard Avicii’s 2010 single ‘Seek Bromance‘ that inspired him to take on progressive house music and start producing tracks of his own. In an interview with Billboard Magazine, Kyrre explains the creative process in which he creates his masterful melodies. “I always play piano over the original track. I often stay sitting up all night” He continues “I get into a zone where I’m really in my own world when I make music”. This commitment to his music production is what launched Kygo to the top of the charts on both Billboards Uncharted, and Hype Machine No.1 Remixes. As Kyrre got progressively better in the studio, he noticed an unsettling pattern in mainstream electronic music. “All the songs sounded the same,” he exclaimed, “Suddenly, everything was about who had the most badass drop and I got really tired of that. I just wanted to make melodies. I started trying to do my own thing and let the melodies make the genre themselves”. This ambition is what set Kyrre apart from other music producers and this passion, unknowing to the Norgweign producer, is what will ultimately got the ball rolling to his inevitable success. Kygo first showed his style through his remix of Let Her Go by the Passengers, and with overwhelming support from his fans and blogs, the song reach No. 1 on Hype Machine. Followed by 10 more successful remixes reaching No. 1. Finally it was his entry into LE7ELS’ “Miami 82” remix contest in February that got him some real attention. The label hit him up the next day to sign the track and before he knew it he is living every aspiring producers dream! In the following days Ultra Music Festival picked up his remixed and used it for the their offical promotional video for 2014, quickly putting Kygo in the spotlight in the electronic dance music industry. It did not take long for Diplo’s keen ears to hear Kyrres talent. He went on his facebook page, and “begged him” to make a mix on Diplo & Friends. Promoting his music as it is; sexy and “100% original”. That’s how Diplo likes it, and that’s how we at Evolved Music like it. Afterwards even Pete Tong, the legendary british DJ and host of Radio 1, got word of this up and coming talent through Coldplays Chris Martin to get in touch with Gold Hare, Kygo’s management group. Exclusively revealed to Billboard, Kygo was commissioned to officially remix Coldplay’s latest single “Midnight” soon after. “I only touched a DJ controller for the first time last year, but I’m getting better,” he says, laughing. “Most of my songs are really slow compared to ones other artists make, so it’s pretty difficult to find songs in between that I can use to increase the tempo”, he told Billboard. But from the sounds of his mix on Diplo & Friends it did not take him long to get used to it. Now It seems like smooth sailing for Kygo as he is already taking on his own 9 city North American Tour with 4 venues already sold out. Now it is only a matter of time before Kygo becomes one of the more popular names in the electronic music scene with some original production in the works and “Midnight” to be released as I mentioned earlier. I am so excited to hear what else Kyrre has to offer to our ears. His music truly vibes with the soul and I definitely will be vibing on the dancefloor to his one of a kind productions when he hits up the Mid in my hometown Chicago! Keep up with Kygo on his soundcloud and facebook, you wouldn’t want to miss what he has coming up!	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1854
__label__cc	0.711523	0.288477	Interference by the 4-hydroxylated metabolite of propranolol with determination of metanephrines by the Pisano method D. Chou, M. Tsuru, J. L. Holtzman, J. H. Eckfeldt Measurements of urinary metanephrines by the Pisano procedure are unreliable in patients who are taking propranolol, owing to the presence of 4-hydroxypropranolol in the urine. Three properties of this propranolol metabolite lead to interference: (a) it is absorbed and eluted from ion-exchange resins under the conditions Pisano used for metanephrine isolation, (b) at high pH it absorbs at 350 to 360 nm, and (c) it is oxidized by periodate to a substance with negligible absorption in this region. Because 350 to 360 nm is the wavelength used to quantitate vanillin, the product formed from periodate oxidation of metanephrines, and because the unoxidized eluate is used as a specimen blank, the presence of 4-hydroxypropranolol spuriously decreases the measured urinary metanephrines; this has special significance because patients being tested for increased metanephrines are also likely to be receiving propranolol for hypertension. Published - Dec 1 1980 Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Interference by the 4-hydroxylated metabolite of propranolol with determination of metanephrines by the Pisano method'. Together they form a unique fingerprint. Metanephrine Chemical Compounds Metabolites Chemical Compounds Propranolol Chemical Compounds 4-hydroxypropranolol Chemical Compounds metaperiodate Chemical Compounds Ion Exchange Resins Chemical Compounds vanillin Chemical Compounds Oxidation Chemical Compounds Chou, D., Tsuru, M., Holtzman, J. L., & Eckfeldt, J. H. (1980). Interference by the 4-hydroxylated metabolite of propranolol with determination of metanephrines by the Pisano method. Clinical chemistry, 26(6), 776-777. Interference by the 4-hydroxylated metabolite of propranolol with determination of metanephrines by the Pisano method. / Chou, D.; Tsuru, M.; Holtzman, J. L.; Eckfeldt, J. H. In: Clinical chemistry, Vol. 26, No. 6, 01.12.1980, p. 776-777. Chou, D, Tsuru, M, Holtzman, JL & Eckfeldt, JH 1980, 'Interference by the 4-hydroxylated metabolite of propranolol with determination of metanephrines by the Pisano method', Clinical chemistry, vol. 26, no. 6, pp. 776-777. Chou D, Tsuru M, Holtzman JL, Eckfeldt JH. Interference by the 4-hydroxylated metabolite of propranolol with determination of metanephrines by the Pisano method. Clinical chemistry. 1980 Dec 1;26(6):776-777. Chou, D. ; Tsuru, M. ; Holtzman, J. L. ; Eckfeldt, J. H. / Interference by the 4-hydroxylated metabolite of propranolol with determination of metanephrines by the Pisano method. In: Clinical chemistry. 1980 ; Vol. 26, No. 6. pp. 776-777. @article{94a803bea9d14145a17c98c4e92bc30e, title = "Interference by the 4-hydroxylated metabolite of propranolol with determination of metanephrines by the Pisano method", abstract = "Measurements of urinary metanephrines by the Pisano procedure are unreliable in patients who are taking propranolol, owing to the presence of 4-hydroxypropranolol in the urine. Three properties of this propranolol metabolite lead to interference: (a) it is absorbed and eluted from ion-exchange resins under the conditions Pisano used for metanephrine isolation, (b) at high pH it absorbs at 350 to 360 nm, and (c) it is oxidized by periodate to a substance with negligible absorption in this region. Because 350 to 360 nm is the wavelength used to quantitate vanillin, the product formed from periodate oxidation of metanephrines, and because the unoxidized eluate is used as a specimen blank, the presence of 4-hydroxypropranolol spuriously decreases the measured urinary metanephrines; this has special significance because patients being tested for increased metanephrines are also likely to be receiving propranolol for hypertension.", author = "D. Chou and M. Tsuru and Holtzman, {J. L.} and Eckfeldt, {J. H.}", journal = "Clinical Chemistry", publisher = "American Association for Clinical Chemistry Inc.", T1 - Interference by the 4-hydroxylated metabolite of propranolol with determination of metanephrines by the Pisano method AU - Chou, D. AU - Tsuru, M. AU - Holtzman, J. L. AU - Eckfeldt, J. H. N2 - Measurements of urinary metanephrines by the Pisano procedure are unreliable in patients who are taking propranolol, owing to the presence of 4-hydroxypropranolol in the urine. Three properties of this propranolol metabolite lead to interference: (a) it is absorbed and eluted from ion-exchange resins under the conditions Pisano used for metanephrine isolation, (b) at high pH it absorbs at 350 to 360 nm, and (c) it is oxidized by periodate to a substance with negligible absorption in this region. Because 350 to 360 nm is the wavelength used to quantitate vanillin, the product formed from periodate oxidation of metanephrines, and because the unoxidized eluate is used as a specimen blank, the presence of 4-hydroxypropranolol spuriously decreases the measured urinary metanephrines; this has special significance because patients being tested for increased metanephrines are also likely to be receiving propranolol for hypertension. AB - Measurements of urinary metanephrines by the Pisano procedure are unreliable in patients who are taking propranolol, owing to the presence of 4-hydroxypropranolol in the urine. Three properties of this propranolol metabolite lead to interference: (a) it is absorbed and eluted from ion-exchange resins under the conditions Pisano used for metanephrine isolation, (b) at high pH it absorbs at 350 to 360 nm, and (c) it is oxidized by periodate to a substance with negligible absorption in this region. Because 350 to 360 nm is the wavelength used to quantitate vanillin, the product formed from periodate oxidation of metanephrines, and because the unoxidized eluate is used as a specimen blank, the presence of 4-hydroxypropranolol spuriously decreases the measured urinary metanephrines; this has special significance because patients being tested for increased metanephrines are also likely to be receiving propranolol for hypertension. JO - Clinical Chemistry JF - Clinical Chemistry	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1856
__label__cc	0.505459	0.494541	P2Y receptors modulate ion channel function through interactions involving the C-terminal domain So Yeong Lee, Samuel C. Wolff, Robert A. Nicholas, Scott M. O'Grady Nucleotide stimulation of Gq-coupled P2Y receptors expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes produces the activation of an endogenous voltage-gated ion channel, previously identified as the transient inward (Tin) channel. Expression of human P2Y1, human P2Y2, rat P2Y6, human P2Y11, or skate P2Y receptors in oocytes resulted in modulation of the voltage dependence and inactivation gating of the channel. Expression of the human P2Y4 receptor, rat M1-muscarinic receptor, and human B1-bradykinin receptor did not alter the properties of the Tin channel. Replacement of the C-terminal domain of the human B1-bradykinin receptor with the C-terminal domains of either the human P2Y1 or human P2Y2 receptor resulted in voltage dependence and inactivation-gating properties, respectively, of the Tin channel that were similar to those elicited by the respective native P2Y receptor. Systematic truncation of the C-terminal region of the human P2Y1 receptor identified a short region responsible for modulation of the Tin channel. This region contains a conserved sequence motif found in all P2Y receptors that modulates the voltage dependence of the Tin channel. Synthetic 20-mer peptides from the C-terminal domains of human P2Y1 and P2Y2 receptors produced a shift in the voltage dependence and slowed inactivation gating, respectively, after injection into oocytes expressing human B1-bradykinin or truncated human P2Y1 receptors. These results indicate that certain P2Y receptors are capable of modulating the voltage sensitivity and inactivation gating of an endogenous oocyte ion channel through interactions involving the C-terminal region of the receptor. Such modulation of ion channel function could also exist in native mammalian cells that express P2Y receptors. https://doi.org/10.1124/mol.63.4.878 10.1124/mol.63.4.878 Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'P2Y receptors modulate ion channel function through interactions involving the C-terminal domain'. Together they form a unique fingerprint. Ion Channels Medicine & Life Sciences Bradykinin B1 Receptors Medicine & Life Sciences purinoceptor P2Y4 Medicine & Life Sciences Muscarinic M1 Receptors Medicine & Life Sciences polypeptide C Medicine & Life Sciences Conserved Sequence Medicine & Life Sciences Xenopus laevis Medicine & Life Sciences Bradykinin Medicine & Life Sciences Lee, S. Y., Wolff, S. C., Nicholas, R. A., & O'Grady, S. M. (2003). P2Y receptors modulate ion channel function through interactions involving the C-terminal domain. Molecular Pharmacology, 63(4), 878-885. https://doi.org/10.1124/mol.63.4.878 P2Y receptors modulate ion channel function through interactions involving the C-terminal domain. / Lee, So Yeong; Wolff, Samuel C.; Nicholas, Robert A.; O'Grady, Scott M. In: Molecular Pharmacology, Vol. 63, No. 4, 01.04.2003, p. 878-885. Lee, SY, Wolff, SC, Nicholas, RA & O'Grady, SM 2003, 'P2Y receptors modulate ion channel function through interactions involving the C-terminal domain', Molecular Pharmacology, vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 878-885. https://doi.org/10.1124/mol.63.4.878 Lee SY, Wolff SC, Nicholas RA, O'Grady SM. P2Y receptors modulate ion channel function through interactions involving the C-terminal domain. Molecular Pharmacology. 2003 Apr 1;63(4):878-885. https://doi.org/10.1124/mol.63.4.878 Lee, So Yeong ; Wolff, Samuel C. ; Nicholas, Robert A. ; O'Grady, Scott M. / P2Y receptors modulate ion channel function through interactions involving the C-terminal domain. In: Molecular Pharmacology. 2003 ; Vol. 63, No. 4. pp. 878-885. @article{441d323fa3594229b7c369297afc0766, title = "P2Y receptors modulate ion channel function through interactions involving the C-terminal domain", abstract = "Nucleotide stimulation of Gq-coupled P2Y receptors expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes produces the activation of an endogenous voltage-gated ion channel, previously identified as the transient inward (Tin) channel. Expression of human P2Y1, human P2Y2, rat P2Y6, human P2Y11, or skate P2Y receptors in oocytes resulted in modulation of the voltage dependence and inactivation gating of the channel. Expression of the human P2Y4 receptor, rat M1-muscarinic receptor, and human B1-bradykinin receptor did not alter the properties of the Tin channel. Replacement of the C-terminal domain of the human B1-bradykinin receptor with the C-terminal domains of either the human P2Y1 or human P2Y2 receptor resulted in voltage dependence and inactivation-gating properties, respectively, of the Tin channel that were similar to those elicited by the respective native P2Y receptor. Systematic truncation of the C-terminal region of the human P2Y1 receptor identified a short region responsible for modulation of the Tin channel. This region contains a conserved sequence motif found in all P2Y receptors that modulates the voltage dependence of the Tin channel. Synthetic 20-mer peptides from the C-terminal domains of human P2Y1 and P2Y2 receptors produced a shift in the voltage dependence and slowed inactivation gating, respectively, after injection into oocytes expressing human B1-bradykinin or truncated human P2Y1 receptors. These results indicate that certain P2Y receptors are capable of modulating the voltage sensitivity and inactivation gating of an endogenous oocyte ion channel through interactions involving the C-terminal region of the receptor. Such modulation of ion channel function could also exist in native mammalian cells that express P2Y receptors.", author = "Lee, {So Yeong} and Wolff, {Samuel C.} and Nicholas, {Robert A.} and O'Grady, {Scott M.}", doi = "10.1124/mol.63.4.878", journal = "Molecular Pharmacology", publisher = "American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics", T1 - P2Y receptors modulate ion channel function through interactions involving the C-terminal domain AU - Lee, So Yeong AU - Wolff, Samuel C. AU - Nicholas, Robert A. AU - O'Grady, Scott M. N2 - Nucleotide stimulation of Gq-coupled P2Y receptors expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes produces the activation of an endogenous voltage-gated ion channel, previously identified as the transient inward (Tin) channel. Expression of human P2Y1, human P2Y2, rat P2Y6, human P2Y11, or skate P2Y receptors in oocytes resulted in modulation of the voltage dependence and inactivation gating of the channel. Expression of the human P2Y4 receptor, rat M1-muscarinic receptor, and human B1-bradykinin receptor did not alter the properties of the Tin channel. Replacement of the C-terminal domain of the human B1-bradykinin receptor with the C-terminal domains of either the human P2Y1 or human P2Y2 receptor resulted in voltage dependence and inactivation-gating properties, respectively, of the Tin channel that were similar to those elicited by the respective native P2Y receptor. Systematic truncation of the C-terminal region of the human P2Y1 receptor identified a short region responsible for modulation of the Tin channel. This region contains a conserved sequence motif found in all P2Y receptors that modulates the voltage dependence of the Tin channel. Synthetic 20-mer peptides from the C-terminal domains of human P2Y1 and P2Y2 receptors produced a shift in the voltage dependence and slowed inactivation gating, respectively, after injection into oocytes expressing human B1-bradykinin or truncated human P2Y1 receptors. These results indicate that certain P2Y receptors are capable of modulating the voltage sensitivity and inactivation gating of an endogenous oocyte ion channel through interactions involving the C-terminal region of the receptor. Such modulation of ion channel function could also exist in native mammalian cells that express P2Y receptors. AB - Nucleotide stimulation of Gq-coupled P2Y receptors expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes produces the activation of an endogenous voltage-gated ion channel, previously identified as the transient inward (Tin) channel. Expression of human P2Y1, human P2Y2, rat P2Y6, human P2Y11, or skate P2Y receptors in oocytes resulted in modulation of the voltage dependence and inactivation gating of the channel. Expression of the human P2Y4 receptor, rat M1-muscarinic receptor, and human B1-bradykinin receptor did not alter the properties of the Tin channel. Replacement of the C-terminal domain of the human B1-bradykinin receptor with the C-terminal domains of either the human P2Y1 or human P2Y2 receptor resulted in voltage dependence and inactivation-gating properties, respectively, of the Tin channel that were similar to those elicited by the respective native P2Y receptor. Systematic truncation of the C-terminal region of the human P2Y1 receptor identified a short region responsible for modulation of the Tin channel. This region contains a conserved sequence motif found in all P2Y receptors that modulates the voltage dependence of the Tin channel. Synthetic 20-mer peptides from the C-terminal domains of human P2Y1 and P2Y2 receptors produced a shift in the voltage dependence and slowed inactivation gating, respectively, after injection into oocytes expressing human B1-bradykinin or truncated human P2Y1 receptors. These results indicate that certain P2Y receptors are capable of modulating the voltage sensitivity and inactivation gating of an endogenous oocyte ion channel through interactions involving the C-terminal region of the receptor. Such modulation of ion channel function could also exist in native mammalian cells that express P2Y receptors. U2 - 10.1124/mol.63.4.878 DO - 10.1124/mol.63.4.878 JO - Molecular Pharmacology JF - Molecular Pharmacology	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1857
__label__wiki	0.625966	0.625966	Bridging the Language Gap in Integrative East-West Medicine In this interview, Professor Xie Zhufan comments on the language barriers that have hindered communication about new research developments in Traditional Chinese Medicine to the West. Professor Xie Zhufan, an internist of Western Medicine, subsequently became proficient in Traditional Chinese and Integrative Medicine. Formerly Director, and now Honorary Director of the Institute of Integrated East-West Medicine at Peking University, Professor Xie has made significant contributions to the translation of Chinese Medicine into English, and consequently, broadened its reach internationally. I started this work in the early 80s–last century–with a professor of English at [Peking] University. We worked together and published the first Chinese-English dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine because publication in China was very difficult at that time due to the so-called Culture Revolution. We just published it in our own school, but it was known by the commercial press in Hong Kong. Later, the commercial press in Hong Kong published that book again. Then it was the formal publication in 1984. But later we found it not so satisfactory. It maybe acceptable as a dictionary, but from the viewpoint of terminology, it may not be so good because English rendering were usually just explanations, not equivalence. So we made up our minds to collect all the terms used in the world and make comparisons– which one is better and which one is not acceptable. And then we published another dictionary that we called “Classified Chinese- English Dictionary of Chinese Traditional Medicine”. Afterwards, we collected more and more books, publications, and also dictionaries in this category in order to make comparisons between each term. At that time, we set up some standards of how to select them because everybody has their own view. Even in the United States, we can read textbooks and monographs with very different terminologies, but they are speaking of the same thing. So, we made up our minds to do the research work. It was supported by SATCM. The first criterion for the selection is that it must correspond to the Chinese original meaning. We don’t prefer the literal translation for each character because some authors in foreign countries are Sinologists; thus, they are interested in the Chinese language but not Chinese medicine. So they made some very queer, very strange translations. Hence, as a Chinese, we can’t understand what the term means when we learn about Chinese medicine. That is why we made our own translations. Original Paper by Professor Xie: Comments on Nigel Wiseman’s A Practical Dictionary of Chinese Medicine (I) —On the “word-for-word” literal approach to translation [Report] Workshop on the Translation and Dissemination of Chinese Medicine This international, interdisciplinary workshop is dedicated to providing solutions for the continued high-quality translation of Chinese medical literature involving texts, online databases, and other core references. Rudolf Bauer - Lexical Decoding of Traditional Chinese Medicine Professors Rudolf Bauer and Xie Zhufan discuss the need to establish standardized English terminologies and nomenclature for traditional Chinese medicine. A Patient with Ulcerative Colitis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Professor Liu Luming on Integrative Oncology at Fudan University Cancer Hospital A Patient with Migraines, Dizziness, and Allergic Rhinitis Policy-related issues of health care and the proliferation of integrative medicine, including examples of best practice models.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1858
__label__wiki	0.602557	0.602557	Three Leaders in Integrative Medicine - Part 4: Future The UCLA Center for East-West Medicine presents the first in its series of visual history interviews with more than 100 prominent leaders in the field of integrative East-West Medicine in China, "Tracing the development of integrative medicine in China: Perspectives from three prominent leaders." Part 4 of 4: "What will the future bring for Integrative Medicine?" Wu Xianzhong, former president (1989-1995) of the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine, presents three goals for Integrative Medicine: Sorting through the theories of Chinese medicine and elevating them to a modern level Development of integrative treatment for major diseases Traditional medicine drug research Wu also sets forward three levels of development integrative medicine, 1) application of integrative medicine at the grassroots-level, 2) development of medical institutions and research at the city-level, and 3) theoretical studies and basic research at the national level. Both Wu Xianzhong and Chen Keji, former president (1995-2008) of the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine, agree that financial support presents limitations to the development of Integrative Medicine. But, research in IM has it its financial returns as well, for a clear integrative treatment plan can alleviate financial burden for both the patient as well as for the government. For future development, Chen Keji envisions multi-center studies with more clinical cases, more departments for participating, and the establishment of more schools for integrative medicine. In the next 30-50 years, says Chen Kaixian, current president of the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine since 2008, we can use methods from Chinese Medicine and Western medicine in combination to solve the health challenges we are facing and yield better results. We can also strive to use modern scientific technology to understand and explore the scientific understanding of the theoretical constructs of Chinese medicine, improve our knowledge of specific formulas, and improve the efficacy of Chinese medicine. Three Leaders in Integrative Medicine - Part 1: Definition Three Leaders in Integrative Medicine - Part 2: Research Three Leaders in Integrative Medicine - Part 3: Training Promoting Health Through Qi Gong on the LA Metro Why is Integrative Medicine Important?	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1859
__label__wiki	0.875516	0.875516	Disinfo: “Berkut” soldiers did not commit any crimes during coup d’etat in Ukraine “Berkut” soldiers did not commit any crimes during coup d’etat in Ukraine. The ex-“Berkut” soldiers insist on their innocence: “We have nothing to hide – we have committed no crimes. We want to restore the honest name of the ‘Berkut’ Special Forces and we want those who are actually responsible for the murder of law enforcement officers and protesters to be punished.” (…) They describe the Ukrainian revolution in 2014 (also known as “Euromaidan”) as a “coup d’état”. This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the Euromaidan protests and a coup d'etat in Ukraine. According to a 2015 report of International Advisory Panel on Maidan investigations, “--- the PGO investigation found evidence relatively quickly to the effect that a Berkut unit had killed 39 protesters with AKS 7.62mm calibre weapons on 20February 2014.” 2015 ICC Report on Preliminary Examination Activities states that “(t)he acts of violence do not appear to be a mere aggregate of random acts, but rather evidence a pattern of behaviour suggesting that such acts formed part of a campaign or operation against the Maidan protest movement. In this respect, it is noted that the alleged acts committed share common features in terms of their characteristics and nature (including in relation to a pattern of excessive and indiscriminate use of force, such as during public order operations, and the means used, such as batons, firearms and other special means), the population targeted (Maidan protesters and other civilians in the vicinity of the protests), the alleged perpetrators (state security forces –most often the Berkut and Interior Troops –and titushky), and locations (mainly the sites of demonstrations, predominantly in the city centre of Kyiv and to a lesser extent in other regions and cities in Ukraine, such as Cherkasy and Dnipropetrovsk)." The New York Times also established that “Berkut” forces were behind the killings that took place on 18-21 February 2014. Finally, 'Euromaidan' was not a coup but a nationwide popular protest against the government's sudden announcement that it would not sign the promised EU Association Agreement. See the full debunk here. Read similar disinformation cases alleging that far-right influence on Ukrainian politics grew after 2014 Kyiv coup, that Euromaidan was a coup led by fascists and that civilian killings during Euromaidan were orchestrated by opposition leaders. Sputnik Germany (Archived) Language/target audience: German Keywords: Berkut, War in Ukraine, Coup, Euromaidan Russia was excluded from MH17 investigation, Russian evidence was ignored The Russian side was excluded from participating in the investigation, despite important data that had been transferred confirming that the missile belonged to Ukraine. The evidence was ignored in every way; it is useless to wait for an objective investigation. One of the many recurring, and occasionally conflicting, disinformation narratives around the downing of flight MH17 which appear again due to the imminent trial of the suspects (see below). Russia's interest in aiding the JIT investigation is not a relevant condition of its membership. The crash did not take place over Russian territory and claimed no Russian lives, which precludes any basis for Moscow to be represented in the JIT. Dutch Chief Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke told a Russian newspaper that "if MH17 were shot down over Russia, I would have suggested that Russia be made a member of the JIT group." A small group of EU countries reinforces historical phobias about Russia There is a small group of countries in the EU that reinforces historical phobias about Russia and constantly calls for Russia to be contained and for sanctions not to be reduced. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russophobia in the EU. EU sanctions against Russia were imposed after illegal actions by the Russian Federation, including the annexation of Crimea, and against persons that have been involved in the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity. In March 2015, the European Council linked the duration of economic restrictions to the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements. The EU remains ready to ease sanctions when Russia starts contributing actively to the implementation of the Minsk agreements. Trump’s impeachment was a failed plot by a group of Democrats obsessed with Soros The baseless impeachment against Trump was a failed plot by a group of followers obsessed with George Soros within the Democratic Party. From a geopolitical point of view, the focus was to exorcise Russia and prevent the cooperation necessary for the welfare of the planet. This is a conspiracy theory. No evidence is given to support the claim. The impeachment process against US President Donald Trump was supported by all Democratic members of the House of Representatives in the first charge (abuse of power), and by all except two in the second charge (obstruction of Congress). There was near-universal consensus within the party to proceed with the impeachment process. The aim of the inquiry was to determine whether President Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanours by 1) pressing a foreign government (Ukraine's) to harm a domestic political rival, former vice president and current Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, and 2) trying to impede a Congressional investigation by blocking testimony and refusing to provide documents in response to House subpoenas.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1861
__label__cc	0.749294	0.250706	Entirely Useless Chronological Archives HomePosts tagged 'Essence' Words, Meaning, and Formal Copies January 28, 2019 January 28, 2019 entirelyuseless Logic, Metaphysics, Science, Uncategorized Aristotelianism, Aristotle, Brain, Causes, Closure, Essence, Form, Hilary Lawson, Intelligence, Matter, Meaning, Words There is quick way to respond to the implicit questions at the end of the last post. I noted in an earlier discussion of form that form is not only copied into the mind; it is also copied into language itself. Any time you describe something in words, you are to some degree copying its form into your description. This implies that Aristotle’s objection that a mind using an organ would not be able to know all things could equally be made against the possibility of describing all things in words. There simply are not enough combinations of words to relate them to all possible combinations of things; thus, just as a black and white image cannot imitate every aspect of a colored scene, so words cannot possibly describe every aspect of reality. Two things are evident from this comparison: First, the objection fails overall. There is nothing that cannot be described in words because words are flexible. If we don’t have a word for something, then we can make up a name. Similarly, the meaning of a single word depends on context. The word “this” can refer to pretty much anything, depending on the context in which it is used. Likewise meaning can be affected by the particular situation of the person using the word, or by broader cultural contexts, and so on. Second, there is some truth in the objection. It is indeed impossible to describe every aspect of reality at the same time and in complete detail, and the objection gives a very good reason for this: there are simply not enough linguistic combinations to represent all possible combinations of things. The fact that language is not prime matter does mean that language cannot express every detail of reality at once: the determination that is already there does exclude this possibility. But the flexibility of language prevents there from being any particular aspect of things that cannot be described. My claim about the mind is the same. There is nothing that cannot be understood by the mind, despite the fact that the mind uses the brain, because the relationship between the brain, mind, and world is a flexible one. Just as the word “this” can refer to pretty much anything, so also the corresponding thought. But on the other hand, the limitations of the brain do mean that a perfectly detailed knowledge of everything is excluded. Our Interlocutor Insists In a sense, the above account is sufficient to respond to the objection. There does not seem to be a reason to hold Aristotle’s account of the immateriality of the mind, unless there is also a reason to hold that language cannot be used to describe some things, and this does not seem like a reasonable position. Nonetheless, this response will give rise to a new and more detailed objection. A black and white scene, it will be said, really and truly copies some aspects of a colored scene, and fails to copy others. Thus right angles in the black and white scene may be identical to right angles in the colored scene. The angles are really copied, and the angles are not. But language seems different: since it is conventional, it does not really copy anything. We just pretend, as it were, that we are copying the thing. “Let the word ‘cat’ stand for a cat,” we say, but there is nothing catlike about the word in reality. The form of the cat is not really copied into the word, or so it will be argued. And since we are not really copying anything, this is why language has the flexibility to be able to describe all things. The meaning of thoughts, however, is presumably not conventional. So it seems that we need to copy things in a real way into the mind, the way we copy aspects of a colored scene into a black and white image. And thus, meaning in the mind should not be flexible in this way, and a particular material medium (such as the brain) would still impede knowing all things, the way the black and white image excludes color. Formal Copies The above objection is similar to Hilary Lawson’s argument that words cannot really refer to things. In the post linked above on form and reality, we quoted his argument that cause and effect do not have anything in common. I will reproduce that argument here; for the purpose of the following discussion it might be useful to the reader to refer to the remainder of that post. For a system of closure to provide a means of intervention in openness and thus to function as a closure machine, it requires a means of converting the flux of openness into an array of particularities. This initial layer of closure will be identified as ‘preliminary closure’. As with closure generally, preliminary closure consists in the realisation of particularity as a consequence of holding that which is different as the same. This is achieved through the realisation of material in response to openness. The most minimal example of a system of closure consists of a single preliminary closure. Such a system requires two discrete states, or at least states that can be held as if they were discrete. It is not difficult to provide mechanical examples of such systems which allow for a single preliminary closure. A mousetrap for example, can be regarded as having two discrete states: it is either set, it is ready, or it has sprung, it has gone off. Many different causes may have led to it being in one state or another: it may have been sprung by a mouse, but it could also have been knocked by someone or something, or someone could have deliberately set it off. In the context of the mechanism all of these variations are of no consequence, it is either set or it has sprung. The diversity of the immediate environment is thereby reduced to single state and its absence: it is either set or it is not set. Any mechanical arrangement that enables a system to alternate between two or more discrete states is thereby capable of providing the basis for preliminary closure. For example, a bell or a gate could function as the basis for preliminary closure. The bell can either ring or not ring, the gate can be closed or not closed. The bell may ring as the result of the wind, or a person or animal shaking it, but the cause of the response is in the context of system of no consequence. The bell either rings or it doesn’t. Similarly, the gate may be in one state or another because it has been deliberately moved, or because something or someone has dislodged it accidentally, but these variations are not relevant in the context of the state of system, which in this case is the position of the gate. In either case the cause of the bell ringing or the gate closing is infinitely varied, but in the context of the system the variety of inputs is not accessible to the system and thus of no consequence. Lawson’s basic argument is that any particular effect could result from any of an infinite number of different causes, and the cause and effect might be entirely different: the effect might be ringing of a bell, but the cause was not bell-like at all, and did not have a ringing sound. So the effect, he says, tells you nothing at all about the cause. In a similar way, he claims, our thoughts cause our words, but our words and our thoughts have nothing in common, and thus our words tell us nothing about our thoughts; and in that sense they do not refer to anything, not even to our thoughts. Likewise, he says, the world causes our thoughts, but since the cause and effect have nothing in common, our thoughts tell us nothing about the world, and do not even refer to it. As I responded at the time, this account is mistaken from the very first step. Cause and effect always have something in common, namely the cause-effect relationship, although they each have different ends of that relationship. They will also have other things in common depending on the particular nature of the cause and effect in question. Similarly, the causes that are supposedly utterly diverse, in Lawson’s account, have something in common themselves: every situation that rings the bell has “aptness to ring the bell” in common. And when the bell is rung, it “refers” to these situations by the implication that we are in a situation that has aptness to ring the bell, rather than in one of the other situations. It is not accidental here that “refer” and “relate” are taken from forms of the same verb. Lawson’s claim that words do not “refer” to things is basically the same as the claim that they are not really related to things. And the real problem is that he is looking at matter (in this case the bell) without considering form (in this case the bell’s relationship with the world.) In a similar way, to say that the word “cat” is not catlike is to look at the sound or at the text as matter, without considering its form, namely the relationship it has with the surrounding context which causes that word to be used. But that relationship is real; the fact that the word is conventional does not prevent it from being true that human experience of cats is the cause of thoughts of cats, and that thoughts of cats are concretely the cause of the usage of the word “cat,” even if they could in some other situation have caused some other word to be used. I argued in the post on the nature of form (following the one with the discussion of Lawson) that form is a network of relationships apt to make something one. Insofar as an effect really receives form from a cause in the above way, words really receive meaning from the context that gives rise to their use. And in this way, it is not true that form in language is unlike form in a black and white scene, such that one could say that form in the scene is “real” and form in language is not. Both are real. Thus the objection fails. Nonetheless, it is true that it is easier to see why it is possible to describe anything in words, than it is to see why anything can be known. And this happens simply because “anything is describable in words” precisely because “anything can be known.” So the fact that anything can be known is the more remote cause, and thus harder to know. Earth By Earth January 24, 2019 January 24, 2019 entirelyuseless Metaphysics, Uncategorized Distinction, Empedocles, Epistemology, Essence, Form, Formal Cause, Knowledge, Matt, Perfection, Prime Matter, Relation, Unity In an earlier post I quoted Empedocles: For ’tis by Earth we see Earth, by Water Water, By Ether Ether divine, by Fire destructive Fire, By Love Love, and Hate by cruel Hate. I argued in that post that the mind does have something in common with what is known, and that this common thing is the form of the thing known. However, I took for granted that Empedocles is mistaken in assuming that the thing itself must be in common in order to be known. I did not directly say why he is mistaken. If form makes a thing what it is, and the form of a thing known is in the mind, why does the mind not become that thing? If the form of earth is in your mind, then why is your mind not literally earth? We will naturally be inclined to say that the form in your mind is apart from its proper matter, and that you need both form and matter to make a thing. And there is nothing wrong with this answer, as far as it goes, but it seems insufficient. Suppose you have a gold coin: what is its matter? The gold coin is presumably made out of atoms of gold, and since these atoms are not in your head, you do not see gold by gold. The problem is that atoms of gold also have some form, since this is just to say there is an answer when we ask, “What is this?”, and this will be true of anything whatever that you call matter. And there is nothing to prevent you from knowing that thing as well. There is nothing to prevent you from knowing the nature of gold atoms. And thus it seems that the matter will be present, and thus there should be actual gold in your mind. Perhaps an Aristotelian will suggest that it is prime matter that is missing. But this answer will not work, because humans have this sort of matter in common with other things. And in any case, nothing is meant by “matter” in this sense except the ability to have the form. And since the knower can have the form, they have the ability to have the form, and thus matter. So nothing is missing, and the thing known should be literally in the knower. Thus it appears that we have a reductio. Either my account of knowledge is mistaken, or earth should actually by known by earth, which it obviously is not. The conclusion is only apparent, however. We can resolve it by going back to what I said about form in that post and the following one. Form is a network of relationships apt to make something one. But being one not only includes internal unity, but also separation from other things. For example, suppose we now have three gold coins, instead of one: each coin is one coin, and this depends on its parts being together, rather than in a loose heap of gold dust. But the fact that the coins are three depends on their separation from one another, and thus also the fact that each coin is “one” depends on that separation. In other words, the form of a thing includes not only internal relationships, but also external relationships. This implies that to know the nature of a thing, one must know its external relationships. And to know a thing perfectly would require knowing both its internal and external relationships perfectly. Now one of the things to which it is related is the very one who knows it. Thus, if the knower is to know the thing perfectly, they must perfectly understand the relationships between themselves and the thing. But this is not possible, for reasons explained in the post on self-reference. The person who attempts to know something perfectly is in the situation of someone attempting to draw a picture of themselves drawing a picture: to make a perfect copy of the gold coin, it is necessary to copy its context, which includes the knower. But this cannot be done; therefore perfect knowledge of the coin is impossible. A different way to state the same analysis: “perfect copy” is a contradiction in terms, because such perfection would imply identity with the original, and thus not being a copy at all. In other words, perfect knowledge of a thing is impossible because perfect knowledge would imply, as in the argument of Empedocles, that one’s knowledge would literally be the thing known, and thus not knowledge at all. Place, Time, and Universals January 22, 2019 entirelyuseless Metaphysics, Uncategorized Essence, Existence, Form, Kantian Error, Matter, Nominalism, Numbers, Place, Plato, Realism, Reality, Relation, Senses, Space, Time, Together, Unity, Universals Consider the following three statements: 1. The chair and keyboard that I am currently using are both here in this room. 2. The chair and keyboard that I am currently using both exist in January 2019. 3. The chair and keyboard that I am currently using both came in the color black. All three claims, considered as everyday statements, happen to be true. They also have a common subject, and something common about the predicate, namely the “in.” We have “in this room,” “in January,” and “in the color black.” Now someone might object that this is a mere artifact of my awkward phrasing: obviously, I deliberately chose these formulations with this idea in mind. So this seems to be a mere verbal similarity, and a meaningless one at that. The objection seems pretty reasonable, but I will argue that it is mistaken. The verbal similarity is not accidental, despite the fact that I did indeed choose the formulations deliberately with this idea in mind. As I intend to argue, there is indeed something common to the three cases, namely that they represent various ways of existing together. The three statements are true in their ordinary everyday sense. But consider the following three questions: 1. Are the chair and keyboard really in the same room, or is this commonality a mere appearance? 2. Do the chair and keyboard really exist in the same month, or is this commonality a mere appearance? 3. Did the chair and keyboard really come in the same color, or is this commonality a mere appearance? These questions are like other questions which ask whether something is “really” the case. There is no such thing as being “really” on the right apart from the ordinary understanding of being on the right, and there is no such thing as being really in the same room apart from the ordinary everyday understanding of being in the same room. The same thing applies to the third question about color. The dispute between realism and nominalism about universals starts in the following way, roughly speaking: Nominalist: We say that two things are black. But obviously, there are two things here, and no third thing, and the two are not the same thing. So the two do not really have anything in common. Therefore “two things are black” is nothing but a way of speaking. Platonic Realist: Obviously, the two things really are black. But what is really the case is not just a way of speaking. So the two really do have something in common. Therefore there are three things here: the two ordinary things, and the color black. Since the Platonic Realist here goes more against common speech in asserting the existence of “three things” where normally one would say there are “two things,” the nominalist has the apparent advantage at this point, and this leads to more qualified forms of realism. In reality, however, one should have stopped the whole argument at this point. The two positions above form a Kantian dichotomy, and as in all such cases, both positions affirm something true, and both positions affirm something false. In this particular case, the nominalist acts as the Kantian, noting that universality is a mode of knowing, and therefore concludes that it is a mere appearance. The Platonic Realist acts as the anti-Kantian, noting that we can know that several things are in fact black, and concluding that universality is a mode of being as such. But while universality is a way of knowing, existing together is a way of being, and is responsible for the way of knowing. In a similar way, seeing both my chair and keyboard at the same time is a way of seeing things, but this way of seeing is possible because they are here together in the room. Likewise, I can know that both are black, but this knowledge is only possible because they exist together “in” the color black. What does this mean, exactly? Since we are discussing sensible qualities, things are both in the room and black by having certain relationships with my senses. They exist together in those relationships with my senses. There is no big difference when I ask about ideas. If we ask what two dogs have in common in virtue of both being dogs, what they have in common is a similar relationship to my understanding. They exist together in that relationship with my understanding. It might be objected that this is circular. Even if what is in common is a relationship, there is still something in common, and that seems to remain unexplained. Two red objects have a certain relationship of “appearing red” to my eyes, but then do we have two things, or three? The two red things, or the two red things and the relationship of “appearing red”? Or is it four things: two red things, and their two relationships of appearing red? So which is it? Again, there is no difference between these questions and asking whether a table is really on the left or really on the right. It is both, relative to different things, and likewise all three of these methods of counting are valid, depending on what you want to count. As I have said elsewhere, there are no hidden essences, no “true” count, no “how many things are really there?” “Existing together,” however, is a reality, and is not merely a mode of knowing. This provides another way to analyze the problem with the nominalist / Platonic realist opposition. Both arguments falsely assume that existing together is either logically derivative or non-existent. As I said in the post on existential relativity, it is impossible to deduce the conclusion that many things exist from a list of premises each affirming that a single thing exists, if only because “many things” does not occur as a term in that list. The nominalist position cannot explain the evident fact that both things are black. Likewise, even if there are three things, the two objects and “black,” this would not explain why the two objects are black. The two objects are not the third, since there are three. So there must be yet another object, perhaps called “participation”, which connects the two objects and blackness. And since they both have participation, there must be yet another object, participation in general, in which both objects are also participating. Obviously none of this is helping: the problem was the assumption from the start that togetherness (whether in place, time, or color) could be something logically derivative. (Postscript: the reader might notice that in the linked post on “in,” I said that a thing is considered to be in something as form in matter. This seems odd in the context of this post, since we are talking about being “in a color,” and a color would not normally be thought of as material, but as formal. But this simply corresponds with the fact that it would be more usual to say that the color black is in the chair, rather than the chair in the black. This is because it is actually more correct: the color black is formal with respect to the chair, not material. But when we ask, “what things can come in the color black,” we do think of black as though it were a kind of formless matter that could take various determinate forms.) Necessary Connection July 22, 2018 entirelyuseless Metaphysics, Uncategorized Causes, Color, David Hume, Epistemology, Essence, Experience, Explanation, Future, Induction, Kantian Error, Knowledge, Necessity, Senses, Subjectivity In Chapter 7 of his Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, David Hume says about the idea of “necessary connection”: We have looked at every possible source for an idea of power or necessary connection, and have found nothing. However hard we look at an isolated physical episode, it seems, we can never discover discover anything but one event following another; we never find any force or power by which the cause operates, or any connection between it and its supposed effect. The same holds for the influence of mind on body: the mind wills, and then the body moves, and we observe both events; but we don’t observe– and can’t even conceive– the tie that binds the volition to the motion, i.e. the energy by which the mind causes the body to move. And the power of the will over its own faculties and ideas– i.e. over the mind, as distinct from the body– is no more comprehensible. Summing up, then: throughout the whole of nature there seems not to be a single instance of connection that is conceivable by us. All events seem to be entirely loose and separate. One event follows another, but we never can observe any tie between them. They seem associated, but never connected. And as we can have no idea of anything that never appeared as an impression to our outward sense or inward feeling, we are forced to conclude that we have no idea of ‘connection’ or ‘power’ at all, and that those words– as used in philosophical reasonings or in common life– have absolutely no meaning. This is not Hume’s final word on the matter, as we will see below, so this has to be taken with a grain of salt, even as a representation of his opinion. Nonetheless, consider this caricature of what he just said: We have looked at every possible source for an idea of mduvvqi or pdnfhvdkdddd, and have found nothing. However hard we look at an isolated physical episode, it seems, we can never discover anything but events that can be described by perfectly ordinary words; we never find any mduvvqi involved, nor any pdnfhvkdddd. We could take this to be making the point that “mduvvqi” and “pdnfhvdkdddd” are not words. Other than that, however, the paragraph itself is meaningless, precisely because those “words” are meaningless. It certainly does not make any deep (or shallow for that matter) metaphysical or physical point, nor any special point about the human mind. But Hume’s text is different, and the difference in question is a warning sign of Kantian confusion. If those words had “absolutely no meaning,” in fact, there would be no difference between Hume’s passage and our caricature. Those words are not meaningless, but meaningful, and Hume is even analyzing their meaning in order to supposedly determine that the words are meaningless. Hume’s analysis in fact proceeds more or less in the following way. We know what it means to say that something is necessary, and it is not the same as saying that the thing always happens. Every human being we have ever seen was less than 20 feet tall. But is it necessary that human beings be less than 20 feet tall? This is a different question, and while we can easily experience someone’s being less than 20 feet tall, it is very difficult to see how we could possibly experience the necessity of this fact, if it is necessary. Hume concludes: we cannot possibly experience the necessity of it. Therefore we can have no idea of such necessity. But Hume has just contradicted himself: it was precisely by understanding the concept of necessity that he was able to see the difficulty in the idea of experiencing necessity. Nonetheless, as I said, this is not his final conclusion. A little later he gives a more nuanced account: The source of this idea of a necessary connection among events seems to be a number of similar instances of the regular pairing of events of these two kinds; and the idea cannot be prompted by any one of these instances on its own, however comprehensively we examine it. But what can a number of instances contain that is different from any single instance that is supposed to be exactly like them? Only that when the mind experiences many similar instances, it acquires a habit of expectation: the repetition of the pattern affects it in such a way that when it observes an event of one of the two kinds it expects an event of the other kind to follow. So the feeling or impression from which we derive our idea of power or necessary connection is a feeling of connection in the mind– a feeling that accompanies the imagination’s habitual move from observing one event to expecting another of the kind that usually follows it. That’s all there is to it. Study the topic from all angles; you will never find any other origin for that idea. Before we say more, we should concede that this is far more sensible than the claim that the idea of necessity “has absolutely no meaning.” Hume is now conceding that it does have meaning, but claiming that the meaning is about us, not about the thing. When we see someone knock a glass off a table, we perhaps feel a certainty that it will fall and hit the floor. Experiencing that feeling of certainty, he says, is the source of the idea of “necessity.” This is not an unreasonable hypothesis. However, Hume is also implicitly making a metaphysical argument here which is somewhat less sensible. Our feelings of certainty and uncertainty are subjective qualities of our minds, he suggests, not objective features of the things. Therefore necessity as an objective feature does not and cannot exist. This is not unrelated to his mistaken claim that we cannot know that the future will be similar to the past, even with probability. What is the correct account here? In fact we already know, from the beginning of the conversation, that “necessary” and “possible” are meaningful words. We also know that in fact we use them to describe objective features of the world. But which features? Attempting to answer this question is where Hume’s approach is pretty sensible. Hume is not mistaken that all of our knowledge is from experience, and ultimately from the senses. He seems to identify experience with sense experience too simplistically, but he is not mistaken that all experience is at least somewhat similar to sense experience; feeling sure that two and two make four is not utterly unlike seeing something red. We want to say that there is something in common there, “something it is like,” to experience one or the other. But if this is the case, it would be reasonable to extend what we said about the senses to intellectual experiences. “The way red looks” cannot, as such, be an objective feature of a thing, but a thing can be objectively red, in such a way that “being red,” together with the nature of the senses, explains why a thing looks red. In a similar way, certainty and uncertainty, insofar as they are ways we experience the world, cannot be objective features of the world as such. Nonetheless, something can be objectively necessary or uncertain, in such a way that “being necessary” or otherwise, together with the nature of our minds, explains why it seems certain or uncertain to us. There will be a similarity, however. The true nature of red might be quite strange in comparison to the experience of seeing red, as for example it might consist of surface reflectance properties. In a similar way, the true nature of necessity, once it is explained, might be quite strange to us compared to the experience of being certain or uncertain. But that it can be explained is quite certain itself, since the opposite claim would fall into Hume’s original absurdity. There are no hidden essences. Skeptical Scenarios June 3, 2018 entirelyuseless Metaphysics, Religion, Science, Uncategorized Acceptance, Alexander Pruss, Amoris Laetitia, Antichrist, Brain-in-Vat, Details, Essence, Form, Future, Jehovah's Witnesses, Knowledge, Medjugorje, Patience, Physics, Pope Francis, Prediction, Reductionism, Relation, Ron Conte, Skeptical Scenarios, Skepticism, Truth, Universe I promised to return to some of the issues discussed here. The current post addresses the implications of the sort of skeptical scenario considered by Alexander Pruss in the associated discussion. Consider his original comparison of physical theories and skeptical scenarios: The ordinary sentence “There are four chairs in my office” is true (in its ordinary context). Furthermore, its being true tells us very little about fundamental ontology. Fundamental physical reality could be made out of a single field, a handful of fields, particles in three-dimensional space, particles in ten-dimensional space, a single vector in a Hilbert space, etc., and yet the sentence could be true. An interesting consequence: Even if in fact physical reality is made out of particles in three-dimensional space, we should not analyze the sentence to mean that there are four disjoint pluralities of particles each arranged chairwise in my office. For if that were what the sentence meant, it would tell us about which of the fundamental physical ontologies is correct. Rather, the sentence is true because of a certain arrangement of particles (or fields or whatever). If there is such a broad range of fundamental ontologies that “There are four chairs in my office” is compatible with, it seems that the sentence should also be compatible with various sceptical scenarios, such as that I am a brain in a vat being fed data from a computer simulation. In that case, the chair sentence would be true due to facts about the computer simulation, in much the way that “There are four chairs in this Minecraft house” is true. It would be very difficult to be open to a wide variety of fundamental physics stories about the chair sentence without being open to the sentence being true in virtue of facts about a computer simulation. If we consider this in light of our analysis of form, it is not difficult to see that Pruss is correct both about the ordinary chair sentence being consistent with a large variety of physical theories, and about the implication that it is consistent with most situations that would normally be considered “skeptical.” The reason is that to say that something is a chair is to say something about its relationships with the world, but it is not to say everything about its relationships. It speaks in particular about various relationships with the human world. And there is nothing to prevent these relationships from co-existing with any number of other kinds of relationships between its parts, its causes, and so on. Pruss is right to insist that in order for the ordinary sentence to be true, the corresponding forms must be present. But as an anti-reductionist, his position implies hidden essences, and this is a mistake. Indeed, under the correct understanding of form, our everyday knowledge of things is sufficient to ensure that the forms are present: regardless of which physical theories turn out to be true, and even if some such skeptical scenario turns out to be true. Why are these situations called “skeptical” in the first place? This is presumably because they seem to call into question whether or not we possess any knowledge of things. And in this respect, they fail in two ways, they partially fail in a third, and they succeed in one way. First, they fail insofar as they attempt to call into question, e.g. whether there are chairs in my room right now, or whether I have two hands. These things are true and would be true even in the “skeptical” situations. Second, they fail even insofar as they claim, e.g. that I do not know whether I am a brain in a vat. In the straightforward sense, I do know this, because the claim is opposed to the other things (e.g. about the chairs and my hands) that I know to be true. Third, they partially fail even insofar as they claim, e.g. that I do not know whether I am a brain in a vat in a metaphysical sense. Roughly speaking, I do know that I am not, not by deducing the fact with any kind of necessity, but simply because the metaphysical claim is completely ungrounded. In other words, I do not know this infallibly, but it is extremely likely. We could compare this with predictions about the future. Thus for example Ron Conte attempts to predict the future: First, an overview of the tribulation: A. The first part of the tribulation occurs for this generation, beginning within the next few years, and ending in 2040 A.D. B. Then there will be a brief period of peace and holiness on earth, lasting about 25 years. C. The next few hundred years will see a gradual but unstoppable increase in sinfulness and suffering in the world. The Church will remain holy, and Her teaching will remain pure. But many of Her members will fall into sin, due to the influence of the sinful world. D. The second part of the tribulation occurs in the early 25th century (about 2430 to 2437). The Antichrist reigns for less than 7 years during this time. E. Jesus Christ returns to earth, ending the tribulation. Now, some predictions for the near future. These are not listed in chronological order. * The Warning, Consolation, and Miracle — predicted at Garabandal and Medjugorje — will occur prior to the start of the tribulation, sometime within the next several years (2018 to 2023). * The Church will experience a severe schism. First, a conservative schism will occur, under Pope Francis; next, a liberal schism will occur, under his conservative successor. * The conservative schism will be triggered by certain events: Amoris Laetitia (as we already know, so, not a prediction), and the approval of women deacons, and controversial teachings on salvation theology. * After a short time, Pope Francis will resign from office. * His very conservative successor will reign for a few years, and then die a martyr, during World War 3. * The successor to Pope Francis will take the papal name Pius XIII. Even ignoring the religious speculation, we can “know” that this account is false, simply because it is inordinately detailed. Ron Conte no doubt has reasons for his beliefs, much as the Jehovah’s Witnesses did. But just as we saw in that case, his reasons will also in all likelihood turn out to be completely disproportionate to the detail of the claims they seek to establish. In a similar way, a skeptical scenario can be seen as painting a detailed picture of a larger context of our world, one outside our current knowledge. There is nothing impossible about such a larger context; in fact, there surely is one. But the claim about brains and vats is very detailed: if one takes it seriously, it is more detailed than Ron Conte’s predictions, which could also be taken as a statement about a larger temporal context to our situation. The brain-in-vat scenario implies that our entire world depends on another world which has things similar to brains and similar to vats, along presumably with things analogous to human beings that made the vats, and so on. And since the whole point of the scenario is that it is utterly invented, not that it is accepted by anyone, while Conte’s account is accepted at least by him, there is not even a supposed basis for thinking that things are actually this way. Thus we can say, not infallibly but with a great deal of certainty, that we are not brains in vats, just as we can say, not infallibly but with a great deal of certainty, that there will not be any “Antichrist” between 2430 and 2437. There is nonetheless one way in which the consideration of skeptical scenarios does succeed in calling our knowledge into question. Consider them insofar as they propose a larger context to our world, as discussed above. As I said, there is nothing impossible about a larger context, and there surely is one. Here we speak of a larger metaphysical context, but we can compare this with the idea of a larger physical context. Our knowledge of our physical context is essentially local, given the concrete ways that we come to know the world. I know a lot about the room I am in, a significant amount about the places I usually visit or have visited in the past, and some but much less about places I haven’t visited. And speaking of an even larger physical context, I know things about the solar system, but much less about the wider physical universe. And if we consider what lies outside the visible universe, I might well guess that there are more stars and galaxies and so on, but nothing more. There is not much more detail even to this as a guess: and if there is an even larger physical context, it is possible that there are places that do not have stars and galaxies at all, but other things. In other words, universal knowledge is universal, but also vague, while specific knowledge is more specific, but also more localized: it is precisely because it is local that it was possible to acquire more specific knowledge. In a similar way, more specific metaphysical knowledge is necessarily of a more local metaphysical character: both physical and metaphysical knowledge is acquired by us through the relationships things have with us, and in both cases “with us” implies locality. We can know that the brain-in-vat scenario is mistaken, but that should not give us hope that we can find out what is true instead: even if we did find some specific larger metaphysical context to our situation, there would be still larger contexts of which we would remain unaware. Just as you will never know the things that are too distant from you physically, you will also never know the things that are too distant from you metaphysically. I previously advocated patience as a way to avoid excessively detailed claims. There is nothing wrong with this, but here we see that it is not enough: we also need to accept our actual situation. Rebellion against our situation, in the form of painting a detailed picture of a larger context of which we can have no significant knowledge, will profit us nothing: it will just be painting a picture as false as the brain-in-vat scenario, and as false as Ron Conte’s predictions. Reductionist vs Anti-Reductionist Dichotomy May 20, 2018 entirelyuseless Metaphysics, Uncategorized Bertrand Russell, Distinction, Essence, Form, Immanuel Kant, Matter, Numbers, Parmenides, Realism, Reality, Reductionism, Truth, Unity I started this post with a promise to return to issues raised by this earlier one. I haven’t really done so, or at least not as I intended, basically because it simply turned out that there was still too much to discuss, some but not all of which I discussed in the last two posts. I am still not ready to return to those original issues. However, the purpose of this post is to keep the promise to explain the relevance of my rejection of both reductionism and anti-reductionism to my account of form. To some extent this has already been done, but a clearer account is possible. Before going through this kind of consideration, I expect almost everyone to accept implicitly or explicitly an account which maintains one or the other side of this false dichotomy. And consequently, I expect almost everyone to find my account of form objectionable. Reductionists in general will simply deny the existence of form: there is nothing that makes a thing one, because nothing is actually one. We might respond that if you are reducing things to something else, say to quarks, there still must be something that makes a quark one. The reductionist is likely to respond that a quark is one of itself, and does not need anything else to make it one. And indeed, you might satisfy the general definition of form in such a way, but at that point you are probably discussing words rather than the world: the question of form comes up in the first place because we wonder about the unity of things composed of parts. Thus, at any rate, the most a reductionist will concede is, “Sure, in theory you can use that definition.” But they will add, “But it is a badly formed concept that will mostly lead people away from the truth.” The error here is analogous to that of Parmenides. Anti-reductionists will admit the existence of form, but they will reject this account, or any other account which one actually explains in detail, because their position implicitly or explicitly requires the existence of hidden essences. The basic idea is that form should make a thing so absolutely one that you cannot break it down into several things even when you are explaining it. It is very obvious that this makes explanation impossible, since any account contains many words referring to many aspects of a thing. I mentioned Bertrand Russell’s remark that science does not explain the “intrinsic character” of matter. Note that this is precisely because every account, insofar as it is an account, is formal, and form is a network of relationships. It simply is not an “intrinsic character” at all, insofar as this is something distinct from such a network. Anti-reductionism posits form as such an intrinsic character, and as such, it requires the existence of a hidden essence that cannot be known in principle. The error here is basically that of Kant. There is something in common to the two errors, which one might put like this: Nature is in the business of counting things. There must be one final, true answer to the question, “How many things are here?” which is not only true, but excludes all other answers as false. This cannot be the case, however, for the reasons explained in the post just linked. To number things at all, whether as many or as one, is to apply a particular mode of understanding, not to present their mode of being as such. I expect both reductionists and anti-reductionists to criticize my account at first as one which belongs to the opposite side of this dichotomy. And if they are made aware that it does not, I expect them to criticize it as anti-realist. It is not, or at any rate not in a standard sense: I reject this kind of anti-realism. If it is anti-realist, it is anti-realist in a much more reasonable way, namely about “not being something,” or about distinction. If one thing is not another, that “not another” may be a true attribution, but it is not something “out there” in the world. While the position of Parmenides overall is mistaken, he was not mistaken about the particular point that non-being is not being. Replies to Objections on Form May 19, 2018 May 19, 2018 entirelyuseless Metaphysics, Religion, Science, Theology, Uncategorized Absolute, Accidents, Causes, Color, Conservation of Energy, Disputed Questions, Essence, Form, Formal Cause, God, Immanuel Kant, Immortality, Intelligence, James Chastek, Knowledge, Mary's Room, Mereological Sum, Omnipotence, Rational Soul, Real Presence, Reality, Reductionism, Relation, Relativity, Scott Alexander, Sean Carroll, Senses, St. Thomas, Substance, Trinity, Truth, Unity, Whole and Part This post replies to the objections raised in the last post. Reply 1. I do not define form as “many relations”, in part for this very reason. Rather, I say that it is a network, and thus is one thing tied together, so to speak. Nonetheless, the objection seems to wish to find something absolutely one which is in no way many and which causes unity in other things which are in some way lacking in unity. This does not fit with the idea of giving an account, which necessarily involves many words and thus reference to many aspects of a thing. And thus it also does not fit with the idea of form as that which makes a thing what it is, because it is evident that when we ask what a thing is, we are typically asking about things that have many aspects, as a human being has many senses and many body parts and so on. In other words, form makes a thing one, but it also makes it what it is, which means that it also makes a thing many in various ways. And so form is one in some way, and thus called a “network,” but it also contains various relations that account for the many aspects of the thing. Someone might extend this objection by saying that if a form contains many relations, there will need to be a form of form, uniting these relations. But there is a difference between many material parts, which might need a form in order to be one, and relations, which bind things together of themselves. To be related to something, in this sense, is somewhat like being attached to it in some way, while a number of physical bodies are not attached to each other simply in virtue of being a number of bodies. It is true that this implies a certain amount of complexity in form, but this is simply the result of the fact that there is a certain amount of complexity in what things actually are. Reply 2. “Apt to make something one” is included in the definition in order to point to the relationships and networks of relationships that we are concerned with. For example, one could discuss the idea of a mereological sum, for example the tree outside my window together with my cell phone, and talk about a certain network of relationships intrinsic to that “sum.” This network would have little share in the idea of form, precisely because it is not apt to make anything one thing in any ordinary sense. However, I say “little share” here rather than “no share”, because this is probably a question of degree and kind. As I said here, “one thing” is said in many ways and with many degrees, and thus also form exists in many ways and with many degrees. In particular, there is no reason to suppose that “one” has one true sense compared to which the other senses would be more false than true. Reply 3. A network of relationships could be an accidental form. Thus the form that makes a blue thing blue would normally be an accidental form. But there will be a similar network of relationships that make a thing a substance. If something is related to other things as “that in which other things are present,” and is not related to other things as “that which is present in something else,” then it will exist as substance, and precisely because it is related to things in these ways. So the definition is in fact general in comparison to both substance and accident. Reply 4. This objection could be understood as asserting that everything relative depends on something prior which is absolute. Taken in this sense, the objection is simply mistaken. The existence of more than one thing proves conclusively that relationship as such does not need to depend on anything absolute. Another way to understand the objection would be as asserting that whatever we may say about the thing in relation to other things, all of this must result from what the thing is in itself, apart from all of this. Therefore the essence of the thing is prior to anything at all that we say about it. And in this way, there is a truth here and an error here, namely the Kantian truth and the Kantian error. Certainly the thing is the cause of our knowledge, and not simply identical with our knowledge. Nonetheless, we possess knowledge, not ignorance, of the thing, and we have this knowledge by participation in the network of relationships that defines the thing. Reply 5. The objection gratuitously asserts that our definition is reductionist, and this can equally well be gratuitously denied. In fact, this account includes the rejection of both reductionist and anti-reductionist positions. Insofar as people suppose that these positions are the only possible positions, if they see that my account implies the rejection of their particular side of the argument, they will naturally suppose that my account implies the acceptance of the other side. This is why the 10th objection claims the opposite: namely that my account is mistaken because it seems to be anti-reductionist. Reply 6. I agree, in fact, that we are mostly ignorant of the nature of “blue,” and likewise of the natures of most other things. But we are equally ignorant of the network of relationships that these things share in. Thus in an earlier post about Mary’s Room, I noted that we do not even come close to knowing everything that can be known about color. Something similar would be true about pretty much everything that we can commonly name. We have some knowledge of what blue is, but it is a very imperfect knowledge, and similarly we have some knowledge of what a human being is, but it is a very imperfect knowledge. This is one reason why I qualified the claim that the essences of things are not hidden: in another way, virtually all essences are hidden from us, because they are typically too complex for us to understand exhaustively. An additional problem, also mentioned in the case of “blue,” is that the experience of blue is not the understanding of blue, and these would remain distinct even if the understanding of blue were perfect. But again, it would be an instance of the Kantian error to suppose that it follows that one would not understand the nature of blue even if one understood it (thus we make the absurdity evident.) Reply 7. God is not an exception to the claim about hidden essences, nor to this account of form, and these claims are not necessarily inconsistent with Christian theology. The simplicity of God should not be understood as necessarily being opposed to being a network of relationships. In particular, the Trinity is thought to be the same as the essence of God, and what is the Trinity except a network of relations? Nor does the impossibility of knowing the essence of God imply that God’s essence is hidden in the relevant sense. Rather, it is enough to say that it is inaccessible for “practical” reasons, so to speak. For example, consider St. Thomas’s argument that no one knows all that God can do: The created intellect, in seeing the divine essence, does not see in it all that God does or can do. For it is manifest that things are seen in God as they are in Him. But all other things are in God as effects are in the power of their cause. Therefore all things are seen in God as an effect is seen in its cause. Now it is clear that the more perfectly a cause is seen, the more of its effects can be seen in it. For whoever has a lofty understanding, as soon as one demonstrative principle is put before him can gather the knowledge of many conclusions; but this is beyond one of a weaker intellect, for he needs things to be explained to him separately. And so an intellect can know all the effects of a cause and the reasons for those effects in the cause itself, if it comprehends the cause wholly. Now no created intellect can comprehend God wholly, as shown above (Article 7). Therefore no created intellect in seeing God can know all that God does or can do, for this would be to comprehend His power; but of what God does or can do any intellect can know the more, the more perfectly it sees God. St. Thomas argues that if anyone knew all that God can do, i.e. everything that can be God’s effect, he would not only know the essence of God, but know it perfectly. This actually supports our position precisely: if you have an exhaustive account of the network of relationships between God and the world, actual and potential, according to St. Thomas, this is to know the essence of God exhaustively. Reply 8. I concede the objection, but simply note that the error is on the part of Christian theology, not on the part of this account. In this case, someone might ask why I included this objection, along with the previous, where even if I consider the theology defensible, I do not consider it authoritative. The reason is that I included objections that I expected various readers to hold in one form or another, and these are two of them. But what is the use of addressing them if I simply reject the premise of the objection? There is at least one benefit to this. There is an important lesson here. Religious doctrines are typically defined in such a way that they have few or no undue sensible implications, as I said for example about the Real Presence. But philosophy is more difficult, and shares in much of the same distance from the senses that such religious claims have. Consequently, even if you manage to avoid adopting religious doctrines that have false scientific implications (and many don’t manage to avoid even this), if you accept any religious doctrines at all, it will be much harder to avoid false philosophical implications. In fact, the idea of an immortal soul probably has false scientific consequences as well as false philosophical consequences, at least taken as it is usually understood. Thus for example Sean Carroll argues that the mortality of the soul is a settled issue: Adam claims that “simply is no controlled, experimental[ly] verifiable information” regarding life after death. By these standards, there is no controlled, experimentally verifiable information regarding whether the Moon is made of green cheese. Sure, we can take spectra of light reflecting from the Moon, and even send astronauts up there and bring samples back for analysis. But that’s only scratching the surface, as it were. What if the Moon is almost all green cheese, but is covered with a layer of dust a few meters thick? Can you really say that you know this isn’t true? Until you have actually examined every single cubic centimeter of the Moon’s interior, you don’t really have experimentally verifiable information, do you? So maybe agnosticism on the green-cheese issue is warranted. (Come up with all the information we actually do have about the Moon; I promise you I can fit it into the green-cheese hypothesis.) Obviously this is completely crazy. Our conviction that green cheese makes up a negligible fraction of the Moon’s interior comes not from direct observation, but from the gross incompatibility of that idea with other things we think we know. Given what we do understand about rocks and planets and dairy products and the Solar System, it’s absurd to imagine that the Moon is made of green cheese. We know better. We also know better for life after death, although people are much more reluctant to admit it. Admittedly, “direct” evidence one way or the other is hard to come by — all we have are a few legends and sketchy claims from unreliable witnesses with near-death experiences, plus a bucketload of wishful thinking. But surely it’s okay to take account of indirect evidence — namely, compatibility of the idea that some form of our individual soul survives death with other things we know about how the world works. Claims that some form of consciousness persists after our bodies die and decay into their constituent atoms face one huge, insuperable obstacle: the laws of physics underlying everyday life are completely understood, and there’s no way within those laws to allow for the information stored in our brains to persist after we die. If you claim that some form of soul persists beyond death, what particles is that soul made of? What forces are holding it together? How does it interact with ordinary matter? Everything we know about quantum field theory (QFT) says that there aren’t any sensible answers to these questions. Of course, everything we know about quantum field theory could be wrong. Also, the Moon could be made of green cheese. Among advocates for life after death, nobody even tries to sit down and do the hard work of explaining how the basic physics of atoms and electrons would have to be altered in order for this to be true. If we tried, the fundamental absurdity of the task would quickly become evident. Even if you don’t believe that human beings are “simply” collections of atoms evolving and interacting according to rules laid down in the Standard Model of particle physics, most people would grudgingly admit that atoms are part of who we are. If it’s really nothing but atoms and the known forces, there is clearly no way for the soul to survive death. Believing in life after death, to put it mildly, requires physics beyond the Standard Model. Most importantly, we need some way for that “new physics” to interact with the atoms that we do have. Very roughly speaking, when most people think about an immaterial soul that persists after death, they have in mind some sort of blob of spirit energy that takes up residence near our brain, and drives around our body like a soccer mom driving an SUV. The questions are these: what form does that spirit energy take, and how does it interact with our ordinary atoms? Not only is new physics required, but dramatically new physics. Within QFT, there can’t be a new collection of “spirit particles” and “spirit forces” that interact with our regular atoms, because we would have detected them in existing experiments. Ockham’s razor is not on your side here, since you have to posit a completely new realm of reality obeying very different rules than the ones we know. There are certainly different ways to think about this, but this is in fact a common way of thinking about the soul in relation to the body. For example, consider this discussion by James Chastek: Objection: Conservation laws require that outcomes be already determined. By your own admission, life has to be able to “alter what would happen by physical causes alone” and therefore violates conservation laws. Response: Again, laws and initial conditions do not suffice to explain the actual world. Life only “alters” physical causes under the counterfactual supposition that physical causes could act alone, i.e. in a way that could suffice to explain outcomes in the actual world. Objection: It is meaningless to describe life acting on physical laws and conditions when we can’t detect this. Life-actions are vacuous entities about which we can say nothing at all. What’s their Hamiltonian? Response: Physical laws and conditions as physical are instrumental or partial accounts of the actual world. The interactive mechanisms and measurement devices appropriate to establishing the existence of physical causes are not appropriate tools for describing all causes of the actual world. Chastek is deliberately ignoring the question that he poses himself. But we know his opinion of the matter from previous discussions. What physics would calculate would be one thing; what the human being will do, according to Chastek, is something different. This almost certainly does imply a violation of the laws of physics in the sense of the discussion in Chastek’s post, as well as in the sense that concerns Sean Carroll. In fact, it probably would imply a violation of conservation of energy, very possibly to such a degree that it would be possible in principle to exploit the violation to create a perpetual motion machine, somewhat along the lines of this short story by Scott Alexander. And these violations would detectable in principle, and very likely in practice as well, at least at some point. Nonetheless, one might think about it differently, without suggesting these things, but still suppose that people have immortal souls. And one might be forgiven for being skeptical of Sean Carroll’s arguments, given that his metaphysics is wrong. Perhaps there is some implicit dependence of his argument on this mistaken metaphysics. The problem with this response is that even the correct metaphysics has the same implications, even without considering Carroll’s arguments from physics. It is easy to see that there still loopholes for someone who wishes to maintain the immortality of the soul. But such loopholes also indicate an additional problem with the idea. In particular, the idea that the soul is subsistent implies that it is a substantial part of a human being: that a human is a whole made of soul and body much as the body is a whole made of various parts such as legs and arms. If this were the case, the soul might not be material in a quantitative sense, but it would be “matter” in the sense that we have argued that form is not matter. In this case, it would be reasonable to suppose that an additional substantial form would be necessary to unify soul and body, themselves two substantial parts. Reply 9. There in fact is an implicit reference to matter in the definition. “Apt to make something one” refers to what is made, but it also refers to what it is made out of, if there is anything out of which it is made. The form of a chair makes the chair one chair, but it also makes the stuff of the chair into one chair. There is more to say about matter, but my intention for now was to clarify the concept of form. Reply 10. The network of relationships is most certainly not a construct of the mind, if one places this in opposition to “real thing.” You cannot trace back relationships to causes that do not include any relationships, if only because “cause” is in itself relative. I have argued against reductionism in many places, and do not need to repeat those arguments here, but in particular I would note that the objection implies that “mind” is a construct of the mind, and this implies circular causality, which is impossible. Reply 11. The objection is not really argued, and this is mainly because there cannot be a real argument for it. There is however a rough intuition supporting it, which is that applying this idea of form to immaterial things seems unfair to reality, as though we were trying to say that the limits of reality are set by the limits of the human mind. Once again, however, this is simply a case of the usual Kantian error, mixed together with choosing something that would be especially unknown to us. An immaterial thing could not exist without having some relationship with everything else. As we have suggested elsewhere, “there is an immaterial thing,” cannot even be assigned a meaning without the implied claim that I stand in some relation with it, and that it stands in some relation to me. But evidently I know very little about it. This does not mean that we need some new definition of what it is to be something; it simply means I do not know much of what that thing is, just as I do not know much of anything about it at all. Nature of Form May 18, 2018 May 18, 2018 entirelyuseless Metaphysics, Science, Uncategorized Alexander Pruss, Analogy, Bertrand Russell, Causes, Christianity, Color, Disputed Questions, Essence, Form, Formal Cause, Immanuel Kant, Immortality, Matter, Paul Almond, Physics, Rational Soul, Reductionism, Relation, Sean Collins, Substance, Unity, Word2vec We add one final claim to the list in the last post: (8) Form is a network of relationships apt to make something one. I will approach this in the manner of a disputed question, first raising a number of objections, then giving my explanation and replies to the objections. Objection 1. According to this definition, form consists of many relations. But form makes a thing one. Thus form should not be in itself many, such as many relationships are, since many things are composed of units. Objection 2. The definition begs the question by saying “apt to make something one.” Form is supposed to make things one, but if we want to say something about the nature of form, we should explain exactly how and why it does this. Objection 3. A “network of relationships” might be some kind of form, but it seems to be an accidental form, not a substantial form, while the definition of form should be general enough to include both. Objection 4. A thing can have the relations it has because of its particular nature. Therefore its nature cannot be defined by its relationships, since this would be circular. Thus form cannot be a network of relationships. Objection 5. The definition is implicitly reductionist, and therefore opposed to thesis (4). For a composite thing, whether animal or artifact or anything else, will have many relations among its parts which define it, but it can be looked at and considered in many ways, while what appears to be most real must be its most basic parts, such as atoms or quarks or whatever. Objection 6. Form seems to be unknown to us in a way in which the content of this definition is not, and therefore they must be somehow distinct. For example, whatever might be said about the definitions of blue proposed in the last post, it is clear that something is lacking there. There is something about the nature of blue that is quite unknown to us. So it seems unlikely that blue can be defined in the way proposed, and similarly unlikely that form can be defined as a network of relationships. Objection 7. Christians, at least, must reject this definition, along with thesis (3), since the essence of God cannot be naturally known by human beings. Therefore God has a hidden essence, and since it is entirely simple, it cannot be a network of relationships. Objection 8. This definition implies that the human soul is like a harmony, with all the consequences suggested by Simmias in the Phaedo, namely that the soul is mortal. So again Christians, at least, must reject this definition. Objection 9. Composite things are made of both form and matter, so a relationship to matter should be included in the definition of form. Objection 10. The network of relationships seems to be a construct of the mind more than a real thing. So one should reject this definition together with rejecting thesis (4), since what a thing really is, is something more basic that causes these relationships. Objection 11. The definition might be true of material things, but if there are any immaterial things, it will not apply to them. Instead, they might well exist in themselves, without relation to other things, or at least not being defined by such relations. Likewise thesis (3) should probably be denied in relation to such things. But let us go on to the explanation of this definition. If we consider the question, “what is form?”, one might immediately see a problem. Form is supposed to provide us the answer to the question about what a thing is, so if we ask what form is, we would seem to need a form of form. And even if this is possible, it is a process that cannot possibly go on forever, and therefore we will reach a point where we cannot find a form of form, and therefore we will not be able to answer the question. This is a complex issue which I will set aside for now, simply remarking for now that the question “what is this” needs to be answered in different ways for different things, including for form itself. At the same time, however, the arguments of the previous post imply that form is accessible to us, and that we can know it both specifically and in general. Essences are not hidden from us, and it is form that both gives a thing the essence it has and that makes us understand. And since it is the very thing that is present in our mind when we understand the thing, it should be just as accessible to us as the contents of our own mind. In other words, we can say what a form is by answering the question, “What does my mind have in common with this thing when I understand it?” And thus we can answer the general question about form by noticing what our minds have in common with things they understand in general. This answer is implicit in the discussion of thesis (7) in the last post. We noted in the case of “blue” that what both the senses and the mind have in common with things is a certain relation or network of relationships, namely those that correspond to the relations possessed by things apt to be seen by the sight as blue. And this will always be the case whenever we understand anything, since our understanding will always produce a sort of “model” of the thing understood. This is necessary since the understanding does not become an actual copy of the thing; such a becoming would in fact exclude understanding. If your mind literally became a tree when it attempted to understand it, you would understand nothing, since trees do not understand. This applies at many levels. For example, not only does it apply to meaning and understanding, in some way it applies even to our language on the level of syntax. For example, Word2vec is famously capable of producing analogies which somewhat reflect analogies between the things signified, even though the meanings of the words are absent from its analysis. We should not stress this too much, however, since this takes a very small subset of relationships, even a small subset of relationships found in language, and shows how they will have a structural similarity to their causes. In a sense this does mean that the forms of things are present in linguistic syntax, but it is a very attenuated sense. In contrast, the forms of things are fully present in our understanding to the precise degree that we understand them. The qualification is important: we don’t understand anything perfectly, and consequently no form should be expected to be found perfectly in our understanding. Others have suggested similar ideas about the natures of things. For example, Sean Collins says: But for now I will set that aside and come to what I should like to propose as the heart of my thesis. I mentioned a moment ago that Scholastic thought has always acknowledged a dependence of the qualitative on the quantitative. There are many things, nevertheless, which we may recognize without really grasping their full implications. This brings me to what my son Liam wanted to say about form. He proposed, seemingly rather starkly, that there is no such thing as form in material things. But I believe what he meant is that there is cannot be a form in the manner frequently assumed; and I think he is absolutely right. What do I mean by “the manner frequently assumed”? What I mean is that we can cheerfully assert that quality, and therefore also substance, depends on quantity, but yet not see what this really means. What it means – what science proves over and over again – is not just that quality and substance depend on form externally as it were, but that they depend on it much more internally, which is to say structurally. In other words, in material things, form turns out not only to be compatible with an internal structure and heterogeneity, but to depend on it profoundly. I want to say in effect that in material things, to a surprisingly large extent, form IS structure. And so a conception of form which unifies things to the exclusion of a structure is a false conception. You will perhaps recognize that this solves some problems, but raises others. The biggest problem that it solves is that very Scholastic principle that I have been referring to, which is that quality and substance, the more formal principles, depend on quantity. Now we can start to affirm that we know a little better what that really means. What it means is not just that things have to “be the right size,” but rather that quality and substance depend on quantity internally, because it is quantity that makes structure possible; and structure is, if you will, the intermediary between matter and whatever more abstract kind of form we may have yet to consider. And what I want to insist on again is that this structure is not a negligible thing; in fact it is so important that scientists spend a very large portion of their time examining it. Without it we could know, did know, only the first rudiments of how material things are made. And so this is why the metric part of scientific investigation acquires such a prominent aspect; it isn’t because that is all that the scientists are interested in or that they arbitrarily restrict themselves to it; on the contrary, it is because that is the very condition upon which an understanding of material forms hinges. In various places, Aristotle notes that there is a real difference between a mere dialectical or logical investigation of physical reality, and a truly physical one. The latter, as Aristotle understands it, depends on a sufficient accounting of the material aspects of things so that we can begin to see how forms are truly materialized. Now we can see perhaps a little better how this materialization of forms really happens. It happens especially through the understanding of quantitative structure. Sean Collins is speaking about material things in particular, and structure as quantitative. My account is similar but more general: if there are any immaterial things, or things without quantity, it applies to them as well. Thus I speak of a network of relationships, of which “quantitative structure” would be more like a particular example. Paul Almond gives a similar account: Reality can only be meaningfully described in terms of relationships between things and internal properties of things. That being the case, why do we take the approach of reducing everything to relationships only, so that the “things” being connected by the relationships have no internal properties and all that exists is the structure of relationships itself? The idea of reducing everything to relationships only has been proposed by Tegmark. Suppose reality were viewed as a structure of relationships between things that had internal properties. Those internal properties could themselves only be described in terms of relationships between things. This means that we would have a structure of relationships between “things” and, inside each such “thing” there would also be a structure of relationships between some more basic entities. We would have no reason for declaring a boundary between the relationships outside the “thing” and the relationships inside the “thing”. Instead, we could just take the “edge of a thing” away and say that whatever relationships existed within a thing were just part of the external structure of relationships. The end result of this is that the “things” connected by these relationships have no internal properties at all. All that is left is a structure of relationships between points that have no internal properties. All that remains is the structure itself. Almond gives this as an account of reality as such, while we give it as an account of form. This is not entirely the same, and consequently Almond’s account could be taken as denying the existence of matter, much like Alexander Pruss. This will be discussed more in my response to objection 9, but my account is not intended to reject the existence of matter. Nonetheless, matter does not contribute to the intelligibility of a thing, and it is therefore true in a sense that form is “most of” reality. This kind of account is sometimes taken to imply that our understanding is entirely and permanently superficial. For example, Bertrand Russell says in The Analysis of Matter (page 10): Physics, in itself, is exceedingly abstract, and reveals only certain mathematical characteristics of the material with which it deals. It does not tell us anything as to the intrinsic character of this material. While mathematical physics as such does have specific limitations, both by reason of the mathematical approach and by the deliberate limitation of subject implied in “physics,” there is a more general problem here. Any account whatsoever of a thing will explain that thing in relationship to everything else, without giving an account of the “intrinsic character of this material.” But this is not because we are necessarily failing to account for something. It is because this is what it is to give an account at all, and because the network of relationships really is the what it is to be of the thing. There is no hidden essence, and the appearance that there must be some other nature, more fundamental, but which cannot be found by us, derives from a temptation towards the Kantian error. The thing does indeed exist in itself, and its mode of existence is not our mode of understanding, but this does not necessarily mean we do not understand it. On the contrary, this distinction is absolutely necessary for understanding at all. The replies to the objections will be in another post, and as is usual with a disputed question, will clarify various aspects of this position. Form and Reality II May 12, 2018 May 12, 2018 entirelyuseless Metaphysics, Uncategorized Alexander Pruss, Aristotle, Causes, Closure, Color, Empedocles, Essence, Existence, Form, Formal Cause, Heraclitus, Hilary Lawson, Image, Immanuel Kant, Infallibility, Liar Paradox, Paradoxes, Reality, Reductionism, Relation, Relativity, Self-Reference, Senses, Sight, Thought, Truth, Unity, Universals, Visual Cortex This is a followup to this earlier post, but will use a number of other threads to get a fuller understanding of the matter. Rather than presenting this in the form of a single essay, I will present it as a number of distinct theses, many of which have already been argued or suggested in various forms elsewhere on the blog. (1) Everything that exists or can exist has or could have some relationship with the mind: relationship is in fact intrinsic to the nature of existence. This was argued here, with related remarks in several recent posts. In a sense the claim is not only true but obviously so. You are the one who says or can say “this exists,” and you could not say or understand it unless the thing had or could have some relationship with your mind. Perhaps this seems a bit unfair to reality, as though the limits of reality were being set by the limits of the thinker. What if there were a limited being that could only think of some things, but other things could exist that it could not think about? It is easy to see that in this situation the limited being does not have the concept of “everything,” and so can neither affirm nor deny (1). It is not that it would affirm it but be mistaken. It would simply never think of it. Someone could insist: I myself am limited. It might be that there are better thinkers in the world that can think about things I could never conceive of. But again, if you have concept of “everything,” then you just thought of those things: they are the things that those thinkers would think about. So you just thought about them too, and brought them into relationship with yourself. Thus, anyone who actually has the idea of “everything,” and thinks about the matter clearly, will agree with (1). (2) Nothing can be true which could not in principle (in some sense of “in principle”) in some way be said to be true. Thesis (1) can be taken as saying that anything that can be, can also be understood, at least in some way; and thesis (2) can be taken as saying that anything that can be understood, can also be said, at least in some way. Since language is conventional, this does not need much of an argument. If I think that something exists, and I don’t have a name for it, I can make up a name. If I think that one thing is another thing, but don’t have words for these things, I can make up words for them. Even if I am not quite sure what I am thinking, I can say, “I have a thought in my mind but don’t quite have the words for it,” and in some way I have already put it into words. One particular objection to the thesis might be made from self-reference paradoxes. The player in the Liar Game cannot correctly say whether the third statement is true or false, even though it is in fact true or false. But note two things: first, he cannot do this while he is playing, but once the game is over, he can explicitly and correctly say whether it was true or false. Second, even while playing, he can say, “the third statement has a truth value,” and in this way he speaks of its truth in a generic way. This is in part why I added the hedges to (2), “at least in some way”, and “in principle.” (3) Things do not have hidden essences. That is, they may have essences, but those essences can be explained in words. This follows in a straightforward way from (1) and (2). The essence of a thing is just “what it is,” or perhaps, “what it most truly is.” The question “what is this thing?” is formed with words, and it is evident that anyone who answers the question, will answer the question by using words. Now someone might object that the essence of a thing might be hidden because perhaps in some cases the question does not have an answer. But then it would not be true that it has an essence but is hidden: rather, it would be false that it has an essence. Similarly, if the question “where is this thing,” does not have any answer, it does not mean the thing is in a hidden place, but that the thing is not in a place at all. Another objection might be that an essence might be hidden because the answer to the question exists, but cannot be known. A discussion of this would depend on what is meant by “can be known” and “cannot be known” in this context. That is, if the objector is merely saying that we do not know such things infallibly, including the answer to the question, “what is this?”, then I agree, but would add that (3) does not speak to this point one way or another. But if it is meant that “cannot be known” means that there is something there, the “thing in itself,” which in no way can be known or expressed in words, this would be the Kantian error. This is indeed contrary to (3), and implicitly to (1) or (2) or both, but it is also false. People might also think that the essence cannot be known because they notice that the question “what is this?” can have many legitimate answers, and suppose that one of these, and only one, must be really and truly true, but think that we have no way to find out which one it is. While there are certainly cases where an apparent answer to the question is not a true answer, the main response here is that if both answers are true, both answers are true: there does not need to be a deeper but hidden level where one is true and the other false. There may however be a deeper level which speaks to other matters and possibly explains both answers. Thus I said in the post linked above that the discussion was not limited to “how many,” but would apply in some way to every question about the being of things. (4) Reductionism, as it is commonly understood, is false. I have argued this in various places, but more recently and in particular here and here. It is not just one-sided to say for example that the universe and everything in it is just a multitude of particles. It is false, because it takes one of several truths, and says that one is “really” true and that the other is “really” false. (5) Anti-reductionism, as it is commonly understood, is false. This follows from the same arguments. Anti-reductionism, as for example the sort advocated by Alexander Pruss, takes the opposite side of the above argument, saying that certain things are “really” one and in no way many. And this is also false. (6) Form makes a thing to be what it is, and makes it to be one thing. This is largely a question of definition. It is what is meant by form in this context. Someone might object that perhaps there is nothing that makes a thing what it is, or there is nothing that makes it one thing. But if it is what it is of itself, or if it is one of itself, then by this definition it is its own form, and we do not necessarily have an issue with that. Again, someone might say that the definition conflates two potentially distinct things. Perhaps one thing makes a thing what it is, and another thing makes it one thing. But this is not possible because of the convertibility of being and unity: to be a thing at all, is to be one thing. (7) Form is what is in common between the mind and the thing it understands, and is the reason the mind understands at all. This is very distinctly not a question of definition. This needs to be proved from (6), along with what we know about understanding. It is not so strange to think that you would need to have something in common with a thing in order to understand it. Thus Aristotle presents the words of Empedocles: On the other hand, there is also obviously something wrong with this. I don’t need to be a tree in order to see or think about a tree, and it is not terribly obvious that there is even anything in common between us. In fact, one of Hilary Lawson’s arguments for his anti-realist position is that there frequently seems to be nothing in common between causes and effects, and that therefore there may be (or certainly will be) nothing in common between our minds and reality, and thus we cannot ultimately know anything. Thus he says in Chapter 2 of his book on closure: A useful way to think about Lawson is that he is in some way a disciple of Heraclitus. Thus closure is “holding that which is different as the same,” but in reality nothing is ever the same because everything is in flux. In the context of this passage, the mousetrap is either set or sprung, and so it divides the world into two states, the “set” state and the “sprung” state. But the universes with the set mousetrap have nothing in common with one another besides the set mousetrap, and the universes with the sprung mousetrap have nothing in common with one another besides the sprung mousetrap. We can see how this could lead to the conclusion that knowledge is impossible. Sight divides parts of the world up with various colors. Leaves are green, the sky is blue, the keyboard I am using is black. But if I look at two different green things, or two different blue things, they may have nothing in common besides the fact that they affected my sight in a similar way. The sky and a blue couch are blue for very different reasons. We discussed this particular point elsewhere, but the general concern would be that we have no reason to think there is anything in common between our mind and the world, and some reason to think there must be something in common in order for us to understand anything. Fortunately, the solution can be found right in the examples which supposedly suggest that there is nothing in common between the mind and the world. Consider the mousetrap. Do the universes with the set mousetrap have something in common? Yes, they have the set mousetrap in common. But Lawson does not deny this. His concern is that they have nothing else in common. But they do have something else in common: they have the same relationship to the mousetrap, different from the relationship that the universes with the sprung mousetrap have to their mousetrap. What about the mousetrap itself? Do those universes have something in common with the mousetrap? If we consider the relationship between the mousetrap and the universe as a kind of single thing with two ends, then they do, although they share in it from different ends, just as a father and son have a relationship in common (in this particular sense.) The same things will be true in the case of sensible qualities. “Blue” may divide up surface reflectance properties in a somewhat arbitrary way, but it does divide them into things that have something in common, namely their relationship with the sense of sight. Or consider the same thing with a picture. Does the picture have anything in common with the thing it represents? Since a picture is meant to actually look similar to the eye to the object pictured, it may have certain shapes in common, the straightness of certain lines, and so on. It may have some colors in common. This kind of literal commonness might have suggested to Empedocles that we should know “earth by earth,” but one difference is that a picture and the object look alike to the eye, but an idea is not something that the mind looks at, and which happens to look like a thing: rather the idea is what the mind uses in order to look at a thing at all. Thus a better comparison would be between the the thing seen and the image in the eye or the activity of the visual cortex. It is easy enough to see by looking that the image in a person’s eye bears some resemblance to the thing seen, even the sort of resemblance that a picture has. In a vaguer way, something similar turns out to be true even in the visual cortex: V1 has a very well-defined map of the spatial information in vision. For example, in humans, the upper bank of the calcarine sulcus responds strongly to the lower half of visual field (below the center), and the lower bank of the calcarine to the upper half of visual field. In concept, this retinotopic mapping is a transformation of the visual image from retina to V1. The correspondence between a given location in V1 and in the subjective visual field is very precise: even the blind spots are mapped into V1. In terms of evolution, this correspondence is very basic and found in most animals that possess a V1. In humans and animals with a fovea in the retina, a large portion of V1 is mapped to the small, central portion of visual field, a phenomenon known as cortical magnification. Perhaps for the purpose of accurate spatial encoding, neurons in V1 have the smallest receptive field size of any visual cortex microscopic regions. However, as I said, this is in a much vaguer way. In particular, it is not so much an image which is in common, but certain spatial relationships. If we go back to the idea of the mousetrap, this is entirely unsurprising. Causes and effects will always have something in common, and always in this particular way, namely with a commonality of relationship, because causes and effects, as such, are defined by their relationship to each other. How does all this bear on our thesis (7)? Consider the color blue, and the question, “what is it to be blue?” What is the essence of blue? We could answer this in at least two different ways: To be blue is to have certain reflectance properties. To be blue is to be the sort of thing that looks blue. But in the way intended, these are one and the same thing. A thing looks blue if it has those properties, and it has those properties if it looks blue. Now someone might say that this is a direct refutation of our thesis, since the visual cortex presumably does not look blue or have those properties when you look at something blue. But this is like Lawson’s claim that the universe has nothing in common with the sprung mousetrap. It does have something in common, if you look at the relationship from the other end. The same thing happens when we consider the meaning of “certain reflectance properties,” and “the sort of thing that looks blue.” We are actually talking about the properties that make a thing look blue, so both definitions are relative to the sense of sight. And this means that sight has something relative in common with them, and the relation it has in common is the very one that defines the nature of blue. As this is what we mean by form (thesis 6), the form of blue must be present in the sense of sight in order to see something blue. In fact, it followed directly from thesis (1) that the nature of blue would need to include something relative. And it followed from (2) and (3) that the very same nature would turn out to be present in our senses, thoughts, and words. The same argument applies to the mind as to the senses. I will draw additional conclusions in a later post, and in particular, show the relevance of theses (4) and (5) to the rest. What You Learned Before You Were Born Some Remarks on GPT-N Fire, Water, and Numbers The Power of a Name Mind of God entirelyuseless on Turning Back the Clock Michael Lowe on Turning Back the Clock michellep12 on Neither Will They Believe if S… entirelyuseless on What You Learned Before You We… David Piepgrass on What You Learned Before You We… Adam Alexander Pruss Aristotle Belief Bertrand Russell Blogging Brian Harrison Causes Certainty Choice Christ Color Consciousness Creation Culture David Hume Desire Determinism Development of Doctrine Disagreement Evidence Evil Evolution Faith Final Causes Form Formal Cause Future Genesis God Good Happiness Immanuel Kant Intelligence James Chastek Judaism Knowledge Language Love Material Cause Matter Mormonism Natural Laws Necessity Numbers Order Original Sin Paradoxes Parmenides Plato Pope Benedict XVI Pope Francis Prediction Predictive Processing Progress Rational Soul Relation Richard Dawkins Robin Hanson Scott Alexander Scripture Senses St. Augustine St. John St. Paul St. Thomas Technology Thought Time Truth Unity Vagueness Virtue Voluntary Beliefs Will	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1866
__label__wiki	0.825054	0.825054	—filmvetter Watching them all so you don't have to 3 stars, Drama, Historical Frost/Nixon – 3 stars Frost/Nixon. Expertly acted, well-paced, and ultimately, pat and unsatisfying. Screenwriter Peter Morgan takes the characters of Frost (Michael Sheen) and Nixon (Frank Langella) in a manner that mirrors his treatment of Tony Blair and Queen Elizabeth in The Queen — the upstart versus the titan, with a quest for moral concession at the end of the saga. For Queen Elizabeth, she had to change with the times and accept the sorrow of the British people over the death of Diana, and Blair helps her achieve this trek into modernity, in the process, gaining great respect for her. In Frost/Nixon, Nixon has to accept responsibility for his crimes and thus, help the American people heal, and Frost has to trap him in interview to wrangle the confession, which, of course, ultimately lessens the psychic burden both Nixon and the nation carry. For dummies in the audience, this theme is explicated by a drunken call from Nixon to Frost on the eve of their last interview (set up as an interview version of a heavyweight bout, The Thrilla’ in the Villa), a wholesale fabrication. But Nixon had a 20% stake in the sales of the interviews. And Nixon knew as well as Frost that they couldn’t be a love letter to himself, that there had to be a draw, a teaser, a hook. So, in the interview on Watergate, he apologizes, though in dramatic, stubborn style. But he does not, as the film depicts, concede. And in the end, through their own conspiracy, Frost is lionized, Nixon starts a second comeback (as opposed to the laughable postscript of the film’s closing lines — “[Nixon] never achieved the rehabilitation he so desperately craved. His most lasting legacy is that, today, any political wrongdoing is immediately given the suffix ‘-gate'”), they both make buckets of dough, and television wins! A much better story, but also much harder. Much easier and more crowd-pleasing for Howard and Morgan to revise the impact of the interviews themselves, to make them a definitive win in a titanic battle of wits that finally earned Nixon the calumny he so richly deserved. Which is nonsense. This is not a terrible film. It’s fine. It is at about the level of a solid TV movie and about as ambitious. Moreover, the interviews themselves as depicted curiously lack the crackle of some of the better moments of the real ones, and unfortunately, offer a somber, sonorous Nixon. I don’t want to come off as some sort of niggling prig. My discomfort with Frost/Nixon is not predicated on the fact that it is historically inaccurate. My concern is in the manner in which the writer and director chose to be historically inaccurate. For example, the fabricated drunken phone call from Nixon to Frost seems to fall within the reasonable artistic license. But the problem is that the movie created a pat, simplistic morality tale, distorting history so egregiously in service of that dramatic aim that it exceeded the admittedly blurry lines in place. It would be akin to a writer of Bobby/Lyndon penning a script geared toward Bobby being the driver of the civil rights movement, finally impressing upon Lyndon (also drunk on a call – it’s always the old man who is drunk) the importance of completing his brother’s legacy. It could play well, it could be beautifully acted, but the historical point it serves is not only false, but utterly contradicted by the actual facts. Indeed, a great interview with Frank Langella shows that he gets the problem: Q. The movie does make you sympathetic to Nixon, this monster. It really makes you feel sorry for the bastard. FL: Well, in one sentence you’ve called him a monster and a bastard. You see how totally and completely prejudiced you are? Q: Well, you said “these two epic monsters.” FL: Well, I meant monster in the larger sense. But that’s ingrained in you to think that way, and you don’t have any right to judge him that way. You’re not walking in his shoes. If you think Nixon is a monster and a bastard, what do you think of the presidents we’ve had since? That’s the thing: it’s very easy to use these words about this man, and very facile, because we live in a time where it’s sound-byte time. Let’s see… Richard Nixon? Monster, bastard. Anna Nicole Smith? Dumb, blonde. We just do it. We just narrow everybody down to a tiny little spectrum, and you really can’t and you really shouldn’t. I do it too, though, because it’s really fast, and it’s really quick. It would’ve been totally uninteresting of me to play him as a drunk, or as a crook. Those were two facets of a very, very complicated man, and we mustn’t forget that he was a brilliant statesman. [Nixon] was an extraordinarily intelligent man. I spent hours and hours of reading his books. His hopes and dreams for this country in foreign policy were extraordinary, and what he did in China and other places was wonderful. It would be a shame to let all that [go to waste] — history has done it, and he brought it on himself. Nixon was not destroyed by anything or anyone but himself. Action/Disaster	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1869
__label__wiki	0.805656	0.805656	Contact Info of Actor Pratap Hada November 9, 2020 October 21, 2020 by Admin FI247 Pratap Hada is an Indian film actor. He was born in 1990 in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. He started his film career with Bewakoofiyaan in 2014, and TV career with Paanch. After that, he played main role in several movies which includes , etc. In the TV industry, Pratap Hada has many shows which includes Saath … Read more Complete Biodata of Actor Pratap Hada In 2014, he came into the filmy sector, and did debut in the film sector with Bewakoofiyaan, and TV sector with Paanch. He played role in several movies in Hindi languages, which includes Bewakoofiyaan. In the TV industry, Pratap Hada has many shows which includes Saath Nibhana Saathiya, Paanch. Contact Info of Actor Gurpreet Ghuggi Gurpreet Ghuggi is an Indian film actor. He was born in 1971 in Khokhar Fojian, Gurdaspur, Panjab, India. He is also known by his other names such as Gurpreet Singh Waraich, and Ghuggi, and professions such as comedian and politician, etc. He started his film career with Jee Aayan Nu in 2002. After that, he … Read more Complete Biodata of Actor Gurpreet Ghuggi The Indian film actor, Gurpreet Ghuggi or Nick Names: Ghuggi, was born on 19th of July 1971 in Khokhar Fojian, Gurdaspur, Panjab, India. He is also known by his other professions such as comedian and politician, etc. In 2002, he came into the filmy sector, and did debut in the film sector with Jee Aayan … Read more Contact Info of Actor Paras Babbar Paras Babbar is an Indian tv actor. He was born in 1991 in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. He started his tv career with Saath Nibhaana Saathiya in 2010. In the TV industry, Paras Babbar has many shows which includes Saath Nibhaana Saathiya. Full Name: Paras Babbar Date of Birth: 21 September 1991 Height: 5’ 7” … Read more Complete Biodata of Actor Paras Babbar The Indian tv actor, Paras Babbar was born on 21st of September 1991 in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. In 2010, he came into the tv sector, and did debut in the tv sector with Saath Nibhaana Saathiya. In the TV industry, Paras Babbar has many shows which includes Saath Nibhaana Saathiya. Home Town: Saharanpur, Uttar … Read more Contact Info of Actor Karamjit Anmol Karamjit Anmol is an Indian film actor. He was born in 1975 in Village Ganduan, Tehsil Sunam, District Sangrur, Punjab, India. He is also known by his other professions such as singer, comedian and producer, etc. He started his film career with Kaun Kise Da Beli in 2007, and Music career with Aashiq Bhaji in … Read more Complete Biodata of Actor Karamjit Anmol The Indian film actor, Karamjit Anmol was born on 2nd of January 1975 in Village Ganduan, Tehsil Sunam, District Sangrur, Punjab, India. He is also known by his other professions such as singer, comedian and producer, etc. In 2007, he came into the filmy sector, and did debut in the film sector with Kaun Kise … Read more Contact Info of Actor BN Sharma BN Sharma is an Indian film actor. He was born in 1981 in New Delhi, India. He is also known by his other professions such as comedian, etc. He started his film career with Badnam Farishte in 1971, and TV career with Jeb Katre in 1985. After that, he played main role in several movies … Read more Complete Biodata of Actor BN Sharma The Indian film actor, BN Sharma was born on 23rd of August 1965 in New Delhi, India. He is also known by his other professions such as comedian, etc. In 1971, he came into the filmy sector, and did debut in the film sector with Badnam Farishte, and TV sector with Jeb Katre in 1985. … Read more Surobhi Ghosh on Contact Info of Actor Kartikey Malviya Laxminarayan on Complete Biodata of Actor Kartikey Malviya Sasidharan on Contact Info of Actor Kartikey Malviya Ragish on Contact Info of Actor Kunal Khemu © 2021 Find Info 247 • Built with GeneratePress	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1870
__label__wiki	0.945102	0.945102	Texas Christian University› College of Fine Arts› Faculty & Staff› Lydia Mackay Lydia Mackay Ed Landreth l.mackay@tcu.edu \| 817-257-4086 MFA, Acting, Southern Methodist University (2008) BFA, Theatre, Texas Wesleyan University Summa Cum Laude (1999) Acting — Intro Acting III — Period and Styles Acting IV — Non-Realism Acting for the Camera Acting Shakespeare Professional Seminar Stage Movement I Survey of Theatre Performance: Acting, Movement, Stage Combat, Voice Over, Business Aspects of Theatre Lydia Mackay is a proud Fort Worth native and has been a successful Theatre Artist for 20+ years. She received her BFA with an emphasis in Acting from Texas Wesleyan University and holds an MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University. Her training includes Puppetry, Mime, and Dance from the Le Subsistances International Creative Laboratory in Lyon, France; and Mask, with the Laboratorio de la Máscara (Mexico City) in partnership with Cara Mia Theater Co. (Dallas, Texas). She’s been seen onstage at Dallas Theater Center, Shakespeare Dallas, The Trinity Shakespeare Festival, Amphibian Stage Productions, WaterTower Theatre, Theatre Three, Casa Manãna, Second Thought Theatre, Circle Theatre, and Stage West to name a few. Lydia received ‘Best Actress’ nods from both the Dallas Observer and the DFW Critics Forum. As a Performance and Theatre Arts Teacher, she’s received the Live Theatre Leagues’ Theatre Arts Educator of the Year Award and has taught for many schools and arts organizations such as SMU, Junior Players, The FACE Project, The Dallas Theater Center, Casa Mañana, Stage West, WaterTower Theatre, Theatre Arlington, and now as an Assistant Professor of performance at Texas Christian University. Lydia is a Certified Yoga Teacher through the Namah Shivaya/Satya International Yoga School in Dallas, which is a Yoga Alliance Registered School. As a member of the Society of American Fight Directors, she’s a certified Actor-Combatant in Unarmed Hand-to-Hand combat, and in 2019 received certifications in Single Sword, Rapier & Dagger, Small Sword, Knife, and Theatrical Firearms. She was a Teaching Artist for the inaugural year of the Tony Award Winning Dallas Theater Center’s ‘Public Works Dallas’ initiative, in partnership with The Public Theater in NYC. She’s a regular performance artist and reader for the Dallas Museum of Art, and for the last seven years has served as the DMA’s casting coordinator, recently having employed all TCU students for the first and second annual Family Mystery Event. Lydia served as the Trinity Shakespeare Festival’s Voice and Text Coach in its inaugural year, and she tread the boards there as an actress for three seasons. She’s also served as a Dialect Coach for Theatre Three, The Dallas Opera, and The Santa Fe Opera, which includes two world premieres. Lydia’s appeared in several independent films such as The Playroom, which got its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC, and she has appeared on the TV shows Dallas and Longmire. Her work as a voice-over artist spans two decades, including commercial, industrial, narration, audio book, anime, and video games. Most recognized for her work in anime and the gaming world, she currently voices a character for the nationally syndicated television series Black Clover on Cartoon Network. If you’re a fan of video games, she’s a playable character in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (Athena) and Battleborn (Ambra). As an active member of the DFW Arts community, Lydia served on the Season Selection Committee for the AT&T Performing Arts Center’s 2018-2019 ‘Elevator Series’ and served as a committee member for the DFW #NotInOurHouse movement, which is tasked with adopting and adapting the Chicago Theatre Standards in an effort to create harassment free work environments in the world of professional theatre. She is a member of the Actor’s Equity Association and is represented by the Mary Collins Agency of Dallas. Lydia is the co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of The Drama Club, a non-profit theatre company based in Dallas, that is driven by fantastical stories and inspired design. As a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association, I perform under several contracts a year, and regularly work as a voice actor doing anime, video games, audio books, and radio narration. I’ve also participated in or produced several new play readings over the years, in an effort to cultivate new work in the DFW theatre community. http://www.marycollins.com/lydia-mackay Lydia Mackay IMDB SAFD Certified in Unarmed Combat, Single Sword, Rapier & Dagger, Small Sword, Knife, and Theatrical Firearms. Registered Yoga Alliance Teacher Member of Actors’ Equity Association Co-Founder & Producing Artistic Director of The Drama Club (501(c)3 non-profit theatre) Represented by The Mary Collins Talent Agency Mentor for the DFW Chapter of StateraArts, whose mission is to UPLIFT. AMPLIFY. ADVANCE. Statera creates pathways that bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. Statera, deriving its name from the Latin word for balance, normalizes a humane and holistic creative environment that nourishes innovation.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1871
__label__wiki	0.78259	0.78259	Browse: Home / Sports / FORWARD Friday / Daytona’s Speedway Legacy Races On Daytona’s Speedway Legacy Races On Posted by Forward Florida Staff on February 18, 2016 in FORWARD Friday \| Leave a response Just like last year, the familiar No. 24 car will occupy the pole position at this Sunday’s Daytona 500. But instead of two-time Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon, the Rick Hendricks-owned car will be piloted by the not-so-familiar Chase Elliot. He’s the son of legendary Daytona 500 and NASCAR champion Bill Elliot and, perhaps more importantly, the youngest driver to ever capture the 500 pole. After winning the Daytona 500 pole and then retiring at the end of last season, Gordon stepped out of the No. 24 car and into the TV broadcast booth to help telecast the 58th running of the Great American Race. The 20-year-old Elliot has not yet raced as a full-time Sprint Cup driver, but finished with the best time in last Sunday’s qualifying, 196.31 miles per hour. Elliot’s dad, Bill, still holds the record for the fastest qualifying lap ever at Daytona, 210.364 miles per hour in 1987. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Can-Am Duels at Daytona. Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images. Starting alongside Chase Elliot in the outside of Row 1 will be Matt Kenseth. The rest of the 40-car field was set in Thursday night’s two 125-mile Can-Am duels. Here’s another first: Speedweeks 2016 marks the opening to NASCAR fans of the $400-million redesign of the Daytona International Speedway (DIS) grandstands, DAYTONA Rising. Instead of climbing stairs, five expanded, redesigned entrances, or “injectors” (a series of escalators and elevators) take you from ground level to three different stadium concourses. From end-to-end, the entire facility extends nearly a mile. Notably, DAYTONA Rising also involves a legacy: the France family. As chief executive officer of Daytona Beach-based International Speedway Corp., Lesa France Kennedy has been squarely in the middle of the project, which officially broke ground in July 2013. International Speedway Corp. owns and/or operates 13 of the nation’s major motorsports venues, including Daytona. Kennedy, who also serves as vice chairperson of the corporation’s board of directors, is the granddaughter of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. To extend the family tree, after her grandfather founded NASCAR in the Southeast, her father Bill France Jr. put it on the national map. In addition, her grandmother and mother shared that passion; and her brother, Brian France, is chairman and CEO of NASCAR. Kennedy’s track record of accomplishments date back more than 30 years. In her first job at DIS, she shared an office with her grandmother, Anne B. France, where they worked selling tickets. Through the years, she’s also painted walls and scrubbed toilets, among other duties. More recently, she turned ticket-taker, when the 2014 Coke Zero 400 was delayed a day by bad weather and many of the track’s part-time workers were unavailable. Today, DAYTONA Rising has her fingerprints all over it. As part of the mega makeover, there are five expanded and redesigned entrances that will lead fans to a series of escalators and elevators, transporting them to three concourse levels. Each level features spacious social areas, or concourse “neighborhoods,” along the nearly mile-long frontstretch. The approximately 101,000 seats will be wider. Twice as many restrooms and three times the previous count of concession stands will better accommodate crowds. The speedway features more than 60 luxury suites with trackside views and a completely revamped hospitality experience for corporate guests. To maximize views, the grandstand is redesigned, with the front row placed 12 feet higher. Similarly, other lower-level and all upper-level seats have improved sightlines. There are 1,600 video screens and enhanced Wi-Fi to further enhance the fan experience. Those are just a few of the highlights. The vision for the redevelopment puts an emphasis on enhancing “the complete fan experience,” a mandate from the top, where Kennedy resides. “We needed to change with the times,” she explains. “For some fans, this is their family vacation. … We want fans coming back, and we hope to open up a new fan base.” Even while Daytona Rising was in full throttle, Kennedy also took the lead across the street at ONE DAYTONA, another ISC development project. Site work has begun on the complementary retail/entertainment complex, targeted to open in 2017. Phase 1 includes a Cobb movie theater, Marriott brand hotel and a Bass Pro Shops. Partly as a result, DIS officials are trying to persuade the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to provide state funding to defray some of Daytona Rising’s costs through the Legislature’s Sports Development Program. Fueling their argument: more than 65 percent of Daytona 500 fans will come from outside Florida, while more than half will spend five or more nights here during their trip. Outside of Speedweeks, DIS is busy year round. Daytona Rising is expected to make it even more so. DIS is adding major new activities to its calendar, including a three-day, mega music festival May 27 to 29 with such stars as Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Willie Nelson and 40 others. There’s even talk of bringing big-time college football games to DIS. Clearly, DIS has its foot on the accelerator as it looks to broaden its legacy. Photo Credit: Top image by Sarah Crabill via NASCAR. Posted in FORWARD Friday \| Tagged Chase Elliot, Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Rising, Economic Development, NASCAR, Speedweeks Forward Florida Staff Orlando’s Pro Bowl: New Life or Last Gasp?→ Brexit, the Panama Canal and Florida→ Super Bowl, a Record and Big Bucks Return to Florida→ Restoring the Everglades→	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1874
__label__wiki	0.632658	0.632658	Frankly Curious Everything interesting for everyone interesting… Frank Moraes Major Pages Just Philately Morning Music: Dusty Springfield Posted on 21 Jun 2015 by Frank Moraes John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins were a songwriting team in the late 1960s. Sadly, I don’t know much about them. John Hurley released three albums in the early 1970s. The two are known primarily for two songs that have been widely covered: “Love of the Common People” and “Son of a Preacher Man.” The former song was a big hit for Paul Young in 1982, but it was first recorded by Hurley off his first album, Sings About People. In early 1968, Hurley and Wilkins were shopping around “Son of a Preacher Man.” They tried to get Aretha Franklin to record it, but she wasn’t interested. Dusty Springfield did not make that mistake. It was released late in 1968, and then the following year on her album, Dusty in Memphis. The song became an international hit — reaching number 10 in the United States. More Great Frankly Curious Articles Guns Don’t Kill People, But Cars Do Besides and Also and the Redundant in Writing “Getting Known” Samuelson: Economics Is Confusing The Next Three Election Cycles This entry was posted in Morning Music by Frank Moraes. Bookmark the permalink. About Frank Moraes Frank Moraes is a freelance writer and editor online and in print. He is educated as a scientist with a PhD in Atmospheric Physics. He has worked in climate science, remote sensing, throughout the computer industry, and as a college physics instructor. Find out more at About Frank Moraes. View all posts by Frank Moraes →	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1875
__label__wiki	0.831787	0.831787	What do school boards think about the 1619 Project curriculum? Robert Pondiscio Getty Images/AnnaStills A new survey of parents and school board members finds significant resistance, particularly among the latter group, to many of the controversial claims and ideas advanced by The New York Times’s 1619 Project. The poll conducted for The Heritage Foundation by Braun Research is based on a representative national sample of 1,001 parents plus 566 school board members. It suggests that school boards may be more conservative than parents when it comes to teaching history and civics—and that reframing teaching U.S. history with slavery as an animating force might face more resistance than some have assumed. One head-scratcher is that two-thirds of parents surveyed say their child’s public school “offers enough coverage of civics.” Yet all other available evidence suggests that civic education remains not just the forgotten purpose of public education, but also a sorely neglected subject. It’s the chronic laggard among all tested subjects. Scores on the NAEP Civics, Geography, and U.S. History exam make reading and math achievement look comparatively robust. Parents may simply be unaware of the sorry state of civic education, or perhaps they’re more focused on the private dimensions of schooling, such as advancing their children toward college and career, than on preparation for citizenship. School board members, by contrast, are less likely to express satisfaction with the state of civic education in their districts. But there’s some cognitive dissonance here, too: A survey conducted by Fordham a few years ago showed very low levels of interest in civics and citizenship visible in school district mission and vision statements. If board members are concerned about civic outcomes in their districts, they’ve been awfully timid about it. The new poll’s most notable findings—and sharpest points of contrast—pertain to teaching history, and specifically issues raised by publication of the 1619 Project. As readers surely know, the controversial Pulitzer Prize-winning series represents a conscious bid to “reframe the country’s history” by establishing the date of America’s founding as 1619, the year the first African slaves were brought to Jamestown, rather than 1776, the year of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution, which the 1619 Project inaccurately claims was a war “to protect the institution of slavery.” Asked whether schools curricula “should promote the view that our founding ideals of liberty and equality were false when they were written by the Founders,” a claim made by the 1619 Project, a strong majority of board members—over 70 percent—said “no.” Parents were more evenly divided, answering in the affirmative 47 to 46 percent, with the rest undecided or preferring not to say. Poll numbers rise or fall in large measure on how questions are asked and who is asking, but only one-third of parents in the Heritage survey think that schools should “reframe American history so that children will learn that the United States has been tainted by slavery and racism (and), that its institutions now need change.” Even fewer school board members, 28 percent, whose opinions ostensibly influence classroom practice, embrace that idea. The Heritage poll did not include teachers, but a new RAND study does. Truth Decay: Teachers’ Civic Instructional Materials largely reconfirms the degree to which teachers rely heavily on classroom materials they find on their own or modify—rather than curricula (if any) adopted by their districts. According to the study, a plurality of secondary teachers, 42 percent, say that “found” resources make up the majority of their social studies teaching materials; 40 percent cite “materials I modified.” Taken together, the Heritage poll and the RAND paper cast the controversy over the 1619 Project in a somewhat surprising light. On the one hand, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting claimed that, as of January 2020, over 4500 classrooms—not districts—had adopted the curriculum that it produced based on the 1619 Project, which consists of “reading guides, activities, and other resources.” However, the number of school districts that have adopted it district wide appears to be quite small. Various news reports commonly cite five districts that have formally adopted the curriculum, including the District of Columbia, Chicago, and Buffalo. If the Heritage poll is any indication, however, most school boards may not be eager to swallow the 1619 narrative whole And the RAND study suggests that teachers—who may or may not be more sympathetic to its aims and conclusions—are more likely to modify the materials than teach it straight, as they do other materials. In sum, it seems likely that the vast majority of those 4,500 classrooms where the controversial curriculum is ostensibly being used fall into the murky category of “found” resources, with teachers deciding to use or adapt it for purposes ranging from mere student engagement to spur a lively discussion to a doctrinaire belief in its values and historical accuracy. But this doesn’t blunt the potential for controversy. As we’ve noted previously, in most places, school boards wield nearly complete power to set curriculum. Numerous court decisions have affirmed that teachers are considered “hired speech” and enjoy far less latitude to teach controversial material than is commonly believed. There is likely “some play in the joints in most school districts particularly when it comes to supplemental material,” explains Joshua Dunn, a political science professor at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. “Of course supplementing with the 1619 Project could cause problems for teachers compared to, say, adding speeches by Martin Luther King Jr.,” he notes. All of this suggests an intriguing opportunity for clarity—or perhaps mischief—for both fans and critics of the 1619 Project. The rock-bottom, basic function of a school board is to represent and safeguard the views of the local community in overseeing its most important civic institution. So it’s worth asking board members to articulate explicitly those views: To what year do we date this country’s founding? Is it the position of this school district in its curriculum and instruction that America’s ideals were false when written into our founding documents? What vision should we portray to our community’s youth? The answers we might receive from members of America’s nearly 14,000 school boards would be clarifying to teachers—particularly the vast majority who “find” and “modify” the material they put in front of children with little or no official guidance at all. Robert Pondiscio is senior fellow and vice president for external affairs at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. He writes and speaks extensively on education and education-reform issues, with an emphasis on literacy, curriculum, civic education, and classroom practice. His 2019 book, How the Other Half Learns, based on a year of observations at New York City’s Success Academy network of charter schools, was praised…	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1880
__label__wiki	0.779936	0.779936	Boris Nemtsov Forum 2019 Laboratory of Human Rights in Russia Free Russia in Poland Home / News / Seeking the truth in Nemtsov’s assassination Seeking the truth in Nemtsov’s assassination April 13, 2016April 27, 2017 Vadim Prokhorov and Anastasia Sergeeva for New Eastern Europe Photo Lena Osokina / Shutterstock.com The official investigation into the death of Boris Nemtsov has concluded that it was an assassination, however all attempts are being made to bury any links to Ramzan Kadyrov and the Kremlin and only prosecute the assassins who carried out the crime. Yet, the evidence shows that justice should be found beyond the perpetrators. In this text, on behalf of the Nemtsov family, we present the facts known from the preliminary investigation in the hope that this material will help preserve the truth about Boris’ assassination. By the end of 2014 the Russian society faced a serious economic downturn for the first time since the crisis of 2008. The Kremlin turned out to be unable to solve the issues, such as a drop in state revenue, the devaluation of the rouble and inflation. The challenges that had been outlined by leading Russian economists earlier in 2011-2012 became the new reality. Despite a massive propaganda campaign, reinforced with pseudo-patriotic actions against neighbouring countries, the Kremlin could not continue controlling the situation, even among the regional elite, without new repressions. At the same time, Vladimir Putin and his inner circle faced a new threat: the so-called “non-systemic” opposition (opposition groups that are not controlled by the Kremlin). Despite the constant persecution of their leaders and activists, these groups continued to function and even began planning a large coalition campaign. Its agenda planned to show a positive alternative to the current form of social-economic development in Russia. They aimed to provide a glimpse of the future in Russia after Putin and wanted to reach a wider range of citizens than their previous messages, based on fundamental human rights and democracy promotion. Pain and tragedy In February 2015 the oppositional democratic movement was busily preparing the first large rally of its campaign. This process was accompanied by outside attempts to discredit the movement by creating internal doubts, conflicts and disagreement. Regardless, it moved forward and the new outlines of a future democratic coalition were taking shape. For the first time since 2012 activists and leaders set out the task of engaging new social groups. In order to solve this knotty issue, canvassing was conducted in crowded areas of Moscow and other cities. The final days before the rally were dynamic and active. Leaflets and posters for the March 1st event, called “Spring” (Весна), attracted people with their colours and ideas to wake up society after a long, wintery depression. The evening of February 27th in Moscow was wet, warm and foggy. As night approached, Muscovites returned home from their offices and Friday parties. A tweet by opposition leader Ilya Yashin exploded on social media and immediately spread offline. It read “Nemtsov is shot. He’s dead.” These words represented all the pain and tragedy that was shared by thousands of people around the world. One year after the tragedy, this pain has not lessened, although Boris is still alive in the memory of those hundreds of thousands of people. Despite his death, his role in Russia is still very meaningful. An unofficial monument has been sustained at the assassination site throughout the whole year; flowers, candles, portraits and photos, posters and personal letters have been brought and delivered to it from all manner of different places. Although the local authorities are trying to eliminate it, activists keep returning with new photos and flowers. They guard the memorial, day and night, to prevent its destruction by either the public authorities or hooligans. People who come to Moscow are bound by honour to visit and leave something for Boris. Meanwhile the official investigation continues. The case files are growing and new verifications of the links between this crime and high-level Kremlin officials are emerging. In this situation, attempts by Vladimir Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic, to escape a serious conversation look like a confession to those who are well-informed about the crime and close to its investigation. Unfortunately, there are not many of them, either inside or outside of Russia. Nevertheless, there is material evidence which is ready and it is important to share it with a larger audience. When it was being prepared, the investigative committee of the Russian Federation announced the end of its investigation, concluding that it was an assassination, and opened a new separate case to search for those who had ordered the assassination and those who had carried it out. The official announcement showed attempts to bury links to Kadyrov and the Kremlin and to only prosecute the assassins. The Nemtsov family’s lawyers will be able to read the case files and then they see if they are relevant. For now, we can only present what is known from the preliminary investigation. We hope this material will help preserve the truth about Boris’ assassination. Putting the pieces together The direct perpetrators of the murder were caught by the investigative committee a week after the tragedy. During the first part of March 2015 the preliminary picture of the crime and the preparations for it were reconstructed. Five suspects were detained in connection with the assassination, all of them from the Chechen republic. Their names were Zaur Dadaev, Anzor Gubashev, Shadid Gubashev, Tamerlan Eskerkhanov and Khamzat Bakhaev. A sixth suspect, Beslan Shavanov, blew himself up with a grenade according to the official version of events, but there is also a possibility that Special Forces officers were ordered to kill him. Dadaev and Shavanov are officers in the “North” battalion. Officially, this is part of the internal army of the ministry of internal affairs but in reality, they are the private troops of Ramzan Kadyrov. The head of the battalion is Alibek Delimkhanov, the brother of Adam Delimkhanov, an MP who is essentially the second-in-command of Chechnya after Kadyrov. According to the official investigation, Zaur Dadaev was the direct perpetrator of the assassination, the person who fired six shots into the back of Boris Nemtsov, with five of them reaching their target. Another suspect, Tamerlan Eskerkhanov, was a policeman in the Shelkovsk regional department of interior affairs in the Chechen republic. The head of this department is Vakha Geremeev, a cousin of Adam Delimkhanov, the MP, and a brother of Sulejman Geremeev, a senator. Sulejman Geremeev is a person of interest in several other criminal cases, including the assassination of one of the Yamadaev brothers. From the very beginning, the official investigation into Boris Nemstov’s assassination has held the view that Ruslan Geremeev, another cousin of Adam Delimkhanov and a nephew of Sulejman Geremeev, was also part of the group of assassins. His whereabouts are currently unknown. According to the official investigation, the organisers and perpetrators of the assassination are still unidentified. On October 31st 2015 charges were brought against Ruslan Mukhudinov in absentia, who, according to the official investigation, was one of the organisers of the crime. His whereabouts are also unknown. Insiders believe that Mukhudinov was the driver and assistant to Ruslan Geremeev, who they argue could not have acted alone in this case. Apparently, he had also taken part in the preparations, but had no personal motive to eliminate Nemtsov; he was just carrying out orders. Taking all of this into consideration, it was quite absurd to think that Zaur Dadaev suddenly decided to kill Nemtsov as revenge for his “active support of the Charlie Hebdo campaign”, an issue on which Nemtsov did not actively comment. Nevertheless, this was the initial explanation for the motives underpinning the assassination announced by the authorities. Moreover, this version was used by the official investigation until it became clear that it was untenable. It was later revealed that the initial preparations for the murder took place in September 2014. It was also embarrassing for the officers of the investigative committee, as well as for the official speaker of the committee, Vladimir Markin, who had said that Mukhudinov was an organiser and perpetrator of the assassination. Clan system Why did the investigation, which was so effective at the beginning, suddenly stop and begin to look like a farce? The answer lies on the surface. The Chechen Republic is a clan based society and every person has strong ties within their clan. Based on clan tradition, by skilfully dividing, suppressing and playing them off against each other, Ramzan Kadyrov has created a system that can now reveal the path to the actual interested parties in Nemtsov’s assassination. The investigation has now been blocked so as to avoid any possible leaks emerging from intermediaries in Kadyrov’s clan. As mentioned above, all the participants in the assassination are closely connected to Kadyrov’s closest partners and friends, Adam Delimkhanov and Sulejman Geremeev. Chechnya’s clan system is organised in such a way that no clan members can act without the permission of the clan authority. In other words, Ruslan Mukhudinov and Ruslan Geremeev would not have been able to organise the crime without a direct order from, as well as close consultation with, Alibek, Delimkhanov or Geremeev. Moreover, they belong to the close circle of Ramzan Kadyrov and are under the full control of the “master” of the Chechen Republic. Therefore, it is becoming clear that the assassination could not have been prepared without a direct order from and coordination with the leader of Chechnya and his inner circle. This is further evidenced by what happened after investigators attempted to interrogate Ruslan Geremeev, who was openly “covered” and supported by the head of the Chechen republic with both words of approbation and by his personal guard, when they refused to let investigators into the village where Geremeev was hiding. It is obvious that together with the arrest of Geremeev, the investigators should interrogate Ramzan Kadyrov and those closest to him, namely Alibek and Adam Delimkhanovs and Sulejman Geremeev. On April 22nd 2015 the lawyers representing Zhanna Nemtsova, Boris Nemtsov’s daughter, requested the interrogation of several people, including Ramzan Kadyrov. However, the investigative committee refused, stating that the “investigation is substantive in its actions and there are no grounds for an interrogation of Kadyrov and his inner circle”. The court approved the decision of the investigative committee and also supported Kadyrov. The decision of the court demonstrates an unwillingness on the part of the Kremlin to guide the investigation in the direction of Kadyrov. By contrast, the head of the Yaroslavl region was immediately questioned in connection with the assassination (Nemtsov was an elected official in the Yaroslavl Regional Duma). Presentation of facts When speculating about whether the decision to assassinate Boris was made in Grozny or Moscow, let us return to the beginning. From the Kremlin’s perspective, the social and political situation in Russia could become “unstable” and “unreliable” at the start of a parliamentary campaign. For many people in government, the only “right” reaction to this challenge was to strengthen their repressive mechanisms and engage in a show of force, both inside and outside the country. One of the shadowy figures involved in these policies is Victor Zolotov, a former head of Putin’s security service and the current first deputy chief of the ministry of internal affairs and commander in chief of the interior army (special troops designated to maintain order inside the country). In the 1990s Zolotov maintained close links with both Putin in the St Petersburg administration and Roman Tsepov, a member of the criminal community in St Petersburg. Since then he has taken part in “solving issues”, first at the local level and then later, at the federal one. His close links to Putin were discussed in the media in 2014, following his appointment. Since then, rumours about his successive promotion to a ministerial position have been floated, with emphasis placed on the possible mass repressions that could follow. We try to avoid rumours and deal solely with facts: Victor Zolotov is closely connected with Ramzan Kadyrov. He is also the direct boss of some of the suspects in the assassination case, namely those who are from the “North” battalion, a division of the internal forces of the Russian Federation. Zolotov provides patronage for Kadyrov to Putin and often plays the role of intermediary between the heads of Russia and Chechnya. Zolotov’s previous position as head of the presidential security service meant that not only was he close to President Putin, but he also had access to all the information about monitoring systems around the Kremlin and had the opportunity to coordinate the processes with the security service, including preparations for the assassination. When the investigative committee conducted an official operation on the territory of the Chechen Republic with the aim of searching for Ruslan Geremeev and Ruslan Mukhudinov (officers of the “North” battalion), Viktor Zolotov suddenly organised an unscheduled inspection of this battalion’s troops. The inspection was announced by Kadyrov on one of his social networking accounts. His post suggested that there were also some additional closed-door consultations that took place in order to protect the “North” battalion from representatives of the investigative committee. Between 2000 and 2013 Victor Zolotov was head of presidential security, as well as being the deputy chief of the federal protective services (ФСО), and therefore had access to information about the entire monitoring system (including video monitoring and the disposition of officers and soldiers) around the Kremlin, including the location of Nemtsov’s assassination. All the facts described above were cited in Zhanna Nemtsova’s appeal about the necessity to interrogate Victor Zolotov in connection with the assassination. Despite this, the appeal was rejected on the same grounds as the previous one. Alternative motives Another potential motive for the assassination was to scare the elite and opposition at the onset of an economic crisis, as well as to increase “the stakes in the game” and demonstrate “the force of the people’s hate”. On the same day as Nemtsov’s assassination, several regional opposition leaders who took part in the preparations for the upcoming rally were attacked and beaten. This could be the realisation of a campaign to scare and intimidate anyone interested in political change, conducted by the “true defenders of the state”, i.e. groups of hitmen with unlimited power and opportunities. Another version of the story suggests that the killing may have been revenge for some harsh comments made by Nemtsov about Vladimir Putin in the spring of 2014 to Ukrainian journalists. When looking at how the crime was prepared, with evidence from the official investigation, specific features of the lifestyle and worldview of the people who likely took part in the decision-making process for the assassination support this version. If you believe that Putin and his associates deal with “threats” in the same way a prison gang might, this version of events fits perfectly. The criminal leader will punish any person who has insulted him publicly, or else risk losing his authority and being deposed. It is also important not to forget that often the most hellish acts have financial motives. The Kremlin’s current financial interests dictate that it keeps the country under absolute control by dividing the opposition and sowing conflict and disagreement among them. From this point of view, Boris Nemtsov was not just an opposition leader, but also a friend, partner and authority for many of the numerous political and civic groups that constitute the opposition. He had no difficulty communicating with political and civic actors with different approaches and ideologies to his own. He worked closely with human right defenders, NGO leaders, experts and journalists. He could find compromise, persuade, reconcile and negotiate with all kinds of people. Bearing this in mind, the perpetrators may have believed that assassinating him would spoil communication inside the democratic opposition movement and halt the coalition building processes. An additional aggravating circumstance to consider is the long-term hostile pressure that Boris Nemtsov felt from Kadyrov, pro-Kremlin journalists and even Vladimir Putin. The atmosphere of hate and intolerance towards political opponents, particularly opposition leaders and human rights defenders, has increased the possibility and acceptability of violence and terror as a method of political struggle. The prevention of further degradation Without the help of the international community, it is going to be difficult to discover who really killed Boris Nemtsov and why. Just like in other political assassinations in Russia, those who are closely connected to representatives of the so-called “political elite” in modern Russia will remain untouchable, as the investigation materials concerning them will stay sealed and be placed on a shelf in the investigative committee’s offices. As was the case with other political assassinations in Russia, after the initial wave of attention and scrutiny, public interest dies down. As a result, there is a greater risk of the case being closed without finding the real perpetrators, of changes being made to the investigative team, or of important documents mysteriously going missing. We would like to discover and bring to light as many facts about this case as possible, in addition to maintaining public interest in it. Moreover, we also want to highlight the multitude of similar political assassinations that have taken place over the last ten years, including those of Anna Politkovskaya and Natalia Estemirova, since they both have a strong connection with the Chechen Republic and Ramzan Kadyrov personally. The fact a country which is a leading UN member, a member of the Council of Europe and the OSCE and which is so deeply incorporated into the international legal system, could fall so far from grace and all but sanctify the assassination of political opponents, something which is seemingly becoming increasingly normal, saddens us very deeply. However, we still believe that the international legal system has been formed specifically to deal with such cases and that it could help prevent our state’s further degradation. During the preparation of this article, Zhanna Nemtsova, together with Nemtsov’s lawyers and closest colleagues, attended a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and presented the situation regarding the investigation into her father’s assassination. The group of PACE delegates appealed for the appointment of a special rapporteur on the investigation. We are hopeful that this special report will help preserve the facts and deliver them to the international community. However, we also believe that this is not the only mechanism that can be used to bring justice for Nemtsov. We would like to use this article to call on experts and policy-makers for their ideas on how we could force the Russian judicial and political system to continue its investigation and oblige them to present the verified and honest results to the international community. We also believe that the modern world must find better investigatory mechanisms for such cases, especially at the international level, as they are closely connected with fundamental human rights and international security. Vadim Prokhorov is the lawyer representing the family of Boris Nemtsov. Anastasia Sergeeva is a board member of the association “For a Free Russia”. She emigrated from Russia after 2012 due to the political situation. She previously worked as a political consultant and an activist of the Republican Party of Russia. This text originally appeared in the print edition of New Eastern Europe – Issue 2/2016: Eve of Uncertainty.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1883
__label__cc	0.723938	0.276062	Arkansas Dept. of Education Removes Pro-Religion Material from Health Curriculum March 25, 2019 Hemant Mehta Arkansas Dept. of Education Removes Pro-Religion Material from Health Curriculum The Arkansas Department of Education has removed a religious component from an online health class after the Freedom From Religion Foundation pointed out that it was an unconstitutional promotion of faith. The class is part of a curriculum in a state-sponsored program called Virtual Arkansas. One of the lessons, “Healthy Habits for Mental Wellness,” suggested a number of good habits students could practice in order to enhance their well-being. Being part of a larger community, whether it’s an after-school club or a church, would be a perfectly fine thing to say, for example, but this lesson went much further than that. … One of these dimensions is “spiritual,” which is defined as “establishing a relationship with the Giver and Sustainer of life and health.” The program suggests students should tend to said “spiritual dimension” through, among other things, “daily devotionals” and “praying for others.” “Every religious system promotes a time of prayer and meditation, preferably at the beginning of the day,” the program reads. “The devotional session is a time to render worship and express gratitude for life, which you acknowledge that you have no ability to sustain. The sense of connection with God, the Supreme Being, boosts your mental awareness that supernatural support is available throughout the day. You worry less and praise more.” Under the “Praying for Others” heading, the suggestions continue: “Praying for others provides an opportunity for you to forget your own troubles. It is an exercise which helps you become interested in someone else, whether to request compassion on their behalf, or to share their expectations. Praying for others underscores your personal belief in a God who cares.” Again, the problem isn’t that church or prayer was listed as an option. It’s the promotion of religion that crosses the line. As if atheists would be better off if they just spent some time praying for other people and finding a relationship with the “Giver and Sustainer of life and health.” That’s why FFRF sent a letter urging the state to take that down: The inclusion of this exclusionary proselytization as part of public school curriculum is completely inappropriate and demonstrates an unconstitutional endorsement of religion, FFRF Legal Fellow Colin McNamara points out to Department of Education Commissioner Johnny Key. “It is well settled that public schools may not advance or promote religion,” McNamara writes. “Assigning students reading materials that encourage them to pray and worship a monotheistic god violates this basic constitutional stricture.” It worked. In less than a week, the state’s Department of Education has agreed to get rid of that material. The Department of Education’s general counsel responded to FFRF’s request with assurances that the troubling elements of the curriculum would be deleted. “The Department of Education reached out to Virtual Arkansas and learned that the materials at issue will be removed on Monday, March 25, by Virtual Arkansas’ design and development team,” the letter reads. FFRF commends the Arkansas Department of Education for taking such swift action to correct this violation and bring its health curriculum in line with constitutional standards. “Public schools cannot be used as recruiting grounds for religious indoctrination,” comments FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “We welcome the cutting out of this unconstitutional content from the state’s online health program.” That’s wise, quick action on the part of the state government. Though I’d still love to know who thought including that material at all was a good idea… Stay tuned for angry responses from conservative Christians who think practicing their religion (and only their religion) ought to be part of any health class. (Featured image via Shutterstock) FFRF Judges Dismisses Case of Christian Firefighter Who Sued Over No-Beard Rule March 25, 2019 Kind or Creepy? Christians in TN Sent 40,000 Jesus-Filled Postcards to Strangers	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1885
__label__cc	0.631748	0.368252	Tag: Jack Straw Poetry: The Rebellion of Wat Tyler and Jack Straw (c.1612) Unlike that other medieval hero and man of the people, Robin Hood, Wat Tyler does not enjoy an extensive ballad "afterlife." This song, first published in The Garland of Delight… Revolting Women 23 Jul 2019 23 Jul 2019 By Stephen Basdeo This is a précis of an article written by Sylvia Federico. Please click the link and cite Federico’s well-researched article in any work of your own. Do… The History of Thomas Walsingham’s Historia Anglicana traced through Reappearances of Jack Straw’s Last Dying Speech A paper delivered at the International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, 1–5 July 2019 by Stephen Basdeo The so-called Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was widely reported in various chronicles. The… The Last Dying Speech and Confession of Jack Straw In 1381, one of the most important events in English medieval history occurred: the Peasants’ Revolt. Under the leadership of a former soldier, Wat Tyler (d. 1381), a radical priest,… An Early Socialist History of the Peasants’ Revolt: Charles Edmund Maurice’s “Lives of English Popular Leaders of the Middle Ages” (1875) By Stephen Basdeo While researching my book, The Life and Legend of a Rebel Leader: Wat Tyler (2018),[i] I came across an interesting history book, written by Charles Edmund Maurice…	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1895
__label__wiki	0.841711	0.841711	Rajasthan: IAS officers get charge of two more districts Secretary in-charge of a district have to visit two more districts to check the progress of work for rapid development The administrative reforms department (ARD), issuing a fresh order on Monday, empowered the secretary in-charge (an IAS officer) of a district to visit two or more districts in order to inspect the progress of work and implementation of the schemes of his own department. "According to a fresh order, the secretary in-charge of districts, along with the district of which he/she is in-charge, will also visit and inspect the progress of work of his respective department (of which he is the secretary/principal secretary) in two other districts," said Arun Prakash Sharma, joint secretary, ARD. "This has been done to ensure speedy progress in the implementation of the departmental schemes," he added. This will help in better monitoring of public grievance redressal in the districts. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot earlier suspended nine officials and charge-sheeted three others for showing negligence towards people's problems and for not ensuring public service delivery. He took this decision during a video conferencing with the collectors of all the districts on December 5. The chief minister had said lapses will not be tolerated in ensuring a sensitive, transparent and responsive governance, while stating that public service delivery will be one of the main parameters to evaluate the working of district collectors. He had also asked the officials to set up a cell at Chief Minister's Office (CMO) to monitor and ensure better service delivery by the departments directly impacting the people. Administrative Reforms Department Governance / 2 hrs ago	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1905
__label__cc	0.547812	0.452188	Allan Cheesman: Return of the Native After a testing year at BRL Hardy, Allan Cheesman is back in charge at his alma mater, Sainsbury's. Margaret Rand talks to the Big Cheese about company structures, conspiracy theories and the future of the supermarket wine sector. The Languedoc is a classically French conundrum. The region produces some of France's most distinctive entry-point varietals, yet is beset by intransigence and factions. Rosemary George MW reports on the growing gulf between those who reform and those who refuse A PLAGUE ON ALL YOUR HOUSES California's wine industry is facing one of the worst crises in its history, in the form of Pierce's Disease. Monty Waldin reports on the progress of this vine-killer, and the growing opposition to potential control measures CHARDONNAY CHARADES As part of Harpers' Anything But Chardonnay seminar in London, in July, a blind tasting was held to establish whether the world's Chardonnays are in danger of losing their regional identities. Neil Beckett considers the outcome Last month, Harpers hosted an "Anything But Chardonnay?" seminar in London, focusing on the future of the world's favourite grape. Among the issues up for debate were the split identity of Chardonnay, and the tough choices facing those producers who fear that the grape is out of control SOFTWARE OVER THE RAINBOW There is a new reality in the virtual world, with developments in software promising to change the day-to-day business practices of companies large and small. So if AOC means more to you than ADSL and ASP, you need to read on. Especially when ASP may be the last thing your IT team will tell you about. By Neil Beckett FOURTH WINE RELIEF RAISES 625,000 THE RUM CONUNDRUM Distributors are seeking to give rum an edge in the spirits market through innovative promotions and a greater range of flavours, but are supermarkets ready to vary their options? James Aufenast reports on the campaign to reposition rum All white on the night? Well, not if it's Spanish and over a fiver - and especially not in the on-trade, according to the latest figures. However, John Radford has been finding some areas of growth and optimism in the Spanish white wine business After a difficult few years Vins de Pays appear to be turning the corner. Jo Burzynska looks at new initiatives and what is needed to enable the category to stand up to increasing New World competition Branding: what can the wine trade learn There may be nothing brand-new about brands, but brand news is still news. Harpers asked five leading figures in the industry for their views on what it could learn from other sectors. And with extensive experience in the beer, spirits and fast food sectors, they were all well qualified to say. The seminar was chaired by Tim Atkin, editorial director of Harpers, and featured (in the order in which they spoke) Allan Westray, managing director, International Wine Services; James Ryland, export director, Calvet; James Herrick, chairman, Wineprophet; Mario Micheli, president, Southcorp Europe; and David Williams, CEO, First Quench. The seminar was held as part of the London International Wine & Spirits Fair at Olympia on 23 May, in front of a full audience of 300 people. There is Life in the Old Boy Yet Berkmann is Back - with a vengeance. Just when we thought he might be ready to throw in the towel, he is out there snapping up agencies, doubling his sales force and making waves. Lisa Barnard speaks to Joseph Berkmann about his technicolour wine business. BIG TWO TO SELL ALCOHOL ALL NIGHT By Jack Hibberd Fighting for Facings Once derided as the epitome of naff, branded wines are enjoying an Australian-led renaissance, as Tim Atkin reports Goblets of Fire With the Seagram buy-out finally concluded, the malt whisky industry is eyeing the future with some optimism. As David Williams reports, however, there are still several problems to be addressed No-one has a post-prandial drink any more. Oh really? asks James Aufenast Up for Clicks and Grabs Auction markets are becoming as fragmented and as global as any other sector of the trade. What is the scale of the threat to UK auction houses from US auction houses and dotcoms, and from the thousands of individuals bringing down the hammer remotely? Is the auction market being divided or expanded, and what lessons are there for the rest of the trade? Neil Beckett concludes a two-part investigation Dotcom Diagnosis Wine e-tailing has not been the great success that was predicted two years ago. There may have to be consolidation in the industry if any e-tailers are to survive, as Giles Fallowfield reports Snapshots from Heaven With abysmally low levels of profitability one of the biggest threats facing the wine industry worldwide, is a new qualification part of the solution? Is the image of Tim Nice but Dim about to be dispelled once and for all by a new elite of high-flying business executives? 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__label__wiki	0.781414	0.781414	Super Bowl LIII MVP Julian Edelman Is Red (+ White + Blue) Hot And Hungrier Than Ever Celebrities, News SHIRT, JACKET, TROUSERS & SNEAKERS: Ermenegildo Zegna WATCH: Hublot Photo Credit: Nick Garcia Photography: Nick Garcia Styling: Angelica Poise Ziegler, Style Out of the City Grooming: Cesar Ferrette Shot on location at One Thousand Museum Residences Julian Edelman is a man of many names, and we’re about to give him one more. The New England Patriots wide receiver answers to JE11, The Squirrel (because he’s out there “trying to find nuts”), Edelnut and Minitron (but only by teammate and “brother” Tom Brady), but we can’t help comparing him to Peter Pan. Not because he lives in a fantasy land where he’ll never grow up, mind, because if anything, he’s the opposite. But when he tells us that his mantra for life is “you’ve got to believe” and then says “always believe” three times in succession, we fully expect him to clap. But hell, Peter’s belief saved Tinkerbell, and Edelman’s self-belief created the transformation from athletic underdog to Super Bowl LIII MVP. So maybe we should start clapping because we do believe. It’s hard—in fact damn near impossible—to overshadow Tom Brady, but Minitron still managed to do it. He led his team to a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Feb. 3, finishing with 10 catches for 141 yards—more than half of the Patriots’ total receiving yardage—in the process. After a spectacular offseason traveling and hanging out at home in California, the 32-year-old athlete is back in Boston and getting ready to rumble. He’s cruising to Gillette Stadium in his Porsche Panamera Turbo when we catch up with him to talk about life, love, football and self-confidence. “You’ve got to believe in you,” he says. “There are going to be a lot of naysayers, a lot of noise. Everyone’s got an opinion—especially nowadays— and if you focus on that, it’s going to eat you up inside, and it’s going to take away from what you’re trying to accomplish, which ultimately is the No. 1 goal. Always believe, always believe, always believe. That’s how I sign my signature, even.” His mantra has taken him far, leading him from his native Redwood City, Calif., to nearby San Mateo (which, coincidentally, happens to be Tom Brady’s hometown) where he attended junior college for a year before transferring to Kent State University, where he played as a quarterback. He was then selected by the Patriots in the seventh and final round of the 2009 Draft, with the 232nd overall pick, scoring a four-year contract with a $48,700 signing bonus. JACKET, CREW, CHINOS & SNEAKERS: Ermenegildo Zegna But because of his diminutive status—he’s 5’10” and under 200 pounds—Edelman has had to be harder, better, faster and stronger than his peers. “I’ve always been the underdog,” he admits. “At every point in my life and at every level, I’ve always had to fight and scratch just to show who I was.” Even though he planned for the future by majoring in business management at Kent State, pro ball was always the goal. But to his credit, he never self-doubted, he just believed. “My dream was to play in the NFL, but in a way, it kept my mind off of ‘Am I going to make it?’” he recalls. “At the time I was thinking, ‘Man, screw what these people say. I’m going to show them. All right, I’m too small. Yeah, well, I’m the best.’ There are always people out there hating you, and obviously, I’m going to ignore that, but at the end of the day, proving people wrong is always fun, and I want to just keep on doing that. Negative energy burns you out.” Edelman is living proof that he practices what he preaches. He tore his ACL in the summer of 2017 and missed an entire season. Yet, the very next year, not only was he back and better than ever, but he took home the Super Bowl MVP trophy, becoming the seventh wide receiver in NFL history to do so and the first since the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Santonio Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII. He also made history by ranking second overall in both postseason receiving yards and postseason receptions, just behind legend Jerry Rice; holding the Super Bowl record for eight career punt returns; and becoming the first Jewish player to be named MVP. With the Patriots, he’s taken home three Super Bowl trophies—for XLIX, LI and LIII, though with the MVP accolade under his belt, life has already changed in a big way. “Win a Super Bowl the first time, and your life definitely changes,” he notes. “The second time, people notice you more, you’re more recognizable. Being a 5’10” white guy, I can usually blend in pretty good, but now the game has changed a little bit, and people recognize me more than they used to, even in foreign countries. There’s a lot more opportunities that come my way and people, especially in Boston, take care of you a little more. The more you win, the more free stuff you get, too. It’s crazy; I really don’t have to buy anything!” SHIRT, TROUSERS & SHOES: Ermenegildo Zegna But beyond the material is the one thing that really matters for someone like Edelman, who has an agenda and an end game. “The more you win and the more accomplished your career is, I believe it just opens more doors. You’re definitely a lot busier. It’s been a whirlwind,” he admits. And the storm isn’t going to stop. Because of the MVP accolade, he’s aware that all eyes are on him, and that the gaze is going to be relentless. “Honestly, I’m not one to sit back and think about [how great my life is right now],” he maintains. “Like Bob Seger said, ‘You’ve got to turn the page.’ This isn’t like you sit back and you’re MVP, and this is awesome. Now you have an expectation. People are looking at you even closer, so you’ve got to go out and work even harder.” At least his team is consistent. Head coach Bill Belichick will expect the same dedication and hard work as usual (he has led the Patriots to eight Super Bowls, winning five of them). Edelman expects some good-natured teasing from teammates Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater, but for the most part, his MVP status is an accepted, acknowledged thing. The Patriots are a unit. Hell, they’re more of a machine at this point: a big, red, white and blue winning machine. And because it’s a fact of life, and life didn’t end with the 2018 season, the show must go on. “I’m just happy to be back in Boston and back in my routine, trying to get back and get ready at a high level for the 2019 season,” he says. He didn’t achieve the pinnacle of success with three Super Bowl rings or even one MVP title. Many might think so, but not for Edelman, who has a constant need to push himself, to keep achieving. “I have a set of goals right now, and I’m just worried about those,” he says. “When I hit those, I’ll set new ones. If they’re in the sky, or on the moon, or in a black hole, I’m going for them—I’m hungrier than ever.” It’s going to be a very busy year for Edelman, who’s not only going to be juggling his NFL career, but also the outside opportunities that his NFL career has created. He has his own product line, JE11, which carries tongue-in-cheek products like an MVP beard tee in Patriots red and blue, and another that reimagines his head coach as Avengers baddie Thanos. His current focus with JE11 is a product line of “Relentless” items (another one of his mantras). He’s also an ambassador and designer for Joe’s Jeans, having released a seven-piece collection that he had complete creative control over… and an accompanying campaign with Victoria’s Secret stunner Sara Sampaio. A big focus this summer will be a project he began working on after tearing his ACL in 2017. He turned a bad situation into a golden one—lemons into lemonade—by simultaneously creating a production company, Coast Productions, and filming his life during that timeframe. He sold the documentary to Showtime, which will air in June. “My life in these last two years has been a lot of highs and a lot of lows,” he says, “Once I tore my ACL, I decided to put my life on camera and allow people to see what goes through an athlete’s mind through times of adversity—what happens with their family, the emotional roller coaster you go through, the confidence issues you go through, the confidence-building you go through.” Edelman isn’t worried about putting his life on display: He did so overtly by releasing his memoir, Relentless, in 2017, and continues to do so semi-covertly through the children’s books he writes. We say “semi” because the protagonist of said books is named Jules, and he learns to overcome his physical limitations through hard work and the aid of a friend named Tom. Jules is a squirrel, and Tom, a goat (otherwise known as the “Greatest of All Time”). Edelman is currently working on his third book in the Flying High series, which “takes what happens in my career and makes it applicable to kids through Jules the squirrel.” With all the royalties he’s earning from his various projects, as well as the $11 million, two-year contract extension he signed with the Patriots in 2017 (with an additional $9 million guaranteed through the 2019 season), Edelman isn’t blowing his wad indiscriminately. He has his Porsche, a new Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon on order and recently renovated his $2 million Back Bay (Boston) brownstone to feel more like his native Northern California, complete with a spiral staircase painted in Golden Gate Bridge red; he’s also looking to buy in Los Angeles. BLAZER, TROUSERS & SNEAKERS: Ermenegildo Zegna Still, for an athlete who earns megabucks, that’s very nearly frugal. “I didn’t buy anything crazy when I first got to the Patriots. I think I bought a laptop; that was pretty much it [though] in my third year. I did buy this blue, plaid Gucci suit that I wore to [celebrate the brand’s 2012 collection]. It was one of my first cool suits; I loved it.” Edelman has always had a passion for fashion, but it was his big brother Tom Brady who inadvertently fostered his love of luxe duds. “I always liked cool things growing up, but I didn’t really know what cool was until I became a professional athlete and became exposed to more things, [aka] when you go [into our] locker room and see Tom Brady dressed up in Tom Ford and a dope Rolex,” he says. “You always knew Rolexes were cool, but you didn’t know how cool.” Since those early days with the Pats looking to Brady for guidance, his style has developed and honed on its own. “I feel like my style has evolved to brands that are very simplistic,” he says. “I like John Elliott, FRAME jeans and Rag & Bone—brands that are timeless but aren’t too fashion-forward. I love shoes; you can’t beat Tom Ford—his sneakers, boots, dress shoes are always unbelievable. I have a Brioni tux that rocks the world that I wore at the Met gala. I love Zegna and John Varvatos suits. I love a lot of stuff. As far as watches, you can never go wrong with a Rolex; you can dress it at any point. I love IWCs; I have a couple of those. My next watch will probably be an Audemars Piguet; it’s a little younger. I’m also a California kid that loves to rock a pair of Vans and some kind of jean shorts and a T-shirt. I like to dress to the occasion. I’m definitely aware of what I’m wearing, that’s for sure.” As his visibility increases on the field, so has his public persona off and to be aware of what he’s wearing, dressing, doing and supporting is part of the drill as is showing off said milestones on social media. In the last year, he shaved off his lucky Super Bowl beard on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, hit up Clive Davis’ Grammy party and brought sexy back by hanging out with Justin Timberlake backstage at a concert, documenting it all on the ‘gram. Something far more important that takes up much more retail on his feed is his daughter, Lily. Though the 2-year-old was born of a casual relationship with Swedish model Ella Rose, Edelman takes fatherhood very, very seriously. In fact, he says it’s the biggest yet most rewarding challenge he’s experienced. “Fatherhood is such a huge challenge especially with [Ella’s] profession and my profession being able to give my daughter the time and energy that she desires and that she needs,” he admits. “There’s a fine line. You have your craft, and you’re working towards being the best you can possibly be, something that you’ve been working towards your whole life since you were 8 years old, and then all of a sudden, your priorities change. You’re not living for yourself anymore, you’re living for your little girl now. That’s how my parents lived for me, so that’s all I really know.” JOGGERS, HOODIE, JACKET & SNEAKERS: Ermenegildo Zegna Is he on the hunt to find Lily a stepmom? “I’m dating here and there,” Edelman acknowledges, amused. “It’s a little different now that I have a little girl. When I go out and meet a fine young lady, I don’t get to just think about me. I’ve got to think about [Lily], so that one’s tricky. But I am dating and [she 100 percent needs to be stepmom material]. If she doesn’t mess with Lil, then she can’t mess with me.” Fatherhood, new dating rules, injuries, limitations—these are all challenges that Edelman confronts head-on. He isn’t one to shy away from difficulty. After all, he knows what it’s like to be the underdog, and he’s learned how to triumph in spite of it. “There’s adversity everyone overcomes in football with injuries and in life. There are always setbacks, but I truly believe what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and when you get down to the nuts and bolts, when you go through something and you beat it, there’s no other feeling like it.” When we express appreciation for his optimism, he says, “I guess I’m a half-full kind of guy. I’m the type of guy that when you’re green, you grow and when you’re ripe, you rot… so I’m always trying to stay green.” We’d say, “Stay golden, Pony Boy,” but that wouldn’t mean much to Julian Edelman. “Stay green, Peter Pan” is a much better fit. THE SQUIRREL’S GUIDE TO BOSTON PROPER I love the restaurant game out here. I love Ken Oringer’s restaurants Toro and Little Donkey [they have] unbelievable food and great atmosphere. I love Hojoko in The Verb Hotel by Fenway. It’s my favorite burger in Boston; I’m a big burger guy. I love going to Celtics games, Bruins games, [Red] Sox games. Boston’s such a crazy sports town, it would be foolish not to go out and experience them. There are a couple lounges and clubs here and there, but I try to stay out of those as much as possible, even though I’ll still nip in every once in a while. Capo and Lincoln in south Boston are always fun, and you’ve got The Grand, which is probably one of the best clubs. I like to go to the House of Blues; I’m a big concert guy. I saw Tom Petty and the Foo Fighters and Jay-Z at Fenway. When you see them at these historical and unbelievable places, there’s an aura. I love that [Boston] is small. I can dip out to New York, Miami or Amsterdam, and when I come back to Boston, it’s nice… not too crazy. I can have a little fun, but also chill, hop on my skateboard and cruise around to Boston Commons and see the cherry blossoms. Boston’s a little different. Epic Champagne Brunches You Need To Try In NYC This Summer By Natasha Bazika Inside Haute Living's Beautiful Florentine Experience At Baglioni Talking & Tasting With Oscar-Winning Director Steven NFL Icon John Elway Dishes On His Winning Strategy To	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1911
__label__wiki	0.830854	0.830854	Volleyball Development Head Coach Vicki Brown Dressed for Championships *Coming Soon Carver-Hawkeye Arena Final Stats (PDF) Conference Stats (PDF) Volleyball / December 9, 2014 Leaving Her Mark Read the December issue of Hawk Talk Monthly Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPad/iPhone app! Download your Iowa Hawkeye Android app! Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video Download your Hawk Talk Monthly iOS app Download your Hawk Talk Monthly android app Editor’s Note: The following first appeared in the University of Iowa’s Hawk Talk Daily, an e-newsletter that offers a daily look at the Iowa Hawkeyes, delivered free each morning to thousands of fans of the Hawkeyes worldwide. By JIL PRICE hawkeyesports.com IOWA CITY, Iowa — Passionate leader. Resilient competitor. Optimistic believer. These are just a few descriptions of what senior Alessandra Dietz embodied in her final season with the University of Iowa volleyball program, and it was a good one. “Dietz was a go-to hitter for us who demanded the ball,” first-year head coach Bond Shymansky said. “She knew that she could score a point for us when we needed it the most, and we felt she prospered in our new system. She was able to become a more dynamic and efficient attacker, which pushed her to meet her potential. “She is a passionate competitor, who was constantly breathing that passion into her teammates in the tightest of competitive moments. She had great resilience even after momentary failure. You could tell she was ready to get back out there, do it again, and believe that she would succeed. She was a crucial part in the change of thinking inside our team about the ability to win.” Dietz — a team captain who started every match (31) and played in every set (106) — recorded the highest single season attack percentage (.348) of her career and the most service aces in a single season (27). The middle blocker broke a five-year-old single match attack percentage record, hitting .882 with a season-high 15 kills at South Dakota State on Sept. 13, and closed her career with a .278 attack percentage over her three-year Hawkeye career, which broke an eight-year-old Iowa record (.276) set by Jen Barcus in 2006. Dietz is also 11th all-time at Iowa with 274 career blocks, and earned all-tournament team accolades at the Residence Inn Challenge and SDSU Challenge in her final year. “It was a good way for me to end my college volleyball career,” Dietz said. “It was a new start for us and my teammates and I could buy in to what the new coaching staff was bringing into the program. I was excited to get behind that and help lead my teammates.” The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, native was happy to be a part of the new era of Iowa volleyball under Shymansky, who guided the team to its first six-win Big Ten Conference season since 2008, longest conference win streak in 20 years and first win over a ranked opponent since 2012 in his first season. “I’m glad I was able to be a part of this change in the volleyball program,” Dietz said. “We made a lot of progress this year, but it’s just a little bit compared to what I know this team and coaching staff will accomplish in the years to come. I’m happy to say I was a part of it and that I contributed to that success. “It’s easy to buy into what this coaching staff is doing. They are very passionate about what they do and about winning. Our team was close this year, and it was easy for them to follow me as a leader, whether they were a freshman or a junior, we had a tight knit team.” Shymansky sees Dietz and the 2014 senior class as examples of the success student-athletes can have in a short span of time. Their hard work, dedication, and willingness to buy in have laid a necessary foundation that will be used to build up the Hawkeye volleyball program. “Dietz will be a foundational model of how a middle attacker can move and what they can do in our system,” Shymansky said. “It’s still just the tip of the iceberg for us. We’re exploring what the offensive system is going to look like in the future. She has the right jumping off point as we look at where we want to go. “She made great strides and learned a lot as a senior. She defied the, ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ adage. That is difficult and tough to overcome, but she did it and that is to her credit.” Volleyball Announces 2021 Spring Schedule Volleyball / December 30, 2020 Volleyball Announces 2021 Spring Schedule Klostermann Returns as Volunteer Assistant Volleyball / December 30, 2020 Klostermann Returns as Volunteer Assistant 86 Hawkeyes Named Fall Academic All-Big Ten Field Hockey / December 10, 2020 86 Hawkeyes Named Fall Academic All-Big Ten	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1912
__label__cc	0.74755	0.25245	Timeline Therapy And Hypnotism Presenter: Katherine Guest: Narelle Lee Guest Bio: Narelle Lee, a health professional that is a hypnotherapist and a master practitioner of Time Line Therapy and how it can be used for a variety of applications to support allopathic medicine intervention and also weight loss intervention. Segment Overview: In this segment, Narelle Lee explains timeline therapy – its purpose and uses. This type of therapy involves looking back in time through one’s memory aas to its therapeutic applications and also serves as a complimentary treatment. A very interesting segment that people ought to listen to and benefit from. Katherine: Today we welcome Narelle Lee, a health professional that is a hypnotherapist and a master practitioner of Time Line Therapy and how it can be used for a variety of applications to support allopathic medicine intervention and also weight loss intervention. Welcome to our show, Narelle. Narelle Lee: Thank you. Katherine: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you first became involved with hypnotherapy and Time Line Therapy? Narelle: Yeah, sure. It started really, I guess, as an extension to my [indecipherable 00:36] interests and the studies that I was doing around neuro-linguistic programming, NLP. And hypnotherapy sort of links beautifully with that. I was fortunate enough to be training with Dr. Tad James, who was the person who introduced the Time Line Therapy model back in 1988. So, as part of the training, the master trainings that I was doing with him, gained exposure to Time Line. It’s just the most amazing model. The enormity of the applications, it is just extraordinary. So, that was really how I really came to be doing Time Line, particularly. Katherine: Sure. For listeners who don’t know what Time Line Therapy is, can you explain a little bit about that? Narelle: Yes. Time Line, well really where its power comes from is through therapeutic interventions that really help the client make some pretty significant changes, even sort of at very deep levels of personality. The whole notion of time is nothing new. It goes back to [indecipherable 02:02] to Aristotle. But anyone interested in psychology through the ages, right through Freud and Jung and through to Milton Erickson, who was one of the absolute leaders in the field of hypnosis, have been looking for ways of describing the human experience of time. Really, essentially that Time Line comes out of how we make sense of time. And really, time, I guess it’s like we file our memories almost like a filing cabinet in our mind. That’s really how it all strings together. We’re made up of our memories, and our memories occur over time. Katherine: Right. So during this therapy, patients are actually brought back in time and access different memories? Is that how it works? Narelle: Yes, essentially. Actually back or forwards in time, pre-adding future memories, which is an extraordinarily powerful adjunct to goal setting. I guess in therapeutic applications and how it sits as a complementary therapy, it takes clients back, looking at the negative emotions and the limiting decisions that are in their past. We don’t associate down into the memory, so it is particularly powerful for trauma and things like that, because it doesn’t relive. It’s not like some of the interventions that actually has the client relive the experience. It’s just not intended that the client relives the experience, but rather just taps into the emotion. By dealing with the negative emotions, we can effectively change their personal history and the way they perceive their personal history, which takes the sting out of the emotion. Katherine: Right. This type of therapy works well with, like you said, maybe trauma situations or an event that happened in the past? Narelle: Yes. Look, it doesn’t have to be in the range of what we would describe as a major traumatic event. I mean, it can be all sorts of little things that contribute to the string of memories. Where the value of it is coming from is it’s dealing with the negative emotions which effectively block flow to the energy in the body. The latest thinking in quantum biology is suggesting that emotions that are trapped in the body have a real possibility of creating functional blockages in immunology. This then causes the brain to send the wrong signals or no signals from the brain to organs, which in turn certainly leads to discomfort and can lead to disease. So it’s extraordinarily powerful, but also some of the work that I do with executives is around anger. And the American Medical Association has acknowledged that negative emotions play quite a role in disease and then there’s a [ indecipherable 06:01] retro study about [indecipherable 06:05] of type A behaviours. What they’ve come to and arrived at is that the anger is actually the root cause of some heart attacks as opposed to stress. It’s actually the anger in this type A personality that is leading to it and that’s what they’ve come out and said. So, it’s got a whole raft of applications. It also can be used to help bust up abusive cycles where there’s lots of negative emotions in there. Like I said, they can appear to be quite simple. But they lead to feeling lousy, which can lead to overeating, smoking, substance abuse, other abusive behaviours that then set up a cycle. By going back and busting the first event and going back to the root cause, Time Line has the power to [indecipherable 07:13] breaking those cycles. Katherine: Yeah. You use Time Line Therapy to assist and support allopathic medical interventions. Now for those of us, including myself, that is not too sure what allopathic medical interventions are, can you explain what that is? Narelle: Conventional Western medicine, really. It sits alongside. I mean, there are some medical practitioners who welcome a complementary approach. It doesn’t [indecipherable 07:44], it doesn’t cure anything. I’m not a medical practitioner. I don’t cure people. I don’t do any of that. But what you do is assist the emotional side. Some conventional Western doctors see value in that. So, those that see value and that, I’m happy to work alongside. And certainly clients must be referred to me through the conventional medical system. Katherine: Sure. Now you use also hypnotherapy, for different applications. Now some people who have never experienced hypnosis, they might be a little bit fearful of it. Because you’ve seen on TV when people do those live shows and they get people up onstage and they’re acting like chickens, you know what I mean? People are afraid that while they’re under hypnosis they might be asked to do something that they don’t want to do and they’re a little fearful of this. How can these fears be put at ease? Narelle: I think, well, one of the first things is to understand that we all really do spend a lot of our day entranced in any event. No one can hypnotise you. I do hypnosis with clients, and a client can never be made to do something which is at odds with their whole beliefs or values. For example, I can’t go and make somebody be a bank robber, who doesn’t already have a predisposition to do that. I mean, we are all, I believe, suggestible. Some of us are more suggestible than others. Really, what people don’t see with some of the stage hypnosis is that there’s a lot of work that goes on screening the audience before that so that the people who end up onstage are people who are highly, highly suggestible. But I tell clients who first come to me who are a little nervous about it that we do some very simple, I guess, tests to show them what it’s like, just simply having your arm raise or lower or just very, very simple things. I also [indecipherable 10:20] the scripts that I use to take a client deeper into hypnosis is that I always tell them that they are perfectly safe, they can come out of it at any time, and all of that. There’s a lot of reassuring words that go into it, that as the client’s going deeper into hypnosis, certainly puts them at ease. It’s a deep state of relaxation. Most, I’ll daresay all of my clients, come out of it and go, ‘oh, wow. I feel great’. It’s just that real ‘huh’. And that’s really what it is. It’s a very deep state of relaxation. Katherine: Right. I’ve heard of people, actually some of my friends, that have used hypnotherapy to give up smoking successfully. Are there positive results achievable for people who, say, overeat or they’re wanting to lose weight? Narelle: Definitely. Definitely, and in fact I was reading something the other day and weight loss is an area I’m very interested in. The non-invasive, the Hypnotic Mind Band, which is the nonsurgical alternative to a gastric band, is a very powerful tool for people who are probably [indecipherable 11:50] would be where I usually would draw the line. The results that people who’ve experienced the Hypnotic Band are actually more effective on the long-term basis than the surgical intervention. The reason for this is that the hypnotic approach spends a lot of time on mindset and causality and uses behavioural therapy, particularly in the pre-surgical sessions, to [indecipherable 12:35] relationship with food. Whereas surgery, whilst most packages will throw in a bit of time with a psychologist, they’re not really, I find, getting into the root cause of what the real relationship with food is about. That’s where the most fundamental change comes from. Katherine: Sure. Why is it that for some people hypnosis has great results and for others, they say they’ve tried everything, nothing works. Is it because one person is more committed than the other? Is it because they go in with a different mindset or goal? Narelle: I think there could be, yes, there could be a little bit of that. Lately I’ve had some clients who also just, unfortunately, expect one session to be the silver bullet. That’s not generally the case. I will tell them that, ‘yes, you may see some results, but you really need to commit to a little more time with this’. So, that can also be a reason. The other one is that they may not have actually dealt with the real root cause. They’ve dealt with some superficial triggers that tend to feed, or other things, but they haven’t really got down to the really, really deep root cause. For some people that can be very confronting. You know, some of those root causes have been there for quite some time and they’re very well hidden. Alternatively there is still some secondary gain coming out of the behaviour. On some unconscious level they’re getting something out of it and it’s continuing to serve them on some level. Katherine: Yeah. Well, Narelle, thank you so much for joining us today on Health Professional Radio. It was really great to talk to you about hypnotherapy and Time Line Therapy. Narelle: Happy to be here.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1917
__label__cc	0.679628	0.320372	Claire Marcy Email Claire Hometown: South Bend, Indiana Education: BA, Political Science, DePaul University \| Masters in Public Policy and Administration, Northwestern University Hobbies: I love to walk with my daughter and go for long walks when I travel. My dad was from Aix-en-Provence in France, and that region is one of my favorite places to visit. I picked up tennis a couple of years ago and while I am a beginner, I’m kind of obsessed. I am trying my hand at vegetable gardening, which is quite fun. I also love to listen to music, everything from jazz, hip hop and R&B to bluegrass and punk rock. I also read everything, mostly fiction, and obsessively follow politics. I am Healthy Schools Campaign’s Senior Vice President. I oversee our communications team and some of our exciting program and policy work, including Space to Grow and our work with parents and stakeholders in Chicago schools; provide fundraising leadership; focus on organizational culture and equity; and work closely with Rochelle, Board of Directors and our incredible staff team on strategy, program development and long-term planning. What makes your job great? It’s a good fit for me because I don’t have a typical day, which I really enjoy. I have a strong background in strategizing and policy development and I’m a strong manager and I get to use those skills all the time. I can also focus on things I care about, like social justice. I’ve always worked on equity issues in a broader sense, like racial and income disparities. At HSC, I’ve been able to bring that perspective to issues of school health and public investment. When did you come to HSC? I had spent the previous eight years as a community organizer in Chicago’s West Humboldt Park neighborhood. I was co-executive director of a nonprofit that worked on the community’s most pressing issues—affordable housing, police accountability and safety, access to health services, improving school facilities and public transparency and infrastructure issues. Why did you join HSC? The organization was working on issues that resonated with me. I stayed because the organization has supported my growth and is committed to social justice, the work is challenging, my colleagues are amazing and I never get bored. HSC has also allowed me to find balance and focus on both my family and my professional passion. Working on social justice issues in my family is like becoming a doctor or lawyer in others. It’s the best thing you can do. Also, as the mother of a young girl, I’m now looking at all of these issues with a different lens. I care about children and families, equity and justice and protecting our planet. HSC allows me to focus on all those things. Dynamic Partnership is a Catalyst for Growing Healthy Food and Building Strong Communities More Than Scrubbing: How to Make Schools Safer During COVID and Beyond A New Administration Brings Opportunities for Positive Change Hidden Section Note - this is set to the general newsletter - Healthy Schools Campaing Newsletter Create a future where every child can learn + thrive. All Staff Next: Sara Porter	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1919
__label__cc	0.515447	0.484553	What was Onan's sin? Genesis 38:6-11 (NJPS): Judah got a wife for Er his first-born; her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s first-born, was displeasing to the Lord, and the Lord took his life. Then Judah said to Onan, “Join with your brother’s wife and do your duty by her as a brother-in-law, and provide offspring for your brother.” But Onan, knowing that the seed would not count as his, let it go to waste whenever he joined with his brother’s wife, so as not to provide offspring for his brother. What he did was displeasing to the Lord, and He took his life also. Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Stay as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”—for he thought, “He too might die like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house. So Er died for "displeasing" the Lord and Onan died for "displeasing" the Lord too. While we don't know what Er did, we can see what Onan did in the bolded section. I've seen this interpreted as a condemnation of: Theft of Tamar's child In-chastity within marriage (this option is confusing to me) Not performing his Levirate duty I wouldn't be surprised if there were other interpretations. But what, if anything, does the text say Onan did wrong? Is it possible to draw a larger principle from this passage? genesis marriage sin sexuality Onan's sin was entirely related to his refusal to perform his levirate duty. Quickly about the other three: Coitus interruptus is not masturbation. It is a (very unreliable) method of birth control. Onan was attempting not to get Tamar pregnant because he did not want to provide an heir for his deceased older brother. It was not "theft of Tamar's child." Rather, it was (once again) refusal to provide his deceased brother, Er, with an heir under the law of levirate marriage. Though marrying a brother's wife was normally prohibited (see Leviticus 18:16; 20:21), the law of levirate marriage was an exception to that rule. Marrying a deceased brother's wife under this law was not considered adultery or inchastity. And the rules of "inchastity" for men were rather lax in those days anyway. The law of levirate marriage is stated in Deuteronomy 25:5-10: 5 "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. 6 And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. 7 And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.' 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, 'I do not wish to take her,' 9 then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, 'So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.’ 10 And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.'" Although this law was recorded several centuries after the time of Onan, as with many statutes in the Mosaic Law it was a codification of a law that was already in effect long before the time of Moses, and that was common to many ancient cultures. For more on the law of levirate marriage, see: Jewish Encyclopedia -> Levirate Marriage (Hebr. "yibbum"). The law of levirate marriage was, however, complicated in its application, and has been the subject of much debate and varying interpretation since ancient times. Having said that, here is a summary of the key events in the passage, followed by the most likely scenario of precisely what Onan's sin consisted of. At the time of the incident of Onan in Genesis 38:6-11, Judah had fathered three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah (see Genesis 38:1-5). Er, the eldest, had received the punishment of death from the Lord for unknown offenses. Judah then instructed his second son, Onan, to fulfill the law of levirate marriage for Er, his deceased elder brother, and provide an heir for him. Onan went through the motions of doing this, but avoided actually getting Tamar pregnant by the practice of coitus interruptus, termed in the Biblical account "wasting his semen on the ground." The text states Onan's purpose for doing this as follows: But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother's wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. (Genesis 38:9) This was why the Lord carried out a sentence of death on Onan: And what he did was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death also. (Genesis 38:10) Why did Onan marry Tamar, but then avoid getting her pregnant, and why was this an offense punishable by death in the Lord's eyes? By going through the motions of taking Tamar as his wife, and thus appearing to fulfill the law of levirate marriage, Onan would become the heir to his deceased brother's current possessions. If he refused to fulfill his duty under the law of levirate marriage, he would not receive his brother's property. So he had a financial incentive to at least appear to fulfill the levirate law. However, if he got Tamar pregnant, and she bore a child, especially if it were a male child, that child would inherit: The primogeniture that would have gone to the first biological male child of his Levirate, or legal father Er, Judah's eldest son—which would cause the leadership of the clan to pass to the child, and A double inheritance from Judah, their father, which the firstborn son was entitled to by long custom (see, for example, Deuteronomy 21:15-17). As mentioned above, Onan would have already received his deceased brother's property by taking Tamar as his wife. However, if he impregnated her and gave her a child, especially if it were a male child, he would lose both the primogeniture and the double portion of the inheritance from their father Judah. A bit of simple math shows that assuming Judah fathered no more children, this would cut Onan's inheritance from two-thirds to one-fourth of his father's total wealth when his father died. And of course, it would deprive Onan of the primogeniture, or leadership of the clan, that would otherwise pass to him because his elder brother would have had no heir. Additional source for the above: Jewish Encyclopedia -> Inheritance ("yerusbah," "naḥalah") -> Levirate Connections The sin of Onan, then, for which the Lord punished him with death, was that of going through the motions of obeying the law of levirate marriage in order to obtain his deceased brother's property, but not actually performing his duty under that law—that of providing an heir for his brother—in order keep for himself both the primogeniture and the inheritance of a double portion of the wealth of their father Judah. Short version: Onan made a pretense of following the levirate law, but in fact shirked his obligations to his family and clan under the law, all from motives of greed and desire for power. Lee WoofendenLee Woofenden The answer to your question is best examined by looking at Onan's sin in the context of the exchange between Judah and Tamar and requires a good understanding and background of the place of women in ancient middle eastern culture and the purpose of Leverite marriage practices. We must remember that this culture had no medicare and no social security. Therefore, what was a widowed woman to do if she had no sons to provide for her financially and care for her in her old age after she was unable to tend a field or do any type of manual labor? As a woman, a widow would be unable to own property and had no standing in the courts and very little rights of any kind. In such a patriarchal society, being a woman was a losing proposition and a male offspring was necessary for the providence of the widowed. Therefore, the humanitarian practice of Levirite marriage was developed to ensure that these women were provided and cared for in their old age. Now, armed with this as context, we can see that by failing to give his youngest son Selah to Tamar as a father and husband, Judah was shortchanging a poor widowed woman - not a very classy move. Later in the text, Tamar tricks Judah in to fathering her child. As the patriarch of the family, it was Judah's moral duty to see that Tamar would be cared for and provided for and by withholding his son he was failing this moral obligation. This is why, in verse 26, upon the realization that he has been duped and is the father of Tamar's child, Judah goes from wanting to burn her to saying "[Tamar] is more upright than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son."* He realized that it was his moral obligation to provide for Tamar and he had failed in his duty. Most people get hung up on the prostitution bit, but fail to realize that 1) the text doesn't condone this and 2) prostitution hadn't been explicitly forbidden yet because the law of Moses had not yet been given. Therefore, while frowned upon, the prostitution in the text isn't nearly as big of a deal as Judas flagrant disregard for the plight of his widowed daughter-in-law. Understanding this, we can then see that Onan's sin wasn't spilling his seed per-se, but in failing to provide for his widowed sister-in-law just as his father fails to do later in the story. Furthermore, Onan does this out of greed and/or laziness which the text implies by saying "the seed would not count as his". In other words, he would only be a trustee of his brother's estate, but would not really get to benefit from the wealth. This activity had it's benefits for the guardian-redeemer, but it also had it's drawbacks. (See Ruth Chapter 4; in fact, just read the whole book - it is short and very relevant to this passage). For taking this matter into her own hands and acting in such an admirable fashion, Tamar is provided as a role model and was revered and is one of the very few women who makes it into the genealogy of Jesus (a great honor) and truly was "more righteous". This passage is actually very progressive and feminist in nature in this regard once you understand all of the nuance - it provided female empowerment as a virtue and example. Therefore, the text says that Onan's sin was #4, "Not performing his Levirate duty" (or better restated in context of our current culture, "screwing over a poor old widow") *Note: as an aside, the motivation for Judah's failure to give his son to Tamar is superstitious. In this culture, they believed in curses, and Judah likely believed Tamar to be cursed and killing off his sons. It was typically believed that tragedies and maladies were caused by sins or curses (curses often caused also being caused sins or wrongdoings that angered some supernatural entity, which could be Yahweh himself.) This is why in John 9 the disciples inquire of Jesus regarding a blind man "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?". James SheweyJames Shewey Good answer. FYI, I have posted this the the new answers to old questions chat room - feel free to use the room yourself in the future. I'm shocked it took three years for someone to finally provide the correct answer here. – ThaddeusB Aug 28 '15 at 15:54 It would help to quote Gen 38:8 so show that the Levirite duty did exist before the Law. – curiousdannii♦ Aug 28 '15 at 23:59 Note that the "new answers to old questions" chat room has an excellent discussion between Lee and I regarding out differing explanations. – James Shewey Aug 29 '15 at 16:44 Your second paragraph is spot on, in my opinion. Keep up the good work. (BTW, I do not subscribe to the idea that the comment section is to be reserved only for suggestions for improvement and the like. An occasional "attaboy" or "nice going" is not going to bring the whole enterprise crashing down in a torrent of effusiveness. That, however, is just my perspective, for what it's worth--which probably isn't much!) Don – rhetorician Aug 31 '15 at 1:23 The first chapter of Robert Alter's The Art of Biblical Narrative (part of which is available on Amazon as a preview), uses the Tamar story to illustrate the interconnectedness of seemingly disjointed narratives. The final author of Genesis placed the story in the middle of the broader Joseph arc that ends with Israel's other children becoming servants of their younger brother. Joseph's viziership cements a central theme of Genesis: the disruption of primogeniture in the lineage of Abraham. Judah's lineage is complicated: he fathered twin boys with his daughter-in-law and the birth order is abmigious. Genesis points to no specific actions that marked Er as wicked: Judah got a wife for Er his first-born; her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s first-born, was displeasing to the Lord, and the Lord took his life. Er had every reason to provide Tamar with a son, which would solidify his line. But for whatever reason, he was unable to do so before his untimely death. Since it was Judah who picked his wife, it's possible Er prefered other partners to his wife. But the text is deliberately terse. Jumping forward to Judah's reaction to Onan's sin: Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Stay as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”—for he thought, “He too might die like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house. Judah puts off Tamar by using Shelah's age as an excuse. But inwardly, he's worried about losing his third and final son. It seems that Judah attributes Er and Onan's death to Tamar and not any specific sin. Certainly, he would not have known about Onan's actions unless Tamar told him, which seems unlikely. The only other person who knew of Onan's refusal to impregnate Tamar was the Lord: What he did was displeasing to the Lord, and He took his life also. Exactly how the thing Onan did was evil is left vague. However, his death is narratologically significant because it cuts off one more solution to Judah's inheritance problem. Or rather two in that Judah refuses to give Tamar offspring by his final remaining son. It would seem that Tamar has been cut off from having a son—consistently the primary concern of wives in Genesis. At this point, we should note that Levirate marriages predate the Mosiac law. In this case, however, Onan's duty came not from a written law or even a cultural tradition, but was the direct order of the patriarch (Genesis 38:8). However, once the promise was made, Judah had an obligation to Tamar that he did not fulfill of his own volition: Judah recognized them, and said, “She is more in the right than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he was not intimate with her again. This recognition and confession serve as a fitting conclusion to the Tamar subplot of Genesis. Onan's role, narratively-speaking, was simply to bring Judah to this moment, which looks forward to Judah's plight in Genesis 44. His sin could have been left unspecified, like Er's was. But the image of Onan's seed falling impotent powerfully reinforces the theme of precarious inheritance. In the context of the narrative, the account of his sin is included not as a polemic against masterbation, but as a plot complication and illustration of the central theme. That said, the victims of Onan's sin were Tamar and Judah. He deceitfully deprived them of offspring. That is what displeased the Lord. i believe the Bible is a record of God's actions to save his creation and restore the intimacy of the relationship between him and people enjoyed in the Garden of Eden. God's method was through his "chosen people" (Later, following Christ's saving act, all people are the chosen people, but in the Old Testament it was the Hebrews). To interrupt the lineage of the chosen people would thwart God's plan, and that was what Onan's action did, and what angered God to the point of killing him. In a related issue, the whole notion of "positive pro-natalism" in the bible is related to God's chosen people salvation plan and the need for the Hebrew tribe to exist so he could save the world through it. When the Hebrews were one warring tribe among many, with defeat meaning the thwarting of God's plan, survival meant having soldiers and mothers of soldiers, meaning lots of babies raised in a family setting. This meant survival then. Today, in an overpopulated planet, God's will is more likely to be thwarted by the effects of climate destruction or nuclear war, thus today it is God's will to NOT have all babies that can be conceived and born, thus today it is God's will for there to be contraception and abortion to prevent unwanted babies. God's will is for us to be loved and supported so we can be the loving people God intends us to be. He invites us to join in his saving work. We should seek to have "wanted" babies, those we can provide the love and support necessary for them to become the good people God intends us to be. Phil NicholsPhil Nichols Yes, Onan was killed for not fulfilling his Levirate duty (to provide an offspring through Tamar) and for disobeying God. – XegesIs Mar 3 '19 at 22:44 In regard to the first question: "What, if anything does the text say that Onan did wrong?" The answer to that is in Genesis 38:9.10 which states "And Onan knew that the seed should not be his......he spilled his seed on the ground lest that he should give seed to his brother." He refused to fulfill the so-called Law of The Manchild, to give his seed to his sister-in-law to raise up a male child to his brother's memory. God slew Onan. It would appear that Onan's sin was that of "will worship" condemned by Paul in Col.2:23. In the NT Greek, the word for it is "ethelothreskeia" with "ethelo" meaning "to will", and "threskeia" which infers "religious worship". Thayer inferred that "ethelo" implied a voluntary impulsive inclination, a prefix implying voluntary action. The implication is that of worship of self or self-will over the will of God: in other words, idolatry. In regard to his second question: "Is it possible to draw a larger principle from this passage?" I believe so, for in Romans 1:18-28 The Holy Spirit through Paul discusses men and women given over to vile affections. In verse 26 he discusses women who gave up, voluntarily, the natural use of the man, women lusting for women. In verse 27 it refers to men leaving the natural use of the woman, men lusting for men. Notice that the scriptures establish that there is a natural use of the sexual organs implied which is vaginal penetration and ejaculation of the male into the female vagina...God ordained. The use of the term natural use implies that there is an unnatural use. Certainly that would be same-sex sexual activity, unnatural sexual activity such as sodomy, in which the sex organs are used for a purpose which God never intended, or failure to complete the sex act between a married male and female. The latter would refer to coitus interruptus or interrupted intercourse as was performed by Onan. There are those that say that his sin was not masturbation, but disobedience to the Law and rebellion against God. What most people fail to realize is that the very act of coitus interruptus or interrupted intercourse, for the purpose of preventing ejaculation into the vagina reduces the act to mutual masturbation, at least on Onan's part, for the act was purposefully entered into,by him, with an impulsive will to withdraw. She, although a victim with no intent to agree or approve of Onan's action, was reduced by Onan to the level of a masturbator/sex object, although passively and circumstantially. When two willing sex partners, male and female, are willing to practice coitus interruptus as a form of birth control, they are reducing the sex act to mutual masturbation and they are against Divine purpose, as Paul noted in using the words "natural use". The sin is that of "will worship". ThaddeusB Bern ZumpanoBern Zumpano Welcome to Stack Exchange. If you haven't done so already, check out the site tour. In particular, be sure to read the section on what constitutes a good answer and revise your post to cite references that back your position. Please note that "showing your work" is required on this Stack Exchange - don't tell us what you know/believe tell us how you know it. – ThaddeusB Jul 26 '15 at 4:28 Where's your evidence that Paul would've thought coitus interruptus counted as 'unnatural use'? Onan's acts shouldn't cannot be generalised to every other situation. – curiousdannii♦ Jul 29 '15 at 9:26 Relating greek phrases to the hebrew phrases is tenuous at best. Furthermore, the text you are referring to uses the term "para physis" - or use which is in excess of natural, not "unnatural". Vs. 22 of Romans 1 makes it clear that those participating in the use "beyond nature" are idolaters who "exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles." He appears to specifically be referring to either the followers of Aphrodite or Dionysus who would engage in ritual orgies in the month of April as a form or idol worship. – James Shewey Aug 28 '15 at 8:52 @JamesShewey Saint Paul emphasizes the homosexuality of their behavior, not the orgaistic nature of it. The fact that it was orgiastic is irrelevant to Paul's point, and message of the text, and Bern's answer. – CMK Aug 13 '19 at 18:14 Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged genesis marriage sin sexuality or ask your own question. What are the similarities and differences between the Genesis creation account and other creation stories of the time What made Er evil in the sight of the Lord? Who did Shelah (Judah's son) marry? What is the significance of Gen 46:10 “Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman”? What was the nature of the 'cord' in Gen 38:18? What does the verbal connection between Joseph's coat and Judah's signet indicate? Does Deuteronomy 25:5-10 supersede Leviticus 18:16, or vice versa? Was it a show of lack of faith in Abram in Gen 12:12?	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1921
__label__wiki	0.850378	0.850378	NUKA feat. Khalid Ahamed – Kashmir is Beautiful: Score Indie Reviews Akarsh Shekhar Anushka Manchanda, aka NUKA is an artist-producer, singer-songwriter, composer, director and editor based out of Mumbai, India. NUKA’s work reflects her commitment to build a more sustainable planet. She believes in working towards a future that is brighter than the past and uses her art and activism as a medium to propagate her vision. NUKA has recently released her latest bilingual (English + Urdu) track “Kashmir” and that’s what we are reviewing here. Anushka Manchanda uses her alias of NUKA to explore the intersection between nature and humanity. The track “Kashmir” is her attempt at capturing the spirit of Kashmir in just over six minutes. The bilingual track also features Parvaaz lead singer Khalid Ahamed and award winning Rabab player Sufiyan Malik. “Kashmir” is more than just a tribute to Kashmir, it also talks about the connection between nature and humanity in the region. According to NUKA, “Kashmir feels like the spirit of mother nature, the Earth in her most heartbreakingly beautiful form. I cannot describe in words how I felt in her lap, and it took me years to create a piece that could express my love for the valley. I am an outsider, yet I wept when I was leaving Kashmir. To me, it felt like home.” The track has endured a five year long creative process. It started when NUKA visited her friend’s wedding in 2015 and continued when she returned to Kashmir in the following two years to shoot during Chillai-Kalan, the 40 day long harshest period of winter in the region. Featuring NUKA and Khalid Ahamed’s haunting vocals sprinkled with the ambient textures suggested by the title, “Kashmir” is exploratory, texturally inventive and rich in wonder. The track showcases some great composition and astonishingly clear sound design. All of which you can enjoy with the help of the Dolby Atmos sound. It will allow listeners to discover hidden details and subtleties in the sound with unparalleled clarity, so they can experience the instruments and vocals in isolation with more space and incredible fidelity. With all that clarity, you can truly hear the musical dreamscape woven by NUKA breathe like a living being. There’s a compelling depth and freshness that makes “Kashmir” work, regardless of whether you care for its purpose. Drop the preconceptions, dive deep and prepare to be moved. Verdict: As serene as a shikara ride on the Dal Lake. Instagram: https://instagram.com/kissnuka https://instagram.com/anushkadisco https://instagram.com/khalidahamed101	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1922
__label__cc	0.685226	0.314774	Brendan Greeley on Why We Need a Pro-Competition Political Party (Episode 40) by Nick Stumo-Langer \| Date: 23 Feb 2018 \| posted in: Building Local Power, MuniNetworks, Podcast, Retail \| 0 Podcast (buildinglocalpower): Play in new window \| Download \| Embed Brendan Greeley Economics writer Brendan Greeley has a thought about the role ‘economics’ play in our politics: “economists think that they’re physicists, but they’re actually just sociologists watching things and observing them“. To suss this out, Building Local Power hosts Christopher Mitchell and Stacy Mitchell sat down with Greeley. He is a writing alum of Bloomberg and The Economist and currently writes his daily economics newsletter, All We Know So Far (subscribe at the link). “I think the thing we’ve lost sight of in America is that we don’t understand that healthy competition creates all the things we love about capitalism. The irony of that is businesses don’t like competition. They hate it. It drives them crazy. They can’t do what they want. And so the most successful businesses will do everything they can to avoid healthy competition,” says Brendan Greeley of the issue he is trying to solve in his All We Know So Far work. Our guest recommended the following items: Debt: The First 5,000 Years by Henry Graeber ProMarket Blog: The blog of the Stigler Center at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis The Big Short film Institute for Local Self-Reliance: Monopoly Tag — All of the stories tagged with “monopoly” on our website details the — mostly — unchecked power that vast corporations and firms enjoy in our economy and democracy. Get the latest information on monopoly power in retail, broadband, energy, and waste stream issues. Podcast: The Rising Anti-Monopoly Movement (Episode 36) — ILSR experts Christopher Mitchell, Stacy Mitchell, and John Farrell sit down to tackle the reality of increased corporate consolidation in the economy and what it means. They also knit together their research focuses and connect them into how an anti-monopoly movement is brewing where everyday Americans are standing up and saying “enough”. Podcast: Beating the Monopolies: Barry Lynn Explains How We Will Win (Episode 30) — This podcast episode with the Open Markets Institute’s Barry Lynn discusses how we got to here in our monopoly economy and how he has hope that we will win against the monopolists who are robbing our political economy. Policy Brief: Comcast’s Anti-Municipal Broadband Election Investments — In the Fall of 2017, this ILSR analysis details just how much money telecommunications giant Comcast Corporation is pumping into its efforts to scuttle pro-Internet access competition efforts in Fort Collins, Colo. and Seattle, Wash. Why? Because if these communities actually attained some measure of competition, Comcast could lose millions. Christopher Mitchell: Welcome everyone to another episode of the Building Local Power podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I’m Chris Mitchell, once again having commandeered the hosting position for this show. We have Stacy Mitchell, one of our regular hosts, back on. Hi, Stacy. Stacy Mitchell: Hi, Chris. Christopher Mitchell: Stacy directs the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, and I run a program on internet-type broadband access improvement-type stuff. Today, we’re talking with Brendan Greeley. Welcome to the show Brendan. Brendan Greeley: Thanks, guys. I would say thanks to Chris who I like to think of as an internet friends because we tweet at each other, but I remember that we met each other a very long time ago before we were internet friends. Christopher Mitchell: Right, and that’s something that I hope to get to at the end, which was one of my favorite stories, which I still google on a regular basis from when you were a staffer at Business Week, which was a story entitled Pssst … Wanna Buy a Law?, and it pulls it up every time from 2011. But you, more recently, you do an economic research note called All We Know So Far, which I really enjoy. I have to note your Twitter feed’s a little behind because I wanted to share the most recent one, but I’ve not been able to yet. Brendan Greeley: Oh, you know what? Actually, I borrowed some of that data from other economic research notes, and I felt okay putting it in the note, but I didn’t feel okay putting it online. I didn’t want to tempt fair use. I felt that I was within the bounds of fair use, but sometimes you shouldn’t poke the fair use bear. Christopher Mitchell: Well, it was very good, and it was about where the money from the tax cuts are going, and how that’s okay, but it was very well done. I encourage people to check it out because it describes itself as an economic research note for people. And as a people who has taken macroeconomics but struggled through it, I can say that this is for people, and it’s helpful. Brendan Greeley: Thank you. The great irony is that I too struggled through macroeconomics. No, actually, got a good grade in macroeconomics. I struggled through micro, but I haven’t actually taken any macro or micro anything since. I do not have a degree in economics. I have a degree in German literature. I do think, and this is to our broader conversation today, one of my frustrations when I became a correspondent who wrote about economics was that so much of what we remember from school is not really true. If you got a degree in economics or if you took micro and macro in college in the ’80s, or the ’90s, or the early 2000s even, everything you learned then is not really … it’s only a framework that is missing details. Sometimes, I think when we talk about economics more broadly we’re all horrendously misinformed because a lot of stuff has come up, particularly since the recession we’ve learned a lot. Before the recession, there was some experimental research being done that has been borne out by the actual empirical data we have now. So it’s almost as if, when we look at economics, it’s as if we are studying biology as a culture, but we don’t know that it’s possible to sequence the genome. We’re that far behind in economics. And so, one of the things that I’ve noticed is that economic research for people in finance is very good. It tends to be pretty good because if you get it wrong, you lose even more money. So I’m trying to take that spirit of being completely on top of things for finance and bring it to citizens as well because we tend to be misinformed about economics for a ton of reasons. But I think the debate over economics is much worse than the debate over climate, and the reason it’s much worse is I don’t think most of us even know how polluted the atmosphere is, how little what we’re talking about resembles the cutting edge of the actual social science. Christopher Mitchell: Yeah, I think that resonates with me. I’m very curious to ask Stacy whether she studied economics. Just before we get into the actual meat of the discussion, this is actually a lot of what we’ll be talking about, I think, how the economy works, our understanding of it, how to make it work for more people. Stacy, before I find out how you did in economics, I just want to say I did really well in micro. I really liked micro. I found that it actually is somewhat useful mostly because it’s a really great idea that seems never to be really particularly practical, but nonetheless, it’s sort of this ideal that I can understand how some people might think things should work even though they don’t because of obvious discrepancies. But, one of my challenges with macro is that I was on Percocet for most of it because I’d had a major surgery. And three courses in a row and I had to take a Percocet in the middle of the first one, and I would be riding that halfway through the third one. Macro is mostly gone because of this surgery I was recovering from, so it was bad timing, and I blame that. Stacy, how did you do in economics? Stacy Mitchell: You know I dipped into economics class and a little bit in college, but mostly I sort of decided based on that experience that it wasn’t really going to answer the questions that I have. So I went and moved to history and studied, actually, labor history, which I found to be a good way to understand the economy, particularly how it’s changed and how people can change it through policy. Christopher Mitchell: Yeah. Brendan Greeley: I think that’s really interesting, and I think that one of the things, and then Chris I promise I’ll let you move onto the thing you actually wanted to talk about, is that you know there’s this idea that economics should inform other social sciences. You know there’s this Freakonomics idea that the things we learn about, human motivation, can be applied elsewhere. What I think that misses is that economics every time it takes in another social science, it gets better. You know people like Daniel Kahneman and Richard Taylor who won their Nobels for behavioral economics, Robert Shiller they took in the lessons from psychology, and it turned out that it helped them understand their actual profession better. Often, I talk to … I like to call sociological economists or anthropological economists … or, sorry, economic anthropologists because they study the way we use money as groups of people and that turns out that all those traditions about how we use money are every bit as important as the marginal cost benefits that economists would have us calculate. So I think that there’s a lot missing when we just talk about economists. And I think you’re absolutely right, reading back in history longer than the Great Moderation helps us understand a lot of the things that we’re experiencing now as we look back to the late 19th, early 20th centuries. Christopher Mitchell: Right. Stacy Mitchell: I’m curious, Brendan. You mentioned that you think since the financial crisis that our understanding of economics has really changed in fundamental ways and maybe behavioral economics you sort of intimated just now maybe is one of those ways. But I was going to ask you; I’m kind of curious what you think some of those big shifts have been? Brendan Greeley: Yeah, I think the biggest one is something that economists call heterogeneity, and that’s a really fancy way of saying people are different. To make the math easy … Yeah, it’s true. It sounds insane that we didn’t know this already, but economists are sort of just learning this over the last five years or so. So a lot of … Most economic models rely on a single agent. Sometimes that single agent is also immortal. Right? So, we’re assuming there is one person in the economy making decisions and that person will never die, right? So we’re modeling on somebody who’s god, and that’s not how the real world works. So when you start to build models that have two or three different agents in them, people who are motivated in different ways, you start reflecting the actual economy and the way people respond, in a more accurate way. I’ll give you a specific example of what I’m talking about. People who have access to credit behave differently than people who don’t have access to credit. So if you have access to credit, you’re not really worried about the present because you can borrow in the present to sort of meet your needs. And so for example, we carry out an austerity policy. The old models didn’t really think about who had access to credit, who could borrow money or not. They assumed that everybody had access to credit because there is credit in the economy and economists have access to credit because they have excellent credit rating scores. Who doesn’t have access to credit? And so they assumed that in an austere policy gives you confidence about future returns and you base your own decisions right now about future bond market prices in the country that you live in. That’s perfectly rational for an economist. It’s not how any of the rest of us actually think. When you model people, who are wealthy and have access to credit and people who are not wealthy and don’t have access to credit they respond very differently to austerity. It turns out that if you add a little extra money to the economy people who don’t have a ton of money will spend that money immediately. You get very different results. And so the IMF actually apologized. You know, when the IMF imposed its austerity program on Greece the IMF didn’t want to do as brutal an austerity as Germany did. But the IMF looked at its results and discovered that Greece was not thriving, right? People were not responding as predicted. They did not suddenly feel more confident in future bond prices for their economy and future tax policy [crosstalk 00:09:39]. They felt awful because everything had been drained out of the economy, and nobody was spending any money because nobody had any extra money, and nobody had access to credit. Right? So, this stuff makes sense intuitively, but the models are very complex, and they make a lot of assumptions. The assumptions, I don’t think they’re maligned, but they do tend to be the same assumptions that economists have for themselves. Right? We model the world. We remake the world in our image. And so that for me is the biggest distinction, which is that if you think about different people responding differently to the same stimulus you get a very different policy prescription, in some cases, massively different. And so this is stuff that we just didn’t think about before the recession. We just didn’t think about it. I think that economists are recognizing that finance place an important role. Economists used to be disdainful about finance. They thought it was this sort of dirty thing that happened in London and New York and they didn’t have to really about it. They were in Chicago, or Berkeley, or in Massachusetts and you know things were going to be financed however they needed to be. And so long as there was the same amount of capital in the economy how it moved around was not really important for their model. Of course, that turns out not to be true. You can allocate capital in very destabilizing ways. And so the Fed actually had to teach itself finance. You know starting at about 2010, so it could figure out what it had gotten wrong. So economics is changing. The problem is our popular perception of economics is not changing. And so I don’t think that the recent tax policy was a smart move, the changes that we made. It’s not because it was a mean, it’s because there’s very little, in fact, there’s zero empiric evidence that says it will work, and there’s a ton of empiric evidence that says it won’t work. And so what you have right now in economics is actual experience. You have economists who have used data of things that actually happened, and they are fighting against a much older kind of economics, which makes assumptions about things that will happen. And those two economics are fighting right now. The kind of economics that says, “cut taxes, and they’ll pay for themselves,” that’s not born out with any actual empiric experience of the real world. It’s a thought experiment from a blackboard from 40 years ago. But there’s certain people who want to do it that way and so that why we end up having this fight. Anyway, the short version of all this is that economists think that they’re physicists, but they’re actually just sociologists watching things and observing them. Christopher Mitchell: Well, and I think one of the things that I think about when I’m about to rage-tweet about something regarding economics, and economists, and the Chicago school or something like that, I send that [inaudible 00:12:24] to pause to remind myself that most economists don’t think like the Wall Street editorial board. Despite the fact that- Brendan Greeley: None of them do. Christopher Mitchell: Well, exactly, exactly. And sometimes I get this, I’m like, “Oh, these economists are just so arrogant, and this, and that.” And I have to remind myself, no those are just the ones that have a megaphone, and they have a megaphone for a very specific reason because they are serving the interests of the people that can afford to have lots of megaphones it seems like. Brendan Greeley: There’s such a small number of people who do this for a living, really small who write for the Wall Street Journal editorial board. I’m coming up with a term for this. But there’s the academic profession of economics, which is fascinating and varied, and people are having really honest and open discussions about data, this huge movement towards using bigger and better datasets, more computers. They are trying to figure out what they got wrong, and they’re not doing a terrible job of it. Right? If you go to the American Economists Association Conference, I go every year, there are really vibrant, fascinating discussions about how to get this right in the future. Then we have this parallel discussion of something called “economics,” which is a thought process from about 40 years ago, and that’s the one we legislate by. I don’t know what to call that one, but it’s driven by think-tanks in Washington. It is not driven by academics, and there are a small number of people who have academic degrees, who work in those think-tanks, and they’re the ones … It’s really like five people who write all of these op-eds who actually have PhDs, a very small number of people. And they’re a very small minority within the profession of economics. Christopher Mitchell: We brought this up in a show back, beginning of January, I think, about Paul Krugman had called them the difference between conservatives who are professional economists and professional, conservative economists, the latter being that small group of people. Brendan Greeley: I think that’s a good distinction. I think Paul Krugman himself has some things to answer for. Stacy, you asked earlier what are some things that are changing about economics. I think the other thing that is changing is economics for a very long time relied on the mean, they relied on aggregate numbers, and there’s no such thing as an average person. We all do things differently. It turns out that the distribution of the effects of a lot of things that happen in economics are really painful and very targeted. So when you look at things like immigration, yeah, it’s really good for an economy overall, but it can be very expensive for certain, targeted populations. It turns out schools in areas with a lot of immigration end up being strapped for funding. So I think it’s very easy … It has also been easy for left-wing economists to say, “Look, immigration is good.” Of course, it’s good in the aggregate, but ignore the distributional effects. I think trade is another one. Paul Krugman has always been a strong proponent of trade. We’ve only had the data and the incentive to look at trade having very bad consequences in very specific areas. You know, none of us thinks of ourselves as the average person. We’ll all think of ourselves as a certain person who is doing a certain thing in a certain town, and if that gets taken away because of trade, we don’t really feel any better that the country as a whole is better off. And so I think that another thing that economists got wrong, that economists, by the way, are fixing but politicians haven’t quite figured out yet is that things that are good for all of us, in general, are often bad for some of us in specific. There’s no politics to address that thing that economists have slowly faded out. Christopher Mitchell: Well, this is something that Stacy has talked about before on the show. And that’s, I think this is relevant, which is that you may take a person who runs a store, a local retail store, and that person … Let’s say that store is driven out of business in part because of Walmart, and that person goes and becomes a manager at Walmart. I think a lot of economists might think, “well, that community is simply the same. Maybe it’s better off for having lower prices for certain items from Walmart.” I’m not going to say anything about the quality of those things or other impacts. Whereas, we look at that, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, and we say that’s a community that’s in some way’s lost some leadership. It’s lost some prestige. There’s different impacts that have not historically made it into the equation. Brendan Greeley: Yeah. I think it’s a tyranny of measurements. I think we’ve chosen a few things to measure, and we’re learning that we were measuring the wrong things. Maybe we weren’t measuring the wrong things. Maybe it’s that systems adapt to create what’s being measured, so if what we’re creating is low consumer prices, we did a great job. But, one of the things that we’re recognizing is that even though inflation is down, it’s up a ton in a couple of things that we really care about, healthcare and education. So, even though we’ve done a really good job of managing inflation in the aggregate, our socks are a lot cheaper than they used to be, our TVs are a lot cheaper, so is our furniture, but the stuff that really matters that helps us flourish is not cheaper. And so to get back to specifically what it was that you got in touch with me about, you had this idea of monopoly, you know, we changed what we were going to measure. In the early ’80s we decided it was no longer necessarily true that monopoly in and of itself created restraint of trade, it prevented new entrance, it drove down labor prices. It has a bunch of bad consequences. We thought, well the only thing we really care about is consumer prices, so if we can prove that consumer prices are going down then monopoly is okay. And so we measured that, and it kind of works, and it turns out to have had all sorts of other consequences. That’s a discussion that I only just now see moving into, I wouldn’t even call it the mainstream, but it is moving into policy circles and out of economic circles. The word, monopsony, a single buyer of labor was something that you only heard in academic papers starting about two years ago. They started to think, “Well, what’s going wrong? What’s going on? It might be monopsony. You think?” And now, it’s starting to show up in think tank papers, which is a real improvement. Christopher Mitchell: Yeah, one of my colleagues actually corrected a paper in which I had written, or some blog post or something, because she thought that that was not a term. She had never come across it before. Stacy Mitchell: Brendan, I love this phrase that the tyranny of measurement that you used. I’m really struck, as a lot of people are now, by how different the economy feels for many Americans than what is reported in the numbers. I mean, I think many Americans feel very precarious in their economic situation like they’re working a lot, struggling to their heads above water, and yet we’re in … You know we’ve had … We’re in an upswing in terms of being in a real sweet spot in the economic cycle, and you know stock market has been soaring and so on and so forth. You know, when you look out there I’m curious what you see in terms of the economy’s structural issues that aren’t working for a lot of Americans? And I guess as part of that question I’m also curious if you think we’re at risk for another kind of economic or financial crisis? Brendan Greeley: I don’t think that we’re at risk of something like what we had in 2000 and 2009. Debt crises are worse than business-cycle collapses. Business-cycle collapse is usually what happens is a bunch of companies that had inflated stock prices lose their value, so people feel less confident about the future. They no longer have those companies as buyers, they no longer have those companies in their stock portfolios, even their 401(k)s, the half of Americans who have 401(k)s, and so they buy less. Right? So there’s an expansion in hope, and there’s a contraction in hope. That’s a normal process. What we had in 2008 was a collapse in credit, which is something else entirely, and it was centered around people’s houses. And so when you’re borrowed to the hilt on your house, and you lose it, there are all sorts of consequences. A house is not like any other asset. You know, when you hand off those keys you don’t have a place to live. It sounds obvious, but that’s a much bigger deal than declaring a bankruptcy on your credit cards. So I do think that most of the economic indicators that we see say that we are on the backside of this expansion, but not that there’s a recession looming around the corner. But there’s one coming in the next two or three years. To answer your question about what still feels wrong about this economy, I think if we look back over the last 20 years we have been in a process of replacing wages with credit. We can talk about why wages aren’t growing, but wages are not growing. We’ve seen very little growth in the last 20 years. Median income in the US has been in the mid-50’s. I think it’s $57,000 now, this year, for a household, for decades now. And you know, we’re animals. We’re apes with thumbs. We’re not rational. When we see other people around us getting richer, and we are not we get resentful, and so we took that missing wage growth and replaced it with debt. So before the crisis, that debt manifested itself in very expensive houses and home equity loans. Since the crisis, we have paid down a lot of our household debt on housing, and we have replaced it with car loans, to some extent credit cards, and definitely student debt. So there’s some evidence that debt is fungible, that you can move it around between accounts, that if you can’t get a home equity loan you might, you might, get a student loan instead. Or, you might get a car loan and use that money that you would have put down on a car to pay for something else. And so what we’re seeing is debt levels approaching where they were, but they consist of different kinds of debt. So the good news is, if that collapses people lose their houses, they lose their cars, and they can’t pay back their student loans, that’s not good, it’s super bad news, but it’s not as bad as news as jingle mail where they don’t have a house anymore. So, that’s to answer to your question about the potential for another crisis. The problem is we’ve never gotten rid of the fat. We took all that missing wage growth and we replaced it with debt. We’ve never gotten over that. And so, again, rational economists say, “Well, you shouldn’t live beyond your means.” But, you know, we aren’t rational. We’re people, and so we see a certain standard of living. We see a certain growth in our standard of living, and we when we can’t meet that growth that we came to expect, particularly when we’re told the economy’s booming around us even if we aren’t getting wage increases, then we replace those wage increases with credit. And so that’s your answer, I think. The reason things feel precarious is that debt causes physical stress, and we are at a debt level, fairly recently, I think in the last two or three months, we reached a debt level that is the same as the total debt level that we had as households right before the crisis. Christopher Mitchell: Hey, this seems like a good time for a reminder. We support local businesses and hope that you do, too. Think about that when making purchases and whether you’re helping to centralize power or decentralize it. We also need your support to do research, to provide technical assistance, and record these interviews. Please donate to help us at ILSR.org/donate. That’s I-L-S-R dot org slash donate. Now, let’s get back to that interview. Stacy Mitchell: How much do you think this increase in debt, that you’ve been describing, in recent decades was driven by changes in the financial industry? I mean to the extent … Is there a connection between the fact that the financial industry is less composed of local and regional community banks that are really tied in their own well being to the well being of their borrowers versus larger financial institutions that may have more incentive to be loose with debt and push debt? Or does that have nothing to do with it? Brendan Greeley: So, I’ve looked into the difference between small banks and large banks a little bit. It doesn’t sort out, I think, the way we’d prefer it to. One of the problems is Dodd-Frank, which I thought was very good legislation. I mean it could have been better if it were simpler, but we just don’t do simple legislation anymore. But one consequence of all that complexity is that compliance costs for small banks rose comparatively. So, if you’re Wells Fargo, you don’t really care about the compliance cost because you’ve got a lot of people already doing that sort of thing and you can apportion it out among your branches. If you run a small bank, lower than a $1 million in assets somewhere out in America, you only have five people in your back office. You add two more to meet compliance and that’s a real expense for you. Perversely, the things that we did to make the system safer have hastened the decline of small banks. That was happening already anyway. Weirdly, there’s a lot of mixed evidence on small banks and loan quality. We find that small banks in rural areas have higher loan quality than small banks in urban areas. I think that the assumption is that might have something to do with that trust ties are bigger in rural areas than they are in urban areas. But I would not lay the increase in debt at the feet of consolidation in the banking industry. I think it is possible to regulate banks in a way that even if we get that natural consolidation that there’s still responsible funding. I do think that what happened is something that we have no control over, but I wish that we would recognize it for what it is, which is that a ton of money is coming into America from other places. You had, at least in the early 2000s enormous oil wealth coming, looking for a place to safely invest, and that place was America. You had a lot of brand new money from China looking for a place to safely invest. That place was America. So we’re sitting with all of these liabilities, all these loans. People just doing anything to buy a treasury debt from the United States. There’s just always a willing buyer for American debt, and that makes you crazy. Christopher Mitchell: Just very briefly, I think people might not get why the fact that there are people with a lot of money outside the United States that want to bring money into the United States may lead to a person like me taking on more debt. Could you just spell that out for a second? And then we are going to get to some of the politics around this, but I want to make sure we make this connection first. Brendan Greeley: If I show up with a suitcase full of money that I earned in another country and I want it to be safe I’m going to go to a bank. I’ll deposit it at a bank. The bank has what it considers a liability. It’s got my deposit. So I’m a foreigner. So now the bank’s got to go and create some new assets to match those liabilities. The bank considers a loan that it makes to a consumer an asset. So it get these deposits, that’s a liability because it might have to give the deposits back. What it can do is make loans based on these deposits. Right? So money comes in from abroad as a liability, shows up on the bank’s balance sheet. The bank’s got to create assets. Here’s the problem. There were not enough good, high-quality assets in America to meet the demand that was created by all the liabilities that showed up on banks’ balance sheets. So then, you had this search for any asset whatsoever of any questionable quality. That’s why we got all these crummy mortgages because banks were desperate to get any kind of asset on the books to match the liabilities that they had. One of the reasons why all the German regional banks, all the [inaudible 00:28:34] got caught up in this in 2007 was for a technical reason that I won’t get into. They were about to lose their AAA rating, so they had to go out and create a bunch of assets while they still had their AAA rating, had to with European law. So they got caught up in this too for a completely different reason. If you have a bunch of money coming in, that money wants to make money. Right? You want a return on the money that you’re investing in America, but there just aren’t enough high-quality assets in this economy even though it’s the biggest economy in the world, to create the returns for people coming in from the outside. So that’s a long process. Right? So when we talk about everything that’s happened over the last 20 years, we saw the sub-prime crisis. Right? So that disappeared. And now, you know that money is going to go into other things. One of the things that we’ve seen in the financial markets is that there’s an increased interest in what we used to call junk bonds. Now we call it high yield debt. Basically, there’s not enough high-quality corporate debt to meet all of this money that’s coming in, to become an asset for this money. So they’re moving up the scale to what we used to call junk bonds, we now call it high-yield because more people are interested in it. This gigantic flood of money coming into America funded a bunch of terrible investments. Just the fact that we had the housing crisis didn’t change the flood of money. It just changed the nature and the makeup of these assets that are being created. Christopher Mitchell: I think that’s a very helpful way to describe some of the pressures. It gets to a different way of thinking about the problem because I think a lot of people think about this problem the same way that led to the establishment of the Tea Party, which the problem was my greedy neighbor, not these larger trends. But I think in some ways, the way that we try to deal with larger trends is by having a political system that has adults in it that are dealing with it. One of the things that I know I’ve really picked up on your twitter feed and moved you in part from someone that I casually follow to someone that I followed a little bit more closely, so I could respond to you in snarky ways sometimes, was when you made this point that neither political party, the Democrats or the Republicans, and I think we could probably say the Greens and Libertarians also, none of them combine a pro-competition focus with a distrust of big government in maybe overregulation. I’d like you to just talk a little bit about that and how, I think, neither party really has good solution for these issues that we’ve been talking about. Brendan Greeley: I’m obsessed with the idea of competition because, again, it was one of those things that was missing in economists’ models. You know when we make predictions about what’s going to happen in the future for the economy we rely on these models, and those models rely on certain assumptions. We get so used to using the models that we forget that they contain assumptions. One of the assumptions that these models contain because they were all developed originally in the early ’80s is the assumption of perfect competition. No single company can pay its employees less or gouge its suppliers or gouge its customers because no single company has the market power. They’re assuming that you’ve got a good regulatory state that’s going to prevent that from happening. So, we don’t have that anymore. We changed what we were measuring. We decided we were going to measure consumer prices, and then we kept consumer prices low, and we allowed monopolies to form. Now we have a situation where the models are no longer accurate. The reasons the models are no longer accurate is companies now have market power to do bad things. What’s fascinating about this, and this is the reason Chris that you and began talking and talk online, is that I started thinking about this problem when I was a tech reporter. I wrote about tech policy, and the reason I moved from tech policy to economics is that I kept on banging up against the exact same problem, which is that tech policy in America is so messed up because we don’t have enough competition. This was insanely difficult to explain to people because I kept on saying, “Prices for all kinds of digital products, prices for fixed internet access, prices for mobile internet access, they’re so much cheaper in Europe.” And people would say, “Well yeah, that’s because they’re socialists. They subsidize them.” And I would say, “No. It’s ’cause they’re capitalists, and they actually create market competition, and market competition drives down your prices, and it also improves your experience.” One of the things that frustrates me is that internet service providers will do all this analysis and say no, prices really aren’t that different here and elsewhere in the world. One of the things that ignores is that the experience is abysmal. Right? They make it really difficult to compare prices. The support is awful. You know when I tried to change something with T-Mobile, which is one of the more benign of the carriers we have in America, they got a fast-talker on the phone to try and shame me out of the change that I was going to make. This is not things that happen in competitive markets because in competitive markets people are scared of pissing off their customers. And so, my frustration, you know, I guess seven years ago when you and I first started talking was that I couldn’t do anything about this industry that I was covering because there was much a bigger problem. Which is that the industry that I was in and covering was so crummy because we have a bigger problem in America. Which is we don’t know how to think about competition. Democrats don’t tend to think about that. They think about fairness. Is the economy fair? Does everybody have a fair shake? They just don’t have a framework to think about it. Republicans think, “well if businesses want something then it must be good because businesses want to make profits, and they want to compete.” That’s just not true. That’s the frustrating thing. I, again, I don’t even think it’s malign-intent on the part of the Republicans. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. They want commerce to go forward. I think the thing we’ve lost sight of in America is that we don’t understand that healthy competition creates all the things we love about capitalism. The irony of that is businesses don’t like competition. They hate it. It drives them crazy. They can’t do what they want. And so the most successful businesses will do everything they can to avoid healthy competition, but there’s no framework for that. I keep talking to my friends who actually are in politics that I want to start a party called the Markets party, or the Competition party. They always say, “You’ll be lonely.” ‘Cause there’s no way to talk about this stuff. That’s what drives me crazy. So the thing that you follow so closely, the market for internet access, is crummy for the same reason that so many things are crummy because we can’t talk about competition in this country. Christopher Mitchell: Competition is miserable for businesses. You stay up late at night. I run a small business, and I’m not even in a particularly super competitive industry, and it’s not even something where if I lost my business my family would miss a meal or anything. But nonetheless, I worry about losing clients, and it’s nerve-wracking, and hard. I just want to note that we have to keep that in mind when we’re talking about a more competitive economy. Stacy Mitchell: Yeah, I mean I think you see small businesses actually, you know the ones really sweating it to compete, and big companies have kind of rigged the rules in a lot of ways that insulates them from actually having to face that competition. I think one of the problems in our … and I think Brendan’s … You’re really right about this whole point you’ve made. I think one of the problems in our politics is that Democrats are nervous about the idea of competition and they’re nervous about business. I think there’s a sort of vaguely held idea that competition is actually the root of the unfairness, and in reality, it’s the centralization of power that’s the root of the unfairness, and that the markets aren’t structured in ways that even the playing field and create opportunity, of course, with an appropriate safety net and regulatory structure and the rest of it. So I think some of it is that Democrats really have an opportunity to rethink how they think about business and the economy, and not just sort of cede a lot of ground to Republicans who’ve really carried a lot of water for big business. Brendan Greeley: What I want is growth Democrats, and I think that you’re absolutely right that they’re missing language to talk about growth. And then there are very old terms that we used to have that we’ve lost. And in order to use them, we have to reintroduce them and explain them to people. Things like monopsony, single buyer. Right? We have single buyers of labor in some towns, and that produces distortion. It’s a very old term. We just haven’t thought about it in a while, and we need to reintroduce it. Restraint of trade is another one. All that trust law that we got in the late 19th century and the early 20th century, it wasn’t about protecting consumers, it was about protecting other market participants who wanted to trade but were restrained from doing so. But nobody talks about that. You certainly don’t get Republicans talking about that. There’s a very effective defense against that that large businesses have, which is that they have convinced America that regulation is bad. I think the way we talk about regulation in America is that Republicans say regulation is awful, and it curbs growth. And Democrats try to not say the word regulation. When what of course, we need, a regulation is just a law. There are good regulations, and there are bad regulations. What we really should be having is a conversation about what are the good regulations? The ones that encourage competition. The one that discouraged externalities like carbon. What are the good regulations and what are the bad ones? What are the regulations that say if you want to open a hair salon in a town it’s prohibitively costly for you to get licensed? And there is no political language to make that distinction in America. So let’s take the thing that Chris I know you hold near and dear, which is competition in the telecoms industry. Net neutrality is the smallest concession that you could possibly imagine. Right? Other countries are so far beyond us in terms of requiring that service providers compete. So rather than force them to compete, we’re just asking them for this basic thing where you at least other people to compete over your wires. They say that’s regulation, regulation is bad, ergo we can’t have it. So we don’t have the language to talk about this, and I don’t really know of any Democrats who even know how to have this conversation. Stacy Mitchell: It’s worth noting too, and I think you’re right about we don’t know how to talk about regulation good versus bad, but it’s also true that anti-trust in some way is really a police function. It’s not a regulatory function. It’s about making sure behavior is appropriate and that the market is structured in a way that facilitates competition. You know in the same way that our banking laws for a lot of the 20th century didn’t have to have a lot of incredibly complex regulatory rules, and so forth, and compliance rules because they were more simple and more structural. And said, “Here, banks need stick to their knitting and there’s going to be some geographic restrictions and so on.” And it seems to me that’s there’s a lot to be gained by thinking about the ways in which policy can structure markets as opposed to minutely regulate them. Brendan Greeley: Yes, I think you are absolutely right about that. I think that we need to think about why do we have markets? Because they give us growth and prosperity. Why do we have politics? Because they protects us from markets. You know Germans have an understanding of this. Right? This idea of ordoliberalism. In Germany, it’s the idea that the government has to create the market so that the market actors can function properly and productively. We don’t have any sense in America of how it is we create good markets. And the thing you said about simplicity I think is really crucial. This is the reason why Dodd-Frank frustrates me is that I think the aims of it are very good. I’d rather keep it than let go of it. Right? Given the alternative, I’ll take Dodd-Frank. But one way in which Dodd-Frank could have been much better is if it had just been really simple, but we don’t do simple rules in America. Stacy Mitchell: Well, if we wrote simple rules big companies wouldn’t have any room to evade them, and you know. Brendan Greeley: Oh, yeah. I mean this is a favorite trick that companies do, which is that they lobby for complex regulations. Their lawyers lick their chops, and then they go to the press and say, “Look how many regulations there are. Look how many pages of complex regulation there is. We need to get rid of it.” Christopher Mitchell: Aside from your economic research note, what do you recommend that a person read or listen to to learn a little bit about this stuff? Brendan Greeley: So the Chicago Booth School of Business has done a really amazing site called ProCompetition. I think that’s what it’s called. Luigi Zingales- Stacy Mitchell: I think it’s actually ProMarket, maybe. Brendan Greeley: ProMarket, thank you, ProMarket. So Luigi Zingales at Chicago, and this is fascinating that it’s the Chicago school that’s doing this, although it’s a business school and not the economics programs. I think what they’re doing is amazing because they are all hard-headed PhD economists who understand that markets need rules to function, and are going through market by market, and saying this is why this market doesn’t work. And so that to me, is an approach that we need, but again I’m going to say the same thing, I’m waiting for a politician to read that, pick it up and say this is my program. This is the thing that we’re missing in America. That I have not seen yet. Christopher Mitchell: Well, thank you so much, Brendan for coming on. Really enjoyed this conversation. Brendan Greeley: Thank you, guys. It was great to talk. Christopher Mitchell: Brendan had to run, but I wanted to just note a couple of things that popped into my head over the course of the interview in terms of recommendations. One was that people should both read and watch The Big Short, the Michael Lewis book and movie. I thought it touched on some of the areas that we just talked about. The other is from the beginning of the interview, a book by David Graeber that was pretty popular recently called The History of Debt. The first few pages of that talk about some of the issues that we talked about right at the very beginning. Did anything occur to you, before we wrap up? Stacy Mitchell: I’m glad he mentioned the ProMarket site. That’s a really great read, and I’m really glad to see that initiative going, but I’ll just double-down on your suggestion of watching The Big Short. That’s one of my all-time favorite movies in recent years, and it captures so much in such an entertaining and in some ways, moving way. Christopher Mitchell: Yes. I agree. Well, thank you, Stacy. Stacy Mitchell: Thanks, Chris. This has been fun. Christopher Mitchell: Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Building Local Power. You can find links to what we discussed today by going to our website, ILSR.org, that’s I-L-S-R dot org. Look around for the Building Local Power show page. While you’re there, you can sign up for one of our newsletters or all of them, and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Please help us out by rating this podcast, sharing it with your friends, or maybe hire a local pilot to fly one of those airplanes with the message dangling behind it over a beach. I’m sure that’s really great for carbon dioxide emissions. This show is produced by Lisa Gonzalez and Nick Stumo-Langer. Our theme music is Funk Interlude by Dysfunction_AL. For the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, I’m Chris Mitchell. I hope you’ll join us again in two weeks for the next episode of Building Local Power. Now get out there and do something. Thanks. Like this episode? Please help us reach a wider audience by rating Building Local Power on iTunes or wherever you find your podcasts. And please become a subscriber! If you missed our previous episodes make sure to bookmark our Building Local Power Podcast Homepage. If you have show ideas or comments, please email us at info@ilsr.org. Also, join the conversation by talking about #BuildingLocalPower on Twitter and Facebook! Audio Credit: Funk Interlude by Dysfunction_AL Ft: Fourstones – Scomber (Bonus Track). Copyright 2016 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. Photo Credit: Data Center Journal. Follow the Institute for Local Self-Reliance on Twitter and Facebook and, for monthly updates on our work, sign-up for our ILSR general newsletter. audio, Building Local Power, competition, economics, featured, homepage feature, interview, monopoly, podcast Follow Nick Stumo-Langer: Nick Stumo-Langer Nick Stumo-Langer was Communications Manager at ILSR working for all five initiatives. He ran ILSR's Facebook and Twitter profiles and builds relationships with reporters. 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__label__cc	0.536899	0.463101	TOP > Information > Information Details Human Rights Violations in Okinawa, Japan (HRC30, 2015, Joint-WS) Together with All-Okinawa Council and Shimin Gaikou Centre, IMADR submitted a written statement on “Human Rights Violations in Okinawa, Japan” at the 30th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here. Human Rights Violations in Okinawa, Japan 1. The biggest problem in Ryukyu/Okinawa right now is the construction of a new military base in Henoko, Nago City. The Ryukyuan/Okinawan people, which is internationally recognized as an indigenous people1, has democratically expressed their strong opposition by electing politicians who are against the new base construction on local, prefectural and national levels as well as conducting sit-in protests in Henoko. 2. Okinawa, situated between Japan and China, was once an internationally recognized independent state known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. This is clearly shown by the Treaty of Amity between the Ryukyu Kingdom and the United States, signed in 1854. However, in 1879, the Ryukyu Kingdom was annexed by the Government of Japan through military force in violation of international law (violating Article 51 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, Article 1 of the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and Article 3 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)), renamed “Okinawa Prefecture,” and came under Japanese colonial rule. Since then, “Japanization” has been forced upon Okinawa, destroying its unique culture, society and languages. 3. At the end of World War II, the United States launched a massive offense on Okinawa. It later began ruling Okinawa islands directly, abusing the Ryukyuan/Okinawan people’s human rights, including the right to self-determination. The US pillaged their property and land in order to construct huge military bases in violation of the Laws and Customs of War on Land (Hague IV). This violation of the Ryukyuan/Okinawan people’s rights to property and land remains unsolved even now, 70 years after the end of World War II. The United States military government denied the Ryukyuan/Okinawan people the right to freely form their own political systems (as set forth in Article 1 of the ICCPR). Furthermore, they constructed and enjoyed unrestricted use of military bases in complete disregard for the collective rights of the Ryukyuan/Okinawan to its land, territory, and resources (violating Articles 25-28, 30, and 32 of the UNDRIP). 4. Although Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972, the Japanese and the US governments have continued to impose a heavy burden of US military bases on Okinawa. Currently, Okinawa Prefecture, which makes up only 0.6% of Japan’s total lands area, contains 74% of military facilities in Japan designated for use exclusively by the US military. In 2006, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance Doudou Diène analyzed that this is the result of discriminatory policies violating international law by both the Japanese and US governments2. The overwhelming presence of US military bases has caused a series of human rights violations, such as the violations of the right to life, violence against girls and women, and violations of rights to health, land and the environment. The governments of both Japan and the United States are clearly violating the rights of the Ryukyuan/Okinawan people to the “lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned” (violating Articles 25-27 of the UNDRIP). 5. Currently the Japanese government, together with the US government, is preparing to build another immense military base in Oura Bay off the coast of the Henoko. The construction has caused serious human rights violations against the Ryukyuan/Okinawan people. We desire an immediate improvement in the situation regarding the three most serious human rights violations described below. (1) Violations of Environmental Rights The fertile waters of Oura Bay are surrounded by villages of farmers and fishermen. These waters, traditionally commonly owned and utilized, have been a source of life for generations of villagers. These are also the northernmost waters in which the dugong, a sea mammal considered the protective guardian of the Ryukyuan/Okinawan islands, resides. Thus, this sea holds great spiritual significance. It is also extremely rich in biodiversity, and even more species of coral have been found in the reefs here than in the Great Barrier Reef (refer to Article 8 of the Convention on Biological Diversity). Japanese law requires authorization from the governor of Okinawa in order to reclaim land off the coast of Henoko in the adjacent Oura Bay to facilitate construction of a new military base. Prior to the governor’s authorization, Japan’s Ministry of Defense, which will be in charge of construction, was required to complete an environmental assessment. However, the environmental assessment conducted by the Ministry of Defense only nominally allowed the participation of the area’s residents, and its contents are fundamentally flawed. The most serious problems occurring at the site of the new military base construction in Henoko is the sinking of huge concrete blocks ranging from 20 to 45 tons into the bay. Although the blocks seriously damaged the coral on the ocean floor, which forms the foundation of one of the most biodiverse areas on earth, their use was not included in the assessment. Secondly, the assessment did not take into account the deployment of the new MV-22 Osprey aircraft, and thus did not make any assessment of the noise pollution that will be caused by the Osprey. Thirdly, the assessment of the dugong’s habitat was inadequate. The current chaotic situation, in which many huge concrete blocks have been sunk to the ocean floor in order to anchor rings of floats around the restricted area, and more than a dozen coast guard patrol boats chase protesters in kayaks at high speeds while screaming through loudspeakers, was not anticipated at the time of the assessment. Furthermore, in order to construct the new Henoko base, it will be necessary to acquire huge amounts of sand and soil in order to reclaim land along the coastline. The excavation of sand and soil in order to reclaim land has a drastic impact not only on the vegetation and geology, but also on the rivers near the area of excavation. These concerns were not included in the assessment. Furthermore, excavation of soil and sand along the coastline and from the ocean floor, along with the reclamation of land achieved by dumping massive quantities of soil and sand into the ocean, will undoubtedly cause dramatic changes to the ocean tides around Okinawa’s many islands (see Article 28 of the UNDRIP). (2) Infringement of the right to free expression, peaceful assembly and association The Ryukyuan/Okinawan people has showed clear opposition to the base construction through various elections and protests on land and sea. There have been a number of reports of violence and force used against citizens by Japanese police and US military employees. In February 2015, the US military ordered a security guard to arrest the leader of the protest movement against the new base construction, participating directly in the protest leader’s unjustified detainment and arrest. Japan’s police and coast guard have been violating citizens’ freedom of peaceful assembly by taking video footage of protesters and journalists, looking up their names, and threatening them by name in order to suppress their actions. Furthermore, at sea, the Japan Coast Guard has used violence to forcefully remove protesters, cameramen, and journalists in kayaks and small motor boats by violently detaining them, forcefully moving them, purposely colliding with their boats, and even overturning their boats (violating Articles 19, 21, and 22 of the ICCPR). Freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly have been violated in Okinawa (violating Articles 19, 21, and 22 of the ICCPR). (3) Violation of the right to self-determination In light of the historic background, it is obvious that the Ryukyuan/Okinawan people is an indigenous people who possesses the right to self-determination. The US military bases in Okinawa were constructed in violation of the human rights of the Ryukyuan/Okinawan people, including its right to self-determination. The governments of the United States and Japan agreed to build the new base in Henoko as an alternative military facility to the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which has been called “the most dangerous base in the world,” which will then be closed. However, the will of the Ryukyuan/Okinawan people was not considered in the decision-making process. After the relocation plan was revealed, the Ryukyuan/Okinawan people has expressed their clear opposition to this agreement between the United States and Japanese governments through series of elections at the local, prefectural, and national levels. Last year, candidates opposing the construction of the new base in the Henoko district of Nago have won in the election for the governor of Okinawa and representatives to the lower house of the Japanese Diet. However, the voice of the Ryukyuan/Okinawan people has been entirely ignored by the both the Japanese and US governments. The construction of a new air base will constitute further violation of these rights, and will ensure that this violation of rights becomes permanent. Such injustice cannot be accepted, and we therefore request that the Japanese and the US governments immediately abandon the current construction plan. 1 United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (2014), CERD/C/JPN/CO/7-9 last accessed on 31 August 2015 at: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CERD%2fC%2fJPN%2fCO%2f7-9&Lang=en 2 United Nations (2006), E/CN.4/2006/16/Add.2, last accessed on 31 August 2015 at: https://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G06/103/96/PDF/G0610396.pdf?OpenElement	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1926
__label__wiki	0.553285	0.553285	‘News of the World’ Trailer: Tom Hanks Goes West The last time Tom Hanks and director Paul Greengrass got together, they made Captain Phillips, based on a true story of a cargo ship captain taken hostage by pirates. Now’s as good a time as any to acknowledge: That movie is super underrated, with one of Hanks’s best performances in his entire career. So it’s good news that they’ve got a new collaboration, this one a western called News of the World. It’s based on a 2016 novel by Paulette Jiles, and stars Hanks as a man who travels through the frontier reading the news. He encounters a girl who has spent her entire life with Native Americans and decides to help her return to her family. Watch the first trailer: Here is the film’s official synopsis: Five years after the end of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Hanks), a widower and veteran of three wars, now moves from town to town as a non-fiction storyteller, sharing the news of presidents and queens, glorious feuds, devastating catastrophes, and gripping adventures from the far reaches of the globe. In the plains of Texas, he crosses paths with Johanna (Helena Zengel, System Crasher), a 10-year-old taken in by the Kiowa people six years earlier and raised as one of their own. Johanna, hostile to a world she’s never experienced, is being returned to her biological aunt and uncle against her will. Kidd agrees to deliver the child where the law says she belongs. As they travel hundreds of miles into the unforgiving wilderness, the two will face tremendous challenges of both human and natural forces as they search for a place that either can call home. News of the World is scheduled to open in theaters this Christmas. If that really happens, it would indeed be news. Gallery — Movies That Were Shot Very Quickly: Source: ‘News of the World’ Trailer: Tom Hanks Goes West Filed Under: Tom Hanks	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1929
__label__wiki	0.734491	0.734491	in Art & Culture, Entertainment, General, Inspiring Country Music And The African Connection by How South Africa August 5, 2020, 10:20 am 1.5k Views The term country music is used today to describe many styles and subgenres. The origins of country music are found in the folk music of working class Americans and blue-collar American life. It has been inspired by American popular music, and American folk music which had its roots in Celtic music, traditional English ballads, cowboy songs, corridos, African-American, French folk music, and other folk musical traditions. You could be forgiven as a person of color to assume that Country Music is white people’s music. This is the general assumption because the sector is heavily dominated by whites. Make no mistake about it; Country music has an African imprint. Its popularized roots originated in the Southern United States of the early 1800s. So much so that Country music was “introduced to the world as a Southern phenomenon,” but like all other things in the south, built primarily on enslaved labor, people of African stock rocked the sounds that will be branded country music. In her 2018 TED Talk, ‘The True Origins of Country Music’, Queen Esther makes the case that American roots music – bluegrass, country, and Americana specifically – originates from blues music and West African music traditions. The vocalist and historian asserted that Country music is rooted in Black culture, but as with many things, it has been whitewashed and its economic gains being reaped by others who control the system. “It took 400 years of the Middle Passage, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, arhoolies, spirituals, bloodshed, and sorrow to create blues music. There is no question that this genre – with African musical traditions like call and response and the bluing of note at its essence – is the DNA of American music. Without blues, there would be no rock and roll or any of its derivatives, like punk; and there would definitely be no country or bluegrass,” the African-American vocalist and songwriter who plays country, jazz and Black Americana music noted. The banjo, a key instrument in Country music originated from Africa. It was also called bangie, banjer, banjar and banza created in the early 17th century by African captives and brought to America through the West Indies. A former American president who owned over 600 slaves knew better. “Thomas Jefferson was the first to mention the banjo in a footnote to his Notes on the State of Virginia, published in 1785: “The instrument proper to them [African captives] is the Banjar, which they brought hither from Africa…” It is nearly identical to the akonting of Senegal and Gambia and played with the exact same downstroke technique. Up until the early 1840s, African captives were the only ones who played banjos.” The white man who popularized the banjo, Joel Sweeney, a white blackface minstrel performer learned how to play it from slaves on a Virginia plantation. He will go to become the earliest documented white banjo player who standardized its construction, created a lesson book and sold it. Once phonographs came along in the early 20th century, the sound was also segregated creating categories along racial lines to market and sell music. During the Great Migration North, many Black folks left the banjo, country music and so many other African traditions in the South for a new life elsewhere. Yet the influence of Blacks in country and bluegrass couldn’t be denied. The Carter family owes nearly every musical feat to musician Lesley Riddle who transcribed Negro spirituals for them, adding guitar lessons, establishing the bedrock of country music. Hank Williams has Tee Tot Payne, a guitarist and street performer from Louisiana to thank for knowledge of the passing chords music writing. Then there is Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass who has fiddler and guitarist Arnold Shultz to thank as he gave him his first gig, introduced him to the blues and taught him a Kentucky “thumb style” guitar technique that would make musician Chet Atkins famous. What! Did you say if Blacks forged this music why haven’t you heard of any? Well, despite the media’s skewed reportage and exposure, Black Country singers are around. You could check out Amythyst Kiah, Charley Pride, Linda Martell, and Ray Charles. Ray Charles had operated in the Country music scene since the beginning. Then there’s rapper Lil Nas X’s hip hop country song “Old Town Road”. Despite its global success, the country music industry and fan base shunned Lil Nas X for a good period. Black Country singer and harmonica player DeFord Bailey was the first artiste featured on the debut of the hit country music radio-turned-TV show “Grand Ole Opry” way back in 1927. (Bailey and Pride are the only two black musicians inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.) Even the sound of country (and bluegrass) music — from the banjo to the fiddle — is influenced by our African roots and American adaptations. Need we say more? 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Zimbabwean Communist Party Lashes President Mnangangwa Over R61bn Deal To Compensate White Farmers 10 Lifestyle Habits To Improve Quality Of Life	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1931
__label__wiki	0.822251	0.822251	Joan Miro – Kaufman – Corcoran Views The Shape of Color: Joan Miró’s Painted Sculpture In a career spanning three quarters of the twentieth century, Joan Miró (1893-1983) became one of the most renowned artists of the modern era. His signature two-dimensional works are instantly recognizable – colorful canvases and prints populated by eccentric figures outlined in black, often amid splashes of red, yellow and blue. But his three-dimensional objects in ceramic and sculpture remain relatively unfamiliar, particularly the later sculptures in bronze, plaster, cement and fiberglass, some of which he painted. These works haven’t been the focus of a major US show for three decades, very little has been written about them, and not one resides in a US museum collection. So it is a rare treat to have so many on view at the Corcoran this fall, accompanied by a substantial publication packed with new information about this period of Miró’s work. “It is in sculpture that I will create a truly phantasmagoric world of living monsters,” Miró wrote in his notebooks of 1940-41. But that visionary world would not materialize until the 1960s, when he himself was in his seventies. The result was a race of remarkable creatures or “personnages,” as he called them – generally females, though there is no doubt that some are self-portraits or alter-egos. Although at first they may seem like somewhat ridiculous accumulations of ordinary objects cast in bronze, these colorful constructions embody challenging ideas about identity and artistic expression. Joan Miró was a kind of philosopher-jester, discoursing on life, desire and the enigma of existence, who always managed to make his audience smile. Loath to waste time on trivial matters, the grand themes got his juices flowing-the timeless dance of men and women, the dignity of life lived close to the land, the spiritual wonder of the cosmos. Recurrent motifs in his artistic universe were Woman, Bird and Star – metaphorical counterparts for Earth, Sky and Heaven. Yet however sublime his subjects, he leavened them with humor. SEXUAL IMAGERY Part of the humor of Miró’s sculptures is their unselfconscious embrace of sexuality. Miró was not squeamish when it came to representing people’s privates. His women always display their sex, either as mandorla-shaped recesses, triangular openings, or some variation thereof. Some sculptures’ buttocks appear as two balls affixed to the rear, often flanking a demure circle. He was our foremost artificer of orifices, and a formidable fashioner of phalluses as well. “Remember,” he said, “that in primitive, non-decadent races the sex organ was a magic sign of which man was proud, far from feeling the shame that today’s decadent races feel.” Yet, however flagrant his innuendo, Miró was never crass. As the artist explained late in life, “If I represent sex, it is in the religious sense – like the Hindus. Love is for the gods, pornography for the pigs.” The nude, of course, was a perennial theme in high art. Sex was not, and critics tended to ignore it, preferring to “appreciate” an artwork’s tamer “plastic” aspects such as its color, line and form, oblivious to its overt sexuality. But in 1959 critic Hilton Kramer pointed out what everyone else had overlooked: Mir— had “one thing on his mind at all times – a comical and cosmological fantasy of eroticism.” With the 1960s sexual revolution afoot, others glommed onto the sexual liberation of Miró. The British critic David Sylvester fancied the way Oiseau lunaire (1946; 1966) “rises, all rampant libido, looming up…cocky, bullying, tumescent, and one can imagine avid women urging themselves onto the great spike that sticks out in front of it.” Well, this is a far cry from stuffy formalist criticism. But then, face to face with the erotic anatomy of Miró’s sculptures, what choice does one have? There’s no mistaking what’s what in a work like La caresse d’un oiseau (1967), which features a big, bright red tortoise shell to the denote the figure’s sex. Or in Monsieur et Madame (1969), in which a rigid rectilinear stool represents a man who eyes a woman, here played by a curvy stool with an egg balanced on the seat. If sometimes the iconography is more elusive, and the forms playfully seem to represent more than one body part, deciphering the imagery is half the fun. Miró’s personality and behavior were less salacious than his artistic preoccupations might suggest. Socially reserved, he kept to a few close friends and remained true to the same woman for 64 years. If he had a sexual obsession of sorts, he confined it to the studio. And he rejected Freudian and other interpretations of the work, insisting that there is “nothing literary or intellectual about it.” Indeed, for Miró, sexuality was as innocent and natural a presence in his artistic universe as was his deep and heartfelt connection with his native Catalonia. Miró made Catalonia a leitmotif in his work. Born in Barcelona, he spent much of his youth on the family farm near Taragona where he became inextricably bound to the land and its culture. When he painted landscapes, they were the landscapes of Catalonia. When he gathered objects for sculptures, they were often folk objects redolent of Catalonia. And when he made a political statement, it had to do with Catalan politics. (He contributed an anti-Fascist mural-The Reaper, Peasant in Revolt-to the Spanish Republic’s pavilion at the 1937 Paris World’s Fair where it hung alongside Picasso’s Guernica.) He spent a considerable amount of time in France, first in the 1920s when he mixed with the Parisian avant-garde (Picasso, Breton, Diaghilev, Hemingway, Eluard, Calder and Arp), and the following decade when he and his family fled the Spanish Civil War. But throughout his life, Mir0 returned to the Catalan countryside where he tapped into the homespun honesty of things, to renew the “direct contact with the elements.” During the Second World War, he went to the Mediterranean island of Mallorca where he found a home away from home, an idyllic rustic setting imbued with Catalan culture. There, during the last three decades of his life, he created most of the sculptures in the Corcoran show. POETIC ASSEMBLAGE Rocks, gourds, the trunk of a palm tree, a chunk of bread, a lump of clay – all were placed in the crucible of Miró’s visual imagination. A spigot from the cistern of the family farm, an ironing board, the toilet seat from a rural outhouse – in they would go, cast in bronze and combined in the most astonishing ways. The poet Jacques Dupin recalled, “It all begins with an impromptu harvest. Miró slips out of his studio like a shadow and comes back loaded down like a peddler with worthless, unusable things, everything that nature and men have abandoned, forgotten.” In his studio, Miró would arrange his finds on the floor, decide on a composition, then send the components off to the foundry in Paris where he would supervise their casting. In one work, a broad-brimmed straw sun hat worn by a plowing donkey becomes the face of a figure, with eyeholes cut on either side of the protruding nose. In another piece, the circular lid of a wheat canister becomes a face sprouting a pronged rake, the whole placed atop a three-legged wooden butcher’s table to form a Catalan agrarian totem-with, incidentally, a subtle resemblance to the artist himself. Even his palette of red, yellow, green, blue and black harks back to Catalan Romanesque frescoes. With so much of his work bound up in the region’s identity, it’s little wonder Miró has become one of Catalonia’s most cherished symbols. There’s a strong dose of Surrealism in Miró’s bizarre gatherings of found objects, and more than a dash of Dadaist insolence. They clearly were intended as affronts to convention and social norms of all kinds. There is no doubt that making a bronze cast of an outhouse seat is a grinning provocation to accepted aesthetic taste, but it also is a proud assertion of artistic freedom as well as the dignity of Catalonian peasant life-with a characteristic touch of raucous humor. Miró liked the perversity of using bronze, with its noble high-art associations, to fabricate his far-fetched, deliberately off-handed assemblages of lowly objects. Coating the valuable bronze in “ripolin,” a French house paint, further diminished its elevated status. But Miró didn’t just slap together found objects to thumb his nose at convention. He composed with them in a poetic language related to that of his two-dimensional work. And just as his seemingly free-form paintings were meticulously worked out in drawings, so his sculptures were carefully planned, as the exhibition’s many preparatory drawings illustrate. In any case, Miró’s sculptural metaphors are so far-out, it’s easy to mistake them for abstractions. But he wasn’t an abstract artist. “For me a form is never abstract. It is always a sign of something. It is always a man, a bird or something else,” he said. But neither was he a realist. Abstraction and realism are endpoints of a continuum that includes expressionism, cubism, minimalism and other isms. Miró worked somewhere in the middle ground. He didn’t make pure or “non-objective” abstraction devoid of recognizable images. Had he done so-had he abandoned representation completely-his work would have become less accessible to its audience. Part of the delight in “reading” his sculptures is recognizing what sorts of objects he used, then decoding their descriptive functions in the figures. As the eye searches and the mind stretches, the mouth inevitably begins to a smile, for penetrating Miró’s whimsical visionary universe is invariably an enjoyable experience. Jason Edward Kaufman is a New York-based critic and U.S. Correspondent for The Art Newspaper of London. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian Magazine and other publications. The Shape of Color: Joan Miró’s Painted Sculpture is organized jointly by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, and the Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida, and supported by the Exxon Mobil Corporation, MorganStanley Private Wealth Management, the Alcoa Foundation and the President’s Exhibition Fund. Following its presentation at the Corcoran, the exhibition will be on view at the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida from February 1 – May 4, 2003. This article appeared in Corcoran Views, Fall 2002, pp. 4-7.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1940
__label__wiki	0.739381	0.739381	Jeffrey L. Diamond Live to Tape Series: Ethan Benson Thrillers #2 Published by: Page Publishing, Inc. Ethan Benson has no idea his life is about to change when he walks through the door of The Weekly Reporter where he's starting a new job as a senior producer, charged with managing the show's mercurial anchorman, Peter Sampson. As he settles in on his first day, he's summoned by the show's executive producer and assigned to a story about a rich and famous heart surgeon, Rufus Wellington, who's confessed to the murder of a young runaway he picked up on the gritty streets of south Boston's notorious combat zone. On the surface, the story appears to be a random sex crime—the case two years old, the investigation long wrapped and mothballed, the killer convicted and locked behind bars, refusing to talk about his victim or the murder. But as Ethan launches his production, exploring the facts and meeting the principal characters, he begins to unravel a sinister conspiracy by the law enforcement officials charged with investigating the crime and a pervasive cover-up by the killer's inner circle that's driven by money, greed, and fear. With all the classic elements of a good murder mystery, Live to Tape is steeped in the nuances of television production. The story is structured around Ethan's skills as an award-winning producer, unfolding as he builds his team of researchers, associate producers, camera crews, lighting directors, and digital editors, and then taking the reader through the various steps of production as he searches for clues, travels to the murder site, meets with confidential sources, and discovers a host of dangerous villains as he searches for the truth. Running parallel to the crime story is the human story of our hero—the man, the husband, the father—with all his flaws and foibles. Poignant, sensitive, and heartbreaking, Ethan hides his fears and battles his inner demons in a bottle of Scotch. A murder mystery in the classic sense of the genre, Live to Tape brings the reader into the world of television news with all its infighting and backstabbing, the author using his forty years of experience as a producer and a reporter to create a host of unforgettable characters and a hero who is driven by inner turmoil to unravel the story behind the story. "Live to Tape, the next Ethan Benson psychological murder mystery unfolds through the investigative journalism process. Utilizing a crack staff at The Weekly Reporter, Jeff Diamond's character, Ethan Benson, uncovers the diabolical mind of a murderer through the on camera interview. The attention to detail and the crafting of the story kept me in suspense with many revelations along the way. Unanswered questions, conspiracies, lowlife characters, corruption, and payoffs all come together to weave a page turning novel. Highly recommended." -Michael Pulitzer, Jr., retired Broadcast Executive, Hearst Argyle Television "Jeff Diamond's Live to Tape details the efforts of a dogged television journalist who investigates a lurid crime, discovers a widespread cover-up, and, in the process, puts his career, marriage, and life at risk. Jeff creates, through his forty year career in network television news, a compelling 'I can't put this down' crime novel. The conclusion will leave you breathless." -William Lord, former ABC News Executive Producer & Vice President "The suspense sucks you in on the very first page. Ethan Benson—an award-winning TV news producer and crime-fighting sleuth—is assigned to a frightening but engrossing murder mystery. We hold our breath as we watch him unravel the dark secret of a terrifying killer, all the while fighting his own personal demons. Ethan may be flawed, stubborn, and irascible, but damn he's good. I couldn't put Live to Tape down until that explosive end." -Bill Ritter, Anchor, Eyewitness News, WABC-TV "Jeff Diamond has created a character to rival Hannibal Lechter and a book both chilling and touching. He draws on his extraordinary television experience to give real veracity to every scene and character. As one who has traveled in this world, I am in awe of the research, depth, and detail he brings to his work. A riveting fast-paced thriller with an unexpectedly poignant and powerful twist, this is what they mean by thriller." -Karen Burnes, former Correspondent ABC News, CBS News "Only those who have met evil up close and in person can understand how seemingly normal, successful people can sink to shocking levels of depravity. Author Jeffrey L. Diamond, in his decades of work as a journalist, has looked into evil's eyes in the real world, listened to calculated words, and used those memories to create one of the most terrifying killers in fiction, Dr. Rufus Wellington. Live to Tape is a rapid-fire thriller with news producer, Ethan Benson, fighting his own personal demons while digging into what on the surface is the murder of a young girl, but which he eventually comes to realize is much more terrifying. This behind-the-scenes look at the world of television news and its outsized egos is coupled with a smart detective story that will keep you up many a night." -Don Dahler, Novelist and Correspondent CBS This Morning The night was warm and still, a full moon shimmering brightly in the crystal clear waters of the Quabbin Reservoir as the doctor dragged a fraying garbage bag through the dense forest, bumping the contents over jagged rocks and prickly beds of pine needles. Soaked in sweat, his white shirt stuck to his chest, his khaki pants rode uncomfortably up his calves like an extra layer of skin. He was covered in blood, his hands and face smeared with the congealing liquid, his clothes soaked in a sticky brown paste. Out of breath, he hurried down a narrow footpath and entered a small clearing overgrown with ferns and wild flowers. He stopped and listened. The melancholy calls of tree frogs echoed in the distance. A swarm of mosquitoes buzzed around his head. He turned and looked back down the trail. Nobody could have followed him here. Wiping his face with the sleeve of his shirt, he slipped off his heavy canvas backpack and pulled out a shovel, a pickaxe, and a selection of tools he thought might be useful, lining them up meticulously, by size, in a neat row. Then he started digging, his mind firing in a kaleidoscope of lustful memories. She was a young girl he'd met trolling a red light district in south Boston. He'd seen her standing there on a sleazy street corner, barely dressed, in her see through blouse, tight short jeans, her thighs showing, her breasts beckoning, and that's when it started—his hunt, his pursuit, his obsession. Stalking her for days, he watched her hook up with one john after another, before finally getting up the nerve and approaching her for a date. Soon he was seeing her every week, then every day, then every night—wining and dining her at all the best restaurants, showering her with fine diamonds and furs, and sweeping her off in his chauffeured limousine for romantic weekends at his country estate. He began to twitch, his eyes fluttering wildly, as he tried to remember just when he'd fallen in love with her—picturing her silky skin, her sweet-smelling hair, and the delicate features of her face. He'd longed to spend his life with her. To cherish her. To possess her. "Why had she said, no?" The words bounced back and forth in his mind like an exploding cannon ball. "Why didn't she want me? Why wouldn't she marry me? Why did she make me feel so insignificant like a speck of dust floating in the wind? I loved her. Loved her. LOVED HER!" he wailed, crestfallen, tears streaming down his cheeks, soaking his collar. He wiped his forehead and continued digging, remembering how she'd sneered contemptuously, and how she'd laughed at him. All he'd wanted was to crawl under a rock and make the pain go away. But that's not what happened. That's not what he did. He stopped digging and howled in pain, his tongue darting in and out of his mouth moistening his dry lips as he obsessed about everything he'd just done to her—the images vivid in his mind—tracking her around his bedroom, naked and screaming, kicking her with his feet, pummeling her with his fists, blackening her eyes, smashing her nose, ruining her beautiful face. She'd crumpled to the floor—blood gushing from her chin and onto her voluptuous breasts—begging, begging him to stop, begging him to forgive her. But she never admitted, not once, that she desired him as much as he desired her. That she wanted to be with him forever. That she wanted to live as man and wife. "So I couldn't forgive her," he wailed. "Never. Never. NEVER! I had to make her pay for not loving me.” He stopped digging, trying to calm down, his mind a jumble of discordant thoughts as he pictured her crawling on her hands and knees, trying to get away from him—her face bloody with bruises and abrasions. Then he'd kicked her again and again, in her stomach, in her side, between her legs, watching her head seesaw like a pendulum as her eyes rolled back behind her eyelids and she passed into darkness. God had ordained it. She had to disappear before the pain would go away. He laughed, in a frenzy, as he always did when he was out of control and remembered what he'd done to her next. He'd yanked her out of his bedroom, across the long twisting hallways, and down the back staircase, her head bumping each step—thump, thump, thump—as he dragged her through the living room, the sitting room, the dining room, the kitchen, and down there to his special place, to his secret place, to the place that made him whole, to the place where he became who he was. That's when she'd awakened for the last time, shrieking, promising not to tell anyone about the horrible things he'd just done to her, pleading for her life. But he didn't listen. No. No. Too late for that. That's where he'd murdered her. Alone now in the meadow, clouds floating across the sky, blocking the moonlight and casting ominous shadows over the landscape, he finished digging and climbed out of her grave. "Why did you have to mock me?" he whimpered like a child. "I loved you. Cherished you. Worshipped you with all of my heart. Why did you forsake me?" Then he carefully peeled away the plastic bag and placed her body in a grotesque tableau. Here was that beautiful young woman. Never to smile again. Never to laugh again. Never to bring joy to him or anyone else. His face stiffened into a sneer as he stepped back and admired his handiwork, before quickly filling in the grave, stomping on the loose earth until it was hard, and scattering a layer of leaves and tree branches over it. Satisfied, he collected his tools and started back to his house. He didn't get far. At the edge of the clearing, a light beam fell on him—and then another. A half dozen policemen were racing up the narrow footpath toward him—weapons drawn. They stopped abruptly, startled, when they recognized him. "Dr. Wellington," said the sheriff, Eugene McKenzie, a mountain of a man with bulging muscles and a long, thick neck that strained his neatly pressed shirt collar. "We got a 911 call from your neighbor who heard screaming coming from your house. The dispatcher back at the station sent out a code red, but nobody was home when we knocked at the door, so we searched the yard then decided to canvass the rest of your property. Everything okay, Dr. Wellington?" he said suspiciously. "Everything's just fine, Sheriff," the doctor said truculently. "What are you doin' all alone out here in the woods in the middle of the night?" the sheriff said, shining his flashlight up and down the doctor's disheveled clothing. "You're covered in mud. You been diggin' somethin'?” The doctor looked down at his soiled clothes, his body reeking of sweat. "Guess I couldn't sleep. So I went for a long walk in the fresh air and got rid of some garbage from the house," he said. "Now I should ask you the same question, Sheriff. What are you doing trespassing on my property? I suggest you and your men get off my land. Before I call my lawyer.” "Can't do that, Dr. Wellington," McKenzie said adamantly. "There's blood on your back porch and a trail leading down to the clearing." The sheriff took two steps closer, raising his gun. "Where'd all the blood come from? Did you hurt yourself? Did you hurt somebody else?” "I have no idea what you're talking about," Dr. Wellington said indignantly. "I live alone, and you and your men all know that. In fact, everybody knows everybody else's business—including mine—here at the Quabbin." His eyes followed the sheriff's deputies fanning out across the meadow, continuing to search, waving their flashlights in small arcs in front of them, inching closer to the makeshift gravesite. "It's time for you to go, Eugene. Get off of my land.” “Nope. Not yet," the sheriff said, still pointing his gun. "You still got some explaining to do. See, you're covered in blood too. It's all over your hands and face and on your clothes. How'd it get there?” The doctor reached up and touched his cheek. A speck of blood caked under his fingernail. "Over here," one of the deputies shouted from across the clearing. "I think I found something," he said, shining his flashlight over the fresh mound of earth. "It may be a grave. What do you want us to do?” “Sift through it carefully," McKenzie said dubiously, "and for Christ sake, be careful. Step away and wait for forensics if you find anything." The sheriff glared at the doctor. "Turn around and put your hands behind your back." He snapped on handcuffs. "Now let's go see what's hiding in that hole over there." He grabbed the doctor roughly by his shirt collar and pushed him toward the deputy who was crawling on his hands and knees, gingerly removing loose debris. "What are we gonna find, Dr. Wellington?" he said. "Did you use those tools you're carrying to bury somebody?” The doctor didn't answer. "Oh, Lord Jesus, I found something," the deputy said, turning and retching up his dinner. The sheriff leaned over and stared aghast, then bellowed across the meadow. "Cordon off the entire area and don't touch anything else. Call the coroner and get the crime lab down here. We got ourselves a murder, and we got ourselves a prime suspect." He turned to the doctor. "Now lay down and don't move a muscle, or so help me God, I'll blow your fucking head off.” The doctor began to cackle, the sound of madness echoing across the meadow as he fell to his knees and collapsed on the ground. After all those years of meticulous execution, he'd finally made a mistake. Now there was no escaping his past. No escaping the truth. A sinister smile broke out on Dr. Rufus Wellington's face as he looked up at the sheriff with hatred in his eyes. Then his body went limp. And his mind devolved into a cauldron of chaos. Copyright © 2021 Jeffrey Diamond. Site by AuthorBytes.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1942
__label__wiki	0.514904	0.514904	Bill Cosby Teaches Jimmy Fallon to Dance, Maybe Invites Him for a Threesome Madeleine Davies Bill Cosby was on last night's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to promote his new concert tour and, much to the pleasure of viewers everywhere, stepped out in full stand-up mode. This version of Cosby may have come to the surprise of the nation's youth who, for the most part, are much more familiar with him from his work on The Cosby Show or schilling Jello than they are with him as a fairly aggressive comedian. The surprise, however, was much welcomed as Cosby hilariously demonstrated the best way to dance for laughs, while, at the same time, scorning the audience for laughing to easily. Fallon later brought up Cosby's earlier days as an athlete, showing off some rather foxy photos of Bill in the early '50s. This somehow led to what might have been an invite — or command — that Jimmy involve himself in Cosby and his wife's nighttime routine. Jimmy seemed happy to oblige. Bil Cosby was in attendance at my college graduation. I was walking through a crowd and suddenly came face to face with him. It was the weirdest feeling— he was a stranger (and a huge celebrity), and yet I felt like I had known him my whole life, after watching "The Cosby Show" religiously as a kid. I totally froze, and the only thing I could think of to say was, "wow, HI!" I got the distinct impression that he had been getting similar reactions from my fellow graduates all afternoon.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1944
__label__wiki	0.758386	0.758386	Home Arts & EntertainmentTheatre Pat O'Malley http://www.jgautographs.com/product/details/vintage-postcard/pat-omalley/1159685 $15.00 - Product is currently out of stock. Pat O'Malley (September 3, 1890 – May 21, 1966), American vaudeville and stage performer prior to starting a prolific film career at the age of sixteen, vintage silver print postcard. Born as Patrick Henry O'Malley, Jr. in Forest City, Pennsylvania, O'Malley also had circus experience by the time he discovered an interest in motion pictures. His screen career dates from the days of Kalem and Edison. From 1918 to 1927, he appeared in scores of silents as both a leading man and a character actor, in such classics as: 'The Heart of Humanity,' 'My Wild Irish Rose,' 'The Virginian,' and in the adaptation of bestseller, 'Brothers Under the Skin.' O'Malley had aged rather suddenly, and he saw his career decline with the advent of sound. He was quickly relegated to supporting parts, and appeared in some four-hundred films in bit parts and supporting roles. He guest starred on the early musical series Faye Emerson's 'Wonderful Town' on CBS. O'Malley remained "on call" into the early 1960s for such TV shows as 'The Twilight Zone' and such films as 'Days of Wine and Roses.' Verso bears original graphics and stamping, else blank and clean. In very good condition. View All Pat O'Malley Autographed Playbill Autographed Letter Pacific Overtures Unsigned vintage 8 x 10 inch publicity photograph Jerry Lewis (Peter Warrack)	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1945
__label__wiki	0.782429	0.782429	WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center ADMINISTRATIVE PANEL DECISION Pohang Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. v. Peijie Lu Case No. D2001-0319 1. The Parties The Complainant is Pohang Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., a Korean corporation with its principal place of business located in Seoul, Republic of Korea (the "Complainant"). The Respondent is Peijie Lu, an individual having an address at Chanjiang Part, 25-501, Huanggu District, Shenyang, 110033, China (the "Respondent") 2. The Domain Name and Registrar The domain name at issue is <posco.com>. The Registrar is Tucows.Com, Inc of 96 Mowat Ave, Toronto, ON, Canada M6K3MI (the "Registrar"). 3. Procedural History The electronic copy of the Complaint was submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization Arbitration and Mediation Center (the "Center") on March 5, 2001. The hardcopy of the Complaint was received on March 14, 2001. The Center sent an Acknowledgement of Receipt to the Complainant on March 7, 2001. The Complaint identified the following as Respondents: 1. ShenYang Goodfriend Electronic Information Consulting Center having a business address at Ningda Hotel, 8th Floor, Room 823, Shifu Road, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001, China ("SGEICC"); and 2. eDigitals.com, having a business address at Jaeil Building, 3rd Floor, Banpo-1 Dong, 723-23, Seocho-Ku, Seoul, Republic of Korea ("eDigitals"). On March 8, 2001, the WIPO Center sent a Request for Registrar Verification to the Registrar to which the Registrar responded on March 12, 2001, that the registrant of the domain name is neither SGEICC nor eDigitals but is the Respondent. The Center accordingly transmitted a Notification of Complaint Deficiency to the Complainant on March 13, 2001. On March 22, 2001, the Complainant electronically submitted an Amended Complaint changing the Respondent together with supporting documents and affidavits to the Center. The hardcopy of the same followed on March 26, 2001. On March 27, 2001, the Center forwarded the Notification of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding, together with a copy of the Complaint and the Amended Complaint to the Respondent, by post/courier and email. On April 6, 2001, the postal-mail of the Notification of Complaint was returned from the Respondent’s postal address. Nevertheless, on April 15, 2001, the Respondent submitted a Response together with supporting documents to the Center. A hardcopy of the Response was received by the Center on May 1, 2001. The Response confirmed the Respondent’s postal address as the same postal address referred to in the Amended Complaint and the WHOIS record for the contested domain name. The Center sent an Acknowledgement of Receipt of Respondent’s Response on April 17, 2001. The Center also sent a Notification of Response Deficiency to the Respondent on April 17, 2001, for: 1. Failure to submit one original and four copies of the Response pursuant to Paragraph 5(b) of the Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy ("Rules") and Paragraph 3(c) of the WIPO Supplemental Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy ("Supplemental Rules"); 2. Failure to pay the requisite fee pursuant the Respondent’s election for a three-member Administrative Panel; and 3. Failure to identify three candidates pursuant to the above election. The Respondent was required to remedy the deficiencies by April 19, 2001. The Respondent failed to remedy the second and third deficiencies by April 19, 2001. Accordingly, on May 8, 2001, the Center forwarded a Notification of Appointment of Administrative Panel by email to the parties appointing Soh Kar Liang as the Sole Panelist. The Sole Panelist finds the Administrative Panel properly constituted and appointed in accordance with the Rules and Supplemental Rules. The language of the proceedings is English. Various documents (including trademark registration information sheets) annexed to the Amended Complaint and Response were not in English. On May 11, 2001, this Panel, through the Center, requested English translations of the same from the parties. This Panel was subsequently advised by the Center that the Respondent’s email address had ceased functioning. As such, the request for translations was sent to the Respondent’s postal address confirmed in the Response. On May 21, 2001, this Panel received translations for the trademark registration information sheets annexed to the Amended Complaint. However, English translations for non-English documents annexed to the Response remain outstanding at the time of this decision. On May 25, 2001, this Panel issued a Procedural Order requesting further submissions from the parties to address allegations in the Amended Complaint that the Respondent is employed by, affiliated with or the agent of SGEICC and eDigital. The Respondent’s email address remained non-functional and the Procedural Order was sent to the Respondent’s postal address. The Complainant and Respondent were required to make submissions by June 1, 2001, and June 7, 2001, respectively. The date scheduled for this Panel’s decision was accordingly fixed as June 22, 2001. On June 1, 2001, the Complainant complied with the Procedural Order in the form of a Rebuttal to the Response. A copy of the Rebuttal to the Response was emailed and postal-mailed to the Respondent on the same day. The Respondent’s email address remained non-functional and the Center’s postal mail to the Respondent was returned from the Respondent’s postal address on June 5, 2001. The Respondent did not provide any submissions pursuant to the Procedural Order. 4. Factual Background The Complainant holds 77 trademark and service mark registrations for the word POSCO on its own or in combination with other elements. In particular, there are: a) 68 registrations in Republic of Korea; b) 7 registrations in Japan; and c) 2 registrations in the United States of America. All the registrations relate to "steel" and related goods and services. The Complainant is the registrant of the domain name <posco.co.kr>. The domain name in dispute <posco.com> was originally registered by SGEICC which is located in Shenyang, China, the same city as that of the Respondent’s postal address. The WHOIS record for <posco.com> was created on March 7, 2000. The domain name was subsequently transferred to the Respondent. The Respondent has never been an agent of, or employed by the Complainant to sell, distribute or promote the Complainant’s POSCO products. The Complainant and the Respondent have never been directly involved in any type of business relationship. Pursuant to the powers given under Rule 10(a), this Panel has verified that: a) a website relating to the Complainant exists at the URL <posco.co.kr>; b) no webpage or website exists at the URL <posco.com>; and c) the WHOIS record for <posco.com> as of June 11, 2001, does not reflect any change in the email or postal addresses of the Respondent as indicated in the Complaint or Response. The record also refers to the same name, email and postal addresses as the Respondent’s details for the administrative contact, technical contact and billing contact. 5. Parties’ Contentions A. The Complaint The Complainant contends in the Complaint that (extracts from the Complaint are enclosed in quotation marks and italicised): 1. Except for the Top Level Domain ".com", "the domain name is identical or confusingly similar to the Complainant’s trademark POSCO". 2. The Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests with respect to <posco.com> for the following reasons: 2.1 To the best of the Complainant’s knowledge, the Respondent has not conducted any business in the steel industry in Republic of Korea and the Respondent has not obtained any rights or legitimate interests as a result of any contact and/or business relationship with the Complainant. 2.2 SGEICC had registered and maintained the domain name <posco.com> on behalf of eDigitals pursuant to an agency agreement dated August 30, 2000 (the "Agreement"). The Agreement as annexed to the Complaint was in Korean. The accompanying English translation interprets Articles 1 to 3 of the Agreement as follows: "Article 1 (Object) "All internet domain names including ‘digital.com.cn’ that are registered, and will be registered in the Republic of China in the name of Mr Kim, Il-sung, the representative of [SGEICC], and information related to the internet. "Article 2 (Purposes) "The purpose of this Agreement is to assist [eDigitals] to carry out an internet business within the Republic of China. "Article 3 (Method of Management) [eDigitals] shall take all responsibilities for the maintenance of the domain names and the costs incurred in connection with the domain names. Mr Kim, Il-sung shall allow [eDigitals] to use his name in connection with the registration of the domain names." 2.3 "The Respondent is an employee of and/or affiliated with SGEICC, the former registrant of the disputed domain name, and/or eDigitals, the principal owner of the disputed domain name ... SGEICC subsequently transferred the rights to the domain name to the Respondent, who is currently maintaining the domain name as an agent of SGEICC and eDigitals" 2.4 eDigitals’ representative, a Mr. Sam-Hee Cho, met Mr. Jin Geun Yoo of the Complainant at the Complainant’s office on February 7, 2001. At the meeting, Cho admitted that <posco.com> was registered to pressure the Complainant to invest in eDigitals. Cho stated that he would transfer <posco.com> to the Complainant in exchange for the Complainant’s investment of US$166,600.00 into eDigitals. Mr. Yoo has provided an affidavit testifying to the fact and content of the meeting between Cho and himself. 2.5 Mr. Yoo’s affidavit also indicated that Mr. Cho had claimed at the meeting that eDigitals is in the business of buying and selling domain names and eDigitals own several hundred domain names. As such, there is a pattern of registering a domain name to prevent the trademark owner from reflecting the trademark as a corresponding domain name under Rule 4(b)(ii). 2.6 On or about March 7, 2001, shortly after the original Complaint was filed, but before the Notice of Complaint and Commencement of Administrative Proceeding was delivered to the Registrar, SGEICC transferred the domain name to the Respondent in order to circumvent the current proceedings. 3. <posco.com> was registered and is being used in bad faith for the same reasons stated in paragraphs 2(4) and 2(5) above. In addition, the Complainant contended that the registration of a domain name primarily for the purpose of selling the domain name for valuable consideration in excess of out of pocket costs is considered "bad faith" use of the domain name. The Complainant accordingly requested the transfer of <posco.com> to the Complainant. B. The Response This Panel found the style and structure of the Response difficult to follow but identifiably raised the following contentions against the Complainant’s request for transfer of <posco.com>: 1. The Respondent had bought <posco.com> from SGEICC in late February 2001, and the transaction had been in progress before that. 2. The Complainant had no rights in the word POSCO. Many other companies are using the trademark POSCO. For example, a Japanese company, Pos Systems, is operating a website at <posco.co.jp>. There are trademark registrations for POSCO at the USPTO not owned by the Complainant. The Respondent particularly identified: 2.1 Registration No 2065397 which covers furniture 2.2 Registration No 1386552 which covers unwrought and partly wrought common metals 2.3 Registration No 2019695 which covers paints 3. Complainant’s trademarks and <posco.com> are identical but many others are using POSCO and <posco.com> will only be used to provide information and does not infringe the trademark POSCO. 4. The Respondent cited Asphalt Research Technology Inc. v. Anything.com (WIPO Case No. D2000-0967) in support of his contention that registration of a generic domain non-famous domain name establishes legitimate interest and delays in developing a website will not remove that legitimate interest. 5. The Respondent had a plan to develop a website under the domain <posco.com> to provide information on the city of Shenyang but could not launch the website because the Respondent could not edit the WHOIS information. In support, the Respondent referred to a business plan and a browser printout of an HTML document. On this basis, the Respondent claimed to have a legitimate interest in <posco.com> and did not register it in bad faith. 6. <posco.com> was not registered and is not being used in bad faith because: 6.1 "POSCO" is an abbreviation of "Portal of Shenyang, Co" or "Portal of Shenyang, Company". The Respondent had tried to register <pos.com>, <posc.com>, <poscom.com>, <posinc.com> and <poscompany.com> but they were already taken. 6.2 The Respondent does not like cybersquatting and did not cybersquat. 7. The Complainant must prove relations between SGEICC and the Respondent. 8. The Complainant has not demonstrated that <posco.com> was registered or used in bad faith for the following reasons: 8.1 The Respondent had neither knowledge of the Complainant nor the trademark POSCO. The Respondent, being a resident of China had no basis for knowing of the Complainant’s trademark registrations in Republic of Korea and China at the time <posco.com> was registered. The Respondent did not know that POSCO was a well-known trademark prior to registering <posco.com> because the Complainant had not advertised its products and trademark through the mass media in China. The Complainant’s products were also highly-specialized products. 8.2 The Respondent had refused to sell <posco.com> despite an offer from a third party to buy it. In any event, an offer to sell a generic domain name after being contacted by a trademark holder does not constitute bad faith. 8.3 The Complainant is committing reverse domain name hijacking. 8.4 The Complainant could have registered <posco.com> in the past but did not do so. C. The Rebuttal Pursuant to the Procedural Order of May 25, 2001, the Complainant submitted a Rebuttal to the Response. Other than repeating the allegations which prompted this Panel to issue the Procedural Order, the Rebuttal did not address the issues directed by the Procedural Order. The Panel therefore finds the Rebuttal to be of no assistance in that respect. The Rebuttal also included further bare allegations which are summarized as follows: 1. Whether another person may be using the term POSCO does not mean that the Complainant does not have rights in the term and the Respondent had admitted that <posco.com> is identical to POSCO. 2. In view of the Complainant’s advertising of "POSCO" and substantial business in China, the Respondent had actual or constructive knowledge of POSCO as a trademark before he registered <posco.com>; 3. POSCO is not a generic word and WIPO Case No D2000-0967 is not applicable. 4. The POSCO trademark is famous worldwide, including in China. The Complainant has advertised POSCO in China and has conducted substantial business there. Therefore, the Respondent had actual or constructive knowledge of the POSCO trademark. 5. The Respondent’s business proposal is a sham. 6. Discussion and Findings Procedural matters Before proceeding with a discussion on the contentions of the parties, it is pertinent for the Panel to state its view regarding some procedural matters. Rule 10(b) states: "In all cases, the Panel shall ensure that the Parties are treated with equality and that each Party is given a fair opportunity to present its case." To the best of this Panel’s knowledge, the concern of equality and natural justice finds expression in every legal system, albeit in different incarnations and to different degrees. Not only must justice be done, justice must also be seen to be done. As such, we see in Rule 2(a) an elaborate scheme of action to exhaust all reasonable options to achieve actual notice of a complaint to the concerned Respondent. The Rules are however silent on how actual notice of subsequent communications should be ensured. In particular, where a Panel has requested further statements or documents (see Rules 10(a) and Rule 12), the Rules do not provide express guidance on this issue. So in this case, where communication of the Procedural Order of May 21, 2001, to the Respondent does not appear to have been achieved, this Panel has to decide on how to proceed. A convenient view would be to apply Rule 2(a) to ensure that all reasonable options are exhausted. However, this Panel in exercise of its powers under Rule 10(a) and being very conscious of its responsibilities under Rule 10(c) has decided not to extend Rule 2(a) to the communication of the Procedural Order for the following reasons: 1. It is understandable that a Respondent may not have maintained current contact information with the relevant Registrar, although the Respondent would normally owe a contractual obligation to the Registrar to ensure current contact information is maintained. Therefore, there is a need to go the extra mile to ensure that a Complaint reaches the Respondent and the Respondent is given a chance to respond. 2. When a Complaint has been communicated, it is not just a contractual obligation for the Respondent to maintain current contact information. The Respondent’s interest is at stake and the Respondent has to be diligent to see to it that he receives all communication regarding the proceedings initiated by the Complaint. 3. The Complaint was communicated to the Respondent and it was fair to expect the Respondent to be well aware of the nature of the proceedings and the need to be reachable by the Center. 4. Further, the Respondent had confirmed the Respondent’s contact information and preferred method of communication in the Response. Therefore, there was a positive assertion by the Respondent that the contact information and preferred method of communication will ensure that communications reach the Respondent. 5. With knowledge of the Complaint, and with its domain name registration at stake, the Respondent must be responsible to inform the Center and the relevant Registrar of any change in the Respondent’s contact information. In this case, pursuant to Rule 10(a), this Panel has verified that the WHOIS record of <posco.com> as of June 18, 2001, continued to provide the same contact information for the Respondent as that in the Complaint and Response. The postal and email addresses of the Respondent were no longer functional and the Respondent has failed to update the Center or the Registrar with current contact information. The Complainant was given 7 days to make further submissions pursuant to the Procedural Order. In exchange, the Respondent was given 7 days as well to reply. Although the Complainant had made submissions beyond the Procedural Order, the Respondent could have countered those submissions in reply. In view of the above reasons, any failure on the part of the Respondent to reply and any prejudice suffered thereby are really the Respondent’s fault. Therefore, this Panel finds that a fair opportunity has been given to the Respondent to present its case in relation to the Procedural Order and the extraneous submissions of the Complainant. In the circumstances, this Panel will proceed to decide upon the proceedings on the basis of the Complaint, the Response and the Rebuttal without the Respondent’s reply to the Rebuttal. In order to succeed in this proceeding, Article 4(a) of the Policy requires the Complainant to prove the existence of each of the following elements: 1. <posco.com> is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights; and 2. The Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of <posco.com>; and 3. <posco.com> has been registered and is being used in bad faith. Identical or confusingly similar trademark By virtue of the 77 trademark registrations of the Complainant for the trademark POSCO, this Panel holds that the Complainant has rights in the trademark POSCO. Even if the Complainant’s trademark rights may be limited to the countries and goods and services covered by the various trademark registrations, unless and until all these registrations are invalidated, it cannot be maintained that the Complainant does not have any rights whatsoever in the trademark POSCO. Whether other parties also have rights in the word POSCO (as a trademark or otherwise) or are using the trademark POSCO is irrelevant for determination of this issue. It is also noted that the Respondent had admitted that the domain name is identical to the trademark. The ".com" portion of the domain name <posco.com>, being a non-distinguishing feature should be ignored when comparing the domain name against the relevant trademark. Based on the above, this Panel finds that the domain name <posco.com> (disregarding the ".com" portion) is identical to the Complainant’s trademark POSCO. Upon examining the Respondent’s basis for claiming a legitimate interest, this Panel finds the Respondent’s contentions unsupported by evidence or irrelevant. More specifically: 1. The Respondent has not shown any real plans to develop the website prior to the Complaint in the manner as claimed by the Respondent. This Panel does not consider the HTML document and business proposal credible. The HTML document appeared to be a detailed webpage. However, despite what appeared to be links in the document to other related documents, the Respondent did not provide any evidence of the pages which should have been linked to this document. A website invariably incorporates several webpages. The development of a website ordinarily involves some form of design specification, graphical mockups and skeletal drafts of the main pages which progresses in detail towards a set of web pages comprising the whole website. The HTML document appears to be a fully developed home or main page but without any hint of the existence of the prior development steps or at least partially developed related pages. This, together with the lack of any explanation, is unusual. The Panel does not see why the Respondent needed to edit the WHOIS information of <posco.com> to launch the website. The Respondent did not provide any information on the same. Similarly, the business plan was undated and there was no evidence on whether or how the business plan had been used. 2. The Respondent’s reliance on WIPO Case No. D2000-0967 was misplaced. That case dealt with generic, descriptive domain names and was really limited to its circumstances. The Respondent in that case had successfully shown that the relevant domain name was actively redirecting browsers to another domain name and there were steps undertaken to develop a website under the relevant domain name. Therefore, a delay in putting up a website under the domain name was excusable. Here, there was no credible evidence of a website or business development. Although the Respondent has failed to show a right or legitimate interest in <posco.com>, the burden remains on the Complainant to show that the Respondent in fact does not have a right or legitimate interest in <posco.com>. In this Panel’s view, the Complainant submission on the absence of a website under the domain name is insufficient to justify a finding that the Respondent had no right or legitimate interest in the domain name. Even if there was positive evidence that no website was intended at the domain name, there is still a reasonable possibility that there could be a legitimate interest in the domain name. Web services are but only one type of service on the Internet that uses the domain name system. A domain name may also be used on the Internet for other services like file transfer protocol services and mail. Therefore, this Panel is not prepared to find that there is no right or legitimate interest in the domain name simply on the basis of the absence of a website. It appears on a plain reading of the English translation of the Agreement that it relates only to domain names at the ".CN" country code Top Level Domain ("TLD"). Nothing in the Agreement expressly points to a relationship between SGEICC and eDigital regarding ".com" domain names, or for that matter domain names beyond the ".CN" country code TLD. The Agreement does indicate the possibility that there is a relationship between SGEICC and eDigital which could go beyond ".CN" domain names. This Panel accepts Mr. Yoo’s affidavit testimony that SGEICC is a front for eDigital and Mr. Cho’s admission that <posco.com> was registered to pressure the Complainant to invest in eDigital and that Mr. Cho would procure the transfer of <posco.com> to the Complainant in exchange for the Complainant’s investment of US$166,600.00 into eDigitals. It is accepted that such testimony may have limited admissibility or weight in some jurisdictions. However, in view of the nature of administrative proceedings such as this, it will be allowed. This Panel accordingly holds, on a balance of probabilities, that eDigitals and thereby SGEICC did not have a right or legitimate interest to register the domain name. Therefore, all that remained was for the Complainant to translate SGEICC’s lack of a right or legitimate interest to the Respondent. The Complainant had undertaken a 2- pronged approach, namely that (1) the Respondent was an agent, employee or affiliate of SGEICC or eDigitals, and (2) the domain name was transferred to the Respondent to avoid a panel decision against SGEICC. A finding for the Complainant on these grounds would in the circumstances also result in a finding that there was bad faith registration and use of the domain name, or at least raise a case for the Respondent to answer. Unfortunately, the Complainant failed to prove either ground. The Complainant’s allegation that the Respondent was an employee of or affiliated with SGEICC or eDigitals, or that the Respondent maintained the domain name as an agent of SGEICC or eDigitals was a bare allegation unsupported by any evidence. An opportunity was given to the Complainant in the Procedural Order to support this allegation but the Complainant failed to do so. Therefore, in the face of a denial by the Respondent, this Panel has to hold on a balance of probabilities that the Complainant had failed to show the same. The Complainant’s allegation that <posco.com> was transferred to the Respondent after the original Complaint was filed but before the Notice of Commencement of Administrative Proceeding was delivered to the Registrar was also another bare allegation unsupported by any evidence. The Complainant repeated the same allegation in the Rebuttal but failed to provide any evidence for its contention. Although a transfer to the Respondent before the delivery of the Notice of Commencement of Administrative Proceeding to the Registrar should have been accepted and effected by the Registrar, a transfer prior to the original Complaint should also have been accepted and effected by the Registrar. In view of these possibilities, it was not enough for the Complainant to rely on a bare allegation. On the other hand, the Respondent has indicated that negotiations with SGEICC were already in progress at least one month prior to the filing of the original Complaint. Caught in a cross-fire of bare assertions and without additional evidence to tip the balance towards the Complainant, this Panel is unable to find in favour of the Complainant on the balance of probabilities. Therefore, this Panel finds that the Complainant has failed to show that the Respondent did not have a right or legitimate interest to register the domain name. Bad faith registration and use In view of the foregoing, the Complainant has also failed to show that the domain name was registered and used in bad faith by the Respondent. In the circumstances, it is also unnecessary to consider the other contentions of the Respondent. The Complainant had requested a transfer of the domain name in the Complaint. For the reasons stated above, the Complaint is dismissed. Soh Kar Liang Sole Panelist Dated: June 22, 2001	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1948
__label__cc	0.540506	0.459494	Underwater Robotic Miners Almost every day I find one or more science and technology articles that really catch my attention. David Hambling’s article about developing robots to do underwater mining certainly provides a good example (Hambling, 10/23/2017). The problem that many mining operations face is that of water getting into a mine. The history of steam engines is intimately connected with this problem. Steam engines were first developed to pump water out of mines. Quoting from Encyclopedia.com (n.d.): The first steam-powered machine was built in 1698 by the English military engineer Thomas Savery (c. 1650-1715). His invention, designed to pump water out of coal mines, was known as the Miner's Friend. A few years later, an English engineer and partner of Savery named Thomas Newcomen (1663-1729) improved the steam pump. He increased efficiency by setting a moving piston inside a cylinder, a technique still in use today. Today, many of the minerals being mined are more deeply concentrated at greater depths, and water is a continuing problem. Throughout the world, a very large number of open pit mines were productive, but eventually closed because of the costs and dangers in maintaining them in production. Such mines soon become lakes. Quoting from the Hambling article: [Underwater mining using robots is a] European Union-funded project called ¡VAMOS! for Viable Alternative Mine Operating System. The goal is to extract mineral resources from abandoned, flooded mine sites previously considered too dangerous or costly to access. If the demonstration here at Whitehill Yeo works, these robots will go global, producing raw materials without digging new mines, and minus the environmental or noise problems that plague traditional mining. Figure 1. Surface level equipment for underwater mining. Suppose that this project proves successful. In the reopened mines, there will be no miners who work in the pit, facing the dangers and hardships of such work. The total number of employees in the operation will certainly be less than when the mine was previously being operated, and the skill sets of the employees will be different from those of the underground miners. Quoting again from the Hamblin article: …drilling and blasting would become unnecessary. So would cooling at geothermal depths. And because separation of ore and rock is done on site, fewer trucks are needed to transport it for processing. The robot runs on swamp tracks on the floor of the lake, connected by an umbilicus to a small barge on the water’s surface. It [the underwater robotic machinery] crushes the minerals it finds and sends them as a slurry back up to the barge; after the water is removed from the slurry, it is returned to the flooded pit. This approach even removes the toxic wastewater associated with mining. I have a number of different mental images of robots. For example, I really loved science books when I was a child, and the robots tended to be human-like in shape and operation. Then came factory automation, with factory production becoming more and more computerized. More recently, we have seen wide sales of computerized devices such as home vacuum cleaners. The use of robots in industrial production is now rapidly expanding. Quoting from The Economist (The Data Team, 5/27/2017): YOU may never have heard of FANUC, the world’s largest maker of industrial robots. But the chances are that you own a product built by one of its 400,000 machines. Established in 1956, the Japanese company’s automated workers build cars for Ford and Tesla, and metal iPhone cases for Apple. The popular narrative about robots is that they are stealing human workers′ jobs. A new paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research broadly supports this belief, estimating that each additional robot in the American economy reduces employment by 5.6 workers. We are now 60 years into the Information Age (Moursund, 2017). The pace of change is increasing. Many of the knowledge and skill sets needed for the jobs of the future are different from those needed in the past. Such knowledge and skill sets come from informal and formal education, including the full range of a person’s life experiences. People skills, problem-solving skills, adaptability and flexibility, becoming more responsible for one’s own learning, and being a life-long learner are all important (Moursund, 4/17/2017). This observation applies to you, and to all of today’s children. Learning in school is far more than just learning specific content. It is also learning to learn, learning to be responsible for one’s own learning, and developing habits of mind that provide a foundation for lifelong learning. Encyclopedia.com (n.d.). Steam engine. Retrieved 11/1/2017 from http://www.encyclopedia.com/science-and-technology/technology/technology-terms-and-concepts/steam-engine. Hambling, D. (10/23/2017). Robotic underwater miners can go where humans can’t. New Scientist. Retrieved 10/27/2017 from https://www.newscientist.com/article/2151183-robotic-underwater-miners-can-go-where-humans-cant/?utm_source=MIT+Technology+Review&utm_campaign=a08fc0bacc-The_Download&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-a08fc0bacc-154405105. Moursund, D. (2017). Information Age. IAE-pedia. Retrieved 11/1/2017 from http://iae-pedia.org/Information_Age. Moursund, D. (4/21/2017). Reading and writing in today’s world. IAE Blog. Retrieved 11/1/2017 from http://i-a-e.org/iae-blog/entry/reading-and-writing-in-today-s-world.html. Moursund, D. (4/17/2017). Education for the future: A special message for teachers. IAE Blog. Retrieved 11/1/2017 from http://i-a-e.org/iae-blog/entry/education-for-the-future-a-special-message-for-teachers.html. The Data Team (5/27/2017). The growth of industrial robots. The Economist. Retrieved 11/1/2017 from https://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2017/03/daily-chart-19. Larry Cuban By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://i-a-e.org/	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1950
__label__wiki	0.661103	0.661103	Expeditionary Infrastructure Services Aviation Engineering Solutions Training & Career Counseling Diversity, Inclusion and EEO Home»IAP Receives Business Partner of the Year Award IAP Receives Business Partner of the Year Award Cape Canaveral, FL – The Brevard Schools Foundation honored IAP Worldwide Services with a 2010 Business Partner of the Year award for the company’s outstanding support of education in Brevard County, Florida. IAP officially partners with nine schools in Brevard County, creating customized support programs that enhance academic achievement, involve employees, and foster an enriched school environment at each school. The Company also responds to specific requests from other area schools through its grant application process, providing both people resources and financial support. “We believe that a strong educational system is the cornerstone of the community, and we are proud of our commitment to educational excellence,” said Steve Gaffney, IAP CEO. “When schools and businesses combine resources to meet identified needs, our community wins, in particular the students.” For more than 15 years, IAP has provided resources in the areas of math, reading, science, technology, and music. The Company also contributes to Project Graduation at all Brevard County high schools, and sponsors many county-wide programs through the Foundation, including in-service teacher workshops, Space Week, and awards events. IAP Worldwide Services, Inc. is a leading international contractor providing global mission support for commercial industries, The Department of Defense and other U.S. government agencies. The company operates in three lines of business: Global Operations and Logistics, Base Operations Support Services, and Professional and Technical Services. IAP’s corporate headquarters is located in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the company employs more than 7,000 people at over 100 locations worldwide. IAP’s website can be accessed at www.iapws.com. Media/Press Inquiries For media inquiries, please use the contact information below. Email: Media.Inquiry@iapws.com 7315 North Atlantic Avenue • Cape Canaveral, Florida 32920 • 321.784.7100 © , IAP Worldwide Services, Inc.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1953
__label__wiki	0.890955	0.890955	The stories that matter to you, told by you, to millions of readers. No spin. No agendas. Just news by you, for you. Join iPatriot as a featured writer below. Join iPatriot Like Follow Plus The Defrauded Friar Fr. Michael Calabria, a Franciscan Friar of Holy Name Province, is director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at St. Bonaventure University. His extensive travels throughout the Islamic world and the subject matter of his broad list of speaking engagements and presentations appear to indicate that he has drifted from his original path. The Founder of Calabria’s Order of Franciscans, St Francis, similarly travelled into Islamic Egypt during the Fifth Crusade, in 1219, to meet with Sultan Malik al-Kamil in a courageous, but naïve, attempt to evangelize. He had undoubtedly been shown the censored version of Islam and returned impressed with the frequency of Islamic prayers, their 99 names in praise of God, and their reverence of bowing to the ground, and he adopted the Order’s devotionals accordingly. Unfortunately, he had not been told that devout Muslim spirituality was largely practiced under threat of the sword. In 1220, five friars were martyred in Morocco, and more were slaughtered in later centuries. In 1291, Franciscans left the Holy Land when Acre, the last Crusader stronghold, fell. Fr. Calabria is also bewitched by a mythical Islam. He is scheduled to speak as an apologist for Islam this summer at the Chautauqua Institute, in New York State. Founded as a Christian institution in 1874, there is a current Jewish presence, and the Institute’s Department of Religion began inviting a series of lecturers about Islam in the mid-1990s, with the aim of reaching its nearly 150,000 annual visitors. Calabria will be yet another of many speakers invited to woo the unwary audience into esteeming the misrepresented Islam. In past lectures and on his website, Calabria managed to compose a non-violent version of Mohammed’s hijra (journey) to Mecca and Medina, never divulging the Islamic leader’s beheading of as many as 900 Jews, sexual enslavement of the women and children, and demands of jizya (protection money) from the surviving Christians The methods used by Islam to conquer the non-Islamic world continue unchanged to this day, with intolerance and invasion, rape, seizure and slaughter throughout Africa, into Europe and the Americas. Yet, Calabria presents a sanitized picture of the prophet, and encourages Christians to offer hospitality and friendship to the alleged oppressed Muslims, and to guarantee their freedom and safety, united against injustices. Trending: Obama: The Most Corrupt and America-Hating President in U.S. History Furthermore, he will repeat verbatim Islam’s own false claims of astounding achievements. Completing this poll grants you access to updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. As I noted in my 2015 reply to aspiring presidential candidate Carly Fiorina’s erroneous treatise about Islam on the Hewlett-Packard site, the self-styled “Islamic arches” were already Roman, Byzantine, Persian, Egyptian, Babylonian and Greek. The vaulted and hemispherical ceilings were invented by non-Muslim Romans. The first numerical system was developed by Babylonians, 800 years before Islam. The misnamed “Arabic numerals” were adopted from the Hindus, in India. Arab scientists were largely Jews who were forcibly converted. Arabic philosophers and scientists were Jewish and Berber survivors of massacres. Arab astronomers were inspired by the great physician, Isaac Israel of Kairouan; and the greatest of “Arab” scientists, Avicenna (980-1037), was probably of Jewish origin from Bokhara. Their astronomers used instruments, such as the astrolabe, to facilitate world-girdling sea voyages, but created by a “remarkable Jewish genius,” Mashala of Mosul; their astronomical tables were created by the Jewish Joseph ben Wallar at Toledo, and by Judaic specialists, including Immanuel ben Jacob in Aragon. The sincere, but deluded, Calabria asserts that Muslims played a positive part of American society for more than a century when, in fact, the part they played was that of Barbary corsairs These were Ottoman pirates known as the Scourge of the Mediterranean, whose raids and invasions had strangled world trade, caused economic disaster, and stopped shipments of papyrus to create a decline in writing, literacy and books written – the crucial cause of the European Dark Ages. For centuries they had been capturing European merchant ships and holding for ransom or enslaving their crews. When they began attacking American ships after the end of the American Revolution, and diplomatic talks failed, US President Thomas Jefferson, in 1798, formed the United States Department of the Navy in order to end the attacks, tributes and ransoms paid and to protect our commerce. Such has been the real Islamic contribution to Western civilization. Regarding slavery, it had been the Muslims themselves who forcibly kidnapped their co-religionists, as many as 11 million Black (Muslim) slaves, the men being trafficked for harsh labor, the women primarily for sexual slavery. Taken from their African homelands and sold into Europe and South and Central America for great profit (only 5 percent came to the United States), the traders were prepared to deal with the journeys’ high mortality rate (between 80 and 90 percent), and still be confident of sufficient financial gain. Native-born American Muslims are mainly African Americans, many converted to Islam during the last 70 years Although an estimated 10 to 30 percent of the slaves did arrive as Muslims, their adherence was suppressed on plantations, but the non-enslaved Muslims in North America were merchants, travelers and sailors, from the 16th and 17th c. Ottoman and Mughal Empires. Their increased number today is a result of the recent influx of migrants, following the Koranic commands of conquest by invasion (al-hijra) and breeding (al-wilada). Nearly 96,000 became legal residents in 2005, with another 115,000 in 2009. While world population may increase by 32 percent, Muslims are predicted to increase by 70 percent. Their supposedly rich history remains undefined, their beneficial contributions to mankind undetermined, but Calabria remains convinced of an Islam that exists in the imagination only. Contrary to his ardent claim of Islam’s wellspring of contributions, the “Muslim genius” appears to be their unique ability to invade and feign victimhood, to insinuate their laws into the host country and protest discrimination, to force civilizations to relinquish their treasured mandates of truth and freedom, to convince a world of a non-existent history, to receive unending entitlements and support, and to contribute nothing beneficial and to destroy their host culture while declaring provenance over every field of endeavor. Fr. Calabria has strayed from the original path, and walks in the footsteps of Mohammed. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author and are not not necessarily either shared or endorsed by iPatriot.com. Tabitha Korol, author of "Confronting the Deception," began her political writing with letters to the editor after 9/11, and earned an award from CAMERA (Committee on Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America) “in recognition of outstanding letter-writing in 2009 to promote fair and factual reporting about Israel.” She was cited as one of America’s modern-day, articulate, patriotic women in Frederick William Dame’s Three American Fur Hat Fighters for Freedom. Her essays appear on Arutz Sheva, Conservative News and Views, Dr. Swier, Grumpy Opinions, IsraelNewsTalkRadio, Israel’s Voice, JewishVoiceNY, Christian Action Network, RenewAmerica, Liberty News & Views, WebCommentary, Conservative News & Views, iPatriot and others. She revised David Silberman’s book of Holocaust survivors’ accounts for publication, and proofreads/edits for a monthly city newsletter. Is Comey Afraid of the Clintons?The Bill of Rights is Missing an Amendment iPatriot Trending on iPatriot Obama: The Most Corrupt and America-Hating President in U.S. History George Soros Can Be Charged With Treason and Sedition Democrats: The Party of Hate, Violence, and Division Why are openly Seditious Democrats NOT being Charged with Sedition? Search News by State Subscribe and Get News by you. For you. Need help, have a question, or a comment? Send us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Copyright © 2021 iPatriot.com. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions \| Privacy Policy \| About iPatriot \| Contact iPatriot	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1954
__label__cc	0.593544	0.406456	Home \| About Us \| FAQs \| Search Search Islam Unraveled Islam - The Basics - God - Quran - Prophets & Messengers - Religious Duties - The Proof - Satan Islam - Myths & Misconceptions - Women in Islam - Jihad and Terrorism - Idolatry - Animals, Music & the Arts - Hadith and Sunnah - Other Topics Islam Around the World - News Feeds - Web Blog - Book Reviews - What price a great nation? - Website Updates - Catalog - Submitter's Perspective - God's Mosque - Alphabetical List of Topics - More links You are here: Home > Islam-basics > Quran > Sura List >Sura 18 - The Cave Sura 18: The Cave (Al-Kahf) Number of verses in sura: 110 Order of revelation: 69 [18:0] In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful [18:1] Praise GOD, who revealed to His servant this scripture, and made it flawless. [18:2] A perfect (scripture) to warn of severe retribution from Him, and to deliver good news to the believers who lead a righteous life, that they have earned a generous recompense. [18:3] Wherein they abide forever. [18:4] And to warn those who said, "GOD has begotten a son!" [18:5] They possess no knowledge about this, nor did their parents. What a blasphemy coming out of their mouths! What they utter is a gross lie. [18:6] You may blame yourself on account of their response to this narration, and their disbelieving in it; you may be saddened. The End of the World* [18:7] We have adorned everything on earth, in order to test them, and thus distinguish those among them who work righteousness. [18:8] Inevitably, we will wipe out everything on it, leaving it completely barren.* 18:8-9 As it turns out, the history of these Christian believers, the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, is directly connected with the end of the world as stated in 18:9 & 21. The role of these believers in unveiling the end of the world is detailed in Appendix 25. The Dwellers of the Cave [18:9] Why else do you think we are telling you about the people of the cave, and the numbers connected with them? They are among our wondrous signs. [18:10] When the youths took refuge in the cave, they said, "Our Lord, shower us with Your mercy, and bless our affairs with Your guidance." [18:11] We then sealed their ears in the cave for a predetermined number of years. [18:12] Then we resurrected them to see which of the two parties could count the duration of their stay therein. [18:13] We narrate to you their history, truthfully. They were youths who believed in their Lord, and we increased their guidance. [18:14] We strengthened their hearts when they stood up and proclaimed: "Our only Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We will never worship any other god beside Him. Otherwise, we would be far astray. [18:15] "Here are our people setting up gods beside Him. If only they could provide any proof to support their stand! Who is more evil than the one who fabricates lies and attributes them to GOD? The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus [18:16] "Since you wish to avoid them, and their worshiping of other than GOD,* let us take refuge in the cave. May your Lord shower you with His mercy and direct you to the right decision." 18:16-20 Ephesus is located about 200 miles south of ancient Nicene, and 30 miles south of today's Izmir in Turkey. The dwellers of the cave were young Christians who wanted to follow the teachings of Jesus, and worship God alone. They were fleeing the persecution of neo-christians who proclaimed a corrupted Christianity three centuries after Jesus, following the Nicene Conferences, when the Trinity doctrine was announced. In 1928, Franz Miltner, an Austrian archeologist discovered the tomb of the seven sleepers of Ephesus. Their history is well documented in several encyclopedias. A Guiding Teacher is a Prerequisite [18:17] You could see the sun when it rose coming from the right side of their cave, and when it set, it shone on them from the left, as they slept in the hollow thereof. This is one of GOD's portents. Whomever GOD guides is the truly guided one, and whomever He sends astray, you will not find for him a guiding teacher. 18:17 This sign, or hint, tells us that the cave was facing north. [18:18] You would think that they were awake, when they were in fact asleep. We turned them to the right side and the left side, while their dog stretched his arms in their midst. Had you looked at them, you would have fled from them, stricken with terror. [18:19] When we resurrected them, they asked each other, "How long have you been here?" "We have been here one day or part of the day," they answered. "Your Lord knows best how long we stayed here, so let us send one of us with this money to the city. Let him fetch the cleanest food, and buy some for us. Let him keep a low profile, and attract no attention. [18:20] "If they discover you, they will stone you, or force you to revert to their religion, then you can never succeed." Connection With the End of the World [18:21] We caused them to be discovered, to let everyone know that GOD's promise is true, and to remove all doubt concerning the end of the world.* The people then disputed among themselves regarding them. Some said, "Let us build a building around them." Their Lord is the best knower about them. Those who prevailed said, "We will build a place of worship around them." 18:21 As detailed in Appendix 25, this story helped pinpoint the end of the world. [18:22] Some would say, "They were three; their dog being the fourth," while others would say, "Five; the sixth being their dog," as they guessed. Others said, "Seven," and the eighth was their dog. Say, "My Lord is the best knower of their number." Only a few knew the correct number. Therefore, do not argue with them; just go along with them. You need not consult anyone about this. Remembering God Every Chance We Get [18:23] You shall not say that you will do anything in the future, [18:24] without saying, "GOD willing." If you forget to do this, you must immediately remember your Lord and say, "May my Lord guide me to do better next time." 18:24 This important commandment gives us daily opportunities to remember God. [300 + 9] [18:25] They stayed in their cave three hundred years, increased by nine.* 18:25 The difference between 300 solar years and 300 lunar years is nine years. Thus, discovering the end of the world was predetermined by the Almighty to take place in AD 1980 (1400 AH), 300 years (309 lunar years) before the end of the world (see 72:27 and Appendix 25). [18:26] Say, "GOD is the best knower of how long they stayed there." He knows all secrets in the heavens and the earth. By His grace you can see; by His grace you can hear. There is none beside Him as Lord and Master, and He never permits any partners to share in His kingship. [18:27] You shall recite what is revealed to you of your Lord's scripture. Nothing shall abrogate His words, and you shall not find any other source beside it. Quranic Study Groups [18:28] You shall force yourself to be with those who worship their Lord day and night, seeking Him alone. Do not turn your eyes away from them, seeking the vanities of this world. Nor shall you obey one whose heart we rendered oblivious to our message; one who pursues his own desires, and whose priorities are confused. Absolute Freedom of Religion [18:29] Proclaim: "This is the truth from your Lord," then whoever wills let him believe, and whoever wills let him disbelieve. We have prepared for the transgressors a fire that will completely surround them. When they scream for help, they will be given a liquid like concentrated acid that scalds the faces. What a miserable drink! What a miserable destiny! [18:30] As for those who believe and lead a righteous life, we never fail to recompense those who work righteousness. [18:31] They have deserved gardens of Eden wherein rivers flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and will wear clothes of green silk and velvet, and will rest on comfortable furnishings. What a wonderful reward; what a wonderful abode! Property as an Idol [18:32] Cite for them the example of two men: we gave one of them two gardens of grapes, surrounded by date palms, and placed other crops between them. 18:32-42 The Quran cites many examples of the different gods that people worship beside God; they include children (7:190), religious leaders and scholars (9:31), property (18:42), dead saints and prophets (16:20-21, 35:14, & 46:5-6), and the ego (25:43, 45:23). [18:33] Both gardens produced their crops on time, and generously, for we caused a river to run through them. [18:34] Once, after harvesting, he boastfully told his friend: "I am far more prosperous than you, and I command more respect from the people." [18:35] When he entered his garden, he wronged his soul by saying, "I do not think that this will ever end. [18:36] "Moreover, I think this is it; I do not think that the Hour (the Hereafter) will ever come to pass. Even if I am returned to my Lord, I will (be clever enough to) possess an even better one over there." [18:37] His friend said to him, as he debated with him, "Have you disbelieved in the One who created you from dust, then from a tiny drop, then perfected you into a man? [18:38] "As for me, GOD is my Lord, and I will never set up any other god besides my Lord. Important Commandment [18:39] "When you entered your garden, you should have said, `This is what GOD has given me (Maa Shaa Allah). No one possesses power except GOD (La Quwwata Ellaa Bellaah).' You may see that I possess less money and less children than you. [18:40] "My Lord may grant me better than your garden. He may send a violent storm from the sky that wipes out your garden, leaving it completely barren. [18:41] "Or, its water may sink deeper, out of your reach." [18:42] Indeed, his crops were wiped out, and he ended up sorrowful, lamenting what he had spent on it in vain, as his property lay barren. He finally said, "I wish I never set up my property as a god beside my Lord." [18:43] No force on earth could have helped him against GOD, nor was it possible for him to receive any help. [18:44] That is because the only true Lord and master is GOD; He provides the best recompense, and with Him is the best destiny. [18:45] Cite for them the example of this life as water that we send down from the sky to produce plants of the earth, then they turn into hay that is blown away by the wind. GOD is able to do all things. Rearranging Our Priorities [18:46] Money and children are the joys of this life, but the righteous works provide an eternal recompense from your Lord, and a far better hope. [18:47] The day will come when we wipe out the mountains, and you will see the earth barren. We will summon them all, not leaving out a single one of them. [18:48] They will be presented before your Lord in a row. You have come to us as individuals, just as we created you initially. Indeed, this is what you claimed will never happen. [18:49] The record will be shown, and you will see the guilty fearful of its contents. They will say, "Woe to us. How come this book leaves nothing, small or large, without counting it?" They will find everything they had done brought forth. Your Lord is never unjust towards anyone. Classification of God's Creatures [18:50] We said to the angels, "Fall prostrate before Adam." They fell prostrate, except Satan. He became a jinn, for he disobeyed the order of His Lord. Will you choose him and his descendants as lords instead of Me, even though they are your enemies? What a miserable substitute! 18:50 When the great feud in the heavenly society took place (38:69), all creatures became classified into angels, jinns, and humans (Appendix 7). [18:51] I never permitted them to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor the creation of themselves. Nor do I permit the wicked to work in My kingdom. 18:51 God knew that Satan and his supporters (jinns and humans) were going to make the wrong decision. Hence their exclusion from witnessing the creation process. [18:52] The day will come when He says, "Call upon My partners, whom you claimed to be gods beside Me," they will call on them, but they will not respond to them. An insurmountable barrier will separate them from each other. [18:53] The guilty will see Hell, and will realize that they will fall into it. They will have no escape therefrom. Disbelievers Refuse to Accept the Completeness of the Quran [18:54] We have cited in this Quran every kind of example, but the human being is the most argumentative creature. [18:55] Nothing prevented the people from believing, when the guidance came to them, and from seeking the forgiveness of their Lord, except that they demanded to see the same (kind of miracles) as the previous generations, or challenged to see the retribution beforehand. [18:56] We only send the messengers as simply deliverers of good news, as well as warners. Those who disbelieve argue with falsehood to defeat the truth, and they take My proofs and warnings in vain. [18:57] Who are more evil than those who are reminded of their Lord's proofs, then disregard them, without realizing what they are doing. Consequently, we place shields on their hearts to prevent them from understanding it (the Quran), and deafness in their ears. Thus, no matter what you do to guide them, they can never ever be guided. [18:58] Yet, your Lord is the Forgiver, full of mercy. If He called them to account for their deeds, He would annihilate them right there and then. Instead, He gives them a respite until a specific, predetermined time; then they can never escape. [18:59] Many a community we annihilated because of their transgressions; we designated a specific time for their annihilation. Valuable Lessons from Moses and His Teacher [18:60] Moses said to his servant, "I will not rest until I reach the point where the two rivers meet, no matter how long it takes." [18:61] When they reached the point where they met, they forgot their fish, and it found its way back to the river, sneakily. [18:62] After they passed that point, he said to his servant, "Let us have lunch. All this traveling has thoroughly exhausted us." [18:63] He said, "Remember when we sat by the rock back there? I paid no attention to the fish. It was the devil who made me forget it, and it found its way back to the river, strangely." [18:64] (Moses) said, "That was the place we were looking for." They traced their steps back. [18:65] They found one of our servants, whom we blessed with mercy, and bestowed upon him from our own knowledge. [18:66] Moses said to him, "Can I follow you, that you may teach me some of the knowledge and the guidance bestowed upon you?" [18:67] He said, "You cannot stand to be with me. [18:68] "How can you stand that which you do not comprehend?" [18:69] He said, "You will find me, GOD willing, patient. I will not disobey any command you give me." [18:70] He said, "If you follow me, then you shall not ask me about anything, unless I choose to tell you about it." [18:71] So they went. When they boarded a ship, he bore a hole in it. He said, "Did you bore a hole in it to drown its people? You have committed something terrible." [18:72] He said, "Did I not say that you cannot stand to be with me?" [18:73] He said, "I am sorry. Do not punish me for my forgetfulness; do not be too harsh with me." [18:74] So they went. When they met a young boy, he killed him. He said, "Why did you kill such an innocent person, who did not kill another person? You have committed something horrendous." [18:75] He said, "Did I not tell you that you cannot stand to be with me?" [18:76] He said, "If I ask you about anything else, then do not keep me with you. You have seen enough apologies from me." [18:77] So they went. When they reached a certain community, they asked the people for food, but they refused to host them. Soon, they found a wall about to collapse, and he fixed it. He said, "You could have demanded a wage for that!" There is a Good Reason for Everything [18:78] He said, "Now we have to part company. But I will explain to you everything you could not stand. [18:79] "As for the ship, it belonged to poor fishermen, and I wanted to render it defective. There was a king coming after them, who was confiscating every ship, forcibly. [18:80] "As for the boy, his parents were good believers, and we saw that he was going to burden them with his transgression and disbelief. 18:80 Adolf Hitler was a cute and seemingly innocent child. Had he died as a child, many would have grieved, and many would have even questioned God's wisdom. We learn from these profound lessons that there is a good reason behind everything. [18:81] "We willed that your Lord substitute in his place another son; one who is better in righteousness and kindness. [18:82] "As for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city. Under it, there was a treasure that belonged to them. Because their father was a righteous man, your Lord wanted them to grow up and attain full strength, then extract their treasure. Such is mercy from your Lord. I did none of that of my own volition. This is the explanation of the things you could not stand." Zul-Qarnain: The One With the Two Horns or Two Generations [18:83] They ask you about Zul-Qarnain. Say, "I will narrate to you some of his history." [18:84] We granted him authority on earth, and provided him with all kinds of means. [18:85] Then, he pursued one way. [18:86] When he reached the far west, he found the sun setting in a vast ocean, and found people there. We said, "O Zul-Qarnain, you can rule as you wish; either punish, or be kind to them." [18:87] He said, "As for those who transgress, we will punish them; then, when they return to their Lord, He will commit them to more retribution. [18:88] "As for those who believe and lead a righteous life, they receive a good reward; we will treat them kindly." [18:89] Then he pursued another way. [18:90] When he reached the far east, he found the sun rising on people who had nothing to shelter them from it. [18:91] Naturally, we were fully aware of everything he found out. [18:92] He then pursued another way. [18:93] When he reached the valley between two palisades, he found people whose language was barely understandable. Gog and Magog [18:94] They said, "O Zul-Qarnain, Gog and Magog are corruptors of the earth. Can we pay you to create a barrier between us and them?" *18:94-98 One of my duties as God's Messenger of the Covenant is to state that Gog and Magog, the final sign before the end of the world, will reappear in 2270 AD (1700 AH), just 10 years before the end. Note that Gog and Magog occur in Suras 18 and 21, precisely 17 verses before the end of each sura, representing 17 lunar centuries (see 72:27 and Appendix 25). [18:95] He said, "My Lord has given me great bounties. If you cooperate with me, I will build a dam between you and them. [18:96] "Bring to me masses of iron." Once he filled the gap between the two palisades, he said, "Blow." Once it was red hot, he said, "Help me pour tar on top of it." [18:97] Thus, they could not climb it, nor could they bore holes in it. [18:98] He said, "This is mercy from my Lord. When the prophecy of my Lord comes to pass, He will cause the dam to crumble. The prophecy of my Lord is truth." [18:99] At that time, we will let them invade with one another, then the horn will be blown, and we will summon them all together. [18:100] We will present Hell, on that day, to the disbelievers. [18:101] They are the ones whose eyes were too veiled to see My message. Nor could they hear. [18:102] Do those who disbelieve think that they can get away with setting up My servants as gods beside Me? We have prepared for the disbelievers Hell as an eternal abode. Examine Yourself [18:103] Say, "Shall I tell you who the worst losers are? [18:104] "They are the ones whose works in this life are totally astray, but they think that they are doing good." [18:105] Such are the ones who disbelieved in the revelations of their Lord and in meeting Him. Therefore, their works are in vain; on the Day of Resurrection, they have no weight. [18:106] Their just requital is Hell, in return for their disbelief, and for mocking My revelations and My messengers. [18:107] As for those who believe and lead a righteous life, they have deserved a blissful Paradise as their abode. [18:108] Forever they abide therein; they will never want any other substitute. The Quran: Everything We Need [18:109] Say, "If the ocean were ink for the words of my Lord, the ocean would run out, before the words of my Lord run out, even if we double the ink supply." [18:110] Say, "I am no more than a human like you, being inspired that your god is one god. Those who hope to meet their Lord shall work righteousness, and never worship any other god beside his Lord." back to the top of this page ] ©1997 - 2021 Islam Unraveled. All rights Reserved. Islam Unraveled is a non-profit organization. Disclaimer \| Privacy Policy \| Contact Us	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1956
__label__wiki	0.519946	0.519946	New Stocker Stadium Track Open To The Public Ivanko_Brnjakovic We have seen the work being done for weeks and the Grand Junction City Information Facebook page just made it final... the new Stocker Stadium track is now open to the public. It was about six weeks ago that we told you about the track replacement project, and the work is now done. The goal was always to have the job completed by mid to late May and the improvements have been made on schedule. The old track was installed in 2002 and over the years had shown wear and tear as all things do as they are used frequently. Usually, this time of year the track is packed with Western Slope residents getting some exercise so I am certain that many people will be excited about this news. The Stocker Stadium track will resume its normal time being open to the public Monday through Friday. The new track is expected to last between 12 and 15 years, and the total cost for the project was in the ballpark of $340,000. With this new track just opening up I'm sure it will be busy throughout the summer, at least for the next few weeks as people want to check it out. It's amazing how much nicer it is to exercise on a new track compared to one that has been worn out for years. Make sure you share this information with all of your exercise buddies to let them know we have a brand new track in Grand Junction! Check out the video of how nice this track is... The Top Ten High Schools on the Western Slope Filed Under: running, Stocker Stadium, Walking	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1959
__label__wiki	0.979505	0.979505	Seth Mosley gets Dove nomination March 10, 2012 By Doug Van Pelt Seth Mosley – Songwriter, Producer And Centricity Music Artist – Wins Five Major Awards At Annual SESAC Christian Music Awards Mosley Receives His First Dove Award Nomination For Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year Left To Right: John Mullins, Senior Director, Writer/Publisher Relations, SESAC; Steve Rice, Centricity Publishing; Seth Mosley; Doug McKelvey, Co-writer (Eye Of The Hurricane); Tim Fink, President, Writer/Publisher Relations, SESAC Nashville, TN (March 6, 2012) —— Seth Mosley, Me In Motion’s front man, has rapidly become one of Nashville’s most notable songwriters, and 2012 is bringing him well-deserved accolades from his peers. At the SESAC Christian Music Awards recently, Mosley won in each of five categories in which he was nominated. National Performance Activity Award: “EYE OF THE HURRICANE” – recorded by Me In Motion “REACH” – recorded by Peter Furler “CAN’T SHUT UP” – recorded by Anthem Lights “SAVE YOUR LIVE” – recorded by Newsboys No. 1 Billboard Christian CHR Song: “SAVE YOUR LIFE” – recorded by Newsboys Mosley is a staff writer at Centricity Music Publishing, which is also home to Me In Motion’s record label, Centricity Music. He was a producer on newsboys’ Born Again project (2010), co-writing nine songs including the title track that became a multi-week No. 1 hit. Other artists who have performed songs written by Mosley include Addison Road, Jimmy Needham, Article One and Sixteen Cities. Centricity Music’s new publishing head, Steve Rice, can’t say enough about Mosley’s plethora of talent. “I can say with confidence that these awards are only a forewarning of what people are going to see from Seth Mosley in the coming years,” Rice exclaims. “Seth is a star songwriter, producer and artist, and he was so honored when SESAC’s Songwriter of the Year, Jason Ingram, gave him a shout out during his acceptance speech. Centricity Music Publishing is truly honored to have the opportunity to work with such an incredible young talent.” Members of the Gospel Music Association also recognized Mosley recently for his superb songwriting skills as he received his first Dove nomination for Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year (“Born Again” by Newsboys). The awards will be presented in Atlanta at the historic Fox Theatre on April 19th. About Seth Mosley Mosley hails from Circleville, OH and after high school graduation; he began working at a local recording studio where he began to hone his songwriting and music skills. In 2006, Mosley formed the band Me In Motion and within three years they signed with their current label, Centricity Music. Mosley co-wrote all nine songs on the group’s self-titled CD that released in 2010, and two of the tunes became top10 singles at CHR; “Eye of the Hurricane,” and “Yes We Can.” Mosley has written hits songs for newsboys (Born Again, Save Your Life), Anthem Lights (Can’t Shut Up) Peter Furler (Reach), as well as written with/for such acts as; MercyMe, The Afters, and Phillips Craig and Dean. His production credits include; Mark Schultz, Peter Furler, Manafest, among many others. Mosley currently lives in Nashville with his wife, Celi. About Centricity Music Publishing Launched in 2005, Centricity Publishing has quickly become a key player in the world of Christian song publishing. The division of Centricity Music has placed songs in film and television that include; One Tree Hill, Jane by Design, 700 Club, the NFL Network and more. Centricity Publishing has also expanded their writer roster to include such notable songwriters as Sam Mizell, James Tealy, Josh Bronwlewee, and Geoff Hunker, along with the artists/ writers on Centricity Music. This successful publishing company has enjoyed radio chart success with several top songs including; “We Are” (Kari Jobe), “Born Again” & “Save Your Life” (newsboys), “Speechless” and “Our God Is Here” (Phillips, Craig & Dean), “Reach” & “Matter Of Faith” (Peter Furler), “Can’t Shut Up” (Anthem Lights), “Together Again” (Paul Brandt).	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1960
__label__cc	0.591592	0.408408	Posted on March 25, 2008 March 16, 2014 by administrator Are shelters legally obligated to maintain a certain standard of cleanliness? Shelters, along with any other facilities that house groups of people, are subject to public health regulations regarding sanitation, rodent control, and safety just as they are subject to fire safety codes and zoning ordinances. But because so many different types of places offer various levels of sheltering and state and county health regulations vary, there is not an established standard guaranteeing that sheets are washed every day or that floors are always swept or that other measures of cleanliness are assured in every shelter. A shelter resident who becomes sick or injured because of conditions in the shelter might be able to sue the shelter for negligence, depending on the situation. It could be the premises liability type of negligence if the sickness or injury was predictable. An example of predictable sickness might be when a shelter with heavy dust and mold causes an asthmatic resident to have a serious asthma attack. If the sickness or injury has nothing to do with the condition of the building, but it happens in the shelter, failing to help a resident in need might count as negligence. Ordinarily, people in the U.S. have no duty to rescue somebody.[i] But innkeepers, businesses, and other places open to the public do have to help people who become sick or ill while there.[ii] Since the law imposes that duty, breaching it to the extent that harm comes to a resident would be negligence. There are other reasons that the homeless might sue for healthier shelter conditions. Consider some examples from New York City: In the mid 1990’s there was a line of New York City cases about homeless people who were temporarily housed in the Emergency Assistance offices where they went to apply for space in shelters.[iii] While it would seem that at least sleeping in an office would be better than sleeping outside, the Court of Appeals of New York declared that “The consequences of the City’s practices include families sleeping on the chairs and on the floor, washing in the sinks of public restrooms, and suffering self-evidently unsanitary and unsafe traumas.”[iv] There was also a group of homeless people with HIV-related illness who sued the city seeking access to shelters better-suited to their health needs.[v] The city had a Comprehensive Care Program that equipped some shelters to particularly care for homeless AIDS patients. These plaintiffs with HIV-related illness had some health accommodations in the shelters, but were not entitled to shelter conditions comparable to those available to AIDS patients. A lower court had found that housing twelve to a room constituted a tuberculosis risk for people with HIV-related illness.[vi] The appeal concluded that plans for health and hygiene in shelters were within the authority of health and housing agencies not the courts. Shelters tend not to have special accommodations for every specific health need. Diabetics cannot expect that a shelter will have meals that are suitable for their diets and ready supplies of insulin. Asthmatics cannot expect that a shelter will take extreme measures to reduce its dust and mold to assure that they can breathe. The Centers for Disease Control maintains a list of state and local health departments.[vii] Reading a local health department’s rules and program descriptions is the most direct way to learn what public health services are available to the homeless. There may be drop-in clinics, day programs, special facilities for certain health and hygiene functions, etc… and these may be outside of shelters or on-site at shelters. The National Health Care for the Homeless Council provides a free online manual titled “Shelter Health: Essentials of Care for People Living in Shelter.”[viii] This manual is not a legal document and does not legally obligate shelters to do anything. It is intended as a source of information for providers of group housing. It tells shelters how to keep the facility as hygienic as possible and provides clues about how to recognize health problems so that shelter staff can make helpful referrals for clients to get appropriate medical care. The manual is full of details like sample policies about laundry, hand washing, lice control, and cleaning body fluids from floors, furniture, and bathrooms. Homeless people or their advocates seeking to improve the local legal standards for shelters could use the manual to get examples of the improvements that should be made. [i] Restatement (Third) of Torts § 37 (Proposed Final Draft No. 1 2005). 57A Am. Jur. 2d Negligence § 90 (2006). To find cases making this point, look in West Digests (indexes to cases) using the topic “negligence” and the key numbers 214 and 282. [ii] Restatement (Second) of Torts § 314A (1965 & Supp. 2006). 57A Am. Jur. 2d Negligence §§ 90-91 (2006). The case of Baker v. Fenneman & Brown Properties, L.L.C., 793 N.E.2d 1203 (Ind. Ct. App. 2003) shows that business owners and innkeepers and others who have special relationships with sick and injured visitors to their establishments do have a duty to get those victims medical care. [iii] McCain v. Dinkins, 639 N.E.2d 1132 (N.Y. 1994). This case culminated the series of cases about temporarily housing people in the Emergency Assistance Unit offices. It summarizes the cases leading up to it. [iv] Id. at 1136. [v] Mixon v. Grinker, 669 N.E.2d 819 (N.Y. 1996). [vi] Id. at 820. [vii] List of state and local health departments http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/international/relres.html. If this Web address changes, go to http://www.cdc.gov/ and use its search box to find the most recent list. [viii] The shelter health manual is at http://www.nhchc.org/resources/clinical/tools-and-support/shelter-health/. Categorieshealth, safety, shelter & sleeping Tagsdisease, health, homeless law, shelter Previous PostPrevious Are the rules in shelters equivalent to laws? Next PostNext If the police come looking for you, does a shelter have to turn you over to them?	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1962
__label__cc	0.749351	0.250649	Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited Up to Â£10,000 PE Teacher Secondary job, Birmingham, Full-time Your new school This Secondary School based in North Birmingham is looking for a Male PE Teacher to join the Department. Receiving a "GOOD" in their last OFSTED report, this Secondary School is always looking at being innovative and looking at ways to improve. Having a fresh view on this School as a centre of Education but also a workplace, this is an exciting time to join. The school has a consistent and strong leadership team. Your new job As this is a long-term job to start in January, you will be required to plan and prepare PE lessons for KS3 and KS4, complete the assessment of pupils' work along with being involved with facility and department meetings. You will deliver these lessons in a positive learning environment, ensuring all pupils are progressing consistently and achieving target grades. This school has a focus on keeping high expectations of students' and staff. In order to be successful in securing this position, you must possess QTS or QTLS and have experience teaching PE within a Secondary School or College. NQT's with PE placement experience will be considered. You will possess excellent behaviour management skills. You will be keen to work as part of a team, share ideas and good practice. You will be available to start in January and continue a long-term basis. In return, you will be paid a competitive daily rate and be fully supported by department colleagues and SLT. This school is passionate about the welfare of all its colleagues and will provide you with a supportive workplace environment. Along with the support from your workplace, you will also have full support and access to your dedicated Hays consultant. If you're interested in this job, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now. You can also join our Hays Refer a Friend Scheme where you could be entitled to receiving £250 in high street vouchers. Terms and Conditions Apply. Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk Education Competitive Permanent jobs in Birmingham	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1970
__label__wiki	0.990567	0.990567	Logan Grizzlies Podcasts Utah State Podcasts ABC US News Coronavirus updates: England moves to full national lockdown – National News ByABC News Radio Ovidiu Dugulan/iStockBy MORGAN WINSOR and ERIN SCHUMAKER, ABC News (NEW YORK) — A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 85.2 million people worldwide and killed over 1.8 million of them, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Here’s how the news developed Monday. All times Eastern: Jan 04, 8:04 pm US sees another record day of COVID-19 hospitalizations Despite a backlog in data on COVID-19 cases and deaths over the holiday weekend, the United States still marked a record level of coronavirus-related hospitalizations, according to data collected by The COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer-run effort to track the U.S. outbreak. The data shows there were 128,120 people hospitalized across the country on Monday. The COVID Tracking Project warned that data on testing, cases and deaths has been affected by the holidays. “Hospitalization data remains the most stable metric despite the reporting disruptions. The 7-day average is now over 125k,” the group wrote on Twitter Monday. The COVID Tracking Project also noted that the seven-day average for COVID-19 deaths is increasing in 30 U.S. states. “We expect the daily death numbers to increase significantly once the reporting trends stabilize post-holidays, in part due to backlogs,” the group tweeted. Los Angeles County saw cases double in December Health officials in Los Angeles County gave a dire warning to residents on Monday, particularly to those who are protesting mask mandates and other coronavirus-related rules, saying the situation is bound to get worse in the coming weeks. The county has reported a total of more than 800,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, half of which were marked in December, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. About 7,697 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, and 10,850 deaths from the disease have been registered in the county, according to the health officials. Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, warned that hospitalizations could rise to 9,500 in two weeks. “We’re likely to experience the worst conditions in January that we faced the entire pandemic and that’s hard to imagine,” Ferrer said at a press conference Monday. Ferrer and other officials spoke out against recent anti-mask protests held in the county. “This isn’t just about you. The facts are the facts, and they are grounded in science,” said Dr. Christina Ghaly, director for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Service. “Wearing a mask is not a statement about how you feel about your own health and your invulnerability,” she added. “It’s primarily a statement about how committed you are to protecting the lives and the health of those around you.” University installs COVID-19 test kit vending machines The University of California, San Diego has installed vending machines on campus where students and staff can pick up self-administered COVID-19 test kits. To use the kits, which are free, test takers use the swab outdoors and return the vile within 72 hours, for results in less than two days. Starting Jan. 2, on-campus students are required to get weekly tests, according to the university. UK variant detected in New York A new variant of the novel coronavirus that was first identified in the United Kingdom has been detected in New York state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. The patient is a man in Saratoga Country in his 60s, who had not traveled recently, suggesting community spread of the variant. The patient was affiliated with a jewelry store, N. Fox Jewelers, where three other people have also tested positive for COVID-19, although it is not yet known if they have the same virus variant. Anyone who visited the store between Dec. 18 and 24 is being asked to contact the state and get a test immediately. “From a public health point of view, it’s about contact tracing,” Cuomo said. “We have to make sure we are doing everything we can do to effective contact tracing of this case.” Cases of the new variant have also been detected in Colorado, California and Florida. England moves to full national lockdown British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Monday a strict nationwide lockdown for England, as a new variant of the novel coronavirus that was first identified in the United Kingdom continues to spread rapidly and rising COVID-19 infections strain the country’s health care system. Under the new restrictions, nonessential workers are only allowed to leave home for essential food and medicine or to exercise. Meanwhile, all schools and universities must shift to remote learning. “We must go into a national lockdown that is tough enough to contain this variant,” Johnson said Monday. While nonessential shops and hair salons are ordered to close, supermarkets, garden centers and churches can stay open. Restaurants can continue offering takeout and delivery services, but customers aren’t allowed to add alcohol to their orders. The lockdown, which goes into effect immediately and is to be in place until mid-February, will be enforced by police. The announcement comes as the U.K. saw a record 58,784 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, along with an additional 407 deaths from the disease. Prior to the nationwide lockdown being announced, England was under a set of tiered COVID-19 restrictions, with London in the highest level 4. Although Johnson is the U.K. prime minister, his government is only responsible for lockdown restrictions in England because public health legislation is devolved to national governments within the U.K., meaning that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for their own coronavirus-related policies. Member of UK Parliament arrested for breaking COVID-19 rules Scottish authorities arrested and charged Parliament Member Margaret Ferrier following an investigation that found she broke COVID-19 rules in September, according to the Police Service of Scotland. Ferrier traveled between Glasgow and London twice while she had COVID-19 symptoms, and in the second instance was aware she had tested positive for the virus. “We can confirm that officers today arrested and charged a 60-year-old woman in connection with alleged culpable and reckless conduct,” a Police Scotland spokesperson said in a statement Monday. “This follows a thorough investigation by Police Scotland into an alleged breach of coronavirus regulations between 26 and 29 September 2020.” Ferrier, a member of the Scottish National Party, posted an apology on Twitter in October: “On Monday evening I received a positive test results for COVID-19,” she tweeted. “I travelled home by train on Tuesday morning without seeking advice. This was also wrong and I am sorry. I have been self-isolating at home ever since.” Ferrier was suspended by the Scottish National Party after information about her infraction came to light, but has so far resisted calls for her resignation. Nurse who was first in US to receive COVID-19 vaccine gets second shot Sandra Lindsay, director of critical care nursing at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York City, became the first person in the United States to complete a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine course outside of a clinical trial on Monday, 21 days after she was given her initial Pfizer/BioNTech vaccination on Dec. 14. “I feel good,” Lindsay told reporters Monday. “I don’t feel any way different before I got it. I hope the vaccine is available to everyone as it was for me.” The Pfizer vaccine has been shown to be 95% effective after two doses. UK poised to move to highest coronavirus alert level The United Kingdom is expected to announce tight lockdown restrictions Monday, following a recommendation from the nation’s chief medical officers to move to the highest coronavirus alert level — alert level 5 — across the country. The U.K. has been at alert level 4 since September. “Cases are rising almost everywhere, in much of the country driven by the new more transmissible variant,” the chief medical officers said in a statement. “We are not confident that the NHS can handle a further sustained rise in cases and without further action there is a material risk of the NHS in several areas being overwhelmed over the next 21 days.” Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce additional measure to control the virus during a televised address Monday evening. Jan 04, 12:07 pm Entire NCAA Tournament to be held in Indiana The entire 2021 NCAA men’s championship basketball tournament will be held in Indiana, the NCAA announced Monday. 🚨 TOURNAMENT UPDATE 🚨 In 49 states, it’s just basketball. But this is Indiana! The entire 2021 NCAA Tournament will be played in Indiana. 👉 https://t.co/pGHfOjbm6n pic.twitter.com/OhWhkmX3RE — NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) January 4, 2021 The NCAA is partnering with the local health department in Marion County to test players, coaching staff, administrators and officials for COVID-19. Teams will stay on dedicated hotel floors and meetings and dining halls with be socially distanced. “The Marion County Health Department has approved medical protocols shared by the NCAA and will continue collaborating with the NCAA leading up to and during the championship,” the NCAA said in a statement. The majority of those contests will be held in Indianapolis. The 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jan 04, 11:49 am Record number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 A record-breaking 125,544 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, with six states — Alabama, California, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas — reporting record hospitalizations on Jan. 3. While daily COVID-19 figures remain skewed because of a holiday-related backlog, data from December shows a grim trend, according to an ABC News analysis of data from The COVID Tracking Project. December was the worst month so far for infections, hospitalizations and deaths. In less than eight weeks, the U.S. jumped from 10 million cases to 20 million cases on Jan. 1. Over the course of December, the U.S. reported 77,082 deaths from the virus, bringing the national death toll to 351,590, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The U.S., which leads the world in COVID-19 fatalities, accounts for nearly 20% of the world’s total death toll. In different terms, 1 in every 940 Americans has died of COVID-19. Scotland to return to full lockdown Scotland will re-enter a nationwide lockdown at midnight in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the move Monday, telling Scottish Parliament that people across the mainland will be required to stay at home until at least the end of January. People must work from home where possible, group exercise will be banned, places of worship must shutter and schools will remain closed to most students. The island areas will remain under Level 3 restrictions but will be closely monitored, Sturgeon said. All of Scotland has been under either Level 3 or 4 restrictions in recent weeks. The situation will be reviewed on Jan. 18, Sturgeon said. The new restrictions come as the country battles a rise in COVID-19 infections, with 15% of tests currently returning a positive result. Sturgeon told Scottish Parliament that she was “more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year.” “It is essential that we further limit interaction between different households to stem the spread and bring the situation back under control, while we vaccinate more people,” the first minister said. “In short, we must return for a period to a situation much closer to the lockdown of last March.” Jan 04, 9:47 am New York becomes 4th US state to surpass 1 million total cases More than 1 million people in New York state have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to a real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University. The Empire State surpassed the grim milestone over the weekend, becoming only the fourth U.S. state to do so. To date, New York has confirmed a total of 1,023,897 COVID-19 cases, including at least 38,415 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins data. California has the highest total of any U.S. state by far with more than 2.4 million cases, followed by Texas’s 1.8 million and Florida’s 1.3 million. Schools reopen in Kenya after nearly 10 months Schools fully reopened across Kenya on Monday for the first time in nearly 10 months. The Kenyan government shut down schools nationwide in March, after the East African nation confirmed its first COVID-19 case. The government reopened schools for students in grades 4, 8 and 12 who were preparing for final exams. The remainder — some 16 million schoolchildren — were expected to return to classrooms Monday. The government has asked school officials and teachers to implement public health measures, such as social distancing and hygiene guidelines, to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Still, teachers have expressed concern over the safety of their students and themselves amid the pandemic. Wilson Sossion, secretary-general of the Kenya National Union of Teachers, told BBC’s Newsday that the level of preparation on COVID-19 safety measures ahead of the reopening was “quite inadequate.” “When you give such directives to schools and you don’t give them funding,” Sossion said, “how are they expected to implement?” Kenya, a country of 51 million people, has reported more than 96,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, including at least 1,685 deaths, according to the latest data from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. TSA screens over 3.3 million travelers during holiday weekend More than 3.3 million people went through airport security checkpoints across the United States over the holiday weekend, despite public health guidance against traveling due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it screened 805,990 individuals at checkpoints nationwide on Friday, New Year’s Day, along with 1,192,881 on Saturday and 1,327,289 on Sunday. Sunday’s total was the highest checkpoint volume that TSA has recorded since the pandemic began. That means the total for the entire holiday travel period — beginning Dec. 18 and ending Sunday — was more than 17.7 million people, which is far higher than what analysts had been forecasting. HHS secretary ‘surprised there haven’t been more glitches’ in vaccine rollout U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said the nationwide distribution of COVID-19 vaccines is still on track and that he’s “surprised there haven’t been more glitches.” “We said our goal was to have 20 million first doses available in the month of December. Those are available, but there’s a lag between doses being available, them being ordered by the providers in the states, shipping and then eventual vaccination, especially when you have Christmas and New Year’s in the middle,” Azar told ABC News’ Robin Roberts in an interview Monday on Good Morning America. “This is just — it’s normal,” he added. “This is the largest vaccination campaign in the history of the United States. I’m actually surprised there haven’t been more glitches that we’ve seen so far.” Azar’s comments come after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published an update on the country’s vaccine rollout, showing that 13,071,925 doses have been distributed and 4,225,756 have been administered as of 9 a.m. ET on Jan. 2. Some states have faced delays or other issues with their rollouts, with people being turned away at vaccination sites. But Azar said there’s been “a very rapid uptick” in just the last 72 hours of reporting, with an additional 1.5 million vaccine doses administered. “I’m very hopeful that we’re going to see a continued rapid uptick in that,” he said. “Our states are on it, w’re working with our governors, we’re providing them help.” Tokyo, other areas of Japan poised for state of emergency as infections climb Tokyo and other areas of Japan may enter a state of emergency as COVID-19 infections continue to climb. “The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus has not gone down, but rather has remained high in Tokyo and the neighboring prefectures,” Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference Monday. “With that in mind, we thought we needed to send a stronger message.” Suga did not say when a state of emergency would go into effect but that the “details will be decided quickly.” The announcement is expected to come before the end of the week. Declaring a state of emergency would give the governors of those respective regions the authority to ask residents for cooperation in efforts to stem the spread of the virus. There are currently no legal ramifications for non-compliance. Suga’s predecessor, Shinzo Abe, declared a nationwide state of emergency relatively early in the pandemic in April, which lasted for a month. At that time, residents were asked to reduce person-to-person contact by 80% and to practice “jishuku,” or “self-restraint,” by staying at home and closing non-essential businesses. Suga has said any upcoming state of emergency will be implemented in a “limited and focused” manner, leading some to speculate that the demands won’t be drastic. Restrictive measures could also disrupt preparations for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which was postponed to this year. During Monday’s press conference, Suga also pledged to speed up efforts to approve COVID-19 vaccines and to begin immunizing the country’s senior citizens, health care workers and nursing home employees in late February. COVID-19 infections soared in Tokyo over the holidays. On New Year’s Eve, the Japanese capital reported over 1,300 newly confirmed cases for the first time in a single day. Nationwide, more than 245,000 cases have been confirmed since the start of the pandemic, including at least 3,645 deaths, according to the latest data from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Japan also recently detected several confirmed cases of the new, more contagious variant of the novel coronavirus that was first identified in the United Kingdom last month. South Africa variant ‘even more of a problem’ than UK strain, health secretary says A new variant of the novel coronavirus identified in South Africa is “even more of a problem” than the highly contagious strain spreading rapidly in the United Kingdom, according to British Health Secretary Matt Hancock. “I’m incredibly worried about the South African variant, and that’s why we took the action that we did to restrict all flights from South Africa,” Hancock said in an interview Monday on BBC Radio 4’s Today program. “This is a very, very significant problem,” he added, “and it’s even more of a problem than the U.K. new variant.” Last month, the U.K. introduced a ban on travelers who have been in or transited through South Africa in the last 10 days due to an “increased risk” from the country’s variant, called 501Y.V2. The travel ban does not apply to British or Irish nationals, U.K. visa holders and permanent residents, but they must self-quarantine. The new rule comes as the U.K. grapples with a new, more contagious variant of the novel coronavirus that was identified in England in late December. The strain, called B117, is currently prevalent in London and other parts of southeast England. It was also confirmed in the United States for the first time on Tuesday. The South Africa variant was detected in the U.K. for the first time last week, linked to a contact of someone who had been in South Africa. South African scientists say 501Y.V2 emerged after the first epidemic wave in a severely affected metropolitan area, Nelson Mandela Bay, located on the coast of South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. “This lineage spread rapidly, becoming within weeks the dominant lineage in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces,” researchers wrote in a scientific paper published last month. “Whilst the full significance of the mutations is yet to be determined, the genomic data, showing the rapid displacement of other lineages, suggest that this lineage may be associated with increased transmissibility.” South Africa, a nation of 57 million people, has reported more than 1.1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, including at least 29,577 deaths. The country makes up for nearly 40% of all confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa, a continent of 1.2 billion people, according to the latest data from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.K., an island nation of 66 million people made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, has reported more than 2.6 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, including at least 75,024 deaths, according to the latest data from the U.K. government. A count kept by Johns Hopkins University shows the U.K. currently has the sixth-highest total of diagnosed cases in the world. UK becomes first country to roll out Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine Rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by England’s University of Oxford and British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca began in the United Kingdom on Monday morning. Brian Pinker, an 82-year-old dialysis patient, was the first person in the country — and the world — to receive the newly approved vaccine outside of a clinical trial, according to a press release from National Health Service (NHS) England. He told reporters that he felt “pretty good” after getting the shot at Churchill Hospital in Oxford, England. “I am so pleased to be getting the COVID vaccine today and really proud that it is one that was invented in Oxford,” Pinker, who was born and raised in Oxford, said in a statement released by NHS England. “The nurses, doctors and staff today have all been brilliant and I can now really look forward to celebrating my 48th wedding anniversary with my wife Shirley later this year.” Trevor Cowlett, an 88-year-old music teacher and father of three, and Dr. Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and chief investigator into the clinical trial of the shot, were also among the first to get the jab Monday. “It was an incredibly proud moment for me to have received the actual vaccine that the University of Oxford and the AstraZeneca teams have worked so hard to make available to the UK and the world,” Pollard said in a statement released by NHS England. “As a pediatrician specialising in infections, I know how important it is that health care workers along with other priority groups are protected as soon as possible — a crucial role in defeating this terrible disease.” NHS England said the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine will be delivered to a small number of U.K. hospitals for the first few days for “surveillance purposes, as is standard practice, before the bulk of supplies are send to hundreds of GP-led services later in the week.” Hundreds of new vaccination sites are set to open this week, in addition to the 700 already in operation. The U.K. became the first country to approve the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency supply last week. Another COVID-19 vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech was authorized in the U.K. on Dec. 2 and rollout began a week later. Both vaccines are administered in two doses. US reports over 210,000 new cases There were 210,479 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the United States on Sunday, according to a real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University. It’s the second straight day that the country has reported more than 200,000 newly confirmed infections. Sunday’s tally is less than the all-time high of 297,491 new cases, which the country logged the previous day, Johns Hopkins data shows. An additional 1,396 deaths from COVID-19 were also registered nationwide on Sunday, down from a peak of 3,750 on Dec. 30, according to Johns Hopkins data. COVID-19 data may be skewed due to possible lags in reporting over the holidays followed by a potentially very large backlog. A total of 20,637,537 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and at least 351,580 of them have died, according to Johns Hopkins data. The cases include people from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and other U.S. territories as well as repatriated citizens. Much of the country was under lockdown by the end of March as the first wave of the pandemic hit. By May 20, all U.S. states had begun lifting stay-at-home orders and other restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The day-to-day increase in the country’s cases then hovered around 20,000 for a couple of weeks before shooting back up over the summer. The numbers lingered around 40,000 to 50,000 from mid-August through early October before surging again to record levels, crossing 100,000 for the first time on Nov. 4 and reaching 200,000 for the first time on Nov. 27. Coronavirus live updates: US reports over 180,000 new cases – National News Despite CDC warnings, millions of people flew over the holidays – National News By ABC News Radio POLL: 9 in 10 say pandemic not controlled; two-thirds intend to vaccinate – National News Jan 19, 2021 ABC News Radio Spirit agent hospitalized, passengers arrested after bag dispute – National News Two dogs credited with saving owner’s life from burning home die in same fire – National News Trading Post Mailbag https://www.facebook.com/kvnulogan/ All armed National Guardsman on duty in DC vetted by FBI amid inauguration threats – National News	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1973
__label__wiki	0.934525	0.934525	Encore Hotel opens as vaccine site Nevada adds another 1,200 coronavirus cases President Donald Trump arrives with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Attorney General William Barr to speak about the 2020 census in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Trump Claims No Retreat On Citizenship Question On Census Executive Orders Being Considered WASHINGTON (AP) — After failing to get his citizenship question on the census, President Donald Trump now says his fallback plan will provide an even more accurate count — determining the citizenship of 90 percent of the population "or more." But his plan will likely be limited by logistical hurdles and legal restrictions. Trump wants to distill a massive trove of data across seven government agencies — and possibly across 50 states. It's far from clear how such varying systems can be mined, combined and compared. He directed the Commerce Department, which manages the census, to form a working group. "The logistical barriers are significant, if not insurmountable," said Paul Light, a senior fellow of Governance Studies at New York University with a long history of research in government reform. "The federal government does not invest, and hasn't been investing for a long time, in the kind of data systems and recruitment of experts that this kind of database construction would require." Trump says he aims to answer how many people are here illegally, though there already are recent estimates , and possibly use such information to divvy up congressional seats based on citizenship. It's also a way for Trump to show his base that he's not backing down (even as he's had to back down) from a battle over the question on his signature topic, immigration. The administration faced challenges last year when it was tasked by a federal judge with quickly creating a system to track migrant families that had been separated by immigration officials. They found agency systems weren't compatible. "Information-sharing is not a habit of federal agencies," Light said. Trump's plan is aimed at yet-again circumventing legal challenges on an immigration related matter, as courts have barred him from inquiring about citizenship on the 2020 census. But it could spark further legal action, depending on what his administration intends to do with the citizenship information. His executive order announced Thursday requires highly detailed information, including national-level files of all lawful permanent residents, Customs and Border arrival and departure data and Social Security Administration master beneficiary records. Plus information on Medicaid and children's health systems and refugee and asylum visas. The order states that "generating accurate data concerning the total number of citizens, non-citizens and illegal aliens in the country has nothing to do with enforcing immigration laws against particular individuals," and that information would be used "solely to produce statistics" and would not be used to "bring immigration enforcement actions against particular individuals." Dale Ho, the director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project who argued the citizenship question case at the Supreme Court, said the main privacy concern now would be disclosure of individuals' citizenship status. Federal law bars the Census Bureau from disclosing an individual's responses to the census. But Ho said that if the bureau can produce citizenship information in small geographical bites, it could inadvertently expose a person's citizenship status. The bureau has methods in place that are designed to prevent such disclosures, but "we don't know enough yet to know the answers," Ho said. In March, the Associated Press reported that even before the outcome of the census question litigation, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which maintains some of the requested data, had been working on a data-sharing agreement that would give census access to names, addresses, birth dates and places, as well as Social Security numbers and alien registration numbers. The possibilities worried immigrant rights advocates, especially given Trump's hardline stance on immigration. Samantha Artiga, a Medicaid expert with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, said she is concerned that Trump's directive will discourage some immigrants from applying for health benefits they'd be entitled to. "It is likely that this policy will further enhance already heightened fears among families about applying for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program for lawfully present immigrants or citizen children in immigrant families, potentially leading to fall-offs in coverage," she said. But to some degree, Trump's directive reflects what was already being put into place before the controversy about a citizenship question on the census. The Census Bureau had stressed that it could produce better citizenship data without adding the question and had recommended combining information from the annual American Community Survey with records held by other federal agencies that already include citizenship records. The survey polls 3.5 million U.S. households and includes questions about citizenship. "It's a retreat back to what he should have done from the beginning," said Kenneth Prewitt, a former Census Bureau director. Transferring the data from other agencies to the Census Bureau is not necessarily difficult, but some, like Customs arrivals data, contain hundreds of millions of entries and it will take time to compile, maybe years. Getting the information to match up with census data will be the main challenge. Prewitt said government records tend to be highly accurate for some purposes and less so for others. It's essential for the Social Security Administration, for instance, to know the age of Americans accurately, but it isn't as concerned with addresses. According to a 2018 report, the Census Bureau already has access to data from the IRS, Social Security, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Postal Service, the Selective Service System, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Indian Health Service. The agency also gets data from some states that administer federal programs such as food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program. Virtually all federal social programs are open only to citizens or to immigrants who have been lawfully present for at least five years. "I think the executive order will just hurry up negotiations about data-sharing that are already in the works," said Julia Gelatt, a senior policy analyst with the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute think tank. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who is in charge of the Census Bureau, insisted on adding the citizenship question and a legal challenge ensued, ending with a ruling by the Supreme Court temporarily barring its inclusion on the grounds that the government's justification was insufficient. He had offered multiple explanations for why he believed the question was necessary to include in the once-a-decade population count that determines the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives for the next 10 years and the distribution of some $675 billion in federal spending. Even after the Supreme Court ruled against him, Trump insisted he was pushing forward, contradicting government lawyers and Ross, who had conceded the case was closed, as well as the Census Bureau, which had started printing the 2020 questionnaire without the controversial query. Trump toyed with the idea of halting the constitutionally-mandated survey entirely while the court battle played out. But by Thursday evening, he gave up on including the question in the census and announced the executive order. Associated Press Writer Geoff Mulvihill in Trenton, New Jersey contributed to this report. Zero tolerance policy Censuses Government-funded health insurance United States Census Child and teen health Government pensions and social security Government business and finance	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1974
__label__cc	0.634533	0.365467	Q. How can I control tent caterpillars? Eastern tent caterpillars (Malacosoma americanum) are native to the eastern half of North America, including New York State. They feed on tree leaves in the spring, preferring a variety of fruit trees. Their highly noticeable white silk nests usually appear in the forks of tree branches in spring. Feeding on new leaves, one or two colonies of these caterpillars can completely defoliate a small tree. Tent caterpillars are sometimes confused with fall webworms. The webworm's nests arrive in the fall, not spring, and are spun at the ends of branches rather than in tree crotches. Tent caterpillars hatch at bud break. They consume new tree leaves by day and then return to their nest at night. After 6-8 weeks, they pupate, develop into moths, lay eggs, and die, leaving behind dark gray, foam-like, circular egg cases on tree branches, awaiting the following spring. A native and natural part of our ecosystem, these caterpillars will always be around, sometimes in small, unnoticeable numbers. However, dense concentrations of tent caterpillars can cause a decline in trees' health or threaten an economic resource. There are several options for dealing with these pests: Do nothing. Healthy deciduous trees usually survive defoliation and grow a second set of leaves in July. Trees can stand 2-3 years of defoliation, although their vigor and resistance will be weakened. Hand removal: If you can reach them, the nests can easily be removed with gloved hands or using a tool or stick, wrapping nest around the stick.This is best done in early morning or late afternoon, when the caterpillars are likely to be in the nest. Removed egg masses, tents and pupae should be dropped into a container of soapy water. Tree wraps: Trunks of trees can be wrapped with a sticky material to trap the caterpillars as they move up and down the tree. The caterpillars can then be removed and destroyed. Alternatively, a folded band of burlap (folded edge up) will catch the caterpillars as they climb up the tree, enabling easy removal. Sprays: These fall into two categories: microbial/biological pesticides and chemical sprays. Microbial and biological pesticides contain living organisms which the young caterpillars eat; they work best on young caterpillars. The most common of these is Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Naturally occurring in soil and on plants, Bt is harmless to people, animals and plants, but does affect young moth and butterfly larvae. When Bt is eaten, the caterpillar becomes paralyzed, stops feeding, and dies of starvation or disease. Chemical sprays, on the other hand, are contact poisons. They can kill beneficial insects, nesting birds and other animals. For detailed information on identifying and removing tent caterpillars, consult the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County. For tips on a variety of gardening topics, see our Plant Information Guides. - Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service Outdoor Gardening Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Last Updated Apr 02, 2018 Answered By Anita Finkle	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1978
__label__wiki	0.548579	0.548579	Search results for "Ireland" Biological Weapons Act 2011 [10th July, 2011] : an act to give further effect to the Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, done at Geneva on 17 June 1925 ; to give further effect to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, done at Washington, London and Moscow on 10 April 1972 ; and to pr 2011 Book PE/IE/LN 0001 Not for loan Chemical Weapons Act, 1997 [19th May, 1997] : an act to implement the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, and to provide for related matters 1997 Book PE/IE/LN 0009 Not for loan Cluster Munitions and Anti-Personnel Mines Act 2008 [2nd December, 2008] : an act to give effect to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, done at Dublin on 30 May 2008, and to give further effect to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, done at Oslo on 18 September 1997, and to provide for related matters 2008 Book PE/IE/LN 0010 Not for loan Defence Act, 1954 [13th May, 1954] : an act to make further and better provision in relation to the defence of the State and the Defence Forces and to make provision for other matters connected with or incidental to the matters aforesaid 1954 Book PE/IE/LN 0014 Not for loan Defence (Amendment) Act, 1960 [26th July, 1960] : an act to authorise the despatch of contingents of the Permanent Defence Force for service outside the State with international forces established by the Security Council or the General Asssembly of the United Nations for the performance of duties of a police character, to extend the area of service of certain members of the Permanent Defence Force, and for those purposes to amend the Defence Act, 1954, in certain respects and to provide for othe 1960 Book PE/IE/LN 0015 Not for loan Defence (Amendment) Act, 1990 [11th April, 1990] : an act to provide for the establishment of associations to represent members of the Defence Forces for certain purposes and for connected matters 1990 Book PE/IE/LN 0017 Not for loan Defence (Amendment) Act, 1993 [1st July, 1993] : an act to amend and extend the Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1960, and to provide for related matters 1993 Book PE/IE/LN 0018 Not for loan Defence (Amendment) Act, 1998 [8th July, 1998] : an act to provide for the re-organisation of the headquarters of the Defence Forces and for that purpose to provide for the appointment of a Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations) of the Defence Forces and a Deputy Chief of Staff (Support) of the Defence Forces, to provide for the amendment of the Defence Act, 1954, and to provide for related matters 1998 Book PE/IE/LN 0019 Not for loan Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1960 [21st December, 1960] : an act to authorise, subject to previous approval of Dáil Éireann in certain circumstances, the despatch of contingents of the Permanent Defence Force for service outside the State with international forces established by the Security Council or the General Assembly of the United Nations for the performance of duties of a police character, to extend the area of service of certain members of the Permanent Defence Force, and for those p 1960 Book PE/IE/LN 0016 Not for loan Extradition Act, 1965 [19th July, 1965] : an act to amend the law relating to extradition 1965 Book PE/IE/LN 0020 Not for loan Extradition (Amendment) Act, 1987 [14th December, 1987] : an act to amend the Extradition Acts, 1965 and 1987 1987 Book PE/IE/LN 0021 Not for loan Extradition (Amendment) Act, 1994 [5th April, 1994] : an act to amend and extend the Extradition Acts, 1965 to 1987 1994 Book PE/IE/LN 0022 Not for loan Geneva Conventions Act, 1962 [21st April, 1962] : an act to enable effect to be given so far as Ireland is concerned to certain provisions of the conventions done at Geneva on the 12th day of August, 1949, relative to the amelioration of the condition of the wounded and sick in armed forces in the field, the amelioration of the condition of wounded, sick and shipwrecked members of armed forces at sea, the treatment of prisoners of war, and the protection of civilian persons in time of war 1962 Book PE/IE/LN 0005 Not for loan Geneva Conventions (Amendment) Act, 1998 [13th July, 1998] : an act to enable effect to be given to the Protocols additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 adopted at Geneva on 8 June 1977 and for that purpose to amend the Geneva Conventions Act, 1962, the Red Cross Acts, 1938 to 1954, and section 1 of the Prisoners of War and Enemy Aliens Act, 1956, and to provide for connected matters 1998 Book PE/IE/LN 0007 Not for loan Genocide Act, 1973 [18th December, 1973] : an act to give effect to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and to provide for other matters connected therewith 1973 Book PE/IE/LN 0012 Not for loan International Criminal Court Act 2006 [31st October, 2006] : an act to provide for the punishment by courts in the State and by courts-martial of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other offences within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, which was established under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, done at Rome on 17 July 1998 ; to enable effect to be given to requests by that Court for assistance in the investigation or prosecution of those 2006 Book PE/IE/LN 0013 Not for loan International War Crimes Tribunals Act, 1998 [10th November, 1998] : an act to enable Ireland to fulfil its obligations to co-operate with international tribunals in the performance of their functions relating to the prosecution and punishment of international war crimes and to provide for related matters [10th November, 1998] 1998 Book PE/IE/LN 0008 Not for loan Order entitled Explosives (Land Mines) Order, 1996 [12th June 1996] 1996 Book PE/IE/LN 0011 Not for loan Prisoners of War and Enemy Aliens Act, 1956 [17th July, 1956] : an act to provide for the internment of prisoners of war and enemy aliens and to enable, so far as Ireland is concerned, effect to be given to and advantage taken of certain provisions contained in the conventions relative to the treatment of prisoners of war and the protection of civilian persons in time of war which were signed on behalf of Ireland at Geneva on the 19th day of December, 1949 1956 Book PE/IE/LN 0006 Not for loan Red Cross Act, 1938 [14th December, 1938] : an act to enable, so far as Ireland is concerned, effect to be given to and advantage taken of certain provisions contained in an international convention for the amelioration of the condition of the wounded and sick in armies in the field and an international convention relative to the treatment of prisoners of war, both of which were signed at Geneva on the 27th day of July, 1929, and for that purpose to make provision for the establishment and incor 1938 Book PE/IE/LN 0002 Not for loan Red Cross Act, 1944 [28th November, 1944] : an act to provide that the President of Ireland shall be President of the Irish Red Cross Society 1944 Book PE/IE/LN 0003 Not for loan Red Cross Act, 1954 [9th December, 1954] : an act to enable, so far as Ireland is concerned, effect to be given to and advantage taken of certain provisions contained in the conventions signed on behalf of Ireland at Geneva on the 19th day of December, 1949, and for those and other purposes to amend and extend the Red Cross Acts, 1938 and 1944 1954 Book PE/IE/LN 0004 Not for loan 22 Hits Ireland http://library.icrc.org/library/search/shortview?searchField=marcrecord&searchType=Simple&searchTerm=14545&backLinkType=notice&backLink=noticeNr%3D33283 1 2010-2019 2 2000-2009 19 1900-1999	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1979
__label__wiki	0.666605	0.666605	Fall 2016, FEATURES, Home & Garden The Color of Home From his captain’s chair in the dining room of his new home, Steve Gray can see two paintings that he and his wife, Sharman, commissioned depicting their childhood homes. Sharman’s shows an elegant home place her family called “Riverview,” situated on the Sunflower River in the Mississippi Delta outside of Greenville. His is a humble, 900-square-foot “matchbox” house in Louisiana. His father worked for a gas company that transported oil from the Gulf to New York and he was raised in one of the small houses the company built in clusters at its pumping stations along the way for its workers. Within this line of sight, is a story of where they came from and where they are now. After retiring from the wireless telephone business a couple of years ago, Steve and his wife of 33 years, decided to build their dream home at Reynolds Plantation – one worthy of its own masterpiece. One day, a painter will capture the hues of its cedar trusses against a fall sky and bring out the textures of the surrounding stone. She will include even the smallest of details like the fleur de lis hiding in the iron work of the striking front door. The background will reflect the expansive view of Lake Oconee afforded by the immaculate terraces that give height to the home, brought to life by builder Rick Buechler and landscaped by Steve Noles. For this dream home, the Grays brought with them a lifetime of objects, tied to their memories, and entrusted them to designer Shane Meder of Black Sheep Interiors. “They came with a lot of their own pieces that were a part of their journey,” says Meder, “so it was important to keep that presence, but build upon it. We didn’t want the old house coming in to change the feeling of the new house.” Meder found ways to incorporate the existing items in ways that kept the design fresh and allowed the pieces to keep reinventing themselves. Their son’s Beatles poster is mixed seamlessly into the black-and-white scheme of a guest room. Generations of family portraits add a personal touch to the entryway of the master bedroom. The paintings of the Grays’ childhood homes could have been hung in a hallway or office, but Meder says it was important for them to be in a place where they could point to them and keep a conversation going about their journey. Meder’s biggest challenge, perhaps, was the family’s most noticeable conversation piece – an antique pig carved from solid wood that once hung outside of a pub in South London. The large piece is noticeably old, estimated from the early 1900s, and still has its original hardware. The wood has been patched in places from years of use, only adding character to the unusual piece. The Grays ran across the pig a few years ago at an antique shop in Charlotte, N.C., while visiting Steve’s sister. At the time, they were living in Arkansas and were big Razorback fans. It was heavy and impractical to transport, but nevertheless, they both had to have it. “It was just something that caught our eye and we both fell in love with it,” says Steve. He knew the pig, which he and Sharman had by then affectionately dubbed, “Arnold,” should ultimately have a place in their kitchen. Meder jokes that, on a scale from one to ten ranking odd client requests for interior design, Arnold hit double digits. “I’ve worked with roosters, and really all kinds of animal motifs, but not pigs,” says Meder. While Meder says the prospect of going “whole hog” with pig-inspired napkins rings and other accessories was never an option, he did want Arnold to factor predominantly into the Grays’ overall kitchen design. “I decided we needed to just put it front and center,” he says. “We’re from the South. We take our crazy and put it on the front porch with a drink in its hand.” And so, in a spot above the stove and behind a customized display case, Arnold became the focal point of the kitchen. “The millwork guys who made the case did an incredible job of making it more than just a box. They really brought it to life,” says Steve. “I love the tile work behind it as well. Shane wanted to keep that ‘old world butcher’ type of feel and I think it really worked.” The soft lighting built into the display serves as a nightlight for the kitchen area that also encompasses a casual living area and breakfast nook with banquette seating. Both areas open into an adjoining screened porch that allows good flow when entertaining. The orange tones from the indoor fabrics are picked up in the outdoor furnishings of the space, punctuated by a cozy outdoor fireplace. Sharman says she often sits on the porch with a glass of wine and enjoys looking back into the kitchen at Arnold. “Especially at night, your eye is drawn here from any room,” she says. “That pig is just awesome up there.” The kitchen opens into the dining room and main living area through two small galleys that serve as well-appointed staging areas for china or serving ware, a wet bar, and practical everyday storage – one of which showcases the portraits of the family’s original homes. Easily accessible to the dining room table is a built-in buffet, situated between the two entry ways. The area brings a more formal tone, in terms of finishes, and the span of the long table is broken by two separate chandeliers. Next to the open dining area is the main living space, anchored by a lush green French sofa facing custom built-ins that frame the fireplace. The Grays chose to bank this shared living and dining space in shades of yellow and green. “Sharman has this kind of classic Southern style about her, and they went with a more traditional, sort of ‘Mamie Eisenhower in the White House,’ classic interior palette,” says Meder, who admitted being nervous when the first coat of paint went on. “It’s tricky to work with yellows and greens,” he says. “Either you love it or hate it. This worked so well in this room because the fabric softened everything even more and the yellows became a natural way to invite the outside in through those windows.” In stark contrast to the soft shades of the living and dining space is the connected foyer that boasts the ornate, iron front door at its center. Ensconced in brick, the high barreled ceiling and matching brick walls are punctuated by custom iron fixtures with leather strap details. “The foyer gives a sense of going through one of the old houses, so it brings a sort of historical value to it,” says Meder. With 14-foot ceiling, plus the barreled top, the brick walls and floating iron fixtures add a richness to the space without overpowering it and making it dark. Upon entering the home, the eye is drawn forward to the lake view ahead. This view is what sold the lot for Steve Gray. When he first walked the lot in 2010, he realized it would be a challenge to build on the property’s steep slope. But as he began guessing where the house might sit amongst the large oak trees, he saw the potential. “I knew I could orient the house looking to the east, down the long end of a channel of Richland Creek,” says Steve. The resulting view is stunning. The slope of the lot gives the house an illusion of being a mountain retreat, further reinforced by the home’s cedar beams and neutral stonework. “We chose this property so we could take advantage of the elevation,” says Steve. “A lot of people want to be low and flat, but I like the elevation because it gives you this vista.” The entire lakeside exterior of the Gray home as been built to maximize this vista. The terraced lot builds up from the lake, flowing naturally among different outdoor spaces including an expansive fire pit area and resort-style pool. The pool, created by Dennis Stevens of Oconee Pool Professionals, features entry points on both sides and a raised hot tub in the middle with channels connecting each space. The pool fits neatly into the topography of the slope and is high enough to provide privacy from the lake below. The terrace level of the house opens onto the pool area, enhancing the home’s entertaining capacity. “We like to entertain a lot, we’ve just never had a good space for it before,” says Sharman. The full bar downstairs, next to a chic wine room, offers the perfect gathering space. Steve says he always knew the last house he built would have a bar room. “During my whole career, I traveled and ended up in hotel rooms all over the country and internationally,” says Steve. “What do you do after a hard day’s work? Look for a cocktail or a glass of wine with friends or business associates.” He wanted his bar room to nurture that camaraderie. “I’m not a ‘man cave’ guy, but I wanted this room to encourage conversation and casual living for both my friends and Sharman’s friends.” The expansive room is separated into two “conversation sections.” If some guests want to watch a game on the big screen, others can sit nearby and enjoy a cocktail and still be connected. There are three beautifully-appointed bedrooms downstairs, providing ample space when their son and daughter visit with grandchildren. Just like all the other bedrooms upstairs, a glimpse of the water can be seen through a window in each bedroom. The striking view of Lake Oconee that originally drew the Grays here is replicated on each level of the home. As fall unfolds across the lake, the oranges, reds, and golds turn the Gray home from summer getaway to mountain retreat as effortlessly as the broad brush strokes of an artist painting a home for all seasons. Photographed by Justin Evans Previous Post The height of downtown living Next Post Playing a masterpiece	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1982
__label__wiki	0.564365	0.564365	Article - 'When Linearity Attacks!' by Brickroad Brickroad discusses linearity in your game and how best to utilise it What is linearity? Before I go anywhere with this, I will define linearity and nonlinearity for the scope of this article. Linearity is a measure of the amount of options you have while playing a game. A linear game has a "railroad track" to follow; every time you play the game you'll do the same things in roughly the same order. A non-linear game provides a "spider web" to follow; every time you play the game you'll be faced with a series of decisions about where to go and what to do. Only events linked directly to gameplay are used while measuring linearity. A hidden secret or bonus in an otherwise linear game doesn't necessarily make it less linear; it just means that it happens to be a linear game with a secret or bonus in it. A perfectly linear game is best thought of as a string; the player starts at one end and moves to the other, with no opportunity to move off the string. Sonic the Hedgehog is a great example of this; there are six Zones with three Acts in each one, all of which must be finished in order. Then the final boss. (Note: there are secrets to collect in the form of Chaos Emeralds to find, and multiple paths to take within the actual stages, but the Emeralds don't affect your game and the paths always lead to the same place.) Sonic the Hedgehog is, therefore, perfectly linear or, for purposes of this article, a string. A roughly linear game can be envisioned as a tree. The player starts at the base and moves towards the top. Along the way though are branches the player can explore. Inevitably, however, the player is going to have to come back to the trunk so he can advance along in the game. A good example is Super Metroid. There are a good number of items you need, and a fair amount of bosses you must beat, and a rough order in which they must be accomplished. The more branches you take, the better equipped you are when you come back to the trunk. Therefore Super Metroid (and most commercial RPGs) are trees. A non-linear game is, like I said, a spider web. The player starts in the middle, and can end anywhere along the edge. There are numerous paths, and you often can go back and take a different path if you change your mind. Super Mario 64 is a prime example of a non-linear game. The goal of the game is simple: get 70 stars. Right out of the gate, there are about twenty stars the player can get. The more stars you get, the more you're able to reach. There is an enormous number of combinations that will work and still allow the player to win. Mario 64 is, therefore, a web. A perfectly non-linear game is one where the player is presented with every available option from the beginning. It's envisioned as a vast open plain. Ultima: Quest of the Avatar is like this. It doesn't matter where your starting point is, since everywhere on the plain is the same. Ultima actually has a quasi-random way of determining your start location. You still have a set amount of tasks to complete, but they can be completed in virtually any order. Some of the stories in SaGa Frontier also qualify as plains. Why strings and plains don't work. Of the four examples above, what strikes you as most fun to play? If you answered trees or webs, you're in the vast, vast majority. Most people just find strings suffocatingly confining and very boring after one playthrough. They saw everything the first time they played it, after all... why play it again? As a result, strings usually lean on hellacious difficulty to remain interesting. I used Sonic 1 as an example earlier, for good reason: the game has a very steep difficulty level, especially after you get into the fourth zone. Most players will hit a plateau eventually - they can get to Zone 4 Act 3, for example, but no further - they always run out of lives there and have to start over. With time they'll be able to progress, just to hit another wall in Zone 6 somewhere. Once they finally do beat the last boss, chances are they'll be able to do it again and again - but they won't, because the game has gotten stale and dull. Plains have the exact opposite problem. Have you ever played a game which very quickly overwhelmed you? You feel like you're drowning in a gigantic game world with no idea what to do or where to go. Only by wandering aimlessly will you eventually stumble upon a game event which, once completed, leaves you right back where you started - as lost as ever. Players will give up on strings because they quickly get same-y and frustrating. Players will give up on plains because they don't have any clues to follow. A game that is designed to fall into either of these categories is being aimed at a very narrow audience. This isn't to say they're bad games, just that they won't appeal to most people. Two kinds of "optional." Secrets, bonuses, hidden stuff... call it what you will. Options are the key to controlling a game's linearity. There are, however, two kinds of optional; one directly relates to linearity, and the other has nothing to do to it. Ironically, it is the false options that affect how linear a game is, and the true options that do not. A true option is defined as an event the player can either trigger or neglect, without altering the flow of the game. Ruby and Emerald WEAPONS in FF7 were truly optional - you don't have to beat them to finish the game, and doing so does not give you any rewards. (Yes, I realize the game does give you something for beating both, but the reward is less than what is likely required to accomplish the task in the first place, so they're not really rewards at all.) In other words, if the player can beat either WEAPON he is already skilled or equipped well enough to finish the game, and once they are beaten the game is not any easier or more difficult to finish. Neither WEAPON affects the game in any meaningful way. Thus, they do not make the game more or less linear. False options often come in sets. The player will likely have to complete one or more of these events, but if they don't do any of them, they'll never win the game. The second world of FF6 is a super duper example. You'll very quickly find yourself with three characters and an airship, and that's the end of the required game. However, it is impossible to defeat Kefka in this state. You must go and complete some of the optional tasks to even stand a chance. And if you think you can sidestep the situation by just levelling your characters up to L99, you've still failed because powerleveling was one of your false options to begin with! Consider the following combinations of totally optional events, any of which will allow you to beat Kefka: - Go and get the other eleven PC characters, complete no other optional quests. - Get just a few characters, and teach them all powerful magic. - Don't get any characters, but some strong weapons and level the three you have very high. - Complete only the quests necessary to get the "broken" relics (Offering, Gem Box, Economizer, Moogle Charm...). As you can see, a set of false options has a profound impact on linearity. Each of the four scenarios above will allow you to beat Kefka, but each one comes with its own set of pros and cons. Each has a different set of strategies you must use. Each offers a different challenge for the same player on subsequent playthroughs. And of course, this is neglecting the obvious possibility of "get every single optional thing in the game"... which of course makes trouncing Kefka really easy. Non-linear for the sake of non-linear. Nonlinearity is often touted as a "feature". It's often assumed (incorrectly) that the more non-linear a game is, the better it is. I've already shown how this is a dangerous fallacy - leaving the player in a huge world without telling them what to do can lead to frustration, boredom, and the player giving up. There ought to be a reason parts of the game is non-linear. If there are two paths that will both take me to the end of the level, and one is more difficult than another, why is it more difficult? There's a part in the Race to the Finish bonus stage in SSBM that splits into three paths. One path has high walls lined with spikes, one has pits of lava broken with platforms, and one is a series of moving platforms suspended above a pit. In this case the reason for the non-linear element is obvious - there are twenty-five characters, and some are better suited for certain paths than others. Now let's talk about Donkey Kong Country 2. The game gives you two players to use - they are identical in every way save two: one character holds objects above her head and can fly and/or float, the other holds objects in front and can cartwheel. The problem here is that the character who can fly is always more advantageous than the character who cannot. The game presents many situations where it is helpful or even required to fly, but no situations where it is helpful or required to cartwheel (cartwheeling will kill a row of enemies, but you can just as easily fly over them). The player can pick the cartwheeling character, sure, but there's never any reason to do so if the flying one is available. The game has two characters just for the sake of having two. You see this a lot in RPGs. Quests with no meaningful resolution, no reward, and no real reason for existing. In FF9 you can race against Hippaul at only one point in the game, and you don't get anything that affects the game in any meaningful way for doing so. Why do it? SaGa Frontier opens up almost all the locations for all the characters, even though many places don't have any events or quests in them for some of them. Why bother going there? These forms of illusionary nonlinearity are really only lost time. Giving the player something extra to do just for the sake of having something extra to do is missing the entire point of making the game non-linear to begin with. A list of stuff to consider for YOUR RPG! I've discussed a lot of the ins and outs about what makes a game non-linear and why some stuff works and some stuff doesn't. Now we'll try to apply this to your RPG! - Nonlinearity is cool on a manageable scale. Giving the player something to do other than following the game's core story is usually a good idea. However, sacrificing game flow or breaking up the plot to do it is not. Putting a goofy fun minigame in the middle of an average dungeon the player is in to look for the magic crystal flower of whatever is fun; putting the same minigame in the archvillain's hidden lair while the players are trying to rescue an ally is distracting. (Hey man, we would have been here sooner but we stopped to make sure all the fluffy critters down in the hidden room on floor five were well fed.) - Here's a paradox for you - the more non-linear your game is, the easier you must make it to stay on track. If your player has only one option of what to do next, they're not likely to forget what it is. If they have four options, they might get sidetracked. If they have ten options, they might leave the flow of the game for hours-long stretches at a time! Be aware that your player might want to abandon their sidequest at any time and get on with the core game - make it easy for them to slip right back into it. - You know, there's a reason all those false options I talked about earlier happen near the end of most commercial games. Accomplishing just a few of the false options put you right on par with the last boss; accomplishing all of them put you out of the ballpark. The more optional stuff you have during the game, the stronger your player has potential to be. Now you're in trouble - the player who did everything will be overpowered and might get bored with your easy snooze-fest. The player who did little might be underpowered and get frustrated with how difficult things are. Of course, this gets into the realm of game balance, which isn't within the scope of this article... but it's worth mentioning. - If there's a branch, there ought to be fruit. Keep that in mind. Don't offer an option if there's no reason to take it! Players don't like going out of their way to be greeted with a dead-end. Oftentimes they'll think they missed something (even if they didn't) and spend more time exploring an optional area than they ought to, only adding to their frustration! - The less linear the game is, the more difficult it is to keep everything in synch. If your game is designed in such a way that it is possible to reach Boss Monster X at level 5 with just one character, Boss Monster X ought to be smackdownable at level 5 with just one character. Keep track of how all the nonlinearly elements interact with each other, and understand that your players will want to try combinations you never dreamed of! - There's no shame in keeping it simple. If you can't think of anything extra, bonus, optional, or secret to add... don't bother. Chances are the player won't know anything is missing as long as the linear stuff turns out good. And that's the article. I hope someone, somewhere finds this helpful in some way, shape, or form.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1987
__label__cc	0.707967	0.292033	368 U.S. 13 - Castle v. United States 368 US 13 Castle v. United States 7 L.Ed.2d 75 Glenn Dale CASTLE, petitioner, No. 60, Misc. Glenn Dale Castle, pro se. Solicitor General Cox, for the United States. On petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis and the petition for writ of certiorari are granted. We are in agreement with the representations of the Solicitor General that, under the principles announced in Bell v. United States, 349 U.S. 81, 75 S.Ct. 620, 99 L.Ed. 905, the petitioner was guilty of but a single offense under 18 U.S.C. § 2314, 18 U.S.C.A. § 2314. In light of such representations and upon consideration of the entire record, the judgment is vacated and the case is remanded to the Court of Appeals with instructions to remit to the District Court for resentencing in accordance with this opinion.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1994
__label__wiki	0.615482	0.615482	FNS Vol.4 No.6 A , June 2013 A Systematic Review of the Environmental Impacts of GM Crop Cultivation as Reported from 2006 to 2011 Oliver Knox, Clare Hall, Alistair McVittie, Robin Walker, Bruce Knight Scotland’s Rural College, Edinburgh, UK. Scotland’s Rural College, Aberdeen, UK. Innovation Management, Cambridgeshire, UK. Abstract: The current generation of genetically modified crops have shown potential to enhance agricultural productivity and alter farm production economics, but there remains global divergence in adoption of the technology due in part to uncertainty in the underlying science. In an attempt to address this, a systematic review was undertaken, which asked the question “What are the environmental impacts of the global cultivation of GM crops?” A database search statement generated over 19000 hits, which distilled down to 28 articles from which data was recovered to generate a set of R values, where R was the ratio of the GM divided by the conventional field data. Meta-analysis of this data indicated that under GM R had significantly increased from a background level of 1 to a mean value of 1.31. This increase in R, although positive, is not indicative of an environmental benefit due to the difficulty in assigning either benefits or disadvantages to the many indicators that were encompassed within the review. Subsequent regression analysis indicated that there was no standard model to explain the observed variation in R values. However, in models for both cotton and maize, variables relating to the design of the study had a significant effect, but these variables were not related to trait or gene insertion and were generally either year, country or change in cultivation practice in origin. Narrative analysis of the authors published interpretations indicated GM had no adverse effects in 85% of papers, 10% reported a beneficial effect and only 5% a deleterious impact. The conclusion of this study is that GM adoption has had an impact on its environment, but that the underlying cause of this impact is not due to the genetic modification and the effect on the environment is generally seen as not being adverse. Keywords: GM; Systematic Review; Meta-Analysis; Environmental Indicators Cite this paper: O. Knox, C. Hall, A. McVittie, R. Walker and B. Knight, "A Systematic Review of the Environmental Impacts of GM Crop Cultivation as Reported from 2006 to 2011," Food and Nutrition Sciences, Vol. 4 No. 6, 2013, pp. 28-44. doi: 10.4236/fns.2013.46A004. [1] C. James, “Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops,” ISAAA, Brief 42, Ithaca, 2010. [2] D. A. Andow, G. L. Lovei and S. Arpaia, “Ecological Risk Assessment for Bt Crops,” Nature Biotechnology, Vol. 24, No. 7, 2006, pp. 749-751. doi:10.1038/nbt0706-749 [3] M. Marvier, C. McCreedy, J. Regetz and P. Kareiva, “A Meta-Analysis of Effects of Bt Cotton and Maize on Nontarget Invertebrates,” Science, Vol. 316, No. 5830, 2007, pp. 1475-1477. doi:10.1126/science.1139208 [4] A. Balog, J. Kiss, D. Szekeres, A. Szenasi and V. Marko, “Rove Beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) Communities in Transgenic Bt (MON810) and near Isogenic Maize,” Crop Protection, Vol. 29, No. 6, 2010, pp. 567-571. doi:10.1016/j.cropro.2009.12.020 [5] A. Ricroch, J. Berge and M. Kuntz, “Is the German Suspension of MON810 Maize Cultivation Scientifically Justified?” Transgenic Research, Vol. 19, No. 1, 2010, pp. 1-12. doi:10.1007/s11248-009-9297-5 [6] G. Brookes and P. Barfoot, “GM Crops: The Global Economic and Environmental Impact—The First Nine Years 1996-2004,” AgBioForum, Vol. 8, No. 2-3, 2005, pp. 187-196. [7] G. P. Fitt, “Have Bt Crops Led to Changes in Insecticide Use Patterns and Impacted IPM?” Integration of InsectResistant Genetically Modified Crops within IPM Programs, Vol. 5, 2008, pp. 303-328. [8] G. Brookes and P. Barfoot, “GM Crops: The First Ten Years-Global Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts,” ISAAA, Ithaca, 2006. [9] O. G. G. Knox, G. A. Constable, B. Pyke and V. V. S. R. Gupta, “Environmental Impact of Conventional and Bt Insecticidal Cotton Expressing One and Two Cry Genes in Australia,” Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. 57, No. 5, 2006, pp. 501-509. doi:10.1071/AR05366 [10] H. J. Beckie, K. N. Harker, L. M. Hall, S. I. Warwick, A. Legere, P. H. Sikkema, G. W. Clayton, A. G. Thomas, J. Y. Leeson, G. Seguin-Swartz and M. J. Simard, “A Decade of Herbicide-Resistant Crops in Canada,” Canadian Journal of Plant Science, Vol. 86, No. 4, 2006, pp. 12431264. [11] G. A. Kleter, R. Bhula, K. Bodnaruk, E. Carazo, A. S. Felsot, C. A. Harris, A. Katayama, H. A. Kuiper, K. D. Racke, B. Rubin, Y. Shevah, G. R. Stephenson, K. Tanaka, J. Unsworth, R. Wauchope and S. S. Wong, “Altered Pesticide Use on Transgenic Crops and the Associated General Impact from an Environmental Perspective,” Pest Management Science, Vol. 63, No. 11, 2007, pp. 1107-1115. doi:10.1002/ps.1448 [12] A. Lang and M. Otto, “A Synthesis of Laboratory and Field Studies on the Effects of Transgenic Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) Maize on Non-Target Lepidoptera,” Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, Vol. 135, No. 2, 2010, pp. 121-134. doi:10.1111/j.1570-7458.2010.00981.x [13] F. Widmer, “Assessing Effects of Transgenic Crops on Soil Microbial Communities,” Green Gene Technology: Research in an Area of Social Conflict, Vol. 107, 2007, pp. 207-234. doi:10.1007/10_2007_047 [14] G. Brookes and P. Barfoot, “GM Crops: Global SocioEconomic and Environmental Impacts 1996-2009,” PG Economics Ltd., Dorchester, 2011. [15] G. L. Lovei, D. A. Andow and S. Arpaia, “Transgenic Insecticidal Crops and Natural Enemies: A Detailed Review of Laboratory Studies,” Environmental Entomology, Vol. 38, No. 2, 2009, pp. 293-306. doi:10.1603/022.038.0201 [16] G. B. Stewart, C. F. Coles and A. S. Pullin, “Applying Evidence-Based Practice in Conservation Management: Lessons from the First Systematic Review and Dissemination Projects,” Biological Conservation, Vol. 126, No. 2, 2005, pp. 270-278. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2005.06.003 [17] Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation,”Guidelines for Systematic Review in Environmental Management,” Version 4.0., 2010. [18] L. Wolfenbarger, S. E. 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__label__cc	0.69558	0.30442	Fresnillo appoints TomÃ¡s Iturriaga as COO Nov 19 2020 15:32 GMT Source: RNS RNS Number : 9276F Fresnillo appoints Tomás Iturriaga as Chief Operating Officer Fresnillo is pleased to confirm the appointment of Tomás Iturriaga as Chief Operating Officer of the Company with effects as of 19 November 2020. In his role, Mr Iturriaga will oversee the safe and efficient running of our existing mines. Mr Iturriaga brings more than 20 years of professional experience and a significant track record in the mining sector. Since May 2018, Mr Iturriaga has been holding the position of Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Community Relations at Peñoles. Prior to joining the Group, Mr Iturriaga held several positions at Goldcorp, such as General Manager of Los Filos mine, Chief Operating Officer Mexico and Regional Vice-President & General Manager Mexico. He also held the position of Vice President North American Operations at Capstone Mining Corp in Canada and Vice President of Operations and Country Manager for Mexico of Endeavour Silver Corp. Mr Iturriaga has a Bachelor degree of Science in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey (campus Laguna, Coahuila, Mexico), and a Global MBA from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management (Phoenix, Arizona) and was part of the General Management Program at Harvard Business School. Mr André Sougarret will remain with the Company for a short period of time to assist with the handover. STRFLFVELILALII	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line1999
__label__wiki	0.849577	0.849577	Madison Film Guy Reviews & Reflections on the Movies Alan Rickman: Yippee-ki-yay, Motherf#cker. January 16, 2016 January 16, 2016 / chrismicklos / Leave a comment We will always be grateful for Hans Gruber. When Die Hard hit theaters in 1988, it felt like something we had never seen before: a different kind of action movie that would reset the genre for a generation or more. The action was riveting. The humor was sharp. It gave us a new kind of hero. And the whole thing felt glossy and polished. And then there was Alan Rickman. Of all the things about Die Hard that we had never seen before, Alan Rickman rises to the top of the list. Making his film debut as villain Hans Gruber, Rickman immediately and indelibly emerged as a cinematic force to be reckoned with. To borrow a phrase from another hit movie that came out the very same year, Rickman announced his presence with authority. As the poisonous Hans Gruber, Alan Rickman was a revelation, taking a two-dimensional archetype and breathing into it three-dimensional, glorious life. Part low-rent Bond villain, part frustrated junior college professor, Rickman’s Gruber slithered across Die Hard boldly and confidently, leaving a trail of irresistible slime in his wake. We laughed at his snarling invectives. We gasped as his acts of cold blooded murder. We reveled with him in his moment of triumph. And we marveled in utter fascination at his every move across the screen. It was impossible to look away from him. In a movie built to showcase Bruce Willis as Action Hero 2.0 (long before anyone would have known what “2.0” meant), unknown Alan Rickman went toe-to-toe with the emerging movie star and in large part stole the show. With wit and rage and subtlety and smarm, Rickman gravitated toward the center of the film and never relinquished the spotlight. It is no coincidence that the Die Hard sequels paled in comparison to the original. None featured Rickman’s devilish presence, and none could match the fun of the first. Of course, Alan Rickman would himself go on to have a Hall of Fame career. His Sheriff of Nottingham was extraordinary and by far the best thing about the otherwise-unbearable Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. He delivered brilliant comic turns in the incisive Bob Roberts and the broader Galaxy Quest. His imprudent flirtation with a secretary in the wonderful Love Actually gives dramatic weight to an otherwise light and airy romantic comedy. For one generation, he will always be known for his tender performances in films like Truly, Madly, Deeply and Sense and Sensibility; and for another, they may never see him as anyone other than Harry Potter‘s Severus Snape. And for those of us who first saw him snarling at us from the big screen in his motion picture debut, he will always be Hans Gruber. Alan Rickman’s death this week left cinephiles across the globe in mourning. He was a towering figure in the film world who will be sorely missed, and there will simply never be another like him. Some will bid him Godspeed. Others will wish him Rest in Peace. And for the rest of us, only one final farewell seems appropriate. Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker. January 1, 2016 January 1, 2016 / chrismicklos / Leave a comment With 2015 now officially in the rear view mirror, it turns out to have been a sneaky-good year at the movies. Despite The Force Awakens pretty much sucking all of the oxygen out of the cinema universe this year—even before its mega-debut in December—2015 gave us some quality films throughout the year. The following Top 10 represents, in no particular order (well, in alphabetical order, in fact), my own personal “best of” list for 2015. Many of these will be found on other critics’ best of lists, and many of them will be awards contenders in the coming months. Some, however, simply struck a nerve with this particular critic and found their way onto the list. If you think there is movie missing that should be on the list, it’s entirely possible that I didn’t get to see it this year…or that it simply didn’t make my cut. That shouldn’t stop you from putting it on your own list, however! Corruption. Stupidity. Greed. Co-writer and director Adam McKay posits in The Big Short that it was the confluence of those particular sins that led to the global financial disaster in the first decade of this century; and he presents the lead-up to that meltdown through the stories of three teams of financial professionals who saw it coming and set out to profit from it. For a story that unfolds primarily through phone calls, in Wall Street meeting rooms, and around the analysis of mortgage documents and investment prospectuses, The Big Short bristles with creativity and energy. Not to mention moral outrage. Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, and Brad Pitt headline the cast—with Carell and Bale delivering the most interesting takes on their real-life characters—but this is a movie that succeeds because of the collective. Lead actors and the supporting cast alike rivet from start to finish. There is nothing on Adam McKay’s robust comedy resume (the Anchor Man movies, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, and more) to suggest that he could deliver a film of such incisive wit and moral weight, but with The Big Short he may have written and directed the best film of the year. It’s no coincidence that Oscar Isaac appears in three of the films on this particular “best of” list. In 2015, he confidently staked his claim as one of the finest actors of his generation. In Ex Machina, he portrays a reclusive tech genius who just may have produced the world’s first sentient machine. He invites a star employee of his tech empire to his secluded island estate and introduces him to Ava (or is it Eve?), his latest version of sexualized artificial intelligence. Alicia Vikander slyly portrays Eva as Woman.0, and by the end of the movie we hear her roar. Ex Machina is a creepy, slow burn, and it lingers long after the final credits roll. The most interesting and understated horror movie of the year was It Follows. Part supernatural horror and part surprisingly complex morality tale, It Follows both subverts and validates the genre’s conventions regarding sex, death, and punishment. After a young girl is seduced into a sexual encounter with a mysterious new boyfriend, she finds herself haunted and pursued by an evil demon that inexorably stalks her no matter where she tries to run or hide. She can’t destroy it, and she can’t escape it. Her only hope of surviving is to have sex with another person, which will then pass the curse from her to her partner. What could have been a clumsy, typical teen blood fest is instead, in the hands of writer/director David Robert Mitchell, a masterclass in mounting suspense and hair-raising imagery. Though it rattles off the rails a bit in its closing stages, the difficulties with its resolution are not enough to undermine the style and power woven into the rest of the film. Love & Mercy Love & Mercy alternates back and forth between the two periods in life of Brian Wilson, the creative genius behind The Beach Boys. Paul Dano portrays a younger, faltering Wilson, and John Cusack fills the role of an older, emotionally broken Wilson. The unconventional approach—two different adult actors playing the same character at different points of his life—works in unexpected and riveting ways. After two decades of struggle with debilitating mental illness, drug abuse, and family turmoil, the fragile, dependent Wilson of the 1980’s indeed seems to have been a completely different man than the energetic, dynamic Wilson of the Pet Sounds era. Dano and Cusack famously did not coordinate their takes on Wilson and barely even met before or during the film’s production, and as a result their individual portrayals of the man are crafted and shaded in their own unique ways. And both deliver, as does a stellar Elizabeth Banks in a supporting role. Read Madison Film Guy’s full review here. Indie actress-cum-screenwriter Greta Gerwig has emerged in recent years as a truly idiosyncratic cinematic voice, with her latest film, Mistress America, a minor-though-charming addition to her growing and impressive filmography. Mistress America, which Gerwig stars in, co-produced, and co-wrote with director and best beau Noah Baumbach, is an unexpansive meditation on loneliness, narcissism, and the cult of (failed) ambition. And, like much of Gerwig’s most personal work to date, it delights in the struggle of a generation desperate to find its place as it comes to terms with the twilight of youth and the dawn of adulthood. Gerwig’s cinematic baptism has come at the altar of filmmakers like Whit Stillman and Baumbach himself, and it shows in her scripting of Mistress America. And that’s not a bad thing. Though less self-conscious—but dramatically warmer—than movies like Metropolitan or Damsels in Distress (which Gerwig starred in, as well), Gerwig the writer shares a talky, erudite style with Stillman and Baumbach. But her earthy, human moments are significantly more impactful and resonant. Read Madison Film Guy’s full review here. Sidney Lumet was a titan of 1970’s filmmaking, imbuing his films with rich complexity and indelible style. Though his career spanned more than 50 years, in that one decade alone, Lumet gave us such signature films as Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network, among many others. Lumet died in 2011, but director J.C. Chandor seems to have been channeling the great man’s spirit in A Most Violent Year. Technically released (limited) on December 31 of 2014, I’m going to count A Most Violent Year on this list, because it didn’t really hit theaters until the early part of 2015. And it would be a shame not to give it its due. With the look and feel of a 1970’s gangster film but the pacing of a deeply personal drama, the film tells the story of an ambitious Latino immigrant attempting to protect his business, his family, and his honor during the violence of 1981 New York City. Starring Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year never combusts, but it smolders with quiet, restrained intensity in every frame. An example of your classic late-year prestige picture, Spotlight checks off all the right boxes to make it a serious Oscar contender: great ensemble cast, important subject, quality script and direction, and pretty much everyone involved putting their best foot forward. Directed by Tom McCarthy, Spotlight chronicles the months-long quest by the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” investigative team to draw back the curtain on Boston’s massive clergy-abuse scandal in the early 2000’s. The film functions not only as a scathing indictment of the role of the Catholic church in covering up and perpetuating the abuse, but also as a testament to the importance of a strong, healthy free press in exposing and challenging the wrongdoing of the most powerful institutions in society. The story and thematic parallels between this film and the original Star Wars have been much remarked upon in recent weeks and in some quarters roundly criticized, but for the most part, The Force Awakens actually delivers on the year-long hype and decades-long anticipation that ushered in its arrival. “It’s true,” Harrison Ford’s Han Solo assures us at one point. “All of it. The Dark Side, the Jedi. They’re real.” That’s how we felt watching Star Wars for the first time nearly 40 years ago, and that’s how this movie makes us feel once again. The Force Awakens is the movie we’ve been waiting for since 1983, and you come away from it reassured of one thing: The Force will be with you. Always. Read Madison Film Guy’s full review here. Deconstructing Apple co-founder Steve Jobs through an interesting, practically theatrical 3-act structure, writer Aaron Sorkin and director Danny Boyle paint a portrait of a self-righteous, morally fallible genius who is wrong more than he is right. But when he’s right–whoa!–he’s really right. Sorkin’s crackling script, Kate Winslet’s Oscar-worthy second banana, and a host of solid supporting turns (Seth Rogan and Jeff Daniels, among them) take a backseat to Michael Fassbender’s intense, penetrating portrayal of Jobs himself. Fassbender has been putting some riveting work on film the last several years, and here he is alternatively seductive and repugnant. In berating loyal employee Andy Hertzfeld before the launch of the Apple Macintosh computer, Fassbender’s Jobs hisses, “You had three weeks. The universe was created in a third of that time.” Without skipping a beat, Hertzfeld replies, “Well, someday you’ll have to tell us how you did it.” And that’s Steve Jobs in a nutshell. Released in the United States in early 2015, What We Do in the Shadows succeeds due in large part to its palpable love and appreciation of the horror classics. Its humor may be modern, but its roots and inspiration burrow through more than a century of classic horror cinema. More Young Frankenstein than Scary Movie 5, Shadows’ affectionate take on the horror comedy offers equal parts satire and homage, with dashes of genuine melancholy and dread thrown in for good measure. It’s an instant classic. Read Madison Film Guy’s full review here. 31 Films of Halloween – 10/8/15: The Appointment in Sammara October 8, 2015 October 8, 2015 / chrismicklos / Leave a comment Each day during October, Madison Film Guy will post a new mini-review/recommendation/musing on a contemporary or classic horror film to help celebrate my 31 favorite days of the year: the countdown to Halloween! Today’s topic: The Appointment in Sammara. The Appointment in Sammara (from Targets, 1968) First off, in the interest of full disclosure, I’m not a fan of Peter Bogdanovich’s 1968 directorial debut, Targets. It’s the story of an elderly horror film star–making a personal appearance at a drive-in theater–who gets tangled up with a boy-next-store brand of mass-murdering sniper. It’s uneven, largely uninteresting, and it hasn’t aged well. However, it does star Boris Karloff as the aging film legend, and he’s terrific, no more so than in this classic scene in which he relates to a group of young fans the story of “The Appointment in Sammara”. Here is one of Karloff’s finest final scenes of a distinguished horror career: Classic Karloff. Thanks, Boris. Woody and the Women July 17, 2015 July 17, 2015 / chrismicklos / Leave a comment “Does Woody Allen have a woman problem?” IndieWIRE’s Ryan Lattanzio asks that question in a blog post this week titled “The 9 Women You Meet in Woody Allen Movies”, an article tied to Allen’s upcoming 2015 release, Irrational Man. Leading with Irrational Man’s Emma Stone, Lattanzio writes: Lattanzio then goes on to a rather reductive take on the 9 types of women that he says populate Woody Allen’s film oeuvre. Honestly, it would seem that if you take any filmmaker and look at his or her characters—male or female—and try to archetype them, you might be hard-pressed to come up with nine distinct types! Are Martin Scorsese’s antiheroes so different from one film to the next? Or how about Wes Anderson’s quirky ensembles? Or Sophia Coppola? I mean, how different, really, was Bill Murray’s aging burnt-out movie star in Lost in Translation from Stephen Dorff’s young burnt-out movie start in Somewhere? When it comes to Woody Allen, though, it has always been fashionable (if not incredibly lazy) to ask, “Does Woody Allen have a woman problem?” If he does, then it is a problem that almost every actress in Hollywood over the past forty years has wanted to be a part of. Any why not? Perhaps actresses are so eager to work with Allen because of the phenomenal success women have historically had starring in his films. Despite Allen’s apparently horrible failings at writing female characters, an astounding 12 actresses have been nominated for 13 Oscars for appearing in Woody Allen films, and 6 times they have walked away as winners. A quick summary: Diane Keaton was nominated for and won Best Actress for Annie Hall in 1977. Maureen Stapleton and Geraldine Page were BOTH nominated—Supporting Actress and Actress, respectively—for 1978’s Interiors. Mariel Hemingway was nominated for her supporting turn in Allen’s masterpiece, Manhattan, in 1978. Dianne Wiest was nominated for and won Best Supporting Actress in 1986 for Hannah and Her Sisters. (No good females roles in that one, right?) Judy Davis gave a volcanic performance, earning a Supporting Actress nomination, for 1992’s Husbands and Wives. Dianne Wiest and Jennifer Tilly both earned nominations for Supporting Actress, with Wiest claiming her second Allen Oscar win, for Bullets Over Broadway in 1994. Mira Sorvino earned an improbable Supporting Actress win for 1995’s Mighty Aphrodite. Samantha Morton earned a Supporting Actress nomination for Sweet and Low Down in 1999. Penelope Cruz smoldered and erupted her way to a Supporting Actress win in 2008 for Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Sally Hawkins and Cate Blanchett were both nominated—Supporting Actress and Actress, respectively—with Blanchett the runaway Oscar winner for 2013’s Blue Jasmine. Woody Allen writes such weak and obvious female characters that three times multiple actresses have been Oscar-nominated for his films? And those are just the Oscar winners! Don’t forget about Diane Keaton’s brilliant turn in Manhattan. Or the phenomenal ensemble work done not only by Wiest in Hannah and Her Sisters, but also Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey, and even Maureen O’Sullivan in a small role. Anjelica Houston’s shattered other woman in Crimes and Misdemeanors? Scarlett Johansson’s scintillating seductress in Match Point? Heck, even the minor, mostly-dismissed You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger featured strong, vibrant work from Gemma Jones and Naomi Watts. To be sure, Allen has worked with some of the best actresses in the business, and the credit for their performances go first and foremost to them. But it is no coincidence that great actresses climb over each other to try to appear in Woody Allen movies, despite the fact that there haven’t exactly been a lot of hits in his filmography since the early ‘80’s. Clearly, they must see something in his female characters that they want to play, and something in the director that will allow them to do their best work. Only in that even in churning out a movie every single year, there still aren’t enough parts for all the actresses who want to play them. Categories Select Category 31 Films of Halloween 2015 Classics Revisited Current Movie Reviews & Commentary Features From the Tomb HNN Random Thoughts Review Uncategorized Massacre on Aisle 12 Top 10 List of Classic Horror Movie Villains Top 5 Horror-Comedies of the Golden Age Feed the Devil \| Mad… on 31 Films of Halloween – 10/15/… chrismicklos on Maggie’s Plan CineMuseFilms on Maggie’s Plan Top 10 Films of 2015… on Laughing at the Shadows Top 10 Films of 2015… on Star Wars: The Force Awak… 31 Films of Halloween 2015 Classics Revisited Current Movie Reviews & Commentary From the Tomb	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2000
__label__cc	0.721897	0.278103	Winnipeg Central United Church, 1 results 1 Thunder Bay Trinity United Church, 1 results 1 Wesley United Church, 1 results 1 St. Stephen's United Church, 1 results 1 Murillo United Church, 1 results 1 Red Rock United Church, 1 results 1 Nakina United Church, 1 results 1 Broadway United Church, 1 results 1 Knox United Church - Shuniah Street, 1 results 1 Winnipeg St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, 2 results 2 Rev. Robert Dewar, 2 results 2 Port Arthur, 2 results 2 Nipigon Pastoral Charge, 2 results 2 Winnipeg St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, 1 results 1 Winnipeg Knox Presbyterian Church, 1 results 1 Winnipeg Knox United Church, 1 results 1 Only top-level descriptions Superior Presbytery Fonds Beardmore St. Paul's United Church fonds CA UCA Acc: 81 - 4 The records of St. Paul's United Church held at the conference archives include: Sacramental Registers pertaining to Baptisms (1939 - 1982), Marriages (1947 - 1982), Burials (1949 - 1970); records of the United Church Women (1962 - 1977); records of the A.O.T.S. (1952); records of the congregation (1940 - 1983); records of the Stewards (1967 - 1971); financial records (1944 - 1981); records of the Board of Trustees (1953 - 1960); records of the Women's Association (1941 - 1962); Membership certificate stubs (1957 - 1982); Communion Rolls/ Registers (1942 - 1966); Congregational Roll (1939 - 1941); records of the Official Board (1957 - 1984); and records of the Session (1952 - 1971). Beardmore St. Paul's United Church Red Rock United Church fonds CA UCA Acc: 1992-29b?; 2012-39 The records held at the conference archives of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario include the following: Baptisms (1958-1971), Marriages (1958-2000), Burials (1959-2000); Red Rock United Church Annual Reports, 1982-1985, 1989, 1990. Red Rock United Church Thunder Bay St. Paul's United Church fonds The records of the St. Paul's United Church remain largely in the hands of the congregation. However, the following can be found at the conference archives of Manitoba and Northwest Ontario: Annual Reports, 1987, 1989, and 1990. Thunder Bay St. Paul's United Church Keewatin St. Andrew's United Church fonds CA UCA Acc: 81-20; 84-21; 92-24; 2000-30; 02-39 The surviving records of St. Andrew's United Church are arranged in the following series: Sacramental registers, pertaining to Baptisms, 1892-1994, Marriages, 1902-1992, and Burials, 1949-1992; Membership Rolls and Records of the Session, including Communion Roll / Registers, minutes, historic roll, certificate booklets (stubs only), and roll book, 1897-2001; records of the Official Board / Board of Elders, including minutes, reports and correspondence, 1919-1998;records pertaining to Christian Education, including Cradle Roll/Birthday Book, 1924; records of Annual Congregational Meetings and Annual Reports 1924-2001; records pertaining to church property, including an appraisal, agreements, correspondence and financial records 1921-1959; records of the Joint Use Committee, 1994; reports pertaining to a Needs Assessment Survey, 1999;records of lay associations, including the Women's Missionary Society, Ladies Aid, W.V. Robertson Guild, Woman's Association and United Church Women, 1934-2000; and reference material, including calls to ministers, newsletters, orders of service, bulletins, and records pertaining to anniversary celebrations. Keewatin St. Andrew's United Church Schreiber St. Andrew's United Church fonds CA UCA Acc:80 - 13; 1999 - 52 1889 - 1967, predominant 1921 - 1967 The records of St. Andrew's United Church held at the conference archives include: Sacramental Registers pertaining to Baptisms (1889 - 1957), and Burials (1940 - 1957); Communion Roll (1906 - 1923); records of the congregation (1933 - 1952); records of the Official Board (1927 - 1950); records of the Session (1964 - 1967); records of the Stewards (1925 - 1935, 1950 - 1962); records of the Sunday School (1950 - 1965); records of the Women's Foreign Missionary Society (1913 - 1927); records of the Ladies Aid (1917 - 1927, 1935 - 1938); records of the Women's Missionary Society (1927 - 1938, 1943 - 1961); records of the Women's Auxiliary (1938 - 1960); records of the Choir (1928 - 1941); records of Tuxis (1922 - 1935); records of the Young Peoples Union (1923, 1946 - 1950); records of the Trail Rangers (1926 - 1935, 1949 - 1950); records of the C.G.I.T. (1927 - 1930); records of the Young Explorers (1931 - 1933); records of the "Ever ready" Explorers Boys Group (1932 - 1934); records of the Tuxis/Trail Rangers (1932 - 1937); correspondence (1928 - 1949) ; and history. Schreiber St. Andrew's United Church Thunder Bay Trinity United Church fonds CA UCA 2005 - 12 The surviving records of Trinity United Church include: records of the Congregation, including Rolls (1966-1984), a Circuit Register (1925-1930, 1947-1948); Annual Reports (1957-1989), "News and Tidbits" (1988), a photo directory (c. 1970's), a sermon read at Knox United (1990), and a list of potential names to be removed by action of the Board; records of the Church School, including the attendance record for the Primary Department (1962-1964); records of the Choir and Church Class including member lists (1965-1988) and attendance awards (1965-1966); member lists for various Lay associations (c. 1967); Histories, including historical material, and a list of ministers (1871-1996); records of the U.C.W., including Unit One minutes (1973-1975, 1981-1988) and a scrapbook (1963-1973); records of the Young People's League (1931-1944); records of the Aggressive Bible Class, including minutes (1940-1950, 1959-1971), and attendance (1943-1946); records of the Explorers, including the Keeper of the Log (1970-1971); reference material; records of the Baraca Society/ Young Men's Baraca Class / Baraca Bible Class, including attendance/ roll (1909-1911, 1923-1932); records of the Ladies Aid, including minutes (1921-1933), and correspondence (1909-1958); records of the W.M.S Auxiliary, including minutes (1927-1935, 1953-1961); records of the Men's Club (1936-1939); records of the Official Board, including financial reports (1957-1979, 1991-1994), and minutes (1985-1995); records of the Official Board Executive, including minutes (1989-1994), and attendance (with Board) (1989-1993); financial records, including a financial review (1994), and an Audit report and Worksheet (1992); records of the Finance Committee, including a report on the organization and administration of the Memorial Fund (1988); records of the Congregational Life and Work Committee, including minutes (1974); and records of the Christian Education Committee, including description of responsibilities. Thunder Bay Trinity United Church Upsala United Church fonds The records of the Upsala United Church, as held at the conference of Manitoba and Northwest Ontario include: Baptismal registers (1960-2003); Marriage registers (1974-1988), Burial registers (1960-1993); Membership transfers (1961-1985); Minutes (1979-1999); and Cash books (1959-1989). Upsala United Church Current River United Church fonds CA UCA Acc: Unknown The records held at the Archives of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario include the following series: "A History of Current River United Church, 1949-1954" by Alma Gatheru, Robert Gatherum and Verna Hyatt, September 1975; Current River United Church Annual Reports, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993; Current River United Church Newsletters, November 1987, April 1990, Easter 1994. Current River United Church Westminster United Church fonds The records of the Westminster United Church include the following: Service of Dedication Order of Service, 1964; historical document; Annual Reports, 1990 and 1993. Westminster United Church St. Stephen's United Church fonds CA UCA Acc: 2005 - 12 The surviving records of St. Stephen's United Church include Sacramental Registers pertaining to Baptisms (1915-1934) and Marriages (1913-1929). St. Stephen's United Church	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2003
__label__wiki	0.813302	0.813302	International collaboration improves animal welfare Published By Australian Animal Welfare Strategy In a major step forward towards improving animal welfare across Asia, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Assembly has endorsed the development of a new welfare strategy to guide on the ground activities in the region. The Paris-based OIE is the international organisation responsible for improving animal health worldwide, setting global guidelines for animal welfare issues for 178 member countries and 36 related international and regional organisations. Australia has been instrumental in developing a new Regional Animal Welfare Strategy (RAWS) and Implementation Plan for the Asia, Far East and Oceania region of the OIE. Chair of the RAWS Coordination Group, Dr Gardner Murray, said the RAWS would guide animal welfare activities in a group of countries accounting for the majority of the global human and animal populations. “This strategy demonstrates a commitment by countries to improve animal welfare over the long term, notwithstanding the numerous cultural, socio-economic and religious differences between the 45 regional members, including the likes of India, China, Indonesia and Australia,” Dr Murray said. “It is a significant achievement which will advance the delivery of a coordinated campaign to improve animal welfare around the world.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2006
__label__wiki	0.962486	0.962486	Jennifer Laura Thompson Jennifer Laura Thompson (b. Southfield, MI, December 5, 1969) is an acclaimed American stage actress and singer, best known for her roles as Hope Cladwell in Urinetown (for which she was nominated for the 2002 Tony Award® as Best Actress in a Musical) and as Glinda in Wicked. Thompson graduated from the University of Michigan in 1991 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and moved to New York soon thereafter. She appeared in A Doll’s Life in 1994 at the York Theatre Company at St. Peter’s, had important roles in regional theatre productions, and worked extensively in national tours of Carousel, Jesus Christ Superstar, and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, before making her Broadway debut in 1998 in the original cast of Footloose. Also in 1998, Thompson sang in the concert performance of Tip Toes in the Gershwin Festival at Carnegie Hall and made the first of her appearances with the City Center Encores! series in Strike up the Band!. Footloose ran until midsummer of 2000, whereupon Thompson undertook to create the role of Hope Cladwell (a parody of the stereotypical musical-theatre ingenue) in Urinetown for the New York International Fringe Festival. The iconoclastic satire was such a success that it moved, first to the American Theatre for Actors, and then to Broadway – where its opening night, originally scheduled for September 13, 2001, had to be postponed for a week. Despite all jinxes, it won three Tony Awards® and five more nominations and ran for 965 performances. Jennifer Laura Thompson took two and a half months away from the show in early 2003 to play the lead role in Michael John LaChiusa’s barely successful one-act off-Broadway musical Little Fish. After returning to Urinetown, she left the cast permanantly in July. In 2004 Thompson replaced Kristin Chenoweth in the role of Glinda in the smash hit musical Wicked. In 2002 Thompson made a guest appearance in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She has returned to the City Center Encores! series in 2004 in Pardon My English, in 2006 in Of Thee I Sing, and in 2008 in On the Town. In October 2008 she came back to the Gershwin Theatre to participate with old fellow cast members in a Special Benefit, The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken, a selection of scenes and songs cut from early drafts of Wicked. In Spring and Summer of 2010 she appeared as the soprano Diana in the Broadway revival of Lend Me a Tenor with Tony Shalhoub. She is currently on Broadway in the new musical Nice Work iIf You Can Get It with Judy Kaye and Kelli O’Hara. Thompson is married and has a son. – LEC Urinetown The Musical – Original Broadway Cast Recording 2001 Buy from Official Store	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2009
__label__wiki	0.785057	0.785057	15 Movie Trailers That Completely Misrepresent The Film Posted on January 20, 2018 by matthewcraigwilson Movie trailers are designed to briefly sum up a movie’s plot, vibe and key scenes to cinema patrons so audiences will consider going to see the movie when it is released. While most trailers are fairly accurate representations of the movie they are trying to sell, there are definitely some trailers that completely misrepresent the movie. Some reasons why this happens is perhaps the studio’s marketing department had no idea how to market the movie is not something mainstream audiences would generally go to see, or the movie is much more slow paced than the trailer makes it seem to be, so the trailer was edited to make it look more appealing. In other words, they flat out lied to the public with false and misleading advertising. So when people walk into a movie theatre to see a movie with certain expectations of it because of the trailer, patrons will leave scratching their heads at the completely different experience they had. So while the following movies are not necessary bad movies (some of them are great!), the trailer that lured people in is almost nothing like the actual film itself. 1. The Fifth Element (Luc Besson, 1997) The trailer for Luc Besson’s sci-fi flick The Fifth Element successfully conveys the sense of action and adventure throughout Earth and the fate of the universe, and the flashy looks and colours of the future. However, the trailer gets the tone of the film completely wrong. Although the film does have a lot of serious scenes, the film has so many comedic, campy and sometimes just downright silly scenes as well that make The Fifth Element so fun to watch. The trailer completely omits the film’s comedy, and perhaps tactfully, did not give audiences the chance to see too much of the flashy costumes some of the actors were wearing, particularly what Gary Oldman and Chris Tucker were wearing. 2. Observe And Report (Jody Hill, 2009) Observe And Report came out the same year as Paul Blart: Mall Cop, another comedy about a shopping mall security guard. This made audiences somewhat dismissive of this film, and that’s partially because of the misleading trailer. The trailer makes the film look like a typical Seth Rogan comedy where he plays a mall security guard who takes his job way too seriously, mainly in order to impress a girl who works at the mall. Sounds like a pretty straightforward movie, doesn’t it? What the trailer omits is the fact Rogan’s character has bi-polar disorder and his perception of reality and his ego get out of hand, and that he is as much of a danger to others as the flasher terrorising the mall is. Many critics have compared Rogan’s character to Robert De Niro’s Travis Bickle character in Taxi Driver, in that he’s obsessive, delusional and crazy, a far cry from Rogan’s typical stoner characters. Audiences were not expecting Observe And Report to be so dark in its humour because of its more light-hearted trailer. 3. The Cable Guy (Ben Stiller, 1996) Jim Carrey’s career boomed in the mid-1990s thanks to roles in zany comedies like Dumb & Dumber, The Mask, and the two Ace Ventura movies. The studio behind The Cable Guy would have thought to promote the film to appear to be like Carrey’s aforementioned hits. Both the funny clips and the music used in the trailer makes the film look more like the typical light hearted type of movie Jim Carrey was known for at the time. The actual film has a much darker tone, and Carrey’s character, rather than being a charming kook, is a creepy stalker. A hint of this sinister type of character was displayed when Carrey played The Riddler in Batman Forever the previous year, who was obsessed with Bruce Wayne, but that movie was an over the top superhero movie, so that overshadowed how creepy The Riddler actually was. While The Cable Guy certainly is a comedy, and a very funny one at that, people who saw the trailer first were not expecting Carrey to make them feel uncomfortable from anything other than making them laugh too hard. 4. Gattaca (Andrew Niccol, 1997) Science fiction thrillers set in a dystopian future have always been a popular genre, but Gattaca has the distinction of being dystopian for being about a utopian society based on genetic perfection rather than an unlawful society. The trailer makes the film look more like a fast paced thriller about a man pretending to be someone else to get a highly sought-after job, whereas the actual film is quite slow and is more of a study of a society obsessed with genetic perfection. The trailer focuses more on the protagonist’s deception rather than the character study the film actually is about the discrimination he’s faced in his life due to being naturally conceived rather than genetically engineered. There is no mention of the murder mystery in the film that could threaten to reveal the protagonist’s true identity, which is odd as it would have added even more tension to the trailer. 5. The Hateful Eight (Quentin Tarantino, 2015) Quentin Tarantino is one of the most popular American filmmakers in the world, and he is known for making violent but fun action films. The trailer for his western The Hateful Eight appears to be along the lines of Tarantino’s usual fare. The trailer emphasises on humour a lot, and makes the film look more like an action romp than it actually is. Audiences who expected to go to the cinema for a rollicking good time to be entertained by over the top violence and performances were in for something much more sinister. The film is very dark and graphically violent, and it is a study of paranoia and the horrible things people are capable of when their lives are threatened. 6. Three Kings (David O. Russell, 1999) The trailer for acclaimed director David O. Russell’s film Three Kings is designed to look like an action/comedy film with light hearted rock songs blasting, footage of soldiers cheering and movie stars making jokes. George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg’s typical charismatic performances are on display in the trailer, making it appear that they will make audiences laugh one minute and be tough guys the next. While Three Kings is very humourous at times, it is a mostly violent and depressing look at the affect both the Gulf War and Saddam Hussein had on Iraq. In fact, the violence is quite downplayed in the trailer, especially as it does not show the affects a bullet has on someone’s body once they have been shot. 7. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004) This film was always going to be hard to sell, as it’s a mix of romantic drama and science fiction, and predominantly set inside a man’s mind. What makes Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind work is mixing the good times of a relationship and the melancholy of a breakup well, something everyone who has been in a relationship can relate to. So what did the marketing team do to promote it? The trailer they made makes the film look like a quirky romantic comedy, especially with the music the trailer used. The film itself is actually a very depressing study of love and heartbreak, which is nothing like the trailer. 8. Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick, 1999) Eyes Wide Shut was promoted to look like a sexy film along the lines of Basic Instinct, where the audience could get a thrill out of seeing good looking actors act out graphic sex scenes. The Chris Isaak song ‘Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing’ in the trailer suggests that the film is an erotic drama where Tom Cruise seduces various women. It is not until the end of the trailer that the audience are given only a hint of the dark nature of the film, as well as the fact it was directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is a dark and surreal examination of people’s sexual desires and how they can be perverted and the consequences of acting upon them. Besides the sex, the film explores the hardships of maintaining a marriage and staying faithful to your spouse. It’s actually quite insulting to cheapen the work of someone like Kubrick to looking like a cheap sex flick. In fact, the sex scenes are not erotic at all, they were filmed in a very cold, emotionless manner. People who saw the trailer may have walked into the theatre expecting a fun and sexy movie; what they got was a cold and disturbing look at the harsher realities of love. 9. Bicentennial Man (Chris Columbus, 1999) There have been many science fiction movies made about robots learning what it is to be human, and the trailer for Bicentennial Man made it appear that the film would be a comedic spin on this story. Robin Williams had starred in a lot of movies where his character was in an unique situation that he grew from, such as Hook and Jack, so this seemed like a typical Robin Williams movie in that sense. The film looks like a family comedy that even banks on Robin Williams’ previous family comedy Mrs. Doubtfire, which was also directed by Chris Columbus. It even has cheesy upbeat music in the background. However, the actual film is a thought provoking science fiction drama about a robot gaining sentience who outlives the family that purchased him. The trailer used the few humourous scenes in the film to mislead people into thinking the whole movie was a comedy. People would have expected a delightful romp about a family and the shenanigans their robot gets up to; they instead were treated to a serious film discussing what it means to be human. 10. Spring Breakers (Harmony Korine, 2013) From Porky’s in the 1980s to Project X in the 2010s, teen party movies have always been a popular genre. The trailer makes Spring Breakers look like a party movie aimed at young people, but with a crime element. There are good looking women in bikinis, rappers and parties involved. The footage shown in the trailer, as well as the music used in the background, makes the film look like a fun film that the studio would hope teenagers will flock to. The trailer is also topped off with the girls singing the Britney Spears song ‘Baby One More Time’, suggesting that the film will appeal to female audiences too with the girls singing a “girl anthem”. The actual film goes at the speed of a snail’s pace, excellently conveying the bored vibe the girls feel when they are stuck at college because they cannot afford to go to Spring Break. While the pace picks up during the Spring Break scenes, it slows down once again to convey the sense of dread the girls feel once they get in too deep with the local criminals. Some critics have taken the film to be a critique of both superficiality and over-stylised media, which is the type of film Spring Breakers appears to be in the trailer. So when the film’s audience who went to see a party and crime film, they had no idea how thought provoking it would be. 11. The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky, 2008) The Wrestler was a very hyped film upon its release in 2008, mainly because of the incredible performance by its lead actor Mickey Rourke. The film was set to make Rourke an A-list movie star again like he was in the 1980s, and what a parallel the film’s plot was with Rourke’s own career. The trailer capitalises on this by making the film appear to be about a washed up wrestler trying to get his life back together, and the Bruce Springsteen song in the background makes it seem that way. Both the footage used and the media quotes used to emphasise Mickey’s Rourke triumphant performance that will get him back into the spotlight, make it appear that Rourke’s character Randy “The Ram” Robinson is indeed going onto better things in his life. However, the actual film has a much more depressing tone. Unlike the trailer suggesting that the protagonist will get his life back together, the actual film is about past regrets and how they still affect peoples’ lives years later. The protagonist is still living in the past by always talking about his past glories as a big time wrestler in the 1980s and is deluded into thinking he can come back on top when deep down he knows his glory days are behind him and that he will die from a heart attack if he wrestles again. There is very little hope for these characters, despite what the trailer suggests. 12. Chasing Amy (Kevin Smith, 1997) As director Kevin Smith was building his following at the time Chasing Amy was made, the film could not be marketed as the type of raunchy comedy Smith is known for. So the trailer portrays the film as a fairly standard story of a boy trying to win over his dream girl, albeit with a lesbian spin on the story. While the film itself is very funny and is indeed a romantic comedy, the film is also an exploration on sexuality and sexual hang ups and self-doubting. The trailer only vaguely points out that Alyssa is a lesbian. Although this is stated in the trailer, it is very downplayed, especially in regards to the graphic sexual humour throughout the film. The trailer makes the movie look like a very tame and inoffensive romantic comedy, but the sex talks the characters have are very explicit (and hilarious). The fact the trailer omits that the love interest’s name is Alyssa probably made many people incorrectly assume that she was the Amy the title refers to. The trailer also barely has any references to comic books, which play a big part in the film’s plot. 13. Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2014) As Paul Thomas Anderson’s career has developed, his films seem to become slower and denser. Anderson’s earliest big hit was Boogie Nights, a fast paced and accessible, but deep and dark film that won Anderson many fans among moviegoers. With talk about a Jewish man wanting to be a Nazi, Joaquin Phoenix’s character freaking out over a photo of someone, and Josh Brolin speaking bad Japanese, the trailer for Inherent Vice suggests there is a lot of quirky comedy in the film. Phoenix’s character looks like a free spirit who going on one big ride, and the trailer’s funky 1970s music suggests that Inherent Vice will be a rollicking good time akin to Boogie Nights, but with a detective mystery angle. Despite the trailer promising a fun film, Inherent Vice is closer in tone with his previous movie The Master, in that it has as dense plot where the audience needs to concentrate to understand what is going on. Both the humour and tone of the movie is quite dry and bleak. 14. Drive (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2011) The trailer for Drive makes it look like a fast paced heist movie with a car focus, like The Fast & The Furious films. The trailer was clearly marketed to car enthusiasts and those who enjoy movies with car chases and stunts. The protagonist played by Ryan Gosling is a movie stunt driver, a mechanic, and a getaway driver; these factors were used in the trailer to make it appear that Gosling was a cool and calculated man of action. In reality, Drive is actually a slow paced character study. Gosling’s character looks like a confident criminal in the trailer, but in the film he is a very quiet man with bad social skills. The trailer really misrepresents the type of performance Gosling gives in the film, making him look like a typical movie action hero, which is a shame, because it is a great performance. Only a hint of the film’s artfulness is conveyed towards the end of the trailer when orchestral music is being played to slow motion footage of violence. But that still would not prepared audiences for what the actual movie was like. 15. Bug (William Friedkin, 2006) The trailer makes Bug appear to be a horror movie where literal bugs are trying to kill the main characters. That sounds fine, if not a little B-grade, but there are few, if any, actual bugs in the movie at all! The protagonists are slowly going insane as they believe bugs are trying to kill them; it is their own paranoia working against them. This is definitely the most misleading trailer on this list. People who saw the trailer would have gone to the cinema expecting to see a gross horror movie about insects that kill people. This lie was further conveyed by the voiceover as the trailer points out that the director of The Exorcist, often considered the scariest film ever made, was behind Bug. What audiences got was a psychological thriller about two lovers losing their minds together. Imagine how disappointed horror fans would have been with realising they had been flat out lied to. While Bug itself is not a bad movie, the trailer is truly atrocious and completely misrepresents what the movie is about. Originally published here at tasteofcinema.com on Saturday 17 September 2016 cinema film Matthew Craig Wilson Taste Of Cinema 10 Famous Movies Ruined By Studio Interference filmsCine · August 21, 2018 awesome list! Good point about ‘Drive’, I watched it last night and actually had this thought process.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2010
__label__cc	0.585239	0.414761	About Archive Photos Monthly Update Also on Micro.blog McWads Family Blog Follow @mcwads on Micro.blog. Welcome Jude Bayless Wadlington! He was born at 5:53pm on June 18 at 19 inches long and 7 lbs 3 oz. Mom and baby are doing great! → 10:43 AM, Jun 19 Four years ago we walked into a house and put down a $100 deposit towards the first month of rent. We'd been married for a little over a year and were living in a house that didn't have heating all winter. Moving isn't fun, but Washington DC winters are cold. Even colder when you don't have heat. The house was in a nice location, but was far from perfect itself. DC row homes are not renowned for their width and this one was especially stingy. Our 50-inch TV would feel like a two-story movie theater screen. Then 538 came open. We were settled. Packing. Getting ready to move. But rentals move so quickly that it's never a bad idea to keep looking. You never know what you'll find. 538 was clearly a scam. A three-story, four bedroom, 2.5 bath, DC row home with parking? For that price?? It may as well have been in the missed connections page on Craigslist. There was no way this was legit. But we scheduled a viewing and to our surprise, it was accepted for the next day. If 538 was a delusion, then it was at least a widely-held delusion. Folie à deux. There were seven other couples looking at 538. On the first day. In the first hour it was open. At least we had the backup house. But laying on the southern charm as thick as I could we worked our way to the top. 538 was ours. I knew we'd be here for a long time. The running joke in DC is when you buy a house, you're told that George Washington slept there. But when you rent from a Taiwanese association, then of course the selling point is that it's the president of Taiwan that slept there. I'm not sure why the president of Taiwan wouldn't just get a nice hotel, but unlike all those people claiming George Washington slept in their houses, there's a least pictures of the president of Taiwan sitting in my living room. Today is the day before we close on 411. 411 is a block up and a block over from 538. 411 is closer to the park. It has a garage with the proper wiring to install a charger for our electric car. 411 will likely be the home I live in for all the next chapters of my life. But 538 is where I came back to when my kid was born. 538 is the first house I lived in in DC that had a working heater. 538 was the first house that I truly felt like was truly mine. Over the next week I'm going to have to remove our Nest thermostats and reinstall the dated-in-2015 Honeywells. Swap the Phillips Hue bulbs for the dumb bulbs that I've been keeping in the closet for this day. I'm going to disassemble what made 538 ours and reassemble it at 411. It's dumb, but that makes me happy. It makes me feel like all these little pieces of 538 are coming with us. Two weeks after we moved into 538, the landlord of the original house we looked at cashed that $100 deposit. But it was fine. We had 538. 538 may not have been our first house together, but it was our first home → 10:46 AM, Oct 16	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2012
__label__cc	0.635286	0.364714	The “I Found You” music video does exactly what good music videos are meant to do – visually portray the feel of the song. In that spirit, the video is playful, lighthearted, and pleasantly simplistic. What makes it interesting and stylish is the way it blends obscurity with brightness, creating subdued, yet fluorescent colors that are reminiscent of the rave scene, as well as older music videos altogether. THECLECTIK – “I Found You” Reaction THECLECTIK's "I Found You" is a pleasant, somewhat innocent, yet modern-sounding song which is a rare combination in today’s day and age. The singer’s outfit, and more particularly her heart-shaped, pixelated glasses are in perfect sync with the video theme as well – innocent, girly, perhaps even cartoonish. Just the right accessory for a video and song that is designed to spark good vibes, endearment, and perhaps a dash of nostalgia. It’s precisely this unassuming, yet stylish simplicity which both the song and the video are imbued with that definitely won me over. In fact, within the context of today’s music scene, filled with overly sexualized and often downright vulgar songs and videos, “I Found You” feels almost as a statement. Even better, it’s a statement that isn’t overly political or pretentious – it simply is, pure, fun, and inviting. The kind of statement the music industry could certainly benefit from. What do you think about it? Olivia Henry – “Beautiful” Music Video Reaction	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2014
__label__wiki	0.513014	0.513014	Home News and Features Heard on the Street Shumlin Still Supports Single-Payer Shumlin Still Supports Single-Payer Shumlin reiterated his support for a single-payer health care system during his press conference Wednesday, Nov. 12 in Montpelier. “I have been committed to single payer all my public life,” he said. “If we move to a single-payer system, it will cost less money for a better outcome.” As for the technology used to support the healthcare system called Vermont Health Connect that the state has unsuccessfully been trying to get off the ground since April, Shumlin expressed cautious optimism for the new program. The website is on track to be up on Saturday (Nov. 15), Shumlin said, adding that he is “optimistic it will do what we hope it will.” He said it is supposed to be more user-friendly. “I am always hoping the website will work as it is designed to do. Optum fixed Massachusetts and fixed the federal government,” Shumlin said of the company he hired to fix the failed web-based healthcare process put in place earlier this year. The biggest problems occurred for those who had changes in circumstances, such as a change in job or marital status. The new system should be able to handle those changes, Shumlin said. If you go to the website today (Nov. 13), you will see: “Down for Maintenance” “VermontHealthConnect.gov is currently unavailable due to a period of extended maintenance, but several resources are available to help you select or renew a health insurance plan. Previous articleThe Country Bookshop Celebrates 40 Years Next articleSock Fans Flock to Cabot Hosiery Mills This Past Weekend	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2019
__label__wiki	0.518017	0.518017	Home / About Us > Dr. Dusica Maysinger > Personal account of my career Personal account of my career I grew up in a beautiful natural environment with my parents who taught me how to appreciate wildlife and art. Throughout my life I have lived in many linguistically diverse environments. By the time I graduated from Zagreb University in 1971, I was fluent in three languages, aside from Croatian, which facilitated my future research studies in Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Austria, France and Spain. My facility with languages, and winning the Rector's Prize at graduation, contributed to my obtaining a Fulbright Fellowship which supported my postgraduate studies at the University of Southern California (USC) from 1972 to 1977. USC had an excellent reputation in Radiochemistry and Medicinal Chemistry and Medicine, which were the fields of my PhD research. The excitement of these subjects still remains with me, and was the main determinant of my career ambition, to understand the abnormal chemical reactions that underlie disease, and thereby to help design chemical therapies to treat them. In 1977, as a young Assistant Professor at Zagreb University I worked on structure-function relationships of drugs and drug delivery systems. I received a Fellowship from the Norwegian Academy of Science and from the Polish Academy of Science and visited universities in Oslo and Krakow. In 1981 I was awarded a prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, which was later renewed in 1991 and 1994. This began my postdoctoral training, and future sabbatical research residencies, all of which directly or indirectly contributed to my present activities in the field of neuroscience and diabetes. During 1981 and 1982, I studied opioid peptides dynorphin and alpha-neo endorphin in the nervous system (human brain) at the Max Planck Institute (Neurochemistry) in Munich, under the guidance of Professor Dr. Albert Herz and Dr. Bernd Seizinger. Supported in part by a Fellowship of the European Training Program, I worked on hormone release as part of a joint project between MPI and University of Amsterdam. This project was my first scientific collaborative experience and I greatly enjoyed being a team player. Ever since then I have greatly enjoyed collaborative projects and look forward to the collaborations made possible by the JDRF Beta Center. In 1983 I joined Dr. Cuello at Oxford University as a Research Associate in the Department of Pharmacology, working on the central cholinergic system. I moved to my present University, McGill, beginning as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pharmacology in 1985, continuing collaborative research with Dr. Cuello. I was subsequently appointed as an Assistant Professor in 1987 and then Associate Professor 1992. During my years at McGill I have continued to strengthen my research approaches by visiting selected laboratories. These included the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm in 1992 where I learned the techniques of microdialysis from Dr. Urban Ungerstedt, which were applied to the study of the release of neurotransmitters in animals transplanted with genetically engineered cells. In 1994 I began to establish the approaches I needed for my developing interest in cell signaling and cell differentiation through research in the laboratory of Dr. Klaus Unsicker, at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Together we investigated the role of trophic factors (BDNF, NGF, IGFs) in the PNS and CNS functions. I extended my research in this field to the study of cell death mechanisms, in Dr. Mauro Piacentini's Laboratory of Cell Biology Cell at the University of Rome, Italy in 1995. Finally, in 1996, I made an important research contribution through collaboration with Dr Alan Saltiel in the Signal Transduction Laboratory of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Not only was I introduced to front-line problems of signaling in cell survival, and especially to the roles of MAP kinases, but by working at the center of an industrial hot-house environment, I began to learn how to handle the complex but important interactions between academic and industrial science. My current research unites different but importantly related scientific fields. These are 1) mechanisms of cell survival; 2) drug delivery; 3) intracellular signaling pathways; and 4) the biochemical targets of the diabetic disease process, including those underlying diabetic neuropathy. For me, this latter field is the ultimate objective and is the area of convergence of the former two. My present activities focus on cell survival mechanisms in islets (in collaboration with Dr. Rosenberg and Dr. Prentki) and the peripheral nervous system. Important stimuli to these studies came from an opportunity to examine islet cell death, made possible by a Canadian MRC Visiting Scientist award (Canada-Italy academic exchange; cell biology). To prevent or reduce cell death, drugs need to be delivered at the appropriate rate and site. This is being explored by employing nano-delivery systems. The collaboration with Dr. Eisenberg from the Chemistry Department at McGill University allowed us to develop and test micelles and vesicles to be employed in diabetes. Aside from the synthesis of block-copolymers at McGill, my collaboration with Université de Montreal with Dr. JC Laroux and Dr. F. Winnik greatly expanded the repertoire of biocompatible polymers that can be employed in delivering therapeutics for diabetes.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2020
__label__cc	0.723521	0.276479	Donne and Sue Fisher make $5 million gift to University of Denver Joshua Davies 0 By Sarah Satterwhite Donne and Sue Fisher are investing $5 million in the future of early childhood education through a gift to the University of Denver. Long-time supporters of the University whose generosity named the Fisher Early Learning Center at its inception, the Fishers demonstrate their ongoing visionary commitment to young children through their latest gift. Their generosity will have a lasting impact on the youngest and most vulnerable population in our society by addressing their educational needs from two sides – preparing more professionals for careers in early childhood education and increasing access for more young children. “We are honored to be a part of DU and what the University does to serve the students as well as the community,” said Donne Fisher. “We believe that serving our youngest children effectively will have the greatest impact.” The Donne and Sue Fisher Endowed Graduate Scholarship Fund will provide scholarship support to graduate students in the Early Childhood Special Education master’s program at DU’s Morgridge College of Education. Awarded to students pursuing a graduate degree in Early Childhood Special Education or a degree with an emphasis in early childhood, these scholarships will enable more individuals to enter the field who otherwise might not have chosen that path. “The University of Denver’s ability to train professionals in a field of such high demand, without concern for cost, is consistent with and enhances our commitment to the public good,” said Dr. Karen Riley, Interim Dean of Morgridge College of Education. “The Fishers’ generosity will enable these educators to flourish in their chosen field, and that meets a great need in our community.” The scholarship for graduate students is established through a bequest gift from the Fishers, and it will be matched dollar-to-dollar through the University’s scholarship matching program. Funds from the match will enable students to begin receiving the scholarship in fall 2014, and the bequest will strengthen the scholarship fund in perpetuity. Also established through this gift, the Donne and Sue Fisher Endowed Preschool Scholarship Fund will provide scholarship support to preschool students with demonstrated financial need to attend the Fisher Early Learning Center on the University of Denver campus. By filling the unmet need beyond what other preschool funds provide, this scholarship allows children to attend the Center who otherwise might not consider applying for admission. It will open the Center’s doors to children in underrepresented populations as well as those who are at risk due to socioeconomic, ethnic and other factors. The Center’s reputation for excellence is borne out in the details – innovative curriculum, quality teachers, ratios that are better than the benchmarks, and an inclusive program that meets the comprehensive needs of children of all abilities. The Fishers established this preschool scholarship through a bequest gift. In order to see the impact of this scholarship during their lifetime, the Fishers are making additional gifts to activate the scholarship immediately. As a result, the Center will start recruiting applicants for the scholarship program in the coming weeks, anticipating that the first Donne and Sue Fisher Students will begin attending in January 2014. By investing in early childhood education through graduate and preschool scholarships, the Fishers’ gift will empower the University of Denver to better meet the needs of our community’s youngest learners.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2021
__label__wiki	0.629264	0.629264	Surrey Memorial Hospital New Emergency Department Preview Comments 1 by Rebecca Bollwitt Thursday, July 4th, 2013 — 2:09pm PDT Surrey Memorial Hospital is hosting a sneak preview of its new emergency department next week which will be open to the public. On Saturday, July 13th, 2013 from 10:00am until 3:00pm you can check out Canada’s second largest emergency department in Surrey, which will officially be open October 1st, 2013. The new, bigger, state of the art facility is the size of three hockey rinks and during the public preview you will be able to: See inside the trauma room Tour the separate Pediatric Emergency Department just for kids, 1 of only 2 in BC Learn how wait times to be triaged will be shorter Peek inside the new patient treatment rooms (there’s over 100 of them) Check out the new electric stretchers Find out how they are reducing the spread of infectious diseases Hear about the new CT scanner and mobile x-ray machines Learn about new services for mental health and substance use patients With most of my family being born at Surrey Memorial (over the span of three decades) and with most of them still in the area, service upgrades and new developments are always welcome announcements. LEFT 1960: Surrey Memorial Hospital. Archives# SA 84.037. RIGHT 1965: Sketch for proposed $589,200.00 development of Surrey Memorial Hospital. Archives# SA 1992.036.4273. When Surrey Memorial Hospital first opened its doors in 1959, it was a 103-bed facility supporting a population of 75,000. Today, Surrey Memorial is the second largest hospital in British Columbia and provides a full range of hospital services to a community of over 600,000 people from Surrey to Delta and from Langley to White Rock. Surrey Memorial has the busiest emergency department in British Columbia with over 90,000 patients visits per year. Hospital parking will be free during the preview on July 13th and you can enter at the southwest corner of 94A Avenue. Follow Surrey Memorial Hospital on Facebook and Twitter for more information about upgrades, services, and the public preview event. BC, surrey, vancouver events, health, hospital heidi goodmanWednesday, July 10th, 2013 — 9:09am PDT I gave birth last year at smh. It was a difficult birth and my baby was premature. I felt like I was in great hands there. They saved our lives. The labour and delivery people and the nicu nurses. Top notch. Made a terrifying experience for a first time mom and dad manageable. My baby and I owe them our lives. « Kitsilano Showboat 2013 Season Free Slurpee Day in Vancouver »	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2022
__label__wiki	0.516021	0.516021	Internal nanosecond dynamics in the intrinsically disordered myelin basic protein A. Stadler1, L. Stingaciu2, A. Radulescu3, O. Holderer3, M. Monkenbusch1, R. Biehl1, and D. Richter1 1Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) and Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany 2Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) at SNS, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Oak Ridge, USA Intrinsically disordered proteins lack a well-defined folded structure and contain a high degree of structural freedom and conformational flexibility. In solution, the myelin basic protein belongs to that class of proteins. Using small-angle scattering, the protein was found to be structurally disordered, similar to ideal Gaussian chains. Modelling via a coarse-grained structural ensemble indicated a compact core with flexible ends. Neutron spin-echo spectroscopy measurements revealed a large contribution of internal dynamics to the overall diffusion. In an alternative approach, we investigated whether models from polymer theory are suitable for the interpretation of the observed motions. Intrinsically Disordered Proteins The expected structural and dynamic properties of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) range from very soft structures, through folded elements connected by extended and flexible loops, to fully disordered polypeptide chains. Crystallographic structures of IDPs do not exist due to the existence of a large number of different conformational states. However, at low resolution the protein structure in solution can be well characterized by small-angle scattering of X-rays (SAXS) or neutrons (SANS), while neutron spin-echo spectroscopy (NSE) is a method well-suited to the study of polymer dynamics [1] and functional relevant motions of protein domains [2]. The myelin basic protein (MBP) is a major component of the myelin sheath in the central nervous system. In aqueous solution, MBP is primarily unstructured and is classified as intrinsically disordered. In this context, we investigated the nature and extent of large conformational motions in MBP as an example of their role in IDPs [3]. Small-Angle Scattering and NSE Experiments SANS was measured on the instrument KWS-1 at the MLZ in Garching. SAXS was measured on the instrument BM29 at the ESRF, Grenoble, France. NSE measurements were carried out at the J-NSE spectrometer at the MLZ. Solution Structure of MBP Small-angle scattering was measured to gain information about the solution structure of MBP as a prerequisite for the NSE experiments. Measured SAXS and SANS form factors of MBP are given in Fig. 1. Both curves show power law scattering at q > 0.1 Å-1 with a power law coefficient of -2.1. A power law coefficient of -2 is the characteristic sign of Gaussian chain polymers in Θ solvent and in the melt. The slightly steeper slope of the measured data indicates a more compact conformation as compared to a Gaussian chain. The SAXS and SANS curves measured can be described using the Debye equation for Gaussian chains. Reverse Monte Carlo simulations were applied to generate a coarse-grained ensemble representing the structural characteristics of MBP. The general features of the selected coarse-grained conformations indicate a central core region with flexible termini, while the overall shape appears to be slightly bent (Fig. 1 (D)). Dynamics of MBP Measured by NSE Collective motions of MBP were explored using NSE. The measured NSE spectra of a 54 mg/mL solution are shown in Fig. 2. In general, protein dynamics measured by NSE in solution consist of global diffusion and internal conformational motions. In a first approach we use the structural ensemble determined by small-angle scattering to interpret the NSE spectra, see Fig. 2 (A). Typically, the observed relaxation due to internal protein dynamics decays significantly faster than global protein diffusion, which is the remaining contribution to the NSE spectra in the long-time limit. At shorter times the contribution of internal protein dynamics to the spectra becomes directly visible as compared to the long time limit. To interpret the observed internal protein dynamics in more detail, the lowest lying collective excitations of the structural ensemble were calculated using normal mode analysis. The calculated displacement patterns of the first and second non-trivial normal modes (NMs 7 and 8) of a representative conformation are shown in Fig. 3 (A). The normal modes were used to describe the measured contribution of internal dynamics A(q) to the NSE spectra, see Fig. 3 (B). NM 7 is the dominating collective excitation of the protein and fully reproduces the measured A(q). In an alternative approach we tested whether the dynamics of MBP can be described using simplified models from polymer theory. The classical Zimm model is a coarse-grained description of the dynamics of polymers in solution. To account for additional microscopic interactions – such as, for example, internal barriers, hindered dihedral rotations, side-chain interactions, or hydrogen bonding – the Zimm model was extended to the Zimm models with internal friction (ZIF). The fits with the Zimm and ZIF models to the NSE spectra are shown in Fig 2 (B). The classical Zimm model does not represent the measured data. The ZIF model shows small but systematic deviations from the measured data. The large value of the internal friction also leads to the breakdown of the mathematical structure of the Zimm model. The NSE experiments showed a high flexibility of the structural ensemble. Our results are important for a biophysical understanding of the nature and extent of large-scale conformational motions in IDPs. Our experiment clearly demonstrates the potential of neutron scattering for the investigation of IDPs. [1] D. Richter et al., Advances in Polymer Science: J. Neutron Spin Echo in Polymer Systems, Vol. 174, Springer, Berlin (2005). [2] R. Inoue et al., Biophys. J. 99, 2309 (2010). [3] A. M. Stadler et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 136(19), 6987 (2014).	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2023
__label__wiki	0.684135	0.684135	New Social Compact African Renaissance EU Politics Support MD Modern Diplomacy Indonesia: Support for Public Health and Affected Households for a Secure Recovery Indonesia will finish 2020 experiencing its first recession in two decades, but signs of recovery are increasing, driven by a pick-up in consumption and a significant increase in public spending, according to the World Bank’s latest Indonesia Economic Prospects report, Towards a Secure and Fast Recovery. The economy is expected to contract by 2.2 percent this year, revised downward from a projected contraction of 1.6 percent in September, due to persistent mobility restrictions and social distancing amid rising COVID-19 cases. However, growth is expected to rebound in 2021, with the economy expanding by 4.4 percent if mobility restrictions are gradually eased and the wide availability of an effective and safe vaccine helps improve consumer and business confidence. The report notes that such projections are still highly uncertain, given the dynamics of the pandemic in Indonesia and abroad, and stresses that the country’s medium-term performance will depend on taking steps to mitigate the negative impacts of the crisis on investment, productivity and human capital. “The Indonesian government has taken decisive action in response to the COVID-19 crisis that has saved lives and livelihoods,” said Satu Kahkonen, World Bank Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste. “Further steps to improve the effectiveness of crisis response and advance structural reforms will build on these efforts, and ensure a secure recovery.” The report points to public health as the top priority to allow the economy to recover and to move towards a safe full reopening. This requires continued improvement in testing and contact tracing, and other public health measures as well as preparation to procure and widely administer an effective and safe vaccine once it is developed and approved. Support to affected households and firms will need to be maintained until the crisis is under control, coupled with stronger mechanisms to ensure the adequacy of programs and to identify and enroll the poor and vulnerable. Without adequate social assistance, 8.5 million Indonesians could be pushed into poverty this year due to the COVID-19 crisis. The report also recommends prioritizing reform in the tax system as a way of easing fiscal pressure and freeing up resources to support Indonesia’s recovery process. This could be accomplished by increasing income taxation among top earners and raising excises on products with negative health and environmental externalities – such as fossil fuels, tobacco, sugar-sweetened beverages and plastic bags. This edition of the report also looks at Indonesia’s food security policies and includes possible strategies to strengthen the country’s agriculture and food systems. Food prices in Indonesia are among the highest in Asia, and the main challenges in this sector relate to improving the affordability and nutritional value of foods, especially for the poorer segments of society. Among the recommendations in the report are shifting from a focus on increasing output to increasing productivity of crops and livestock, increased crop diversification, and moving away from protecting the domestic market with import restrictions to supporting the improved competitiveness of agriculture. “The pandemic has brought an opportunity to transform Indonesia’s agri-food system. Achieving this will require shifting the focus on food security beyond self-sufficiency of rice and staple foods to a more balanced consideration of the availability, affordability, and quality of food for all, supported by new policies and improved public spending,” said Ralph Van Doorn, World Bank Senior Economist for Indonesia. The Indonesia Economic Prospects report is supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Related Topics:IndonesiaPandemic recovery Thailand: Higher productivity in manufacturing key to becoming high-income country In battling COVID-19, countries shouldn’t lose sight of sustainable development Reskilling and Labour Migration Vital to the Pacific’s Economic Recovery Corporate Boards are Critical Starting Points for Implementing Stakeholder Capitalism Covid third world debt will outlast the virus – it should be relieved Recovery action plan of the Union: On Next Generation EU & a New Independent authority? Lao Economy Set to Recover if Threats Can Be Contained Turkey: A full recovery from the COVID-19 crisis will take time Air travel down 60 per cent, as airline industry losses top $370 billion A new report from the UN’s air transportation agency confirms there was a “dramatic” fall in international air travel due to COVID-19, of around 60 per cent over the course of last year, to levels last seen in 2003. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said on Friday, that as seating capacity fell by around 50 per cent last year, that left just 1.8 billion passengers taking flights through 2020, compared with around 4.5 billion in 2019. That adds up to a staggering financial loss to the industry of around $370 billion, “with airports and air navigation services providers losing a further 115 billion and 13 billion, respectively”, said ICAO in a press statement. Grounded in March As the coronavirus began its global spread, the air industry came to a virtual standstill by the end of March. Following widespread national lockdowns, by April the overall number of passengers had fallen 92 per cent from 2019 levels, an average of the 98 per cent drop-off seen in international traffic and 87 per cent fall in domestic air travel. There was a moderate rebound during the summer travel period, but recovery was short-lived. “Sectoral recovery became more vulnerable and volatile again during the last four months of 2020, indicating an overall double-dip recession for the year”, ICAO said. Disparity at home and abroad The report notes “a persistent disparity between domestic and international air travel impacts resulting from the more stringent international measures in force.” Domestic travel proved more resilient and was the main driver of any glimmer of recovery to the industry, particularly in China and Russia, ICAO notes, where domestic passenger numbers have already returned to the pre-pandemic levels. Overall, there was a 50 per cent drop in domestic passenger traffic globally, while international traffic fell by 74 per cent, or around 1.4 billion passengers. The plunge in traffic, has put the entire industry’s financial liability into question said ICAO, and threatens the viability of millions of associated jobs around the world. Tourism in crisis It has also severely impacted global tourism, given that more than 50 per cent of international travellers used to reach their destinations by plane. ICAO said that the regional breakdown in losses showed a $120 billion loss year-on-year in the Asia-Pacific region, $100 billion in Europe, $88 billion in North America, followed by $26 billion, $22 billion and $14 billion in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Africa, respectively. The agency described the near term outlook as one of “prolonged depressed demand, with downside risks to global air travel recovery predominating in the first quarter of 2021, and likely to be subject to further deterioration.” It does not expect any improvement until the second quarter of 2021, athough this will still be subject to the effectiveness of pandemic management and vaccination roll out across the world. Best-case scenario In the most optimistic scenario, said ICAO, by June of 2021 passenger numbers will be expected to recover globally to 71 per cent of their 2019 levels (or 53 per cent for international and 84 per cent for domestic flights). A more pessimistic scenario foresees only a 49 per cent recovery (26 per cent for international and 66 per cent for domestic). ICAO will continue to provide recommendations and support for the aviation sector to weather the crisis. Its new Guidance on Economic and Financial Measures summarizes a range of measures that can be explored by States and the industry to ease the crisis, and strengthen the industry to withstand future shocks better. While the Pacific and Papua New Guinea (PNG) have avoided some of the worst health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the closure of international travel and lockdowns to curb the spread of COVID-19 have had serious impacts on employment, international labour mobility, and livelihoods across the region. A new World Bank report, Pacific Island Countries in the era of COVID 19: Macroeconomic impacts and job prospects details the potential extent of job losses and labour market impacts in the region, while also suggesting how the Pacific may benefit from changing employment trends and other opportunities. Fewer local jobs and sluggishness in new international opportunities are all taking their toll on labour markets in the seven Pacific countries examined in the report (Fiji, Kiribati, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu). Of these, countries that are more reliant on international tourism such as Fiji, Vanuatu and Samoa have borne the brunt of these effects, with tourism-related employment dropping by an estimated 64 percent in Vanuatu and unemployment claims in June 2020 nearly tripling the 2019 total in Fiji. Employment figures in countries where tourism plays a smaller role are also sobering, with job advertisements in PNG dropping by 76 percent between February and May 2020 as a result of lockdowns and travel restrictions. Flow-on effects to other industries, including retail and food services, together with reductions in commodity prices and remittance inflows, have added to this significant economic hardship across the region. “The changes that we have seen in labour markets and employment across the Pacific are profound and are hitting the most vulnerable hardest – but importantly they are also leading families who would have been previously secure into vulnerable positions, especially workers in the tourism sector,” said Yasser El-Gammal, Practice Manager, Social Protection and Jobs, the World Bank The report also highlights opportunities to mitigate the economic and employment shocks presented by the pandemic. These include prioritizing retraining and skill development of workers in affected industries, such as tourism, so they can move into sectors that require similar skill sets; promoting digital literacy skills to help Pacific islanders participate in remote working opportunities; and exploring new employment opportunities for low- and semi-skilled Pacific workers in Australia and New Zealand in the long term. “Ultimately, workers from the Pacific will remain in demand in Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere for a long time to come,” said report author Matthew Dornan, Senior Economist at the World Bank. “The various Pacific labour mobility schemes that are focused on employment in rural and regional areas are not only crucial to livelihoods and employment in the Pacific, but beneficial for employers and businesses in Australia and New Zealand.” Of particular focus in the report is the need to support skills development and employment services in response to the crisis and as part of the economic recovery. This could include subsidizing the reskilling of workers, support for work-study and apprenticeship schemes, the provision of temporary wage subsidies for the unemployed, and an expansion of international labour mobility opportunities for Pacific Islanders. The latter can be facilitated by efforts to improve the employability of Pacific workers (e.g., through upskilling), reducing the costs associated with cross-border labour migration, and by improved marketing and relationship management with international employers. Recipient countries can also play a role through labour policies. “Labour mobility requires close cooperation between countries,” said co-author Soonhwa Yi, Senior Economist at the World Bank. “While policy improvements from Pacific governments could help expand the overseas employment opportunities available to Pacific Islanders, receiving countries also need to ensure their migration and working visa policies support future demand for increased labour mobility.” The report stresses that moderating the employment and livelihoods impacts of COVID-19 across the region requires supportive policy responses from governments. While support to affected populations is a priority, governments could also consider support to businesses, as has been provided in Tonga and PNG; safeguarding cash-flow through tax and import duty relief, as has been undertaken in PNG, Samoa and Solomon Islands; and exploring opportunities for direct cash transfers and social assistance to vulnerable populations. “The COVID-19 pandemic also crisis highlights the urgency for Pacific countries to expand IT-related infrastructure and increase their engagement in the digital economy,” said Soonhwa Yi. “This would provide opportunities for workers in the digital economy and better position Pacific countries to export digital services across borders.” While economic growth in the Lao PDR contracted in 2020 for the first time in over two decades, the economy is set to recover in 2021 and in the medium term, provided the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is contained and business can resume with trading partners, according to a World Bank report released today. The latest Lao PDR Economic Monitor — Supporting Economic Recovery — finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has had significant adverse effects on growth across the country, plunging the economy into its first recession since the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. The report estimates that the economy will shrink by 0.6 percent in 2020, with tourism services, wholesale and retail trade, and manufacturing most seriously affected. Declining economic activity has reduced the government’s ability to collect revenues, which in turn has led to a worsening fiscal situation. The kip has lost value against foreign currencies and this depreciation, along with rising food prices, has caused higher headline inflation. “While the Lao PDR has so far done very well to contain the spread of COVID-19, the economic effects of the outbreak have affected the livelihoods of millions of Lao people, and pose a serious risk to sustained poverty reduction”, said Nicola Pontara, World Bank Country Manager. “However, if the pandemic remains under control domestically and business can resume with trading partners, we can expect some recovery in 2021”. According to the report, GDP growth is expected to rebound to 4.9 percent in 2021. Medium-term growth would also gradually recover as a result of infrastructure investment and a further pick up in services, exports, and private consumption. More COVID-19 outbreaks, however, would pose challenges for the recovery, due to the knock-on effects of potential lockdowns or restrictions on trade and tourism. The report also highlights the rising public external debt burden. External debt and low foreign currency reserves limit the government’s capacity to adopt a robust fiscal stimulus. Moving forward, priorities include putting public external debt on a sustainable trajectory, improving the generation of revenue to create fiscal space, and supporting those households and firms most severely affected by the economic downturn. A thematic section, Livelihoods in the Time of COVID-19, identifies the groups most vulnerable to the pandemic, and recommends policy options that could help protect their livelihoods. These include expanding coverage of cash and in-kind food transfers, and promoting skill development for laid-off workers and returned migrants. Armenia's Existential Threats and Strategic Issues Rethinking Iran: 1979-2019 A character assassination campaign against the Crown Prince A strategy of gradual escalation When shall the UNSC declare RSS a terrorist outfit? 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__label__wiki	0.52258	0.52258	“All on a Silent Night”: A song of peace and comfort in difficult times Posted by musichistorian on February 6, 2017 Last year, on Christmas Eve, I sang a version of “Silent Night” called “All on a Silent Night” as a soloist, for the congregation at Bethany Presbyterian in Huntington, New York. My decision to perform involved the Music Director of the church partially talked me into it and validation from members of the congregation when they heard me sight sing this piece on the first try. Since last Fall, I had been attending the Bethany Presbyterian Church in Huntington. Members of this community have been supportive, kind and, as of very recently, encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone as a newcomer. One Sunday after service, I was chatting with the Music Director and had told her about some of my performance experience, including my time with the Syracuse University Women’s Choir, the Huntington Women’s Choir, and my ability to play piano. She pulled me to the grand piano at the front of the room, to show me a version of “Silent Night” written by Becki Slagle Mayo; this rendition of the song was for a two-part Chorus and Piano with an optional cello. This version was titled “All on a Silent Night.” The Music Director played a bit of the song and had asked me to follow the vocal melody in the top line with the accompanying music. After receiving validation from the director, and a few members of the congregation, I had decided then and there that it was only natural that I would perform this song. That’s when I decided to flex my musical muscles again, which involved practicing the piece with the music director and, most of the time, on my own. “All on a Silent Night” was written in an ABA form; the ‘B’ section includes the melodic composition that resembles the original by Franz Gruber[i], while both ‘A’ sections include additional text and an original melody by Mayo[ii]. The parts which Mayo wrote for a soprano, includes a range from a D4 to an E-flat 5 on the piano, a range that just stretches over an octave – call it an octave and a half. The sections composed by Mayo presented a happy challenge, as D4 is a low note for my voice, while E-flat 5 borders the limits of my upper register. I especially liked how that E-flat 5 note was assigned a mezzo forte – more like a surprise forte – in the middle of the fourth bar into the music followed by a crescendo one measure long. There was a decrescendo in the last two measures of the seventh bar, thus concluding the first ‘A’ section. One might think that Section ‘B’ of this song, which resembles the version of “Silent Night” we all might know, is simple, but I soon realized that the complications hide in the details of how to properly pronounce the words. The authentic version of Gruber’s song was written in German in 1818, and then translated into English in the middle of the 19th Century[iii]. Based on my experience, English is one of the toughest languages for singing an art song composed during these time periods, because the best way to clearly pronounce a sung word in English is to put on emphasis on the consonant of the first letter and the consonant of the last letter, like the word ‘night.’ However, in this word, a singer must make an effort to pronounce the middle letters in a way that makes them softer. More specifically, the singer should sound out a word that has a similar spelling to ‘naught’ not ‘night.’ When signing a word that starts with the letter ‘i’, especially like ‘infant’ that ‘i’ must receive a more acute pronunciation like how one would hear ‘ee’ like in the word “Halloween” or “seen.” Otherwise, if that ‘i’ in ‘is’ or ‘infant’ receives the same pronunciation in a sung verse as it does when spoken, that ‘I’ will sound like an ‘ugh’ to the listener. The proper pronunciation of the lyrics within “Silent Night” is necessary to help tell the story about the time of Jesus Christ’s birth. However, the origin of this song, according to the Silent Night Association, gives the tune an additional meaning: In the time “Silent Night” was written, the Napoleonic wars had come to an end, and new borders in Europe had been set with the Vienna Congress. The ecclesiastical Principality of Salzburg lost its status as an independent country and was forced to secularize. In 1816, its lands were divided into two, with part assigned to Bavaria and the larger portion relegated to Austria. The Salzach River also became the new border between the town center of Laufen and its suburb Oberndorf by Salzburg. For centuries, the Salzach River had provided transportation for the salt trade, which provided a basis for the local economy. During the Napoleonic wars, the salt trade declined and never fully recovered, causing a depression in the local economy with the transportation companies, boat builders and laborers facing unemployment and an uncertain future. Further, Oberndorf by Salzburg was the site where “Silent Night” was first performed.[iv] Joseph Mohr, the assistant priest of the newly established parish of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, wrote the text for “Silent Night.” His previous place of service, Mariapfarr, suffered greatly during the withdrawal of troops from the Bavarian occupation in 1816 and 1817. With this in mind, the creation of the 4th verse takes on a special meaning – expressing a great longing for peace and comfort.[v] Below is an English translation of some of the 4th verse, created by “Silent Night” historian William C. Egan[vi]: Silent night! Holy night! Here at last, healing light From the heavenly kingdom sent, Abundant grace for our intent. “All on a Silent Night” by Mayo does not include this 4th verse. However, I strongly believe that the context behind songs stay consistent throughout any revision. For this reason, I felt encouraged to practice the delivery of this variant of “Silent Night” to the best of my ability. Thanks to the technician who came to my house to tune the upright piano in my house the previous week, to the holiday break I received from work, to all the practice with the Music Director of Bethany Presbyterian, I feel like I had the time to deliver a decent performance. While I sang in front of the congregation on Christmas Eve, I felt my legs shaking from a combination of nerves and the cold air within the church (caused by a heating system which needed to be started earlier in the evening). From my waist up though, I looked calm and I felt composed. I feel grateful that I sang for Bethany Presbyterian, and I hope I get to sing again. The feeling is very humbling. If you, the reader, ever get the chance to perform any version of “Silent Night”, please remember the historical context of the song and appreciate the meaning behind the verses, especially if you should receive a copy of the version that includes the 4th verse in the lyrics. Perhaps you might know of someone who needs comforting in a time of great uncertainty, whether it is being caused by problem that effects a nation or isolated strictly to an individual. No matter what challenges you may be facing, or those you know are facing, the next time you hear “Silent Night,” I hope you feel some peace and comfort. [i] Fischer & Schaffernberger. “Stille Nacht Gesellschaft.” Retrieved from http://www.stillenacht.at/en/text_and_music.asp on December 26th, 2016 [ii] JW Pepper. “All on a Silent Night.” Retrieved from http://www.jwpepper.com/10307377.item#.WGF63fkrLIV on December 26th, 2016 [iii] Fischer & Schaffernberger. “Stille Nacht Gesellschaft.” Retrieved from http://www.stillenacht.at/en/spreading_song.asp on December 26th, 2016 [iv] Fischer & Schaffernberger. “Stille Nacht Gesellschaft.” Retrieved from http://www.stillenacht.at/en/origin_song.asp on January 16th, 2017 [v] Fischer & Schaffernberger. “Stille Nacht Gesellschaft.” Retrieved from http://www.stillenacht.at/en/origin_song.asp on January 16th, 2017 [vi] Hymns and Carols of Christmas. Retrieved form https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/silent_night_holy_night-1.htm on January 16th, 2017 This entry was posted in Communities, Huntington, Music History, Music in Church, Musical Performance, Practice, Storytelling and tagged All on a Silent Night, Becki Slagle Mayo composer, Bethany Presbyterian Huntington, Christmas Eve 2016, Silent Night variant. Bookmark the permalink. A Love Shaken by War: Becky Warren returns to music with a solo record that tells a fictional story inspired by real-life events The Transformation of Miracles~Lost and Found: Marla Mase talks inspiration behind her songs, the themes that emerged, and where she hopes to take her new record	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2025
__label__wiki	0.985231	0.985231	Top artists of Pop punk blink‐182 The All‐American Rejects Playlists: Pop punk Rock This 00s Rock Anthems Pop Punk Powerhouses Emo Forever Punk Essentials Skatepark Punks Pure Pop Punk Pop Punk's Not Dead Punk Unplugged Pop Punk Perfection Covered In Punk About Pop punk Pop punk (also known as punk-pop or pop-punk) is a genre of rock music that combines influences of pop music with punk rock. Fast tempos, prominent electric guitars with distortion, and power chord changes are typically played under pop-influenced melodies and vocal styles with lighthearted lyrical themes including boredom and teenage romance. Early punk rock bands such as Ramones, Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers, and the Undertones all had strong sense of melody, taking some cues from pop rock and power pop. In the early–mid 1980s, punk rock bands like Descendents combined punk rock and hardcore punk with pop-influenced melodies and lyrical themes involving humor, girls, and teenage confusion. 1980s punk bands like Bad Religion influenced later pop punk music. Pop punk in the United States began to grow in popularity in the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s, especially in California where independent record labels (most notably Lookout! Records) adopted a do it yourself (DIY) approach to releasing music. Lookout! Records signed punk rock and pop punk bands like Green Day, Screeching Weasel, The Queers, Rancid, and The Mr. T Experience. In the mid-1990s, pop punk broke into the mainstream with the mainstream success of Green Day, Rancid, and the Offspring. During this time, these bands sold millions of records and received extensive radio and television airplay. In the late 1990s, pop punk bands like Lit, Eve 6, and Blink-182 became mainstream and continued to be mainstream in the 2000s. In the early–mid 2000s, pop punk bands like Sum 41, Good Charlotte, and New Found Glory also achieved mainstream success. In the 2000s, emo pop, a genre that combines emo with pop punk, became one of the most mainstream genres of rock with the mainstream success of emo pop bands like Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, My Chemical Romance, The All-American Rejects, and Paramore. Although pop punk's mainstream popularity declined in the 2010s, the genre still had some success with bands like The Story So Far, Real Friends, The Wonder Years, and Neck Deep. This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Pop punk , which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. #modern-rock #rock-music #alternative-rock #pop-punk	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2029
__label__wiki	0.962438	0.962438	#TBT on THC: "Fritz the Cat" Is 35-Years-Old, and Still a Minor Masterpiece The X-rated animated feature was born out of a short period in which there were no rules left to break. It’s an example of a film so of-its-moment that it manages to still feel shocking, even today. Fritz The Cat celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, a notable birthday for an unsuspectingly landmark film. With a rare X-rating from the MPAA, and a film that pushed the line of decency and good taste, Fritz The Cat became a surprising juggernaut, raking in $90 million on a $850,000 budget. Thanks largely to a decade of Hollywood deregulation that allowed independent cinema a place in the market and a cut of the pie, Fritz remains the highest grossing independent animated film of all time. It's no Miyazaki, but it's a marvel in its own bizarre right. The 1972 film is a marriage of one of underground comix's most beloved and infamous illustrators, R. Crumb, and director Ralph Bakshi, a pioneer of adult-oriented animated films. Bakshi's influence can be felt everywhere, from Batman: The Animated Series (which celebrated its 25 anniversary earlier this month) to the entire Pixar cannon, which, while significantly more family-friendly, still infused a children's medium with the nuances and intention of adult storytelling. R. Crumb, on the other hand, remains a slightly more obtuse though no less revered figure, somewhat closer to an Alan Moore than a Stan Lee (though much like Lee, Bakshi would call Crumb "one of the slickest hustlers you'll ever see in your life"). Crumb remains a talisman of the counterculture era; his work has appeared in enclaves as varied as the East Village Observer and comic shops to, more recently, the gallery walls of David Zwirner in Chelsea. Crumb's illustration work ranges from sardonic to accusatory, wanton (sometimes even straight-up perverted) to wholesome — both of its time and overwhelmingly nostalgic for a simpler era before it. The film is similarly both a celebration of and screed against an era of political alertness that Bakshi seems to believe houses more than a shred of moral agnosticism. In the comics, which ran from 1965 to 1972, Fritz gets himself into strange misadventures as a means of coxing women. His presence in the comic strip that made him famous is largely a play on the misadventures of all anthropomorphic cartoon animals that predated him. Inspired by the cartoons of the 1920-30s, the Fritz found in underground comix like Cavalier and Help! is a mix of Wiley E. Coyote and Mickey Mouse at once. In Fritz The Cat, the movie, he's a con artist who declares his allegiance to the burgeoning scene of coffee house hipsters and on-the-road poets as a means of reaching enlightenment. The film opens with a title card that reads simply "the 1960s," and Fritz seems to be have doubled down on the era's interest in experiencing life for life's sake, and all the women that come with it. Sex is the driving force for all Fritz's actions, with drugs either a way to take solace in various failures or as a way to re-energize his waning libido. The presence of weed serves a very specific narrative purpose when, towards the end of the film, Fritz gets stoned and becomes convinced that he is the defacto leader of a movement meant to enlighten others and change the world at large. But this fetishizing of protest is precisely the film's target. The film opens amidst a street protest, with R. Crumb's signature love of folk-era America sifting through the air, as protesters chant in unison. Meanwhile, Fritz and his friends watch as women coo over a crow, the film's proxy for black Americans. The girls are well read; they mentioning loving Baldwin's grasp of the African American experience. The attention is enviable, if problematic by 2017's standards — though the film's satirizing of this kind of patronization helps solidify its thesis of faux-resistance as alarmingly relevant. Fritz, nevertheless, is taken by the scene, and what follows is a bildungsroman about a fake radical, whose every move — sparking protest, wooing women, attempting to get in with the authentic "crow" community in Harlem — rarely results in anything but chaos. Fritz is about a young American (in this case, cat) awakening to the culture around him, and finding it to be both the answer to his most hedonistic desires and a direct reflection of them. Bored by college, the film essentially follows him as he hitches his wagon onto anybody who can make good on a promise of change, like Holden Caulfield mixed with one of the very phonies the character loathed. Fritz is tired of the boring day-to-day drudge of existence, and revolution seems like, if not the answer to all the world's problems, certainly a good time. The sex he craves, the drugs he's tempted by, the writing he wants to do — he reveres poets, though perhaps for their female-alluring prowess more than their prose — have all been wrapped up in the eye of an approaching storm. That storm is the decade that Crumb worked in, one we still look back on with a certain amount of rose-eyed curiosity. Fritz The Cat is a satire fit to withstand nostalgia because it is itself already suspicious of the era's desires. Illuminating them through a cartoon cat is just a way to make the medicine go down easier. In contemporary context, the film delves a bit too freely into strange stereotypes, with animals as proxies for different races like some deranged Zootopia. But what makes Fritz The Cat fascinating to look back on today is the way in which it inverts the DNA of Fritz as a means to investigate the social mores of the 1960s. The film is, in effect, less an allegory and more of a documentation of the era. While the satire is deafening, the film subverts the traditional norms of animated filmmaking by approaching the voiceover as documentary. Aside from Skip Hinnant, who voices Fritz as both Machiavellian con man and boyish imp, many of the other characters had their dialogue lifted from real conversations Bakshi himself recorded. To capture the film's opening scene, Bakshi paid construction workers $50 a piece, and supplied them with a bottle Scotch, recording them as they lambasted the entitlement of an entire generation. The strange effect this creates — the tempo of real conversation set to the frenetic motion of a cartoon — manages to capture the mood of drugs better than most films with real people. Psychedelic in design and hazy in pace, the film's narrative begins to buzz more and more with the feverish speed of a cartoon, but the animation seems to move like molasses. It's an absurd technique that only becomes more engrossing with time. In a way, Fritz The Cat is a precursor to an entire generation of bawdy animated film. In the decades to follow, The Simpsons would invert the traditional dynamics of the family sitcom; South Park would rattle the quiet conservatist panic of the late 1990s, erupted in the wake of school shootings, the emergence of violent video games, and angrier music. But they were viewed as catalysts, not documents. Those shows would serve as bridge, linking the growing despondence between tradition and culture. But Fritz The Cat, in its quiet genius, was born out of a short period in which there were no rules left to break. Film had become the wild west — the violence of Bonnie and Clyde, the sexual-frankness of Midnight Cowboy, the grotesque absurdity of John Waters — and Fritz The Cat is an example of a film so of-its-moment that it manages to still feel shocking, even today. During the 1970s, sensation had all but replaced sentiment, making sex and violence a new kind of central nervous system for art. As the years progressed, violence would be expounded upon in entertainment, whereas sex would morph into something ever-present, but quieter. Fritz The Cat teems with so much of both that its mere presence on screen feels like an eruption, an orgasm celebrating the pleasure of being able to show pleasure at all (and the film does — Fitz engages in no less than three fairly graphic sex scenes, all of which are without exaggeration some of the film's highest points). Looking at the film on its 35th anniversary, its mere existence is a testament to the experimentation and freedom of the era. Yet the film itself seems critical of those same vehicles of change, questioning their salability, their sincerity, and their motivation. It frames 1960s counterculture as a prevailing presence in discourse and art, yet it's never too sure of what to make of them. Revolution is farce, born out of a bad trip; free love is hedonism rebranded. The film opens in New York, and we end in Hollywood, a tell-tale sign that either California is the promise land or every sense of revolution is in some way theatre. Fritz The Cat is a satire meant to reveal that cartoons and revolutionaries are often in sync, except one knows better than to color outside the lines. Follow Rod Bastanmher on Twitter Rod Bastanmehr Rod Bastanmehr is an arts and culture writer and one-half of the GOOD FRIENDS podcast. His work has appeared in VICE, The Atlantic, Salon, Slate, and the LA Review of Books.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2034
__label__wiki	0.799099	0.799099	What to Buy for a Grandma/Mom Photo: Courtesy of Brooke Campbell Custom dog portraits, by Brooke Churchill, from $450 at Shady’s Waggery, 443 E. 9th St., nr. Ave. A; 212-529-8705. Photo: Davies + Starr Loro Piana chinchilla vest, $11,800; 821 Madison Ave., nr. 69th St.; 212-980-7961. Loro Piana leather belt, $390 at Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Ave., at 58th St.; 212-753-7300. Photo: Courtesy of Atomic Atomic Tika snowboard, $299.99 at Paragon Sports, 867 Broadway, at 17th St.; 212-255-8036. Everyman’s Library, from $16 to $60 a title at Barnes & Noble, 33 E. 17th St., nr. Broadway; 212-253-0810. Custom leather riding-style boots, from $800 at E. Vogel, 19 Howard St., nr. Lafayette St.; 212-925-2460. David Yurman chrysoprase-and-diamond ring, $4,500; 729 Madison Ave., at 64th St.; 212-752-4255. Photo: Courtesy of Jamo Jamo i300 speaker system for iPods, $349.95 at B&H Photo Video, 420 Ninth Ave., at 33rd St.; 212-444-5000. Photo: Davies + Starr; Courtesy of Sesame Workshop Mitsubishi flat-screen LCD television, $2,499 at S&S Sound City, 58 W. 45th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-575-1060. Sesame Street: Old School Vol. 1 (1969–1974), $39.39 at Borders Books & Music, 461 Park Ave., nr. 57th St.; 212-980-6785. biden administration 4 mins ago All of President-elect Joe Biden’s Cabinet Nominees A running list of Biden’s announcements and reported picks as the incoming administration begins to take shape. celebrity 9 mins ago	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2040
__label__wiki	0.825732	0.825732	{ title: 'Nassau County, New York', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, ] } Search All Nassau County Titles with the words within 5 words of each other with the words within 10 words of each other with the phrase with any of the words with all of the words From January February March April May June July August September October November December 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 To January February March April May June July August September October November December 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 About Nassau County Titles Bellmore life. (Bellmore, N.Y.) 1964-2013 The Bethpage tribune. (Bethpage, N.Y.) 1966-current The daily review. (Freeport, N.Y.) 1921-1926 East Rockaway Lynbrook observer. (East Rockaway, N.Y.) 1975-1994 The Farmingdale observer. (Farmingdale, N.Y.) 1963-current The Freeport Baldwin Leader. (Freeport, N.Y.) 1987-current The Freeport news. (Freeport, Long Island, N.Y.) 1921-19?? The Garden City news. (Garden City, N.Y.) 1923-current The Helm independent review. (Lynbrook, N.Y.) 1963-19?? The helm. (Lynbrook, N.Y.) 1963-1963 The leader. (Freeport, N.Y.) 1941-1987 Long Island graphic and Roosevelt press. (Freeport, N.Y.) 1964-1991 The Long Island kernel. volume (Freeport, L.I., N.Y.) 195?-1966 The Long Island news and the owl. (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) 1919-2000	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2041
__label__cc	0.707855	0.292145	American South 1 [-] Civil rights 1 [-] Cvil Rights 1 [-] Race relations 1 [-] Selma to Montgomery Marches 1 [-] Social reform 1 [-] U.S. History, 1953-1961 1 [-] Civil Rights History Project 1 [-] Lowery, Joseph Echols 1 [-] Mosnier, Joseph 1 [-] Interviews 1 [-] Oral histories (document genres) 1 [-] Video recordings 1 [-] digital media - born digital 1 [-] Alabama 1 [-] Atlanta 1 [-] Fulton County 1 [-] Georgia 1 [-] Selma 1 [-] topic: "Activism" topic: "Associations and institutions" place: "Montgomery" place: "Mobile" place: "Dallas County" name:"Southern Christian Leadership Conference" name:"National Association for the Advancement of Colored People" The Rev. Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery Oral History Interview Civil Rights History Project, American, founded 2009 Interview of Rev. Dr. Lowery, Joseph Echols, American, 1921 - 2020 Interviewed by Mosnier, Joseph Ph. D. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, American, founded 1909 Southern Christian Leadership Conference, American, founded 1957 The oral history consists of four digital files: 2011.174.23.1a, 2011.174.23.1b, 2011.174.23.1c, and 2011.174.23.1d. The Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery recalls his position as pastor at the Warren Street Church in Mobile, Alabama, in the 1950s. He remembers joining the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the differences in race relations between Mobile and other southern cities, and helping to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He reflects on the effectiveness of nonviolence, the libel suit against him, sit-ins across the country, and the Selma to Montgomery March. LOC ID: afc2010039_crhp0023 Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America Mobile, Alabama, United States, North and Central America Selma, Dallas County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America Montgomery, Alabama, United States, North and Central America Civil Rights History Project Media Arts-Film and Video Selma to Montgomery Marches digital media - born digital Associations and institutions U.S. History, 1953-1961 Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in partnership with the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress 2011.174.23.1a-d © Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd54110b52f-b084-4fcf-bb7c-ea0635e6e60a	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2043
__label__wiki	0.504387	0.504387	NATM.1-Nov2020 From Non Aligned Technologies Movement REPORT OF NATM.1 (Nov 24/25, 2020) As the Covid-19 pandemic rages on, the abusive power of Big Tech corporations and Big Brother states also batters our communities. The compunding of technology with health and economic crises, raising inequality, and growing authoritarianism is not a random historical coincidence. It is the result, among other important factors, of our growing dependency on extractivist technologies, a dependency encouraged and fostered by corporations and governments. The mining of data from our lives now complements the appropriation of our natural resources, the exploitation of our labor, and the decimation of our public goods and services. In response, society needs to define and claim technosocial spaces beyond the profit-motivated model of Silicon Valley and the control-motivated model of the Chinese Communist Party, the two centers of power of this emerging colonial order. That is why a Non-Aligned Technologies Movement is necessary. Around fifty people from every continent in the world came together on November 24/25, 2020, to discuss what NATM would look like, what challenges it would seek to tackle, and what agendas it would prioritize. It was immediately clear at the meeting that while we all seek to articulate our own approaches to decolonization, we share a sense of anxiety, and a common understanding of the problem. We also share a sense of urgency, and the optimistic assurance that there is no colonialist order that can completely subsume our capacity to imagine and resist. Through the mist and shadows of our current crisis, we saw that the negotiating capacity of the periphery is weakened. The ability of each subgroup to find their rights upheld and their demands satisfied is already quite limited. Thus, we were reassured in our belief that we can only effectively push back by creating as broad a front as possible. That is why we must take steps to ensure that NATM grows from the bottom up, by creating the space to listen to each other's concerns and grievances while understanding the commonalities between our struggles. Developing a common language and a sense of shared direction fueled by solidarity is the only way forward. 1 Lessons from the past 2 How are we building NATM? A participative bottom-up approach 3 Part 1 of the meeting: If NATM is the solution, what is the problem? 4 Part 2 of the meeting: Imagined Futures 5 Moving forward: What's next? Lessons from the past[edit] In the early 1950s, as much of the global south struggled for its independence from colonial powers, a movement was being incubated. It’s leaders had a key insight: In order for our economies to work in favour of our peoples, we would need to come together to push back against imperialism, whether in the form of the old european powers, or the US and USSR, the new empires that were fighting a Cold War over the control of the world's resources. From the Bandung Conference of 1955 to the formal launch of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961, a diverse coalition of people coming from different political and economic systems as well as cultural and religious backgrounds managed to band together to resist extractivist colonial powers, end apartheid and combat racism. With the collapse of the USSR, many argue the NAM program lost its appeal. However, given the continued attitude of the US towards the South and the rise of China, together with the explosion of extractivist technologies, we believe that a rearticulation and reimagining of its original principles is not only necessary but urgent. How are we building NATM? A participative bottom-up approach[edit] To ensure the direction this movement takes is defined by a collective, we started by posting some thoughts on an open wiki where anyone could suggest additions and edits. This was followed by an invitation to engage in this first meeting, where the RSVP included a short survey with a set of questions to gauge people’s expectations, interests and backgrounds, as well as readings they might want to share. Based on the survey responses we collected we built a second survey for participants to complete as part of the meeting, where we asked them why they think NATM is needed at this time (problem statement) and what the short-term agenda must focus on covering ( pictured below). Once results were sent in, and before opening up the discussion to the broader group, we invited three selected discussants from different backgrounds to provide their perspectives regarding these questions. Part 1 of the meeting: If NATM is the solution, what is the problem?[edit] Question 1: Problem statement: Indicate the importance you assign to the following statements by distributing 100 points among them. (insert graphic) Question 2: What should the NATM have as priorities in the short term? Order the following Thus, the first part of the meeting was focused on the substance. Why do we need NATM, and what should such movement be focused on? The big themes that emerged during this first half included the urgency of the initiative, the challenges that such a movement would face, the politics of the coalition-building process, and the importance of intervening in national debates. With regards to the urgency of setting up such a movement, several participants underlined the speed at which digitalization is taking pace since the pandemic exploded, and how both big companies and big countries are being able to increase their pressure on smaller actors in financial distress. The window of opportunity to ensure we realign the digital world with rights is slim and getting slimmer. On the one hand, this situation underlines the importance of this movement, whilst on the other, it creates challenges for the establishment of a balanced bottom-up process that requires careful deliberation. One specific challenge that was brought up was the co-option of data sovereignty initiatives as a way to lessen the critical challenge they pose to Big Tech. Participants agreed that it will be important for NATM to position itself as an independent and radical political movement. At the same time, it will be crucial for NATM to build coalitions, particularly in terms of organizing actions and shaping the discourse at the national and global level. Youth groups were mentioned as a crucial stakeholder. Yes, NATM should work with established local political organs, but instead of simply asking for a seat at the table, we should create new tables around which different social groups, not only corporations and governments, are able to set the agenda. Part 2 of the meeting: Imagined Futures[edit] The second half of the meeting was focused on strategy. How to make such a movement succeed, and what does success look like? In this half, participants were asked to react to the following prompt: "The year is 2040, and you are talking to young people about the emergence of NATM. How would you summarize the challenges the movement faced, and what allowed it to eventually succeed and thrive?" As responses flowed in through the chat, four previously appointed respondents were called to provide their answers. (insert figure) Fig. 2. Word cloud based on the responses submitted by participants Some themes that emerged within this section were around the scale of the challenge and the need to create a very large base of supporters to overcome it. How to make the harms triggered by bad actors more traceable to them in the eyes of the general public, and how to provide meaningful ways for them to engage in this struggle. Below are a few responses that explore how these challenges would emerge and be overcome. The responses are framed as future histories, which explains why they are written in past tense. “The challenges we faced: a feeling of being overwhelmed by the scale of what needs to be done. Where to start? How do we crack open the system to begin to make the changes necessary, and to do so quickly? NATM succeeded by forming a grassroots, radically oriented global network committed to direct, disruptive action. Within this network, we worked in smaller groups to achieve specific goals of the NATM (i.e. privacy/surveillance; sovereignty, etc.)” “We overcame this by harnessing the previously growing popular and political backlash to engage with politicians and governments across the world to fight back at a policy level (and keep policy shifting with tech advancing), helping spread awareness, connecting activists, encouraging activism among the most active tech users, and helping prepare people in areas of technological expansion to address that expansion with agency and resistance to the negative aspects.” “the biggest challenge was moving people from thinking that technology was the only way forward for humanity. But once more people started imagining futures that did not have digital technology at the center of every part of life....” Moving forward: What's next?[edit] The meeting underlined that there is a diverse and experienced group of people willing to move this agenda forward. The challenge will be to find the right balance between moving sideways to broaden the base, and moving forward in terms of defining the agenda. In our quest to ensure this becomes as broad a front as possible, we hope to hear from you. We want your input on the framing, the substance and the strategy towards achieving what you see as the most urgent challenges. As immediate next steps, we will: Set up collaborative online platforms to continue the work and collect resources (including the public wiki at nonalignedtech.net and the members-only community forum at nonalignedtech.net/community). Use these platforms to discuss what working groups should be formed, and begin assigning members to the various groups. These may include, but are not limited to, a group to draft a charter or manifesto, a group to organize a BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement against Big Tech and extractive corporations, etc. Continue to invite members. Beginning planning for the next meeting, early in 2021. Retrieved from "https://nonalignedtech.net/index.php?title=NATM.1-Nov2020&oldid=68" About Non Aligned Technologies Movement	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2044
__label__wiki	0.529269	0.529269	Home Pop Culture Toys & Games Frisbee The Frisbee is probably the most popular ‘Fad’ of all time. First produced in the late 1950s, this plastic dinner-plate has become a permanent fixture on beaches and in parks around the world. It is also now a formally recognised sporting event. The concept first appeared on college campuses in the USA when students would toss around pie pans made by the Frisbie Baking Company of Connecticut. The toy was perfected by Walter Frederick Morrison, who also patented the creation. He sold the patent in 1957 to the Wham-O Manufacturing Company (who also owned the patent for the Hula Hoop), although it wasn’t until 1959 that the term “Frisbee” (with the altered spelling) was registered as a trademark. Bonanza Action Figures Game of Jaws, The FAME! Oh, yeah! you're practically already dancing, aren't you? And you know that little jig won't look right without one very important accessory: a... Cars in the 1990s With sales of new cars down in 1990 by over 5%, the time seemed totally wrong for General Motors to introduce Saturn, its first new... Planet of the Apes figures Few science-fiction concepts were as durable as the one that fueled Planet of the Apes. The success of the first Planet of the Apes film in... Running and sprinting had been around since time immemorial and were associated with competitive running. "Jogging", on the other hand, achieved currency when individuals took... The environmental protest group Greenpeace was founded in Canada in 1971 (it had previously functioned as a group called the Don't Make A Wave...	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2048
__label__wiki	0.897198	0.897198	College Insider Legends Profiles Busted Flush Unstacks the Odds, Find Peace in Adverse History This article was originally published June 24, 2019. On January 11, 1970, the NCAA broke the Busted Flush. The Florida State men’s basketball program was banned from the 1970 and 1971 postseasons and one of the program’s best-ever teams would be denied a shot at the national championship. The NCAA cited the Seminoles for recruiting violations while the team was already on probation from different transgressions in 1968, and the school placed restrictions on head coach Hugh Durham, removing him from all recruiting work, though he remained in his position. “I read the NCAA manual carefully, and my decision to allow our basketball signees to talk with Atlanta businessmen about summer jobs was a rational one,” Durham said in a special news conference days after the NCAA’s ruling. “I could see no conflict, but the NCAA had a different interpretation.” Florida State was 10-2 and undefeated at home, its only losses away from home against nationally-ranked North Carolina and USC. The Seminoles saw themselves as legitimate contenders to knock John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins off the three-peat throne. That disappeared with one meeting in an Arizona hotel during a road stretch. But that would only be part of what made the 1969-70 Seminoles special. Skip Young grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and played his high school ball at Linden-McKinley High School. He gained attention for his play and entertained attention from some major programs, namely his hometown’s own Ohio State. His family and friends largely pushed for him to choose the Buckeyes, but he went against the grain and selected Florida State instead. “The weather,” Young laughed. “But the main reason was the style of play. At Florida State, we were going to play a pro style, up-and-down type of style, which suited my particular style of play, and with a concentration on defense. Then the other was the competition. We had some great athletes. That made it kind of easy, because you knew you were going to play with some top-notch players.” Before heading to Tallahassee, the Midwesterner had never been to the South. He was excited to make a name for himself in a new place. Young did not comprehend what he was walking into. “To be honest with you, I basically didn’t give it a thought, which I should have,” Young explained. “I never really knew anything about the South, the history of the South. I didn’t know anything about Jim Crow, I didn’t know anything about historically black colleges. My only concern was to go to college.” Ken Macklin. Photo: FSU Athletics Kenny Macklin had a different path. He started in East Orange, New Jersey, but was the third-leading scorer on his high school team and didn’t get the recruiting attention he wanted. Macklin went to Morristown Junior College, a black school in Morristown, Tennessee. In his second season there, he averaged 30 points per game, and it brought his profile up. He chose Florida State to finish his undergrad and slid south from Tennessee to Tallahassee. Unlike in Young’s case, Macklin had southern connections. His parents hailed from there, and many of his high school classmates attended historically black colleges below the Mason-Dixon Line, a handful at Florida A&M, a stone’s throw away from FSU’s campus. That didn’t mean he was ready for it. “I’m a kid. What kind of insight do I have as to how this Southern culture is going to directly affect me on a long-term basis?” Macklin recounted. “My family was in the South and some of my first experiences with being told I couldn’t eat at a particular lunch counter occurred in Virginia when I was 8 years old, but I was just down there for two weeks, and I was 8 years old. But this long term, day in and day out of feeling of being a fry in a bowl of milk was something different.” Both Young and Macklin experienced rude awakenings when they arrived at Florida State. At first, they tried to behave as normal students, but that delusion was torn down efficiently. “It wasn’t a warm welcome,” Young explained. “Almost like the first week I got there, I received several threatening letters, making derogatory statements and threatening me bodily harm.” They turned to Florida A&M for their needs outside of hoops and studies. That’s where they made friends, dated and partied, living the standard student life on another campus. “Remember what a fly in a bowl of milk represents: you don’t want that fly in your milk. Not only are you sticking out, you’re not wanted there,” Macklin said. “It was a matter of getting in where you fit in, and that’s where Florida A&M came in.” But even being around Southern black people could be an issue. “Some of the folks down there to this day still think the Civil War is going on. That’s both black and white,” said Macklin, a self-proclaimed city kid. “There is a disconnection even amongst black people if you’re viewed as some northern city slicker. Even amongst black folks at times, especially with other black men, there was always some kind of disconnect, some kind of tension, some kind of competition. It wasn’t a welcoming attitude.” At Florida State, that feeling was tenfold, Macklin said. Young and Macklin, along with their other black teammates, had to deal with the stigma of big, black basketball players integrating into a white school. They received stares when walking the halls and weren’t taken seriously once they reached the classroom. And it didn’t stop with fellow students. Skip Young. Photo: FSU Athletics “I had a professor call me a derogatory name. He told me he would never allow anyone like me to pass his course,” Young said. “I told him he better never, ever call me that again or refer to me as that again, and I told him I was going to pass his course. There was a certain stereotype of me being who I was, and on top of that being an athlete, so I must not have any intelligence whatsoever and the only reason I’m there is to play basketball.” With help from an advisor, Young navigated the class and passed. But the attitude prevailed, and it wore on him. Young was so battered, he strongly considered transferring, even visiting other schools during winter and summer breaks his freshman year. “We played Florida, and my roommate, I think he had 35 points, 25 rebounds, and I had 25 points, 19 rebounds and a bunch of assists,” Young remembered from his freshman campaign. “The Florida coach called the game the last seconds of the game, ran out on the floor and said, ‘We need to rid of these you-know-what, then we could probably win.’ Then we went down to Florida (later in the season), and we must have fouled out before we got off the bus. There wasn’t nobody black in the gym but us and the custodians. Those type of realities hit you.” When Young went back to Ohio for the summer, he didn’t even want to talk to Tallahassee. Florida State would call his house, and he would not take the phone from his mother. She eventually told them she would talk to her son, and she talked him off the ledge. “She didn’t like the coach and didn’t like the situation, but because that’s what I chose to do, she encouraged me to stick it out,” he said. And stick it out, they did. The 1969-70 Florida State Seminoles had black players, but it was not an all-black team. Its best player wasn’t even black: 6-foot-9 center Dave “Big Red” Cowens from Newport, Kentucky, averaged a team-high 17.8 points and 17.2 rebounds per contest. The black and white players shared a locker room, but outside of the gym, they lived opposite lives. The black players used Florida A&M as their home base, while the white players could enjoy the fruits of being a student athlete at a major university on their own doorstep. The white players had the resources to afford cars, which meant more mobility and freedom. The daily stress as an unwanted outsider wasn’t there. And the influx of black players meant some white players were losing playing time and roster spots, an easy cause for tension in any setting. It’s something Macklin understood from the beginning. “You have to remember, we were taking their spots, so they had to make some adjustments with that,” Macklin said. “I’m not trying to toot my own horn here, but I know that some of my attitudes in some of my actions and things helped bridge that gap. I know that (some of my black teammates), at one point in time, they didn’t want to talk to nobody. I showed that, this is silly. That’s silly.” The team would get taped up in the locker room before every practice, and Macklin used the captive audience to his advantage. “I had a joke a day for a really long time until I ran out of jokes, and these jokes, they were long stories,” he explained. “They were these long stories that had no ending that would wind up being not funny, or part two tomorrow, those kinds of stories. Most of them were just made up stuff as I was going along when I had the attention of everybody, including the coaches. I thought that helped ease some tension, break some ice.” Macklin and Cowens grew close, and one summer, Macklin hosted Cowens, Young and black teammate John Burt at his family’s home in New Jersey. “So here it is: I’m an inner-city kid, and I’ve got this big, 6-foot-9 red, white kid staying at my house and playing ball in the neighborhood park. That was another thing that brought us all together,” Macklin said. “I think part of that was when the white players saw Cowens was connected with me off the court. This was not necessarily a basketball thing; we had developed a friendship. It was a process of blending together.” Back in Jersey, there were hand signal Macklin said people in his neighborhood would sometimes use. Not gang signs, but symbols that communicated something to others. He decided to bring one with him to Florida State. “I remember the very first game of the whole season, when they introduced me, I ran out onto the court with that hand signal over my head,” Macklin said, remembering putting his cupped hands above his head, forming two semi-circles, but keeping his hands separate to not complete the circle. “That picked up, Skip went out, he did the same. And then, all the rest of the guys, they followed suit. Durham was probably nervous, but when Red got introduced and did the same thing, that brought the crowd to a roar. That had I think everyone embracing, because Red was the white guy. He was the really good white guy. I think it unified us as a team and had the fans embrace us.” Neither Macklin nor Young would reveal what it originally signified, both chuckling at the thought, although its meaning completely changed in Florida. But they did drop some hints. “What it originally meant was something a little bit illegal, and I’m going to leave you to decide that,” Macklin laughed. “It was the ‘60s, and free love and all that stuff was happening. I’ll leave your imagination to that.” Regardless, fans constantly flashed the signal to the players on and off the court, and it became the rope that tied it all together for the 1969-70 Seminoles. Neither Young nor Macklin were positive of where the Busted Flush nickname came from. Young said he heard it started in Sports Illustrated and caught on from there but couldn’t be sure, and Macklin could barely make the same guess. But when it first started, Macklin didn’t like it. “The word busted implied something negative, something that’s not so good,” Macklin explained. “And now they tell me something about some kind of poker thing. I don’t know about that; I don’t play poker. But that was my initial take on it, that it was something negative with a negative connotation to it.” Although Macklin isn’t familiar with the game, the term originates from poker. It refers to a hand holding four cards of the same suit and one of a different suit, a mirror image of the 1969-70 Seminoles starting lineup. But no matter the suit, cards are cards, and Florida State played like it had a royal flush. The Seminoles started the season unranked and without the national attention they would soon require. They opened the campaign with a one-point victory against Oregon State, 69-68, then beat up on Oregon in their second game, 100-84. Two games later, the Noles fell for the first time, 86-75, to No. 5 North Carolina in their fourth matchup. Then the bashings began. Florida State won its next six games by an average of 27 points, including an 88-63 beatdown of archrival Florida and a 10-point victory over No. 14 Louisville. It wasn’t just that Florida State was winning. It was about how it won. “We were rugged,” Macklin said. “Fast paced and rugged.” The Seminoles would run their opposition to death, pushing the ball in transition and playing a stifling defense built on physicality. Durham employed a 1-2-1-1 press, with Cowens and his wingspan on top of the ball, that would torment challengers. “We were very quick, very aggressive, and I would like to think we were very cerebral basketball players,” Young said. “Everybody knew everybody’s strengths very well and complemented those strengths, even the people who came off the bench. There wasn’t much of a drop off at all, if any at all.” Florida State lost its second game of the season at No. 19 USC, 71-68, nearly taking the lead in the final minute, but an outlet pass gone wrong ended that idea. The team bounced back against Arizona, 87-78, a couple days later, completing its West Coast road stand. As the players returned to their hotel, they had in-state foe Miami on their minds as they had a date with the Hurricanes in Tallahassee in a few days. But they’d be hit with a curveball first. Everyone gathered in the team’s hotel in Arizona, and the news dropped to the players: the Seminoles would be banned from the 1970 and 1971 postseasons. Florida State’s dream of competing for a national championship was dead. “When we heard the news, there was a lot of disappointment and frustration,” Macklin remembered. “I think for my part, I was in denial of it. It was like, ‘Wait, what do you mean? What do you mean we can’t do this?’ And once it set in, I know that I was mad. I was angry. I was hurt.” Without explanations from superiors, Macklin said some players on the team began to wonder if it was on them. “There was a feeling of disbelief, there was no question,” he said. “Like, how could this happen? Again, that was one of those things that people began to think was their fault. No one from the university – no coach, no athletic director – said, ‘Listen guys, this is not your fault, this is what we do.’” It wouldn’t be until February 2019 when Florida State honored the 1969-70 team at a regular season game against Georgia Tech that the players would receive a formal apology from the university, but even though it came decades after the fact, it didn’t stop the players from still giving it everything they had back in 1970. Florida State took its anger out on Miami, smashing its rival 104-63, the third of six times the team would crack 100 for a game that season without the aid of a three-point line. The Seminoles continued their streak from there, racking up 10 more wins in a row, including an 89-83 victory over No. 6 Jacksonville in the middle, one of the premier programs in the entire nation at the time and eventual national runners-up. For their efforts against the Dolphins, the Seminoles were finally rewarded with a spot in the AP Poll, which they’d maintain for the rest of the season. A four-point loss in a rematch with Jacksonville would stop Florida State’s string of victories, and it would be the team’s final defeat as it took care of Georgia Tech, Stetson and Miami in comfortable fashion to close the campaign. The Seminoles finished 23-3 and No. 11 in the country, according to the AP. It would have been easy to give up when the penalties were levied, but Florida State didn’t. Why? “We weren’t built like that,” Young explained. “You got a highly competitive team and a talented team. You got guys who came from, whether it was high school or junior college, winning situations. And so, you’re wired to be a winner. We felt that if we showed people through our play, just maybe we could get the type of recognition we deserved. In some instances, we did, but not when you have that black mark on you. I would say we didn’t fold because we were competitors. We believed in ourselves.” It has been nearly 50 years since the final whistle blew on the 1969-70 season, but members of the Busted Flush team still haven’t gotten the hand they were dealt. UCLA went on to win the 1970 national championship, the program’s fourth in row and sixth in seven years. The Bruins owned college basketball from the mid-1960s into the mid-1970s, but Florida State felt it had a shot at Wooden’s dynasty. “I still think about that,” Macklin said. “We’d read the paper, and we’re looking at what these guys do and what they’ve done, and here we are. We’re in a great position, because nobody really knows who we are. We knew that we were that school from the South that would get that bid. We just felt that. We really knew that it would be something we would be experiencing, so we kept it on our radar.” Young focused less attention on UCLA and more on a chance to compete for a title. “Certainly, we think we could have competed with (UCLA),” Young said. “But not just UCLA, but the opportunity to play for the NCAA championship, period. If we had to go through UCLA, fine, or anybody else, it really didn’t matter, as far as I’m concerned.” That game never happened, and UCLA won the title without handling the Busted Flush. Florida State played out its regular season and stayed in the shadows for two seasons as it was stripped of the chance at redemption in 1971, too. That was only one angle of the hardships Young and Macklin faced in their Florida State career. The regular trials and tribulations of being a young person and a major college athlete were there, plus the intense tension caused by the racial climate. They and their other black teammates had to navigate the front lines of a social war while remaining focused and dedicated to their sport and team. Being a black student at Florida State was not an easy task at the time. In fact, it was virtually impossible to the point that those students spent more time at Florida A&M than at their own school. But when I met Young at a basketball event in Columbus, Ohio, a few months ago, he was decked out in garnet and gold. He had on a garnet FSU jacket with the logo and “23-3” inscribed under it, plus a Florida State ball cap for good measure. Despite the rocky time in Tallahassee, Young has great pride in his alma mater and proudly sports its colors wherever he is. “I think the overall experience of going to Florida State makes me a better man and a better human being,” Young explained. “It gave me strength to be able to face adversity and feel I can win regardless of setbacks, regardless of being labeled by people.” He said that being put in the situations he was forced him to open his world up to people unlike him, a valuable lesson for any young person. “The experience, the social experience, was enlightening for me, more so than the basketball, because I had to learn about other people,” Young said. “I had to learn more about my own people and myself. I had to learn how to control my anger and hostilities and make my adjustments to get through, socially and even academically.” Macklin shared a similar sentiment. For as much bad as there was during his time at Florida State, there was plenty of good, and he loves the school that awarded him a diploma. “I could be a curmudgeon about that whole thing and look at the negative aspects of my experiences there, but that’s no good for me,” he said. “That’s not a warm fuzzy. I like to live in warm fuzzyville. Call me naïve, but this is where I live, and I like to be able to identify, think about and talk about that total experience, and part of my total experience was some good stuff.” When Macklin joined the rest of his former teammates in Tallahassee for the reunion earlier this year, an equipment manager tapped Macklin on the shoulder and asked him to follow him. He took him to the equipment room stocked with sneakers, jerseys, helmets and all things Florida State, then handed him a bag full of stuff, a reminder to Macklin that he is now appreciated by his school. “That’s the way you get treated when you get back there,” he said. “I got nothing but love for them now. There’s no sense in me having anything else, you know?” All these years later, members of the 1969-70 Florida State team are still close. When they reunited in Tallahassee in February, it was as if they never left the locker room, listening to Macklin yammer on about a fictional flop of a story. Individuals have maintained their own close relationships with one another, and the situation with the university has been largely rectified. The stink of probation still sticks with them, though, and it’s a void that won’t ever be repaired. We will never know for certain if the Seminoles could have put a dent in the sport’s greatest dynasty, an unfortunate fact of the last 50 years. But the Busted Flush doesn’t need a national championship to make a statement. Five decades removed from commanding the court, and they still hold that attitude with them. “You better find out who we are before we pull up on you and pull your door down,” Macklin said. “You know, I guess it’s like some bad boys who didn’t get invited to the party, show up to the party and start taking all the girls.” Busted Flushcivil rightsDave CowensFlorida StateHugh DurhamKenny MacklinSkip Young Paul George Re-Signs – What It Means for PG-13 & the Clippers Fran McCaffery Explains Why Defense Is Boring College Basketball 2019-20 Top 10 Moments Bubble Watch: Locks, Should Be, Over, On & Bursting The Big O Leaves Cincinnati	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2050
__label__wiki	0.96121	0.96121	Rory McIlroy: I was wrong about Olympic golf By Nick ZaccardiAug 25, 2016, 1:12 PM EDT Rory McIlroy said he was “pleasantly surprised” to “be proven wrong somewhat” about golf’s place in the Olympics after his criticisms before withdrawing ahead of the Games. “It was nice to be proven wrong somewhat in terms of, like I thought golf was sort of going to get lost a little bit,” McIlroy said Wednesday ahead of The Barclays. “It was away from the village; I thought it was going to, yeah, just sort of blend in with everything else and be, not forgotten about, but just one of a lot of sports that are there obviously. But to see the crowds and see the turnout, I was glad to be somewhat proven wrong.” Australian Adam Scott, perhaps the most outspoken critic of golf’s Olympic format out of the sport’s stars, maintained his view Wednesday. Scott also skipped the Olympics. “I still believe that in the long term, I think it would be very easy to make it a very big deal for golf and the growth with amateurs playing the Olympics,” Scott said. “I think it’s very hard for the professionals to fit in the Olympic system at the moment, unless a lot of events are willing to sacrifice a lot.” Jordan Spieth said he “wished” he was at the Olympics. Spieth pulled out of the Olympics in July due to health concerns, including the Zika virus. “At the time I made the decision, it was the right decision for me,” Spieth said Wednesday. “And I told you guys in that press conference, it was the hardest thing I’ve had to do. The potential for regret was going to be there, and it certainly was while I was watching, so that’s why I tweeted out, ‘I’m looking forward to setting it as a goal to be there in 2020.'” Australian Jason Day, ranked No. 1 in the world, said he watched one hole of the Olympics and didn’t regret skipping the Rio Games due to Zika concerns. Day said he’s looking forward to hopefully qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Games. “I didn’t really watch much of the Olympics at all to be honest,” Day said Wednesday. “I think I watched Usain Bolt win, and I watched one swimming, which was a four-by relay or whatever it was. I can’t remember what it was. That’s how much I know about the Olympics.” MORE: McIlroy: I gave ‘PC answer’ on Olympic golf for 7 years Congrats to @JustinRose99 @henrikstenson and Kuch! Great finish and great fnl rd by Kuch for #TeamUSA. Will be a goal to represent 🇺🇸 in2020 — Jordan Spieth (@JordanSpieth) August 14, 2016	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2054
__label__wiki	0.627235	0.627235	GLEN BRUNSWICK TALKS COLLECTING - COMIC ART LIVE EPISODES - VIDEO ON YOUTUBE! ComicArtFans.com Owner Bill Cox gets together with Glen Brunswick from PanelPageArt.com, Mike Burkey, and Will Gabri-EL to talk comic art, collecting and much more... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrAL8W-6_ZE&t=22s Join CAF's Owner Bill Cox while he chats with 3 gents who have a decades more experience in the hobby than he does - Glen Brunswick from PanelPageArt.com, Mike Burkey from Romitaman.com and Will Gabri-El from the soon-to-be-updated ComicArtPage.com. Not only will you probably learn something new about the hobby but you'll also discover that haircuts are optional! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDJW3G0jjwU&t=3010s This evening ComicArtFans.com Owner Bill Cox gets together with Glen Brunswick from PanelPageArt.com, Mike Burkey from Romitaman.com, and Will Gabri-EL from ComicArtPage.com to talk about the upcoming with Comic Art LIVE show this weekend, and also reminisce about the hobby. Comic Art LIVE is a virtual Comic Art Convention hosted on ComicArtFans.com this weekend, May 30-31, and opens to the public at NOON EST. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44TDLkuZV28 This evening ComicArtFans.com Owner Bill Cox gets together with Glen Brunswick from PanelPageArt.com, Mike Burkey from Romitaman.com, and Will Gabri-EL from ComicArtPage.com to recap the Comic Art LIVE virtual comic art convention. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opDjJm65-fs Tonight Bill, Mike, Glen and Will, will be joined by an as yet unknown guest (Will G knows, but he's not telling) who will give us the details on a true original comic art tragedy from many years ago. We'll also be doing our usual Q&A with viewers in the stream, so we hope you tune in for another episode of Comic Art LIVE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEoidD4r_D4 As fate would have it we've found out a few days ago that a Dealer we've spoken about in prior episodes is visiting with Mike Burkey tonight and they've agreed to chat with us on our live stream this evening! No names this time around again like our last mystery guest, but we promise it's going to be an interesting show! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irpq2Bne30Q Tonight we have the pleasure of chatting with long time original comic art collector Frank Giella. You can view Frank's incredible collection on CAF (https://bit.ly/2Vx59De). Frank's father is the legendary comic artist Joe Giella and he has many of Joe's artworks in his collection (https://bit.ly/31wEiLE). Join us tonight at 9PM EST! Music on the Joe Sinnott video: https://www.bensound.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNXZOutW6wE This week you can expect our usual musings on the hobby along with our thoughts on last week's Heritage Auctions' Comic & Comic Art Signature Auction results. This evening Bill, Mike, Glen and Will chat with comic artist and restorer James Pascoe about his past work in comics for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Valiant, among others.. James is available for hire to replace missing logos and lettering on comic book and comic strip art and to do cover re-creations and commissions. Please contact him with any questions or for a price quote. (CAF Gallery: https://www.comicartfans.com/galleryd...) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRAJZ6-JT7s Patrick Kochanek MD, is long time collector of comics and comic art who has focused on Frank Frazetta artworks for many years. Pat was also part of the group that graded and authenticated the first Sothebys comic and comic art auction in 1991 along with Jerry Weist, Ernie Gerber, John Venzyl, Gary Carter, and several others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlL-9sT0Z_E Comic Art Collector Paul Aguila has been collecting for 8 years, going through an accelerated learning curve when it’s comes to the hobby like many new collectors do. He can recall being scared to pull trigger on a $300 piece and now he's starting to look at much higher ticket items. In his short time as an original comic art collector he's had over 2,000 pieces in his possession. Tonight we'll learn how he got started collecting comic art, and because of his varied tastes in artists and time periods, what gets him to pull the trigger on a purchase. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JUPdaCGGjE Join Bill Cox, Mike Burkey, Glen Brunswick and Will Gabri-El this evening at 9PM EST while we chat with Collector and Comic Art Rep Dave Wilkins. Dave has been a fan of the green giant for many years and has run a blog since 2012 about all things HULK (https://thejadegiant.wordpress.com/). Dave took the plunge a little over a year ago to represent artist Joe Bennett and his Immortal Hulk original art sales at http://www.jadegiantcomicart.com , so he'll have a unique perspective on the original comic art scene. We'll also show off some of pretty incredible HULK covers (pun intended!) in the collection of one of our Panelists! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdjx1ks6cw4 George Hagenauer has collected comics and comic art for more than 50 years, and owns more than 2,500 pieces of original comic art, much of it posted to his CAF Gallery (https://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryD...) which he started back in 2005. George has always been a comic fan and collector and in 1976 he was part of the team that started the Chicago Comicon until it was bought by Wizard World, and he is also a member of the CFA-APA (Comic and Fantasy Art Collectors Amateur Press Association). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHyvovRP6rM This week you can expect our usual musings on the hobby along with our thoughts on last week's Heritage Auctions' Comic & Comic Art Signature Auction results. Spectacular results came in for works by artists such as Frank Frazetta, Lee Elias, Jack Kirby, Alex Raymond, John Buscema, John Romita Sr., Will Eisner and many others. When the auction came to an end, the total prize realized was as awesome as the assortment presented: $9,509,226, with almost $4.5 million of that coming from the sale of original comic art and illustrations!	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2055
__label__wiki	0.714157	0.714157	Cora Currier/ June 28, 2017 Yuri Herrera Rejects the Clichés of the Drug War American audiences have come to expect "narcolit" from Mexican authors. Courtesy of And Other Stories The hero of Kingdom Cons, a newly translated novel by the Mexican author Yuri Herrera, is a singer named Lobo. A street kid left by his parents with just his wit and his accordion, he earns change singing “corridos,” folk ballads, in cantinas in the seedier quarters of an unnamed desert city. For Lobo, “life had been a counting off of days and dust and sun,” until one day he sings a corrido for a big shot dealer known as the King; the song wins Lobo the King’s favor and he moves into his gaudy palace, securing a place among the characters of the King’s Court and gaining the name The Artist. (Like the city, the era is contemporary but unspecified, and Herrera’s proper nouns for names give it a folkloric cast.) He gains the ear and trust of many of the courtiers and begins to learn the palace secrets and intrigues. Soon enough, he falls for an off-limits woman and finds himself in the center of a power play, as rivals vie to be the King’s successor. KINGDOM CONS by Yuri Herrera And Other Stories, 112 pp., $13.95 Corridos are an old Mexican tradition, narrative ballads of border crossings and other travails. In more recent decades, corridos attracted the prefix “narco,” as a subgenre sprang up celebrating the exploits of drug traffickers as gangster anti-heroes. Narcocorridos popularity, followed by TV soaps known as narconovelas and higher-brow companions in narcoliteratura, are the cultural reflection of the drug war’s unavoidable presence in modern Mexico. American audiences have come to expect dark violence when it comes to Mexico, from some of Mexico’s most famous literary exports (Juan Rulfo’s dark short stories, Roberto Bolaño’s 2666) to the exoticizing fixations of twentieth-century expats (D.H. Lawrence and Malcolm Lowry), not to mention film thrillers like Sicario. More recently, the drug war has produced its own boom of novels about drug trafficking from within Mexico and the United States, most notably, Don Winslow’s blockbuster The Cartel. Jorge Volpi, writing in The Nation a few years ago, described the narconovel as a “new strain of Latin American exoticism…displacing magic realism as the region’s characteristic genre.” In these books, he wrote, Mexico appears “a violent uncontrollable and fantastic world in contrast to the West.” Even before the current president vowed to build a wall on the border and talked about “bad hombres,” Americans tended to think of violence as the essence of Mexico, even if they look at it directly only occasionally, and mainly for entertainment. Herrera’s novels, however, while using elements of the tradition, buckle against the narco label. Before he writes a book, Herrera said in a recent interview, he makes lists of words he is not going to use, a practice he developed “to avoid clichés, to not repeat certain predigested concepts in place of problems or emotions that are much more complex than those concepts.” In Kingdom Cons, this list includes the words “Mexico,” “United States,” “border,” “drugs,” and “narco trafficking,” even though the novel tracks a story of warring dealers in a border town. The resulting novel has the quality of a fable, in which the banished words are barely submerged. Their replacement by symbols, allusions, or close cognates (“King” instead of “kingpin,” “Lord” instead of “druglord,” etc.) makes the political reality underlying the novels both more distant and more disquieting. To read Herrera is to be immersed, almost involuntarily, in the uncanny. Recognizable details can’t quite be placed. The familiarity is as unsettling as the strangeness, like riding public transit in a city you don’t know. Certain images recall tabloid drug war coverage—a gruesome killing, a mutilated body on display, a zoo full of exotic birds and pets—but they are evoked with an eerie restraint, as when The Artist stumbles on another court character in a disturbing tableau: The Artist wished that the man was not carrying a knife, not because he thought the Jeweler might hurt him but because he held it as tho it were all he had left. The Artist sensed that if he attempted to help, he’d end up in the same state. He stepped cautiously to the side to pass the knife-wielding ghost of a man and went out to the grounds…. Tho he almost tripped over the body, he hardly registered the lifeless peacock, its throat slit, as he left. Of the three novels Herrera has written in Spanish, Kingdom Cons is actually the first—it was published in 2004—though it is the last to be translated. Last year’s The Transmigration of Bodies is about a negotiator brokering a truce between feuding clans during a mysterious epidemic. Herrera has said he wrote it after the outbreak of swine flu, and it also clearly treats the kidnappings, disappearances and murders too common in contemporary Mexico. Signs Preceding the End of the World, which came out in 2015, is a tale of border crossing that takes on mythic proportions, narrated by a switchboard operator. Together they form a kind of loose trilogy, each dealing with settings that resemble an aspect of Mexico’s underworld. Herrera’s main characters narrate with alluring and often humorous lingo—one character shrugs with “hands held high in a Didn’t See A Thing,” while a priest funds “churches to get the poor hooked on heaven”—and insight that comes from their positions as professional communicators of various types. Kingdom Cons opens with the words “he knew blood.” The Artist knows it from violence, and also from his special gift for sensing gradations in class, power and the more elusive, mystical qualities of character; he senses not just what to sing but to whom he should sing it. Initially The Artist is pleased with himself and his proximity to the king. He gets swept up in passages that spit the violent logic of the Court, saying of the dead enemy that, “they should be stuck on the spikes of our sun, drowned in the ruction of our nights, have our songs inserted under their fingernails.” He convinces himself that in life, “sooner or later, you cause pain, and it was better to decide up front who you cause it to, like the King…so what if the man moved poison when they asked for it on the other side?” Lisa Dillman, Herrera’s English translator, has written about the challenge of replicating Herrera’s inverted syntax and stacked vocabulary, his invented insults and nicknames and distorted slang, his way of playing on the Arabic roots of Spanish words, all in service of a precise kind of strangeness. But she has made the English trip along admirably with rhythm and its own idiom. The Artist’s descriptions sing; an exotic accent is “yesses like shesshes, words with no esses,” and a rival lord is a “lightskinned cat lacking grace but sporting tux.” He explores “like a cat in a new house,” while he notes the power in the King’s walk, “And the cadence, such unflustered steps. The soles of his feet placed carefully on the ground the whole way.” Herrera’s characters inhabit political borders, class boundaries, bilingual corridors. They translate, they negotiate, they sing. As the book progresses The Artist starts to understand that his way with words is more than just a livelihood. One passage describes The Artist learning to read, a synesthetic experience, with letters, “signal scratching at the wasted white of the paper, at his eyes.” He struggles to bring them to order, asking, “what was each sheet if not a working tool, like a saw for someone who builds tables, a gat for someone who takes lives?” But the letters persist, and the logic of the passage breaks down, repeating that the letters, the words, “are a constant light,” something more than a tool or an amusement, but rather “a lantern that searches, then stops, and caresses the earth, and they show him the way to make the most of the service that is his to render.” It’s not long before The Artist grasps he has “the power of an order different from that of the court, the skill with which he detached words from things and created his own sovereign texture and volume.” Sent to spy at a party for a rival kingpin, he suddenly realizes that “it was all the same. He could feel the fiesta dribbling by him at the rate of routine. The only odd one there was him, who was seeing it all from the outside.” He goes next to an ordinary cantina, and listens to another singer extoll “the fortunes and tragedies of the average jack.” The King’s power over him evaporates; he becomes “a single drop in the sea of men with stories.” How do Herrera’s protagonists get the magical ability to see through power and violence and therefore survive it? They get in close, but they always make it out intact. At one point, another member of the Court, a corrupted journalist, tells The Artist, “if one day you have to choose between your passion and your obligation, Artist, then you are truly fucked.” There’s no real sense that he might choose wrong; the question is how he’ll wriggle out of the situation without being compromised, not if he will. Herrera’s characters aren’t good guys so much as they are people who are not quite of the world that seeks to harm them. Their detachment protects them and lets them serve as guides. Herrera has described the special insight of his characters as coming from what he calls fronterizo, or the border condition. They inhabit political borders, class boundaries, bilingual corridors—places characterized by “the exchange of goods and symbolic values, the creation of new identities, of new linguistic forms, of new political practices.” They translate, they negotiate, they sing. They can see because they are always on the outside of something. Language is central. Framing the world is essential to navigating it. Such a power with words can be put to good or evil, and Herrera’s characters instinctively turn to the good. At one point in Kingdom Cons The Artist boasts, “If you’re just saying what happened, why bother with a song? Corridos aren’t only true; they’re also beautiful and just.” He may come to realize how his corridos can be used to other ends, but Herrera’s novels stay beautiful and just. Cora Currier is a staff reporter with The Intercept. She has also written for Bookforum, The Millions, The New Inquiry, and The New Yorkeronline. Books, Culture, Drug War, Mexico, Mexican Literature, Narcoliteratura	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2056
__label__wiki	0.910885	0.910885	UK considers Regulated Asset Base model to finance new nuclear The UK has opened for consultation its assessment of a new financing model aimed at reducing the cost of new nuclear power plant projects by having consumers pay upfront through their energy bills. A solution is needed urgently because nuclear energy is seen as a vital part of the government's commitment to cutting the country's carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. Seven of the UK’s eight existing nuclear plants are set to be retired by 2030. How the proposed Sizewell C plant could appear (Image: EDF Energy) The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) announced in June 2018 that the government would review the viability of a Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model for new nuclear projects and committed in January this year to publishing an assessment of this model by the summer. The consultation states that, as the cost of renewable technologies continues to fall, they are likely to provide the majority of the country's low-carbon generating capacity in 2050. It adds however there will still be a crucial role for low-carbon 'firm' - always available - power in 2050. Launching the consultation yesterday, BEIS said: "Our assessment has concluded that, by providing regulated returns to investors, a RAB model has the potential to reduce the cost of raising private finance for new nuclear projects, thereby reducing consumer bills and maximising value for money for consumers and taxpayers." The consultation is open until 14 October. The RAB model would not apply to Hinkley Point C (HPC), which is currently under construction by EDF Energy in Somerset, England, but would apply to future projects. As many as five more new-build projects had been planned - by EDF Energy together with China General Nuclear (CGN); NuGeneration (NuGen); and Horizon Nuclear Power. French-owned EDF Energy is building two European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) at Hinkley with CGN owning a 33.5% stake in the project. They also plan to build new plants at Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell in Essex, the latter using Chinese reactor technology. This design, the UK HPR1000, is undergoing the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process with the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency. But in November last year, Toshiba Corp announced it was scrapping its nuclear new-build project in the UK and would wind up its subsidiary managing the project, NuGen. The aim had been to build a nuclear power plant of up to 3.8 GWe gross capacity using AP1000 nuclear reactor technology provided by Westinghouse. The reactor design completed the GDA process in March 2017, the same month that Toshiba-owned Westinghouse filed for Chapter 11 protection with US courts. Then, early this year, Horizon's new-build projects were suspended even though the UK subsidiary of Japan’s Hitachi had made substantial progress with its plans to provide at least 5.4 GWe of new capacity across two sites - Wylfa Newydd, in north Wales, and Oldbury-on-Severn, in southwest England - by deploying Hitachi-GE UK advanced boiling water reactors. The UK ABWR design successfully completed the GDA process in December 2017. Informing Parliament of Hitachi's decision, Greg Clark, secretary of state for BEIS, said the company had "made clear that while it is suspending project development at this stage, it wishes to continue discussions with the government on bringing forward new nuclear projects at both Wylfa and Oldbury and it intends to work closely with the company in the weeks and months ahead”. He added that his department was considering a new funding model for nuclear. BEIS has said that the RAB model could go some way to addressing some of the difficulties experienced in funding nuclear new-build projects, where there is a long lag on return on investment throughout the construction period and before the units are operational. A RAB model would allow investors to start making a pre-determined return as they invested, but any new policy would require primary legislation and the whole process of developing and then enacting a new policy would likely take a minimum of 18 months. HPC is being financed by EDF and CGN, with a contract-for-difference (CfD) already agreed with the UK government to provide long-term price stability for the generator once the plant begins generating (but leaving construction and operating risk with the investors). The consultation published yesterday notes that the CfD model had been "appropriate in this instance" as HPC was the first new nuclear project to begin construction in the UK for a generation. "At the point the decision was taken to enter into the CfD contract, the EPR technology was not operational anywhere in the world, and similar projects in France and Finland had suffered from significant delays and cost overruns," the introduction to the consultation document reads. "It was therefore right that all construction and operational risk should sit with the project investor." "The context will, however, be different for future new nuclear projects. HPC is now under construction, providing employment opportunities and helping to rebuild the supply chain for new nuclear projects across the UK, providing valuable knowledge and skills. Furthermore, on 24 June this year HPC reached a significant construction milestone with the completion on schedule of the concrete base for the reactor buildings, helping to build confidence in the delivery of further new nuclear projects in the UK. The EPR technology has now started commercial operations in China, and other technologies that have been proposed for deployment in the UK are either already operational elsewhere or are expected to be operational before they would be deployed in the UK." Despite the progress at HPC, the challenges facing the global nuclear industry have meant that replicating a CfD model for further new nuclear projects has proved "very challenging", it said. "Few project developers have a balance sheet that can accommodate the GBP15-20 billion cost of delivering a new nuclear project, and financial investors have been unwilling to invest during the construction phase given the long construction period and risk of cost increases and delays. We are therefore looking to work with the sector to develop an alternative funding model for new nuclear projects that can attract private finance at a cost that represents value for money to consumers and are considering its wider applicability to other firm low-carbon technologies." Welcome news In response to the consultation yesterday, EDF Energy said: “Alongside a big expansion of renewables, reliable nuclear power is needed to help us switch from polluting fossil fuels and reach net-zero emissions. Nuclear’s proven technology reduces the difficulties and cost of trying to decarbonise the electricity supply we all use and depend on. Lower costs for financing nuclear will benefit consumers through their bills and [the] consultation shows a way this can happen at Sizewell C in Suffolk." As a "near replica" of HPC, the company said that Sizewell C will be cheaper to construct and finance. "It will benefit from the experience of Hinkley Point C's engineers, contractors and suppliers and lessons from other nuclear projects, including operational EPR plants. It can also repeat the huge boost for industry, jobs and skills already happening due to Hinkley Point C's construction, which is on schedule," it said. Horizon said today: "Nuclear power will be crucial for the UK as it looks to meet its net-zero commitments and we warmly welcome this announcement, which could help bring forward vital new nuclear build and the clean, secure energy it will deliver. As we said when we announced the suspension of our projects, a new funding and financing model is one of the essential steps if we are to potentially restart our development activities. We will now look in detail at what the government has set out and continue our engagement with them on this issue." Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the UK Nuclear Industry Association, said the RAB model “promises to make a substantial contribution" to reducing the cost of building the new nuclear capacity the country needs if it is to meet its climate change targets. "This approach is already well established with investors in large infrastructure projects, and will reduce the cost to consumers as we replace our ageing fleet. Doing so is fundamental to meeting net zero, and we need to get on with it now," Greatrex said. Ministerial changes Boris Johnson, the former foreign secretary and before that the mayor of London, today won the Conservative Party leadership contest and will become the UK's new prime minister tomorrow. Johnson has said he will deliver Brexit - the country's exit from the European Union and consequently the Euratom Treaty - by 31 October. Johnson replaces Theresa May, whose Withdrawal Agreement with Brussels was rejected three times by Parliament, leading to her resignation as prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party on 7 June. Johnson has in the past supported nuclear power projects but has also criticised their high costs, according to the Financial Times. Several ministers resigned in expectation of Johnson's victory in the ballot by Conservative Party members - he beat the other candidate, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, by 92,153 votes to 46,656. Clark is also expected to leave his post this week, joining Chancellor Philip Hammond and about 30 other Tory MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit on the backbenches in the House of Commons. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Office for Nuclear Regulation Conservative Party (UK) Date: Tuesday, 23 July 2019 Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/UK-considers-Regulated-Asset-Base-model-to-finance System costs prove need for nuclear in clean power mix Hitachi withdraws from UK new-build project UK’s new premier promises boost for nuclear power UK nuclear industry faces prospect of Euratom exit Costs and financing key to Europe's nuclear future Horizon to cease activities on UK nuclear projects The most experienced newcomer to nuclear power UK's post-Brexit nuclear plans face scrutiny Achieving 1000 GWe of new capacity by 2050	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2059
__label__wiki	0.926217	0.926217	Queensland moves closer to a fairer justice system Published April 29, 2008 AuthorContributed The Queensland Government has put together a working party to consider possible solutions to correcting wrongful convictions in the State, following consultation between State Attorney General Mr Kerry Shine and members of the Griffith University Innocence Project. The group which includes high ranking members of the Attorney General’s office, the Health Department and the office of the Commissioner of Police will make recommendations to consider retention, testing and access to DNA product and the secondary appeal process. The Attorney General, who referred convicted child killer Graham Stafford’s second petition for pardon to the Court of Appeal last week, established the group after calls by the Innocence Project for an overhaul of policies and procedures for DNA evidence in this state. Innocence Project co-founder and prominent defence lawyer Chris Nyst said DNA could play an important role in the justice process. “It’s clear from international studies and developments DNA evidence can be a most valuable tool in exposing and correcting wrongful convictions,” Mr Nyst said. “Already 215 exonerations have occurred in the United States through DNA innocence testing. “However, there needs to be checks and balances put in place to ensure use of DNA in criminal proceedings in this State is transparent and that DNA innocence testing is available in cases where it can demonstrate a wrongful conviction.” The decision by the State Government to consider implementing policies and procedures for the post-conviction review of DNA-based wrongful conviction cases could make Queensland the leading State in Australia in relation to the use of DNA evidence, Mr Nyst said. Innocence Project Director Lynne Weathered said the working party was a positive step in improving Australia’s justice system. “To date Australia has been lagging behind the rest of the western world in relation to this issue but the establishment of the working party shows a mature and appropriate response by the Attorney General,” Ms Weathered said. “There is no reason to deny DNA innocence testing that could show a wrongful conviction. “No one wins by having the wrong person in prison.” Categories News articlesTagged Alumni, Griffith, home, International, Law and Criminology, Staff, Students, Visitors	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2060
__label__wiki	0.89967	0.89967	Explore Hackney Town Hall with free public tours Hackney Town Hall Vaults Cllr Potter opens Town Hall Vaults A town hall is more than just a building: it represents both local government and the community, and provides a public space where the two can meet. Now an illuminating display in Hackney Town Hall’s newly refurbished vaults will shed light on the building’s origins and proud history. To celebrate London History Day on 31 May the vaults will be opened to the public for the first time, as part of the Town Hall tours, which will now take place on a regular, twice monthly basis. Opened in 1937, to great fanfare, then mayor of Hackney, Herbert Butler, called Hackney Town Hall a ‘great dignified centre of public life’. It was designed by architects Lanchester & Lodge, who also designed the Grade II-listed Parkinson Building in Leeds, and won a competition for the honour. In keeping with the beautiful Art Deco architecture, most of the furniture and fittings in Hackney Town Hall were specifically designed for this new, modern civic hub. Original plans show the spaces allocated for local government functions like paying rates, now known as Council Tax. Important life events – such as registering a birth or a marriage – have always been marked by a visit to the town hall. Although the registrars are now based in Hackney Service Centre, people can still get married in the Town Hall. To celebrate its recent refurbishment, and in keeping with the ideals of the original builders, a new permanent display has been created in the Town Hall Vaults. It highlights the separate aspects of the building, both physically and symbolically. The three rooms focus on the building itself, its representation as the symbolic centre of civic pride, and its function as a home of local democracy. Items that were found during the extensive 12-year restoration are included in the display. Many of the original features had not been touched throughout the Town Hall’s history, and 1930s era technology remained untouched for decades. For example, a central vacuum system, which is built into the walls. The Town Hall was designed as a place for people to be proud of. That pride is also symbolised in the regalia worn by the mayors of Shoreditch and Stoke Newington, which only became part of the London Borough of Hackney in 1965. The public can admire the chains of office and maces in all their early 20th century glory. The old Hackney chain and mace have been updated with a new coat of arms, and are still in use today by The Speaker of Hackney. Part of the exhibition is dedicated to the work of the Council and the ways in which residents are able to influence its policies. Designed to be used by schools, pupils will be able to learn more about voting in local elections and other ways in which their voices can be heard, such as campaigning or signing petitions. Morningside School Council got a sneak peak behind the scenes before the opening, Ebenezer Zelalem, year 5 school councillor said his favourite room was were all the debates happen, in the council chamber, he said: “I would like to be the Mayor of Hackney one day, I would say other children should come and visit as you can see a lot and learn more about what they do at the Council.” It is important that the citizens of Hackney have a sense of civic ownership and can explore their town hall, the heart of civic life in the borough, to find out more about its history and what actually happens in its four walls. The tours and new history exhibition really brings to life local democracy and activism; and explains how residents have always played a key role in shaping this building and the borough's politics. I hope it will inspire renewed engagement as it explains how people can get involved, and the different ways to make a positive contribution to the borough. I welcome all residents to come along and discover more about the building which continues to serve Hackney eighty-one years after it first opened. Members of the public can visit Hackney Town Hall’s newly refurbished vaults by booking a place on a free guided tour of the building. For more info on dates and to make a booking visit: www.hackney.gov.uk/speaker; or call: 020 8356 3591. Special tours for school groups are also available.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0023.json.gz/line2061

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