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William Grant Still: The Dean of African American Composers
Posted by Kim Smallwood on Feb 25, 2019 8:32:00 AM
To finish off our Black History Month celebration, we want to honor William Grant Still, the first African American composer to have an opera produced by the New York City Opera, performed on national television, and the first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra. His outlook on music was rooted in the idea of inclusion and positivity, and he believed that music “should lift up people of all countries, colors, and races”. He was often referred to as “The Dean” of African American composers because of his influence on the composers of color that followed in his footsteps.
William Grant Still was born in Mississippi in 1895. His curiosity about music was nurtured by his stepfather, who would buy him recordings of classical music and take him to operettas as a child. Despite his interest in music at a young age, he didn’t start violin lessons until he was 15 years old. He taught himself to play several different instruments, including clarinet, saxophone, oboe, bass, cello, and viola.
After graduating high school, Still went to Wilberforce University to study medicine at his mother’s urging, but his studies didn’t keep him from continuing to learn various instruments, conducting the university band, and beginning to study composition and orchestration on his own. He ended up leaving Wilberforce before graduating and was awarded a scholarship to Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he began to study composition. He wrote a few original orchestral compositions in the mid-1920s, including “Darker America” and “From the Black Belt”, but also spend this time arranging and recording music with jazz and blues musicians W.C. Handy and Fletcher Henderson.
It’s no wonder Still earned the title of “Dean” of African American composers, as he reached many barrier-breaking landmarks in his career. In 1931, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra gave the debut performance of Still’s “Afro-American Symphony”. This marked the first time an African American’s symphony was premiered by a leading American symphony. He began conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 1936, making him the first African American to conduct a major American orchestra. Two decades later, he achieved another first by conducted the New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra, becoming the first African American to conduct a major orchestra in the south. Still also attained success with his operas, being the first African American to have his opera produced by a well-known opera company, as we as performed on national television.
William Grant Still’s accomplishments paved the way for many of artists that came out of the Harlem Renaissance. His compositions have since been performed around the world, from London to Tokyo. With how expertly he infused classical forms with rhythm and blues, his eclectic compositional style is still celebrated today. Still passed away at age 83 after a long, successful career as a recording artist, composer, and conductor.
Read the other blogs in our Black History Month Series!
Make sure to subscribe to our blog and follow us on social media where we'll continue to commemorate these notable black composers and musicians through the month of February!
Topics: 20th Century Composers, Composers, Music By Black Composers, #BlackIsClassical, Black History Month
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<< Back to In the News
Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship Returns to Victoria, BC
Limited time pre-sale tickets available for the PGA TOUR Champions event hosted at Bear Mountain
VICTORIA, B.C. (December 13, 2016) – PGA TOUR Champions and Pacific Links International announced today that the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship will return to Victoria, British Columbia in 2017. The event will once again be played at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa the week of Monday, September 11th – Sunday, September 17th, 2017.
The 2016 event was a great success, with 81 of the top PGA TOUR Champions players competing for one of the season’s highest purses of US $2.5 million. The tournament saw more than 27,000 spectators come out to watch the largest event held on Vancouver Island, as well as the support from over 600 volunteers from the community that made the event possible. All three competitive rounds of tournament play were broadcast live by the Golf Channel to more than 200 million homes in 84 countries around the world.
World Golf Hall of Famer Colin Montgomerie (nicknamed “Monty” by fans) was victorious at the inaugural event after beating Scott McCarron in a three-hole playoff. Montgomerie closed the day at 4-under 67 to hold off McCarron; both players were at 15-under for the tournament going into the playoff. On the third sudden-death hole, the Scotsman made a 15-foot birdie putt to win the 2016 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship as well as his 50th career victory in front of crowds chanting “Monty, Monty”.
“I am delighted that the Pacific Links Championship is returning to Bear Mountain in September next year,” Montgomerie remarked. “I was thrilled to win the tournament this year, it was my first 54 hole victory on the Champions Tour and my 50th professional tournament win. The setting is superb, a fantastic course and the people of Victoria made us all so welcome. I am very much looking forward to returning to defend my title in 2017.”
Rudy Anderson, President of Pacific Links International commented: “Pacific Links is pleased to be returning to the incredible Bear Mountain Golf Resort and looks forward to watching Colin Montgomerie defend his title amongst a world class field. Western Canada is a prime travel destination and we proudly showcase Bear Mountain Resort and spectacular British Columbia by bringing this special event once again to Vancouver Island.”
Further highlights from the 2016 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship include PGA TOUR Champions player Miguel Angel Jimenez exciting crowds at the event with his unique personality and by shooting the course record with a 61 to tie for third overall at 13-under.
Top PGA TOUR Champions talent at the event included Montgomerie, who finished 2nd on the 2016 Charles Schwab Cup standings, behind fellow Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship competitor, Bernhard Langer, who finished T7 for the week and recently took home his second consecutive Charles Schwab Cup trophy. The field also comprised of Fred Funk, Jay Haas, Mark O’Meara, Lee Janzen, Vijay Singh, Mark Calcavecchia, Paul Goydos, Craig Stadler and many more amazing golfers.
Not only was the event an opportunity to watch legends of PGA TOUR Champions compete, but it also acted as a platform to raise funds for the event’s official charity partner, bring golf fans together from across Canada, and provide an opportunity for youth in the community to be introduced to the sport.
“Securing the 2017 PGA Tour Champions event at Bear Mountain with Pacific Links was very important to the principals of Ecoasis and our entire team,” stated Dan Matthews, President and CEO of Ecoasis. “The accolades received from the players and spectators this past September are truly a credit to be shared with the entire Bear Mountain community. We are excited to have the opportunity once again to showcase Victoria and our region to both a local and global audience and we will do everything we can to make next year’s event one of the highlights of the tour for both players and fans.”
The 2017 tournament week will commence with Official Pro-Am’s on Wednesday and Thursday, where participating teams will play alongside a PGA TOUR Champions professional over 18 holes of premiere golf. Competitive action will follow with 54 holes of championship play from Friday to Sunday, with no cut.
Tickets will be available for a limited pre-sale period from December 13 to 31, 2016 that includes a 15% discount with the code: TEESTHESEASON
Tickets can be purchased at http://www.selectyourtickets.com/promo , where fans can choose from the following options (prices shown below are before discount):
Weekly Pass – Wednesday through Sunday: $99 (includes free parking & Official Program)
Daily Pass – Friday, Saturday or Sunday: $40
Pro-Am Daily Pass – Wednesday or Thursday: $25
Champions Club Pass – Wednesday through Sunday: $200 (includes free parking & Official Program)
2017 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship Event Schedule
Monday, Sept 11th
Charity Classic
PGA TOUR Champions Player Practice Rounds
Tuesday, Sept 12th
Pro-Am Draw Party at The Westin Bear Mountain Resort
Wednesday, Sept 13th
Official Pro-Am #1
Thursday, Sept 14th
Friday, Sept 15th
Championship Round 1
Saturday, Sept 16th
Junior Clinic
Sunday, Sept 17th
Trophy Presentation
Volunteer Appreciation Party
For information on corporate hospitality or group packages for the 2017 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship, please contact McKenzie Clarke at mclarke@sportboxgroup.com or (647) 468-3500.
About Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship
The Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship is an official event on PGA Champions TOUR featuring the world’s premier golfers aged 50 and older competing for a US$ 2.5 million purse. Tournament play at the Pacific Links Championship will be held on the Jack and Steve Nicklaus Co-Design Mountain Course at Bear Mountain Golf Resort, Victoria, British Columbia, from September 19-25, 2016. All three competitive rounds will be broadcast live by Golf Channel to more than 200 million homes in 84 countries and 11 languages around the world. For more information on the Pacific Links Championship or PGA TOUR Champions, please visit www.PGATOUR.com/Champions
Website: PacificLinksChampionship.com
Twitter: @PacificLinksVIC
Instagram:@pacificlinksvic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pacificlinkschampionship/
About Pacific Links International
Pacific Links was founded in 2009 to provide members with a premium golf experience through an innovative international membership structure focused on the Chinese golfer. Pacific Links offers them access to the finest collection of high quality golf clubs in the world. Since 2012, the Pacific Links Network of Affiliated and Reciprocal clubs now stands at over 500 properties located in 20+ countries around the world. With a strong membership base continuing to grow in China, the planned expansion into other parts of Asia and the aggregated population of members from all the participating clubs, Pacific Links is now expanding the brand platform to encompass more than just golf. We are positioning Pacific Links International to be the preeminent Lifestyle portal for China’s HNW customer providing high demand travel itineraries inspired by golf but encompassing concierge services, flights, accommodations, local tourism experience and travel butler assistance. The main feature of a Pacific Links membership is reciprocal access. In the next 10-15 years, PLI will further expand its international affiliate network to over 1,000 clubs in North America, Europe, Australia, Japan and the entire Southeast Asia. www.pacificlinks.com
About Bear Mountain Golf Resort
Located on southern Vancouver Island – a region known for its year round golf climate, stellar fishing opportunities and strong local food movement – Bear Mountain Resort offers two outstanding golf courses that combined represent the only 36-hole Nicklaus Design golf experience in Canada. The Mountain Course, a Jack and Steve Nicklaus Co-Design, features impressive landscape and dramatic terrain that lead to breathtaking 180 degree views of nearby Victoria, the Pacific Ocean and the Olympic Mountains of Washington State. The course, a par 70 playing at 6,900 yards, sets atop a 1,100-foot mountain and has been assigned a slope rating of 142 from the back tees. The 18-hole, par 71 Nicklaus Design Valley Course, a spectacular golf setting that is nestled in a pristine natural 102 acres of mature forests, measures just under 7,000 yards. Surrounded by 3,000 acres of parks and hiking trails, Bear Mountain is one of the few golf courses in North America that offers an authentic natural setting so close to a capital city. More than a resort and an incredible community, Bear Mountain is also home to Golf Canada’s National Development team, the high performance training centre of Canada’s National Mountain Bike team, and the construction of western Canada’s largest indoor/outdoor clay court tennis facility supported by Tennis Canada and Tennis BC is underway. The newly renovated Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa rounds out the amenities offering guests a luxurious getaway with outstanding fine dining options, the award-winning Sante Spa, and the Bear Mountain Golf Academy. http://bearmountain.ca
About PGA TOUR Champions
PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of golfers age 50 and older, with the most recognizable and accomplished players in the game – including 34 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame, which compete regularly in its events. PGA TOUR Champions is where Legends play, and is home to The Ultimate Clubhouse. Conceived in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour, it started with just four events and purses totaling $475,000. The primary purpose of PGA TOUR Champions is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, protect the integrity of the game and generate significant charitable and economic impact in communities in which it plays. In 2016, the newly-introduced Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs will identify and recognize the Tour’s leading player via a season-long race for the Charles Schwab Cup. The Commissioner of the PGA TOUR is Tim Finchem. Greg McLaughlin is President of PGA TOUR Champions. The PGA TOUR’s website is pgatour.com, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Follow PGA TOUR Champions at facebook.com/PGATOURChampions and on Twitter @ChampionsTour
McKenzie Clarke
Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship
E: mclarke@sportboxgroup.com
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[{"name":"Pennsylvania","data":[2.6000000000000001,2.6000000000000001,2.7000000000000002,2.7000000000000002,2.7999999999999998,3,3,3.2000000000000002,3.7999999999999998,4.2000000000000002]},{"name":"Berks County","data":[6,5.7999999999999998,5.7999999999999998,5.9000000000000004,5.7000000000000002,5.7000000000000002,6.0999999999999996,6.7999999999999998,7.7999999999999998,8.6999999999999993]},{"name":"Reading School District","data":[19.699999999999999,18.699999999999999,18.699999999999999,18.899999999999999,18,17.800000000000001,19.300000000000001,21.5,24,26.800000000000001],"visible":false}]
English Language Learners Enrollment
Students who speak a language other than English and who are not yet English proficient, as a percentage of all students.
The proportion of English language learners in a school district can reflect the number of non-English speaking homes and backgrounds in the community. These students often require specialized or modified instruction and programmatic supports in school in order to access the educational opportunities available to other students.
In 2019, 9% of students in Berks County were English language learners, up from 6% in 2008. The number of English language learners increased 54% to 5,900 in 2019. Pennsylvania overall had English language learners make up 4% of its students in 2019. That reflects a 48% increase in the number since 2008.
Among local school districts, Reading had by far the highest proportion of English language learners at 27%, followed by Muhlenberg which had only 6%. Less than 1% of students were English language learners in six districts: Boyertown, Brandywine Heights Area, Conrad Weiser Area, Daniel Boone Area, Oley Valley and Schuylkill Valley. Berks' rate was higher than surrounding counties, which ranged from 1% to 8%.
Pennsylvania 2.6% 2.7% 2.6% 2.6% 2.7% 2.7% 2.8% 3.0% 3.0% 3.2% 3.8% 4.2%
Berks County 5.5% 6.2% 6.0% 5.8% 5.8% 5.9% 5.7% 5.7% 6.1% 6.8% 7.8% 8.7%
Chester County 3.2% 3.8% 3.1% 2.9% 2.9% 2.9% 3.0% 3.2% 3.3% 3.7% 4.1% 4.2%
Lancaster County 5.0% 5.2% 4.8% 4.9% 4.8% 4.6% 4.5% 4.5% 4.4% 4.6% 4.8% 5.4%
Lebanon County 4.4% 4.5% 4.4% 4.2% 4.3% 4.4% 4.2% 4.4% 4.3% 4.3% 4.8% 6.7%
Lehigh County 5.9% 6.0% 5.4% 5.1% 5.4% 5.0% 4.9% 5.3% 5.4% 6.1% 6.7% 7.7%
Montgomery County 2.4% 2.5% 2.4% 2.3% 2.5% 2.5% 2.7% 2.8% 3.0% 3.1% 3.3% 3.5%
Schuylkill County 0.7% 0.7% 0.6% 0.7% 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 1.1% 1.2% 1.4%
Antietam School District 2.5% 3.2% 3.1% 3.5% 2.2% 2.3% 3.2% 2.9% 2.4% 4.1% 3.7% 4.0%
Boyertown Area School District 0.2% 0.3% 0.2% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3%
Brandywine Heights Area School District 0.3% 0.3% 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.3% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6%
Conrad Weiser Area School District 1.6% 1.6% 1.2% 0.8% 1.3% 0.9% 1.3% 1.4% 0.7% 0.7% 0.9% 0.9%
Daniel Boone Area School District 0.5% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.5% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3%
Exeter Township School District 0.8% 0.9% 1.0% 0.9% 0.7% 0.8% 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 1.0% 1.3% 1.5%
Fleetwood Area School District 2.4% 2.0% 1.7% 1.3% 1.4% 1.5% 1.6% 1.9% 1.2% 1.0% 1.5% 1.7%
Governor Mifflin School District 1.4% 0.4% 1.2% 1.3% 1.6% 1.6% 1.2% 1.2% 1.3% 1.6% 2.3% 2.5%
Hamburg Area School District 0.4% 0.6% 0.7% 0.7% 0.5% 0.8% 0.5% 0.6% 0.5% 0.6% 0.9% 1.2%
Kutztown Area School District 0.2% 0.4% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.6% 0.6% 1.0% 1.0% 0.9% 1.4%
Muhlenberg School District 4.6% 5.3% 4.7% 4.5% 4.4% 4.3% 4.1% 4.7% 4.3% 4.6% 6.0% 6.5%
Oley Valley School District 0.5% 0.5% 0.4% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.9% 1.0% 0.8% 0.7% 0.8% 0.7%
Reading School District 17.5% 20.3% 19.7% 18.7% 18.7% 18.9% 18.0% 17.8% 19.3% 21.5% 24.0% 26.8%
Schuylkill Valley School District 1.2% 1.3% 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 0.5% 0.3% 0.3% 0.6% 0.5% 0.6% 0.6%
Tulpehocken Area School District 3.4% 3.9% 3.7% 3.9% 3.7% 4.0% 3.2% 2.8% 2.9% 2.4% 2.5% 2.2%
Twin Valley School District 0.5% 0.4% 0.6% 0.5% 0.4% 0.6% 0.5% 0.3% 0.3% 0.6% 0.6% 1.0%
Wilson School District 2.5% 3.1% 2.5% 1.6% 1.4% 1.6% 1.4% 1.6% 2.0% 2.2% 2.7% 2.7%
Wyomissing Area School District 3.0% 2.5% 1.7% 2.5% 2.0% 2.6% 2.8% 2.2% 1.9% 2.0% 2.6% 2.4%
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education
Number of English Language Learners
Pennsylvania 45,978 48,052 46,254 45,924 47,259 47,418 48,439 51,329 52,296 55,863 61,835 68,169
Berks County 3,840 4,354 4,196 4,067 4,071 4,065 3,905 3,898 4,152 4,602 5,267 5,908
Chester County 2,458 3,119 2,604 2,491 2,519 2,547 2,659 2,861 2,912 3,112 3,304 3,390
Lancaster County 3,468 3,581 3,293 3,320 3,282 3,129 3,025 2,998 2,979 3,096 3,233 3,611
Lebanon County 829 851 830 799 807 835 805 831 826 840 947 1,333
Lehigh County 3,180 3,200 2,892 2,730 2,717 2,541 2,466 2,698 2,791 3,167 3,485 4,111
Montgomery County 2,656 2,733 2,654 2,557 2,710 2,736 2,889 3,068 3,224 3,350 3,864 4,035
Schuylkill County 130 134 116 139 170 159 164 158 165 203 222 255
Antietam School District 27 34 33 37 23 24 33 31 25 44 42 46
Boyertown Area School District 15 19 16 19 15 14 16 16 16 20 18 20
Brandywine Heights Area School District 5 5 1 0 1 1 2 5 9 8 8 9
Conrad Weiser Area School District 48 47 36 24 37 24 35 38 20 19 23 23
Daniel Boone Area School District 19 10 10 13 8 18 11 11 7 10 10 10
Exeter Township School District 35 42 44 38 29 32 35 36 35 40 53 59
Fleetwood Area School District 66 55 45 35 37 41 43 50 31 24 38 42
Governor Mifflin School District 58 17 51 57 67 66 50 50 54 66 96 107
Hamburg Area School District 10 16 18 17 13 19 12 14 11 14 19 25
Kutztown Area School District 4 7 3 1 2 3 8 8 14 13 12 19
Muhlenberg School District 158 185 165 160 158 150 144 169 159 170 225 257
Oley Valley School District 9 10 7 6 6 4 15 17 13 12 14 12
Reading School District 3,062 3,622 3,521 3,400 3,372 3,344 3,153 3,075 3,360 3,764 4,256 4,799
Schuylkill Valley School District 25 25 19 18 17 10 6 5 12 10 12 12
Tulpehocken Area School District 55 62 58 60 56 59 47 39 41 35 36 31
Twin Valley School District 16 13 20 18 12 19 16 9 10 21 18 32
Wilson School District 57 70 57 36 31 36 30 36 43 49 61 61
Wyomissing Area School District 56 45 32 46 38 50 53 42 38 38 50 46
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The Edinburgh Review: Or Critical Journal, Том 225
be always consistent. But the spirit of liberty has always been with us both—more honoured in theory perhaps in Republican France, and in practice in monarchical Englandbut inevitably presenting itself to both nations as the authentic mainspring of their political and social activities.
To-day, when French and English soldiers fight side by side in the mightiest struggle for liberty that the world has ever seen, it has perhaps not been inopportune to recall, briefly and inadequately as we have been able to do it, an important stage in the formation of that fund of sentiment which is common to both nations. It would be idle as well as hopelessly pedantic to attempt to estimate the precise indebtedness of one nation to the other. French was the lingua franca of the Europe of the eighteenth century, and of that century Voltaire was the prophet. Without the aid of that illustrious and indefatigable colporteur English ideas would hardly have reached, would certainly not have conquered, in so short a time the European mind. The alliance of France with England, initiated after the close of the Middle Ages and their tiresome dynastic disputes by the most farsighted of British sovereigns to which we drew our readers'attention in the opening pages of this essay, was purely political and military in scope. It reflected no common ideal of life, no common principle of growth. Yet, purely the work of statesmen as it was, it saved the principle of small nationalities and broke the power of Spain. Since those faroff days Frenchmen and Englishmen have come to know each other, and are fighting with conscious agreement of purpose on those battlefields of Flanders on which the blood of their forbears has so often mingled. The spirit which the French Encyclopædists and the great Englishmen of the eighteenth century fought so successfully in the battles of the mind, the spirit of intolerance, injustice and cruelty, of the lust of power, of the contempt of the rights of the human soul, has returned and challenges in every sphere those victories that were so perseveringly and gradually won, it seemed for ever. And indeed they have been won for ever. It is to prove this to the world definitely, finally, that England and her Allies are fighting their common foe.
ALGAR THOROLD.
FOOD PRICES: A WARNING
CINCE the war began the country has passed through w various economic phases, each of which while it lasted seemed to be extremely serious. At the outbreak of war there was for a brief period a dislocation of employment, and the Press and the Government shared the idea that there was grave danger of general unemployment and poverty. Funds were hastily raised to provide relief, and the local authorities were urged by the Government to take steps to grapple with the problem. Within twelve months an entirely new problem had revealed itself. The demand for labour had outstripped the supply; the wage-earning classes were enjoying a condition of unprecedented prosperity, and their increased consumption was adding very seriously to the difficulty of financing our imports from abroad, and to the difficulty of financing the war. The most urgent problem in the autumn and winter of 1915 was how to diminish consumption. Thrift lectures were organised all over the country; taxation was somewhat increased ; and steps were taken to check the import of certain classes of goods. How serious the matter seemed at the end of 1915 can be gathered from the manifesto drawn up by the principal bankers of Great Britain. It is worth while to quote a few passages from this important document, which was published in the newspapers of December 23rd, 1915 :
At this time of great national danger it is imperative that every citizen should realise the vastness of the work which Great Britain has to perform, and should so act that the full strength of the nation may be put forth. ...
'The task of finding the greater part of the immense sums needed by the Allies is the special duty of the British people, for they in particular possess the necessary financial resources. ...
No one can realise the vastness of the task before the nation without becoming keenly conscious that it demands the strenuous co-operation of every man and woman, youth and maiden in the country; that the nation's energies must be completely concencrated upon the production of really essential things; and that the production of all non-essentials must be wholly stopped. Moreover, not only must the nation avoid the consumption of all nonessentials, but must even restrict the consumption of essentials to the limits of efficiency.'
The whole of the above argument is as true as when it was written more than a year ago; but during the past three months the newspaper press and the House of Commons have been mainly discussing, not the need for economy in consumption, but the duty of the Government to provide cheap food for the nation. The importance of the food problem can hardly be exaggerated ; but there is at least a danger that the new ministry may be harried by a popular outcry into taking measures which will intensify the trouble and may even provoke grave national disaster. It is significant that Mr. Walter Runciman, one of the most level-headed members of the late Cabinet, found himself compelled by political pressure to adopt measures which were in direct conflict with the sound economic principles which he had previously laid down. He unfortunately reversed the order of action which, apparently, must be followed by any man called upon to serve an impatient democracy. In a country governed by platform orators and halfpenny newspapers a minister is in a stronger position for doing what he knows to be right if he first lays himself out to win the applause of the people by saying what he knows to be wrong. Populus vult decipi—but let it be deceived for its own good.
The food problem is likely to be with us for many months to come-unless, perchance, the much more serious food problem in Germany should compel an early peace. Except on that hypothesis there is no reason to expect that staple foods will become cheaper: they may become very much dearer. It is therefore worth while to consider what are the main principles involved in a problem which has suddenly been presented to a people long accustomed to low prices for all the staple articles of consumption
The idea that the high prices of food-stuffs are due to the malevolent machinations of persons called profiteers need not be seriously discussed. This silly platform cry has just one element of truth behind it: that every person who earns a living by dealing in food-stuffs naturally tries to secure as wide a margin as possible between the price at which he buys and the price at which he sells. This is as true of the coster who sells vegetables from a barrow as it is of the Chicago speculator who deals in wheat by the shipload. The coster's percentage of profit is, as it happens, necessarily larger than that of the Chicago wheat-king. If the coster is to earn enough to live upon he must make fifty or a hundred per cent. profit on the barrow-load of stuff he pushes through the streets; the man whose daily dealings run into thousands of pounds sterling can do very well for himself if his average profit is even as low as one per cent. But neither of these profiteers can do just what he likes. If the coster holds out for higher prices than his public is willing to pay he will be left with his stock on his hands; exactly the same danger threatens the Chicago wheat-dealer. In the coster's case the stock perishes and the earnings of a whole week may disappear. The wheat that the Chicago dealer tries to hold up will not perish ; but while he is holding it he is losing interest every day on his capital, and he is risking the chance of a fall in prices that may leave him a bankrupt. For these reasons the coster and the wheat-king both tend to take a moderate profit as soon as they see it.
Similar considerations affect all the other persons in the long chain between the farmer who grows the food and the housekeeper who buys it. No one in that chain can-except for a very brief period—by his own action force an arbitrary rise in the price of a staple commodity. It has to be remembered that every man in the chain between producer and consumer is quite as much interested in buying cheap as in selling dear. When the external forces are in favour of cheapness each person in the chain uses his power to squeeze the person from whom he buys, and in turn is squeezed by the person to whom he sells. On the other hand, when the external forces make for dearness, the direction of the squeezing is reversed.
What, then, are the forces which finally determine the tendency of prices ? They are the primary facts of supply and demand. If the world enjoys a bountiful harvest at a time when there is no special growth in the general scale of consumption the farmer will be squeezed by the dealer to whom he sells, and so right on through the chain till the housewife is reached. She will obtain her loaf or her flour at a low priceperhaps even below the cost of production—through the action of those very profiteers whom socialist orators love to abuse. If, on the other hand, there should be a partial failure of the world's harvests at a time when the general scale of consumption has been enormously enhanced, then the farmer will stand out for the maximum price he can squeeze from the local dealer, and he in turn will squeeze the dealer next beyond him. Each person in the chain will seek his profit by selling dear rather than by buying cheap, and the consumer at the end of the chain will have to pay the price piled up against him.
The distribution of the increased price among the various persons in the chain will depend upon their relative skill in the art of bargaining and upon external factors, such as the difficulties of transport. But this distribution is a matter of indifference to the ultimate purchaser. There is no reason to believe that he would obtain his food cheaper if one or other of the persons in the chain voluntarily accepted a lower rate of profit. The benefit of that act of forbearance would only accrue to somebody else in the chain. Or, conceivably, it might accrue to some person who, tempted by the offer of goods below the market price, stepped in to buy up all he could, to sell again at a profit. There is, in fact, no way of escaping from the eternal law that when a commodity is scarce and the demand for it active the price will rise.
It does not follow that all measures to prevent a rise in the price of food-stuffs are to be condemned. What does follow is that those measures must be so framed that they will harmonise with the essential conditions of the law of supply and demand. An engineer who attempted to design á bridge in defiance of the law of gravity would be laughed at by the whole world ; but a politician who pretends that he can design a scheme for lowering food prices in defiance of the law of supply and demand is applauded by the House of Commons and by three quarters of the nation.
The two factors which are now forcing up food prices are, first, a reduction in the world's supply of food in consequence of the diversion of millions of food-producers to the work of war, and secondly an increase in the world's demand for food because many men, who as civilians could only afford to eat sparingly, are, as soldiers, able to eat heartily; while in addition in Great Britain, at any rate—the majority of the civilian population is also eating more. Either of these factors would alone have caused a rise in food prices ; added together they inevitably produce a great rise. If, then, we wish to secure a reduction of food prices we must approach the problem through these two factors. We must try to increase the supply of food-stuffs ; we must try to diminish the present rate of consumption. Very tardily the Government of this country has begun to consider the first point; its dealings with the second have been ludicrous. The late Government made frantic appeals
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AGU Honored with the First Clean Energy DC Award
By AGU StaffApril 18, 2019 No Comments
By Chris McEntee, AGU Executive Director and CEO
As the leader of an innovative, forward looking organization, I am proud to share that AGU received the very first Clean Energy DC Award to honor its commitment to sustainability through our newly renovated headquarters building, the first net-zero energy commercial renovation in Washington, D.C. This award was presented to AGU during the District Sustainability Awards ceremony on 17 April 2019.
Each year, the Washington, D.C., Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) presents District Sustainability Awards to nonprofits, educational organizations, and private-sector businesses that support sustainable District goals, including energy and water conservation, green building and construction, healthy food access, solar energy production, storm water management, and sustainable waste management. This year, AGU was included in this distinguished class of honorees.
Being the first recipient of the Clean Energy DC Award is not only an honor but also a signal that our building is already an important achievement in sustainability. This is just the beginning of our building’s legacy as AGU demonstrates that a building located on a tight urban footprint can operate on a net-zero energy basis, reduce its carbon footprint, and serve as a productive and healthy place to work and meet. Earlier this year, in recognition of this commitment to sustainability, Washington, D.C., mayor Muriel Bowser signed the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 at AGU’s renovated building. This historic piece of legislation will require electricity in the city to come from 100% renewable sources by 2032, among other sustainable initiatives and incentives.
The AGU community is incredibly grateful to receive this recognition from the DOEE and its director, Tommy Wells. AGU has appreciated our partnership with the District and its agencies to explore strategies to realize our net-zero energy goals. We now aspire to lead and serve as an example to others in how to implement sustainable solutions and technologies in their own building or renovation projects, and this award demonstrates the impact our building has already had in the local area.
I would like to especially acknowledge the members of our AGU building staff team, including Janice Lachance, Mike Andrews, Matt Boyd, Emily Johnson, Cristine Gibney, Liz Landau, Beth Bagley, Ron Bennett, Sabina Sadirkhanova, Michelle Brown, and Beth Trimmer, for their incredible efforts that made our net-zero energy renovation a reality. The AGU community should be proud of the efforts that went into making our headquarters a model for other buildings to help our society work toward a more sustainable city, country, and world.
Construction Update – 20th Street Closure Postponed Until March 9
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Notes on the vocalizations of Masked Gnatcatcher (Polioptila dumicola)
In the following we briefly analyze and compare voice of the three races of Masked Gnatcatcher (Polioptila dumicola). We also try to quantify the extent of any vocal differences using the criteria proposed by Tobias et al. (2010), as a support for taxonomic review. We have made use of sound recordings available on-line from Xeno Canto (XC).
Races dumicola and saturata: Song is typically a series of notes, including at least in part a repetition of about the same notes or note pairs, at about constant pitch. Some examples (illustrated with multiple sonograms in the pdf version of this note).
Race berlepschi: Song is quite variable, typically a note series which rises or falls in pitch. Notes are similar-shaped, but are not necessarily exact repeats. Some examples.
There is a high variability in song of both groups. On average, berlepschi seems to have notes (or repeated note pairs) which cover a narrower frequency range, and the song phrase more often has a rising or falling pitch. There is however clearly overlap, and a more in depth statistical analysis would be needed to quantify more precisely differences in vocal parameters.
Based on the average differences mentioned above, we estimate the total vocal score to be about 1 + 1 = 2.
More Information: on281_masked_gnatcatcher.pdf
Boesman, P. (2016). Notes on the vocalizations of Masked Gnatcatcher (Polioptila dumicola). HBW Alive Ornithological Note 281. In: Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow-on.100281
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Tag Archives: The Girl on the Train
CWW Recommends: Books for the Dog Days of Summer!
Posted on August 14, 2016 by Emily Smith
There’s just a few weeks of summer fun left, and the Rio Olympics are underway! The beginning of a school year is upon us but there’s still some time left to spend with some great books this August! So here are some recommendations from the Cambridge Writers’ Workshop on what to read before hanging up the surfboard and headin’ on home 😉 Thanks to Anna-Celestrya Carr, Alex Carrigan, AM Ringwalt, David Shields, Emily Smith, and Laura van den Berg for their wonderful recommendations below!
–Alex Carrigan (Curator)
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
(Recommended by Anna-Celestrya Carr)
Station Eleven is captivating and beautiful in a subtle way. I’m known to read the last page first of any book I pick up. I like having an idea of where a story is going to go. For this book I resisted looking ahead. I found myself enthralled and surprised the entire time. Dystopian fiction has become one of my favorite genres and Station Eleven stands out in its category.
The novel opens with a famous actor having a heart attack and dying on stage while playing King Lear. That same night, there is a massive outbreak of a deadly virus called the Georgia Flu, and within weeks, 99 percent of the world’s population is wiped out. In a world decimated by a global pandemic, where the few survivors live in scattered communities without electricity, the Traveling Symphony goes from town to town in the Great Lakes region, performing Shakespeare and classical music. The story plays around with time and perspective, jumping back and forth between After the Collapse and Before the Collapse. We circle around different characters’ lives and sometimes see the same scene from a different person’s view. A gorgeous read.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
(Recommended by Alex Carrigan)
Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl is one of my favorite recent “popular” books, and a book that helped remind me how much I love modern mysteries. I heard that The Girl on the Train was similar to Gone Girl, so I checked it out. What I found was a mystery novel I had to read in one sitting, causing me to spend nearly four hours in a cafe reading the entire book one rainy Sunday afternoon. The novel follows a woman named Rachel, an unemployed, alcoholic, divorcee, who spends her train rides fantasizing about what she thinks is the perfect couple living in one house along the tracks. When the woman of the couple goes missing, Rachel discovers that she has a connection to the mystery, and through her interference comes to confront her personal demons and sees how dangerous her involvement is. Hawkins makes a very flawed and relatable protagonist in Rachel, and creates a mystery that, while maybe not the most unique, is still quite thrilling to read, and only leaves me excited for the film adaptation coming out this year.
The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room,
The Greatest Bad Movie Ever by Greg Sestero, and Tom Bissell
Tommy Wiseau’s The Room is one of the worst movies ever made, but has one of the most devoted fan followings ever due to how hilariously awful the film is. The Disaster Artist, co-written by one of the leads in the film (Sestero), is a tell-all that reveals how the film was made and goes into the bizarre culture surrounding it. What follows is a book that veers from painfully hilarious to just plain painful. At the heart of the story is the odd friendship between Sestero and Wiseau, which paints Wiseau as a creep, a fool, a dreamer, an enigma, an entrepreneur, and an artist all at once. What could be a book that exists to bash Wiseau for his egomania, his misogyny, and his deep misunderstanding of how to act as a person is instead a book about art itself. It shows that even the people who make bad movies are sympathetic and have dreams they want to fulfill, even if they aren’t very good at it. The books shows that everyone involved in The Room (except for maybe Wiseau depending on how you read him) deserved better, and is quite enjoyable to read after seeing the movie. It shows that even misguided passion projects can still create beautiful, inexplicable, and valued art despite every possible obstacle in the way.
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Most stories that deal with mysterious deaths focus on the mystery and the investigation, but often don’t focus on the impact the death has on the victim’s family. Celeste Ng’s debut novel Everything I Never Told You follows a Chinese-American family in 1977 after their daughter is found dead in a lake. What could be a Twin Peaks-esque mystery is instead a meditation on race, gender, and loss. By focusing on a mixed race family in a small town during the late ’70’s, Ng shows how the era played into the attitudes of the characters, from the father who tries to downplay his Chinese heritage and blend in, to the mom who wants nothing more than to ensure her daughter doesn’t fall into the same mistakes she made. At the heart is the dead girl, Lydia, and it’s through her death and the time leading up to it that the reader realizes that what doesn’t matter is why or how Lydia died, but rather what her death reveals about the family and the time they lived in.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
When my brother read Americanah, he said Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie instantly became his favorite living writer. I recently picked up the book, and I found that he was completely justified in believing that. Americanah follows two young Nigerians, Ifemelu and Obinze, and they grow up in Nigeria and move on with their adult lives. Ifemelu travels to America for college and starts a successful blog dealing with her facing race for the first time in her life. Obinze becomes an undocumented worker in England, and his story provides a contrast to Ifemelu, who flourishes in her new environment while he finds it difficult to settle into the first world. The book taught me a lot about Nigeria in the 90’s and 00’s, and is a really good book for dealing with race relations, primarily for how non-American blacks deal with race. Adichie imbues her characters with such spirit and detailed voice that it becomes easy to see them as real people, so I have found her an author I really want to read more of in the future.
A Public Space: Issue 24
(Recommended by AM Ringwalt)
This issue of A Public Space focuses on artists creating outside of their primary mediums; Etel Adnan writes in epistolary prose about weaving and David Lynch is interviewed about his paintings. A devoted Adnan fan, I excitedly picked up this issue to absorb more of her voice. As she shares images of trees “yellow, but haloed” . . . “still [with] a green heart and golden edges, such tender vegetal icons,” I realized that summer is the time of weaving–gathering light–before colder seasons and a scarcity of unburdened hours.
Poetry Ireland Review Issue 118: The Rising Generation
In early 2016, I lived in Dublin and worked as an intern at the Irish Writers’ Centre. While there, I fell in love with its myriad journals (Guts and Gorse to name a few). While journals with names like Poetry Ireland Review connote tradition–and thus old white men–I never read a copy until I saw their Rising Generation issue, published in sync with the centenary of the 1916 Rising. Honoring “rising” poets (new and successful in the field, not necessarily young), this issue highlights poets including Jessica Traynor (of the Centre’s A Poet’s Rising) and provides accompanying questionnaires, prompting its featured poets to extrapolate on ideas such as: “Would you rather be the poet or the poem?”
A Year with Hafiz: Daily Contemplations
by Hafiz and Daniel Ladinsky
I first saw A Year with Hafiz on Ariana Reines’ Tumblr. Always spiritual, always prophetic, her website is a well of meditation and insight. (A recent post highlights Muhyiddin Ibn ’Arabi’s “Our heart holds within it all forms, that our hearts created. We have made a meadow there for gazelles, children, music, dance and dreams.”) Immediately after reading Reines’ chosen excerpt, I ordered a used copy of A Year with Hafiz online. Though a devotional style book isn’t necessary to read one Hafiz poem a day, the book itself is beautiful and compiles Hafiz’s writing in a way that compliments the changing months and seasons. Starting this “devotional” in the summer has allowed me to more deliberately meditate on certain phrases each day with the freedom inherent in the season. Take May 25, for example, as a preface to the summer: “Like a great starving beast my body / is quivering, fixed on the scent of light.”
The Poet, The Lion, Talking Pictures, El Farolito, A Wedding in St. Roch, The Big Box Store, The Warp in the Mirror, Spring, Midnights, Fire & All
by C.D. Wright
C.D. Wright, described by Ben Lerner as “an utterly original American artist,” is a bright angel reminding me, time and again, how the act of writing is the act of salvation. Writing, after all, is a saving force, one that evokes internal and external revolutions. Though I was never lucky enough to meet Wright, I felt her brightness near upon the publication of The Poet, The Lion, Talking Pictures, El Farolito, A Wedding in St. Roch, The Big Box Store, The Warp in the Mirror, Spring, Midnights, Fire & All. This book, with its multitudinous worlds (the first poem, among many others, is titled “In a Word, a World”) is a manifesto of the spiritual potency of poetry. This book, at home in her canon of nonconforming literature, is a call to push boundaries beyond experimentation and into innovation. The Poet, The Lion…, published very the month of Wright’s passing, is a reminder of mortality and, beyond life (and death), the endless power of poetry.
Last Sext by Melissa Broder
I picked up a copy of Last Sext while on a date with my partner at the Harvard Bookstore last month. These dates always go the same–I say I won’t buy a single book and I leave with more than one. Always fodder for an empty wallet and, most importantly, for, at its best, transformative inspiration, I’m thankful that I found myself squatting in the poetry section absorbed in a copy of Broder’s book. I’ve never read a collection of poems containing cunnilingus, boring angels, clock-obsessed Americans, third eyes, centaurs, gypsies, “Me saying more and the light saying yes.” The intersections between dark and light, as they both illuminate sex, farting, hallucinating and “childhood feeling” (among countless other phenomena), remind me that darkness, too, can be an illuminating force. I urge you to read her poem “Salt,” published in Poetry in 2014. Then, I urge you to say more and get a copy or two or three of Last Sext.
The Pharmacist’s Mate by Amy Fusselman
(Recommended by David Shields)
The book fluctuates wildly and unpredictably from Fusselman’s attempt to get pregnant through artificial means, her conversations with her dying father, and his WWII diary entries. I don’t know what the next paragraph will be, where Fusselman is going, until—in the final few paragraphs—she lands on the gossamer-thin difference between life and death, which is where she’s been focused all along, if I could only have seen it.
Humiliation by Wayne Koestenbaum
Humiliation runs like a rash over the body of Koestenbaum’s work. Here he confronts the feeling directly and the result is an extraordinary meditation on—I don’t know how else to say it—the human condition.
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
(Recommended by Emily Smith)
Maggie Nelson makes the public private in this genre-bending, poetic recollection of her pregnancy and husband Harry Dodge’s transition. Like her previous works, Nelson draws from critics like Judith Butler and Roland Barthes to explore her personal perspective on sexuality, gender, queer family making and the radical idea that motherhood never has to be equated with the loss of individual freedom.
A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Elmear McBride
Although A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing was just recently published, it’s already been hailed as a classic. In this novel surrounding sexual abuse and a sister’s relation to her young brother diagnosed with cancer. Elmear McBride, who spent ten years trying to publish the novel, has been compared to James Joyce and Virginia Woolf for her experimental style, which has often been described as “electric.”
Binary Star by Sarah Gerard
Sarah Gerard’s Binary Star follows the story of an anorexic young woman and her neglectful, alcoholic boyfriend. The two feed off of each other’s negativity until taking a road trip and discovering vegananarchism. The short, lyrical novel tackles diet culture and the illness that, as a result, the two love to keep company. Like its title, the novel shines bright and fast, held together by its own gravity until its shocking, explosive end.
Heartbreaker by Maryse Meijer and Barefoot Dogs by Antonio Ruiz-Camacho
(Recommended by Laura van den Berg)
Heartbreaker is Maryse Meijer’s debut collection, with stories following a wide variety of characters as they deal with desire, vulnerability, sex, heartbreak, and survival. Barefoot Dogs is a series of connected stories about the members of a wealthy Mexican family after the patriarch goes missing. These collections are wildly different in style and approach, and are wildly successful in creating a singularly absorbing world for the reader to inhabit, from the first story to the last.
Tagged a girl is a half formed thing, A Public Space, A Year with Hafiz, Alex Carrigan, AM Ringwalt, Americanah, Anna-Celestrya Carr, Antonio Ruiz-Camacho, Barefoot Dogs, binary star, books, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Daniel Ladinsky, David Shields, elmer mcbride, Emily Smith, Emily St. John Mandel, Greg Sestero, Hafiz, Heartbreaker, Humiliation, Last sex, Laura van den Berg, Maggie Nelson, Marguerite Duras, Maryse Meijer, Melissa Broder, Paula Hawkins, Poetry Ireland Review, recommendations, sarah gerard, Station Eleven, summer reading, the argonauts, The Disaster Artist, The Girl on the Train, The Lover, Wayne Koestenbaum
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Judy Boucher
Judy Boucher is a Vincentian singer who began singing alongside her brother as part of the popular dance band, Judy Jack and the Beanstalks. She arrived in the UK in the mid 60s. Boucher performed around South East England with the band, until she retired from singing to raise a family.
Felix Da Silva, a friend of Boucher’s enticed her back into the studio. Da Silva arranged recording sessions with Sony Roberts. Boucher’s first sol song ‘Dreaming of a Little Island’, was a hit in the reggae charts in 1985. This single also became the Jamaica Tourist Board’s theme tune. Da Silva was encouraged by the commercial success of her first few songs, and decided to produce her debut album, ‘Can’t Be With You Tonight’. The song briefly entered the UK Top 100 album chart in 1987. The single, with the same title, crossed over to mainstream and peaked at no.2 in the UK for four weeks. It also charted across Europe, including Ireland, France and Greece. The single is probably her best known single and really transformed her career. With this single she became the first female from the Caribbean to have the longest stay in the National chart, with 14 weeks. She was named 2nd in the 25 most influential Vincentian songs at the Silver Jubilee Independence Anniversary.
Boucher followed the album with the release of ‘You caught My Eye’, which was an equally successful Top 20 hit. Following this Boucher kept a relatively low profile until 1995. She recorded Doris Day’s, ‘Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)’. The single reached a comfortable position on the reggae charts. This was followed by an equally popular song, ‘Stick Around’.
Judy Boucher continues to maintain a high profile in the big people’s chart with her style of ‘easy listening’ lover’s rock. Boucher’s Belgian tour was one of the highlights of her career, she performed in front of 40,000 people. They chanted her name, holding lighted candle as she sang. Boucher was also a massive hit in South Africa. She visited but was unable to perform due to the boycott at the time. Judy Boucher was also asked to tour Swaziland, Namibia and several other African countries. She also appeared on TV and radio and in clubs. The response was overwhelming. She was flooded with gifts such as animal, gold and clothes. Boucher is an incredible R&B and reggae artist and is also an ambassador for St. Vincent. Judy Boucher with crystal-clear vocals, Caribbean1st salutes you.
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GUIDESPLACES
TECH MUSIC
5 Tokyo Tourist Spots with Haunting Backstories
Get your dark tourism on
BY Ricky Schupp August 15, 2018
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If you didn’t know, August is Japan’s ghost season. Tokyo actually has quite a high number of supernatural tales and urban legends that originate in the city. So what better way to get in the spirit of the summer ghost season than to visit some tourist spots in Tokyo with scary backstories?
Here are five of the best. Are you brave enough to visit?
Oiwa-Inari Tamiya Shrine
A cautionary tale about how killing your wife so you can shack up with another lady never works out.
Oiwa-Inari Tamiya Shrine is home to one of Japan’s most famous ghost stories. Located in a residential area of Shinjuku, the shrines backstory involves a fatal love triangle.
Oiwa and Tamiya Iemon once lived on the spot of the shrine. After Tamiya fell in love with another woman, he killed his wife, Oiwa, by pushing her off of a cliff. He was then free to marry his new love, Oume, but shortly after their marriage he began hearing the voice of his deceased wife. One day, he noticed Oume’s face had been transformed into that of Oiwa’s. In a fit of desperation, he stabbed at the apparition, killing Oume in the process. He then tried to flee the scene and was followed by the spirit of his ex-wife. She chased him to the cliffside where he had killed her and the spirit pushed him off, resulting in a dramatically ironic death.
The shrine itself is a rather peaceful place in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku. It is open to visitors, many of whom go to pray and give offerings.
Masakado’s Grave
Don’t go disturbing this disembodied head’s grave.
Just a short walk from Otemachi Station near the Imperial Palace, you’ll find Taira-no-Masakado’s grave. Thought by many historians to be the first samurai of Japan, Masakado betrayed the Western capital of Kyoto and established a new capital in the east, proclaiming himself the new emperor of Japan. This didn’t sit well with the established government, and he was executed as a traitor by beheading shortly after his proclamation.
His grave is the site of many supernatural occurrences, including the tragedy of the Japanese Minister of Finance during the 1920s, who attempted to use the grounds as the spot of a new office. The Minister and many of his staff wound up dead. The office was removed, and the grave was replaced after a Shinto ritual was performed to calm the raging spirit.
You can visit the shrine today, but be wary. This disembodied head has some serious anger issues.
Aoyama Cemetery
Graves on graves on graves.
This one is right near the Breaker Japan office. Oh boy! The Aoyama Cemetery is home to hundreds, maybe even thousands, of individual graves, as well as mass graves dedicated to several natural disasters in Japanese history. Because of its vastness, it is one of the quietest places in the city.
There are some beautiful spots within the graveyard, and it’s a popular spot for cherry blossom viewing in the spring. It’s also home to the grave of Hachiko, the faithful dog who is commemorated in statue form at Shibuya Station. The canine was buried alongside his two owners.
This spot may not have any horrible stories attached to it, but cemeteries are always supernatural hotspots, and one this big can’t be without a few spirits wandering around.
Akasaka Road
Gates to the Akasaka State Guest House.
Near Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, a sloped road called Kii-no-kuni-zaka runs near the moat that surrounds the palace grounds. In olden times, a noppera-bō used to stalk the road. Noppera-bō are one of a variety of yōkai or supernatural monsters and spirits that inhabit Japanese folklore. This particular one is a shapeshifter who enjoys appearing in human form and then erasing its own facial features. Creepy.
Naturally, many people avoided kii-no-kuni-zaka, especially at night. There’s even an old story about a man who attempted to walk down the road by himself. Spoilers: it doesn’t end well for him.
Even nowadays, the road is sparsely lit at night. Are you brave enough to wander this lonely slope alone?
“Tacchan’s” Pond
But it looks so peaceful.
Yakebe Pond in Sayama Park holds a dark secret. In the summer of 1925, 10-year old Tacchan fell into the pond while playing. Two other boys tried to help him, but sadly all three of the boys drowned.
The pond, which can be found in Tokyo prefecture’s Higashiyamato city, is not that deep. So how did three young boys drown in a shallow pond? Well, a few years later, some people started to notice white hands reaching up out of the water at night. The story came to be that these hands dragged the three down to their deaths.
It’s said that at night you can hear the sounds of children crying near the pond, along with the quiet plop of hands raising and lowering through the water’s surface. Because of the unfortunate accident, the pond gained its nickname, “Tacchan’s Pond.”
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← Young Women Can Get Breast Cancer, Too
Vickie’s Appearance on Fox TV →
Check out Vickie’s story below about how cancer affects young women in the September issue of Inside Jersey.
As I pack for my final round of chemotherapy, I wonder how in the world I ended up here. I had always thought that turning 30 would be a milestone, bringing a host of pivotal life changes. And, in a way, I guess it has.
Since hitting 30 late last year, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, had a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction, had a few eggs surgically removed to protect them from the poisons used to treat cancer, had a few dozen lymph nodes taken out and, of course, eight rounds of my chemo cocktail.
I still strive to feel like any other woman, even though my hair has yet to grow back. My best friend tells me on a daily basis that I saved my own life.
It all started in late January. I had scratched my chest while furiously rubbing an itch from an irritating wool sweater. And while I was applying ointment on the scratch, I thought, “Hey, why not do a breast self- exam.” That’s when I discovered a lump the size of the tip of an eraser in my left breast.
When I went for a sonogram a few days later, I told the technician about the lump and how, while lying down, it seemed to disappear. But when I sat up, the lump would pop out, as if it wanted to raise its hand and ask a question.
Everyone said that I was an unlikely candidate for breast cancer. I was only 30 years old and there was no history of the disease in my family.
In fact, many clinicians are no longer teaching women how to do breast self-exams, and the National Cancer Institute has cited studies showing no benefit from mammogram screening for women younger than 40 because of breast density and the high number of false-negative results.
It was only after my cancer surgery and treatment that I began to explore these recommendations and other commonly held beliefs about the disease.
I learned that cancer in younger women is not that uncommon. Young women account for roughly one out of every 20 new cases in the nation. According to the American Cancer Society, about 230,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. The Young Survival Coalition, of which I am a new member, says that about 10,000 of those newly diagnosed — slightly less than five out of every 100 cases — will involve women younger than 40.
I also discovered that family history does not always play a role. Eighty-five percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.
And then there is the assumption that younger women need not perform breast self-exams.
A 2009 review of breast cancer screening by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that periodically reviews the effectiveness of medical tests and treatments, recommended against teaching self-examinations because, it says, the exams do not reduce breast cancer mortality.
I spoke with Susan Love, a surgeon who specializes in breast cancer and is the author of “Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book.” She believes the recommendation was largely misunderstood because the control group in the trial, which did not have routine mammography screening, found their own breast cancers.
During breast self-examinations, Love says, we can “feel from the inside in and the inside out” — something that’s missing from a clinical breast exam.Love believes the key to unlocking the mysteries of what causes the disease may lie in younger women. While researchers may know some of the conditions that cause breast cancer in older women — hormone replacement, having your first pregnancy late in life, exercise, diet — they also need to find out the causes in young women.
“Could there be a virus causing breast cancer? Or a bacteria? We haven’t looked,” she says. Pregnancy, she adds, is the only known condition that may place young women at greater risk for the disease.
Love says that while a woman is pregnant, and for the next 10 years, there is a higher risk for breast cancer because a lot of changes are happening in the breast. “The breast goes from being a decorative item to a milk factory,” she says. However the cancer risk tapers off and having children before age 30 can actually lower a woman’s risk for breast cancer.
I have never been pregnant but I did freeze some eggs before starting chemotherapy in the hope that I one day can benefit from the protective properties researchers say come from being pregnant.
Because my tumor fed on estrogen, I will be on a drug for five years that will block the hormone. So my eggs will have to patiently wait in a cryogenic lab in Colorado. I’m secretly hoping they’ll take advantage of their time in the Rockies and learn how to become amazing skiers.
And I also hope that in the years to come, more young women will begin examining their breasts and insisting on mammograms so that they can benefit from early detection. “Get to know your own breasts,” Love says. “If you feel something, tell your doctor. And the big message for women is not to take ‘No’ for an answer. There’s no excuse for saying, ‘The doctor didn’t believe me so I went home.’”
Originally published in Inside Jersey, The Monthly Magazine of The Star-Ledger, September 2011.
One response to “Young Women and Breast Cancer”
We want the world know that our daughter is our hero. She is a survivor. May God bless you and keep you safe. We love you
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Back to News and Developments
Brennan Acquires Seven-Building Industrial Portfolio in Reno, Nevada
Brennan Investment Group, LLC, a private real estate investment firm that acquires, develops and operates industrial properties on a national basis, has acquired a seven-building industrial portfolio totaling 584,866 square feet. This portfolio consists of warehouse/industrial buildings located in the Sparks submarket of Reno, Nevada.
“We are pleased to complete the acquisition of this seven building portfolio in Sparks, Nevada, the strongest and largest industrial submarket in the Reno metropolitan area. The Reno/Sparks market is attracting new businesses due to an absence of state income taxes and its logistical position in the Northwest United States. Reno has seen 16 consecutive quarters of positive net absorption, and has a current vacancy rate of 5.9%, the lowest in 10 years,” said Tim Gudim, West Coast Managing Principal at Brennan Investment Group.
Michael Brennan, Chairman and Managing Principal for Brennan Investment Group stated, “This acquisition is illustrative of our strategy to acquire functional, well-located assets, in demographically strong markets. The Reno market is strategically located at the epicenter of the western United States, within close proximity to air, truck and rail services.”
Brennan Investment Group © 2021
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Eric Andre Net Worth in 2021
By Anjana Prabhakaran December 3, 2020 063 views
Credits: Global News
Eric Andre is an American comedian, actor, producer, and musician. He is best known for the popular show, The Eric Andre Show, which he has created and is hosting as well. Let’s find out Eric Andre Net Worth in 2021 and Some Interesting Facts About Him through this article.
He had voiced Azizi in the live-action remake of The Lion King (2019).
In this short period, Eric has acted in more than 10 movies, including The Internship with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. He has also starred in popular TV shows like Big Bang Theory, Two Broke Girls, etc.
Eric Andre Net Worth & Overview
What is Net Worth of Eric Andre in 2021?
5 Interesting Facts About Eric Andre
Net Worth $ 3 million
Occupation Comedian, Actor,
Producer, Musician
Date of Birth April 4, 1983
Spouse(s) –
Source of Wealth Comedian
Instagram Followers 2m
Twitter Followers 663k
YouTube Followers –
Credits: Instagram
Eric Andre was born on April 4,1983 in Boca Raton, Florida. His parents were Natalie and Pierre Andre. Natalie is a Jewish, while Pierre is an Afro-Haitian immigrant. So Eric has naturally been born and identify himself as both Black and Jewish. He has a sister, Amy Andre.
Andre’s mother was an activist, while his mother is a psychiatrist. His mother has won Susan B. Anthony Feminist of the Year 2016, for her impressive work for the women and LGBTQ+ rights.
Eric’s sister,Amy is also an activist, who specialises in bisexual and LGBTQ+ rights. She is also active in spreading awareness about race, gender and sexuality, and how they intersect. Amy has co-authored a book, Bisexual Health: An Introduction.
Andre studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He played the double bass there and graduated with a BFA in 2005. While studying in the music college, he recognized that his true passion is comedy.
He started off his career in the Entertainment field by appearing in many movies and tv series. He had small roles in the movies, The Invention of Lying (2009), The Awkward Comedy Show(2010), and Thin Skin(2011).
Andre also did cameo appearances in many tv series like The Big Bang Theory, Zeke and Luther, Level Up, etc.
The Eric Andre Show, which was created and hosted by Eric Andre himself, is the highlight as well as the breakthrough of his career.
Credits: Know Your Memes
The Eric Andre Show is a talk show aired on Adult Swim, an adult-oriented channel of the children’s basic cable network- Cartoon Network. The show is a prodigal version of the talk shows of American Television.
While in the “normal” talk shows the host chats as well as play simple games with the celebrities, in this show, celebrities get a shock of their life, after watching Eric hurting himself by doing a lot of unsupervised stunts and after being tormented by the pranks that the show has planned for them.
The show is hosted by Eric Andre himself with Hannibal Buress.
Other than the show, Andre has acted in several movies as well as television series. He has voiced in the live-action remake of The Lion King, various characters in the television series Robot Chicken and lending voice of Luci/Pendergast in the American Fantasy sitcom, Disenchantment
Credits: PlayBlog.it
Eric has been on a number of web shows as well. His popular and recent show is his own stand-up special Legalize Everything on Netflix, which aired in 2020.
Andre has released 2 music albums as well, an EP- BLARF (2014), and an LP- Cease & Desist (2019).
Credits: taddlr.com
While the other celebrities try to be more private about their “dating” life, Eric Andre shares the photos of his girlfriends on his social media platforms. He doesn’t share their names or whereabouts but he acknowledges them, on their birthdays and Valentine’s day.
In 2018, he was dating “a mystery girl ”, who was unknown in the Hollywood industry. He has been posting pictures of her on her birthday and special occasions. But recently although these photos were never deleted, he shared another girl’s picture on his Instagram handle and wished her on her birthday.
While now it’s a mystery that “who Eric Andre is dating now?”, before 2018 he used to date several Hollywood A-list celebrities.
Andre dated Rosario Dawson, an American actress, singer, and activist, from 2016-2017.
He has briefly dated model and actress, Amber Rose, after she guest appeared in his talk show. Eric also has dated actress, Tatyana Ali, from 2012-14.
Credits: Pinterest
In 2017, Eric used his twitter to criticize hip hop artists, Kodak Black and XXXtentacion. He told that it’s a bad thing to at people are supporting these artists, despite after being alleged that XXXtentacion has beat up a pregnant woman.
These tweets were criticized badly by the rap artists’ fans and followers. While some said that the allegations are not true, but an act to get the artist’s money, some proclaimed, “innocent till proven guilty”.
Some even used the commonly used “stick to the comedy” to Eric Andre.
While this is the only criticism Eric Andre has faced recently, it cannot be found as criticism, as a whole. Andre is from the Black community. When the others from a community support everything their fellows do and try to promote them, despite that, he stood up against it.
Eric stood up for what’s right and against what’s wrong. He stood up for humanity, not for any race, or to gender. It is commendable, because not every celebrity does this, to keep their fan-base.
Eric Andre Net Worth in 2021 is $3 million. He is popular for his show, The Eric Andre Show.
The caveman from the GEICO Caveman commercials was Eric Andre before he had his show, The Eric Andre Show.
Although Eric has done Stand-Up before, Netflix’s Legalize Everything is his first-ever recorded stand-up show.
The guests in his show, The Eric Andre Show, have no clue whatsoever, are going to happen in the show until they are experiencing it.
The un-aired pilot of the show was scripted, filmed, and edited by Andre himself with the help of some friends, as the “demo” of his concept of the show.
Instead of a globe, a trophy and a fruit basket are located on Eric’s Des on The Eric Andre Show.
Eric Andre rose to fame with his show, The Eric Andre Show. The show has a great role in achieving Eric Andre Net Worth of $3 million.
He is a man of a different wavelength than most of the humans are. He uses “his ways” to showcase the problems and injustice of this world. It might not be eye-pleasing, but like the saying, “the truth is always ugly”.
He is currently working on Connected, an upcoming American computer-animated science-fiction comedy film along with some famous personalities like Maya Rudolph, and Olivia Coleman.
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Athens GA Day out on the town
Get to know Athens
Franklin_House_1845Just below the foothills of heaven Ridge Mountains, near the confluence of the North and Middle Oconee Rivers, lies the city of Athens. Amongst the rolling red clay hills of North Georgia, a city and a university became a center of culture and wealth, supporting people and ideas that have commanded nationwide attention.
The city of Athens started as a small settlement that emerged at Cedar Shoals, where an ancient Cherokee path crossed the Oconee River. Clarke County was enacted on December 5, 1801, and initially consisted of contemporary Oconee County, as well as parts of Madison and Greene Counties. Clarke County was called for Elijah Clarke, who pertained to Georgia from North Carolina in 1774 to combat in Georgia’s fights with the Cherokee and Creek tribes. Clarke was instrumental in protecting treaties with the Creeks in 1782 and the Cherokees in 1792, which briefly stopped hostilities between settlers of European descent and the native Native American populations.
The City of Athens was integrated on December 8, 1806. The University of Georgia had opened for classes in 1801, and the city was called in honor of the center of higher learning that had grown in classical Greece. As great federal homes began to appear around the new school, the role of Athens as the intellectual center of Georgia ended up being progressively evident: the cultured social life surrounding the college brought in prominent families of wealth and nationwide stature. Industry established quickly; Athens’ economy throughout the first half of the nineteenth century was based mostly upon cotton, brick works, fabric mills, and railway transportation.
Wray-Nicholson House ca 1825The War In between the States disrupted antebellum success. Mercantile production was stopped, and the regional citizenry suffered the loss of more than 300 men and young boys who were eliminated during the war. Athens was spared the fate of much of Georgia’s cities, nevertheless, remaining virtually undamaged after hostilities had ended: Sherman’s infamous army did not march through the area.
The Reconstruction period was devastating for the whole South; however, under the management of the University and such men as Benjamin Harvey Hill, Howell Cobb and Joseph Henry Lumpkin, Athens soon regained its momentum. In 1867, visiting naturalist John Muir described Athens as “a remarkably gorgeous and noble town,” where “marks of culture and improvement” were everywhere apparent. Fabric factories and associated services thrived as soon as again, leading to a growth virtually exceptional in the New South. The advantages of economic success were reflected in the community: the Lucy Cobb Institute earned a credibility as one of the finest ladies’ schools in the country, while mansions of ever-increasing grandeur increased throughout the city during the Victorian period. The Athens Street Railway Company was organized in 1870, and, in 1871, the seat of Clarke County was moved from neighboring Watkinsville to Athens.
The 20th century continued the positive advancement of Athens, witnessing the growth of The University of Georgia into an internationally acknowledged academic and research institution. Throughout the last quarter of the century, historical conservation ended up being an excellent top priority. The citizens of Athens worth the stunning architectural heritage of the city, and irreplaceable treasures of the past continue to be restored to their original glory. Today, Athens-Clarke County, the industrial, medical, expert, and academic center of northeast Georgia is the home of 101,489 citizens (2000 U.S. census). The University remains an excellent impact on the way of life, tempo, and outlook for the neighborhood, maintaining a vital link with custom while assisting in Athens’ propulsion into the 21st century.
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World Bank Supports Increased Financing for Medium & Small Businesses in Nigeria
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a US$500 million International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) credit to increase access to finance for medium and small scale enterprises (MSME) in agriculture, trade, light-manufacturing, and services. These will stimulate economic growth and create jobs.
The Development Finance Project will provide stable funding to support the growth of Nigeria’s MSMEs through the establishment of a Development Finance Institution (DFI). The DFI will provide funding to eligible financial intermediaries to lend to MSMEs. The DFI would also provide partial risk guarantees to participating Commercial banks and other financial institutions.
Limited access to private finance is a key obstacle to enterprise growth and entrepreneurship, particularly for young people, and it is a major obstacle faced by SMEs. Only 9.5% of Nigerian SMEs had a loan in the books or line of credit in 2011 and SME lending made up only 5% of total commercial bank lending.
”Women entrepreneurs in Nigeria are held back by knowledge gaps, limited access to markets, and challenges in some regions of Nigeria in regards to land ownership rights,” said Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria. “Specific attention will also be paid to cater to supporting the needs of these business women in order to address this problem.”
”Women entrepreneurs in Nigeria are held back by knowledge gaps, limited access to markets, and challenges in some regions of Nigeria in regards to land ownership rights.”
– Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria
The project is a joint effort between the World Bank, AfDB, KFW, AFD, and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID). All financing will be provided by the respective donors in parallel through their own individual projects, which while complementary and coordinated will not require co-mingling of funds.
The project will be implemented by the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMOF) and would be for seven years.
“The DFI will be operationally and financially sustainable and would be subject to regulation and supervision by the CBN, which will enforce requirements similar to those applied to commercial banks, including strong prudential transparency and accountability standards”said Arnaud D. Dornel, Lead Financial Sector Specialist and Task Team Leader of the Project. Source
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Abortion rights claimed by undocumented immigrant
Home » Abortion rights claimed by undocumented immigrant
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is locked in a legal battle over whether it is required to facilitate an abortion for a 17-year-old illegal immigrant being held in a federally funded Texas shelter.
The administration claims it is not required to expend any resources to secure an abortion for the immigrant — known in legal documents only as Jane Doe or J.D. — including providing transportation to an abortion clinic.
But J.D., who is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, claims she has a legal right to abortion and is being “held hostage to the extreme anti-abortion views of a handful of government officials,” The New York Times reported.
“This story, to this point, really isn’t getting adequate attention,” Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. said Oct. 23 in his podcast The Briefing. “But given the issues at stake, indeed it must.”
Mohler noted the “clash of worldviews” occurring between pro-life advocates and those who claim “a constitutional right to an abortion, and furthermore, a requirement that the federal government of the United States … facilitate that abortion” for any noncitizen “who can just get to the territory of the United States.”
J.D. was apprehended by federal authorities in early September after entering the U.S. illegally as an unaccompanied minor, according to court documents. A medical examination revealed she was pregnant, and she requested an abortion.
The Department of Health and Human Services declined to let her leave the shelter to obtain an abortion, arguing that to provide accompanying staff and other resources would constitute government facilitation of abortion even though J.D. obtained private funding for the procedure.
A U.S. district judge ruled Oct. 18 the administration must transport J.D. to a facility that could terminate her pregnancy by Oct. 21. But a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned the ruling Oct. 20, ordering that the administration be given until Oct. 31 to release J.D. to a sponsor who could help her obtain an abortion on her own.
J.D.’s ALCU attorneys appealed to the full D.C. Appeals court Oct. 23, arguing “every additional day she must remain pregnant against her will places a severe strain on J.D., both physically and emotionally,” according to Politico. The ACLU also argued J.D., who is 15 weeks pregnant, soon will not be able to secure an abortion legally because Texas does not permit abortion beyond 20 weeks in most cases.
The Trump administration says, however, that illegal immigrants have no right to abortion on demand. The teen is free, the administration has written in court documents, to request a voluntary departure from the U.S. and obtain an abortion on her own.
“Any alleged ‘obstacle’ to Ms. Doe’s ability to obtain an abortion is by her own choice,” the administration stated in an Oct. 23 court filing. “She is in federal custody because she entered the United states illegally, and that custody is what she contends is blocking her ability to obtain an abortion. But Ms. Doe may elect voluntary departure to end her federal custody, which would eliminate the alleged ‘restriction’ or ‘obstacle’ of which she complains.”
The administration added, “The government need not facilitate access to abortion; it need not provide funding or ‘commit any resources to facilitating abortions’ … And the government may legitimately express a preference for childbirth over abortion, even if such a preference may have practical effects or limits on a woman’s exercise of her right to an abortion.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told The Times requiring the government to facilitate J.D.’s abortion would set “a dangerous precedent by opening our borders to any illegal children seeking taxpayer-supported, elective abortions.”
Politico reported Oct. 17 that HHS has intervened in multiple instances to steer detained, undocumented minors away from abortion, including sending them to crisis pregnancy centers. A senior HHS official, according to Politico, has personally counseled detained teens not to end their pregnancies.
The ACLU has asked a federal district judge to allow J.D.’s case to proceed as a class-action lawsuit, according to The Times, to secure a right to abortion for as many as 1,000 unaccompanied, pregnant minors who have immigrated to the U.S. and are in federal custody.
A decision is awaited by the full D.C. Appeals court on whether it will hear J.D.’s case.
— by David Roach | BP
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Inaugural NiFi Fest: Green Day, Kings of Leon & Miranda Lambert?!
Thursday, May 28, 2015, 3:53am
The Kentucky Speedway has just announced a music festival the weekend of August 28-30, and it's worth taking a serious look at with heavy hitters such as Green Day, Kings of Leon, Miranda Lambert, Brantley Gilbert, Jake Owen, Weezer, Hank Williams Jr., and more. Consequence Of Sound has called it the weirdest lineup of 2015, with artists spanning indie rock to country.. It's as if a Country talent buyer and an indie rock talent buyer booked a bunch of bands & didn't speak to each other. Bob Lefsetz wrote in his blog yesterday, "unless you're gonna do new and different, stay where you are". I would say this festival is doing exactly that. Check out the full lineup below!
[While we've got you, Enter for a pair of 3-day passes to Bunbury Music Festival next weekend HERE]
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EUBANKS v. LOUISIANA
EUBANKS v. LOUISIANA(1958)
Argued: Decided: May 26, 1958
Petitioner, a Negro, was indicted by an all-white grand jury in Louisiana for the murder of a white woman. He moved to quash the indictment on the ground that Negroes had been systematically excluded from grand juries in the parish in which he was indicted, including the grand jury which returned the indictment against him. After a hearing, his motion was overruled, and he was tried, convicted and sentenced to death. The State Supreme Court affirmed. Held: The consistent exclusion of Negroes from grand juries shown by the record in this case denied petitioner the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment, and the judgment is reversed. Pp. 585-589.
(a) When a jury selection plan, whatever it is, operates in such a way as always to result in the complete and long-continued exclusion of any representative at all from a large group of Negroes, or any other racial group, indictments and verdicts returned against them by juries thus selected cannot stand. Patton v. Mississippi, 332 U.S. 463 . P. 587.
(b) The uniform and long-continued exclusion of Negroes from grand juries shown by the record in this case cannot be attributed to chance, to accident, or to the fact that no sufficiently qualified Negroes have ever been included in the lists submitted to the various local judges for selection as grand jurors: and it seems clear that Negroes have been consistently barred from jury service because of their race. Pp. 585-588.
(c) Local tradition cannot justify failure to comply with the constitutional mandate requiring equal protection of the laws. P. 588.
232 La. 289, 94 So.2d 262, reversed and cause remanded.
Herbert J. Garon argued the cause for petitioner. With him on the brief was Leopold Stahl.
Michael E. Culligan, Assistant Attorney General of Louisiana, argued the cause for respondent. With him [356 U.S. 584, 585] on the brief were Jack P. F. Gremillion, Attorney General, and Leon D. Hubert, Jr. William P. Schuler filed an appearance for respondent.
MR. JUSTICE BLACK delivered the opinion of the Court.
In an unbroken line of cases stretching back almost 80 years this Court has held that a criminal defendant is denied the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment if he is indicted by a grand jury or tried by a petit jury from which members of his race have been excluded because of their race. 1 Our only concern here is with the application of this established principle to the facts disclosed by the record now before us.
The petitioner, a young Negro, was indicted by an all-white grand jury in the Parish of Orleans, Louisiana, for murder of a white woman. He moved to quash the indictment on the ground that Negroes had been systematically excluded from grand juries in the parish, including the grand jury which returned the indictment against him. After a hearing, his motion was overruled, and he was tried, convicted and sentenced to death. The Louisiana Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the record disclosed no discriminatory exclusion of Negroes from his grand jury, 232 La. 289, 94 So.2d 262. We granted certiorari, 355 U.S. 812 .
The method by which grand juries are selected in the parish is not controverted. A jury commission is [356 U.S. 584, 586] required to select, "impartially, from the citizens of the Parish of Orleans having the qualifications requisite to register as voters, the names of not less than seven hundred and fifty persons competent . . . to serve as jurors." 2 Twice each year the Commissioners draw the names of 75 persons from this group. The list of 75 is then submitted to one of the six judges of the local criminal court who, in rotation, choose a new grand jury of 12 every six months. 3 Obviously the judges have broad discretion in selecting from the list provided by the Commission. State v. Dorsey, 207 La. 928, 22 So.2d 273. Several of them interview a substantial number of prospective jurors before making their choice. Others, including the judge who chose the jury that indicted petitioner, testified that they usually selected on the basis of personal knowledge or reputation in the community. Petitioner does not challenge this system of choosing grand jurors, as such, but he does contend that it has been administered by the local judges so that members of the Negro race have been systematically excluded from grand jury service.
Although Negroes comprise about one-third of the population of the parish, the uncontradicted testimony of various witnesses established that only one Negro had been picked for grand jury duty within memory. And this lone exception apparently resulted from the mistaken impression that the juror was white. From 1936, when the Commission first began to include Negroes in the pool of potential jurors, until 1954, when petitioner was indicted, 36 grand juries were selected in the parish. Six or more Negroes were included in each list submitted to the local judges. Yet out of the 432 jurors selected only the single Negro was chosen. Undisputed testimony [356 U.S. 584, 587] also proved that a substantial number of the large Negro population in the parish were educated, registered to vote and possessed the qualifications required for jury service, all of which is emphasized by the fact that since 1936 the Commission has regularly selected Negroes for the grand jury panel. Indeed, Negroes have served on the federal grand jury in the parish for many years.
In Patton v. Mississippi, 332 U.S. 463, 469 , this Court declared, in a unanimous opinion, that "When a jury selection plan, whatever it is, operates in such way as always to result in the complete and long-continued exclusion of any representative at all from a large group of Negroes, or any other racial group, indictments and verdicts returned against them by juries thus selected cannot stand." This is essentially the situation here. True, the judges now serving on the local court testified generally that they had not discriminated against Negroes in choosing grand juries, and had only tried to pick the best available jurors. But as Chief Justice Hughes said for the Court in Norris v. Alabama, 294 U.S. 587, 598 , "If, in the presence of such testimony as defendant adduced, the mere general assertions by officials of their performance of duty were to be accepted as an adequate justification for the complete exclusion of negroes from jury service, the [Equal Protection Clause] - adopted with special reference to their protection - would be but a vain and illusory requirement." Compare Reece v. Georgia, 350 U.S. 85, 88 ; Hernandez v. Texas, 347 U.S. 475, 481 . This is particularly true here where several of the parish judges apparently have never even interviewed a Negro in selecting grand jurors. We are reluctantly forced to conclude that the uniform and long-continued exclusion of Negroes from grand juries shown by this record cannot be attributed to chance, to accident, or to the fact that no sufficiently qualified Negroes have ever been included in the lists submitted to the various local judges. It seems [356 U.S. 584, 588] clear to us that Negroes have been consistently barred from jury service because of their race.
It may well be, as one of the parish judges recently stated, that "the selection of grand juries in this community throughout the years has been controlled by a tradition and the general thinking of the community as a whole is under the influence of that tradition." 4 But local tradition cannot justify failure to comply with the constitutional mandate requiring equal protection of the laws. [356 U.S. 584, 589]
"A prisoner whose conviction is reversed by this Court need not go free if he is in fact guilty, for [the State] may indict and try him again by the procedure which conforms to constitutional requirements. 5 But no State is at liberty to impose upon one charged with crime a discrimination in its trial procedure which the Constitution, and an Act of Congress passed pursuant to the Constitution, alike forbid. Nor is this Court at liberty to grant or withhold the benefits of equal protection, which the Constitution commands for all, merely as we may deem the defendant innocent or guilty." Hill v. Texas, 316 U.S. 400, 406 .
The judgment of the Louisiana Supreme Court is reversed and the cause is remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.
[ Footnote 1 ] Strauder v. West Virginia, 100 U.S. 303 ; Neal v. Delaware, 103 U.S. 370 ; Gibson v. Mississippi, 162 U.S. 565 ; Carter v. Texas, 177 U.S. 442 ; Rogers v. Alabama, 192 U.S. 226 ; Martin v. Texas, 200 U.S. 316 ; Norris v. Alabama, 294 U.S. 587 ; Hale v. Kentucky, 303 U.S. 613 ; Pierre v. Louisiana, 306 U.S. 354 ; Smith v. Texas, 311 U.S. 128 ; Hill v. Texas, 316 U.S. 400 ; Akins v. Texas, 325 U.S. 398 ; Patton v. Mississippi, 332 U.S. 463 ; Cassell v. Texas, 339 U.S. 282 ; Hernandez v. Texas, 347 U.S. 475 ; Reece v. Georgia, 350 U.S. 85 .
[ Footnote 2 ] La. Rev. Stat., 1950, Tit. 15, 194.
[ Footnote 3 ] Id., 196.
[ Footnote 4 ] Louisiana v. Dowels, Crim. Dist. Ct., No. 139-324, Oct. 1952 (unreported opinion). In that case the trial judge quashed an indictment because Negroes had been systematically and intentionally excluded from parish grand juries: "Our situation in Orleans seems to be particularly vulnerable to the theory of the United States Supreme Court `that chance and accident alone can hardly explain the continuous omission of negroes from grand juries over a long period of time' because we have five and in the last four years, six courts, selecting grand juries and the record shows that notwithstanding the number of courts that select grand juries, and regardless of which court selects a grand jury, or when that court selects a grand jury, or how that court selects a grand jury, or how often one court or all courts have selected a grand jury, or over what period of time any court or all courts continue to select grand juries, the omission of negroes is consistent, constant and the same. . . . . . "While this court is conscious of its fallibility, it is firm in its opinion that this record in the Supreme Court of Louisiana or of the United States, would support no other ruling except a ruling quashing the indictment herein because of intentional and systematic exclusion of negroes from grand juries in Orleans Parish because of race and color and in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, inclusive of the grand jury that returned the indictment in this case, because that grand jury is not differentiated from the pattern of jury selection that consistently eliminated colored persons from grand juries." So far as appears this is the only instance in the parish where an indictment has been annulled because of racial discrimination.
[ Footnote 5 ] For example in Pierre v. Louisiana, 306 U.S. 354 , a Negro's conviction was reversed because members of his race had been discriminatorily excluded from the grand jury which indicted him. On remand another grand jury, this time composed in part of Negroes, was impaneled and returned a new indictment. The defendant was then tried and convicted by a petit jury which included a Negro. See State v. Pierre, 198 La. 619, 3 So.2d 895. [356 U.S. 584, 590]
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Jamari R. v. Keith B.
People v. Kiera N. (In re J.B. )
See In re M.J. , 314 Ill. App. 3d 649, 655, 247 Ill.Dec. 735, 732 N.E.2d 790 (2000) (appellate jurisdiction…
People v. Kiera N. (In re J.B.)
See In re M.J., 314 Ill. App. 3d 649, 655 (2000) (appellate jurisdiction unperfected where notice of appeal…
Full title:IN RE JAMARI R., a Minor (The People of the State of Illinois…
Court:Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, FOURTH DIVISION.
Date published: Jun 8, 2017
82 N.E.3d 109 (Ill. App. Ct. 2017)
2017 Ill. App. 160850
Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, FOURTH DIVISION.
defining laches
Summary of this case from People v. Kiera N. (In re J.B. )
See 1 Summary
No. 1-16-0850.
IN RE JAMARI R., a Minor (The People of the State of Illinois, Petitioner-Appellee, v. Keith B., Respondent-Appellant).
Elizabeth Butler, of Northbrook, for appellant. Robert F. Harris, Public Guardian, of Chicago (Kass A. Plain and Jean M. Agathen, of counsel), guardian ad litem. Anita M. Alvarez, State's Attorney, of Chicago (Alan J. Spellberg, Nancy Kisicki, and Michele Lavin, Assistant State's Attorneys, of counsel), for the People.
JUSTICE HOWSE delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.
Elizabeth Butler, of Northbrook, for appellant.
Robert F. Harris, Public Guardian, of Chicago (Kass A. Plain and Jean M. Agathen, of counsel), guardian ad litem.
Anita M. Alvarez, State's Attorney, of Chicago (Alan J. Spellberg, Nancy Kisicki, and Michele Lavin, Assistant State's Attorneys, of counsel), for the People.
¶ 1 Following the trial court's entry of an order terminating the parental rights of the father of Jamari R., the father, Keith B., appealed that decision arguing that he had not been properly served prior to appearing in the proceedings where (1) the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the State did not conduct a diligent inquiry in locating him and (2) the State's service by publication listed the incorrect last name of Jamari and Jamari's mother. For the reasons that follow, we affirm the trial court's order terminating the father's parental rights and remand this matter to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
¶ 2 BACKGROUND
¶ 3 Jamari was born on May 21, 2007. On June 1, 2007, the State filed a petition for adjudication of wardship of Jamari. In that petition, the State incorrectly spelled the minor's name as "Jabari [Spelling 1]," and incorrectly spelled the mother's name as "Shavelle [Spelling 1]" when it should have been spelled "Shavelle [Spelling 2]." The petition further stated that the father was unknown.
Throughout the course of these proceedings, the parties misspelled the minor and the mother's last names numerous times. In order to keep the minor's identity private, we will refer to the incorrect spelling of the minor and the mother's last name as "Spelling 1" and the correct spelling of the minor and mother's last name as "Spelling 2."
¶ 4 On June 1, 2007, the trial court conducted a temporary custody hearing. At that hearing, the mother's attorney informed the court and the parties that the mother's last name was "[Spelling 2]" not "[Spelling 1]." The attorney also informed the court and the parties that the child's last name was the same as the mother's last name, "[Spelling 2]." Later on during that hearing, the mother corrected the parties and the court that her son's first name was "Jamari" and not "Jabari." The parties, including the State, the mother, and the guardian ad litem (GAL), entered into a stipulation at that hearing, stating that Jamari's father's identity and whereabouts were unknown. The stipulation also indicated that Jamari, and a child that the mother gave birth to two years prior to Jamari, had both been born drug exposed and the mother had seven other minors who were or are in DCFS custody with findings of abuse or neglect. This stipulation was signed by the mother and her attorney.
¶ 5 On the same day, the trial court entered an order amending the petition for adjudication of wardship to show the correct spelling of Jamari's first and last names.
¶ 6 On June 14, 2007, an affidavit for service by publication was filed stating that the fathers of Jamari and his sibling were still unknown, so they could not be found. The caption of this affidavit had the incorrect spelling of Jamari's first and last names. On August 10, 2007, notice of the pending proceedings was printed in the Chicago Sun-Times; Jamari's name was misspelled as "Jabari [Spelling 1]" and his mother's name was misspelled as "Shavelle [Spelling 1]." This notice indicated that the adjudication hearing was set for August 24, 2007, or as soon thereafter as the case could be heard.
¶ 7 On August 24, 2007, the trial court held a status hearing on service by publication. The caseworker for the minor, Ms. Fries, stated that no one had come forth claiming to be the father. Fries also stated that she had done a Putative Father Registry search on August 17, 2014, but there were no names of fathers in the results she received on August 21, 2014. Fries stated that when she had discussed the father with the mother, "she tends to tell me unknown."
¶ 8 When the State requested a default on the unknown fathers, one of the attorneys pointed out that there was a discrepancy in the minor's name, the correct spelling of which was "Jamari [Spelling 2]" but the publication wrote "Jabari [Spelling 1]." The State then asked for the correct spelling of the minor's name, was informed that it was "Jamari [Spelling 2]," and the trial court thereafter allowed the State leave to republish the notice. A second affidavit for service by publication was filed on August 29, 2007. This affidavit included the names "Jabari" and "Jamari" in the caption, with the correct spelling of "Jamari" as an "AKA." Jamari's last name and his mother's last name were both again incorrectly spelled as "[Spelling 1]." Publication with those spellings ran in the Chicago Sun-Times on October 19, 2007.
¶ 9 At the adjudication hearing on November 2, 2007, Fries testified that she had done a Putative Father Registry search in August of that year under Jamari's name, and there were no results. An affidavit of her due diligence concerning the Putative Father Registry search was admitted into evidence without objection. Jamari's first and last names were spelled correctly in the caption of the affidavit. On the State's motion, the unknown father of Jamari was defaulted. The adjudication hearing then proceeded by stipulation. It was stipulated that Jamari's father's identity and whereabouts were unknown, Jamari had been born exposed to illegal drugs, and the mother admitted to using illegal substances while pregnant. Based on the stipulated record, the trial court found that Jamari had been neglected due to his exposure to a controlled substance and due to an injurious environment. The court also found that Jamari had been abused due to a substantial risk of physical injury based on the mother's history of noncompliance with services, lack of prenatal care, and prior findings of neglect and abuse relating to other siblings.
¶ 10 The trial court held dispositional and permanency hearings on March 20, 2008, and September 18, 2008. On September 18, 2008, the court entered an order finding the mother and unknown father of Jamari were unable to care for him. The court made Jamari a ward of the court and placed him in the guardianship of the DCFS Guardianship Administrator. After several hearings on the parents' progress towards permanency goals, the trial court entered a permanency goal of termination of parental rights (TPR) for Jamari, and this permanency goal was entered numerous times thereafter.
¶ 11 On February 19, 2014, the State filed a "Supplemental Petition for the Appointment of a Guardian with the Right to Consent to Adoption" (TPR petition). The caption for this petition named Jamari as "Jabari [Spelling 1] AKA Jamari [Spelling 1] AKA Jamari Jamiel [Spelling 2]." The mother's name was listed as "Shavelle [Spelling 2]," and the father was listed as unknown. The petition alleged that it was in Jamari's best interest for his parents' parental rights to be terminated because he had been with his foster parents since December 13, 2012, and they desired to adopt him.
¶ 12 On April 4, 2014, a hearing on the TPR petition was held. At this hearing, the mother testified in response to the State's questioning that there was no one she wanted to name as Jamari's father. The trial court then inquired further, and the mother stated that the father could be James S. or "probably" Keith B. The mother then stated that Jamari's father could not be anyone else: "Nobody else. It's going to be one or the other." The court then granted the State leave to serve Keith B. The permanency hearing continued, and the court recommended a goal of termination of parental rights, noting that Jamari was in an appropriate preadoptive home that could meet his long-term needs.
¶ 13 On June 19, 2014, the trial court entered an order for parentage testing on Keith B., and an attorney was appointed on his behalf.
¶ 14 On September 24, 2014, the trial court entered a finding that Keith B. was Jamari's father based on DNA testing. As a result, the court ordered that the TPR petition be amended to reflect Keith B. as the father.
¶ 15 On April 2, 2015, the State filed "Requests for Admissions of Facts" directed to the mother requesting that she admit that in addition to her name of "Shavelle [Spelling 2]," she used several other aliases at one time or another, including an alias with the last name "[Spelling 1]." The State also requested that the mother admit that she had convictions for four felonies, one under each of her aliases dating back to 1996.
¶ 16 On September 18, 2015, the trial court granted the State's motion to amend the TPR petition to add the ground of depravity for the father of Jamari. This motion also alleged that the father had been convicted of his fourth felony on June 29, 2015.
¶ 17 On October 8, 2015, the first hearing on the TPR petition was held. The mother was not present at this hearing, but the father was present. The father testified that he was currently housed at Danville Correctional Center. He had been incarcerated on May 10, 2013, sentenced on September 21, 2013, and was sentenced to six years at 85%. At this hearing, the State requested that the trial court take judicial notice of the adjudication order for Jamari entered on November 2, 2007, and the dispositional order entered on September 18, 2008. Further, the State's requests to admit to the mother were deemed admitted as she did not file a response.
¶ 18 Rakaia Johnson, Jamari's caseworker from March 2008 to August 2012, testified at the hearing, in relevant part, that she could not do a diligent search for Jamari's father because she did not know his name. She did perform Putative Father Registry searches, though, every six months, and no father ever popped up. No one claiming to be Jamari's father ever came forward, and Jamari's father was still unknown to her when she ceased being Jamari's caseworker in March 2012. Johnson stated that while she was assigned to the case, the mother was in jail on several occasions, and she had a difficult time keeping up with the mother because she used different aliases. With respect to the father, she testified that he had not made any progress towards reunifying with Jamari in four different nine-month periods beginning on August 13, 2009, and ending on August 16, 2012.
¶ 19 Jennifer Costello, Jamari's caseworker from August 2013 to September 2015, testified at the hearing, in relevant part, that when she was assigned the case, Jamari's father was unknown. She could not do a diligent search for the father because his name was unknown and nothing came up when she conducted a Putative Father Registry search. When Costello was assigned the case, the mother was incarcerated for retail theft, and she stated that the mother's biggest impediment to reunification was her continued arrests and incarceration.
¶ 20 Costello testified that on April 4, 2014, the mother identified Keith B. as a possible father. Keith B. was confirmed to be the father in September 2014, at which time the father was incarcerated. Costello spoke to the father via phone on January 16, 2015. The father told her that prior to the DNA testing, he had no knowledge that Jamari existed. He did not know he had a son with the mother, and he had not seen the mother in 10 years. The father told Costello that he was not in a position to be able to raise a child. During her conversation with the father, Costello performed an integrated assessment with the father and determined he would need services such as individual counseling, a substance abuse assessment, and a domestic violence assessment. The jail where the father was at that time did not have any of those services, and when the father was transferred to the Illinois Department of Correction (IDOC), the only service available was substance abuse service.
¶ 21 The father told Costello that he was not able to raise his daughter, whom he lived with before being incarcerated, much less other children. The father did not ask for visits with Jamari. While Costello was Jamari's caseworker, the father made no progress towards reunifying with Jamari, and he was not due for parole until 2020 based on an armed habitual criminal conviction. Costello testified that the father never engaged in any of his recommended services and never made progress towards reunification with Jamari while she was assigned to the case.
¶ 22 Costello testified that she had never spoken with Jamari about who his father was. Jamari's caregivers said they would do that in a therapeutic setting with Jamari's therapist. At the time of her testimony in October 2015, this had not been done.
¶ 23 An integrated assessment dated February 6, 2015, which was entered into evidence, stated that the father was 40 years old at the time Costello interviewed him. In 1995, when he was 20 years old, he moved in with a girlfriend and had two sons with her. He made his living selling drugs and his girlfriend worked. He got a drug charge and went to the penitentiary. Several years later, he had a child with another woman and that child was born in January 2010. After he broke up with that girlfriend, he and the mother became friends and "hooked up" once. After that, the father moved in with the mother of the baby girl that was born in January 2010 and remained there until the girl was six years old, when he was incarcerated again.
¶ 24 On the State's request, the trial court then admitted into evidence certified statements of conviction for the mother under four different aliases as well as four certified statements of conviction for the father. The State and the GAL then rested.
¶ 25 The father testified on his own behalf. He was residing in Danville Correctional Center and had never met Jamari. He did not know about Jamari and never put his name into the Putative Father Registry. The father testified that his 1998 drug conviction was due to being the driver in a car with someone who had narcotics. His 2002 conviction was similar in that he was "standing around the neighborhood, and [he] was doing probation." His 2003 conviction was a firearm conviction in which he was caught with a firearm at a traffic stop and served a three-year sentence. He stated that he only "hooked up" with the mother once. The father rested, and the trial court continued the matter to another day so that the mother's attorney could locate her and have her appear.
¶ 26 On October 16, 2015, the mother was present and addressed the trial court and arguments were given. The State and the GAL argued concerning unfitness. The father's attorney argued that the father had not abandoned or deserted Jamari and that he never knew he had a son with the mother. The father's attorney went on to state: "When asked by the judge, the mother denied knowing who the father was. Neither of the caseworkers ever asked the mother who the father was. No diligent search was done because no father was named." In rebuttal, the State argued that the father was in a situation of his own making and that a lot of his convictions were based on previous convictions. According to the State, the father had three other children, and no connection with any of them. Following arguments, the court found that the mother was unfit by clear and convincing evidence on five grounds. Regarding the father, the judge asked if there had been a decision in his pending appeal of a criminal conviction, as it could have a bearing on the TPR case. The judge set a hearing date of December 14, 2015, for status on the disposition of the appeal.
¶ 27 At the December 14, 2015, hearing, it was indicated that the father's release date was June 16, 2018, and that as of November 20, 2015, the appellate defender had not yet filed anything in the father's appeal. The judge stated that he would not wait for that. The court then inquired of the foster parents how Jamari was doing. The foster father reported that Jamari was doing extremely well. He was in the school choir, he had made the honor roll again, and DCFS had been very active in getting what the foster parents needed for him.
¶ 28 On February 29, 2016, another hearing was held and still nothing had been filed in the father's criminal appeal. After arguments, the judge stated that he was extremely sympathetic to the father's situation in that he had not been informed of his paternity. However, the judge stated that he would not wait any longer on the father's criminal appeal and found the father unfit.
¶ 29 A best interest hearing followed. At the hearing, Daisy Sanchez testified that she was Jamari's caseworker since September 14, 2015. Jamari had been in his current foster home for about 2½ years. His previous placement was with family members and had been disrupted because the foster parents were incarcerated. The current home was safe and appropriate, and Jamari always seemed happy and comfortable. Jamari interacted with his foster parents like a family, and Jamari was very talkative. They seemed to have a bond with each other. Jamari's older sister had been adopted, and Jamari wondered why he had not been adopted yet. He stated several times that he wanted to be adopted. Jamari had sickle-cell trait, but there had not been any flare ups since Sanchez had been assigned the case. Jamari was not on any medications at the time, and his grades and behavior in school had improved since he had been with these foster parents. Sanchez believed that it was in Jamari's best interest that parental rights be terminated.
¶ 30 The foster mother testified that Jamari had been in their home for almost 3½ years, since December 13, 2012. She was aware of Jamari's father and she was willing, when the time was appropriate, to allow contact between Jamari and his father. They planned to address this through Jamari's therapist. When the foster mother would ask Jamari about how he would feel if they found his father, Jamari said he did not want to talk about it.
¶ 31 The foster father testified about all the activities he did with Jamari. He stated that he and his wife came from big families so they understood how important family is. Jamari would need the relationship with his biological family, and they were preparing him for it. They would love to have the opportunity to allow contact between Jamari and his father. Jamari's therapist had known Jamari for about two years, and a lot of things were left up to her. They talked to the therapist about when Jamari should learn of his father. The foster parents wanted to keep the doors open between Jamari and his mother and father. The foster father testified that Jamari was happy and growing up.¶ 32 The father testified on his own behalf. He felt that he should be out of prison and testified that he had appealed his conviction because he did not meet the requirements for armed habitual criminal. He stated he was enrolled in a parenting program at Danville Correctional Center and was also in anger management. He had four other children, ranging in age from 6 to 21. He felt like he deserved to be in Jamari's life.
¶ 33 The father stated that although he wanted to be in Jamari's life, he honestly did not think it would be fair to take him from his foster home. He "rested good at night knowing [Jamari is] in good hands." The father was hoping he could be in Jamari's life, if they could stay in touch, but his hands were tied at the moment.
¶ 34 The father stated that he had no idea that he was Jamari's father until he was brought into court for this case. His relationship with the mother consisted of texting, talking on the phone a bit, and hooking up. They were not together, they just messed around.
¶ 35 Following arguments at the conclusion of the best interest hearing, the trial court found that it was in Jamari's best interest to terminate parental rights and appoint the DCFS Guardianship Administrator as Jamari's guardian with the right to consent to adoption. The court then changed Jamari's permanency goal to adoption. On February 29, 2016, the trial court judge issued a written order reflecting his oral rulings that the father was unfit based on his failure to maintain reasonable interest, concern, and responsibility, and his failure to make reasonable efforts and progress in any and all nine-month periods. The order entered a permanency goal of adoption for Jamari because his parents' parental rights had been involuntarily terminated and Jamari was in a loving preadoptive home.
¶ 36 On March 14, 2016, the father filed his notice of appeal challenging only the order entered on February 29, 2016, terminating his parental rights to Jamari. In the initial briefing to this court, the father argued service upon him was defective and the lack of effective service rendered the November 2007 and September 2008 adjudicatory and dispositional orders void; therefore, he was denied due process in the termination proceeding based on the earlier void orders, and the termination order should be reversed. The father argued that service by publication was defective because (1) DCFS and the State failed to exercise due diligence in effectuating service, (2) the publication failed to correctly identify the minor as "Jamari [Spelling 2]," and (3) the father did not waive the issue of defective service because his appearance in the matter only resulted in prospective waiver of issues relating to proper service. The father did not argue any other defects or errors in the termination order. The State and the GAL argued that all of the requirements for effective service by publication were met and even if they were not, the father waived any argument relating to service when he appeared in the matter without raising any objections to service.
¶ 37 This court filed an opinion in this case on September 30, 2016. The GAL timely filed a petition for rehearing (PFR). The primary contentions raised in the PFR were that (1) because the father's notice of appeal failed to identify the 2007 and 2008 adjudication and dispositional orders, this court lacked jurisdiction to enter a judgment finding them void for lack of personal jurisdiction and (2) if this court determines it does have jurisdiction to consider the arguments raised in the father's appeal, his challenge to the validity of the 2007 and 2008 orders for the first time on appeal is barred by the doctrine of laches . We granted the PFR and withdrew our prior opinion.
¶ 38 ANALYSIS
¶ 39 We turn first to the question of this court's jurisdiction. "[T]he only jurisdictional step in appealing a final judgment is the filing of a notice of appeal." Carroll v. Akpore , 2014 IL App (3d) 130731, ¶ 2, 387 Ill.Dec. 452, 22 N.E.3d 497. "Every final judgment in a civil case is appealable pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 301 [citation], and jurisdiction is vested in the appellate court to hear the appeal of that final judgment upon the filing of a notice of appeal." F.H. Prince & Co. v. Towers Financial Corp. , 266 Ill.App.3d 977, 981-82, 203 Ill.Dec. 940, 640 N.E.2d 1313 (1994). " Supreme Court Rule 303(b)(2) provides that a notice of appeal ‘shall specify the judgment or part thereof or other orders appealed from and the relief sought from the reviewing court.’ [Citation.] Illinois courts have held that a notice of appeal confers jurisdiction on a court of review to consider only the judgments or parts thereof specified in the notice of appeal." People v. Smith , 228 Ill.2d 95, 104, 319 Ill.Dec. 373, 885 N.E.2d 1053 (2008). While a notice of appeal is jurisdictional, it is generally accepted that such a notice is to be construed liberally. Id.
"[A]ppeals from final judgments under the Juvenile Court Act are governed by the rules applicable to civil cases." In re Janira T., 368 Ill.App.3d 883, 891, 307 Ill.Dec. 369, 859 N.E.2d 1046 (2006).
"When an appeal is taken from a specified judgment only * * * the court of review acquires no jurisdiction to review other judgments or parts thereof not so specified or not fairly to be inferred from the notice as intended to be presented for review on the appeal. If from the notice of appeal itself and the subsequent proceedings it appears that the appeal was intended, and the appellant and the appellee so understood, to have been taken from an unspecified judgment or part thereof, the notice of appeal may be construed as bringing up for review the unspecified part of the order or judgment. Such a construction would be appropriate where the specified order directly relates back to the judgment or order sought to be reviewed. Paraphrasing the language of Elfman [ Motors, Inc. v. Chrysler Corp., 567 F.2d 1252 (3rd Cir. 1997) ], the unspecified judgment is reviewable if it is a ‘step in the procedural progression leading’ to the judgment specified in the notice of appeal. [Citation.]" Burtell v. First Charter Service Corp. , 76 Ill.2d 427, 434-35, 31 Ill.Dec. 178, 394 N.E.2d 380 (1979).
¶ 40 The notice of appeal filed in this case specified the termination judgment but did not specify either the adjudication or dispositional orders. In this case, the father filed a timely notice of appeal from the judgment of the circuit court terminating his parental rights, which was a final judgment. There is no question this court has jurisdiction to review the judgment terminating the father's parental rights. The father argues the adjudication and dispositional orders are void and, therefore, may be attacked at any time, in any court, including in this appeal. The GAL argues that although a void order may be challenged at any time, an allegation of voidness alone does not give a court jurisdiction to hear the argument. Rather, the GAL argues, "[a] court must have jurisdiction in order to consider a claim of voidness." The GAL argues appellate jurisdiction over the adjudication and dispositional orders does not exist merely because those orders predate the termination order. In support of that argument, the GAL cites EMC Mortgage Corp. v. Kemp , 2012 IL 113419, 367 Ill.Dec. 474, 982 N.E.2d 152, where our supreme court held as follows:
"[A] void order can be attacked at any time by a person affected by it. [Citation.] This legal proposition, however, by itself, does not act to confer appellate jurisdiction on a reviewing court if such jurisdiction is otherwise absent. [Citation.] Rather, the rule allows a party the ability to always raise the issue of whether an order is void in an appeal where appellate jurisdiction exists and the case is properly before the court of review. [Citation.]" EMC Mortgage Corp. , 2012 IL 113419, ¶ 15, 367 Ill.Dec. 474, 982 N.E.2d 152 (citing People v. Flowers , 208 Ill.2d 291, 308, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174 (2003) ).
¶ 41 Normally, the jurisdiction of the appellate court is limited to the judgments specified in the notice of appeal and those prior orders that are "a ‘step in the procedural progression leading’ to the judgment specified in the notice of appeal. [Citation.]" Burtell , 76 Ill.2d at 434-35, 31 Ill.Dec. 178, 394 N.E.2d 380. However, an exception exists where a party collaterally attacks an allegedly void order on appeal. In People v. Thompson , 209 Ill.2d 19, 25, 282 Ill.Dec. 183, 805 N.E.2d 1200 (2004), our supreme court held that because the defendant's sentence in that case was void, "the appellate court had the authority to correct it at any time and, consequently, did not err in vacating the [void] sentences." Thompson , 209 Ill.2d at 25, 282 Ill.Dec. 183, 805 N.E.2d 1200. The Thompson court applied the rule that a sentence which does not conform to a statutory requirement is void. Id. at 24, 282 Ill.Dec. 183, 805 N.E.2d 1200. The court has recently abolished the void-sentence rule. People v. Castleberry , 2015 IL 116916, ¶ 19, 398 Ill.Dec. 22, 43 N.E.3d 932. Nonetheless, the Thompson court's discussion of the ability to attack a void order "at any time or in any court, either directly or collaterally" ( Thompson , 209 Ill.2d at 25, 282 Ill.Dec. 183, 805 N.E.2d 1200 ) did not depend on why the judgment was void. Stated differently, the court did not apply a different rule for orders that were void because they exceeded a trial court's statutory authority than it would apply for orders that were void because the trial court lacked personal or subject matter jurisdiction to enter them. See id. (citing Sarkissian v. Chicago Board of Education , 201 Ill.2d 95, 105, 267 Ill.Dec. 58, 776 N.E.2d 195 (2002) (default judgment alleged to be void for lack of personal jurisdiction due to defective service of process); Barnard v. Michael , 392 Ill. 130, 135-36, 63 N.E.2d 858 (1945) (stating rule that a judgment entered by a court which lacks jurisdiction or the inherent power to make the order is void and may be attacked at any time or in any court, but holding attack on judgment did not involve jurisdictional matters and that the time for attacking the judgment had passed); JoJan Corp. v. Brent , 307 Ill.App.3d 496, 504-05, 240 Ill.Dec. 906, 718 N.E.2d 539 (1999) (collateral attack on judicial sale was void based on lack of subject matter jurisdiction); Potenz Corp. v. Petrozzini , 170 Ill.App.3d 617, 617-18, 121 Ill.Dec. 367, 525 N.E.2d 173 (1988) (claim was that judgment in Japanese yen was void because court lacked inherent power to enter a money judgment in a foreign currency)). The Thompson court also held that an "argument that an order or judgment is void is not subject to waiver," and that "courts have an independent duty to vacate void orders and may sua sponte declare an order void." Id. at 27, 282 Ill.Dec. 183, 805 N.E.2d 1200. The Thompson court added that it had not held that "section 2-1401 is the only way in which a void order can be challenged." Id. at 29, 282 Ill.Dec. 183, 805 N.E.2d 1200.¶ 42 Further, in EMC Mortgage Corp. , the appellant attempted to appeal a nonfinal order; therefore, the appellate court did not have jurisdiction, and the case was not properly before the court. In this case, timely appeal was filed from a final order terminating the father's rights; therefore, the appellate court has jurisdiction, and the case is properly before the court. Because the appellate court has jurisdiction over the father's appeal from the order terminating his parental rights, this case is distinguishable from EMC Mortgage Corp. The EMC Mortgage Corp. court relied on our supreme court's earlier decision in Flowers for its discussion of the necessity of "an appeal where appellate jurisdiction exists." This appeal is in a different procedural posture than the appeal in Flowers , therefore that holding does not control the outcome in this case.
¶ 43 In Flowers , the defendant pled guilty, but the trial court rejected the sentence called for by the parties' agreement. Flowers , 208 Ill.2d at 295, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174. The sentence the court imposed included an order to pay restitution. Illinois Supreme Court Rule 604(d) required that before an appeal from a judgment on a plea may be taken, the defendant must either file a motion to reconsider the sentence if only the sentence were being challenged or withdraw the plea and vacate the judgment if the plea is being challenged. Id. at 296, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174 (citing Ill. S. Ct. R. 604(d) (eff. Aug. 1, 1992)). The defendant did not file a motion to reconsider the sentence or to withdraw the guilty plea and vacate the sentence. Instead the defendant proceeded directly to filing notices of appeal. Id. The appellate court dismissed the appeal on the defendant's motion, and in the interim the defendant filed a pro se petition for postconviction relief in the trial court. Id. Eventually, the attorney appointed to represent the defendant on her postconviction petition filed a motion pursuant to Rule 604(d) seeking reconsideration of the sentences imposed by the trial court in the plea proceeding. Id. at 297, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174. The trial court denied the motion to reconsider the sentence, and the defendant's court-appointed attorney filed a second set of notices of appeal and withdrew her postconviction petition. Id. A few days later, the defendant filed a third set of notices of appeal in which she stated she was appealing the denial of her " ‘Motion to Reconsider—Post Conviction Petition.’ " Id. The State moved to dismiss the appeal on the grounds the motion that defendant filed attacking the sentence was untimely and that the defendant should have filed a motion to withdraw her guilty plea and vacate the sentence under Rule 604(d). Id. at 298, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174. The appellate court rejected both arguments. Id.
¶ 44 Our supreme court began by noting that the failure to timely file a 604(d) motion "does not deprive the appellate court of jurisdiction over a subsequent appeal." Id. at 301, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174. Rather, as a general rule "the failure to file a timely Rule 604(d) motion precludes the appellate court from considering the appeal on the merits." Id. In Flowers , the court found that because the defendant had been admonished as to the requirements of Rule 604(d) and failed to timely file a motion to reconsider her sentence, she "should not have been permitted to continue with the appeals she filed * * * after sentence was imposed." Id. at 302, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174. By the time the defendant in Flowers filed a motion to reconsider, the trial court had lost jurisdiction. Id. at 303, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174. Our supreme court held that because the trial court's jurisdiction had lapsed by the time the defendant filed her motion under Rule 604(d), the appellate court had no authority to address the Rule 604(d) motion on the merits. Id. at 306, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174.
¶ 45 The court further found that even if the appellate court found the defendant's arguments meritorious, it could not have granted her relief. Id. The trial court's order on the Rule 604(d) motion, which it made at a time it lacked subject-matter jurisdiction to consider the motion, was void, and "[a] void order does not cloak the appellate court with jurisdiction to consider the merits of an appeal." Id. at 306-07, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174. Instead, "[t]he only matter properly before the appellate court was the circuit court's lack of jurisdiction over Flowers' untimely Rule 604(d) motion." Id. at 307, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174. In Flowers , "[b]ecause the appellate court went beyond the question of the [trial court's] lack of jurisdiction" over the Rule 604(d) motion, its judgment on appeal—that the motion was not deficient for failing to include a request to withdraw her guilty plea and that the trial court erred when it included restitution in the sentence—could not be sustained. Id. The trial court "had no jurisdiction to entertain that motion," so the appellate court "should simply have vacated the [trial court's] judgment and dismissed [the] appeal." Id.
¶ 46 Our supreme court found that the attack on the withholding portion of the trial court's sentencing judgment presented a "more difficult problem." Id. The defendant argued that portion of her sentence was void, and the appellate court had addressed that argument by relying on the "well-established principle of law [which holds] that a void order may be attacked at any time or in any court, either directly or collaterally." Id. at 308, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174 (citing Sarkissian , 201 Ill.2d at 103, 267 Ill.Dec. 58, 776 N.E.2d 195 ). Our supreme court found that the appellate court erred when it relied on this principle, holding:
"Although a void order may be attacked at any time, the issue of voidness must be raised in the context of a proceeding that is properly pending in the courts. If a court lacks jurisdiction, it cannot confer any relief, even from prior judgments that are void. The reason is obvious. Absent jurisdiction, an order directed at the void judgment would itself be void and of no effect.
Consistent with these principles, the appellate court is not vested with authority to consider the merits of a case merely because the dispute involves an order or judgment that is, or is alleged to be, void." Id.
Our supreme court held that the appellate court's "power attaches only upon compliance with the rules governing appeals." Id. Because Rule 604(d) is such a rule, because strict compliance with that rule "is a condition precedent to an appeal on the merits," and because the "requirements of the rule were plainly not met," our supreme court held that the appellate court "had no authority to intervene and vacate that portion of Flowers' sentence." Id. at 308-09, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174.
¶ 47 The Flowers court found that because the trial court's jurisdiction over the underlying criminal case had lapsed, the trial court had no authority to address the Rule 604(d) motion on the merits and, consequently, the appellate court "had no authority to consider the merits of her appeal from the circuit court's judgment denying [that] motion." Flowers , 208 Ill.2d at 307, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174. "That the circuit court's order was void [was] fatal to the appellate court's judgment." Id. That finding carried over to the appellate court's judgment on the allegedly void portion of the defendant's sentence because "the issue of voidness must be raised in the context of a proceeding that is properly pending in the courts." Id. at 308, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174. "[T]he appellate court is not vested with authority to consider the merits of a case merely because the dispute involves an order or judgment that is, or is alleged to be, void." (Emphasis added.) Id. In Flowers , appellate jurisdiction never attached due to noncompliance with Rule 604(d). See id. at 308-09, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174 (holding that because requirements of Rule 604(d) were "plainly not met," the appellate court had no authority to intervene and vacate the void portion of the defendant's sentence).
¶ 48 In this case, however, the father filed a timely notice of appeal from a valid, final, and appealable judgment terminating his parental rights. We also note he filed a timely notice of appeal in the same proceedings that gave rise to the allegedly void orders. See In re Abner P. , 347 Ill.App.3d 903, 908, 283 Ill.Dec. 304, 807 N.E.2d 1145 (2004) (holding that the filing of a petition to terminate parental rights does not initiate an entirely new proceeding within an existing case number). Thus, nothing in Flowers prohibits this court from considering whether the adjudication and dispositional orders are void. This court's authority properly attached to the proceedings that gave rise to the allegedly void orders, and despite the father's failure to appeal those orders, a void order may be attacked at any time, directly or collaterally in a court with jurisdiction of the parties and the subject matter. Flowers , 208 Ill.2d at 308, 280 Ill.Dec. 653, 802 N.E.2d 1174. Notably, the Thompson court also addressed its earlier holding in Flowers and held that Flowers did not compel a different conclusion in Thompson . Thompson , 209 Ill.2d at 27, 282 Ill.Dec. 183, 805 N.E.2d 1200. The Thompson court found that in contrast to Flowers , the defendant's postconviction petition was properly before the trial court and the defendant's appeal to the appellate court from the dismissal of that postconviction petition was properly before the appellate court; thus, there was "no jurisdictional impediment" to the granting of relief from the void portion of the trial court's sentencing order ( id. at 28-29, 282 Ill.Dec. 183, 805 N.E.2d 1200 ), despite the fact the petition filed in the trial court did not challenge the defendant's sentences ( id. at 21-22, 282 Ill.Dec. 183, 805 N.E.2d 1200 ). See also Castleberry , 2015 IL 116916, ¶ 11, 398 Ill.Dec. 22, 43 N.E.3d 932 (" ‘Where jurisdiction is lacking, any resulting judgment rendered is void and may be attacked either directly or indirectly at any time.’ [Citation.]").
¶ 49 Having determined this court does have jurisdiction over the adjudicatory and dispositional orders to the extent they may be void, we note that the parties argued extensively over whether those orders are in fact void because the trial court lacked personal jurisdiction over the father based on the allegedly defective service by publication. "A judgment is void (as opposed to voidable) only if the court that entered it lacked jurisdiction." People v. Raczkowski , 359 Ill.App.3d 494, 496-97, 296 Ill.Dec. 39, 834 N.E.2d 596 (2005). We review de novo the legal question of whether a trial court obtained personal jurisdiction. In re Detention of Hardin , 238 Ill.2d 33, 39, 342 Ill.Dec. 555, 932 N.E.2d 1016 (2010).
¶ 50 We must first address the issue of whether laches applies to the father's challenge in this case because if the claim is barred by laches there may be no need for us to determine whether the adjudication and dispositional orders are void for lack of personal jurisdiction. In re Adoption of Miller , 106 Ill.App.3d 1025, 1030, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611 (1982). The In re Adoption of Miller court held that because it found that the father's petition was barred by laches , "it is unnecessary to determine whether the adoption judgment was void or merely voidable." Id. In Pyle v. Ferrell , 12 Ill.2d 547, 147 N.E.2d 341 (1958) (cited in In re Adoption of Miller ), the plaintiff sought equitable relief from a tax sale "on the theory that the tax deed * * * was void for various incidents of nonconformance with the statutory requirements for the issuance of a valid tax deed." Pyle , 12 Ill.2d at 551-52, 147 N.E.2d 341. The defendant denied the invalidity of the deed and also "affirmatively defended on the ground of laches " and other grounds. Id. at 552, 147 N.E.2d 341. The lower court did not pass on the issue of whether the tax deed was void but dismissed the complaint on the ground the plaintiff had been guilty of laches . Id. Our supreme court agreed and held that the circuit court properly found the plaintiff guilty of laches without addressing whether the tax deed was void. See id. at 555-56, 147 N.E.2d 341. In Slatin's Properties, Inc. v. Hassler , 53 Ill.2d 325, 291 N.E.2d 641 (1972) (also cited in In re Adoption of Miller ), the plaintiff sought to quiet title to several vacant lots. Hassler , 53 Ill.2d at 326, 291 N.E.2d 641. The defendants argued the plaintiff was barred from maintaining the action by section 7 of the Limitations Act, which provided as follows: " ‘Whenever a person having color of title, made in good faith, to vacant and unoccupied land, shall pay all taxes legally assessed thereon for seven successive years, he or she shall be deemed and adjudged to be the legal owner of said vacant and unoccupied land, to the extent and according to the purport of his or her paper title. * * *’ Ill. Rev. Stat. 1965, ch. 83, par. 7." Hassler , 53 Ill.2d at 328, 291 N.E.2d 641. The courts construed section 7 "as requiring that the person having color of title made in good faith and thereafter paying the legally assessed taxes for seven successive years must also take possession of the property." Id. The Hassler court found that the defendants had not exercised sufficient acts of possession of the property. Id. at 328-29, 291 N.E.2d 641. Nonetheless, the defendants also argued that the plaintiff was precluded from instituting suit because plaintiff was barred by laches . Id. at 329, 291 N.E.2d 641. Our supreme court agreed and held that the plaintiff was barred by laches from asserting any claims to the premises in question. Id. at 331, 291 N.E.2d 641.
¶ 51 The GAL argues that the legal doctrine of laches applies to prevent the father from objecting to personal jurisdiction in this case. The father argues that the GAL forfeited its laches argument in the PFR by failing to raise it during the initial appeal.
¶ 52 In response to the father's forfeiture argument, the GAL replies only that forfeiture is a limitation on the parties, not the court, and we may choose to exercise our discretion to entertain this argument. This court has held that the rule that points not argued are waived and shall not be raised on petition for rehearing is a limitation on the parties and not the court. A.J. Maggio Co. v. Willis , 316 Ill.App.3d 1043, 1048, 250 Ill.Dec. 376, 738 N.E.2d 592 (2000). "Even though an issue is waived, we may address it based on our obligation to achieve a just result and maintain a uniform body of precedent." Country Mutual Insurance Co. v. Hagan , 298 Ill.App.3d 495, 507, 232 Ill.Dec. 433, 698 N.E.2d 271 (1998). See also Mellon v. Coffelt , 313 Ill.App.3d 619, 626, 246 Ill.Dec. 422, 730 N.E.2d 102 (2000) ("In this case, we believe that it is in the interest of justice to consider the enumerated challenges to the statute, and we note that we are able to do so without the aid of cogent appellate argument. Therefore, we choose to address this issue, waiver notwithstanding."). This court will relax forfeiture rules when important issues that are indispensable to a just resolution of the appeal before the court are involved. For the following reasons, we find that the GAL's laches argument raises an important issue that merits relaxation of the forfeiture rule.
¶ 53 "The laches doctrine may be invoked to preclude the assertion of parental rights. ( In Re Miller (1980), 84 Ill.App.3d 199, 202, 405 N.E.2d 25, 39 Ill.Dec. 577 ; Rodriguez v. Koschny (1978), 57 Ill.App.3d 355, 360-362, 373 N.E.2d 47, 14 Ill.Dec. 916, 373 N.E.2d 47.)" In re Adoption of Miller , 106 Ill.App.3d at 1030, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611. The In re Adoption of Miller court stated the rationale for applying the doctrine of laches to adoption judgments as follows:
"The adoption decree is sui generis because it closely concerns the life of someone other than the contending parties, the child. A rule that an individual's right to set aside a judgment entered without jurisdiction over him cannot be cut off by lapse of time (assuming there is such a rule) does not and should not apply to the case where interests exist superior to those of the party whose rights are terminated. [Citations.]" (Internal quotation marks omitted.) Id. at 1030-31, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611.
¶ 54 Consideration of whether laches applies is indispensable to a just resolution of this appeal because of the superior interests involved. Further, the In re Adoption of Miller court stated that "[t]he issue of laches does not have to be decided after a trial on the merits but may properly be determined on a motion to dismiss if its applicability appears from the face of the complaint or by affidavits submitted with the motion." Id. at 1032, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611. The fact we may determine the issue of laches from the face of the pleadings before us also weighs in favor of relaxing the forfeiture rule to consider the GAL's laches argument. See Coffelt , 313 Ill.App.3d at 626, 246 Ill.Dec. 422, 730 N.E.2d 102 (addressing issue, forfeiture notwithstanding, in part because the court was able to do so without the aid of appellate argument). Therefore, we find that the GAL has not forfeited the argument that, in this case, the legal doctrine of laches applies to prevent the father from objecting to personal jurisdiction.
¶ 55 "Illinois cases recognize that even if service of process is defective an attack on a decree may be barred by laches. [Citation.] It is a basic to the laches doctrine that a complainant may be barred when, after ascertaining the facts, he fails promptly to seek redress." Rodriguez , 57 Ill.App.3d at 361-62, 14 Ill.Dec. 916, 373 N.E.2d 47. The Koschny court had found no Illinois authority which, to date, had applied the doctrine of laches to preclude the assertion of parental rights. Id. at 360-61, 373 N.E.2d 47, 14 Ill.Dec. 916, 373 N.E.2d 47. But the court found that "the circumstances of this case illustrate the reasonable need to apply that equitable principle to prevent a serious disruption of a stable family unit." Id. at 361, 373 N.E.2d 47, 14 Ill.Dec. 916, 373 N.E.2d 47. That case involved a mother who refrained from seeking legal enforcement of her parental rights over a nine-year period. Id. at 362, 373 N.E.2d 47, 14 Ill.Dec. 916, 373 N.E.2d 47. By the time the mother did enforce her rights, the court found that the case "now involves not an infant but a 12-year-old child and his adoptive parents who have lived with him in a family relationship for a dozen years." Id. at 361, 373 N.E.2d 47, 14 Ill.Dec. 916, 373 N.E.2d 47.
¶ 56 In In re Adoption of Miller , the natural father of a minor child sought to vacate a judgment of adoption alleging that service by publication in adoption proceedings was defective. In re Adoption of Miller , 106 Ill.App.3d at 1029, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611. Almost one year after the judgment for adoption was entered, the father appeared in court on an emergency motion for visitation. Id. at 1027, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611. The father, who was represented by counsel, was presented with a copy of the judgment for adoption at that time. Id. "[A]pproximately 21 months after Miller and his counsel learned of the adoption judgment, Miller filed a petition for leave to examine the file in the adoption case, alleging that as [the] father he was not served with summons at his then residence * * *." Id. The adoptive parents argued, in part, that the petition to vacate the adoption judgment "should be dismissed on grounds of laches in that Miller and his attorney were informed of the adoption judgment in open court * * *, yet did not file a petition to vacate that judgment until almost 21 months later." Id. at 1027-28, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611. The trial court found that service was defective, but the father had not shown due diligence in filing a petition for relief from judgment. Id. at 1029, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611.
¶ 57 On appeal, the father argued the judgment for adoption was void ab initio and since a void judgment may be attacked at any time, he did not have to demonstrate due diligence under the statute governing petitions for relief from judgment. Id. The adoptive parents countered that the adoption judgment was merely voidable and, thus, the father had to show due diligence in challenging it. Id. This court found that the time limitations in the statute on petitions for relief from judgment do not apply to a party raising the issue of lack of jurisdiction. Id. at 1030, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611. "Nevertheless, while the strictures of section 72 [ (now section 2-1401) ] do not apply, the equitable defense of laches may be interposed to an attack on a void judgment." Id.
¶ 58 To establish the defense of laches , a party must show that there was unreasonable delay in bringing the action and that the delay materially prejudiced him. Id. at 1033, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611. The father argues that laches does not apply in this case because the adoption has not been finalized. The father relies on this court's decision in In re M.B. , 235 Ill.App.3d 352, 176 Ill.Dec. 454, 601 N.E.2d 1152 (1992), which he contends held that laches cannot apply in cases where the adoption was not finalized. The GAL, in reply to the father's argument, asserts that the decision in In re M.B. actually lends support to its argument. We disagree with the father's interpretation of the decision in In re M.B. That case involved an appeal of a trial court order granting a petition pursuant to section 2-1401 to vacate a finding of neglect and adjudication of wardship and an order appointing a legal guardian. Id. at 354, 176 Ill.Dec. 454, 601 N.E.2d 1152. The court held that the trial court had not abused its discretion in granting the 2-1401 petition or in finding that misrepresentations by the legal guardian tolled the time for the parents to file the petition more than two years after the guardianship order. Id. at 379, 176 Ill.Dec. 454, 601 N.E.2d 1152. The appellants in that case argued that the 2-1401 petition was barred by the doctrine of laches . Id. at 380, 176 Ill.Dec. 454, 601 N.E.2d 1152. The court held that "in view of the fraudulent concealment * * *, the laches doctrine is not applicable here." Id. The court noted that:
"Furthermore, in cases where laches operated to preclude the assertion of parental rights, adoptions had occurred and the doctrine of laches was applied to preserve the stability of the family unit. [Citations.] By way of contrast, [the legal
guardian] did not adopt M.B.; rather, she provided him with what essentially was a foster home. Furthermore, the parents' delay in this case will not disrupt or materially prejudice any stable family relationship, because M.B. no longer lives with [the legal guardian]. He currently resides at the Boys' Hope facility in Evanston, where he is doing well. We decline to apply the doctrine of laches here." Id. at 380-81, 176 Ill.Dec. 454, 601 N.E.2d 1152.
¶ 59 The foregoing statement in In re M.B. is hardly a ruling that laches does not apply to cases pending under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 ( 705 ILCS 405/1-1 et seq. (West 2012)) or that laches cannot apply in cases where the adoption was not finalized, as the father claims. Notably, the In re M.B. court stated that "the parents' delay in this case will not disrupt or materially prejudice any stable family relationship, because M.B. no longer lives with [the guardian]." (Emphasis added.) Id. at 381, 176 Ill.Dec. 454, 601 N.E.2d 1152. It is evident the court would have considered the minor child's family relationship with the legal guardian had the minor still resided with her, regardless of whether the adoption had been completed. There is no language in In re M.B. restricting the application of the doctrine of laches in the way the father suggests. We reject the father's argument laches does not apply based on the procedural posture of this case.
¶ 60 The GAL argues the father failed to raise the issue of personal jurisdiction for almost two years after he was identified as the father and was appointed counsel, that delay was unreasonable, and "the stability of 9-year-old Jamari's life * * * will unquestionably be disrupted by [the father's] long-delayed challenge to personal jurisdiction"; therefore, laches applies. We agree.
"Laches has been defined as ‘such neglect or omission to assert a right, taken in conjunction with a lapse of time of more or less duration and other circumstances causing prejudice to an adverse party, as will operate to bar relief in equity.’ [Citation.] The existence of laches ‘depends on whether, under all circumstances of a particular case, a plaintiff is chargeable with want of due diligence in failing to institute proceedings before he did.’ [Citation.]" In re Adoption of Miller , 106 Ill.App.3d at 1030, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611.
In this case, the trial court appointed counsel to represent the father on June 19, 2014. The first hearing on the TPR petition was held on October 8, 2015, and the father was present at that hearing. At that hearing, the State requested that the court take judicial notice of the adjudication order for Jamari entered on November 2, 2007, and the dispositional order entered on September 18, 2008. The trial court continued the matter to December 14, 2015, for status on the disposition of the father's appeal of a criminal conviction. The court terminated the father's parental rights on February 29, 2016. The court found that Jamari was in a loving preadoptive home, where he had been since December 2012. As the GAL points out, the father was a party to the proceedings for over 1½ years before the trial court terminated his parental rights. If we were to construe the notice of appeal as the father's first assertion of the trial court's lack of jurisdiction, the lapse of time approaches two years during which the father could have attacked the trial court's lack of personal jurisdiction but did not. Throughout the period the father was a party to these proceedings and failed to challenge the court's jurisdiction, and longer, Jamari has been in a stable family environment with foster parents who wish to adopt him.
¶ 61 Based on the foregoing we find that the father is chargeable with want of due diligence in asserting the trial court's lack of personal jurisdiction over him for the adjudication and dispositional orders. In In re Miller , 84 Ill.App.3d 199, 39 Ill.Dec. 577, 405 N.E.2d 25 (1980), the natural father filed a petition to vacate an order appointing the minor's grandfather as her guardian. Id. at 200, 405 N.E.2d 25, 39 Ill.Dec. 577. The father filed his petition almost three years after the trial court entered the guardianship order. Id. The mother testified that she had informed the father that her parents had been appointed guardians a few months after the guardianship proceeding was completed. Id. at 202, 405 N.E.2d 25, 39 Ill.Dec. 577. The father had not been served with a summons, but notice by publication was given in a local newspaper. Id. at 200, 405 N.E.2d 25, 39 Ill.Dec. 577. The trial court found that the notice by publication was defective but the father had not timely filed his petition to vacate. Id. at 202, 405 N.E.2d 25, 39 Ill.Dec. 577. On appeal, the court found that "if [a] parent has actual knowledge of the facts and fails to promptly seek redress, the doctrine of laches will bar an attack upon the decree." Id. The appellate court affirmed the trial court's judgment denying the father's petition "in view of the failure of [the father] to assert his rights, of which the court found he had knowledge, and in view of the lapse of time." Id. at 203, 405 N.E.2d 25, 39 Ill.Dec. 577.
¶ 62 Here, there is no disputed question of fact that the father knew of the adjudication and dispositional orders. Cf. id. The father, represented by counsel, participated in the termination proceedings with knowledge that the adjudication and dispositional orders were prerequisites to termination proceedings. The father had actual knowledge of the adjudication and dispositional orders yet failed to take any steps to challenge them for almost two years. In In re Adoption of Miller , the court found the father's explanation for his delay in attacking the judgment for adoption—that the father was a " ‘traveling man,’ " did not have the money to start right away, and " ‘it was inconvenient and one thing or another’ "—insufficient to warrant the relief requested. In re Adoption of Miller , 106 Ill.App.3d at 1031, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611 (citing In re Adoption of Rayborn , 32 Ill.App.3d 913, 915, 337 N.E.2d 296 (1975) ). The father in this case has offered no explanation for his delay. Based on the father's knowledge of the orders and the absence of any legal disability or duress (see id. ), we find the father's delay in attacking the adjudication and dispositional orders was unreasonable.
¶ 63 The application of laches requires both delay and prejudice. See generally People ex rel. Alvarez v. Gaughan , 2016 IL 120110, ¶ 14, 410 Ill.Dec. 890, 72 N.E.3d 276. "In the case of an adoption the potential of prejudice is greater because the delay affects not only the immediate parties but also the child." In re Adoption of Miller , 106 Ill.App.3d at 1033, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611. In In re Adoption of Miller , the court found that:
"[I]t would be extremely prejudicial to the stability of the family life Tashyna has enjoyed to permit the natural father to wait almost two years after he learned of the adoption to attack it. As one court has observed, ‘[p]robably in no other area of the law is the desirability of finality of determination greater than that which obtains in the field of adoption of children.’ [Citation.] To allow Miller to challenge the judgment of adoption 21 months after he discovered it and more than 5½ years after he last saw
Tashyna would unquestionably disrupt the tranquility of a family unit which now involves not an infant but an eight-year-old child and her adoptive parents with whom she has lived during her critically significant formative years. We decline to do so." Id. at 1033, 62 Ill.Dec. 585, 436 N.E.2d 611.
In Koschny , the court found that the prejudice was "quite obvious" where the adoptive parents had "assumed the parental responsibilities of caring, feeding, clothing and sheltering the child" for a substantial period of time. Koschny , 57 Ill.App.3d at 362, 14 Ill.Dec. 916, 373 N.E.2d 47. Although the period in Koschny was admittedly longer than the time Jamari has been with his preadoptive family, Jamari has been in a stable family relationship for more than two years, which continues to be disrupted by these proceedings. Cf. In re M.B. , 235 Ill.App.3d at 380-81, 176 Ill.Dec. 454, 601 N.E.2d 1152. "Disruption of the continuity of relationship between the child and his ‘psychological parents' is almost certain to adversely affect the child's development." Koschny , 57 Ill.App.3d at 362, 14 Ill.Dec. 916, 373 N.E.2d 47.
¶ 64 In this case, the tranquility of Jamari's life and family unit has been disrupted by the lack of finality. Jamari's caseworker testified that Jamari seems happy and comfortable in his home but wondered why he had not been adopted yet. Moreover, the father admits that although he wants to be a part of his son's life, he is not capable of caring for Jamari and does not want to disrupt Jamari's life with his foster parents. We decline to continue to subject Jamari and his family to this state of limbo where the father has not asserted a justification for his delay in challenging the trial court's jurisdiction after he became a party to these proceedings. Further delaying resolution of his permanent placement would be detrimental to Jamari's welfare. We hold that the father is barred by laches from challenging the adjudication and dispositional orders.
¶ 65 Because the father's belated attack on the trial court's jurisdiction to enter the adjudication and dispositional orders is barred by laches , we have no need to determine whether the orders are void because service by publication in this case was defective. As the father offered no other argument attacking the propriety of the order terminating his parental rights, the trial court's judgment is affirmed.
¶ 66 CONCLUSION
¶ 67 For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the circuit court of Cook County is affirmed.
¶ 68 Affirmed.
Justices McBride and Burke concurred in the judgment and opinion.
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Almost Holy
November 27, 2016 By Joel Mayward
MPAA Rating: R | Rating: ★★★½
Genre: Documentary, Foreign, Spiritual Director: Steve Hoover
Imagine the premise for the documentary The Overnighters, but instead of a local pastor helping blue collar workers during an economic crisis, this is a local pastor helping drug-addicted homeless children in a living hell. Such is Almost Holy, a documentary centered on the ministry of Gennadiy Mokhnenko, a Ukrainian Pentecostal pastor who runs a youth rehabilitation center in his town, Mariupol. Living in the post-Soviet era of political and economic collapse, scores of young people found themselves addicted to drugs and alcohol. Gennadiy literally drags them off the street and into his Pilgrim Republic center in order to get them sober, a sort of vigilante youth worker both cleaning up both the streets and the lives of young people.
Blunt, passionate, and clearly not camera-shy, Gennadiy comes across as a mix between Rachel Cooper from The Night of the Hunter and an MMA fighter. The film repeatedly cuts to a Russian stop-motion cartoon about a crocodile–also named Gennadiy–who takes care of children while trying to outwit his foe, a cranky old woman bent on deceiving and harming kids. The parallels are apt, and Gennadiy (the man) often refers to himself as “Pastor Crocodile.” He’s a family man, married with children of his own, as well as a dozen adoptees he wholly considers his kids. Filmmaker Steve Hoover’s seems less interested on critiquing or analyzing Gennadiy’s motives or efforts, instead simply showing the grim realities of what the pastor is facing in Ukraine. And “grim” doesn’t quite suffice to describe the situation–abuse, addiction, sexual deviance, poverty, illiteracy and lack of education, abandonment from parents, and a broken justice system are all present, with very little resources for solving any of these problems. Why is Gennadiy doing what he’s doing? Because nobody else is.
The film is very loosely structured, almost like a string of montages and scenes somewhat held together chronologically by a centering element of Gennadiy preaching to a women’s prison. During the course of his sermon/pep talk to the prisoners, the film cuts to footage of the stories he is describing: the death of a young boy due to blood poisoning; a deaf, mentally-ill woman being sexually abused by her suitor, living in a shack; a young girl Gennadiy takes from her alcoholic mother due to neglect and abuse. The chosen style of blurred, shallow focus and montage-like edits make it all feel a bit scattered, like a fever dream or living nightmare. The tilt-shift blurred edges of many scenes is an interesting artistic choice, one which I honestly found distracting and unnecessary. Watching Almost Holy essentially ruined the rest of my day–seeing such depravity and real-life horrors, many of which involve children, is simply heartbreaking. The film concludes with more of Ukraine’s social unrest as Russia invades Crimea and Gennadiy’s own city becomes a center for violence and revolution. When the entire country seems to be falling apart, how does one do the right thing for one’s community?
But is Gennadiy doing the right thing? His tactics don’t seem to go outside of the boundaries of the law. This isn’t Machine Gun Preacher; he isn’t killing anyone or enacting full-on vigilante justice. He often simply confronts people with the depravity of their choices, shaming them into repentance, telling them, “We all see you, and we’re sick of it.” (One of his social protests calling for the removal of a controversial drug from pharmacies was called “Sick of It.”) For instance, he drags the boy with blood poisoning into the middle of a crowded room of other youth, a living example of the destructive nature of drug addiction. In another scene, he confronts pharmacists who have been selling medications illegally to youth addicts, calling them out on their behavior and threatening legal action if they do not stop. With Hoover’s cameras present, they wear their shame on their downcast countenances. In yet another confrontation, Gennadiy takes a man who has been soliciting children for sexual favors and drags him into the police station, the man bleeding from his face at the treatment of Gennadiy and his companions. The accused man points out that Gennadiy is a pastor–he’s supposed to be holy, not bashing people’s faces in. Gennadiy only quips, “almost holy.” Is this the right course of action? Hoover doesn’t comment, leaving the filmgoer to make their own decision about the character and practices of Gennadiy. Pastor, father, vigilante, social justice advocate: in a world of injustice, perhaps he’s just a good-hearted crocodile.
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The Battle of Chattanooga: Orchard Knob
November 23, 2018 WalterCoffey Military, Tennessee One comment
November 23, 1863 – Major General Ulysses S. Grant began efforts to break his Federals out of Chattanooga by assaulting forward Confederate positions at the base of Missionary Ridge.
By this date, Grant was finally ready to break the two-month siege of Chattanooga, conducted by General Braxton Bragg’s Army of Tennessee. According to Grant’s plan:
Major General William T. Sherman’s Federals would launch the main attack on the Confederate right on Missionary Ridge, north of Chattanooga
Major General George H. Thomas’s Federals would demonstrate against the Confederate center from within Chattanooga
Major General Joseph Hooker’s Federals would await developments in front of Lookout Mountain, southwest of Chattanooga
As the day began, Sherman’s three divisions, along with one of Thomas’s divisions, were still on their way to their attack positions.
Meanwhile, Major General Bushrod R. Johnson’s Confederate division was moving off Missionary Ridge, having been ordered by Bragg to board trains at Chickamauga Station and reinforce Lieutenant General James Longstreet’s Confederates laying siege to Knoxville, to the northeast. Major General Patrick R. Cleburne’s division was to follow, leaving Missionary Ridge virtually undefended.
Confederate deserters soon filtered into the Federal lines and claimed that their comrades on Missionary Ridge were retreating. When Grant received this news, he wrote, “The truth or falsity of the deserters should be ascertained at once. If he is really falling back, Sherman can commence at once laying his pontoon trains, and we can save a day.”
Major General George H. Thomas | Image Credit: Histmag.org
But when Grant learned that Sherman was not yet ready to attack, he directed Thomas to proceed against the Confederate center anyway. Thomas deployed two divisions of Major General Gordon Granger’s IV Corps, supported by XI Corps under Major General Oliver O. Howard. These Federals, totaling about 14,000 men, were to conduct a “reconnaissance in force” on Orchard Knob, a 100-foot-high foothill on Missionary Ridge, in the front-center of the Confederate line.
Granger’s two divisions, led by Major General Philip Sheridan and Brigadier General Thomas J. Wood, assembled in full military dress as if to conduct a formal review about a mile in front of the Confederates’ forward line. Grant, Thomas, Granger, Howard, and Assistant Secretary of War Charles Dana watched the “parade” from Fort Wood, in the Federal rear.
The Confederates, part of Major General John C. Breckinridge’s corps, came out of their defenses to watch what they thought was a “military pageant.” Breckinridge watched with Bragg from atop Missionary Ridge. As the Federals moved across the open plain toward the Confederate line, Bragg dismissed the movement as a review. Breckinridge said, “General Bragg, in about 15 minutes, you are going to see the damnedest review you ever saw. I am going to my command.” Still skeptical, Bragg nevertheless wrote Cleburne, who was loading his troops on trains at Chickamauga Station, to “halt such portions of your command as have not yet left at Chickamauga.”
At 1:30 p.m., an hour after the “parade” began, a cannon fired from Fort Wood signaling the Federals to charge the enemy line. They advanced without artillery support to further deceive the Confederates into complacency. The Confederates hurried back to their defenses, but as the Federals came on, each defense line collapsed into the next until the Confederates were pushed all the way back up Missionary Ridge.
The Federals planted their flag on Orchard Knob around 3 p.m. Thomas notified T.J. Wood via signalman, “You have gained too much to withdraw. Hold your position and I will support you.” Major General Francis P. Blair, Jr.’s division advanced on the Federal left and XI Corps came up on the right to secure the line. This enabled Thomas to bring his entire army (i.e., the Federal center) up to the foot of Missionary Ridge.
General Braxton Bragg | Image Credit: Wikimedia.org
Bragg sent another, more urgent, message to Cleburne: “We are heavily engaged. Move rapidly to these headquarters.” At least 5,000 Confederates of Johnson’s division and part of Cleburne’s had already left for Knoxville, but at least Bragg still had the remaining 6,000 to come back and defend his right. Had Grant waited another day to advance, those 6,000 would have been gone as well.
Bragg had initially believed that the real Federal threat would be to his left at Lookout Mountain, but now he realized that the Federals planned to attack his right. He therefore ordered Lieutenant General William Hardee to pull his entire corps off Lookout Mountain except for Major General Carter L. Stevenson’s lone division.
Stevenson argued that he lacked the manpower and knowledge of the terrain to put up an adequate defense in case of attack. Bragg assured him that he would send reinforcements if Stevenson needed them, but Stevenson most likely would not since the main attack would probably come against the Confederate right. Bragg positioned Cleburne’s returning troops on the extreme right, near Tunnel Hill.
Grant moved his headquarters to Orchard Knob and modified his strategy based on this day’s unexpected success. He had initially planned to launch his main attack against the Confederate right, but now he ordered Hooker (with Brigadier General Peter J. Osterhaus’s division of Sherman’s army) to demonstrate against and possibly capture Lookout Mountain on the Confederate left. This would enable Hooker’s Federals to enter Rossville Gap and threaten the Confederate rear.
Catton, Bruce, The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War (New York: American Heritage Publishing Co., 1960), p. 436-37; CivilWarDailyGazette.com; Crocker III, H.W., The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War (Washington: Regnery Publishing, 2008), p. 80-81; Denney, Robert E., The Civil War Years: A Day-by-Day Chronicle (New York: Gramercy Books, 1992 [1998 edition]), p. 344; Fredriksen, John C., Civil War Almanac (New York: Checkmark Books, 2007), p. 374-75; Korn, Jerry, The Fight for Chattanooga: Chickamauga to Missionary Ridge (Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1983), p. 117-55; Linedecker, Clifford L. (ed.), The Civil War A to Z (Ballantine Books, 2002), p. 33-35, 65-67, 182; Long, E.B. with Long, Barbara, The Civil War Day by Day (New York: Da Capo Press, Inc., 1971), p. 436; Stanchak, John E., Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War (New York: Harper & Row, 1986, Patricia L. Faust ed.), p. 133, 445-47, 498-99, 547
Army of the CumberlandBraxton BraggBushrod R. JohnsonCarter L. StevensonChattanooga CampaignGeorge H. ThomasJohn C. BreckinridgeJoseph HookerPatrick R. CleburnePhilip SheridanThomas J. WoodUlysses S. GrantWilliam T. Sherman
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Text Only Help Site Map
H.R. 2647 - Ak-Chin Water Use Amendments Act
(Shadegg (R) AZ)
The Administration opposes H.R 2647, which would amend the Ak-Chin Water Settlement Act of 1984 to permit the Ak-Chin Indian Community in Arizona to lease its off-reservation water for more than 100 years. The Administration supports the efforts of the Ak-Chin to market its water. However, the bill does not address the core issues which concern the State's regulatory restrictions on the time frame for the tribe's leasing contracts. Further, H.R. 2647 would have serious implications for Indian trust resources generally.
Under current law, the Tribe is authorized to lease its off-reservation water for leases not to exceed 100 years (which is fully consistent with other statutes limiting temporary conveyances of trust properties). Arizona regulations are being interpreted to require lease terms potentially much longer than that. H.R. 2647 would authorize the Tribe to renew or extend its leases without restriction as to the number of renewals or length of years. This diminishes the value of the water and could lead to de facto alienation of trust resources. In addition, the bill includes directive language that would place serious limitations on the Secretary of the Interior's discretion in leasing trust resources, and on compliance with environmental laws.
The Administration believes this legislation is not necessary and would prefer to work with the State, the Tribe, and other interested parties to negotiate a solution that will ensure the Ak-Chin Community the benefits of its water rights settlement, and provide a proper balance between state regulatory authority and federal law governing trust resources.
The Budget | Legislative Information | Management Reform/GPRA | Grants Management
Financial Management | Procurement Policy | Information & Regulatory Policy
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HR 3874 -- 07/20/98 OMB Home EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
H.R. 3874 - Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization
Amendments of 1998
Reps. Castle (R) DE and Riggs (R) CA
The Administration supports House passage of H.R. 3874. The bill would reauthorize appropriations, through FY 2003, for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); the Summer Food Service Program; the Farmers Market Nutrition Program; the Nutrition Education and Training Program; and State administrative support for the School Lunch Program. In addition, H.R. 3874 would make various amendments to the Child Nutrition and School Lunch Acts, including protections against WIC fraud and abuse and expansions of the summer and after-school nutrition programs. The Administration believes that the Federal nutrition programs are critical to ensuring the health and well-being of our Nation's children.
The Administration, however, opposes the bill's provision on criminal forfeiture, which is both flawed and unworkable. The Administration will work to delete this provision as the bill continues through the legislative process.
H.R. 3874 would affect direct spending and receipts; therefore, it is subject to the pay-as-you-go requirement of the Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act of 1990. The Office of Management and Budget's scoring of the bill is currently under development. Preliminary estimates suggest the bill could have pay-as-you-go costs associated with it. The Administration will work with the Congress to address this issue.
The Budget Legislative Information Management Reform/GPRA Grants Management Financial Management Procurement Policy Information & Regulatory Policy Contact the White House Web Master
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How Federal R&D Investments Drive U.S. Economic Prosperity And Productivity THE WHITE HOUSE
Contact: 202/456-6108 June 15, 2000
NEW COMPREHENSIVE STATE-BY-STATE REPORT DETAILS HOW FEDERAL
R&D INVESTMENTS DRIVE U.S. ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND PRODUCTIVITY
“Our passion for discovery, our determination to explore new scientific frontiers, and our can-do spirit of technological innovation have always driven this Nation forward. This report provides concrete evidence that sustained investments in research can ensure that America remains at the forefront of scientific capability, thereby enhancing our ability to shape a more prosperous future for ourselves, our children, and future generations while building a better America for the twenty-first century.”
The Federal government invests over $80 billion in research and development each year. Our partners in the national S&T enterprise – industry and academia – have roots in virtually every community across the nation. That is where we put Federal R&D investments to work. We have long known that publicly-funded R&D activities have enormous payoffs at the national level. These investments enable our nation to compete successfully in the global marketplace, protect our environment and manage our natural resources in a sustainable manner, safeguard our national security from emerging threats, and spur the technological innovation that has contributed so much to our economic prosperity and quality of life.
We see the fruits of Federal R&D innovation every day. Many of the products and services we have come to depend on for our way of life in America – the Internet, the Global Positioning System (GPS), lasers, computers, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), teflon and other advanced materials and composites, communications satellites, jet aircraft, microwave ovens, solar-electric cells, modems, semiconductors, storm windows, genetic medicine and biotechnology, and many others – are the products of Federal R&D investments made over the past 50 years. These innovations also mean jobs and economic prosperity for America.
This unique report provides clear evidence of the payoffs that R&D investments have at the state and local level, as well as how they ripple through regional and local economies and spur the growth of high technology start-up companies and improvements in local schools.
Research and Development in the 50 States. At the request of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, RAND has prepared the most comprehensive and detailed information to date on the nature, magnitude, and location of the individual activities that comprise the Federal government’s R&D portfolio. Discovery and Innovation: Federal Research and Development Activities in the Fifty States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico is an extraordinarily comprehensive 650 page report that taps the RaDiUS (Research and Development in the United States) database to put a human face on the Federal R&D enterprise. This groundbreaking effort identifies the individual laboratories, R&D centers, universities, and companies where people actually create new knowledge and develop innovative new technologies. It enhances our appreciation of the local and regional significance of Federal R&D activities. To ensure the comparability of all of the data used in the report from the most aggregate to the most detailed level of analysis, the most recent data available is from 1998, the baseline fiscal year used throughout the report.
For eight years in a row, President Clinton and Vice President Gore have proposed increased R&D investments. For FY 2001, the civilian R&D request is $43.3 billion, an increase of 6 percent ($2.5 billion) over FY 2000. Civilian R&D now constitutes 51 percent of the overall R&D budget of $85.3 billion – up 43 percent since 1993. The budget boosts funding for basic research by 7 percent, a $1.3 billion increase – up 52 percent since 1993. R&D support to universities increases 8 percent, a $1.3 billion increase – up 53 percent since 1993. Perhaps most important, this budget presents a balanced R&D portfolio which recognizes the interdependence among the scientific disciplines – gains in one field are often dependent on advances in others. These investments will enable Federal agencies to achieve the President’s goals for science and technology, namely to: promote long-term economic growth that creates high-wage jobs; sustain a healthy, educated citizenry, harness information technology; improve environmental quality; enhance national security and global stability; and maintain world leadership in science, engineering, and mathematics.
What’s new and important in this report:
· For the first time in one document, there is a full and accurate accounting of all Federal R&D expenditures in each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
· It makes it possible to correlate Federal R&D investments with improvements in local economies and local schools.
· On a state-by-state, unit-by-unit basis, it provides detailed budget information for each of the individual laboratories, research centers, universities, and companies that perform R&D.
· It provides descriptions of the substantive nature of the research, rather than simply categorizing research expenditures by broad scientific discipline.
The value of such new detailed information:
· The Executive Branch can use the information to improve coordination and better assess performance and results of our R&D investments. RaDiUS has enabled researchers in different agencies to learn of work on related R&D problems being tackled by other agencies. Such information can help Federal agencies plan intelligently and better leverage R&D investments. It also adds a new dimension – impacts on State and local economies – to measuring the effectiveness of the Federal R&D investments that typically emphasize support of government missions and advancement of knowledge across the scientific frontiers.
· Congress can use the information to improve its oversight of the Federal R&D portfolio; detailed descriptions of research projects make it possible to better examine the R&D portfolio.
· State and local officials can use the information to identify new opportunities for State-Federal S&T collaboration, and to target regional and community economic development efforts.
How this report differs from others:
· RaDiUS is the first data system that systematically links the high-level R&D information presented annually in the President’s budget to the hundreds of thousands of actual studies, experiments, and analyses conducted by scientists with Federal R&D funds. As a result, RaDiUS provides the most complete picture of Federal activities involving the conduct of R&D ever available.
· The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) annual Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development provides highly aggregated data at the national and international levels and limits descriptions of research to general academic fields of science or engineering.
· The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) series, The Future of Science and Technology in the States, describes some activities in selected states, relying heavily on the NSF survey results.
· Every State in the nation has seen a boost in its economy and improvements in local communities – from jobs to schools – as a result of Federal investments in science and technology. This report shows how and why it happens, and underscores why the United States is in the front ranks of research and innovation, thereby enhancing our ability to shape and improve our nation’s and the world’s future.
Stakeholder Interests in this Report
· Half of all states each receive half a billion or more Federal R&D dollars yearly. While there is substantial regional concentration (fifteen states receive about 80 percent of Federal R&D investments), for many smaller states, Federal R&D support is a significant percentage of the total Federal non-entitlement funding coming into those states. Similarly, for many smaller states, Federal R&D funding on a per-capita basis is higher than in larger states with a greater level of R&D expenditures.
· Analysis shows little overlap in Federal R&D portfolio. When the Federal R&D portfolio is examined by task or research focus, as RaDiUS permits, rather than by discipline, the full scope of Federal activity is shown. While many Federal agencies may share a common interest in particular areas of R&D, there is little duplication among Federal agencies; instead, various agencies are tackling different aspects of a common problem.
· The Executive Branch and Congress will find this report valuable. The elements of the Federal R&D portfolio span 24 Federal agencies and annually account for approximately 14 percent of all discretionary government spending. Discovery and Innovation adds a new dimension – local and regional economic and educational improvements – to the assessment of Federal R&D performance which has historically emphasized support of specific government missions and the overall advancement of science and technology in the United States. This report shows American taxpayers how, where, and why their public investments in R&D are made. Such detailed information helps our elected officials guide investments and ensure accountability.
· State and local officials will also benefit. Discovery and Innovation is the first comprehensive effort to better inform States and local communities about the Federal R&D programs within their boundaries, and will help improve Federal-State cooperation in science and technology. Currently, 19 states in areas that historically have received lesser amounts of Federal R&D funding participate in the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) designed to strengthen the research capability of their colleges and universities, and thus to increase our total scientific potential.
Why R&D Is Important to the Nation
The credit for America’s record-breaking performance in the current world economy really goes to the powerful system we have generated to create new knowledge and develop it into technologies that drive our economy, guarantee our national security, and improve the health and quality of life. We have come to rely on technology and take it for granted in our everyday lives. But the marvels of today are really the fruits of research seeds planted decades ago – investments that have not only given us new technologies, but have helped educate generations of engineers and scientists who now form an essential component of our workforce. The very fact that these advances required decades of investment stands as a warning against complacency in our future investment strategy. The government and the private sector must work together to ensure that today’s investments in R&D are sufficient to yield similar payoffs to society in the 21st century.
Last spring, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan repeatedly cited an unexpected leap in technology as primarily responsible for the nation’s sparkling economic performance. In particular, a technology-based surge in productivity appears to be contributing substantially to our economic success. Our military strength – built on a foundation of high technology – has enabled the United States to keep America safe from aggression, defend our allies, and foster democracies across the globe. New technologies also improve the quality of our lives. Medical research in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices promises us a healthier life. Environmental research offers cleaner air, water, and soil through better monitoring, prevention, and remediation technologies. Advanced monitoring and forecasting technologies – from satellites to simulation – help save lives and minimize property damage cause by hurricanes, blizzards, and other severe weather. Agricultural research yields a cornucopia of safer, healthier, and tastier food products. Automobile research leads to cars that are safer, cleaner, more energy-efficient, and more intelligent. Energy research delivers cleaner fuels and reduces American dependence on foreign resources. Information and telecommunications technologies enable instantaneous communications across the globe.
The largest R&D budget in history for FY2001. President Clinton’s FY2001 S&T budget includes a $2.9 billion increase in the "Twenty-First Century Research Fund," including a $1 billion increase in biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health and double the largest dollar increase for the National Science Foundation in its 50 year history. These investments will ensure that science and technology will continue to fuel economic growth and allow Americans to lead longer, healthier lives. These investments also will enable America to continue to lead in the 21st century by increasing support in all scientific and engineering disciplines, including biomedical research, nanotechnology, information technology, clean energy, and university-based research.
Fully half of our economic productivity in the last century is attributable to technological innovation and the scientific research that supported it. The knowledge-based society of the 21st century only increases the importance of research, innovation, and human capital as our principal strengths. By sustaining our investments in research, we ensure that America remains at the forefront of scientific capability, thereby enhancing our ability to shape and improve our nation’s and the world’s future.
R&D investments pay rich dividends to the Nation. It is no accident that our country’s most productive and competitive industries are those that benefited from sustained Federal investments in R&D – computers and communications, semiconductors, biotechnology, aerospace, environmental technologies, energy efficiency. From satellites, to software, to superconductivity, the Federal government has supported – and must continue to support – exploratory research, experimentation and innovation that would be impossible for individual companies or even whole industries to afford. These partnerships in pursuit of innovation enable the private sector to generate new knowledge and adopt novel technologies that ultimately lead to commercial success, increased jobs, and healthier and more productive lives for all Americans.
Investments in Federal R&D have extraordinarily high rates of return. Economists estimate that private rates of return on R&D spending average about 24 percent. But societal rates of return on R&D spending – the economic benefits that accrue to the entire society – are about 66 percent! As much as half the return on an individual firm’s R&D investment goes to other companies and competitors – not to the investing company. This “spillover” effect means that private industry cannot and will not commit the level of resources to R&D that is best for society. As a consequence, public support for R&D had been a critical element of Federal policy for more than 200 years, and it has kept our nation at the forefront of technological and industrial success.
American prosperity in the 21st Century. With rapid growth, increased productivity, and rising standards of living, the U.S. economy is thriving, in large part because of our technological leadership. Science and technology have become the engine of America’s economic growth: information technology alone accounts for 1/3 of U.S. economic growth, and is creating jobs that pay almost 80 percent more than the average private-sector wage. Many of the technologies (such as the Internet) that are fueling today's economy are the result of government investments in the 1960s and 1970s.
Longer, healthier lives for all Americans. In the last 100 years, the life expectancy of the average American has increased by almost 30 years, as a result of breakthroughs such as antibiotics. Today, we are on the verge of even greater scientific advances, and continued investment in health-related research could lead to greater life expectancies and better quality of life.
Educating America's high-tech workforce. The President’s investment in university-based research will help spur innovations in new technologies and treatment, while preparing the next generation of leaders in science, engineering and technology.
Cleaner energy for a cleaner environment. Research can help America create cleaner sources of energy and energy-efficient technologies, such as fuel cells that emit only water, cars that get 80 miles per gallon, and bioenergy derived from new cash crops.
New insights into the world around us. Increases in funding for science-based research can lead to amazing breakthroughs in our understanding of the world around us and beyond.
Discovery and Innovation: Federal Research and Development Activities in the Fifty States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/OSTP/html/radius.html and at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/cgi-bin/good-bye.cgi?url=http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1194
For questions about the R&D report, please contact Donna Fossum at RAND at 703/413-1100, Ext. 5602.
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W
mailto:ostpinfo@ostp.eop.gov
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The Grant House
This Eagle Street home was built in 1851, and is in a vernacular Italianate style with a low hip roof on the main structure, gabled roof on the rear extension and a pillared covered porch as the main entrance. The traditional Italianate has a tower with arched openings, molding and double doors, which may have been lost during home updates. There are also some Eastlake elements such as the brickwork on a chimney and the brick alterations on the front. Both the covered porch and the enclosed porch were original to the house. The open porch was added in 1979.
The first owners appear to have been S. M. Grant and James Crane, a wigmaker. Over the years the single home morphed into an eight unit boarding house, and in the 1980s was returned to a single family dwelling.
As you approach the side door of the home, notice the stucco outbuilding at the rear of the property that was originally a horse stable. Today it is a two car garage with a basement and a second-floor apartment. The current talented owners are enjoying a new life in Rochester, having purchased the home in 2011 after retiring from their respective jobs and life in New York City. You might smell some wonderful cooking from Mr. Caruso, who was recently the head chef and director of Operations at A Meal and More, the oldest soup kitchen in Rochester. He has written two cookbooks, the latest being Oy Italia, a Jewish Italian cookbook (available at amazon.com). Although Dr. Gehl will not be singing, he is a member of several Rochester choral groups, including Madrigalia, The Rochester Oratorio Society/Resonanz, The Eastman Rochester Chorus and First Inversion. You may also see some of his Lionel trains around the Christmas tree; the main collection is in the Carriage House basement.
The main floor is open on the tour, along with the master bedroom and bathroom on the second floor. You may also enjoy the extensive collection of Al Hirschfeld caricatures throughout the house. If you can identify all 14, you will receive – an extra Christmas cookie!
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News & Events – 2016 LACOSTE Spotlight Award
ABOUT CDG
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Two-time Academy Award® Winning Actress Cate Blanchett to Receive LACOSTE Spotlight Award at the 18th Costume Designers Guild Awards
Two-time Academy Award® winning actress Cate Blanchett will receive the LACOSTE Spotlight Award at the 18th Costume Designers Guild Awards (CDGA) on February 23, 2016 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
The LACOSTE Spotlight Award honors an actor whose talent and career personify an enduring commitment to excellence, including a special awareness of the role and importance of costume design. Blanchett is being honored for her unparalleled talent as much as for her status within the costume design community. Her appreciation for the artistry of costume design and her collaboration with the Costume Designers has made her an icon both on and off the screen.
Blanchett has received much recognition throughout her career with two Academy Award® wins and more than 200 awards and nominations, including those from the prestigious Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards®, BAFTA, and
Independent Spirit Awards.
She has been praised for her roles in films such as The Aviator, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, I’m Not There, Blue Jasmine, Notes on a Scandal, Veronica Guerin, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Bandits, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
Most recently, Blanchett stars alongside Rooney Mara in Carol, directed by Todd Haynes and based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt. She also serves as an executive producer on the project, which was produced in association with Dirty Films, the company that Blanchett founded with Andrew Upton.
Last year, Blanchett starred as evil stepmother, Lady Tremaine, in Disney’s live-action adaptation of Cinderella, working closely with beloved Costume Designer Sandy Powell and director Kenneth Branagh. Blanchett also received rave reviews for her role as Mary Mapes in Truth for which she starred opposite Robert Redford. Blanchett will soon appear in Terrence Malick’s films Knight of Cups and Voyage of Time.
LACOSTE has been a supporter of the CDGA for more than a decade and returns as Presenting Sponsor for the seventh consecutive year.
Whether on playing fields or in everyday life, LACOSTE’s story is rooted in a quest for authenticity, performance, and elegance. Each crocodile-branded product is designed to allow men and women to feel free in their mind and body with clothes and accessories that enable confidence and ease by adapting to an ever-changing life. It’s this vision of optimism and courage that is promoted by the brand message: “Life is a Beautiful Sport.”
For the fourth year, LACOSTE will partner with the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) and their costume design students on creative collaborations. This year, five students were asked to select an iconic character from Quentin Tarantino films, research their selection, and sketch and design a polo shirt based on the character. LACOSTE provided each student with its famous branded polo shirts, as well as piqué fabric, trims, and crocodile logos. Using the provided materials, they will sketch, design, and construct their character’s polo shirt. The shirts and their accompanying sketches will be displayed at the 18th CDGA as well as at the LACOSTE Symposium, an intimate Q&A event with today’s leading Costume Designers, on February 24th. The FIDM students will attend the Awards Gala as guests of LACOSTE.
With the support of presenting sponsor LACOSTE, the red carpet and black-tie awards gala celebrates outstanding film, television, and short form costume design. The CDGA has become a marquee event of the Hollywood awards season, notable for its lively, fun, warm, and engaging celebration of Costume Designers and their essential contribution to film and television. The awards presentation will honor the work of Costume Designers in seven categories, including contemporary, period, and fantasy film and television.
The 18th CDGA will be produced by JumpLine, with Executive Producer JL Pomeroy, Supervising Producer Sarah Cowperthwaite, and Producer Demetra Stavrakas. For more information about the awards, visit: http://www.jumpline-group.com/cdga. Find the CDGA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and use #CDGA18. For updates and live tweeting during the show @CostumeAwards.
ABOUT THE COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD:
The Costume Designers Guild, IATSE local 892, is a proud member of the international alliance of theatrical stage employees. In addition to our union services, we promote the artistry, technical expertise, and creative vision of our members who design authentic fictional characters with accuracy and integrity. The Guild’s membership includes over 900 Costume Designers and Illustrators working in motion pictures, television, commercials, music videos, and new media programs throughout the world.
ABOUT LACOSTE:
For LACOSTE, Life is a Beautiful Sport! Since the very first polo shirt was created in 1933, LACOSTE relies on its authentic sportive roots to spring optimism and elegance on the world thanks to a unique and original lifestyle for women, men and children. With a vision to be the leading player in the premium casual wear market, the Crocodile brand is today present in 120 countries through a selective distribution network. Two LACOSTE items are sold every second in the world. As an international group gathering 10,000 women and men, LACOSTE offers a complete range of products: apparel, leather goods, fragrances, footwear, eyewear, homewear, watches, and underwear, all of them being elaborated in the most qualitative, responsible, and ethical way. In 2013, the brand garnered a turnover of 1.8 billion euros. For more information: www.lacoste.com
For all press inquiries pertaining to both the CDGA and the Costume Designers Guild, please contact The Lippin Group:
Alexandra Lippin Megan Levy
alippin@lippingroup.com megan@lippingroup.com
#323.965.1990 ext. 343 #323.965.1990 ext. 324
For all press inquiries pertaining to LACOSTE please contact:
Pascal Collet Ally Jameson
pcollet@lacoste.com ajameson@lacoste.com
+33680659948 #212.896.6343
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State Department designates head of Al Nusrah Front branch in Lebanon
by The Long War Journal | Dec 18, 2013 | Monitor |
The US State Department today announced the designation of Usamah Amin al Shihabi, who has “recently been appointed head of Syria-based al Nusrah Front’s Palestinian wing in Lebanon.”
Al Shihabi is also described as being an “associate” of Fatah al Islam (FAI), “a Lebanese-based militant group formed in 2006, whose ultimate goal is the institution of Islamist sharia law in the Palestinian refugee camps and the destruction of Israel.” The State Department explains that al Shihabi “at times has played a key leadership role in the organization.”
The ties between Fatah al Islam and the Al Nusrah Front, which is one of al Qaeda’s official branches inside Syria, are unsurprising. Members of Fatah al Islam, which is linked to al Qaeda and al Qaeda in Iraq, have been killed while fighting in Iraq and Syria. Some of Fatah al Islam’s earliest leaders are known to have been close to Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the deceased head of al Qaeda in Iraq. [See LWJ report, Fatah al Islam emir killed while waging jihad in Syria.]
Allegedly trained terror cell that plotted against Americans in Jordan
Leaked State Department cables provide additional details concerning Usamah Amin al Shihabi’s career. One, dated Oct. 5, 2006, noted that al Shihabi had been accused by Jordanian authorities of training a group of men who “plotted to attack American citizens, nightclubs, liquor shops, and hotels in Amman and Aqaba.”
The plot was foiled, however, after four members of the cell were arrested in September 2005.
In September 2006, the four arrested members, al Shihabi, and one other plotter were sentenced to “between 10 and 15 years [of] hard labor” after being convicted of planning the terror attack. Al Shihabi and the other plotter were tried in absentia, as they were “believed to be in Lebanon” at the time.
The State Department cable explains that, according to the Jordanian court papers, the “cell’s members received weapons training in a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon.” The training was conducted by al Shihabi and one of his accomplices.
According to the Jordanian government, the cable reads: [T]he defendants sought to spray cyanide on the doorknobs of nightclubs to poison customers, but could not buy the chemical without a license.” They “switched plans to conduct their attacks using machine-guns, according to the indictment.”
The al Shihabi-trained cell called itself the “Khattab Brigade.” According to another leaked State Department cable, dated Dec. 8, 2005, the cell “planned to attack Americans who frequented the Four Seasons Hotel in Amman, and the Intercontinental Hotel in Aqaba.”
Al Qaeda reportedly revamped organization in Lebanon
Al Shihabi’s appointment as head of the Al Nusrah Front’s Palestinian branch was reported earlier this year. The move was seen as part of al Qaeda’s push to unify control over its operations at the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon.
An account by Mohammad Harfoush, a Lebanese journalist who writes for the Kuwaiti Al-Anbaa newspaper, noted that al Shihabi’s appointment, as well as other personnel moves, came after al Qaeda decided to restructure its organization in Lebanon “following instructions from Ayman al Zawahiri.”
It is not clear what specific reports led to this reporting. Harfoush cited accounts “in Beirut from local and Western media” as the source for this claim. In any event, Harfoush’s account accurately noted al Shihabi’s appointment.
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Charles Koch
Charles Koch Net Worth is$31 Billion
Nicknames: Cerrax
Charles Koch has an estimated net worth of $31 billion dollars. Charles Koch (pronounced «coke») is a political activist, businessman, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Koch Industries, Inc. and co-owner (with younger brother David) of the Koch business. Koch provides funds towards libertarian and conservative political causes. Charles Koch is rumored to be linked to the right-wing conservative group the Tea Party movement, opposing much of U.S. President Barack Obama’s legislative agenda and policies. Charles Koch supports and funds libertarian and free-market organizations. Koch co-founded the Cato Institute with Edward H. Crane and Murray Rothbard in 1977. Koch industries is the 2nd largest privately held company in the US. He is also an author and philanthropist and co-founded three charities. Click here to find out why #OccupyWallStreet hates the Koch brothers.
Charles de Ganahl Koch ( /’ko?k/; born November 1, 1935) is co-owner, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Koch Industries Inc., the second-largest privately held company by revenue in the United States according to a 2010 Forbes survey. He was ranked 18th on Forbes World’s Billionaires list of 2012 (and 4th on the Forbes 400), with an estimated net worth of $31 billion, deriving from his 42% stake in Koch Industries. His brother David H. Koch, also owns 42% of Koch Industries, and serves as Executive Vice President. The brothers inherited the business from their father, Fred C. Koch, and have since expanded the business to 2,600 times its inherited size. Originally involved exclusively in oil refining and chemicals, Koch Industries has expanded to include process and pollution control equipment and technologies, polymers and fibers, minerals, fertilizers, commodity trading and services, forest and consumer products, and ranching, producing a wide variety of well-known brands, such as Stainmaster carpet, Lycra fiber, Quilted Northern tissue and Dixie paper products.
Koch provides financial support for a number of public policy and charitable organizations, including the Institute for Humane Studies and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He co-founded the Washington, DC-based Cato Institute. Through the Koch Cultural Trust, founded by Charles Koch’s wife, Elizabeth, the Koch family has also funded artistic projects and creative artists.
In 2007, Koch’s book The Science of Success was published. The book describes his management philosophy, which is referred to as «Market-Based Management».
Koch was born and lives in Wichita, Kansas, one of four sons of Mary Robinson and Fred C. Koch; Koch’s grandfather, Harry Koch, was a Dutch immigrant who settled in West Texas. Koch’s academic life was spent at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity. He received a Bachelor of Science in general
Charles Koch Net Worth, 2.8 out of 5 based on 112 ratings
El patrimonio neto de Warren Buffett
Las 10 personas más ricas del mundo en 2014
Valor neto de Bill Gates
Valor neto de Charles Koch
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Original Content on Arts and Entertainment
Kuami Eugene Plays Smart, Yet Fails To Excite On “Rockstar”
By CulArtBlog, December 17, 2018
To assert that singer/songwriter and producer Kuami Eugene has had a good year will be an understatement. The young artist has had an impressive year. For two years- 2018 included- Kuami Eugene has continued to find himself on the best artists list in Ghana.
His popularity has risen as his music career continue to soar beyond the borders of this country. His success, albeit new to him, is well deserved. It came at the back of hard work; a quality that has seen his glow- along with those of his label mates, KiDi and MzVee- shine with prominence beyond Ghana into Nigeria and other neighboring countries. If I dare say, Kuami Eugene is an “Artist of The Year” contender.
The musical journey of Eugene Kwame Marfo, did not happen overnight. Horning his musical skills at a young age at his church, where he learnt to play the guitar, drums and keyboard, his fortunes changed after signing to Lynx Entertainment. This was after a splendid showing on the fifth edition of “MTN Hitzmaker”, where he finished second runner up. Richie Mensah, label head of Lynx Entertainment and also, a music producer on the show signed him afterwards.
Ask me to point to someone who wanted to be an artist so bad and I would point to Kuami Eugene. Before settling into highlife/ afropop, he had dabbled in gospel and rap. His talents as a singer, music producer and songwriter have been the rock on which he has built his ‘church’.
The release of his debut, “Rockstar” was, therefore, highly anticipated, partly because of the success of his earlier singles since 2017. Every single he released was a certified hit. His performances as a featured act, where he usually added gloss to the songs, was a nod to his incredible talent. Kuami Eugene’s success was not only bound to the charts. His numbers on YouTube is completely insane.
photo credit: Kuami Eugene’s Twitter page
These stellar performances and statistics notwithstanding, his debut, ”Rockstar” is not a standout album. Kuami Eugene chose caution over audacity. He played the middle line rather than pushing his talents beyond his comfort zone. And this is clearly on display across the 13 songs on the album. The album was also crafted to cater to the interests of his fans. (This is completely understandable if you consider the maxim you don’t need to change a winning formula).
Songs like the piano led, gospel toned ‘Heaven’, “No Time” and “Borkor” are crafted to appeal to the older folks and people in need of inspiration to forge ahead in life. The rest are afropop tunes with love as its building block. “Aku Shika” is a fast paced azonto tune purposely made for parties. “Borkor” with its palmwine highlife groove preaches against rushing in life.
Kuami Eugene played smart with “Rockstar”. He released all the big singles on the album at the beginning of 2018; an anathema to how song roll-outs are mostly conducted. Songs like “Angela” (released in 2017),”Confusion”, “Wish Me Well”, and “Walaahi” (released a month ago) became chart topping singles and helped sustain his name and visibility. The excitement- and the controversy that “Wish Me Well” courted turned out good for Kuami Eugene. He got Nigerian rapper, Ice Prince, whose song was interpolated or sampled, to add a verse on the remix.
Despite the inclusion of some of his ”old” hits, the 21 year old award winning singer, scored low on his songwriting. He chose a very formulaic template: fill the album with songs heavy on melody rather than fantastic writings: the lyrics were as generic as it could get.
One would have thought that, Kuami Eugene and his A&R at Lynx Entertainment would have filled the album with new singles rather than flood it with old songs- including the one-year- three-months old “Angela” which was his breakout song. I wonder why “Meji Meji”, his single with Africa’s biggest pop star, Davido was left out of the album.
“Rockstar”is an album designed purposely to put all the singles by Kuami Eugene into one folder rather than leave them scattered. His approach is similar to what the late Ebony (RIP) did for her ”Bonyfied” album. The new songs -“Borkor”, “No More”, “Aku Shika”, and “Forget”-are average songs compared to his older singles.
To label oneself a “Rockstar” include the ability to put together an album that is rich, intriguing, exciting and satisfying. That is, an album that would elicit the desired conversation years after its release and not one that’s easily forgettable. The rockstar tag goes beyond performance – be it live or on wax as well. It encompasses all these qualities.
My thought after listening to the album was this: Kuami Eugene is, perhaps, great at creating singles but not a full body of work. And for someone whose moniker is “Rockstar”, he must put in extra efforts towards improving his craft if he wants to live by that accolade . I hope he exhibits that on his future projects.
Categories: Music, Reviews
Tagged: Kidi, Kuami Eugene, Lynx Entertainment, MzVee, Rockstar
Video: Sarkodie Drops “Biibi Ba” Video; Reminds Us To Make Money
Top 15 Albums According To Us
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After the Emirati-Israeli Alliance… We Should Be Afraid
Malik Wannous
Syrian Writer and Translator
Many people have developed a fear that the agreement may lead to the increase of Emirati aggression against other peoples and countries, as is the case in Yemen and Libya at the time being.
Despite the indifference, or the approval, with which the Arab regimes have responded to the news of an agreement between the United Arab Emirates and the Israeli occupation state to establish formal diplomatic relations between them, many people have developed a fear that the agreement may lead to the increase of Emirati aggression against other peoples and countries, as is the case in Yemen and Libya at the time being. What increases this fear is the Emirati’s record in supporting counter-revolutions against the Arab Spring revolutions, and fueling wars in their countries, in order to prevent the revolution from reaching theirs. Add to this their security cooperation with Israel and their acquisition of Israeli spyware through which they could target the opposition of their regime or any Arab regime, which has been proven through a series of investigations and documented information about the involvement of the United Arab Emirates in such activities.
The declared alliance, not just normalization, stems from this approach, to serve this policy that coincides with the Israelis’ policy to increase their influence in the Arab region, where states are witnessing unprecedented struggles and deterioration.
Since the United Arab Emirates started considering to extend its influence to several ports in the Arab region and other parts of the world, then its military intervention in Yemen within the framework of the Arab Coalition and its war against the Houthis, and its efforts to takeover the Yemeni island of Socotra, it has become obvious that the Emirati leadership entertains ambitions to play an economic, military and political role that is too big for them, and to prove themselves as a regional power, making use of the decline of power and influence of other pivotal Arab countries; Egypt, Syria and Iraq, and depending on having enough financial resources to cover the expenses of military action, foreign managerial experience, and mercenaries that will serve these roles.If we take into consideration the Emirati interference in some countries to support coups and wars over popular revolutions against dictatorships, we will find that the resulting exploitation of their military tendencies in the service of their expansionist projects will turn into a black hole that will recruit other sectors as fuel to strengthen that tendency and implement policies, so that many countries no longer pursue militarization as their way of implementing.
The United Arab Emirates may have wanted, by establishing these relations on the level of alliance, to surpass the Arab countries that have already established relations with the Israeli occupation, and those with whom it maintains diplomatic relations, like Egypt and Jordan.
To reach this moment, the moment of militarization of all sectors in the service of the Emirati interests and influence, the United Arab Emirates found none other than Israel as an ally, adopting the same expansion policies that have been adopted in the United Arab Emirates in recent years. It is therefore possible to notice that the issue went beyond the normalization of relations, reaching the level of “an alliance”. This can be deduced from statements issued by more than one Emirati source, whether the State Ambassador in Washington, Yousef Al-Otaiba, or the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, that spoke about the security, military and intelligence cooperation the United Arab Emirates aspires to establish with the Israelis, which will ensure the implementation of their policy of expansion and influence over the fates and decisions of other countries.
Moreover, it is said that this military and security cooperation will be accompanied by training for the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, cooperation between the two armies and holding maneuvers between them. The proof that the security, military, and intelligence coordination between the two sides has become fundamental, at the expense of other fields, is the symbolism of the head of Israel’s National Security Agency leading the process of the development of relations between the two sides, as well as the participation of Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, in finalizing the documents of the “peace agreement.”The United Arab Emirates may have wanted, by establishing these relations that reach the level of alliance, surpass the Arab countries that have already established relations with the Israeli occupation, and those with whom it maintains diplomatic relations, Egypt and Jordan, or with those who maintain contacts and visits, but have not reached the stage of full normalization yet, such as Sudan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman. They want to beat those and surpass them, even in the issue of the alliance which does not appeal to most Arab peoples, who have a strict stance against a state of occupation and settlement, one that could not be changed by diplomatic relations.
Gulf Countries and Israel
Qatar was the first Gulf country to open an Israeli commercial representation office on its territory in 1996, but closed it in the wake of the second Palestinian uprising in 2000, and later declared that it cut off contacts and security cooperation after the war on Gaza Strip (Operation Cast Lead), late 2008. But in late 2019, an Israeli medical delegation visited the Qatari capital to participate in the World Medical Congress for Child Surgery. Although there is no official information about the Israeli-Qatari communication, media reports say that this communication did not stop.
The rest of the Arab Gulf countries have maintained a form of relations with Israel that has not reached the stage of full normalization; Bahrain has been witnessing for many years visits by Israeli delegations, official or semi-official, to participate in seminars or conferences. Oman received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late 2018, despite the absence of diplomatic relations between the two sides.
As for Saudi Arabia, it has been showing increased signs of normalization with the Israelis after Prince Mohammed bin Salman was appointed Crown Prince in 2017, and the disposal of his cousin. He alluded to his desire to normalize with them after he found himself marginalized after being involved in killing journalist Jamal Khashogji in his country’s consulate in Istanbul, and the tarnishing of his image with the US administration. So, in April 2018, he told an American magazine during an interview that the Israelis had “the right to live in peace on (their land),” believing that he would use the Israelis to polish his image. His openness to Israelis was reflected in reciprocal visits between Saudis and Israelis, as well as polishing the image of Israelis through the Saudi drama last Ramadan.
News spread that a large number of Arab countries, including Gulf countries, buy Israeli spying programs to use them to spy on their citizens inside their countries and abroad. Among these countries, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were the two major buyers. News spread that these programs were used to spy on opponents abroad. This little detail must indicate that there is military or intelligence cooperation between these two countries and Tel Aviv, and the victim, as usual, is the ordinary citizen whom these regimes regard only as an enemy until they prove otherwise, and will not be convinced, whatever the factors that prove otherwise.
Qatar was the first Gulf country to open an Israeli commercial representation office on its territory in 1996.
The citizens of Arab countries should fear this normalization, this alliance, and perceive its danger to their lives and their countries, especially if other Arab countries seek normalization after that. This danger will increase if the agreement includes establishing Israeli military bases on the Emirati territory that may be used to target Iran, and the grave danger that may arise from an Iranian response that targets the fragile cities of the United Arab Emirates. Everyone should be afraid, because this alliance will increase the strength and aggression of the Israelis, will have a negative impact on the Palestinian cause, and will increase the suffering of the Palestinian people, and the consequences for the rest of the Arab peoples. Those inside the hot zone’s epicenter should be afraid, and those who are outside it should, also, be afraid, because the collateral damage may hit those far away as much as those who are nearby.
IsraelNormalizationNormalization with IsraelUAE
Rami Makhlouf: Waiting for the Mahdi January 13, 2021
How the Failed Arab Spring Changed Our World January 13, 2021
Rami Makhlouf: Waiting for the Mahdi
Ahmad Al-Ahmad
The beginning of the end for Rami Makhlouf started when his aunt, Anisa Makhlouf, the mother of Bashar Al-Assad, passed away. This resulted in the leadership in the Republican Palace shifting from Anisa Makhlouf to Asma Al-Assad, who seems to be working on restructuring the Syrian economy.
How the Failed Arab Spring Changed Our World
The failure of the Arab Spring created hardened political regimes all around us. This is bad news because in our fast changing world we need political, economic and social adaptation.
Journalist Testimonies From the Aden Airport Bombing
Safa Nasser
“I was on my way to covering a normal event, then I found myself in the middle of a battlefield.” Being a journalist in Yemen has turned into a game of tag with death.
Trump’s Arrest Warrant: Iraqi sovereignty or Iranian Interference?
Salah Hasan Baban
Although there are legal justifications for issuing an arrest warrant against US President Donald Trump for “premeditated murder,” the timing and circumstances of the decision to do so seem awkward.
Trump and the Dictator Toolkit
Ghalia Al Alwani- Syrian Journalist
Trump’s actions throughout his time in power resembled in many ways those of an Arab dictator; the past four years under his reign sort of exposed the United States to have been a similar authoritarian regime to those we’re used to, except perhaps with a much higher budget.
Amidst the Gulf Reconciliations… What About Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera?
Daraj
The media powerhouses, Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera, will most likely be largely affected in light of this mysterious reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The English Section of Daraj News is co-supported by Anne Avis
لتصلكم نشرة درج الى بريدكم الالكتروني
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Darkest London
About Darkest London
Angels, Lyons and the World’s Most Popular Board Game
The thing I love most about London’s history is how it often pops up in the most mundane of settings.
Just after Christmas, I set out to close a Co-Op bank account that I’ve not used for years. The nearest branch to me is in Islington, just opposite Angel tube station. Look, I’m aware neither of those are the most dynamic opening sentences, but bear with me. I did say the setting was going to be mundane.
It’s one of the more perplexing names in the tube network – why did they go for Angel? Why not Islington,or Upper Street, or something a bit more geographically helpful?
The answer is that it’s one of five tube stations named after a pub (the others are Elephant & Castle, Manor House, Royal Oak and Swiss Cottage) and when the Angel tube station opened in 1901, the Angel Inn was still thriving on the corner of the High Street – much as it had done since the fifteenth century.
But within twenty years of the tube station taking its name, the Angel Inn was closed. Today, the tube station is the only reminder that it was ever there.
According to Henry C. Shelley’s The Inns and Taverns of Old London (1909):
The Angel dates back to before 1665, for in that year of plague in London a citizen broke out of his house in the city and sought refuge here. He was refused admission, but was taken in at another inn and found dead in the morning. In the seventeenth century and later, as old pictures testify, the inn presented the usual features of a large old country hostelry. As such the courtyard is depicted by Hogarth in his print of the Stage Coach. Its career has been uneventful in the main.
Its career may have been largely uneventful, but the inn survived for generations and the galleried interior was immortalised by some of the most celebrated English artists of the day: not just Hogarth in The Stage Coach: Country Inn Yard (1747)…
…but later by Thomas Rowlandson (in Outside the Angel Inn, Islington)…
…and Charles Dickens, who called the Angel “the place London begins in earnest” in Oliver Twist.
Despite an 1819 rebuild as the area rapidly transformed from a rural to an urban one (some of its land was sold off to realise some healthy profits), the Angel Inn was eventually demolished in the dying years of the nineteenth century.
But the Truman, Hanbury, Buxton and Co brewery had no intention of closing the pub down – instead they were going to make The Angel more popular than ever before.
In 1899, they rebuilt the old pub as an ornate, six-storey, terracotta-brick building which still stands today.
Renamed the Angel Hotel, the new building was intended to do justice to what the brewers described (with some marketing hyperbole) as “the widest-known hostelry in the world.” The ground floor was faced in polished Norwegian granite; carved stone cherubs look out from the higher eaves; a mahogany and green-marble staircase led from the bar to a smoking room upstairs; and crowning the entire heap sat a grand baroque cupola, which quickly became one of Islington’s landmarks.
But within twenty years, the Angel Hotel had closed – its grand, high-Victorian design swiftly looked out of date and unfashionable, and the building’s three-hundred year history as an inn came to an end in 1921. The brewery sold the building to the Lyons catering empire, most famous for their vast Corner House restaurants which dominated the West End in the post-war period.
Staffed by waitresses affectionately known as ‘nippies’, the Corner Houses were more like department stores than tearooms, with several restaurants, numerous floors and hundreds of staff. In the 1950s, the company could boast it was serving over a hundred million meals a year to the British public.
The Angel Cafe Restaurant was opened in February 1922 as a grand, two-storey restaurant – large, but not on the same scale as the massive centrally located Corner Houses. The novelist Arnold Bennett came for lunch in 1924, and wrote that he preferred the “brightness and space” of the Lyons house to “the old Angel’s dark stuffiness.”
It lasted until 1959, when the Lyons company sold the building to the Council. Road widening schemes had been constantly mooted throughout the century (one estimate claims the corner was subject to seventy individual road-widening schemes from 1890 until the 1970s) and with a compulsory purchase order about to come into effect on the building, Lyons sold the site to the council a few years before they would have had to.
The decision was made easier for the company due to the increasing cost in the upkeep of the now shabby building – a slow and steady decline in Lyon’s trade from the end of the Second World War onwards meant the company were already feeling the downturn in fortunes which would see them go under in the 1970s.
The building was leased to the University of London’s Geology department until 1968, and then spent a number of years empty until the council finally abandoned their road widening schemes. Having escaped demolition by the skin of its teeth, it is now listed and has been fitted for bank use since 1979.
And that’s where we come in, with me popping in to close a bank account in the Co-Op, who occupy it today.
And that’s when I noticed this inside the front entrance.
The huge gold plaque commemorates the day in 1925 when the building was still the Angel Cafe Restaurant, and Victor Watson stopped by for lunch.
Watson was the managing director of Waddingtons, a firm of printers from Leeds who in the 1930s had started to branch out into card and board games. In 1935, the company sent a game they’d devised called Lexicon to the Parker Brothers in America, hoping they might agree to produce it in the States. In return, the Parker Brothers sent them one of their board games that had not yet gone into production: Monopoly.
Following a weekend of play, Victor’s son Norman urged his father to quickly snap up the rights, and three days after Victor had received the game, Waddingtons obtained the licence to produce and market Monopoly outside of the United States.
Watson felt that for the game to be a success in the United Kingdom, the American locations on the board needed to be replaced, so he and his secretary, Marjory Phillips, travelled to London for a day to work out which street names they would put on the board.
By all accounts, Victor and Marjory’s single day in London was a hectic one – Victor later admitted he’d slipped up by putting ‘Marlborough Street’ on the board when it should have been Great Marlborough Street – but in a short period of time, they managed to pick a broadly accurate selection of roads to represent the varying values across the board.
One of the only known facts about their day out (which would turn out to be a very lucrative one for the Waddington’s company) was that Victor and Marjory sat in the Angel Cafe Restaurant in the afternoon and reviewed their work.
And whether it was to celebrate completing their job, or just because he liked the name, Victor decided to include ‘The Angel, Islington’ on the board. Unlike all the other property squares, it’s the only one which isn’t a street, but a specific building.
You can find this plaque, unveiled in 2003 by Victor’s grandson (who is also called Victor and is also the managing director of Waddingtons), just as you walk into the Co-Op bank at 1 High Street, Islington.
A couple of doors away, there’s a Wetherspoon’s which has taken the name The Angel, but don’t be fooled. This Angel can only trace its history back to 1998.
Posted by Darkest London
Filed in Islington, King's Cross, North London, Pubs ·Tags: angel, angel cafe restaurant, angel inn, bank, charles dickens, co-op, co-op bank, cooperative bank, great marlborough street, Henry C. Shelley, high street, hogarth, islington, london, lyons, lyons angel cafe, lyons corner house, lyons tea rooms, Marjory Phillips, marlborough street, monopoly, N1, north london, oliver twist, parker brothers, pub, rowlandson, the angel islington, The Inns and Taverns of Old London, tube, tube station, underground, upper street, Victor Watson, waddingtons, wetherspoons
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The Specials - More Specials (40th Anniversary) 2LP + 7"
Sale Unavailable
Released 20th November via Chrysalis Records
This 40th Anniversary Edition of More Specials has been mastered and cut at half-speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios using the original production tapes. For this edition, the album has been split across 2x 12” vinyl running at 45rpm for optimum audio quality. Also include is a bonus 7” single, also cut at half-speed, which originally came with the initial run of the album in 1980.
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Jared Baez Leon
Recommend Jared's obituary to your friends
Send Flowers for Jared
Obituary of Jared Baez Leon
Our beloved son left us unexpectedly due to a traffic accident on August 27, 2020 to be with our Father in Heaven. Jared will be missed by family, friends, and all who came in contact with him. Jared had the most endearing smile, contagious laugh, and ability to brighten the darkest of days. Jared Baez Leon was born November 11th, 1989 in Tucson, Arizona. He was raised and spent most of his adult life in Tucson. He spent two years, living in Oakland, California while serving a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Jared studied at Brigham Young University-Idaho, Pima College and the University of Arizona. He studied Anthropology and Biology. Jared had a love and care for all animals; dogs and exotic fish were among some of his favorites. Jared had a great passion for fine arts including piano and drawing. Jared spent much of his time teaching piano to many, including his siblings. Jared’s commitment to his family was lovingly eternal, and Jared tenderly demonstrated this daily as he treasured and loved spending time with his mom, Patricia Baez Leon and dad, Lupe Leon Jr.; brother, Luke Preston Leon; sisters, Ameryssa Baez Leon Tafoya, and Kiersten Alyse Leon; brother-in-law, Justin Tafoya; niece, Ryssa Jade Leon Tafoya. Jared had a special bond with his cousin, Derrick Leon Figueroa, whom he loved like a brother. His extended family includes many, and in Jared’s compassionate nature, he always found the opportunity to make every one feel special.
From the moment Jared entered our lives, things were forever changed. He knew how to make anyone and everyone happy. I would always ask him how do you do it? How are you able to make friends with such different typesof people? I can never do that. And he would tell me, making friends is easy, you just talk to them and then you can find a common ground with anyone and you just go from there. Jared had a way of making anyone smile, even if you didn’t want to smile. For example, when I was a little girl in elementary school kids would be mean to me, and I remember coming home one day and telling Jared how I felt. I wanted to be sad and cry, but my big brother would not let that happen. He instead told me, “you don’t need them its fine, you have your family and that’s all that matters.” He would give me a million compliments and I would feel like a queen. Then I remember him blasting our 90’s boombox and he just started jumping on the bed. Then he grabbed my hand and together we both started jumping on the bed, and all my worries completely faded. The love and care Jared had for me was endless. Our bond was something few will ever experience. As my parent’s recount, they could never recall a time when Jared and I would fight, he would watch over me like a hawk meeting all my needs especially whenour parents weren’t around. That is what is so special about Jared and the soul he has. I know that began long before hecame into our lives.
My parents have always told us that in the preexistence we knew each other, and we were excited for our mortal journey together. That excitement has continued through our earthly experiences. When my mom held Jared for the first time, she felt like her heart was going to burst. She turned to her mother feeling overcome with love for such a small little being, and asked, “mom, is this how much you love me?” “And my grandma said with love, “no, I love you more because I’ve had you longer.” As an infant my parents recount Jared was a cute and cuddly baby by day. But by night, he was an uncomfortable screaming colicky baby. But despite the challenges of being a new baby, my parents showered him with love. My mom would stay up all night feeding, cuddling, and soothing him. And the nights my dad was not working at the fire station, he would load Jared up in his Blazer in the middle of the night and drive him around the neighborhood for hours to soothe him.
Even as a toddler Jared showed an early desire to learn. He would frequently ask “what’s that?” Always wanting to learn more. He had such a love for books. His collection began from the Dr. Seuss books, to Michael Crichton, and everything in between. I don’t recall ever seeing him without a book. I would get so frustrated sometimes because we would be in such a hurry to leave and I’m trying to get him out the door, and he would be in his room staring at his book collection because he couldn’t decide which book he wanted to bring. My parents would buy us a bunch of medical books- made easy, and we would flip through every page of them. We would imagine what kind of doctors we would be when we grew up. He could hardly even pronounce infectious disease doctor, but from early on Jared set his ambitions high. Not only was Jared very ambitious but he also found a passion for art and creativity.
When Jared was a year old, my mom found him displaying his artistic ability on the walls, using his very limited resources. He was finger painting the crib, walls, and sheets, with the contents from his very dirty diaper. Fortunately for everyone, as he got older his art medium changed. Jared loved drawing and sketching people. He found such beauty in everything around him. He was especially drawn to people that would be easily overlooked, or not typically found as beautiful. From a lonely homeless woman to a tired old man, he always found a way to illustrate the beauty in those individuals. Anything Jared’s hands touched seem to be enriched. Jared began playing the piano at the age of seven. When his hands touched the piano, peace and beauty filled the room. It was very evident that he had a passion and dedication to master the piano. I remember him sitting at the piano for two, three hours at a time and I would always wonder don’t you get hungry or thirsty? Then it would come time for our piano recitals, and the award ceremony, and he would always receive well-earned awards. He later wanted to share his love of music to others, through teaching piano lessons.
Just as we knew every Tuesday was piano lessons, we also knew Saturdays were dedicated to soccer games. His passion for soccer was endless. He would watch soccer videos on YouTube, and make sure to perform his cool new tricks during the soccer game. Jared loved being physically fit and active. He started at the age of three and played on numerous leagues and clubs making countless friends along the way. Jared nurtured those friendships by keeping close contact with them and what they were doing in their lives.
In High school he served as a mentor and best friend to all. Jared would introduce many people as his best friend. We never understood why he wouldn’t single out one person.Now, I understand why he did that. I believe he was the best he could be, to that person and gave that friendship his all.He always knew how to get a laugh. Jared many times served as the court jester. While in his presence there was a very good chance you would leave with a smile on your face. This attribute carried with him throughout his life. My parents would often say “could we please have serious conversation.” His reply would be “of course” even though you could see his brain was turning, and a little grin was emerging as he thought of what he could say to make you laugh. He brought joy and laughter to the children he mentored at Casa de los ninos, which was a home for intervention, treatment, for children of child abuse. Jared continued serving in many other capacities. He earned his eagle scout by building a walkway at the Binghamtoncemetery, where our baby sister is buried, and graduated seminary while preparing to serve a full-time mission.Allthese things were accomplished before he graduated high school.
Jared captured the hearts of all he met. He made anyone feel special. It was something about the way he would look into your eyes and ask questions, because he was genuinely interested in your life. A new girl moved into the area, due to her mother passing away. She was greatly struggling with losing her mom, moving to an unfamiliar place and that soon changed when Jared entered her life. His beaming smile and contagious laugh could beam joy to even the most heartbroken and downtrodden. Jared invited her over to the house, to feel the love from family and had us quickly take her in. Jared always had a tender and loving heart. That big heart of his was a tool in the Lord’s hands, bringing many unto Christ.
While he served his full time 2-year mission, Jared learned to love the people in Oakland, California. With his strong desire to learn, he embraced the Polynesian culture and loved teaching in a new language. He believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ and wanted others to know it as well. Hefound such joy in sharing the gospel. Whenever he had the opportunity to meet those who did not have the gospel in their life, Jared shared his testimony. Just days before Jared’s accident, he shared with me how much he loves the Book of Mormon, and he knows and feels of its truth. When a family in his mission area lost their father and husband, Jared and his companion were there to comfort them and remind them of our loving Heavenly Father and His plan of Salvation. Jared was one that fed the sheep within the fold and sought after those who were lost.
After returning from his mission Jared continued his education attending Pima, BYU and the U/A. From Biology Science, he continued his studies loving the field of anthropology. He recently started a business in aquatics and gems and minerals. His zest for life kept him hecticallybusy. But he always made time for his family, He lived by families are forever. There wasn’t anything that Jared would not do for you. He always made time for Mom, Dad, Luke, Kiersten and me. His generosity was so evident because he was always giving to those around him while serving himself last.In fact, everything he made, he gave away to those he loved and those in need.
I can think of many many times that he displayed his love and kindness to others without ever thinking about himself. I’ve witnessed our little brother Luke complement his watch and without a second thought he took it off and said “it’s yours”. When we moved to Utah for months we would get a phone call from Jared and the conversation would go kinda like this: hey are you guys home? Yes. Good! I ordered you guys dinner/dessert and it will be there in 15 mins. I’ve already paid for it all including the tip, so you don’t have to worry about anything! Or… the many times we would come to visit and on our last day visiting he would pull out his wallet and grab all the cash out of his wallet and give it to us, when we refused he would sneak it into our bag when we weren’t looking. He would always tell baby Ryssa that he was going to spoil her and he would. He would send us all kinda of toys and gifts for her. Now, after I’ve said all this… I’m sure you are thinking that he must have had a lot of money to always be giving so much…
On the contrary, he wasn’t rich or had lots of money to blow… he worked very hard for his money. That’s what’s so special about Jared. He gave and gave and gave and never thought about himself. On busy days he would come visit late at night for dinner, I heard him say “I work so hard because I love my family”. And he did love his family.
Jared knew how to light up a room with his smile. When he walked into a room everyone would light up… even if you didn’t want to light up, you would light up. It is just his personality. He lived to make others smile and enlighten them even if it was just for a moment. So as we mourn and miss his presence, he would want us all to find a reason to smile. So as hard as it is, I hope you can find a reason to smile for him.
Jared may have only been with us for a time, but I know we will always continue to love him. Although our mortal journey with Jared has ended, we know our relationship with him will continue into the eternities.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jared Leon, please visit Tribute Store
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Four Colombians arrested for smuggling over two tons of coke
by Adriaan Alsema February 15, 2008
The smugglers, who were stopped wednesday at a spot off the coast of Panama, had been spotted by the intelligence services of Colombia’s anti-narcotics police, the head of that force, General Alvaro Caro, told reporters.He said Colombian authorities notified U.S. coast guard officers who carry out interdiction operations in international waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean.The Colombians will be kept in U.S. custody based on the terms of a bilateral maritime interdiction accord regarding drug smugglers detained in international waters.Caro said the speedboat apparently departed Colombia “at a point on the coast of Choco,” a northwestern province that borders Panama.The shipment has an estimated value of $55 million on the international market, according to the general.
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About BlueRock
Become a BlueRocker
BlueRock Therapeutics in Collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Receives IND Clearance for DA01 in Parkinson’s Disease
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — BlueRock Therapeutics, a preclinical stage biopharmaceutical company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Bayer AG, in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared their Investigational New Drug (IND) application to proceed with a Phase 1 (Ph1) study in patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD). This is the first trial in the United States to study pluripotent stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Under the IND, BlueRock and MSK will execute a Ph1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of DA01 in patients with PD.
“This is a big step for the stem cell field – to finally test a truly “off-the-shelf” dopamine neuron product in human PD patients,” said Lorenz Studer, MD, scientific co-founder of BlueRock and Director, Center for Stem Cell Biology at MSK. “We are also grateful for the visionary support by NYSTEM, the NY state-sponsored stem cell program that supported the earlier stages of this project.”
“This trial is the culmination of a decade of arduous collaborative work that is based on very rigorous science. It is an important milestone on the road towards regenerative brain repair,” said Viviane Tabar, MD, founding investigator of BlueRock and Chair of MSK’s Department of Neurosurgery. “It is a real privilege and very exciting to be able to participate in both the bench science and the actual surgical intervention, here at MSK. Our collaborators at Weill Cornell Neurology will also be an integral part of the trial.”
“Today, there is no disease-modifying treatment for Parkinson’s. Through this trial and those to follow, we hope to change that,” stated Emile Nuwaysir, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of BlueRock. “Our therapy is intended to replace the midbrain dopaminergic neurons lost in the degenerative condition to rebuild the neural circuit, and thereby restore motor control to Parkinson’s patients. This could shift the treatment paradigm for millions of PD patients, as well as demonstrate for the first time that degenerative disease is, in principle, reversible. We believe this would represent an enormous step for the PD community worldwide, and for medicine.”
The trial plans to enroll ten patients starting with a first clinical site at Weill Cornell Medicine in the initial open-label study. The primary objective of the Ph1 study is to assess the safety and tolerability of DA01 cell transplantation at one-year post-transplant. The secondary objectives of the study are to assess the evidence of transplanted cell survival and motor effects at one- and two-years post-transplant, to evaluate continued safety and tolerability at two years, and to assess feasibility of transplantation.
About Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by nerve cell damage in the brain, leading to decreased dopamine levels. The worsening of motor and non-motor symptoms is caused by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons. At diagnosis, it is estimated that patients have already lost 60-80% of their dopaminergic neurons. Parkinson’s disease often starts with a tremor in one hand. Other symptoms are rigidity, cramping and dyskinesias. Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, impacting more than 7.5 million people, including 1.3 million people in North America.
About BlueRock Therapeutics
BlueRock Therapeutics is a leading engineered cell therapy company with a mission to develop regenerative medicines for intractable diseases. BlueRock Therapeutics’ cell+gene platform harnesses the power of cells to create new medicines for neurology, cardiology and immunology indications. BlueRock Therapeutics’ cell differentiation technology recapitulates the cell’s developmental biology to produce authentic cell therapies, which are further engineered for additional function. Utilizing these cell therapies to replace damaged or degenerated tissue brings the potential to restore or regenerate lost function. BlueRock Therapeutics was founded in 2016 by Versant Ventures and Bayer AG and capitalized with one of the largest-ever Series A financings in biotech history by Bayer AG (through its Leaps by Bayer unit) and Versant Ventures. The company was fully acquired by Bayer in 2019. BlueRock Therapeutics’ culture is defined by scientific innovation, the highest ethical standards and an urgency to bring transformative treatments to all who would benefit. For more information, visit bluerocktx.com.
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2019, the Group employed around 104,000 people and had sales of 43.5 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.9 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.3 billion euros. For more information, visit bayer.com.
Dr. Studer has intellectual property rights and interests and financial interests related to BlueRock. Dr. Tabar has financial interests related to BlueRock. Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, including Dr. Studer, developed stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, and MSK licensed this intellectual property to BlueRock. MSK has institutional financial interests related to this intellectual property and BlueRock.
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “forecast,” “estimate” and “intend,” among others. These forward-looking statements are based on BlueRock’s current expectations and actual results could differ materially. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the timing of our clinical trial for DA01; our results regarding the safety, tolerance and efficacy of DA01 cell transplantation for patients with Parkinson’s disease; and ongoing FDA and other regulatory requirements regarding the development of DA01. As with any pharmaceutical under development, there are significant risks in the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of new products. Except as expressly required by law, BlueRock does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. All of the Company’s forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by all such risk factors and other cautionary statements. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof.
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BlueRock Corporate Headquarters
Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
101 College Street, East Tower
14-301 Toronto, ON M5G 1L7
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Home / Uncategorized / Guest Editorial: Mfume for Congress by Sr. Journalist Charles Robinson, III
Guest Editorial: Mfume for Congress by Sr. Journalist Charles Robinson, III
By bmorenews on February 12, 2020
(BALTIMORE – February 11. 2020) – The Baltimore region looked back to its past for the answer to the future. Kweisi Mfume, the former Congressman, bested 24 Democratic candidates in special election on February 4, 2020 to replace the late Congressman Elijah Cumming.
“This was a decisive victory,” said Larry Gibson, the University of Maryland Law Professor who urged Mfume to run. The numbers tell a story of why. The former congressman garnered 43% (30,138) of the total Democratic Party Voters (note this was a closed primary, no independents nor cross party voting). The district which was once Baltimore City centered now contains Baltimore County and Howard Counties. His margins were high in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. In Howard County he lost to Dr. Teri Hill (the winner in Howard County) by 333 votes (Mfume – 3288, Dr. Teri Hill – 3621). It was clear Mfume had a ground game that extended well beyond his original congressional district.
There were a lot of questions about Mfume returning to political life. It’s not as if people haven’t been urging him for years to rejoin the political class (overtures included a run for Baltimore Mayor, Governor of Maryland and an unsuccessful run for Maryland US Senator). The former Congressman enjoys a hero like status in Baltimore. He talks often of his early days as the kid on the corner hustling and fathering several children. The first Black Congressman from the 7th District Rep. Parren J. Mitchell saw a young man, Frizell Gray, on a corner and began a conversation which lead to job on his campaign. Gray would change his name to Kweisi Mfume and become a community organizer, a college student, a radio talk show host, Baltimore City Councilman, and Congressman.
“Experience matters…experience matters…experience matters,” he chanted as the crowd joined in the mantra at the Baltimore Forum. There were a lot of people from his past in this room including former Judge Billy Murphy, Howard Libbit, Dan Henson, and Black Political Godfather Larry Gibson.
The room was also filled with next generation of political heavyweights including Baltimore’s Political Power couple Nick and Marilyn Mosby, Baltimore County Council Member Julian Jones, Baltimore State Senator Corey McCray and Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.
The Mfume name is now cemented as a political brand with the likes of the Mitchell’s, Sarbanes, and Cardin in Maryland. “You know what you get.” His brand, like these names is personal. When Mfume walks into a room heads turn. He’s unafraid to “press the flesh, and look you in the eye.” Everyone doesn’t understand there are simply questions you are likely to encounter during a conversation in Baltimore. Where did you go to high school? What side of town did you live/grow up on? Who’s your momma/daddy? I have lived in and visited other cities where these same questions are asked, but in Baltimore its personal. Failure to answer is a brush off that the locals will not tolerate. They won’t say it to your face but, in their mind, they’ve surmised, “you’re not one of us.” Note this isn’t just a “Black Thing.” I have had the same conversations with other minorities, gender, and sexual orientation groups. We like authentic, “don’t ever tell someone from Maryland you boil crabs – we steam crabs.”
The Eye Test
I watched a number of candidates roll out their campaigns for this race. Some chose historic locations, I watched a launch from a living room, online and everything in-between. With a short window to run, it was imperative candidates get in front of as many people possible. If you lived in the 7th District and attend a church, a synagogue, or a mosque you likely got a visit from the candidates. This is always a dicey proposition. Religious figures are not allowed to endorse candidates (you could lose your non-profit status).
With the window short on campaigning and name recognition at a premium there are tried true ways to do this. Lawn signs are an efficient way to get people to remember who you are in election. This is easy but can be subject to vandalism.
I saw this playout in a candidates forum at the Free the Captives Church when Janet Anderson, of The Northwest Voice asked, “A number of campaign signs along the Liberty Road corridor have been defaced, stolen or ripped apart. If you found a member of your staff had done this how would you handle it?” There were a number of candidates who were aware this was occurring and denounced anyone who would do this and distanced themselves from rogue supporters.
The next logical way to break through is via media. Everyone knows you must have a website and a social media presence. Much of the television ads didn’t come in until the weekend before the election. I know part of the problem was fundraising. Some candidates did better than others. I want to point to one candidate, Michael Higginbotham, a law professor, who gave his campaign $500,000. In the current climate this is not illegal but raised eyebrows. In his disclosure form, much of his spending was on polls, consultants, TV production and ad buys. On election night, a woman who supported Mfume began a conversation with me by asking about Higginbotham’s TV ads. I acknowledge I had seen them. “Did you notice he was running in the streets of Baltimore and there was no one else in the ad but him. How is that possible.”
For Maryland being a “progressive state,” it is inherently regressive when it comes to women and politics in both parties. The glass ceiling was broken years ago when Sen. Barbara Mikulski represented Maryland. Reps. Helen Bentley and Connie Morella were boasted about in national circles for their Republican affiliation. Likewise, Rep. Donna Edwards, became the first Democratically elected African-American woman representing Maryland. Now none of them are in office and for some it’s been a lifetime and no one appears to be on the horizon.
This race offered a unique opportunity for women. It included Elijah Cummings wife, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, State Senator Jill Carter, and Delegate Teri Hill and Dr. Leslie Grant. They made no bones about the need for “A Woman in the House.” A reference to the House of Representatives. There was even a forum for just women candidates.
The men had to dodge and clarify especially, Mfume. It began with his announcement at the Reginald Lewis Museum. He began fielding questions about his inappropriate relationship with subordinates during his time as the CEO of the NAACP. He acknowledged it happened at a time when he was young, and called it a “boneheaded decision.” He is 70 years old and married today. He said he would reach out to women. As if on cue, I was passed a press release during his initial press conference from National Organization of Women. It was an endorsement from a past campaign.
It didn’t stop the Baltimore Sun from publishing an article on Mfume’s time with the NAACP. The source for the article were papers from then Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors, Julian Bond. Bond said he had recommended terminating Mfume’s contract as CEO because of allegations from women. They never followed through because the CEO resigned. Reacting to this, Mfume said and suggested the two men had strong personalities (which I witnessed -covering the NAACP for BET).
Several weeks after this episode DeWayne Wickham wrote an Op-Ed in the Afro American Newspaper giving context. He also covered the NAACP for USA Today. Bond donated his personal papers to the University of Virginia in 2005 where he taught. The papers referenced in the article were always there. Wickham surmised “someone dropped a dime.” Wickham also pointed to the rocky relationship between NAACP’s CEO’s and Board Chairs (there is a long list). Lastly, The Afro endorsed Mfume.
The Endorsement Game
There are personal endorsements, and political endorsements. There is an unwritten rule in Black America not to speak “unwell of the dead.” When Elijah Cummings died a well of emotions came over a community. His homegoing service had past US Presidents, members of Congress, and people who knew him before his life as a politician. The speculation began at the funeral as to who would replace him in congress. His widow, acknowledge she wanted to continue the work of her husband. Several Maryland legislators were likely to throw their names in the race. I waited for the deadline and some 24 people filed for the special election to fill out the term.
Cummings daughters, who spoke at the funeral, made clear after the funeral they were not going to endorse their step-mother but instead gave their endorsement to their father’s Chief of Staff, Harry Spikes. There was a cold wind blowing that some of us may have missed.
This was followed by a report from the interim head of the Maryland Democratic Party, Maryland Senator Corey McCray. McCray said an audit of the books when Maya Rockeymore Cummings was the head of the Maryland Democratic Party, showed she payed more consultants and overspent from what she took in from fundraising.
Ms. Cummings refuted the claim suggesting the organization was “a mess and she brought in more money than her predecessor.”
With a week to go a number of campaigns rolled out personal endorsements. At the Cummings endorsement event I watched a number of prominent women personally endorse Cummings widow including former Baltimore Health Commissioner, Dr. Lena Wen, and former Baltimore City Council Member Helen Holton. I paid close attention to Holton’s remarks. She like other women in the room made the argument for having a woman in the Maryland congressional delegation. Holton questioned Mfume’s vote on the Crime Bill under President Bill Clinton’s administration, then there was a but! “I want to address all the women who are in the legislature running for this office. If you give up your seat…there is likelihood your position will be taken by a man…You need to leverage your position.” It came out of left field so afterwards I asked her to clarify what she was saying. She suggested they should step out the way and “Let Maya be the Congresswoman.”
When I got to Annapolis and I explained this to Del. Talmadge Branch and Del. Teri Hill they were taken aback. I asked if they had heard this argument. “That doesn’t make any sense,” Del. Branch said with disbelief. “I’m not going anywhere,” said Del. Hill.
Unbeknownst to me, Mfume was having his own endorsement event on the other side of Baltimore. It was billed as “Women for Mfume.” Lead by former Delta Sigma Theta President, Dr. Thelma Daley, the former Congressman was surrounded by a number of women in his life. Then he asked two of Elijah Cummings sisters to come forward as they endorsed his candidacy.
I know to the surprise of everyone including Maryland Senator Jill Carter, she received an endorsement from Baltimore Sun’s Editorial Board on the Sunday before the election on February 2, 2020. Paper endorsements aren’t what they use to be.
“This is for him,” Mfume referencing his friend Elijah Cummings as the crowd at the victory party wallowed in the joy of sending someone they knew back to congress. “Experience Matters.” The newly minted Congressman drew his own personal comparisons to having a first-year doctor do heart surgery, or someone who just got their pilots license flying a 747. In an era of Donald Trump, one’s non-political achievements have pushed some non-politicians to believe they have the wherewithal to use their platform to take on the challenges of our times…NOT.
“I know the community and the community knows me.” Mfume will fill out the remainder of Rep. Cummings term but will have a second regular primary on April 28, 2020 to fill out the two remaining years.
Related ItemshomepageIIIKweisi Mfumesr.Sr. Journalist Charles Robinson
← Previous Story Final Call: The Case For Separation: Discussion of the ‘best and only solution’ to the race problem in America is growing
Next Story → Democratic Business Council of Maryland presents … A Roundtable Discussion with Hans Riemer
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The Devil’s Punchbowl: Natchez, Mississippi
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Tubi Says Streaming Rose 58% In 2020, With Half Of Viewers Younger Than 35
‘The Fifth Beatle’ Graphic Novel To Be Developed as Event TV Series By Sonar
March 7, 2016 11:14am
Courtesy of Sonar Entertainment
Sonar Entertainment has optioned the rights to Vivek J. Tiwary’s New York Times bestselling graphic novel The Fifth Beatle: The Story of Brian Epstein, for development as a multi-part TV event series. Tiwary will pen the series adaptation and serve as executive producer.
The Fifth Beatle, previously developed as a feature by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment, recounts the untold true story of the legendary Beatles manager and his effort to drive the unknown band from playing in a Liverpool cellar to international superstardom. Epstein overcame great obstacles, both personally and professionally, being a gay man in a time and place where homosexual acts were a felony. The project includes Tiwary’s access to the John Lennon-Paul McCartney song catalog, the first Beatles-related biopic to secure such rights.
Beatles-Inspired 'Beat Bugs' Set At Netflix; Animated Musical Kids Series To Feature Eddie Vedder, Pink & More
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Vivek to expand his vision to another medium and expose a whole new audience to his riveting and audacious work,” said Tom Patricia, EVP Event Series at Sonar Entertainment. “This story of the man behind the rise of the Beatles will captivate fans around the world and make for a compelling series that is both intimate and epic.”
Added Tiwary: “Brian Epstein’s story is rich in inspiration and is set amidst a backdrop of great cultural change and the legendary history of the Beatles, so an event series truly feels like the only way to do Brian justice. We’re going to do wonderful things with the extra creative room afforded to us.”
The graphic novel, with art by Andrew C. Robinson and Kyle Baker, was published by Dark Horse Comics in 2013. It went on to win numerous literary awards including the Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based work, and two Harvey Awards including Best Original Graphic Album, as well as several other honors. In 2014 The Fifth Beatle was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives, in conjunction with Brian Epstein’s official induction.
Sonar Entertainment
The Fifth Beatle: The Story Of Brian Epstein
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Fangoria Partners With Circle Of Confusion To Launch Fangoria Studios
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India pays Russia a hefty $1.2 bn in Technology Transfer Fees for T-90S Main Battle Tank
India is in the process of manufacturing 464 T-90s Main Battle Tanks after paying a hefty Technology Transfer Fee to Russia. The total contract for 464 Tanks and for Full Technology Transfer signed earlier this month is valued at $3.12 Billion.
The deal stipulates that India will pay $1.2 billion to the Russian original equipment manufacturer UralVagonZavod and arms export agency Rosoboronexport for full technology transfer, while India’s state-owned Ordnance Factory Board will be paid $1.92 billion for local production of 464 T-90S tanks.
As per the contract, Russian defense companies will have to undertake full production and localization guarantees. Both Indian and Russian firms will be penalized by the MoD if the project hit production delays or cost overruns.
To avoid US sanctions, India will pay the Russian defense companies in Roubles.
One of the official from the Ministry of Defence described the price tag of the technology transfer as too high, but at the same time it will increase domestic production of the tanks from the current level of 40 percent to 80 percent. Complete localization of T-90S tanks in India is impossible, as a large number of parts must continue to be imported.
The 80 percent parts that will be locally manufactured are panoramic night sights, thermal imaging fire-control systems and explosive reactive armor, he added. The T-90 engines along with the transmission system that makes up 45 percent of the cost of a T-90S Tank will have to be imported from Russia.
India will manufacture a total of 120 T-90S tanks per year at OFB’s Heavy Factory in Avadi, southern India and complete the project within four years.
A senior Indian Army official said that 80 percent localization of the tank does not necessarily mean ‘advantage’ because life cycle support of the T-90S Tanks is not included. Absence of Life Cycle Support will force the Indian Army to pay three times more than the original cost of the tank.
The Indian Army currently operates 1,100 T-90S tanks. 300 out of the 1,100 tanks were directly imported from Russia.
Source:- DefenceNews.com
DRDO- L&T team might develop K-9 Chassis based Light Battle Tank
by defenceupdate · Published July 27, 2020
India Moves to Improve Combat Readiness of Russian-Origin Fighter Jets, Tanks
by defenceupdate · Published December 26, 2019
Why Indian Army’s $8 bn Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) project continues to be stuck in uncertainties
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Posted inFilm Reviews
Zippy but Predictable: A Fantastic Cast Elevates ‘The Gentlemen’ Despite a Ho-Hum Script
by Bob Grimm January 30th, 2020 December 16th, 2020
Michelle Dockery and Matthew McConaughey in The Gentlemen.
There are many reasons to head to the cinema for a showing of Guy Ritchie’s gangster-comedy return, The Gentlemen.
Chief among those reasons is the cast, led by Matthew McConaughey and an extremely amusing Hugh Grant. Throw in Colin Farrell, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery and Eddie Marsan, all in top form, and you are talking about one of the best casts of the 2020—and it’s only January.
Also, if you are a big fan of weed, you should go see this movie.
The film, directed and co-written by Ritchie, isn’t an amazing piece of scriptwriting. It feels like the other gangster-comedy/drama films he wrote and directed (Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) in that it has zippy dialogue and a fairly routine mystery at its core. However, The Gentlemen is a lot of fun from start to finish, and you will forgive its familiarities and foibles.
McConaughey is at his best as Mickey Pearson, a gangster who has built a large illegal-weed empire as the plant seems headed toward legalization. He’s toying with getting out, and offers his empire to Matthew (Jeremy Strong) for a tidy, semi-reasonable sum. Wife Rosalind (Dockery), a shrewd businessperson, is fine with him retiring—as long as that doesn’t mean he will always be hanging around and bothering her while she’s trying to get stuff done.
However, bodies start piling up as Mickey’s farm locations are getting raided—and somebody in the cast is responsible. That includes Farrell as Coach, a local boxing trainer who has shrewdly constructed a little side game involving street thugs; Ray (Hunnam), Mickey’s right-hand man, who seems loyal but, hey, maybe he’s looking to move ahead in the crime world; and both Lord George (Tom Wu) and Dry Eye (Henry Golding), who have the motive to screw Mickey over because, like Matthew, they want his empire.
Then there’s private-investigator Fletcher (Hugh Grant), who has been following everybody around, gathering evidence to blackmail Mickey—while also writing a screenplay based on the whole mess. Fletcher, in what counts as a framing device, tells Ray his observations throughout the film, and the action plays out along with his storytelling.
Grant gets a chance to act completely sleazy—and it becomes him. Bearded and bespectacled with a full cockney accent, Grant is a crack-up, one of the only real reasons to call this movie a comedy. McConaughey, in contrast, is not a laugh riot; his role combines his laid-back strengths with flashes of full on, brilliant rage. This movie might contain two of my favorite McConaughey-raging moments.
Starting with In Bruges, Farrell moved into my “favorite actors” file and has managed to stay there. His Coach actually feels like an offshoot of his In Bruges persona—with, perhaps, a dash more bravado. His part is smallish, but he makes the most of all his minutes.
Everything plays out in a way that is not surprising, so if you see The Gentlemen looking to judge it on the basis of its mystery contents, you might find yourself disappointed. It’s nothing extraordinary on that front … but it’s not bad, either. When everything is revealed, the results are slightly ho-hum. That doesn’t prevent the film from being an overall good time.
The Gentlemen offers viewers a chance to see a cast having a blast—and to see Ritchie playing in a sandbox that suits him after a slump that included dreck like Aladdin and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. He’s definitely more at home with snappy, profane dialogue and comic violence than he is with magic carpets and blue genies.
The Gentlemen is playing at theaters across the valley.
Tagged: charlie hunnam, colin farrell, eddie marsan, guy ritchie, henry golding, hugh grant, jeremy strong, Matthew McConaughey, nichelle dockery, the gentlemen, tom wu
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Daily Politics Info
Donald Trump, Jeff Sessions, Sergey Kislyak Mayflower Hotel meeting drove empty Russia scandal
Attorney General William Barr may have one particular storyline in mind when he says liberal media were doing “all they could to sensationalize and drive” the empty Russia scandal: the Mayflower Hotel.
The press wrote scores of stories in 2017 about candidate Donald Trump’s foreign policy speech at the downtown D.C. landmark. The articles promoted scandalous Russia ties and supposed out-and-out lying. They centered on three men who were in the same room that April 27, 2016: Mr. Trump, Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and then-Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican.
In the end, perhaps no other anti-Trump story involving Russia promised so much only to produce investigative findings of virtually nothing.
Mr. Barr has been on a two-pronged mission. He has publicly excoriated the FBI for what he characterizes as “sabotaging” the Trump presidency. He has vowed to find out what happened through special investigator John Durham, who is examining how the bureau started the probe.
Mr. Barr has long contended that the FBI lacked evidence to open such a momentous criminal project targeting the president’s campaign, transition and presidency. Democrats and the liberal press have questioned the need for Mr. Durham.
Mr. Barr now has added a third prong: He is zeroing in on what he considers liberal media overkill in light of the fact that special counsel Robert Mueller found no Trump-Russia election conspiracy.
“I agree with you that it’s been stunning that all we have gotten from the mainstream media is sort of bovine silence in the face of the complete collapse of the so-called Russiagate scandal, which they did all they could to sensationalize and drive,” Mr. Barr told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo. “And it’s, like, not even a ‘whoops.’ They’re just onto the next false scandal. So, that has been surprising to me: that people aren’t concerned about civil liberties and the integrity of our governmental process.”
On NPR on Thursday, he called news media part of the “mob.”
“And these days, the media is very prominent among the mob, who either want someone hung or they want him sprung,” he said. “And part of what the Department of Justice is about and the attorney general is about is ignoring the mob and the calls and the false narratives, and doing in each case what they think is right.”
Mr. Trump’s foreign policy campaign speech at the Mayflower Hotel was sponsored by The National Interest, a publication of the Center for the National Interest, and its director, Dimitri Simes. The center works to build better relations between Washington and Moscow.
A year later, in the spring of 2017, the Mayflower became one of the hottest media topics on ties between Mr. Trump and Russia. Reporters began churning out scores of accusatory stories. That March, then-FBI Director James B. Comey announced that the entire Trump apparatus was under scrutiny for any links to Russia. Trump aides say that from that day forward, they felt like they had a target on their back for any time they ever talked to a Russian.
Here is a sampling of Mayflower stories:
⦁ NBC News: “Five current and former U.S. officials said they are aware of classified intelligence suggesting there was some sort of private encounter between Trump and his aides and the Russian envoy, despite a heated denial from Sessions, who has already come under fire for failing to disclose two separate contacts with Kislyak.”
⦁ The Independent, a British news website: “The meeting between the two men took place while Mr. Trump was at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington April 27, 2016. The reports directly contradict the president’s repeated denials about contact with Russian officials prior to his election.”
⦁ The Wall Street Journal: Mr. Trump warmly greeted Mr. Kislyak in a reception line before his speech.
⦁ Bloomberg News: “President Trump met last April with the Russian ambassador at the center of a pair of controversies.”
⦁ HuffPost: “It is not clear what Trump and Kislyak discussed, or how extensive the interaction was.”
⦁ Newsweek: “Sessions’s lies about his Russia Contacts: Chapter and Verse … Lying to Congress is a felony and special counsel Robert Mueller may have jurisdiction here since these statements materially relate to the investigation of Trump campaign relations with Russia.”
⦁ CNN: “Investigators on the Hill are requesting additional information, including schedules from Sessions, a source with knowledge tells CNN. They are focusing on whether such a meeting took place April 27, 2016, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC, where then-candidate Donald Trump was delivering his first major foreign policy address.”
⦁ The Washington Post: Intercepts of Mr. Kislyak’s phone calls to superiors has him saying he talked about the 2016 campaign with Trump aides at the Mayflower.
“Current and former U.S. officials said that that assertion is at odds with Kislyak’s accounts of conversations in two encounters during the campaign, one in April ahead of Trump’s first major foreign policy speech [at the Mayflower] and another in July on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention,” The Post said.
⦁ The New York Times: “The origin of the Mayflower story can be traced, according to several American officials, to raw intelligence picked up by American spy agencies last year that is now held at C.I.A. headquarters in Virginia. The intelligence appears to be based on intercepts of Mr. Kislyak discussing a private meeting he had with Mr. Sessions at a Trump campaign event last April at the luxury hotel.”
The Mueller investigation
Besides briefly greeting Mr. Kislyak, as well as other ambassadors, at the Mayflower, Mr. Trump had no foreign contacts and left immediately after the speech, according to the special counsel’s report in March 2019. In all, Mr. Mueller found no Trump-Russia conspiracy to interfere in the 2016 election.
Here is how the VIP receiving line worked, said Mr. Mueller: “Sessions first stood next to Trump to introduce him to the members of Congress who were in attendance. After those members had been introduced, Simes stood next to Trump and introduced him to the CNI invitees in attendance, including Kislyak. Simes perceived the introduction to be positive and friendly, but thought it clear that Kislyak and Trump had just met for the first time.”
In other words, when the diplomats greeted Mr. Trump, Mr. Sessions had left the receiving line. It was Mr. Simes who invited the diplomats.
Mr. Mueller footnoted the NBC report, as well as a report in The Atlantic, which said Mr. Sessions had met with Mr. Kislyak at the Mayflower.
“The office found no evidence that Kislyak conversed with either Trump or Sessions after the speech, or would have had the opportunity to do so,” the Mueller report said. “Simes, for example, did not recall seeing Kislyak at the post-speech luncheon, and the only witness who accounted for Sessions’ whereabouts stated that Sessions may have spoken to the press after the event but then departed for Capitol Hill.”
Another witness told the Mueller team, “Trump left the hotel a few minutes after the speech to go to the airport.”
Mr. Mueller wrote about the Mayflower event and Mr. Kislyak’s attendance at the Republican National Convention, a trip organized by the Obama administration’s State Department for scores of diplomats.
The Mueller report: “The office investigated several other events that have been publicly reported to involve potential Russia-related contacts. For example, the investigation established that interactions between Russian Ambassador Kislyak and Trump campaign officials both at the candidate’s April 2016 foreign policy speech in Washington D.C. and during the week of the Republican National Convention were brief, public and non-substantive.”
Concerning Mr. Sessions’ brief meeting with Mr. Kislyak in his Senate office, the Mueller report said, “The investigation also did not establish that a meeting between Kislyak and Sessions in September 2016 at Sessions’ Senate office included any more than a passing mention of the presidential campaign.”
After the Mayflower press frenzy, Mr. Sessions, then the attorney general, testified before the Senate that June.
“I did not have any private meetings, nor do I recall any conversations with any Russian officials at the Mayflower Hotel,” Mr. Sessions said. “I did not attend any meetings at that event. Prior to the speech, I attended a reception with my staff that included at least two dozen people and President Trump. Though I do recall several conversations I had during that pre-speech reception, I do not have any recollection of meeting or talking to the Russian ambassador or any other Russian officials.”
Mr. Barr continued his criticism of the press last week during an appearance on the podcast “Verdict with Ted Cruz,” a Senate Republican from Texas.
“One of the stunning things, I’m sure you’ll agree, is that the media just went hellbent for leather on pushing this Russiagate story that Trump was essentially an agent of Russia,” Mr. Barr said. “And they were merciless. And up until recently you had former senior government officials sort of talking knowingly about how the president was going to be indicted and so forth and so on. Is there anyone standing up now saying that President Trump is an agent of a foreign power? Whoops. They got it wrong. And you wouldn’t know that ‘cause there has been no retraction, no readjustment by the media. … They’re just on to the next false scandal because their purpose seems to be to cripple this administration and drive it from office at any cost.”
The Mueller report provided no evidence that Mr. Trump, during his long career as a hotel and golf course developer, was ever a spy or an informant for Russia, or that he even interacted with Kremlin officials. The Trump Organization has never built anything in Russia.
On Monday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called on The Washington Post and the New York Times to return their Pulitzer prizes for their Russia coverage, saying that much of it was inaccurate.
Copyright Cream Magazine by Themebeez
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Archive for the ‘The Band of Heathens’ Category
Chicago Farmer’s ‘Flyover Country’ Features The Band Of Heathens – 2nd Single Out Today – Outlaw Country w/ Heart & Humor
Posted in The Band of Heathens, Uncategorized, tagged "all in one place", Americana, Chicago farmer, Ed Jurdi, Flyover Country, folk music, Gordy Quist, New Album, Pokey LaFarge, singer-songwriter, single, The Finishing School, Todd Snider, TOUR DATES on January 10, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Putting the Poetry in Motion,
Chicago Farmer Joins Forces with The Band of Heathens
New Album, Flyover Country – Due Out Feb 7, 2020
Recorded at The Finishing School in Austin, Texas
2nd Single “All In One Place” Out Now → chicagofarmer.hearnow.com/all-in-one-place
“Chicago Farmer’s ‘All In One Place’ Is Outlaw Country with Heart and Humor”
—American Songwriter “All In One Place” Song Premiere
BLOOMINGTON, IL — For recording artists, albums can be like children — it’s hard to go on record choosing one as a favorite. But Cody “Chicago Farmer” Diekhoff doesn’t hesitate to designate his forthcoming release, Flyover Country, as his “golden child.”
Chicago Farmer is known for his clever and heartfelt songwriting and unique voice. Todd Snider exclaims, “Chicago Farmer is my brother; if you like me, you’ll love him,” and Pokey LaFarge says“Chicago Farmer represents the best qualities of Midwestern U.S.A. His lyrics, his stories and his heart are true… Definitely one of my favorite singers out there today.”
Flyover Country features The Band of Heathens and was recorded at the Heathens studio, The Finishing School, in Austin TX with Gordy Quist and Ed Jurdi serving as co-producers alongside Diekhoff.
Jurdi says, “Cody (Chicago Farmer) came in with a stellar batch of songs and really had a good vision for what he wanted the album to be. The material really takes a look at the kaleidoscopic fabric of the Midwest. Chicago Farmer writes and sings in a truly authentic voice about the people that inhabit the spaces that America’s hopes and dreams have been built upon. Always the underdog, sometimes overlooked, but never to be forgotten.”
“I think it’s my best work so far and definitely the one that I put the most into,” Diekhoff said of the 10-song album, due out Feb. 7. This is Chicago Farmer’s first studio album in four years and it will be available on CD and vinyl, as well as digital & streaming services.
The 2nd single, “All In One Place,” is out now and starting to hit Americana reporting radio stations American Songwriter premiered the song and calls, “This tale of high hopes and low returns” an “outlaw country number that resounds with heart and humor.”
“I knew as I was writing these songs that they called for another direction — and a band. A band that was tight, had soul, and knew how to make records,” Diekhoff said about Flyover Country, his sixth full-length studio album. “I’ll always be a folksinger, but you can’t just keep doing the same thing over and over. I decided it’s time to throw some fuel on this fire and get it going. For me, it’s all about the poetry and playing with a band is about putting the poetry in motion a little differently.”
Fans of Chicago Farmer will already know at least a couple of the songs on Flyover Country if they’ve seen a show in the past couple years. In fact, Diekhoff’s talking-blues tribute to hardworking, unsung, everyday heroes, “Dirtiest Uniform,” and his country-folk singalong anthem extolling the virtues of intimate live music shows and cheap beer over corporate arena concerts, “$13 Beers,” are among the highlights on 2019’s double-disc live release, Quarter Past Tonight.
Flyover Country Track Listing
Indiana Line 3:51
Flyover Country 4:59
Mother Nature’s Daughter 3:01
$13 Beers 3:17
Collars 5:23
All In One Place 2:51
Deer In The Sky 3:23
Ramblin’ Man 4:44
Dirtiest Uniforms 4:43
The Village Revisited 6:56
Diekhoff and the Heathens cover a lot of musical territory on Flyover Country.
The album opens with “Indiana Line,” a country-tinged rootsy raveup, a tale of a desperate drive down the road to redemption with great, growling slide guitar work. This track was released towards the end of 2019 as the album’s first single. Americana Highways premiered it, writing, “With an ominous western intro, ‘Indiana Line’ builds up to a foot stompin,’ thumpin’ instant singalong. This bodes very well for Chicago Farmer’s Flyover Country. The harmonies with The Band of Heathens are irresistible, and the style is absolute contagion.”
The title track is a languid waltz with a shuffling beat and jangly guitar, an ode to the people of the rural heartland, his people, putting Diekhoff’s high vibrato to great use. A brisker waltz beat propels “Collars,” another tribute to small-town folks, this one inspired by a young soldier who didn’t come home from Iraq.
Harmonica and baritone guitar drive “Deer in the Sky,” an uptempo folk-rock number about the benefits of flying over driving (you can drink beer on a plane and you’ll never hit a deer). Things get downright raucous on a couple songs, with Diekhoff’s grunge-rock roots coming out on “Mother Nature’s Daughter,” an environmental protest song, while the guitars go to town on “All in One Place,” a humorous look at the sad truth about making money in the music business.
Diekhoff pays tribute to Hank Williams with the album’s sole cover, Williams’ “Ramblin’ Man,” while also honoring Kenny Forbes, a friend’s father who introduced a young Diekhoff to the music of Hank Williams, setting him off on his musical quest as a folksinger. “Ramblin’ Man” starts with a stripped-down presentation but by the final verse it explodes with intensity.
The album ends with “The Village Revisited,” a sprawling, gospel-tinged song about the importance of community that recalls Creedence Clearwater Revival’s take on “Midnight Special” at times and at the end sounds like a party has broken out in the studio.
Through all the songs on Flyover Country — and most Chicago Farmer songs, for that matter —runs a common thread, a love and respect for regular folks, those who might be overlooked and underappreciated.
“A lot of my friends are just getting by day-to-day,” Diekhoff said. “We keep at it, we keep working hard. Hopefully, eventually, things will turn around.”
When Flyover Country comes out in February, Diekhoff will put his solo troubadour days behind him, at least for a while. He’ll hit the road with a band, performing as Chicago Farmer and the Fieldnotes which includes Jaik Willis, Cody Jensen, & Cosmic Charlie Harris.
Chicago Farmer Solo Supporting Todd Snider:
1/15 Wed – The Lyric – Oxford, MS
1/16 Thu – Vinyl Music Hall – Pensacola, FL
1/21 Tue – Key West Theater – Key West, FL
1/23 Thu – The Funky Biscuit – Boca Raton, FL
1/24 Fri – Centro Asturiano de Tampa – Tampa, FL
1/25 Sat – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
1/26 Sun – Iron City Bham – Birmingham, AL
1/29 Wed – Georgia Theater – Athens, GA
1/30 Thu – Victory North – Savannah, GA
1/31 Fri – Charleston Music Hall – Charleston, SC
2/1 Sat – Rocky Mount Mills – Rocky Mount, NC
Winter Shows Featuring Chicago Farmer & The Fieldnotes:
2/7 Fri – The Bootleg – St. Louis, MO
2/8 Sat – The Eagle’s Theater – Olney, IL
2/9 Sun – Stellar Cellar – Effingham, IL
2/14 Fri – Castle Theatre – Bloomington, IL
2/15 Sat – Fitzgerald’s Nightclub – Berwyn, IL
2/16 Sun – Anodyne Coffee – Milwaukee, WI
2/20 Thu – Pearl Street Brewery – LaCrosse, WI
2/21 Fri – The Turf Club – St Paul, MN
2/22 Sat – The Outer Edge – Appleton, WI
2/28 Fri – Southgate House – Newport, KY
2/29 Sat – Duke’s INDY – Indianapolis, IN
3/6 Fri – Redstone Room – Davenport, IA
3/7 Sat – Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
3/8 Sun – World Theater – Kearney, NE
3/12 Thu – Magic Rat – Fort Collins, CO
3/13 Fri – Walnut Room – Denver, CO
3/14 Sat – Western Jubilee – Colorado Springs, CO
Further information and tour dates can be found at www.chicagofarmer.com, www.facebook.com/chicagofarmer, instagram.com/chicagofarmermusic, and twitter.com/chicagofarmer.
Reed Foehl Shares Song From ‘Lucky Enough,’ Recorded with Band of Heathens, Due Out Feb 1
Posted in Reed Foehl, The Band of Heathens, Uncategorized, tagged album release, American Miles, Americana, Americana Music, Band of Heathens, Ed Jurdi, Finishing School studio, folk music, Fred Kevorkian, Geoff Queen, Gordy Quist, Green Mountain Records, Gregory Alan Isakov, Jesse Wilson, Lucky Enough, New Album, personal songs, Reed Foehl, Richard Millsap, Steve Christensen, Todd Snider, TOUR DATES, Trevor Nealon on December 13, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Reed Foehl To Release 5th Studio Album, Lucky Enough, Feb 1, 2019
Recorded in Austin, TX with The Band of Heathens
Co-Produced by Reed Foehl with Gordy Quist and Ed Jurdi
On Tour with Todd Snider in March!
POWNAL, VT — With the Feb. 1, 2019, release of Reed Foehl’s fifth solo album, Lucky Enough, fans will get a dose of powerful medicine, a cathartic collection of 10 songs that Foehl recorded with help from a mighty musical force, The Band of Heathens, at their Finishing School studio in Austin, Texas. It’s an album that will undoubtedly solidify his standing as one of the most compelling and vital Americana artists around.
Other artists have long sung the praises of Foehl. As fellow songwriter Gregory Alan Isakov notes, “Reed has the ability to transport the soul, a true master. One of the great songwriters of our time.”
Isakov co-wrote the debut track, “American Miles,” a road song that was inspired by traveling and the great american landscape. Glide Magazine premiered the song and writes, “…the vocals in the beginning immediately conjure images of staring out the window of a car as it cruises along a lonesome highway at sunrise. Foehl keeps the instrumentation sparse, letting a lightly picked acoustic and the quiet thumb of a drum create the groove while the occasional flourish of a piano and a tambourine. His vocals have a dreamy folk quality that reflects the quietly reflective lyrics.”
Listen to “American Miles”→ http://bit.ly/AmericanMiles_GlidePremiere.
Todd Snider, whom Foehl will be touring with in March 2019, says, “Reed Foehl is like a brother to me. We’ve had a lot of miles on the road together, and I don’t think they make better singer-songwriters than him.”
Ed Jurdi of The Band of Heathens, a fellow native of Massachusetts, was downright poetic in his expression of admiration for Foehl, “Reed Foehl is a familiar voice in the wilderness calling you home. His songs are part New England folklore, told around an old wood stove in the midst of a winter’s blizzard and part Southern charm, warm and inviting, like the spring breeze that welcome the magnolia blossoms.”
On Lucky Enough, Foehl touches on a range of Americana styles, all with emotionally charged lyrics and can’t-get-out-of-your-head choruses, from somber folk elegies (“Stealing Starlight” and “American Miles”) and gospel-tinged tunes (“Carousel Horses”) to barroom country singalongs (“Long Time to Make Old Friends”) and jaunty calypso-flavored, country-infused pop (“Wish I Knew”). These are deeply personal songs for Foehl, and while they were written during some dark days, there’s a sense of optimism and gratitude, an overriding feeling that the hope outshines the heartbreak.
The uncannily cinematic album takes its title from the chorus of “If It Rains,” on its surface a Dust Bowl ballad about persistence in the face of the vagaries of nature. “If it don’t shed a tear, we wait ’til next year, heartbroken but lucky enough,” Foehl sings in the unforgettably melodic chorus. With the final verse, it’s clear the song digs deeper than drought when he sings, in a voice worn and weary but warm:
“With the cold came the snow
On our favorite place to go
I carved the slated path
And built a wooden bench
Then laid it in cement
Out of love and in memory of.”
Foehl certainly took an unexpected route in getting to Lucky Enough. Then again, he says, “I’ve always done things very unconventionally.”
A New England native who had long lived in Colorado, Foehl was making a big move, heading to Nashville to continue his craft as an artist and a songwriter. That made sense after co-writing the leadoff song (“Fly”) with up-and-coming country singer/songwriter Brent Cobb on Lee Ann Womack’s 2014 GRAMMY nominated album, The Way I’m Livin’.
On the way, he got a call from his mother, Linda. She had lymphoma, and she needed him. He didn’t hesitate, ditching his fully loaded car in Nashville and flying straight home to Massachusetts. “It put in perspective what life’s about,” he says. “This was important, definitely more than any of these records I’ve made.”
While he cared for his mother, Foehl kept at his songwriting, thanks to the sponsorship of a longtime friend and hockey teammate. Keeping the creative flames burning was vital. “It’s not just what I do, it’s who I am. I’m writing songs so people can hear them and so I can be OK. That’s really the gist of it,” he says.
After Foehl lost his mother in July 2017, he knew he had to keep moving forward and started thinking about recording an album. Although he launched his solo career with the release of Spark in 2001, he played in bands for years, notably fronting Acoustic Junction and then as a charter member of Great American Taxi. For his fifth solo album, he thought, why not go into the studio with a full-fledged band? “With all my records. I like to take leaps and chances and want to try different things,” he says. “I said, ‘What about doing it with The Band of Heathens?’”
Foehl had toured as an opener with The Band of Heathens, and he knew and loved their tones and sound and how they worked together. And The Heathens had just opened their own studio in Austin, christening it by recording an update of the entire landmark Ray Charles album, A Message from the People. “These guys are really good,” Foehl says. “If I hire them, it’s a built in sound. They’ve been playing together forever.”
The Heathens, for their part, had really hit it off with Foehl on tour and were primed to help him make an album. “We really dug his stuff and felt like it would be a good match,” said Ed Jurdi, who co-produced Lucky Enough with Foehl and fellow Heathen Gordy Quist, with both Jurdi and Quist adding guitars and vocals on the album. “What I felt our job was, was to put him in a position where he could do his thing, just really make him comfortable. The record is about Reed and his songs, so how do we elevate that by adding what we can do? The idea as a producer is to both create a record the artist likes and making an album that the artist didn’t know they could make.”
The great thing about the Heathens, Foehl says, is they always knew when to hold back and when to let it rip, deftly embellishing the 10 songs on Lucky Enough. “They are very much chameleon-like,” Foehl said of the Heathens, “capable and talented enough to adapt and play any style of music.”
Quist even pitched in on the writing of “Wish I Knew,” helping Foehl take the song in a direction he would never have thought to go. Musically, it playfully moves along at a frisky pace, while lyrically Foehl wrestles with some of the life’s big questions:
“If the choices were just black and white
I’d a half a chance to get things right
How to make it through the dark of night
Only wish I wish I knew”
In addition to Quist and Jurdi, the other Heathens playing on the album include Trevor Nealon (keyboards), Jesse Wilson (bass guitar), and Richard Millsap, (who played drums as well as electric guitar), along with Geoff Queen on pedal steel. Lucky Enough, which will be released on Green Mountain Records, was engineered and mixed by Steve Christensen and mastered by Fred Kevorkian.
Foehl’s solo career has been bookended by loss, losing his father, Billy, in 2001 around the time Spark came out and then his mother preceding Lucky Enough, with three albums in between — 2007’s Stoned Beautiful, 2009’s Once an Ocean and 2014’s Lost in the West. Growing up in Dover, Mass., his parents were a huge influence for Foehl, filling the house with John Prine music and playing for decades together in a bluegrass/country band called The Centre Streeters. His parents encouraged him in his musical passion, regularly taking him to Boston, where he cut his teeth as a performer, busking at the Faneuil Hall Marketplace at the tender age of 11.
Lucky Enough is dedicated to the memory of Foehl’s mother — “the Queen of Everything” — and a keen sense of loss flavors the album. But there’s also a sense of hope, of forward momentum, change and a celebration of love, including not just the romantic variety but the kind a guy has for the oldest of old friends. For Foehl, creating Lucky Enough with The Band of Heathens has been a cathartic process. “If I can help myself, maybe I can help others,” he says. “You’ve got to keep moving forward. I think that’s the important thing. Live to fight another day.”
Reed Foel Holiday Shows This December with Gregory Alan Isakov
12/22-22 Fri-Sat – Gold Hill Inn, Boulder, CO
Reed Foehl
Photo by Kate Drew Miller
Reed Foehl On Tour Supporting Todd Snider March 2019!
3/13 Wed – The Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY
3/14 Thu – Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA
3/15 Fri – The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA
3/17 Sun – Infinity Music Hall & Bistro – Hartford, CT
3/18 The Birchmere – Alexandria, VA
3/20 Wed- The Beacon Theater – Hopewell, VA
3/22 Fri – Lincoln Theater – Raleigh, NC
3/23 Sat – The Ramkat – Winston-Salem, NC
3/24 Sun – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
Lucky Enough Track Listing
1. Stealing Starlight (3:33)
2. American Miles (3:22)
3. If It Rains (4:48)
4. Takes a Long Time to Make Old Friends (3:18)
5. Carousel Horses (3:00)
6. He’s on an Island (3:26)
7. Running Out of You (3:46)
8. Wish I Knew (2:36)
9. Hello My Dear (4:12)
10. Color Me In (3:28)
Reed Foehl – lead vocals and acoustic guitar
Gordy Quist – guitars, background vocals
Ed Jurdi – guitars, background vocals
Trevor Nealon – keyboards, background vocals
Jesse Wilson – bass guitar, background vocals
Richard Millsap – drums, background vocals
Geoff Queen – pedal steel
For more information and updates, please visit www.reedfoehlmusic.com, www.facebook.com/ReedFoehl, www.twitter.com/reedfoehl, and www.instagram.com/reedfoehl.
The Band of Heathens Celebrating 10 Years at SXSW and 2016 Tour
Posted in The Band of Heathens, Uncategorized, tagged Asheville, Austin, Ed Jurdi, Free download, Gordy Quist, Green Grass of California, Green Gress, Kid Rock’s 7th Annual Chillin’ The Most Cruise, new music, Richard Millsap, Scott Davis, SXSW, The Band of Heathens, The Ride Festival, TOUR DATES, Trevor Nealon on March 9, 2016| Leave a Comment »
After 10 Years, The Band of Heathens Find Their Stride
New Music in 2016
Celebrating ten years together, The Band of Heathens is set to embark on a banner year with founding members Ed Jurdi (guitar, keys, vocals) and Gordy Quist (guitar, vocals) along with Trevor Nealon (keys, vocals), Richard Millsap (drums, vocals) and Scott Davis (bass, vocals). Fresh off the boat from the SiriusXM Outlaw Country Cruise, this Austin, TX based world class rock n roll outfit has two new releases slated for 2016. The Green Grass EP premieres four new BOH originals and a faithful cover of The Band’s “Bessie Smith,” featuring Joe Fletcher, and will be followed by their 8th full length album tentatively slated for release in September.
In the coming months, they will be performing a number of showcases at SXSW, sailing the high seas aboard Kid Rock’s 7th Annual Chillin’ The Most Cruise, hitting select markets in the Rockies, Midwest and the Southeast and are set to return to The Ride Festival in Telluride, CO with Pearl Jam and many others later in the year. For their spring and summer 2016 tours, fans will receive a free digital download of the five-song limited edition EP, Green Grass, with all advance ticket purchases. The CD version will only be available at their shows and in the web store: www.bandofheathens.com/music.
For a limited time anyone can download the title track for free at http://bit.ly/BOH_GreenGrass_2016.
The EP is a return to the kaleidoscopic rock n roll sound that the band has fearlessly forged over the course of their ten-year career. Seamlessly blending country, and R&B, on tracks like “DC9” or integrating lyrical prose with rock n roll and pop sensibilities on “Out On Each Other”, the music showcases the combustible creative chemistry of the band’s current lineup. “There’s a deeper sense of exploration on these tracks that feels really special,” remarks Gordy Quist.” I think it’s the best the band has ever sounded, and I think it’s a good reflection of where we are right now.”
Both new releases for 2016 feature the sonic shift in the band, straying further into their roots to harness the rollicking energy of their live shows, and away from the more folk/singer-songwriter direction which they took with their 2013 release Sunday Morning Record. The new album also shows some new geographic influences with some of the recordings being done in Asheville, Austin, and Nashville.
The Band of Heathens on Tour
Thursday-Monday, March 10-14th – Kid Rock’s Chillin’ The Most Cruise
The Band of Heathens at SXSW in Austin, TX 2016
9am Sun Radio – Hotel Sonesta
3:35-4:15pm – Dog Day Afternoon Showcase @ The Dogwood (715 West 6th St.)
7pm Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist duo set SxStilesSwitch (6610 N Lamar Blvd)
1am (Wed night/ Thu morning) New Frontier Touring showcase @ Swan Dive (615 Red River St)
1:30pm – WLVR’s 7th Annual Radio-thon at Opa! Coffee & Wine Bar (2050 S. Lamar)
3:15-3:45pm – The New Americana Party @ Craftsman (2000 E. Cesar Chavez) >
5:30-6pm – Flatstock – SXSW Conference Center
8pm – Wreckroom Unsanctioned at Arlyn Studios (200 Academy Dr #140)
The Band of Heathens Tour 2016
3/25 Fri – Luckenbach Dancehall – Fredericksburg, TX
3/26 Sat – Legendary Firehouse Saloon – Houston, TX
3/31 Thu – Cervantes’ Other Side – Denver, CO *
4/1 Fri – Hodi’s Half Note – Fort Collins, CO *
4/2 Sat – Sheridan Opera House – Telluride, CO
4/15 Fri – MAIN St. Fort Worth Arts Festival – Fort Worth, TX
4/17 Sun – Old Settler’s Music Festival – Driftwood, TX
4/19 Tue – Knuckleheads – Kansas City, MO*
4/20 Wed – Off Broadway – St. Louis, MO*
4/21 Thu – The Castle Theatre – Bloomington, IL*
4/22 Fri – Taft Ballroom – Cincinnati, OH
4/23 Sat – Beat Kitchen – Chicago, IL
4/24 Sun – Woodlands Tavern – Columbus, OH
4/26 Tue – Lafayette’s Music Room – Memphis, TN
4/29 Fri – Hal & Mal’s – Jackson, MS +
4/30 Sat – Rock ‘n’ Ribs Benefit – Selma, AL
5/26 Thu – Free Texas Music Series @ The County Line – San Antonio, TX
5/28 Sat – The LOT Downtown – Mansfield, TX
6/3 Fri – Montrose Music Summer Series – Montrose, CO
6/4 Sat – Music on the Mesa – El Prado, NM
6/23 Thu – Thursday Music On Main – Victor, ID
6/24 Fri – Hwy 30 Music Fest – Filer, ID
6/26 Sun – Blues, Brew and BBQ at Snowbasin – Huntsville, UT
8/19 Fri – Texan Theater – Greenville, TX
8/20 Sat – Cultural Activities Center – Temple, TX
* w/ Chicago Farmer supporting
+ supporting the Drive-By Truckers
For more tour dates tba and updates on the upcoming release, please visit www.bandofheathens.com, www.facebook.com/thebandofheathens, www.twitter.com/bandofheathens, and www.youtube.com/user/bandofheathens.
Celebrating 10 Years, The Band of Heathens Is Going Big in 2016
Posted in The Band of Heathens, Uncategorized, tagged Austin, Bessie Smith, Ed Jurdi, Gordy Quist, Green Grass, Joe Fletcher, Kid Rock’s 7th Annual Chillin’ The Most Cruise, Music, New Frontier Touring, Richard Millsap, Scott Davis, Sirius XM Outlaw Country Cruise, SXSW, The Band of Heathens, The Ride Festival, TOUR DATES, Trevor Nealon on February 17, 2016| Leave a Comment »
The Band of Heathens. Photo by Greg Giannukos.
Austin, TX — Celebrating ten years together, The Band of Heathens is set to embark on a banner year with founding members Ed Jurdi (guitar, keys, vocals) and Gordy Quist (guitar, vocals) along with Trevor Nealon (keys, vocals), Richard Millsap (drums, vocals) and Scott Davis (bass, vocals). Fresh off the boat from the Sirius XM Outlaw Country Cruise, This Austin, TX based world class rock n roll outfit has two new releases slated for 2016, beginning with the Green Grass EP, which will premiere four new BOH originals and a faithful cover of The Band’s “Bessie Smith,” featuring Joe Fletcher.
In the coming months, they will be sailing the high seas aboard Kid Rock’s 7th Annual Chillin’ The Most Cruise, hitting select markets in the Rockies, Midwest and the Southeast and are set to return to The Ride Festival in Telluride, CO with Pearl Jam and many others later in the year.
Fans will receive a free digital download of the five-song limited edition EP, Green Grass, with all advance ticket purchases. The CD version will only be available at their shows and in the web store: www.bandofheathens.com/music.
For a limited time anyone can download the title track for free at http://bit.ly/BOH_GreenGrass_2016. The EP will be followed later in the year by a full album tentatively slated for release in September.
2/24 – The Kenney Store – Kenney, TX
2/26 – Spirits Food & Friends – Alexandria, LA
3/09 – The Funky Biscuit – Boca Raton, FL
3/10-14 – Kid Rock’s Chillin’ The Most Cruise
3/16 – SXSW – Swan Dive – Austin, TX ^
3/17 – SXSW – Craftsman – Austin, TX >
3/25 – Luckenbach Dancehall – Fredericksburg, TX
3/26 – Legendary Firehouse Saloon – Houston, TX
3/31 – Cervantes’ Other Side – Denver, CO *
4/01 – Hodi’s Half Note – Fort Collins, CO *
4/15 – MAIN St. Fort Worth Arts Festival – Fort Worth, TX
4/17 – Old Settler’s Music Festival – Driftwood, TX
4/19 – Knuckleheads – Kansas City, MO*
4/20 – Off Broadway – St. Louis, MO*
4/21 – The Castle Theatre – Bloomington, IL*
4/22 – Taft Ballroom – Cincinnati, OH
4/23 – Beat Kitchen – Chicago, IL
4/24 – Woodlands Tavern – Columbus, OH
4/26 – Lafayette’s Music Room – Memphis, TN
4/29 – Hal & Mal’s – Jackson, MS +
4/30 – Rock ‘n’ Ribs Benefit – Selma, AL
5/26 – Free Texas Music Series @ The County Line – San Antonio, TX
5/28 – The LOT Downtown – Mansfield, TX
6/03 – Montrose Music Summer Series – Montrose, CO
6/04 – Music on the Mesa – El Prado, NM
6/23 – Thursday Music On Main – Victor, ID
6/24 – Hwy 30 Music Fest – Filer, ID
6/26 – Blues, Brew and BBQ at Snowbasin – Huntsville, UT
8/19 – Texan Theater – Greenville, TX
8/20 – Cultural Activities Center – Temple, TX
^ New Frontier Touring Presents
> The New Americana Party
For more information, please visit www.bandofheathens.com, www.facebook.com/thebandofheathens, www.twitter.com/bandofheathens, and www.youtube.com/user/bandofheathens.
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Leader of Khmer Rouge torture prison gets life sentence
By the CNN Wire Staff
Updated 1143 GMT (1943 HKT) February 3, 2012
Former Khmer Rouge prison chief Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, sits in the courtroom in Phnom Penh Friday.
"Duch" ran a notorious torture prison in Cambodia in the 1970s
He was sentenced in 2010 to 35 years in prison
At least 1.7 million people died under the Khmer Rouge
Cambodia's war crimes court Friday rejected the appeal a man who ran a Khmer Rouge regime torture prison and instead increased the man's sentence to life imprisonment.
Kaing Guek Eav, commonly known by his alias, Duch, was appealing his 2010 conviction and 35-year sentence arguing that he was just following orders of senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime.
Duch was 67 at the time of his convictions, which was for war crimes, crimes against humanity, murder and torture. He was was the head of the S-21 prison where about 14,000 people died. Few people taken to the prison made it out alive; only about a dozen were found by the Vietnamese, who invaded Cambodia in 1979.
The judge, in announcing Duch's sentence in 2010 saiid he took into consideration that the defendant had expressed remorse, admitted responsibility and cooperated with the court. The judge also took into account the "coercive environment" of the Khmer Rouge, he said.
Duch pleaded guilty and asked for forgiveness. In the trial, he argued that international law did not apply to him because he was just following orders.
The tribunal began its work in 2007 after a decade of on-and-off negotiations between the United Nations and Cambodia over the structure and functioning of the court. The 2010 verdict was the court's first.
At least 1.7 million people -- nearly a quarter of Cambodia's population -- died under the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge regime from execution, disease, starvation and overwork, according to the Documentation Center of Cambodia.
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Share this Story: Edmonton man receives four-year sentence for killing brother
Edmonton man receives four-year sentence for killing brother
A 24-year-old man who drunkenly stabbed his brother in the chest was given a four-year sentence for manslaughter Friday. Harold Donald Papin killed his younger brother, 20-year-old Harvey Frenchman, in the early morning of Nov. 1, 2013.
Ryan Cormier • Edmonton Journal
Nov 28, 2015 • November 28, 2015 • 2 minute read
The Law Courts building. Photo by Ed Kaiser /Edmonton Journal
A 24-year-old man who drunkenly stabbed his brother in the chest was given a four-year sentence for manslaughter Friday.
Harold Donald Papin pleaded guilty earlier this year to killing his younger brother, 20-year-old Harvey Frenchman, in the early morning of Nov. 1, 2013.
Edmonton man receives four-year sentence for killing brother Back to video
“Harvey was your brother,” Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Sterling Sanderman said. “What did he do to deserve a death like this? You loved Harvey, Harvey loved you. You’re going to have to live with the fact that you killed someone dear to you.”
Sanderman told court that Papin’s pre-sentence report detailed a lifetime of abuse that was among the worst the experienced judge has ever seen. Court heard that Papin, who has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, believes his abusive upbringing was only tolerable because his brother was there with him.
“Whatever happened that night, I feel guilty about it,” Papin said from the prisoner’s box.
The night Frenchman died, the brothers were playing video games at their uncle’s townhouse in west Edmonton where they both lived. Papin was drunk and obnoxious, according to an agreed statement of facts.
Around 1 a.m., Papin and Frenchman brawled, throwing punches at each other on the couch. The fight was broken up by their uncle, Eugene Papin, who then returned to bed as the brothers stared each other down.
Ten minutes later, Frenchman crashed through his uncle’s bedroom door, bleeding from his chest. He collapsed onto the bedroom floor.
“Uncle, help me,” he said. “I’m dying. Harold stabbed me deep.”
“I knew right away he wasn’t going to make it,” Eugene Papin later said.
Frenchman was unconscious when police arrived and Papin had fled the home. Frenchman was declared dead on his uncle’s bedroom floor.
Within the hour, police found Papin 12 blocks away with blood on his clothing. He admitted to police he’d stabbed his brother.
After the killing, Eugene Papin said he forgave his nephew. “We’re forgiving Harold. We have no choice. We don’t want to lose another family member.”
Papin said the brothers often argued a lot, but rarely fought. Frenchman had offered to live with his uncle to help him through a breakup with his wife.
“He said, ‘uncle, don’t worry, I’ll stay with you.’ Harvey was a great kid.”
Papin was originally charged with second-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. He has 11 months left to serve after credit for pre-trial custody.
rcormier@edmontonjournal.com
twitter.com/el_cormier
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“SAN FRANCISCO” (1936) Review
Posted on November 23, 2010 by drush76
I just recently watched the 1936 disaster film, ”SAN FRANCISCO”, which starred Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald, Spencer Tracy and Jack Holt. Released 30 years after the actual event, the movie is basically about a Barbary Coast saloonkeeper (Gable) and a Nob Hill impresario (Holt) who became rivals for the affections of a beautiful singer (MacDonald), both personally and professionally in 1906 San Francisco. The story culminated in the deadly April 18, 1906 earthquake that devastated the city.
In the movie, a gambling hall tycoon named Blackie Norton (Gable) hires an impoverished but classically-trained singer from Colorado named Mary Blake (MacDonald). Mary also attracts the attention of a wealthy Nob Hill patron named Jack Burley (Holt), who believes that she is destined for a better career as an opera singer. Mary becomes a star attraction at Blackie’s saloon, and a romance develops between them. Complications arise when she is also courted by Burley. He also offers her an opportunity to sing in the opera. Meanwhile, Blackie’s childhood friend, Roman Catholic Father Tim Mullen (Tracy), keeps trying to reform him, while the other nightclub owners attempt to convince Norton to run for the City and County of San Francisco Board of Supervisors in order to protect their crooked interests. Despite Father Tim’s best efforts, Blackie remains a jaunty Barbary Coast atheist until the famous 1906 earthquake devastates the city. He “finds God” upon discovering that had Mary survived.
Basically, ”SAN FRANCISCO” is an excellent movie filled with vitality, good performances and great music. Director Woody Van Dyke did an excellent job of capturing the color and energy of San Francisco during the Gilded Age. He was ably supported by the movie’s Assistant Director (Joseph M. Newman) and montage expert (Slavko Vorkapich). Composer Bronislaw Kaper and lyricist Gus Kahn wrote the now famous title song, performed by MacDonald. One of the best moments in the film occurred when MacDonald’s character announces her intention of performing the song in the movie’s Chicken’s Ball, producing applause and cries of joy from the audience. As for the famous earthquake itself . . . I am amazed that after seventy years or so, I still find it impressive. To this day, the earthquake montage is considered one of the standards that all disaster films are compared with. In fact, Assistant Director Newman won a special Academy Awards for his work.
Robert Hopkins (who received an Oscar nomination) wrote the story for ”SAN FRANCISCO” and the famous Anita Loos wrote the screenplay. Hopkins and Loos created a good, solid story. But I have to be honest that I found nothing remarkable about it. It seemed like your basic Gable programmer from the 1930s that easily could have been set during any time period in American history . . . well, except for the actual earthquake. I do have one major problem with the movie’s plot – namely its religious subplot in which Father Mullen spends most of his time trying to redeem Blackie. Quite frankly, it struck me as heavy-handed and a little out of place. Perhaps Hopkins and Loos had intended for the scene in which Blackie found Mary offering compassion to some of the earthquake’s survivors to be a tender and emotional moment. It could have been . . . if they had left out the heavy religious theme.
The only good thing about the religious aspect of the story was Spencer Tracy’s presence in the film. One cannot deny that he gave the best performance in the movie. Well, he and veteran actress, Jessie Ralph, who portrayed Jack Burley’s Irish-born mother. But Tracy’s presence also meant that one had to deal with the movie’s religious subplot. And as much as I liked Tracy in the film, I think it could have done without him. Jeanette MacDonald gave a solid performance as the saloon hall singer-turned opera diva, Mary Blake. However . . . I found MacDonald’s singing more remarkable than her character. Pardon me for saying this but Mary is one boring woman. Rather typical of the female characters that Gable’s characters had romanced in his movies during the mid and late 1930s. I find it amazing that two dynamic men like Blackie and Burley were so dazzled by her. Both Clark Gable and Jack Holt gave solid performances as the two rivals wooing for Mary’s hand. Ironically, despite the differences in their characters’ backgrounds, they were chillingly alike. Both were charming, gregarious and extremely underhanded men. Quite frankly, I found it amazing that Mary could prefer one over the other.
Despite some flaws – the most obvious being the religious subplot that turned out to be as subtle as a rampaging elephant – ”SAN FRANCISCO” is a first-class, rousing movie filled with music, drama, laughs and one of the best special effect sequences in movie history. I heartily recommend it.
Filed under: Movie Review | Tagged: anita loos, clark gable, harold huber, history, jeanette macdonald, jessie ralph, movies, old california, old hollywood, old west, progressive era, religion, spencer tracy, ted healy, w.s. van dyke | Leave a comment »
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MTV Rocks the Planet A Major New Campaign to Organize Campuses to Fight Climate Change
Jim Motavalli September 14, 2006
Everyone knows the “M” in MTV no longer stands for just “music,” but now it also stands for “Mobilization” of America”s youth. MTV recently launched Break the Addiction Challenge with Energy Action Coalition (EAC), a student-created partnership of 30-plus organizations dedicated to clean energy.
The connection makes sense, considering the recent MTV/CBS poll that asked America”s youth, “Which is the most important problem your generation will have to deal with?” For the first time ever, the environment was the number one answer. An overwhelming 81 percent also said that steps need to be taken right away to counter global warming. Together, MTV and the EAC are challenging high schools and colleges from across North America to implement 100 percent clean energy policies.
In May 2006, MTV launched a “pro-social initiative” called think MTV, with the motto “Reflect-Decide-Do.” It addresses five issues of concern to young people: education, sexual health, environment, discrimination and global concerns. But because the poll showed the environment to be the most pressing issue, it”s getting the most immediate attention.
According to Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks Music Group/Logo and MTV Films, “The think MTV initiative will be a new way to connect young people with the world around them in a variety of ways—from on-air programming to online resources to grassroots efforts in their own communities. If our audience wants to get more information on an issue they care about, and learn how they can get involved in that issue locally or globally, they will be able to turn to think MTV for all the tools they need.”
The Break the Addiction Challenge offers cash prizes to schools, colleges and universities with outstanding achievement in reducing global warming emissions and reversing their schools” bad energy habits. Break the Addiction also offers chances to appear on air at MTV, and a chance to join rapper Jay-Z in New York City for a screening of his new documentary, Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life.
Billy Parish, Washington, D.C.-based EAC coordinator (and a former student activist who dropped out of Yale to pursue climate work full time), recently took time to speak with E editor Jim Motavalli about the Break the Addiction Challenge on a live broadcast on Connecticut”s WPKN-FM.
Why don”t you tell me how the Campus Climate Challenge came to be working with MTV on “Break the Addiction?”
At the end of last year, we were getting ready to launch a really big new campaign, the Campus Climate Challenge. We”ve been able to bring together more than 30 organizations, from Greenpeace to National Wildlife Federation to Indigenous Environmental Network, into a broad coalition to try to unify the youth generation around global warming. We created this campaign to work with students to make their own schools into models of sustainability.
As we prepared to launch the campaign, we started conversations with MTV, which had just done some polling of its demographic group ranging from 12 to 24 years old. It found that the number one, long-term concern of young people is environmental issues, specifically global warming. So I think that was a real wake-up call for MTV—the numbers had changed a lot.
MTV”s polling showed that young people have a strong level of interest in doing something about climate change, and a fairly high level of understanding. But what they don”t know is what they can do to help stop it. So MTV had heard about the campaign we were getting ready to launch, and they wanted to build a partnership with us around it.
It’s really interesting that young people have zeroed in on environmental issues. Is that fairly new, would you say? Because global warming consciousness seems to have really been shooting up, and I think you probably have to give Al Gore”s An Inconvenient Truth, as well as books by Eugene Linden and Tim Flannery (and E itself) some of the credit for that. In 2006, there seems to be pretty strong awareness of climate change, and in particular on college campuses.
Absolutely, things have changed dramatically. And I think the media is now reporting it not as a two-sided story, but as a “This is a major problem; what are we going to do with it” kind of story. So I think the media has gotten a lot better. There have been a lot of great initiatives launched. And An Inconvenient Truth has been very, very powerful. I can”t tell you how many people I”ve met who have said that that movie changed their lives, and was a real wake-up call for them.
You actually tie in your Break the Addiction Challenge with getting press coverage. Why don”t you explain how that works, and how the schools would take part in this.
The Break the Addiction Challenge is a year-long partnership with MTV to promote student involvement in global warming issues, and to reward them for the work that they”re doing at their schools. In the fall, there”s a series of prizes that we”ll be giving out for student groups that get the best media coverage of their campaign.
We already have a number of submissions from student groups about the events they did to launch the campaign. We need to get these stories of young people making change out into the media. I think it”s not only young people who don”t know what they can do to be a part of the solution. A lot of people in this country really want to be involved. And these stories of the work that young people are doing are really inspiring. The students are transforming their schools in so many different ways. I think they”re really models for the rest of society.
Why don”t you give us some of the more inspiring examples from campuses around the country?
Some models are emerging. At Middlebury College, for example, they”ve done a lot of things already, including purchasing clean energy and making green building policies for the whole school. Right now they”re working on a campaign to make Middlebury climate neutral. They look at all of the emissions that Middlebury creates, and through a series of conservation, efficiency and renewable energy purchases, basically offset all of the school”s emissions, making it a climate-neutral campus. I love that example.
I believe Middlebury actually took its Science Center apart, as opposed to just demolishing it, and re-used all the building materials.
What are some other campuses doing?
Tennessee is a hotbed of student climate organizing right now. There are a number of schools that have passed student fees on clean energy. Students are essentially voting to assess themselves as part of their student activities fee, anything from $1 to $10, to pay for the school to be purchasing clean energy. There are about eight schools in Tennessee that have voted or are about to vote this semester to purchase substantial amounts of clean energy for their campus. The University of Memphis is about to pass a 100 percent clean energy fee.
Why Tennessee, in particular?
One thing we”ve learned in supporting this movement is that it can help to have full-time organizers working with students. We”ve had great organizers working with student groups, leading training sessions throughout Tennessee, and helping them build a network.
And I believe Wesleyan in Connecticut is also a campus that”s buying a lot of clean energy. Is that one of the leaders?
Wesleyan is a leader. Yale has also been making great strides too with building policies and clean energy purchases. One of the next steps is looking at university endowments. There is more than $300 billion in college and university endowments, and most of it doesn”t have any screens to filter the investments. They aren”t specifically invested in climate-responsible companies, or clean tech or clean energy. So our student volunteers will be working to create those kinds of screens and to move the endowments into a more responsible path.
You can also take a look at what universities do to generate their own power. In some cases, don”t universities have power plants?
Absolutely. There”s a lot of work to get on-site renewable energy. There are some schools that have built their own wind farms and many that have put solar panels on buildings. Some schools have cleaned up their power plants that already exist, moving them to much more efficient cogeneration. And they”re also just trying to reduce the burden on those plants through conservation and efficiency.
Do you think the connection with MTV will really increase the profile of your work? Is that what you hope to get out of it?
Yes, and it already seems to be happening. I think the biggest thing for us is being able to reach beyond the students who are already working on these campaigns to a much broader segment of the youth population. We feel that containing global warming, and getting on a more sustainable and just path, are the key challenges of our generation. MTV gives us a sort of platform and a megaphone to project these messages to millions of young people. We were on Total Request Live, and there were students profiled on the show talking about the work they were doing on their campuses. The network is running ads everyday. So I think it is increasing the profile of this type of work and helping us get these ideas out there.
You’re hoping schools compete for a series of awards. The five schools that garner the most media coverage for the issue will get $1,000 awards. Two schools that achieve a 100 percent clean energy policy will win $5,000 to throw a MTV Break the Addiction party. The two schools that go the furthest and the fastest to reduce their school”s global warming pollution down to zero will win $10,000 for an eco-renovation of their school”s student lounge. When is the final exam, as it were?
The deadline for submissions is towards the end of the spring semester, so any school can participate, any high school, college, graduate or technical school. So anyone out there who has children in school, or are in school themselves, can get their school registered with the Campus Climate Challenge, and into this competition to have a chance to win these prizes.
You mentioned that there is a college campus that actually has a wind farm. What college is that?
Carleton College in Minnesota has put up wind farms. There are number of others. Some colleges have leased their land to wind developers, who have put up substantial wind farms. That”s a good model. A lot of schools have large land holdings that could be put to use for wind energy or solar power.
Since one of your goals is to press coverage for this issue as obviously that will increase awareness, I was wondering what you thought, as a veteran organizer, of the tactics of groups like PETA or Greenpeace that have realized you have to be sensational to get media coverage in the U.S. In other words, it”s not enough to stage a peaceful rally and hold up signs. In PETA’s case, it might be going naked; in Greenpeace”s case, it sometimes means hanging banners from buildings or bridges. Would you encourage groups to do things in a dramatic fashion to get press coverage?
I encourage groups to use whatever tactics they think are most effective in their situation. I think sometimes those sorts of tactics are essential to getting your point across. I”ve been encouraging students to be very bold in what they”re asking for. We”ve come to a point where we can”t be asking for very small, incremental steps. We face a monumental challenge, and it needs to be met by truly bold and visionary solutions. That”s why we”re pushing for 100 percent clean energy at schools. We”re pushing for climate-neutral schools. So if it takes those kinds of tactics to win those policies, then so be it.
I think, unfortunately, in the MTV generation, it does take that. When you say 303 campuses, is that how many schools are signed up for the Campus Climate Challenge?
Yes, there are 303 schools registered with the campaign in almost every state and in all 10 Canadian provinces. We were running the campaign on a test basis last year. This is the first year of a three-year campaign; we”re hoping to register 1,000 schools.
Some of these colleges are thought of as liberal schools, including Wesleyan, Yale and Middlebury. But do you find that it cuts across ideology? There”s nothing particularly ideological about clean energy, so do you find that you”re signing up many different types of schools?
Absolutely. One of our newest coalition partners in the Energy Action Coalition is a group called Restoring Eden. It works with a network of about 40 different groups at Evangelical Christian colleges. There has been tremendous interest from those students in working on these issues, coming from a totally different perspective from the students working at Wesleyan or Middlebury.
In addition, there was a major gathering of Latino leaders in Los Angeles to come up with a political platform for the Latin community. Many of the student groups there are interested in running the challenge. And now there”s a Campus Climate Challenge group run by Latinos at Pepperdine University, one of the most conservative campuses in the country. So there are many different kinds of student groups working on these issues for many different reasons. And that”s what a movement looks like to me.
Break the Addiction Challenge, www.mtv.com/thinkmtv/features/environment/break_the_addiction/index_challenge.jhtml.
Campus Climate Challenge, (202) 250-3404, http://climatechallenge.org.
Blog, www.itsgettinghotinhere.org.
MTV, www.mtv.com/thinkmtv.
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info@emsworthclt.org.uk
What is a CLT?
Youth Services – Emsworth YMCA
Town Centre & Community
South St & North St
AGM & Public Meetings
Other Documents / Policies
Emsworth’s South Street provides an attractive route to the harbour, but could be much enhanced by careful in-filling of gaps in the west frontage and re-siting of the public toilets. Emsworth CLT is examining possible changes in South Street and the adjacent car park. As far as the car park is concerned, the aim is to make more efficient use of the area, but to keep the same number of parking spaces. The Hewitt’s building (next door to the Blue Bell pub) belongs to Havant Borough Council (HBC) and is used by ‘Right to Work’, but this could change in the future, in which case the Hewitt’s site could be re-developed. If the toilets were re-sited and the resulting ‘gap’ in-filled, this would offer the opportunity for an exciting self-financed mixed-use scheme incorporating housing, some commercial and community facilities and an improved public realm. The scheme could include a few affordable homes or create a community fund for application elsewhere in the town.
These ideas have featured in preliminary discussions with HBC; these discussions have also touched on the area adjacent to the former hospital site, now the GP Surgery. The Emsworth Neighbourhood Plan proposed the idea of a Community and Public Service Hub in North Street, which would include the Community Centre (with the re-sited public library), St James Church, the Baptist Church and the Museum but might also include health services not provided by the GP Surgery, social care and other community services. Emsworth CLT is exploring the scope for implementation of those ambitions.
Registration No 7829
Website Designed & Developed by Design Image
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Seraphim (Romantsov)
Elder Seraphim (Romantsov), known in the world as Ivan Romanovich Romantsov, was a Schema-Archimandrite, a Russian elder who lived in the Glinsk monastery and in Sukhumi (Abkhazia). He was glorified by the Holy Synod of the Church of Ukraine on March 25, 2009 with other Glinsk elders: Schema-Archimandrite Andronik (Lukash) (1880–1974) and Schema-Metropolitan Seraphim (Mazhuga) (1896–1985).
Ivan was born on June 28, 1885, in a village of Voronok of the Krupetsk volost of the Kursk province into family of peasants. Little information is available about his early life, since the elder did not say anything due to his modesty. After his graduation from the parish school and the repose of his parents, Ivan entered the Glinsk monastery.
In 1914-1916, he took part in World War I where he was wounded. Then he was taken to the hospital. Archbishop Micah (Kharkharov) of Yaroslavl (1921-2005), who later became a spiritual son of Fr. Seraphim, writes that at the same time there was a hypnotist in the hospital among the injured. He could hypnotize almost all other patients but could not do this with Ivan, because he always recited the Jesus prayer. And no matter how much the hypnotist tried to hypnotize, nothing worked. At that time, as Archbishop Micah writes, Ivan got to know from personal experience the power of the Jesus prayer and that hypnosis is not just an experiment with the hidden powers in man but is the work of the demons.
Following his recovery Ivan returned to the monastery. In 1919, Ivan took monastic vows with the name Juvenalis. His elder, hieromonk Aristoklis (Veter), taught him a wholehearted daily confession of thoughts and attention to all the movements of the heart. Later, Juvenalis believed that the inner doing is very important for spiritual growth and salvation.
In 1919, Juvenalis was ordained hierodeacon and, in 1926, when he moved to Sukhumi after the closure of the Glinsk monastery, he was ordained hieromonk and tonsured into the Great Schema with the name of Seraphim. In 1931, Seraphim was arrested and sent to the White Sea Canal construction.
From 1934 to 1946, Fr. Seraphim lived an ascetic life in Kirghizia where he was hidden by a pious family. In 1946-1947 he lived in Tashkent as a confessor at the Cathedral. In 1948, after his return to the reopened Glinsk monastery, he was appointed a spiritual father by Archimandrite Seraphim (Amelin).
Most of all, Fr. Seraphim wanted to bring his spiritual children to humility, about which he wrote: "Everything that you need for salvation is a true humility, inner conviction that you are the worst of sinners; this is the greatest gift of God, and it is gained by many works and sweats. Then the man feels in his heart such calmness that is inexplicable in human words. Day and night, look for this precious jewel. One who is truly humble, if he has any gifts from God - prayer or tears, or fasting, or something else, all of them he carefully conceals, for the human praise, like a moth, spoils everything." In his letters and instructions, Fr. Seraphim constantly warned against conviction of others.
In 1961, after the second closure of the Glinsk monastery, Fr. Seraphim moved to Sukhumi (Abkhazia). Never before was the church at Sukhumi crowded as when Fr. Seraphim was living there. He ministered to the spiritual needs of people, hearing their confessions and sending out many letters, responding to the questions from his spiritual children. According to Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin), the true reason why Fr. Seraphim settled in Sukhumi, was the pastoral care of the hermits from the nearby mountains.
Fr. Seraphim himself was experienced in the Jesus Prayer. He considered obedience to be absolutely necessary to practice the Prayer. He said that if a person with hard work achieved the skill to recite the Jesus Prayer, but did not healed the soul through obedience, if he will not renounce his own will, then the prayer, uttered out of habit, would not be that true inner unceasing prayer of which the ascetics wrote, but it whoud remain only the words, because a proud mind could not unite with the name of Jesus Christ - this incomprehensible Humility.
Fr. Seraphim knew from his own experience what the unceasing prayer of the heart is. A well-known elder John (Krestiankin), who was tonsured a monk by Fr. Seraphim in 1966 in Sukhumi, writes in one letter to some person about the way the Lord gives His gifts and takes them away: "In the youth my spiritual father received the gift of unceasing Jesus prayer and the fullness of joy in it, and then the Lord took this gift away, and all his life Fr. Seraphim looked for the lost coin – he worked humbly and patiently – the gift was returned to him by the Lord a few days before his death - as a witness that the Lord had accepted his tears for the whole life".
On December 18, 1975, during the vigil, Fr. Seraphim felt ill. He went to his bed. All the time the elder recited the Jesus Prayer aloud, and when he became tired, he asked the others to continue reciting it. For two weeks, he partook of Holy Communion daily. Being fully conscious, the Elder was honored to see many of his brethren in the spirit, who, according to him, were singing the sticheron "Pre-eternal Council" ("Βουλὴν προαιώνιον", sticheron of Annunciation of the Mother of God). And then the elder in a weak voice sang: "O taste and see that the Lord is good. Alleluia." After the vision, he said, "What I have prayed all my life and what I was searching for, it is opened now in my heart, my soul is filled with grace, so that I can not even hold it." After this he said, "Now I'm going to die". On December 31 he closed his eyes for the last time and the next day, on January 1, 1976, the elder reposed.
Schema-archimandrite Seraphim (Romantsov) 1885-1976.
Database of New-Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Orthodox Church of the 20th century.
Pravoslavie.ru: Three newly-canonized Glinsk elders.
Archimandrite Raphael(Karelin). The Mystery of Salvation. Schema-Archimandrite Seraphim.
Letters of elder John Krestiankin. 10-th edition. 2011.
Letters of Archbishop Micah (Kharkharov). Part 2.
Retrieved from "https://en.orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Seraphim_(Romantsov)&oldid=118128"
Categories > Church History
Categories > Liturgics > Feasts
Categories > People > Clergy > Priests
Categories > People > Monastics
Categories > People > Saints
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Limit my search to Computational and Systems Biology
Computational and Systems Biology
Cell-to-cell infection by HIV contributes over half of virus infection
Shingo Iwami ,
Junko S Takeuchi,
Shinji Nakaoka,
Fabrizio Mammano,
François Clavel,
Hisashi Inaba,
Tomoko Kobayashi,
Naoko Misawa,
Kazuyuki Aihara,
Yoshio Koyanagi,
Kei Sato ,
Kyushu University, Japan;
Japan Science and Technology Agency, Japan;
Kyoto University, Japan;
University of Tokyo, Japan;
Hospital Saint Louis, France;
Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France;
Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan;
Research Article Oct 6, 2015
Cell-to-cell viral infection, in which viruses spread through contact of infected cell with surrounding uninfected cells, has been considered as a critical mode of virus infection. However, since it is technically difficult to experimentally discriminate the two modes of viral infection, namely cell-free infection and cell-to-cell infection, the quantitative information that underlies cell-to-cell infection has yet to be elucidated, and its impact on virus spread remains unclear. To address this fundamental question in virology, we quantitatively analyzed the dynamics of cell-to-cell and cell-free human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infections through experimental-mathematical investigation. Our analyses demonstrated that the cell-to-cell infection mode accounts for approximately 60% of viral infection, and this infection mode shortens the generation time of viruses by 0.9 times and increases the viral fitness by 3.9 times. Our results suggest that even a complete block of the cell-free infection would provide only a limited impact on HIV-1 spread.
Viruses such as HIV-1 replicate by invading and hijacking cells, forcing the cells to make new copies of the virus. These copies then leave the cell and continue the infection by invading and hijacking new cells. There are two ways that viruses may move between cells, which are known as ‘cell-free’ and ‘cell-to-cell’ infection. In cell-free infection, the virus is released into the fluid that surrounds cells and moves from there into the next cell. In cell-to-cell infection the virus instead moves directly between cells across regions where the two cells make contact.
Previous research has suggested that cell-to-cell infection is important for the spread of HIV-1. However, it is not known how much the virus relies on this process, as it is technically challenging to perform experiments that prevent cell-free infection without also stopping cell-to-cell infection.
Iwami, Takeuchi et al. have overcome this problem by combining experiments on laboratory-grown cells with a mathematical model that describes how the different infection methods affect the spread of HIV-1. This revealed that the viruses spread using cell-to-cell infection about 60% of the time, which agrees with results previously found by another group of researchers. Iwami, Takeuchi et al. also found that cell-to-cell infection increases how quickly viruses can infect new cells and replicate inside them, and improves the fitness of the viruses.
The environment around cells in humans and other animals is different to that found around laboratory-grown cells, and so more research will be needed to check whether this difference affects which method of infection the virus uses. If the virus does spread in a similar way in the body, then blocking the cell-free method of infection would not greatly affect how well HIV-1 is able to infect new cells. It may instead be more effective to develop HIV treatments that prevent cell-to-cell infection by the virus.
In in vitro cell cultures and in infected individuals, viruses may display two types of replication strategies: cell-free infection and cell-to-cell infection (Sattentau, 2008; Martin and Sattentau, 2009; Talbert-Slagle et al., 2014). Both transmission means require the assembly of infectious virus particles (Monel et al., 2012), which are released in the extracellular medium for cell-free transmission, or concentrated in the confined space of cell-to-cell contacts between an infected cell and bystander target cells in the case of cell-to-cell transmission. It has been shown that most enveloped virus species, including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), a causative agent of AIDS, spread via cell-to-cell infection, and it is considered that the replication efficacy of cell-to-cell infection is much higher than that of cell-free infection (Sattentau, 2008; Martin and Sattentau, 2009; Talbert-Slagle et al., 2014). However, it is technically impossible to let viruses execute only cell-to-cell infection. In addition, since these two infection processes occur in a synergistic (i.e., nonlinear) manner, the additive (i.e., linear) idea that ‘total infection’ minus ‘cell-free infection’ is equal to ‘cell-to-cell infection’ does not hold true universally. Hence, it was difficult to estimate and compare the efficacies of cell-free and cell-to-cell infection, and different reports provided different estimates (Dimitrov et al., 1993; Carr et al., 1999; Chen et al., 2007; Sourisseau et al., 2007; Zhong et al., 2013). Thus, the quantitative information that underlies cell-to-cell infection has yet to be elucidated and its impact on virus spread remains unclear.
In this study, through coupled experimental and mathematical investigation, we demonstrate that the efficacy of cell-to-cell HIV-1 infection is 1.4-fold higher than that of cell-free infection (i.e., cell-to-cell infection accounts for approximately 60% of total infection). We also show that the cell-to-cell infection shortens the generation time of viruses by 0.9 times, and increases the viral fitness by 3.9 times. These findings strongly suggest that the cell-to-cell infection plays a critical role in efficient and rapid spread of viral infection. Furthermore, we discuss the role of the cell-to-cell infection in HIV-1 infected individuals, based on in silico simulation with our estimated parameters.
Adaptation of a mathematical model to explicitly consider cell-free and cell-to-cell infection
A static cell culture system (i.e., a conventional cell culture system) allows viruses to perform both cell-free and cell-to-cell infection. On the other hand, Sourisseau et al. have reported that the cell-to-cell infection can be prevented by mildly shaking the cell culture infected with viruses (Sourisseau et al., 2007). Consistent with the previous report (Sourisseau et al., 2007), we verified that shaking did not induce nonspecific consequences on HIV-1 infection (Figure 2—figure supplement 1). To quantitatively estimate the efficacy of the cell-free infection and that of the cell-to-cell infection respectively, we adopted this experimental method (see ‘Materials and methods’). Static cultures of Jurkat cells, an HIV-1-susceptible human CD4+ T-cell line, allow HIV-1 to propagate both by the cell-free and cell-to-cell infection, while under shaking conditions, Jurkat cells allows HIV-1 to replicate only by the cell-free infection (Figure 1A).
Cell culture systems and the basic reproduction number under cell-to-cell and cell-free infection.
(A) Static and shaking cultures of Jurkat cells. The static and shaking cell cultures allow human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) to perform both cell-free and cell-to-cell infection, and only cell-free infection, respectively. (B) The basic reproduction number, R0, is defined as the number of the secondly infected cells produced from a typical infected cell during its infectious period. In the presence of the cell-to-cell and cell-free infection, the basic reproduction number consists of two sub-reproduction numbers through the cell-free infection, Rcf, and through the cell-to-cell infection, Rcc, respectively.
Previous mathematical models, which have been widely used for data analyses, essentially describe only the cell-free infection (Nowak and May, 2000; Perelson, 2002; Iwami et al., 2012a, 2012b) or implicitly both infection modes (Komarova and Wodarz, 2013; Komarova et al., 2013a, 2013b). Here we used the following revised model including both infection modes explicitly:
(1) dT(t)dt=gT(t)(1−T(t)+I(t)Tmax)−βT(t)V(t)−ωT(t)I(t),
(2) dI(t)dt=βT(t)V(t)+ωT(t)I(t)−δI(t),
(3) dV(t)dt=pI(t)−cV(t),
where T(t) and I(t) are the numbers of uninfected and infected cells per ml of a culture, respectively, and V(t) is the viral load measured by the amount of HIV-1 p24 per ml of culture supernatant. The target cells (we used Jurkat cells) grow at a rate g with the carrying capacity of Tmax (the maximum number of cells in the cell culture flask). The parameters β, δ, p and c represent the cell-free infection rate, the death rate of infected cells, the virus production rate, and the clearance rate of virions, respectively. Note that c, g, and δ include the removal of virus, and of the uninfected and infected cells, due to the experimental samplings. In our earlier works (Iwami et al., 2012a, 2012b; Fukuhara et al., 2013; Kakizoe et al., 2015), we have shown that the approximating punctual removal as a continuous exponential decay has minimal impact on the model parameters and provides an appropriate fit to the experimental data. In addition, we introduce the parameter ω, describing the infection rate via cell-to-cell contacts (Sourisseau et al., 2007; Sattentau, 2008; Sigal et al., 2011). In the shaking cell culture system, we fixed ω = 0 because the shaking inhibits the formation of cell-to-cell contacts completely (Sourisseau et al., 2007). In previous reports, Komarova et al. used a quasi-equilibrium approximation for the number of free virus, and incorporated the dynamics of V(t) into that of I(t) in Komarova and Wodarz (2013), Komarova et al. (2013a), and Komarova et al. (2013b). However, in cell culture system, the clearance of virions usually is not much larger than the death rate of infected cells, like in vivo (see below). This fact does not validate the quasi-equilibrium approximation, and it may affect the quantification of the dynamics of the cell-to-cell and cell-free infection. We introduced the above full model, relying on a carefully designed experiment, to accurately extract the quantitative information that underlies HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, our experimental datasets include all time-series of the number of uninfected, infected cell, and virions. Thus, our coupled experimental and mathematical investigations with a sufficient datasets allowed us to estimate all parameters in Equations 1–3, and to compute the basic reproduction number, generation time, and Malthus coefficient (see below).
Data fitting to quantify the cell-free and cell-to-cell contribution to HIV spread
Correctly estimated parameter sets with possible variation are required to reproduce model prediction for pure cell-to-cell infection in silico. However, point estimation of the model parameter set by a conventional ordinary least square method does not capture possible variations of kinetic parameters and model prediction. To assess the variability of kinetic parameters and model prediction, we perform Bayesian estimation for the whole dataset using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling (see ‘Materials and methods’ and Supplementary file 1), and simultaneously fit Equations 1–3 with ω > 0 and ω = 0 to the concentration of p24-negative and -positive Jurkat cells and the amount of p24 viral protein in the static and shaking cell cultures, respectively. Here we note that g and Tmax were separately estimated and fixed to be 0.47 ± 0.10 for the static culture and 0.54 ± 0.09 for the shaking culture per day, and (1.51 ± 0.02) × 106 and (1.22 ± 0.02) × 106 cells per flask of medium from the cell growth experiments, respectively (see ‘Materials and methods’, Figure 2—figure supplement 2 and Supplementary file 2). In addition, we used c value of 2.3 per day, which is estimated from daily harvesting of viruses (i.e., the amount of p24 have to be reduced by around 90% per day by the daily medium-replacement procedure).
The remaining four common parameters β, ω, δ and p, along with the six initial values for T(0), I(0) and V(0) in the static and the shaking cell cultures, were determined by fitting the model to the data. Experimental measurements, which were below the detection limit, were excluded in the fitting. The estimated parameters of the model and derived quantities are given in Table 1, and the estimated initial values are summarized in Supplementary file 3. The typical behavior of the model using these best-fit parameter estimates is shown together with the data in Figure 2, which reveals that Equations 1–3 describe these in vitro data very well. The shadowed regions correspond to 95% posterior predictive intervals, the dashed lines give the best-fit solution (mean) for Equations 1–3, and the dots show the experimental datasets. This suggests that the parameters that were estimated are representative for the various processes underlying the HIV-1 kinetics including the cell-to-cell and cell-free infection.
Parameters estimated by mathematical-experimental analysis
Exp. 1
Ave. ± S.D.
Parameters obtained from simultaneous fit to time-course experimental dataset
Rate constant for cell-free infection β 10−6 × (p24 day)−1 5.59* (3.54–8.41)† 3.27 (2.05–5.01) ‡3.70 (2.28–5.77) 4.18 ± 1.41
Rate constant for cell-to-cell infection ω 10−6 × (cell day)−1 0.88 (0.45–1.39) 1.25 (0.70–1.97) 1.13 (0.64–1.79) 1.09 ± 0.33
Production rate of total viral protein p day−1 0.37 (0.22–0.59) 0.59 (0.34–0.92) 0.54 (0.31–0.86) 0.50 ± 0.16
Death rate of infected cells δ day−1 0.45 (0.32–0.64) 0.54 (0.38–0.75) 0.50 (0.36–0.68) 0.50 ± 0.10
Quantities derived from fitted values
Basic reproduction number through cell-free infection Rcf – 2.88 (2.34–3.53) 2.27 (1.98–2.66) 2.43 (2.04–2.95) 2.44 ± 0.23
Basic reproduction number through cell-to-cell infection Rcc – 2.95 (1.48–4.70) 3.65 (1.77–6.05) 3.39 (1.82–5.38) 3.39 ± 0.91
Basic reproduction number R0 – 5.83 (4.20–7.75) 5.92 (3.99–8.46) 5.83 (4.21–7.89) 5.83 ± 0.94
Contribution of cell-to-cell infection RccRcf+Rcc – 0.50 (0.34–0.63) 0.60 (0.44–0.72) 0.57 (0.43–0.70) 0.57 ± 0.07
Mean value.
95% confidence interval.
Average and standard deviation of merged values in experiment 1, 2, and 3.
Dynamics of HIV-1 infection in Jurkat cells through cell-free and cell-to-cell infection.
Jurkat cells were inoculated with HIV-1 (at multiplicity of infection 0.1) in the static and shaking cell cultures. Panels A and B show the time-course of experimental data for the numbers of uninfected cells (top) and infected cells (middle), and the amount of viral protein p24 (bottom) in the static and shaking cell culture systems, respectively. The shadow regions correspond to 95% posterior predictive intervals, the dashed curves give the best-fit solution (mean) for Equations 1–3 to the time-course dataset. All data in each experiment were fitted simultaneously. In panels A and B, the results of three independent experiments are respectively shown.
Our model (i.e., Equations 1–3) applied to time-course experimental data under static and shaking conditions (i.e., Figure 2A and Figure 2B, respectively) allowed to extract the kinetic parameters in the model (see Table 1), in particular the rate constant for the cell-free infection (β) and the rate constant for the cell-to-cell infection (ω). However, from the estimated values of β and ω, we could not directly compare the efficiency of the two infection modes, because of the different units of measure of these parameters (p24/day for β, and cells/day for ω). To quantify each infection mode and overcome the above difficulty, we derived the basic reproduction number R0 (Perelson and Nelson, 1999; Nowak and May, 2000; Iwami et al., 2012b), an index reflecting the average number of newly infected cells produced from any one infected cell (see mathematical appendix in ‘Materials and methods’). Note that secondly infected cells are produced from both the cell-free and cell-to-cell infection. Interestingly, in spite of nonlinear interaction between the two modes of virus transmission, our derivation of R0 revealed that the secondly infected cells were the sum of the basic reproduction number through the cell-free infection Rcf = βpTmax/δc and the basic reproduction number through the cell-to-cell infection Rcc = ωTmax/δ, (i.e., R0 = Rcf + Rcc) (see Figure 1B). Using all accepted MCMC parameter estimates from the time-course experimental datasets, we calculated that on average the mean of the total basic reproductive number is R0 = 5.83 ± 0.94 (average ± standard deviation), and the mean number of secondly infected cells through the cell-free infection and the cell-to-cell infection are Rcf = 2.44 ± 0.23 and Rcc = 3.39 ± 0.91, respectively (see Table 1). The distributions of calculated R0, Rcf, and Rcc, are shown in Figure 3A–C, respectively. These estimates indicate that the contribution of the cell-to-cell infection is almost 60% on average (i.e., Rcc/(Rcc + Rcf) = 0.57 ± 0.07: Table 1) and this mode of infection is predominant during the HIV-1 spread in Jurkat cells. In Figure 3D, the distributions of calculated ratio are shown. Interestingly, this estimation is consistent with that by Komarova and Wodarz (2013), Komarova et al. (2013a), and Komarova et al. (2013b), although they did not take into account the difference of the death rate in the shaking and static conditions.
Distribution of the basic reproduction numbers, generation time, and Malthus coefficient.
The distribution of the basic reproduction number, R0, the number of secondary infected cells through the cell-free infection, Rcf, and the cell-to-cell infection, Rcc, calculated from all accepted Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) parameter estimates are shown in A, B, and C, respectively. The contribution of the cell-to-cell infection (i.e., Rcc/(Rcf + Rcc)) is distributed as in D. For each plot, the last 15,000 MCMC samples among the total 50,000 samples are used. a.u., arbitrary unit.
Advantage of cell-to-cell infection
We also derived the viral generation time, defined as the time it takes for a population of virions to infect cells and reproduce (Perelson and Nelson, 1999), from Equations 1–3 in the static and shaking cell cultures (see mathematical appendix in ‘Materials and methods’). In the presence and absence of the cell-to-cell infection (i.e., for the static and shaking cell cultures, respectively), the mean generation time is calculated as 1/δ + Rcf/cR0 = 2.22 ± 0.32 days and 1/δ + 1/c = 2.47 ± 0.32 days, respectively (see Table 2). Thus, cell-to-cell infection shortens the generation time by on average 0.90 times, and enables HIV-1 to efficiently infect target cells (Sato et al., 1992; Carr et al., 1999). Furthermore, we calculated the Malthus coefficient, defined as the fitness of virus (Nowak and May, 2000; Nowak, 2006) (or the speed of virus infection) (see mathematical appendix in ‘Materials and methods’). In the presence and absence of the cell-to-cell infection, the Malthus coefficient is calculated as 1.86 ± 0.37 and 0.49 ± 0.05 per day, respectively (see Table 2). Thus, cell-to-cell infection increases the HIV-1 fitness by 3.80-fold (corresponding to 944-fold higher viral load 5 days after the infection) and plays an important role in the rapid spread of HIV-1. Thus, the efficient viral spread via the cell-to-cell infection is relevant, especially at the beginning of virus infection.
Generation time and Malthus coefficient of virus infection
Cell culture system
Generation time of HIV-1
Static cell culture 2.51* days 2.08 days 2.22 days (2.22 ± 0.32)‡ days
(1.78–3.38) days (1.54–2.78) days (1.69–2.93) days –
Shaking cell culture 2.73† days 2.34 days 2.47 days (2.47 ± 0.32) days
Malthus coefficient of HIV-1
Static cell culture 1.61 day−1 2.03 day−1 1.86 day−1 (1.86 ± 0.37) day−1
(1.10–2.27) day−1 (1.32–3.01) day−1 (1.26–2.72) day−1 –
Shaking cell culture 0.57 day−1 0.46 day−11 0.49 day−1 (0.49 ± 0.05) day−1
HIV-1, human immunodeficiency virus type 1.
Virtual experiments of cell-to-cell infection in silico
While the shaking culture prevents the cell-to-cell infection, it is technically difficult to completely block the cell-free infection. Here, using our estimated kinetic parameters (Table 1 and Supplementary file 3), we carried out a ‘virtual experiment’ eliminating the contribution of the cell-free infection using all accepted MCMC estimated parameter values, allowing to estimate only the cell-to-cell infection, in silico (see Figure 4). Our simulated mean values (represented by solid lines) of the cell-to-cell infection of HIV-1 are consistently located between the time course of experimental data under the static conditions (closed circles, including both the cell-free and cell to cell infections) and those under the shaking conditions (open circles, reflecting only the cell-free infection). The shadowed regions correspond to 95% posterior predictive intervals. In terms of the dynamics of infected cells and virus production, the simulated values corresponding to cell-to-cell virus propagation, are closer to experimental data from the coupled cell-free and cell-to-cell infection, than to data from the cell-free infection only. This shows that the cell-free infection, which contributes approximately 40% to the whole HIV-1 infection process, plays a limited role on the virus spread. In other words, even if we could completely block the cell-free infection, the cell-to-cell infection would still effectively spread viruses (Sigal et al., 2011). We address this point in ‘Discussion’.
Simulating cell-to-cell infection of HIV-1.
Using our estimated parameters, the pure cell-to-cell infection is simulated in silico (solid curves). The simulated values are located between the time course of experimental data under the static conditions (closed circles) and those under the shaking conditions (open circles). The shadowed regions correspond to 95% posterior predictive intervals.
Through experimental-mathematical investigation, here we quantitatively elucidated the dynamics of the cell-to-cell and cell-free HIV-1 infection modes (Figure 2 and Table 1). We derived the basic reproduction number, R0, and divided it into the numbers of secondly infected cells through the cell-free infection, Rcf, and the cell-to-cell infection, Rcc, respectively (Figure 1B and mathematical appendix in ‘Materials and methods’). Based on our calculated values of these three indexes, we found that about 60% of the viral infection is attributed to the cell-to-cell infection in the in vitro cell culture system (Table 1), which is consistent with previous estimation by Komarova and Wodarz (2013), Komarova et al. (2013a), and Komarova et al. (2013b). In addition, we revealed that the cell-to-cell infection effectively promotes the virus infection by reducing the generation time (×0.9 times), and by increasing the Malthus coefficient (×3.80 times) (Table 2).
When we consider the significance of the cell-to-cell infection in patients infected with HIV-1, it should be noted that the environment of immune cells including CD4+ T-cells in vivo is radically different from the conditions of in vitro cell cultures. For instance, lymphocytes are closely packed in lymphoid tissues such as lymph nodes, and thereby, the frequency for the infected cell to contact with adjacent uninfected cells in vivo would be much higher than that in in vitro cell cultures. In addition, Murooka et al. have directly demonstrated that HIV-1-infected cells converge to lymph nodes and can be vehicles for viral dissemination in vivo (Murooka et al., 2012). Moreover, certain studies have suggested that cell-to-cell viral spread is resistant to anti-viral immunity such as neutralizing antibodies and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (Martin and Sattentau, 2009). Therefore, these notions strongly suggest that the contribution of the cell-to-cell infection for viral propagation in vivo may be much higher than that estimated from the in vitro cell culture system.
As another significance of cell-to-cell viral spread, Sigal et al. have suggested that the cell-to-cell infection permits viral replication even under the anti-retroviral therapy (Sigal et al., 2011). This is attributed to the fact that the multiplicity of infection per cell is tremendously higher than that reached by an infectious viral particle. However, in the previous report (Sigal et al., 2011), the contribution of the cell-to-cell infection remained unclear. To further understand the role of the cell-to-cell infection, we quantified the contributions of the cell-to-cell and cell-free infection modes (Table 1). Interestingly, we found that the cell-to-cell infection mode is predominant during the infection. Furthermore, our virtual experiments showed that a complete block of the cell-free infection, which is highly susceptible to current antiviral drugs, provides only a limited impact on the whole HIV-1 infection (Figure 3). Taken together, our findings further support that the cell-to-cell infection can be a barrier to prevent the cure of HIV-1 infection, which is discussed in Sigal et al. (2011). However, it should be noted that some papers have shown that cell-to-cell spread cannot overcome the action of most anti-HIV-1 drugs (Titanji et al., 2013; Agosto et al., 2014). To fully elucidate this issue, further investigations will be needed.
In addition to HIV-1, other viruses such as herpes simplex virus, measles virus, and human hepatitis C virus drive their dissemination via cell-to-cell infection (Sattentau, 2008; Talbert-Slagle et al., 2014). Although the impact of cell-to-cell viral spread is a topic of broad interest in virology, it was difficult to explore this issue by conventional virological experiments, because an infected cell is simultaneously capable of achieving cell-to-cell infection along with producing infectious viral particles. By applying mathematical modeling to the experimental data, here we estimated the sole dynamics of cell-free infection in the cell culture system. The synergistic strategy of experiments with mathematical modeling is a powerful approach to quantitatively elucidate the dynamics of virus infection in a way that is inaccessible through conventional experimental approaches.
Cell culture and HIV-1 infection
Jurkat cell line (Watanabe et al., 2012) was cultured in the culture medium: RPMI 1640 (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) containing 2% fetal calf serum and antibiotics. The virus solution was prepared as previously described (Sato et al., 2010, 2013, 2014; Iwami et al., 2012a). Briefly, 30 μg of pNL4-3 plasmid (Adachi et al., 1986) (GenBank accession no. M19921.2) was transfected into 293T cells by the calcium-phosphate method. At 48 hr post-transfection, the culture supernatant was harvested, centrifuged, and then filtered through a 0.45-μm-pore-size filter to produce virus solution. The infectivity of virus solution was titrated as previously described (Iwami et al., 2012a). Briefly, the virus solution obtained was serially diluted and then inoculated onto phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in a 96-well plate in triplicate. At 14 days postinfection, the endpoint was determined by using an HIV-1 p24 antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit (ZetptoMetrix, Buffalo, NY) according to the manufacture's procedure, and virus infectivity was calculated as the 50% tissue culture infectious doses (TCID50) according to the Reed-Muench method.
For HIV-1 infection, 3 × 105 of Jurkat cells were infected with HIV-1 (multiplicity of infection 0.1) at 37°C for 2 hr. The infected cells were washed three times with the culture medium, and then suspended with 3 ml of culture medium and seeded into a 25-cm2 flask (Nunc, Rochester, NY). For the static infection, the infected cell culture was kept in a 37°C/5% CO2 incubator as usual. For the shaking infection, the infected cell culture was handled as previously described (Sourisseau et al., 2007). Briefly, the cell culture was kept on a Petit rocker Model-2230 (Wakenyaku, Japan) placed in 37°C/5% CO2 incubator, and was gently shaken at 40 movements per min. The amount of virus particles in the culture supernatant and the number of infected cells were routinely measured as follows: a portion (300 μl) of the infected cell culture was routinely harvested, and the amount of released virions in the culture supernatant was quantified by using an HIV-1 p24 antigen ELISA kit (ZetptoMetrix) according to the manufacture's procedure. The cell number was counted by using a Scepter handled automated cell counter (Millipore, Germany) according to the manufacture's protocol. The percentage of infected cells was measured by flow cytometry. Flow cytometry was performed with a FACSCalibur (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA) as previously described (Sato et al., 2010; Sato et al., 2011, 2013, 2014; Iwami et al., 2012a), and the obtained data were analyzed with CellQuest software (BD Biosciences). For flow cytometry analysis, a fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled anti-HIV-1 p24 antibody (KC57; Beckman Coulter, Pasadena, CA) was used. The representative dot plots are shown in Figure 2—figure supplement 3. The data is available upon request. The remaining cell culture was centrifuged and then resuspended with 3 ml of fresh culture medium. It should be noted that the procedure for HIV-1 infection was performed at time t = −2 day in the figures. Because there is no viral protein production in the first day after infection, each in vitro experimental quantity was measured daily from t = 0 day (i.e., 2 days after HIV-1 inoculation). The detection threshold of each value are the followings: cell number (cell counting), 3000 cells/ml; % p24-positive cells (flow cytometry), 0.3%; and p24 antigen in culture supernatant (p24 antigen ELISA), 80 pg/ml.
Parameter estimation
A statistical model adopted in the Bayesian inference assumes measurement error to follow normal distribution with mean zero and unknown variance (error variance). A distribution of error variance is also inferred with the Gamma distribution as its prior distribution. Posterior predictive parameter distribution as an output of MCMC computation represents parameter variability. Distributions of model parameters and initial values were inferred directly by MCMC computations. On the other hand, distributions of the basic reproduction numbers and the other quantities were calculated from the inferred parameter sets (Figure 3 for graphical representation). A set of computations for Equations 1–3 with estimated parameter sets gives a distribution of outputs (virus load and cell density) as model prediction. To investigate variation of model prediction, global sensitivity analyses were performed. The range of possible variation is drawn in Figure 2 as 95% confidence interval. Technical details of MCMC computations are summarized in Supplementary file 1.
Quantification of Jurkat cell growth
We here estimate the growth kinetics of Jurkat cells, which have been commonly used for HIV-1 studies, under the normal (i.e., mock-infected) condition with the following mathematical model:
(4) dT(t)dt=gT(t)(1−T(t)Tmax),
where the variable T(t) is the number of Jurkat cells at time t and the parameters g and Tmax are the growth rate of the cells (i.e., Log2/g is the doubling time) and the carrying capacity of the cell culture flask, respectively. Nonlinear least-squares regression (FindMinimum package of Mathematica9.0) was performed to fit Equation 4 to the time-course numbers of Jurkat cells in the normal condition. The fitted parameter values are listed in Supplementary file 2 and the model behavior using these best-fit parameter estimates is presented together with the data in Figure 2—figure supplement 2.
Mathematical appendix
The linearized equation of Equations 1–3 at the virus-free steady state, (Tmax, 0, 0), is given as follows:
(5) dI(t)dt=βTmaxV(t)+ωTmaxI(t)−δI(t),
(6) dV(t)dt=pI(t)−cV(t).
Let b(t) be the number of newly produced infected cells in the linear phase:
(7) b(t):=βTmaxV(t)+ωTmaxI(t).
Applying the variation of constants formula to Equations 5, 6, we have
(8) V(t)=V(0)e−ct+∫0te−c(t−s)pI(s)ds,
(9) I(t)=I(0)e−δt+∫0te−δ(t−z)b(z)dz.
Inserting Equation 9 into Equation 8 to exchange the order of integrals, we have
(10) V(t)=g(t)+p∫0t∫0xe−c(x−θ)−δθdθb(t−x)dx,
g(t)∶=V(0)e−ct+∫0te−c(t−s)pI(0)e−δtds.
From Equation 7 and Equations 9, 10, we arrive at the following renewal equation:
b(t)=h(t)+∫0tΨ(x)b(t−x)dx,
where h(t) is given by
h(t)∶=ωTmaxI(0)e−δt+βTmaxg(t),
and the kernel Ψ(x) is given by
Ψ(x)∶=βTmaxp∫0xe−δθ−c(x−θ)dθ+ωTmaxe−δx,
=βTmaxpδc(ϕ1∗ϕ2)(x)+ωTmaxδϕ1(x).
In the above expression, ϕj(x) denotes the probability density function given by
ϕ1(x)=δe−δx, ϕ2(x)=ce−cx,
and, ∗ denotes the convolution of functions. From the general theory of the basic reproduction number (Inaba, 2012), R0 for the reproduction of infected cells is given by
R0=∫0∞Ψ(x)dx=βTmaxpδc+ωTmaxδ=Rcf+Rcc,
where Rcf and Rcc denote the reproduction numbers for infected cells mediated by the cell-free and cell-to-cell infection, respectively.
Next we consider the reproduction process of viruses. Let ρ(t):= pI(t) be the number of newly produced viruses at time t. From Equations 8, 9, we obtain
(11) ρ(t)=pI(0)e−δt+∫0te−δ(t−z)(βTmaxpV(z)+ωTmaxρ(z))dz,
(12) V(t)=V(0)e−ct+∫0te−c(t−s)ρ(s)ds.
Inserting Equation 11 into Equation 12, we again arrive at the following renewal equation:
ρ(t)=q(t)+∫0tΨ(x)ρ(t−x)dx,
where q(t) is given by
q(t)∶=pI(0)e−δt+∫0te−δ(t−z)pβTmaxV(0)e−czdz.
Note that the reproduction kernel Ψ(x) for the virus reproduction is the same as the kernel for the cell reproduction. Thus the probability density function of the virus reproduction is given by
ψ(x)∶=Ψ(x)R0=RcfR0(ϕ1∗ϕ2)(x)+RccR0ϕ1(x).
Then the generation time for the virus reproduction, denoted by G, is calculated as follows:
G∶=∫0∞tψ(t)dt=RcfR0Gcf+RccR0Gcc≤Gcf,
where Gcf : = 1/δ + 1/c and Gcc : = 1/δ are the generation times for virus reproduction mediated by the cell-free and cell-to-cell infection, respectively.
The Malthusian coefficient for the virus reproduction must be given as the dominant real root of the Euler-Lotka equation as
∫0∞e−λxΨ(x)dx=βTmaxpδcϕ1^(λ)ϕ2^(λ)+ωTmaxδϕ1^(λ)=1,
where ϕj^ denotes the Laplace transformation of a function ϕj. That is,
ϕ1^(λ)=∫0∞e−λxϕ1(x)ds=δδ+λ, ϕ2^(λ)=∫0∞e−λxϕ2(x)ds=cc+λ.
Therefore the Euler-Lotka equation can be calculated explicitly as follows:
βTmaxpδcδc(δ+λ)(c+λ)+ωTmaxδδδ+λ=1,
which is reduced to a quadratic equation,
(13) λ2+δc(Gcc+(1−Rcc)(Gcf−Gcc))λ+δc(1−R0)=0.
If R0 > 1, Equation 13 has a unique positive root, which is no other than the Malthusian coefficient for the virus reproduction, so it is calculated as,
λ=−δc(Gcc+(1−Rcc)(Gcf−Gcc))+δ2c2(Gcc+(1−Rcc)(Gcf−Gcc))2−4δc(1−R0)2.
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https://doi.org/10.1016/0042-6822(92)90038-Q
Remarkable lethal G-to-A mutations in vif-proficient HIV-1 provirus by individual APOBEC3 proteins in humanized mice
T Izumi
N Misawa
T Kobayashi
Y Yamashita
M Ohmichi
M Ito
A Takaori-Kondo
A novel animal model of Epstein-Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in humanized mice
C Nie
Y Satou
D Iwakiri
M Matsuoka
R Takahashi
K Kuzushima
K Takada
Blood 117:5663–5673.
https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2010-09-305979
HIV-1 Vpr accelerates viral replication during acute infection by exploitation of proliferating CD4+ T cells in vivo
Y Ishizaka
DS An
PLOS Pathogens 9:e1003812.
APOBEC3D and APOBEC3F potently promote HIV-1 diversification and evolution in humanized mouse model
JS Takeuchi
Y Kimura
WS Hu
VK Pathak
Avoiding the void: cell-to-cell spread of human viruses
Nature Reviews Microbiology 6:815–826.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro1972
Cell-to-cell spread of HIV permits ongoing replication despite antiretroviral therapy
A Sigal
JT Kim
AB Balazs
E Dekel
A Mayo
R Milo
D Baltimore
Nature 477:95–98.
Inefficient human immunodeficiency virus replication in mobile lymphocytes
M Sourisseau
N Sol-Foulon
F Porrot
F Blanchet
Cellular superspreaders: an epidemiological perspective on HIV infection inside the body
K Talbert-Slagle
KE Atkins
KK Yan
E Khurana
M Gerstein
EH Bradley
D Berg
AP Galvani
JP Townsend
Protease inhibitors effectively block cell-to-cell spread of HIV-1 between T cells
BK Titanji
M Aasa-Chapman
D Pillay
C Jolly
Retrovirology 10:161.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4690-10-161
The hematopoietic cell-specific Rho GTPase inhibitor ARHGDIB/D4GDI limits HIV type 1 replication
T Watanabe
E Urano
K Miyauchi
R Ichikawa
M Hamatake
H Ebina
J Komano
AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses 28:913–922.
https://doi.org/10.1089/AID.2011.0180
Cell-to-cell transmission can overcome multiple donor and target cell barriers imposed on cell-free HIV
A Ilinskaya
B Dorjbal
R Truong
D Derse
PD Uchil
G Heidecker
PLOS ONE 8:e53138.
Arup K Chakraborty
Reviewing Editor; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
Thank you for submitting your work entitled “Cell-to-cell infection by HIV contributes over half of virus infection” for peer review at eLife. Your submission has been favorably evaluated by Naama Barkai (Senior Editor), a Reviewing Editor, and two reviewers. One of the two reviewers, Vitaly Ganusov, has agreed to share his identity.
While others have previously shown that cell-to-cell spread is a rapid and efficient form of infection, the novelty of this work is in its attempt to quantify the contributions of cell-to-cell spread and cell-free infection in the same culture. However, there are three major concerns about the connections between the experiments and assumptions made in the modeling that need to be addressed in order to ascertain that the conclusions are correct. These major concerns are:
1) The parameter, ω, which measures the infection rate by cell-to-cell spread is obtained by fitting the model to data, and it is assumed that ω=0 in the experiments with shaking. β, the cell-free infection rate, is assumed to be the same under both infection conditions. In the data, shaking reduces infection, consistent with decreased cell-to-cell spread. However, it is also consistent with several other possibilities. For example, reduction of both cell-to-cell spread and cell-free infection due to many possible factors including lower production rates or infectivity of virus. If this is true, a similar attenuation of viral dynamics would be observed upon shaking but for a completely different reason, and invalidate the assumptions made to fit the data. To prove that the attenuated viral dynamics are strictly the result of a loss of cell-to-cell spread, a control experiment is needed. It is up to you to choose the appropriate control experiment that establishes this. We think that the following experiment might be appropriate:
Produce cell-free virus by filtering out any cells, then add it to either shaking or static Jurkat cell cultures and measure the percent infected cells under each condition at a few time points before two days (i.e. before the second cycle of infection). If shaking only affects cell-to-cell transmission, the results should be identical for shaken or static cultures in this experiment.
2) The parameter values are taken to be constant in time, but this may not be the case. Consider the parameter g, as an example. Cells that reach a maximum density may go into growth arrest and there is a lag time to get them out of it. This would mean that g is not constant. Is there experimental evidence that the parameters do not change with time. Also, at high levels of infection, which appears to be true in the experiments, is the cell culture still stable? If not, g would not be a constant.
3) It seems that the simulations are carried out without virus removal (without c) for 24 hours, and then an instantaneous removal occurs at 90% (not continuous removal of the virus as 2.3 per day). This set-up does not seem congruent with the experiments. The simulations should be carried out in a similar way to the experimental set-up to make sure that the parameter values are properly estimated. In addition, is it certain that cells/infected cells are not removed in the experiments, as it seems is assumed in the model? Finally, more quantitative estimates of agreement between the fitted models and experimental data are required. For example, by visual inspection of Figure 2, one could argue that the model does not describe the loss of infected cells and the virus after the peak well (Figure 2A), and in Figure 2B, it is not clear how good the fits are. Error bars need to be provided for the estimated parameters in Table 1.
[Editors' note: further revisions were requested prior to acceptance, as described below.]
Thank you for resubmitting your work entitled “Cell-to-cell infection by HIV contributes over half of virus infection” for further consideration at eLife. Your revised article has been favorably evaluated by Naama Barkai (Senior Editor), a Reviewing Editor, and one of the original reviewers. The manuscript has been improved but there are some remaining issues that need to be addressed before acceptance, as outlined below:
We have read your response and revised manuscript, and believe that you have not addressed the first major and essential point. As discussed in the first report, the assumption you make is that shaking eliminates cell-to-cell spread but does not affect cell-free infection. The premise of the whole paper is based on this assumption. According to the data presented in Figure 2, this may not be the case: Day 0 infection as shown in the middle panels of Figure 2A (static) and Figure 2B (shaking) is strictly the result of cell-free infection, as you indicate in the Methods. In Figure 2A (static), the number of cell infected is between 103 to 104/ml. In Figure 2B (shaking), the number of infected cells – by what is supposed to be the same cell-free infection input according to the methods – seems to be undetectable at day 0, with the first measurements appearing at a later time. This indicates that shaking, at least as performed by the method used in this paper, decreases cell-free infection. We requested that you perform a control experiment to show that this is not the case, and that shaking does not affect cell-free infection. We had also suggested a simple experiment for you to consider: add cell-free virus to static and shaking cultures and show that the infection rate is unaffected by shaking at the first infection cycle (subsequent cycles would involve cell-to-cell spread due to the co-culture, and would not be relevant). Rather than carry out this (or some other) control experiment, you point to a past paper that showed this. But, given the data in Figure 2 (see above), it is unclear that the assumption that shaking does not affect cell free infection is correct in your experiment. Since the rest of the work presented in the paper relies on this assumption, a control experiment demonstrating this assumption to be true is necessary.
In the original publication (Sourisseau et al., J Virol, 2007) describing the experimental model that we used here, the authors carefully verified that shaking did not induce nonspecific consequences on HIV infection. Namely, they verified that static and shaking conditions did not induce differences in cell viability, cell growth rate, expression level of receptor/co-receptors and adhesion molecules (Figure 2 in Sourisseau et al., J Virol, 2007). The authors also verified the absence of effect on virus release and on the efficiency of cell-free virus infection (Figure 3 in Sourisseau et al., J Virol, 2007). The previous demonstration of the absence of nonspecific consequences on HIV replication is now indicated in the manuscript (subsection “Adaptation of a mathematical model to explicitly consider cell-free and cell-to-cell infection”).
Thank you for pointing this out, we would like to explain our assumption in detail, especially for the growth rate. In Equation (1), we assumed the growth of target cells is described by g{1−(T(t)+I(t))/Tmax}T(t). This is called “logistic growth”. In this formulation, g{1−(T(t)+I(t))/Tmax} represents the average growth rate per cell. That is, if the density of total cells (i.e. T(t)+I(t)) is low, then the growth rate is approximately g, but if the density is high (i.e., around maximum density, Tmax), then the growth rate becomes 0, which models cell growth arrest. Because the term of 1−(T(t)+I(t))/Tmax is a function of time, the average growth rate gradually decrease from 1 to 0 as the density increases from low to maximum, which shows a lag time. Thus, the logistic formulation well captures the density-dependent cell growth in cell culture as we previously showed in Fukuhara et al. (2013). In contrast, for other parameters, we simply assumed they are constant. However, at least, in cell culture system, many papers including our own studies (Fukuhara et al., 2013; Iwami et al., Retrovirology, 2012; Iwami et al., Front Microbiol., 2012; Komarova et al., 2013; Kakizoe et al., 2015; Beauchemin et al., 2008) has shown that the simple constant assumption sufficiently reproduced the infection dynamics and quantified parameters reasonably. Therefore, we would like to keep our parameters constant in order to avoid the complexity of time-dependent parameters and to allow the use of our novel model for the cell-to-cell and cell-free HIV-1 infections.
In addressing this very relevant and important comment, we have made a number of changes to our manuscript but also to our analysis itself. First, we would like to explain our assumption in Equations (1-3) for the removal due to the experimental samplings. For each of the daily measurements of the virus concentration, the medium in our experiments was harvested, reducing the viral concentration by 90%. This removal can be captured using Equation (3) by approximating the punctual removal of virus at each sampling time as a continuous, exponential decay of the viral load over the period between samples. In such a case, parameter c corresponds to the sum of the rate of virus loss due to harvesting of the medium plus the rate of loss due to degradation of the extracellular virus (which is negligibly small). In addition, on a daily basis, 10% of the cells in the culture were harvested to measure the number of target cells and infected cells. Similarly, the removals of the target and infected cells were included in the value of g and δ, respectively. We clarified this assumption by adding a few sentences to the subsection “Adaptation of a mathematical model to explicitly consider cell-free and cell-to-cell infection”.
Author response image 1
Punctual model for parameter estimation.
The time course of experimental data for the numbers of uninfected cells (top) and infected cells (middle), and the amount of viral p24 antigen (bottom) in the static (left) and shaking (right) culture systems, respectively. The solid curves depict the best fit of the punctual model to the time-course dataset. All data in the experiment 3 were fitted simultaneously. For the experiments 1 and 2, we obtained similar fitting and parameter estimation values (data not shown).
As an example, we have expanded our analysis using Equations (1-3) to also include an analysis of the experimental data using the model with punctual removal, i.e. we determined best-fit parameters for this punctual model and present graphs of its agreement to both data sets over time (Author response image 1). Generally, the punctual removal model describes the experimental data well, and the estimated values for the model parameters are similar to those found using Equations (1-3); β=3.49×10−6, ω=1.17×10−6, p=0.53, δ=0.50 in Eqs.(1-3), and β=6.65×10−6, ω=1.69×10−6, p=0.13, δ=0.43 in the punctual model. In our earlier works (Fukuhara et al., 2013; Iwami et al., Retrovirology, 2012; Iwami et al., Front Microbiol., 2012; Kakizoe et al., 2015) we have also shown that approximating punctual removal as a continuous exponential decay has minimal impact on the model parameters and provides an appropriate fit to the experimental data. And also, unfortunately, we could not define the basic reproduction numbers such as Rcf, Rcc, and R0 for the punctual model because of its discontinuity. Quantifying these values and comparing them are key findings of this paper. Therefore, we used the exponential decay approximation (i.e. Equations (1-3) here. Nevertheless, we do feel that inclusion of the above discussion about the punctual removal is a valuable addition to our manuscript and improves the completeness of our work (see the second paragraph of the subsection “Adaptation of a mathematical model to explicitly consider cell-free and cell-to-cell infection”).
Furthermore, for more quantitative estimates of agreement between the fitted models and experimental data, we performed Bayesian estimation for the whole dataset using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling. The Bayesian estimation enables us to assess the variability of kinetic parameters and model prediction as posterior predictive intervals (see Results, Methods and Supplementary file 1). We thank the reviewers for leading us in this direction.
According to the suggestion raised by the editors (“it is unclear that the assumption that shaking does not affect cell free infection is correct in your experiment”), we carried out an additional experiment and the data is shown as Figure 2–figure supplement 1. As shown, we have clearly verified that the shaking procedure does not affect the efficacy of cell-free infection.
Shingo Iwami
Mathematical Biology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan
CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan
SI, Conception and design, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting or revising the article, Contributed unpublished essential data or reagents
Contributed equally with
Junko S Takeuchi
siwami@kyushu-u.org
Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
JST, Conception and design, Acquisition of data, Contributed unpublished essential data or reagents
Shinji Nakaoka
Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
SN, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting or revising the article
Fabrizio Mammano
INSERM-Genetics and Ecology of viruses, Hospital Saint Louis, Paris, France
Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
FM, Conception and design, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting or revising the article, Contributed unpublished essential data or reagents
François Clavel
FC, Conception and design, Contributed unpublished essential data or reagents
Hisashi Inaba
Graduate School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
HI, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting or revising the article
Tomoko Kobayashi
Laboratory for Animal Health, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Kanagawa, Japan
TK, Acquisition of data, Contributed unpublished essential data or reagents
Naoko Misawa
NM, Acquisition of data, Contributed unpublished essential data or reagents
Kazuyuki Aihara
Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
KA, Conception and design, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting or revising the article
Yoshio Koyanagi
YK, Conception and design, Drafting or revising the article, Contributed unpublished essential data or reagents
KS, Conception and design, Acquisition of data, Analysis and interpretation of data, Drafting or revising the article, Contributed unpublished essential data or reagents
ksato@virus.kyoto-u.ac.jp
This work was supported in part by JST PRESTO program (to SI); JST CREST program (to SI, HI, KA, and KS); Grants-in-Aid for Young Scientists B25800092 (to SI) and B25871132 (to SN) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 10192783 and 15KT0107 (to SI), 25400194 (to HI) and 15K07166 (to KS); Inamori Foundation (to SI); the Aihara Innovative Mathematical Modeling Project, JSPS, through the ‘Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R & D on Science and Technology (FIRST Program)’, initiated by Council for Science and Technology Policy (to SI, SN, HI, KA, and KS); the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, AMED (H27-ShinkoJitsuyoka-General-016) (to SI, SN, HI, KA, and KS); Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le Sida et les Hepatites Virales (ANRS) (to FM); a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas 24115008 from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (to YK); JSPS Core-to-Core program, A. Advanced Research Networks (to YK); Research on HIV/AIDS from AMED 15Afk0410013h0001 (to YK); Takeda Science Foundation (to KS); Sumitomo Foundation Research Grant (to KS); Senshin Medical Research Foundation (to KS); Imai Memorial Trust for AIDS Research (to KS); Ichiro Kanehara Foundation (to KS); Kanae Foundation for the Promotion of Medical Science (to KS); Suzuken Memorial Foundation (to KS); Uehara Memorial Foundation (to KS).
Arup K Chakraborty, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States
Received: April 16, 2015
Accepted: September 4, 2015
Version of Record published: October 6, 2015 (version 1)
© 2015, Iwami et al.
mathematical model
cell-to-cell infection
cell-free infection
basic reproduction number
Biological constraints on GWAS SNPs at suggestive significance thresholds reveal additional BMI loci
Reza K Hammond et al.
To uncover novel significant association signals (p<5×10−8), genome-wide association studies (GWAS) requires increasingly larger sample sizes to overcome statistical correction for multiple testing. As an alternative, we aimed to identify associations among suggestive signals (5 × 10−8≤p<5×10−4) in increasingly powered GWAS efforts using chromatin accessibility and direct contact with gene promoters as biological constraints. We conducted retrospective analyses of three GIANT BMI GWAS efforts using ATAC-seq and promoter-focused Capture C data from human adipocytes and embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived hypothalamic-like neurons. This approach, with its extremely low false-positive rate, identified 15 loci at p<5×10−5 in the 2010 GWAS, of which 13 achieved genome-wide significance by 2018, including at NAV1, MTIF3, and ADCY3. Eighty percent of constrained 2015 loci achieved genome-wide significance in 2018. We observed similar results in waist-to-hip ratio analyses. In conclusion, biological constraints on sub-significant GWAS signals can reveal potentially true-positive loci for further investigation in existing data sets without increasing sample size.
Bi-channel Image Registration and Deep-learning Segmentation (BIRDS) for efficient, versatile 3D mapping of mouse brain
Xuechun Wang et al.
We have developed an open-source software called BIRDS (bi-channel image registration and deep-learning segmentation) for the mapping and analysis of 3D microscopy data and applied this to the mouse brain. The BIRDS pipeline includes image pre-processing, bi-channel registration, automatic annotation, creation of a 3D digital frame, high-resolution visualization, and expandable quantitative analysis. This new bi-channel registration algorithm is adaptive to various types of whole-brain data from different microscopy platforms and shows dramatically improved registration accuracy. Additionally, as this platform combines registration with neural networks, its improved function relative to other platforms lies in the fact that the registration procedure can readily provide training data for network construction, while the trained neural network can efficiently segment incomplete/defective brain data that is otherwise difficult to register. Our software is thus optimized to enable either minute-timescale registration-based segmentation of cross-modality, whole-brain datasets or real-time inference-based image segmentation of various brain regions of interest. Jobs can be easily submitted and implemented via a Fiji plugin that can be adapted to most computing environments.
Repeated outbreaks drive the evolution of bacteriophage communication
Hilje M Doekes et al.
Recently, a small-molecule communication mechanism was discovered in a range of Bacillus-infecting bacteriophages, which these temperate phages use to inform their lysis-lysogeny decision. We present a mathematical model of the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of such viral communication, and show that a communication strategy in which phages use the lytic cycle early in an outbreak (when susceptible host cells are abundant) but switch to the lysogenic cycle later (when susceptible cells become scarce) is favoured over a bet-hedging strategy in which cells are lysogenised with constant probability. However, such phage communication can evolve only if phage-bacteria populations are regularly perturbed away from their equilibrium state, so that acute outbreaks of phage infections in pools of susceptible cells continue to occur. Our model then predicts the selection of phages that switch infection strategy when half of the available susceptible cells have been infected.
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Home Business American Friends of Capodimonte announce new Senior Fellow, Board Member and opening of 2021 Fellowship application
American Friends of Capodimonte announce new Senior Fellow, Board Member and opening of 2021 Fellowship application
Tabitha Berg
Sep 24, 2020 8:00 AM EDT
(CHICAGO, Ill.) — NEWS: It is with great pleasure that American Friends of Capodimonte (AFC) announce the appointment of Dr. Claire Van Cleave as the AFC Senior Fellow at the Capodimonte Museum in Naples, Italy. The AFC’s unique mission places an American scholar directly inside the staff of an important Italian museum.
The focus of Dr. Van Cleave’s scholarship will be the approximately fifty works on paper from the Farnese collection. This includes important 16th Century works by Raphael, Michelangelo, Parmigianino and Sofonisba Anguissola. Dr. Van Cleave’s research will complement the Museum’s current campaign to digitize its entire collection.
Dr. Van Cleave, a native of Chicago, is a writer and lecturer on Renaissance art and a specialist on the drawings of the 15th Century Italian painter Luca Signorelli. Her scholarly publications include: “Master Drawings of the Renaissance” (London, 2007), for the British Museum and, as co-author, of “Italian Master Drawings from the Princeton University Art Museum” (Princeton, 2014). She has also curated exhibitions such as the monographic exhibition devoted to Signorelli at the National Gallery of Umbria in Perugia, Italy in 2012. Her Senior Fellowship begins in September. Information: http://www.americanfriendsofcapodimonte.info/fellows
The AFC is committed to supporting scholarship on the Capodimonte’s extraordinary collection and making the treasures of the Museum accessible to an English-speaking audience,” said AFC President, Nancy Vespoli. “Claire came to us with a project that was perfectly attuned to our mission and impossible to resist.”
The Board of the AFC is also pleased to announce that it is receiving applications for the 2021-22 AFC Post-Doctoral Fellowship, the only fellowship for an American art historian in an Italian museum. Information: http://www.americanfriendsofcapodimonte.info/afc-fellowship-about. Dr. James P. Anno served as the first AFC Fellow from 2017-2019 and was recently appointed Associate Curator of European Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
In July, Gretchen A. Hirschauer was named to the AFC Board. Gretchen is a Curator of Italian and Spanish Paintings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. During her long tenure, Gretchen has curated many exhibitions with accompanying catalogues, including Flowering of Florence: Botanical Art of the Medici in 2002, Luis Melendez: Master of the Spanish Still Life in 2009, Piero di Cosimo: the Poetry of Painting in Renaissance Florence in 2015, and Andrea del Verrocchio: Sculptor and Painter of Renaissance Florence in 2019.
“I sincerely thank the American Friends of Capodimonte who offer us the possibility of this international collaboration from which the museum will benefit enormously,” said Sylvain Bellenger, Director of the Museum and Royal Park of Capodimonte. “The AFC has increased awareness of the Museum with an American audience and given us the opportunity to have important American scholars working alongside our curators.”
ABOUT CAPODIMONTE MUSEUM:
Referred to as an “under-visited treasure trove” by the New York Times in 2019 and “the most underrated museum in Italy” by Condé Nast Traveler in 2016, Capodimonte was built in 1738 by King Charles of Bourbon (later King Charles III of Spain). It sits atop the highest hill above the ancient city of Naples, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The core of the collection is the Farnese collection of paintings and sculpture, formed in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth centuries by Pope Paul III and his Farnese relatives, later inherited by Charles of Bourbon.
Learn more about Capodimonte at: http://www.museocapodimonte.beniculturali.it/
ABOUT AMERICAN FRIENDS OF CAPODIMONTE (AFC):
Founded in 2016, American Friends of Capodimonte (AFC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to bring awareness about one of the world’s greatest museums to an English-speaking audience. AFC members receive exclusive access to Capodimonte Museum and Royal Park, U.S. events related to the museum’s collection and priority on custom trips to Naples and beyond.
For more information, visit: http://www.americanfriendsofcapodimonte.info/
or contact AFC President, Nancy Vespoli: americanfriendsofcapodimonte@gmail.com or 203-887-9872.
For information about AFC events and membership, press inquiries, or to set up an interview with Sylvain Bellenger, Director of the Museum and Royal Park of Capodimonte, please contact AFC President, Nancy Vespoli, at americanfriendsofcapodimonte@gmail.com or 203-887-9872.
FACEBOOK: https:/facebook.com/AmericanFriendsofCapodimonte/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/American_Friends_Capodimonte/
*Photo link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/20-0924s2p-afc-raphael-300dpi.jpg
*Photo caption/credit: Raphael, Moses by the Burning Bush, c. 1514, charcoal and white lead on 23 sheets of paper, 1400 x 1380mm, Museum of Capodimonte, Naples.
Related link: http://www.americanfriendsofcapodimonte.info/
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American Friends of Capodimonte (AFC) announce the first U.S. traveling exhibition of 40 Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces
Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) Board Elects New Leadership for 2020-2021
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Sites Registry
Junius F. Wells Award - 2013: Robert Scott Lorimer
Robert Scott Lorimer receiving the Junius Wells Award from Richard Lambert
On November 14, 2013, the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation presented to Robert Scott Lorimer, former president of the Riverton Wyoming Stake, the Junius Wells Award in recognition for his work and accomplishment in what has become known in Mormon circles as the “Second Rescue” of the 1856 handcart pioneers. In addition, to help give remembrance to these early pioneers President Lorimer was instrumental in the Church’s purchase of property in Wyoming at Rock Creek and the Sun Ranch adjacent to Martin’s Cove.
Scott & Dee Lorimer with Elder ans Sister Neil Andersen
The banquet was held at the Joseph Smith Memorial building with President Lorimer’s family and friends, historians, and Church dignitaries in attendance including Elder Neil Andersen of the quorum of the twelve, Elders Steven E. Snow and Marcus B. Nash of the Seventy and LDS Church History Department. Also, in attendance were several emeritus members of the Seventy who had worked closely with President Lorimer.
In a video presentation and in his remarks of the evening, President Lorimer related events and the prompting he received to involve the members of his stake in the temple work for those members of the Martin/Willie handcart companies; and how he was able to acquire critical property and erect monuments and other related amenities.
The master of ceremonies for the evening was Glenn Rawson, noted filmmaker, writer, and television producer. Representing the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation in presenting the award was Richard Lambert, Vice Chairman of the Foundation.
Kim Wilson, Chairman of the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation
Robert Scott Lorimer
Scott and Dee Lorimer
Scott & Dee Lorimer with Elder ans Sister Neil Andersen.
Scott Lorimer
Scott Lorimer with Elder Ear Tingey.
President Robert Scott Lorimer since childhood has had a great interest in the story of the Martin/Willie Handcart companies and their fateful journey in 1856. As president of the Riverton Wyoming Stake he led its members in what has become affectionately and historically known as the Second Rescue. The First Rescue occurred in November 1856 when 250 relief wagons, sent by Brigham Young from Salt Lake, brought life saving supplies and comfort to the desperate and beleaguered pioneers. The Second Rescue brought spiritual blessings of temple ordinances.
Through Scott Lorimer’s efforts it was discovered that the temple work for a surprising 83 percent of those who died on the trail, and 52 percent of those who lived had not been completed. When brought to the attention of President Hinckley, his charge to President Lorimer was “don’t stop until it is done.” President Lorimer immediately called together members of his stake and assigned each member, 12 years and older, the name of a pioneer with the assignment to see if their temple work had been done. If not, they were to see that it was completed. In just over a year 4,000 ordinances were performed in behalf of the members of the two handcart companies and their rescuers.
President Lorimer’s work did not end there. The Riverton Stake raised the funds and constructed three monuments commemorating the belated handcart companies, one each at Martin’s Cove, the Willie rescue site, and Rocky Ridge. President Lorimer also negotiated the purchase by the LDS Church of the Rock Creek Hollow property in 1992, and in 1996 he helped complete the acquisition by the Church of the Sun Ranch property adjacent to Martin’s Cove. With this property, he was instrumental in the development and construction of bridges, trails, hundreds of handcarts, a visitor’s center, and the reclamation of Rock Creek Hollow. His personal correspondence exceeds 9,000 letters written in response to those from around the world who wrote to him about the handcart pioneers. He has authored or co-authored numerous books and articles on the Martin/Willie Handcart pioneers. He also wrote or compiled 41,000 pages of history relating to the handcart companies, had them bound into 107 volumes, and donated them to the Church History Department.
President Lorimer graduated from Brigham Young University in 1975 and later worked towards a Masters in Accountancy at the University of Nebraska. A successful business career was enjoyed for thirty-three years as the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President Finance of the U.S. Energy Corp. He currently serves on the board of directors.
He has a heart-warming relationship with his wife Desiree (Dee) and they are the parents of seven children, six daughters (Sarah, Jessica, Julie, Heika, Autumn, and Kelly) and one son (Luke). Scott was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Casper, Wyoming. Upon his return from his German mission, he and Dee met at a Family Home Evening at BYU.
For his service, Scott has received many honors. For example Wyoming Governor Jim Geringer, with a unanimous vote of the Wyoming Legislature, declared May 12, 2001 as Scott and Dee Lorimer Day for their service to the State of Wyoming and the National Emigration Trails.
'Second Rescue' of the 1856 handcart pioneers
By Jerry Wellman
Church News staff writer
Published: Friday, Nov. 22, 2013
A day to remember in Wyoming
By Greg Hill
Published: Saturday, May 19, 2001
Wilford C. Wood
Junius F. Wells Awards
2017 Richard E. Turley, Jr.
2014: Donald L. Enders
2013: Robert Scott Lorimer
2012: Marlin K. Jensen
2011: Richard L. Bushman
2010: Florence S Jacobsen
2008: Douglas Smoot
2007: M. Russell Ballard
2006: Karl Ricks Anderson
2005: Gordon B. Hinckley
99 West S. Temple,
Suite 2800Salt Lake City,
Utah 84101
krwilson@lhm.com
The Ensign Peak Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to identify, preserve, and commemorate sites, events, and people of significance in Mormon history throughout the world.
Copyright © Ensign Peak Foundation, 2006-2021. All Rights Reserved.
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‘True Detective’ Fan Develops Elaborate Theory He Will Be Let Down By Season Finale
LANSING, MI—Claiming that the clues have been in plain sight all along, local man and diehard True Detective fan Spencer Adams, 34, told reporters Friday he has developed an elaborate theory that he will be incredibly disappointed by the show’s upcoming season finale. “If you’ve been paying close attention to each episode so far, everything points to the fact that we’re headed for a huge disappointment this Sunday,” said Adams, citing as supporting evidence the impossibly high expectations scattered throughout the crime drama’s first seven episodes and listing off a labyrinthine catalog of loose ends and unresolved plot threads that, according to his hypothesis, the HBO series cannot possibly wrap up in the season’s final 60 minutes. “I’ve been watching every shot, every cutaway intently—sometimes viewing the same episodes three or four times each—and the signs are all there: the increasingly convoluted story, the massive amounts of filler in the more recent episodes, the numerous occult references that we clearly aren’t going to get a proper explanation for. All of that makes a satisfying ending virtually impossible, and if you’ve carefully followed every onscreen moment like I have, you’ll see they’ve been making that obvious from the very start.” Adams also noted that the show has been dropping numerous hints as to the arc of its planned second season, namely that the producers will be unable to cast leads on par with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson and that Adams will then stop watching.
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Deaths | Décès
Anna-Michelle Shewfelt / January 6, 2019
6137 Wyn van der Schee – entered CMR 1959 – graduated RMC 1964
Wyn van der Schee
Born in South Holland in the Netherlands during the Second World War, Wyn’s parents (Arie and Neetje) emigrated with him to Southwestern Ontario in 1947.
Wyn joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1959 as a Cadet at Collège Militaire Royale (St Jean, QC), and completed a BA (Military History) at the Royal Military College (Kingston, ON). He went on to serve with The Fort Garry Horse and then Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), and after retiring, went on to command The King’s Own Calgary Regiment.
The military remained an important part of his life, and post-military, Wyn was active in initiatives such as Reserves 2000. He was an avid collector of Militaria, and was a member of the Military Collectors Club of Canada. His collection of historical military books and documents, which were amassed over his lifetime, were donated to the Fort Frontenac Library. The contents of the Wyn van der Schee collection are an invaluable source of military history and data, and are used as research tools by students at RMC and beyond.
Wyn spent the second part of his career working with the City of Calgary as the Recycling Manager and oversaw the startup and maturation of the recycling program, from the late 1980s to his retirement in 2002.
Wyn met his beloved wife Gail in Calgary, and the two married in 1967. They had two children: Jennifer and David. Wyn became the cherished Opa to three grand-children – Jillan, Alistair, and Kathryn.
Wyn and Gail retired to Kingston in 2004 where Wyn continued his involvement in the military community, and was a member of the Royal Kingston United Services Institute (RKUSI). He was a parishioner at St George’s Cathedral and organized the RMC “Copper Sunday” for several years.
Wyn passed away at home on January 2, 2019 at the age of 76. He is survived by Gail, his children, and grandchildren, as well as his siblings Jacob, Ben, Sylvia (Head), and Trudy (Dipasqaule) and joins his other siblings Harry, Nancy, and Cornelius.
Friends are invited to celebrate Wyn’s life on Monday, January 7 at 2:00pm at St George’s Cathedral, 270 King St E, Kingston, ON. A reception will follow in the great hall.
Donations in lieu of flowers are welcome to be made to “Lunch by George”
Ann Manson (nee Laing) Wife of 4477 Tony Manson
Passed away at the age of 79 after a peaceful three weeks at the Sunnybrook Palliative Care unit, in the presence of her beloved husband Tony, cherished son Michael (Melinda) and dear brother Ed Laing (Bernice). Predeceased by daughter Karen, son Douglas and brother Allen.
Ann was born in St. John, NB and grew up in Ottawa and Deep River, Ontario where she met and married Tony. They had a grand life together for 59 years, including four years in Germany and many years doing an annual trek to Florida. She was an avid curler and an enthusiastic sports fan. She was blessed with fine neighbours and numerous extended family members who maintained contact over many decades, including some great family reunions.
As per her wish, cremation has taken place. The family thanks the staff at the Sunnybrook Palliative Care unit for their excellent caring support.
Friends and family are invited to the Visitation at The Simple Alternative, 275 Lesmill Road on Wednesday, January 2 from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm. Interment at Deep River, Ontario in the spring of 2019. Donations to a charity of your choice, in lieu of flowers.
Chuck Beavis – former supervisor with the cleaning staff at RMC. He ‘marched off the parade square’ with a graduating class in the mid-1990s – someone please help us with the exact Class.
Peacefully at KGH with his family at his side on Saturday December 29, 2018 at the age of 79. Beloved husband of the late Betty. Loving father of Kim (Ken), John, and Chris. Cherished Grandfather of Jason, Justin, Chantel, Kristen, Courtney, Samantha, Braden, Zach, Jayden, Skylee and Great-Grandfather of 9 Great-Grandchildren. Chuck will be greatly missed by his siblings George (Judy) and Eileen (John). Predeceased by his sisters Jean (Vic) and Dorothy. Chuck will be missed by his many nieces and nephews. Thank you to all the Loving and helpful staff at Providence Manor.
According to his wishes, cremation has taken place. Family and friends may gather for a Funeral Service at “Our Mother of Sorrows Chapel” Providence Manor, 275 Sydenham Street Kingston on Thursday January 3, 2019 at 11 a.m.
Donations in Chuck’s memory may be made to Providence Care-Providence Manor.
Leadership in a Foreign National Government Context
In This Issue 50
Doug (Shag) Southen
I do not recognize Mr Beavis, so I am thinking he was gone before 1996 when I got to RMC as DAdm. I believe the Lead Hand on the Cleaning Staff was Charlene, and the supervisor above her (Cleaning and Labourers) was Jean, both of whose last names I have forgotten, and both of whom I believe had been in their jobs for at least a year at that point. That suggests Mr Beavis was at the College prior to the summer of 1995.
Derron Bain
Chuck walked off the square with the Class of 1995. Picture of presentation of Class of 1995 gift to Chuck to follow tomorrow. Chuck was also a big supporter of the RMC Hockey Redmen, acting as Equipment Manager between 1991 and 1994, and perhaps before this period.
I am pretty sure that I remember “Chuck”. Always a smile. I’m not sure about this but when I was in the Frigate in ’72, Chuck may have been the main guy there. Nice guy. A big guy. Always a smile.
10950 DM Hall
10966 Michel Maisonneuve
RIP Wyn!
Emil Bizon
To Tony Manson- my sincere condolences.
Greg Lamarre
As Darren Bain mentions above, I remember Chuck well during his time with the hockey team. Great guy, big smile – a real pleasure to have known. RIP Chuck!
Greg Lamarre, RMC 92
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The war on Iraq as a moral panic
(idea) by HongPong Tue Nov 04 2003 at 7:06:45
This was written for a sociology of 'deviant behavior' class in late April 2003. Facts have passed out of date and Mr. Mellor's photos probably aren't still on the wall at the Al-Rasheed Hotel.
The Anglo-American invasion of Iraq, "Operation Iraqi Freedom,” was politically made feasible in an unusual fashion, which in many ways could be considered a moral panic. While international politics are more complex than the panics which grip societies from time to time, the way in which the case for war was crafted and the way moral justifications were invented bear the imprint of a moral panic.
The five basic criteria, as defined in Erich Goode and Nachman Ben-Yehuda's "Moral Panics", that help define a moral panic can be found throughout the war. The war's justification tended to change around from month to month, but heightened concern, hostility, consensus, disproportional evidence, and volatility were all constructed and exacerbated to support the case for war.
American society's concern over Saddam's regime escalated after September 11 when the problem of terrorism in the Middle East reached New York. This multiplied with continued concern over what sorts of things Saddam might try to do against America, which had already humiliated him once. While most Americans did not fear Saddam after September 11, what his role would be in the emerging ‘war on terror' concerned many, and this was reflected in public speculation. Of course, Pentagon advisor Paul Wolfowitz pounced on the opportunity and began heightening George W. Bush's concerns about Saddam on September 12.
The consensus aspect of the war was constantly hammered into the American public. For example, I recall watching FOX News after a day of massive nationwide protests. Fox showed a narrow shot of protesters and reported how many had appeared. "However, to be fair and balanced," said the anchor, "polls show that 60% of Americans support military action against Saddam." The poll graphic replaced the protesters and the iron fist of consensus was proven in a fair and balanced fashion.
Orchestrating the appearance of consensus and reducing the necessity of real consensus in order to bring America into a war has been made easier by changes in the powers of war and control of the media. Media concentration continues to escalate here and the owners are typically very conservative. The radio industry is an excellent example. Today Clear Channel, a Texas-based radio corporation, owns about half the stations in the country, including a large number of right-wing talk stations. Before the war, Clear Channel stations helped organize and sponsor pro-war rallies labeled "Rally for America." This certainly helped build consensus that supporting the war was morally correct.
The executive branch has eased the actual necessity of solid consensus over war by seizing the power to make war from Congress. While the Constitution declares that Congress has the exclusive power to declare war, the president has been able to secure control over this power by getting authorizations for the use of force far in advance of the opening of hostilities. This means there can be no point where the country has to definitively answer yes or no to the question of war. The explicit determination of consensus can be avoided, and the dominant media can issue polls which show that most Americans support action of some type, and those polls become the de facto consensus, end of story.
Hostility towards Iraq has been palpable for a long time in this country. Ever since I was in second grade, we have been taught that Saddam was a bad, powerful man who invaded other countries. America is familiar with hating Saddam and his troublesome regime. However, there would be no basis for a war without September 11 occurring, because this event upset and confused Americans and created within them suspicion towards Arabs within un-democratic regimes. Widespread hatred towards Saddam, almost as a folk devil, could be called forth as the injustice of Kuwait, the Iran war and the Kurdish genocide were reiterated ad nauseam in the media. Saddam, could be portrayed as a supporter of Terror, of Fear.
By amplifying the concept of a "terror nation" (which Syria apparently is now as well, according to Ari Fleischer) it was possible to de-legitimize the Iraqi government to the American people and connect it to "the terrorists." How can you support terror? How can you support fear? That became a boundary of pro-war thinking, and anyone thinking beyond that tidy line of reason was easily labeled an apologist for the murderer of Halabja.
What occurred at Halabja is worth examining because it reveals how thin the moral justifications for this war truly were. During the final weeks of buildup, the word "Halabja" became the key concept to throw at those protesters. Saddam was in fact a genocidal killer towards the Kurds many years ago. Hence, it is argued that now his state's legitimacy had been voided. But this argument didn't square with the Republican and British policies towards him at the time.
At the Al-Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad, there is a series of photographs of British diplomats meeting with Saddam. There is a portrait of David Mellor, who was being entertained by Saddam as he ordered Halabja. There are portraits of Tony Newton, Thatcher's Trade Secretary, visiting less than a month later, offering 340 million pounds of export credits. Newton returned three months later to rejoice that Iraq was now Britain's third-largest market for machine tools, which permit all sorts of weapons to be manufactured. Somehow the moral outrage of Halabja only comes into focus when hawks make issue of it 15 years later.
Another key characteristic of moral panics is the manifestation of a disproportionate or distorted threat. The threat is necessary to increase public fear, which in turn hinders opposition to the leader's policy. This was clearly evident in the escalation to war, where the Bush administration constantly overstated the danger presented by Hussein's continued rule. When the issue was weapons of mass destruction, the administration fabricated evidence wholesale. British intelligence plagiarized graduate student reports in its fabled ‘Saddam dossier.' When the issues were ties to terrorist organizations, a dubious story about Saddam's agents meeting Mohammed Atta in Prague was circulated and attained the level of concrete fact, at least as far as discourse in the mass media was concerned. However, Saddam was an enemy of Al-Qaeda, who regard secular Arab leaders as obstacles on the path to the institution of Islamic states across the Middle East. Bin Laden said so himself a number of times.
Ironically the ease with which the US conducted the war proved the falsity of its claims. Saddam had few rockets, he deployed no chemical weapons (though many chemical weapon suits), he had no cells of followers spring up and gun down Americans at bus stations across the US. There were no anthrax attacks on the subways, no retaliatory terrorist bombings in the name of Great Saddam. Nothing unconventional happened. Baathist Iraq, for all its expected deviancy in conduct, did nothing resembling terrorism outside the country itself, besides launching a handful of missiles at Kuwait.
It is still a possibility that the threat from Iraq has been completely mis-constructed. What the US has to fear is perhaps not simple acts of terrorism, and certainly not the forces of an organized military. Rather, the situation on the ground in Iraq indicates that automatic weapons are widely available on the free market. A Kalashnikov assault rifle is available for about half what it cost during the Baath regime. During Saddam's reign, weaponry like that was only available to members of the Baath Party, but today they are available to all.
It appears that Saddam stocked arms caches all over the country, probably knowing full well that the Americans would easily overrun his sanctions-weakened (and "no-fly-zone" softened) military. He probably knew that the Baath was widely disliked, as it had been already been overthrown from most of the country after the first Gulf War. But Saddam may have fantasized that his people would be so disgusted by the American administration that they would reorganize to resist the imposition of a polite post-Saddam political order. And so he left his people two intertwined gifts: a hatred of the Americans (assisted by sanctions), and many thousands upon thousands of new guns and grenade launchers.
The conduct of the war was crucial to determining whether the Iraqis would be inclined to resist. Two key factors may indicate what attitude they are likely to take. First was the destruction of the Iraqi National Museum, which could have easily been avoided but for "lack of troops." The destruction of this and other priceless cultural institutions surely angered many Iraqis. Second, the relatively slim force which conquered the country had few troops to prevent lawlessness, which incited many Iraqis to form impromptu militias of necessity to defend their home turf and property. Not all of these new armed groups are likely to support an American administration. What weapon of mass destruction could be more threatening to American security than thousands of assault rifles in the hands of angry Arabs surrounding the US Army? It is interesting that a threat of this nature is rarely addressed in the US media, despite similar threats already existing across the region, from Lebanon to Gaza to Tehran.
The volatility of the threat from Saddam was quite apparent. After the weapons inspectors left in 1998, uncertainty settled over the situation. The second Palestinian Intifada erupted in September 2000, and eventually Saddam began awarding money to the families of suicide bombers, thusly supporting terror and increasing volatility. September 11 occurred which upset US political norms and made many people fearful of what Saddam might be capable of in the future. Middle Eastern politics has always been a volatile game. After September 11, with forces like Al-Qaeda, Ariel Sharon, Yasir Arafat, Saddam Hussein, the ayatollahs, Dick Cheney, Richard Perle, HAMAS, and the Kurds all smelling blood, the situation could not have become any more volatile.
The Republicans effectively exploited this volatility by fear-mongering about Saddam's weapons in the November election and in turn gained more power. They will likely exploit similar fears and amplify perceptions of volatility in the future to secure Bush's re-election.
The games of war and peace cannot simply be explained as a moral panic. However, to hold a public in fear, to fabricate connections and distort threats while exploiting pre-existing hostilities and concerns, bears a distinct impression of something like a moral panic. Whether or not the effects of the panic-like political environment can be extended to the next presidential election is the most important question now.
I like it! 5 C!s
(idea) by unfettered Mon Jun 19 2006 at 6:04:53
This was originally written and posted in my blog on March 21st, 2003, the day after the USA invaded Iraq. Three years later, US forces are still there. This was never meant to be a comment on the rightness or wrongness of the reasons for the war, but on the act of war itself. I node it here to remind myself (and everyone else) that there are people who do not care why they are in a warzone -- they just want it to stop.
You almost get to believing that this is silence, after a while.
The pervasive electronic hum from the computers and light fixtures is such a constant element of your environment that eventually you don't notice it. So it's silence, you think, broken only by the occasional call, hours apart.
No place where humans are is ever silent.
You go outside for a cigarette break, and again you think, this is silence. You've forgetten how to hear the cars on the main street a block away, the pigeons chirping to themselves.
You wonder what it would be like to have this pseudo-silence broken by the sounds of a city under siege. Troops heading towards the city walls a street away, shouting orders to each other as they follow behind the truck carrying ammunition. A total lack of the sounds of the birds you've gotten so used to, conspicuous only by their absence now. Periodic explosions, as the aggressor wears away at the walls, trying to break their way into your life. The crackling noises of fires in the streets, souvenir of an air raid earlier in the day, and no resources to spare to smother the blaze. The air reeks of scorched rubber and flesh and wood, inside and out of every building, and no relief to be had anywhere, until you've forgotten how to smell the background scent as well.
Is it possible to forget these sounds too?
You pray for rain, to dull the sounds and douse the flames and wash the air clean, if only for a few moments until it all crowds around you again. You pray for rain to wash away the fear that the next missile will land on you, or your mother or brother, or your best friend or your boss. You wonder if it was really only yesterday that you lived in a country that wasn't at war, in a city that wasn't under attack.
And you remember that you do. And wish everyone else did too.
Green Zone Whatever happened to peace on Earth The lost biomenace of Hussein node audit
Ballots and bullets: reconciling left and right in the struggle against terrorism Iraq Study Group July 8, 2005 Senator John McCain's Speech at the Republican Convention, 2004
Al-Rasheed Hotel Rally for America Clear Channel All Turkish members of al-Qaeda arrested so far grew up in Germany
Stop The War Coalition Fair and Balanced Halabja Operation Iraqi Freedom
oderint dum metuant Mohamed Atta is pi normal? Star Trek Mishaps
Iraqi-U.S. status of forces agreement August 13, 2005
to live outside the law you must be honest
Godot! (the musical)
You feel lonely
Scoville heat unit
Let sleeping demons lie.
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Family Guardian Donates 600 Locally-Made Face Masks
Family Guardian Donates 600 Lo...
Family Guardian Insurance recognizes that a kind deed and a simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way toward encouraging a first responder in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic currently being experienced here in The Bahamas. So, as a way to express their profound gratitude to the scores of men and women who keep us safe, Family Guardian donated 600 locally-made masks to the Royal Bahamas Police Force in a presentation made to Mrs. Ismella Davis-Delancy, Deputy Commissioner of Police.
Michael Adderley, Vice President, Financial Services at Family Guardian was on hand to present the masks and remarked that “this donation to The Royal Bahamas Police Force is Family Guardian’s way of saying we appreciate you and we stand with you. These officers are on the front lines maintaining law and order in the midst of a national. pandemic. Our gesture is one that demonstrates our sincere gratitude for the work you do and the sacrifices you continue to make for our great country. We are one people, united in love and service.”
In response to the donation, the Deputy Commissioner explained “the masks are essential and will greatly assist in the COVID-19 fight.” She lauded Family Guardian’s contribution by further. stating “it is companies such as yours that make a positive and lasting impact on our society.
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Istanbul Biennial Picks Curators for Ecologically-Minded 2021 Edition
The Istanbul Biennial, perhaps the most closely watched recurring Turkish art event in the international circuit, has revealed the curators that will helm its 2021 edition, which is due to run from September 11 to November 14. Past editions have often been helmed by just one curator, as is the case with most major biennials. For 2021, however, the Istanbul Biennial will enlist three curators, one of whom is a well-known artist.
The three selected to oversee the 2021 Istanbul Biennial are curator Ute Meta Bauer, artist Amar Kanwar, and art historian David Teh. Since 2013, Bauer has directed Singapore’s NTU Centre for Contemporary Art, which has proven to be one of the city’s most important art spaces. Kanwar is known for his video installations focused on conflict. Teh’s research has largely centered around Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art.
All three have been involved previously with major biennials in various capacities. Bauer curated the 2004 Berlin Biennale, co-organized Documenta 11 in 2002, and worked on the U.S. Pavilion at the 2015 Venice Biennale; Kanwar has shown at four editions of Documenta; and Teh created a project for the 2018 edition of the Gwangju Biennale in South Korea.
Details of Bauer, Kanwar, and Teh’s curatorial vision are still vague, though the biennial appears to this time be focused on ecological and environmental concerns. Their curatorial statement reads: “Rather than a great tree, laden with sweet, ripe fruit, this biennale seeks to learn from the birds’ flight, from the once teeming seas, from the earth’s slow chemistry of renewal and nourishment. There may be no great gathering, no orchestrated coming together at one time and place; instead it might be a great dispersal, an invisible fermentation. Its threads will be drawn together, but they will multiply and diverge, at different paces, crossing here and there but with no noisy culmination, no final knot. It may begin before it is to begin and continue well after it is over.”
U.S. stock futures rise slightly after falling from record highs as stimulus talks stall
Coronavirus Stimulus Checks: Here’s What IRS Wants You to Know Before 2020 Taxes
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Fascist killings in Norway: The Massacre of the Knight Templar
Posted byVictor Vaughn July 27, 2011 July 28, 2011 Posted inClass Struggle, Europe, Fascism, ICMLPO (Unity & Struggle), Marxist-Leninist Organization Revolution of Norway (Revolusjon), Racism, Reactionary Watch
From Marxist-Leninist Organization Revolusjon of Norway
More than 150,000 people filled the streets of Oslo as the people's response to the fascist terrorist killings and in solidarity with the victims and their families. Similar celebrations took place in cities and towns across the country.
Fascist onslaught in Norway has killed close to 100 people, targeting the political engagement and organization among progressive and democratic youth in particular
Norway was on 22nd July 2011 site of the worst terrorist attack in the Nordic countries since the Second World War, perhaps the most systematic slaughter of young people in recent history.
The death toll is approaching 100, of which 85 are young people who attended the summer camp of AUF (The youth organization of the Social Democratic Labour party).
Now we know that it was not fanatical Islamists, but the blonde, conservative westside boy, business founder, freemasoner and former Progress Party member Anders Behring Breivik (32) who was responsible for the bomb in Oslo and the massacre of 85 young AUF-ers on Utøya. A crime he has now confessed to have committed.
Even if it turns out that he has carried out the deed on his own or only with a few aides, Anders Behring Breivik not an isolated and random vermin. This crime has been carefully planned over time, and neither the ideas nor the methods have been invented by Behring Brevik himself. His inspiration has evidently come from a series of bloody attacks carried out by the Christian-fascist terrorist groups in the United States, actions directed at federal buildings, abortion clinics, and school massacres carried out by individuals.
Flowers for the victims of the Oslo slayings
Islamophobia and fascism
More and more evidence supports the fact that he has been part of an extremely reactionary and islamophobic environment who use the Internet in general and a Norwegian site in particular, http://www.document.no, as their main breeding grounds. Through sites of this type they have spread their hatred and incited one another, as well as the active use of discussion forums in the “serious” online media. Breivik, although he poses as anti-Nazi and pro-Zionist, is also reported to have been a bouncer for Nazi organizations and linked to the fascist EDP; European Defence League.
Besides a wildly racist hatred against Muslims and all the “Marxist-humanists” who defend immigrants and refugees, this environment has constructed a conspiratorial conception of the official ”political correctness” Norway, represented by the country’s political government, which supposedly acts as a compact majority in relation to the “national” and “patriotic” hate statements of Breivik and his likes.
As the summer camp at Utøya (an island some 50 km off Oslo) was the main target, it is fairly obvious that this is related to the distinct anti-racist profile of the AUF [the largest and most influential political youth organization in Norway – translator’s note], alongside with the AUFs close connection to the political center of power.
A Templar against Islam and Marxism
Breivik has recently published his detailed plans on the web, according to Dagbladet and TV2 . Freemasoner member Breivik regards himself as a Templar Knight and crusader who is spearheading the struggle against Marxism and Islamism. Nevertheless– or precisely for that reason? – Breivik has never come under the searchlight of the police intelligence agency PST, which for years has been so tightly focused on the Islamist groups in Norway that the simmering racist networks have been more or less ignored. Police and military terror experts present the Islamophobes as “something quite different” than the violent Nazi groups, claiming that the distance between Breivik hateful statements and actions he has committed was so great that there was no need to suspect him. That is an explanation that does not hold water, especially as anyone with minimal knowledge of these reactionary communities know that part of the Nazi community have restyled their appearance in order to make themselves more pallatable; they are even willing to “distance” themselves from Nazi ideology if deemed necessary in order to cooperate with or infiltrate other so-called “national” groups.
Although Breivik’s views are on the most extreme side, it is also a sad fact that Norwegian “patriotism” and hateful statements about Muslims commonly is spewed out also amongst ”Main Street Norwegians”, especially when in party mood after a number of pints. We should not cover up the fact that there is a huge undercurrent of racist attitudes that systematically are amplified and inspired by the media and politicians from most parties. This has been the reality every day since the “war on terror” began in 2001. The pretty words of “inclusion” and “tolerance” is of little help when the reality is that particularly refugees, but also well-established immigrants, are encountered by the police and authorities by means of criminalization and harassment. For a number of refugees the ”tolerance” is experienced in form of forced displacement and expelment from the country, even in violation of UN humanitarian principles.
The attitudes of the Norwegian society is built more on what the political elite and its bureaucracy does in practice, than by what they say in their speeches and their formal addresses.
The massacre should be an awakening
Non-European immigrants and refugees in Norway can now breathe easier. During the afternoon of 22nd July, in the hours after the explosion by the Government building, but before the shooting on Utøya became publically known, an ominous atmosphere was building up. In the media’s editorial boards, the conclusion was already on the desk, but not yet printed, that this was a terrorist act committed by extreme Islamists. The spin-doctors of the Progress party (Fremskrittspartiet) were polishing their media strategy for how to sledgehammer asylum seekers and Muslims in general, and thus reverse their declining opinion polls. Hate messages directed against Muslims flourished in thousands on Twitter and Facebook throughout the afternoon this fateful Friday. We hope that these ”twitterers” are strangled by their own false words and are vomiting in shame of themselves.
Considering the fact that this unimaginable tragedy actually has happened, it is, after all, better that the deed was committed by a Christian, Norwegian fascist and racist than that some insane jihadists were the culprits. This might be an awakening call for ordinary people, a backlash for prejudice and everyday racism, and perhaps it can also provide the basis for a political pressure to finally ban these fascist groups and communities who camouflage their criminal racism as a “national ideology”.
If racism and nazism is not crushed wherever it appears, the ground will continue to be fertilized for political fascist Templar Knights and mass murderers of Behring Breivik’s caliber.
Revolutionary Communist Party of Côte d’Ivoire wants Case Reopened
Prachanda, Follower of Modern Revisionism
Michael Parenti on Chinese Capitalism
The Espresso Stalinist, Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.
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By Sten Hankewitz / January 5, 2021 January 5, 2021 / Leave a Comment / Business
The Indian government has decided to open an embassy in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, to help India expand its diplomatic footprint and deepen political relations.
In addition to Estonia, India is also opening its embassies in Paraguay and the Dominican Republic.
“Opening of Indian Missions in these countries will help expand India’s diplomatic footprint, deepen political relations, enable growth of bilateral trade, investment and economic engagements, facilitate stronger people-to-people contacts, bolster political outreach in multilateral fora and help garner support for India’s foreign policy objectives,” the Indian government said in a statement, dated 30 December 2020.
“The objective of our foreign policy is to build a conducive environment for India’s growth and development through partnerships with friendly countries. There are presently missions and posts across the world which serve as conduits of our relations with partner countries.”
India wishes to bolster its exports
The Indian government also said that the enhancement of its diplomatic presence will “provide market access for Indian companies and bolster Indian exports of goods and services”.
The Estonian foreign minister, Urmas Reinsalu, said in a Facebook post that India “is a great friend to Estonia with whom we also cooperate in the UN Security Council that India will be a part of from the next year”, meaning from 2021.
According to him, the opening of the Indian embassy in Tallinn is the result of the hard work by the Estonian diplomats, the Indian vice president’s visit to Estonia and the decision taken by the Tallinn city government to erect a monument to Mahatma Gandhi.
Estonia opened its embassy in the Indian capital, New Delhi, in 2013. The Indian embassy that’s so far has been representing the country in Estonia is in Helsinki, Finland.
Cover: Taj Mahal, an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the southern bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. The image is illustrative. Photo by Sylwia Bartyzel.
Sten Hankewitz
Sten Hankewitz is a lifelong journalist and the Executive Editor at Estonian World. Having lived in Estonia, Spain, the UK and all around the US, he now resides in Chicago, IL. He loves to write and besides working at Estonian World and doing some occasional blogging, he writes books and contributes to other outlets in Estonia, Israel and elsewhere. He has strong convictions and he shows them unashamedly. You can follow him on Twitter, like his page on Facebook or check out his personal blog. You can write to Sten at sten@estonianworld.com.
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ArticlesMilitaryUS NewsWarWorld News
While Obama Snoozes, Russia Is Preparing For Nuclear War With The United States
Michael Snyder September 11, 2014
Did you know that two Russian bombers practiced launching cruise missiles at the United States from a spot in the North Atlantic just the other day? And did you know that Russia is spending massive amounts of money to build and test new nuclear weapons systems? Meanwhile, the Obama administration is doing absolutely nothing to upgrade the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Our nuclear officers are actually still using floppy disks and other computer technology from the 1960s. The size of the U.S. nuclear arsenal has been reduced by about 95 percent from the peak of the Cold War, and Barack Obama has spoken of even more dramatic reductions. Obama is snoozing even as a Russian general speaks of the need to “spell out the conditions under which Russia would launch a preemptive nuclear strike” against the United States. Obama appears to be entirely convinced that a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia is not even a remote possibility. He better be right, because we are definitely not prepared for one.
Even with everything that has happened between the United States and Russia lately, most Americans still believe that “the Cold War is over” and that Russia presents absolutely no threat to us.
But Russia is behaving as if the Cold War is still very much on. You probably didn’t hear a peep about it from the mainstream media, but just the other day, a couple of Russian bombers simulated launching cruise missiles at us from the North Atlantic. The following is an excerpt from an excellent article by Bill Gertz…
Two Russian strategic bombers conducted practice cruise missile attacks on the United States during a training mission last week that defense officials say appeared timed to the NATO summit in Wales.
The Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers were tracked flying a route across the northern Atlantic near Iceland, Greenland, and Canada’s northeast.
Analysis of the flight indicated the aircraft were conducting practice runs to a pre-determined “launch box”—an optimum point for firing nuclear-armed cruise missiles at U.S. targets, said defense officials familiar with intelligence reports.
And Russia is spending money as if a nuclear confrontation with the U.S. is a very real possibility. In fact, Russian President Vladimir Putin has committed to a “weapons modernization program” that is going to cost the equivalent of 540 billion dollars…
Putin said Russia’s weapons modernization program for 2016-2025 should focus on building a new array of offensive weapons to provide a “guaranteed nuclear deterrent;” re-arming strategic and long-range aviation; creating an aerospace defense system and developing high-precision conventional weapons.
He would not elaborate on prospective weapons, but he and other officials have repeatedly boasted about new Russian nuclear missiles’ capability to penetrate any prospective missile shield.
The Kremlin has bolstered defense spending in the past few years under an ambitious weapons modernization program that runs through 2020 and costs the equivalent of $540 billion.
You don’t spend that kind of money just for the fun of it.
Putin is deadly serious about being able to fight (and win) a war against the United States.
Of course, nobody on either side actually hopes that such a war will happen. But most wars are won before a single shot is fired, and right now, Russia is working very hard to make sure that it will have the best chance possible of coming out on top in any future conflict.
For example, Russian media is reporting that 60 percent of all Russian nuclear missiles will have radar-evading capability by 2016…
Russia’s Defense Ministry plans to complete the rearmament of Strategic Missile Forces within six years. “By 2016, the share of new missile systems will reach nearly 60%, and by 2021 their share will increase to 98%. At the same time the troop and weapon command systems, combat equipment will be qualitatively improved, first of all — their capabilities for the suppression of antimissile defense will be built up,” Defense Ministry’s RVSN spokesman Colonel Igor Yegorov told ITAR-TASS on Friday.
But of greatest concern is the new generation of nuclear-powered attack submarines armed with long-range cruise missiles that Russia has been developing.
Just this week, Russia conducted a successful test of the new submarine-launched Bulava intercontinental nuclear missile…
Russia carried out a successful test of its new Bulava intercontinental nuclear missile on Wednesday and will perform two more test launches in October and November, the head of its naval forces said.
The armed forces have boosted their military training and test drills since the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which Russia considers in its traditional sphere of influence.
The 12-meter long Bulava, or mace, has undergone numerous tests, some successful, and can deliver an impact of up to 100 times the atomic blast that devastated Hiroshima in 1945.
Each one of these missiles weighs more than 36 tons and has a range of more than 5,000 miles.
But in a future conflict, they would likely only have to travel a short distance.
That is because Russia has developed super silent attacks subs that are virtually undetectable when submerged.
In a previous article, I talked about how the U.S. Navy refers to these virtually undetectable subs as “black holes”…
Did you know that Russia is building submarines that are so quiet that the U.S. military cannot detect them? These “black hole” submarines can freely approach the coastlines of the United States without fear of being detected whenever they want. In fact, a “nuclear-powered attack submarine armed with long-range cruise missiles” sailed around in the Gulf of Mexico for several weeks without being detected back in 2012. And now, Russia is launching a new class of subs that have “advanced stealth technology.” The U.S. Navy openly acknowledges that they cannot track these subs when they are submerged. That means that the Russians are able to sail right up to our coastlines and launch nukes whenever they want.
Most Americans don’t realize this, but Russian subs can come cruising right up to our coasts without us knowing about it and launch missiles which will start hitting our cities within just a few minutes.
And if you do not think that this can ever happen, perhaps you should consider what a Russian general said about a preemptive nuclear strike just the other day…
A Russian general has called for Russia to revamp its military doctrine, last updated in 2010, to clearly identify the U.S. and its NATO allies as Moscow’s enemy number one and spell out the conditions under which Russia would launch a preemptive nuclear strike against the 28-member military alliance, Interfax reported Wednesday.
Russia’s military doctrine, a strategy document through which the government interprets military threats and crafts possible responses, is being revised in light of threats connected to the Arab Spring, the Syrian civil war and the conflict in Ukraine, the deputy chief of the Kremlin’s security council told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration has discussed reducing the size of our already neutered strategic nuclear arsenal down to just 300 warheads.
Let us hope and pray that we never see a nuclear war between the United States and Russia.
Because if one does happen, there is a very strong possibility that America will not be the winner.
Take a look at the future of America: The Beginning of the End.
barack obamamichael snyderobama administrationrussiaunited statesvladimir putinwar
Previous September 11th Battles of Malta-1565; Vienna-1683; Zenta-1697; and attack on WTC/Pentagon
Next 9/11: 13 Years Later - Divided We Stand
Michael T. Snyder is a graduate of the University of Florida law school and he worked as an attorney in the heart of Washington D.C. for a number of years. Today, Michael is best known for his work as the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog. Michael and his wife, Meranda, believe that a great awakening is coming and are working hard to help bring renewal to America. Michael is also the author of the book The Beginning Of The End
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Trump delivered a farewell address
German concern Bilfinger SE refused to participate in the “Nord stream-2” ...
OPEC intends to strengthen relations with the oil industry in the US under Biden
US stock indexes rose on the eve of Biden’s inauguration
Iran imposes sanctions on Trump, Pompeo, and Bolton
Bolton called Trump the worst president in US history
The US Department of Justice warned against illegal actions on the day of the inauguration
One of the writers of the TV series The Simpsons, David Richardson, died
Xiaomi introduced the MiJia thermostat with a built-in smart switch
The national stock of protective equipment is almost over in the US
BY Flyn Braun April 1, 2020 11:34 am GMT+0300 April 3, 2020 9:40 pm GMT+0300 243 Views
The US’s means of defense were running out, and the US authorities almost completely exhausted the reserves that the National Strategic Reserve has. This was reported by Reuters, citing sources in the Ministry of internal security.
We are talking about protective masks, respirators, medical gloves, and dressing gowns. Due to dwindling inventory, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is looking for essential medical supplies available for purchase abroad. Suppliers in China and Malaysia are considered more closely.
The National Strategic Reserve of the United States has the largest stock of medicines and medical supplies in the country, which are used in emergencies. According to the Agency, as of March 18, 26 million medical masks and 12 million N95 type respirators were sent from the reserve to health care workers across the country.
On the night of March 31 to April 1, a Russian military plane with medical masks and equipment flew to the United States to help fight the spread of the coronavirus. On the eve of March 31, the press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov said that due to the severe epidemiological situation, Moscow offered Washington assistance in the form of medical equipment and protective equipment.
According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 189 thousand cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded in the United States. More than 4 thousand people died, and more than 7 thousand were cured.
Tags: CHINA, Coronavirus, INFECTION, Military, PRESIDENT, RUSSIA
Gigi Hadid’s mother accidentally showed the face of her little daughter
Soros, Rockefeller and Gates were accused of the COVID-19 pandemic
Diego Simeone is named as the best coach of the decade by IFFHS
Megan Fox moves in with Machine Gun Kelly amid Brian Austin Green’s new romance
Beyoncé’s daughter repeated mom’s dance
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Home > Finland
By Daniel Morris | 27. November 2017
1 The state obligation to protect human rights
1.1 Human rights in Finnish legislation [page 13-14]
“…on an international level states implement human rights conventions differently. This affects international business activities and their regulation. The international preparation and development of the UN principles deal with the legal regulation of cross-border business activities. The concept of human rights is very extensive, and the creation of more binding regulation for non-state actors (such as companies) would require specifying their obligations in relation to the obligations of states. The challenges of such regulation are related to features such as the general definition of the criminal liability of legal entities, the territorial application of criminal legislation, protection of the accused, definition of the civil liability for damages, functionality of legal redress, and territorial limitations of jurisdictions. Due to these challenges, the matter requires that further examination and analyses be made on both the national and international level.
For continuing both the national and international discussion, it would be essential to further clarify features such as the applicability of national legislation to international business activities. For this reason, the working group proposes that as a follow-up measure,
a report be commissioned on Finnish legislation in relation to the regulation and guidance of international business activities, particularly to prevent serious human rights violations and to remedy any existing violations.
Principal responsible party: Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Employment and the Economy and Ministry for Foreign Affairs, schedule by mid-2015.”
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As in the United States, where ten states and the District of Columbia have marriage equality, Israel has marriage equality of an indeterminate nature, but in a different way. Same-sex couples in Israel cannot get married on Israeli soil. But if they travel abroad to marry in jurisdictions that allow them to, the Israeli government will then register their marriages in Israel.
By YOAV SIVAN on April 1, 2013
ON THE FIRST DAY that New York State allowed same-sex couples to marry, I headed to the main office of the New York City clerk in lower Manhattan. I wasn’t about to exercise my own freedom to marry. Rather, I was there to watch couples march down the aisle set up by the NYPD to facilitate their equality—and to walk the recessional having achieved it.
The Israeli system is the epitome of combina, the colloquial term in Hebrew for contriving a bypass around a blocked highway to reach one’s objective. Many opposite-sex couples in Israel engage in the same combina to be considered married in Israel.
Why? Israeli law puts control of marriage in the hands of religion. For couples who are Jewish—most Israeli couples, of course—Israeli law puts control of marriage in the exclusive hands of the Orthodox, who, in turn, perform Orthodox Jewish ceremonies. Secular couples seeking an alternative, or couples unqualified to marry under Jewish law, cannot go to civil officials, for they have no legal power to marry couples in Israel. Instead, such opposite-sex couples go abroad to marry, commonly to Cyprus, and are declared married back home.
This arrangement harks back to a Supreme Court ruling in 1963 that obliged the state to register out-of-country marriages. Years later, five Israeli same-sex couples traveled to Toronto to marry under Canadian law and then sued the state of Israel to register their marriages at home. In 2006, the Israeli Supreme Court decided in their favor.
YOAV SIVAN
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Architectural History Major
27 Master's Degrees Annually
1 Doctor's Degrees Annually
#276 in Popularity (Master's)
Types of Degrees Architectural History Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many architectural history graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
Master’s Degree 27
Doctor’s Degree 1
View the 2021 Best Architectural History Schools
What Architectural History Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, architectural history majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for Architectural History Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Skills for Architectural History Majors
When studying architectural history, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:
Abilities for Architectural History Majors
As you progress with your architectural history degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:
What Can You Do With a Architectural History Major?
People with a architectural history degree often go into the following careers:
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval 4.2% $79,380
Historians 6.1% $61,140
Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Architectural History?
This major is dominated by women with about 63% of recent graduates being female.
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of architectural history majors is as follows:
Black or African American 1
Hispanic or Latino 1
International Students 6
Other Races/Ethnicities 4
Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Architectural History. About 22.2% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
How Much Do Architectural History Majors Make?
Average salaries range from $66,380 to $88,860 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to architectural history. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
Median Salary for an Architectural History Major ( 66380 to 88860 )
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Architectural History
Some degrees associated with architectural history may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
Find out what the typical degree level is for architectural history careers below.
Some College Courses 6.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 3.7%
Online Architectural History Programs
In 2018-2019, 22 schools offered a architectural history program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Bachelor’s Degree 0 0
Master’s Degree 9 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 2 0
Is a Degree in Architectural History Worth It?
The median salary for a architectural history grad is $66,380 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 66% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $529,600 after 20 years!
Majors Related to Architectural History
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to architectural history.
Architectural Sciences & Technology 2,827
General Architecture 1,951
Urban & Regional Planning 1,852
Landscape Architecture 432
Real Estate Development 358
Interior Architecture 169
Environmental Design 109
Architecture (Other) 82
Image Credit: By Adam Jones, Ph.D. under License
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Institution / Maynooth University
Maynooth University menu
Economics or Finance - Research
The MLitt Programme extends over a minimum of two years. In the first year (commencing September) students must register full-time and follow the programme of the MA in Economics or the MA in Finance. Once the MA Programme is successfully completed at honours level, the student develops a course of study which combines taught courses, reading courses and research under the guidance of his/her supervisory committee. At the end of the second year the student must present his/her thesis. Should the quality of the thesis meet the PhD standard, a grade of at least 60% in the programme, the student will be invited to continue in the PhD programme.
In the first year (commencing September) students must register full-time and follow the programme of the MA in Economics or the MA in Finance. Once the MA programme is successfully completed at honours level, the student develops a course of study which combines taught courses, potentially drawn from those listed below, reading courses and research under the guidance of his/her supervisory committee. At the end of the second year the student must present his/her thesis.
The PhD programmes in Economics and/or Finance at Maynooth University are built on the foundation developed in the MA programmes. While the MA programmes provide the basic skills and technical knowledge base via taught courses and a directed thesis, the PhD programme builds on this to further students' skills and knowledge to enable them to do world class research.
The four year programme of study includes, in the first and possibly subsequent years, reading courses, taught courses, general skills seminars and independent research, while the second, third and the fourth years of the programme are dedicated primarily to general skills development and independent research. To remain at good progress the PhD candidate must write and present an original piece of research in each year of the programme, and this research must meet the approval of his/her committee.
Students who do not perform at the level required by the PhD programme during their studies may be eligible for an MLitt degree with a satisfactory MLitt thesis.
Part-Time Option
The PhD programme may be either on a part-time or on a full-time basis. Prospective candidates should, however, bear in mind that part-time PhD programme applicants are not eligible for scholarship funding.
The department tailors the programme for the needs of the individual student depending on the student's background. If the student has not gone through the MA programme in Economics/Finance or MSc in Economics and Financial Risk Analysis in Maynooth University, often (but not always) the student may have to follow one of our taught MA/MSc programmes in the first year of the PhD programme. Please see the following link for information on our taught MA/MSc programmes:
https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/economics-finance-and-accounting
MLitt
Entry to the programme normally requires students to have obtained at least a 2.I in Economics or Finance in their primary degree. However, the Department will also consider applications from students that have obtained at least a 2.I in a postgraduate Higher Diploma programme specializing in Economics or Finance.
Applicants must have a recognised primary degree which is considered equivalent to Irish university primary degree level.
Minimum English language requirements:
•IELTS: 6.5 minimum overall score
•TOEFL (Paper based test): 585
•TOEFL (Internet based test): 95
•PTE (Pearson): 62
Maynooth University's TOEFL code is 8850
Applicants must have a minimum of 2.1 overall in MA/MSc degree in Economics or Finance and a minimum of B- (or equivalent) in core modules in the acquired degree -depending on the degree, core modules may include Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Econometrics and/or Finance. If the applicant's MA/MSc is from a university other than Maynooth University, the applicant desiring to pursue a PhD in Economics may be required to take a qualifying exam in Microeconomic Theory, Macroeconomic Theory and Econometrics, while the applicant pursuing a PhD in Finance may be required to take a qualifying exam in Microeconomic Theory, Finance and Econometrics.
The TOEFL code for Maynooth University is 8850.
MHH02 PhD 4 years Full-time
MHH03 PhD 6 years Part-time
MHH04 MLitt by Research 2 years Full-time
MHH05 MLitt by Research 3 years Part-time
Careers or further progression
Financial & consulting institutions such as commercial banks, stockbrokers.
State institutions such as the Central Bank, Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority.
Research institutions such as ESRI
Lecturer and researcher in 3rd level institutions
Financial & consulting institutions such as commercial banks, stockbrokers
State institutions such as the Central Bank, Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority, NAMA
Research institutions such as ESRI, Central Statistics Office Ireland
International institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF
Further enquiries
Programme Director; Dr Gerda Dewit
Tel; +353 (0)1 708 3681
Email; gerda.dewit@nuim.ie
The Department is strongly committed to the provision of high quality teaching programmes at postgraduate level. We place a high premium on quality teaching and personal contact with our students, ensuring that the students' experience at Maynooth University is both enjoyable and productive. Members of the Department publish in leading international journals and have strong links with industry and the business community, US multinationals, the Central Bank, hedge funds and fund management companies.
All applications should be made through the PAC system.
See staff research interests at https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/economics-finance-and-accounting/our-r...
In general, there are two levels of fees payable. EU students from EU countries including Ireland pay a subsidised level of fees for both taught courses and research programmes. Tuition fees for students from outside the EU are not subsidised and are thus somewhat higher than for EU students.
Enrolment and start dates
Commences September (or other agreed time)
Application Weblink
Course web page
Link to course fee
Qualification letters:
MLitt PhD
Degree - Doctoral (Level 10 NFQ)
Attendance Types:
Apply to:
Remember to mention gradireland when contacting institutions!
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Southampton plot Sessegnon swoop
Southampton are plotting what the Daily Telegraph describe as an ‘audacious’ January move for Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon, according to a report on the newspaper’s website this evening.
Speculation surrounding Sessegnon, who signed a three-year contract in the summer, is by no means new with Tottenham and Manchester United heavily linked in the past few weeks. Both clubs have been rumoured to have prepared offers of around £25m for the England youth international, but Fulham have yet to receive any formal bids for their young starlet.
The Telegraph suggests that Mauricio Pellegrino is keen to invest a substantial amount of the £75m received for Virgil can Dijk into acquiring Sessegnon, although no fee is quoted in the piece. The newspaper points to the Saints’ strong record of bringing through domestic talent in recent years and raises the possibility of Matt Targett heading to Craven Cottage in exchange.
Sessegnon signed his first professional contract earlier this year having appreciated the way that Fulham head coach Slavisa Jokanovic, who recently professed confidence that he would have Sessegnon in his squad come February, had handled his emergence into senior football. The teenager’s first team opportunities at St. Mary’s would be limited by England international Ryan Bertrand at left back and several creative wingers in the first team squad.
Sessegnon has made 57 first-team appearances for Fulham, whom he first joined with twin brother Steven aged nine, since making his senior debut at Leyton Orient in the League Cup back in August. He has scored twelve goals, including a sensational hat-trick at Sheffield United last month and a well-taken goal at Cardiff City on Boxing Day.
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By Tanea May 9, 2020
Recently, I watched the brand new Netflix show Never Have I Ever. I enjoyed it so much that it got me thinking about all of the awesome teen shows Netflix has available in their library, and I’m talking just originals alone. Here’s a list of my personal favorites!
Of course, I can’t make a list like this without including the very best Netflix teen show, Stranger Things! It’s a classic, and a big reason why some of these other shows were made. Pretty much everyone has seen this show by now but I always recommend it anyway.
On My Block is an awesome little show about a group of teenagers trying to survive in their south central LA neighborhood. As crazy as the characters and circumstances are on this show, it still has a certain level of innocence to it that I love. I always recommend this show to anyone who wants a lighthearted half-hour teen comedy.
Although it’s another teen drama/comedy, Sex Education is wildly different from the rest of the shows in this list because it’s so explicit. It centers on an inexperienced boy struggling with sex and dating in high school, yet ironically his mother is a sex therapist. If you can’t handle the sex scenes then this show may not be for you, but if you can look past that it’s a really good story, although first season is much better than the second.
CAOS is the darkest teen drama ever. What’s darker than a girl trying to be a normal teenager while simultaneously being a witch and worshipping the devil? Saying it out loud sounds crazy but it really is a good show if you can get past the premise. You can really tell this show is made by the same people who created Riverdale though, because just like that show, it loses its way in the 2nd season, trying to outdo itself. But the first season is so good and I do recommend it!
TEOTFW is also pretty dark, because it centers on a boy at first claims he wants to kill someone. Somewhere along the way we fall in love with him and root for him to be with the very girl he claimed he wanted to kill in the first place. It sounds nuts, and it is, but if you like quirky shows with fantastic writing, you’ll love this.
Related: 10 of the most relatable ‘The End of the F***ing World’ Quotes
I don’t know if Anne with an E really counts as a teen show, but I think it should. It’s a coming of age drama based on the classic book Anne of Green Gables, about a vibrant and imaginative young orphan growing up in Prince Edward Island (Canada) with her adoptive parents in the late 1890’s.
We essentially get to watch Anne grow up, and deal with school, boys, friends, and coming to terms with her past. It’s only 3 seasons (complete) and it’s an emotional rollercoaster, but it’s such an amazing show. Highly recommended, and it can be watched with your whole family.
Like Anne with an E, people probably wouldn’t consider Locke & Key to be a teen show but I’m including it here because it mostly stars teenagers.
It’s a fun story about siblings that move to an old family home with their mom after their dad is murdered. They soon discover that the house has magical keys hidden inside of it, each with unique powers and abilities, that they need to protect. But of course, since they’re teenagers, things don’t always go according to plan. The writing on this how is a bit shaky but it’s really fun to watch.
IANOWT is basically if you took The End of the F***ing World and made it about a girl instead of a boy, and gave her telekinetic powers. It has the same visual style and the same style of writing, and both shows were based on books by the same author. I have no problem with that, since I really like both shows. I think TEOTFW has better writing, though.
The newest addition to this list is Never Have I Ever, co-created and co-produced by Mindy Kaling. It’s about an Indian teenager who lost her father and suffered from temporary paralysis, now trying to shed her reputation at school and become popular, along with her nerdy friends.
I LOVE this show. I find it so refreshing because unlike many teen shows today, the characters are JUST focused on normal teenager things like popularity, grief, and dating, as opposed to monsters and murder. I really enjoyed the first season and I hope it gets renewed!
Anne with an EfeaturedI Am Not Okay With ThisLocke & KeyNetflixNever Have I EverOn My BlockSex EducationStranger ThingsThe Chilling Adventures of SabrinaThe End of the F***ing World
Tanea
I'm a Dallas-based blogger and fangirl at heart who loves superhero movies, 90’s pop culture, horror...and of course wine.
Janessa-Michelle 9 months ago Reply
I haven’t seen any of these, but it looks like I’ll have to check them out!
Tanea Post Author 9 months ago Reply
They’re all really good!! Thanks so much for stopping by. ?
Miranda 9 months ago Reply
This is a great list! I love Stranger Things and I’ve been wanting to check out Sabrina!
Sabrina is super dark and nothing like the classic show. But if you can get past that, it’s good! Thanks for coming 🙂
Pam 9 months ago Reply
I never knew that I am not Okay with this and End of the F* world was written by the same person ! Wow, that’s so cool ! I loved End of the world so I’m sure I would like that one too ! Thank you so much for the suggestions ! This article was fun !
Yes!! Same sense of humor, same visual style, same quirkiness. I think you’ll like it. 🙂 Thanks for commenting!!
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The Queen arrives by train as her Christmas holidays begin
Took a regular service from London
The Queen has officially clocked off for the year, starting her Christmas holiday break in Sandringham.
Her Majesty was seen disembarking a regular train at King's Lynn station, having taken the 10.42am Great Northern Service from London King’s Cross.
It is a journey she does every year on her way to the Norfolk estate.
A first-class ticket on the train costs $100 Australian dollars for the two-hour journey.
The Queen arrives at King's Lynn station in Sandringham for her annual Christmas break. (AAP)
Prince Philip was notably absent – it's believed he will be making a separate journey by car.
On her arrival, Queen Elizabeth was greeted by station manager Graeme Pratt and smiled at the waiting photographers.
Earlier, a large team of security had done a sweep of the platforms, giving the all clear before the Monarch's train pulled in.
Her Majesty was then driven to the Sandringham estate, where she will remain until February.
Her Majesty was met by station manager Graeme Pratt on arrival. (AAP)
She will be joined by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the coming days.
The royal Christmas celebrations officially begin on Christmas Eve, where afternoon tea is served after the arrivals. The evening brings a fancy black-tie dinner and the opening of presents—a German tradition embraced by Queen Victoria when she married Prince Albert in 1840.
After breakfast on Christmas morning, the royals will attend a service at St Mary Magdalene church where they will be greeted by hundreds of locals who wait for hours to see the family.
The royals will attend a service at St Mary Magdalene Church on Christmas morning. (Getty)
Afterwards, the royals return to Sandringham for lunch before watching the Queen's annual Christmas Broadcast on the television.
They'll then walk off lunch with a stroll around the estate's grounds and spend the evening playing parlour games.
Since the fire at Windsor Castle in 1992, the royal family has gathered to celebrate Christmas at Sandringham, the Queen’s privately-owned Norfolk estate.
It is strictly for the Queen's closest family members - large as Sandringham might be, it is a house, not a palace. When the whole family is in residence, there simply isn’t room for anyone else.
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OU vs. OSU: The Search for Squinky in Stillwater
Wedded Blitz: The Month in the New York Times Wedding Section
Q&A: Mayer Hawthorne
The soul singer discusses his music career and Michigan sports
by Davy Rothbart on December 13, 2011
Soul singer Mayer Hawthorne’s new record How Do You Do has been widely praised as one of the best albums of the year, and his sound has been compared to that of R&B greats like Smokey Robinson, Curtis Mayfield, and the Stylistics. Not bad for a Jewish kid from Michigan. DJ and songwriter Andrew Cohen, 32, devised his stage name by pairing his middle name — Mayer — with the name of the street he grew up on — Hawthorne. Davy Rothbart has known Hawthorne since their high school days in Ann Arbor, Mich., and during Thanksgiving weekend the two hung out in their hometown over a big football weekend; Hawthorne spoke of his favorite sports memories, detailed his winding journey to stardom, and explained why women need to stop grabbing his ass.
Your new album dropped a few weeks ago, and you’ve just come off a nationwide tour. It’s nice to see you back in Michigan, putting on a halftime show for the Lions’ Thanksgiving game from the basement of your parents’ house. As an Ann Arbor native, what were your favorite teams growing up?
More Grantland Q&As
Click here for all of our interviews with fascinating people from the worlds of sports and pop culture.
It was a great time for Michigan sports. You had the 1987 Tigers, who came from behind to win the AL East on the last day of the season. You had the Bad Boy Pistons bringing back-to-back championships to Detroit, and then you had the Fab Five at U of M. I went to Steve Fisher’s basketball camp and Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, and Jalen Rose ran drills and gave us pep talks about having the will to win. I also spent a lot of time at the Big House. My dad had season tickets, and every Saturday we’d ride our bikes to the stadium to watch Michigan football. One of my favorite memories is from college, the Ohio State game in ’97, when we beat the Buckeyes on the way to the national title. I was in the student section, probably belligerently drunk by 11 a.m., and when we won, me and all my homeys jumped the railing and raced past the security guards onto the field. Brian Griese and Charles Woodson and the rest of the players all had roses in their hands and were stampeding around, giving out bear hugs to total strangers. Definitely one of the most joyous celebrations of all time.
When did you first start getting into music and what was your first band?
In middle school I’d mess around in the basement with my good friend Andrew Wilkes-Krier, who lived down the street. We didn’t have a name for our band, we just liked making noise. Of course, he went on to become Andrew W.K. Then in high school, I started a punk band called Something Like That. Later, I played in a funk trio, but I started getting really into rap music. I was hooping constantly with my friends who played on the Huron High School basketball team — I’d rotate between point guard and shooting guard, but I wasn’t very tall then, and not good enough to make varsity. In the summertime, we’d roll to Burns Park or wherever we could get a game going, and play for hours, and then go to somebody’s house and try to make hip-hop. We called our crew the Athletic Mic League, because we’d all gotten to know each other through playing sports.
The thing was, we didn’t have a DJ. We just all liked to rap. All the rap crews at the time — Run DMC, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Gang Starr, Eric B. & Rakim — had a DJ and we were like, “Damn, someone’s gotta be the DJ.” I volunteered. I’d always been a record collector — other kids wanted G.I. Joe for Christmas, and all I wanted was records. So I bought a pair of Technics 1200s and locked myself in my room for a summer, and when I came out I was the DJ for Athletic Mic League. After college, I kept making music with those guys as a hip-hop DJ and producer.
Was music paying the bills? Or were you working other jobs on the side?
Making music was just my passion. My income came from every kind of job you can imagine. I did some graphic design. I shingled roofs. I did light construction. I worked at a driving range — I was the guy who drove the tractor around picking up golf balls. I worked at a software store. I also worked at Borders books national headquarters, which was based in Ann Arbor. I was a tape backup systems operator. Basically, they had a giant vault of old super-archaic data backup tapes that looked like eight-track cartridges, and every couple of minutes a six-digit number would flash on a big screen and I’d have to go back in the vault and hunt for the tape and put it in the computer. That was my job. It gave me plenty of time to think about music.
What inspired you to make the move to Los Angeles?
Me and two friends started a rap group called Now On that was a little more soul and R&B-influenced, with a little more of an electronic sound, and we decided that we wanted to take a shot at making music full-time. We figured that out in L.A. we’d either make it big or get crushed. Things took off pretty quickly. We had a Michigan work ethic and we were leapfrogging people, climbing the ladder by working way harder than everybody. But then we started to get hit for samples we were using in our songs. We’d have to pay thousands of dollars for the rights to sample an old soul tune before we could sell our own songs, and the more interest we had in our music the more broke we became. We were living off ramen noodles, three of us sharing one bedroom. We’d DJ a gig for 50 bucks, which was like 15 bucks each. I remember thinking, “Damn, this is gonna pay for my tacos, but then what am I gonna do?” There were definitely some grim moments. I was borrowing money from people. I thought about heading back to Michigan and moving back in with my parents.
Tell me how “the big break” came about.
I wanted to make my own samples so I wouldn’t have to pay for song clearances. Really, that’s how Mayer Hawthorne started. I recorded a couple of half-baked soul tunes in my bedroom that I could use for sampling purposes in our rap songs. They didn’t even have a bridge or a last chorus. I never dreamed that stuff would be released on its own.
Then I was at this monthly hip-hop party and a friend of mine introduced me to Peanut Butter Wolf, who runs an indie rap label called Stones Throw Records. My friend had heard the Mayer Hawthorne songs and told Wolf about them, and he asked me to e-mail him the tracks. I didn’t hear anything back. Then, six weeks later, I’d forgotten all about it, when out of the blue I got an e-mail from Peanut Butter Wolf, and he was like, “I really like these tracks, what the hell is this??” It took a while for me to get him to understand that it was really me who’d made the songs. He didn’t believe it — they sound like classic soul songs and he thought they were old demo tapes I’d dug up from the ’60s or ’70s. Once he understood that the music was mine he told me he wanted to put it out on his label. I remember he sent over the contract for what I expected would be the single, since there were just two tracks, but when I got the contract it was for a whole album. I wrote back and said, “There must be some kind of mistake. I just read this contract and it’s for a whole album.” And he said, “It’s no mistake. How would you feel about recording a full album for Stones Throw?”
As your music has become more and more popular, you’ve become a sex symbol. Does it feel weird? What’s it like to have this sudden blast of female attention?
It’s really awkward sometimes. I’ve never been a ladies’ man; I’ve always been more of a nerd. I played sports, but it wasn’t like I was ever the star quarterback. I never dated the cheerleader. I was just a music nerd. It’s weird when I read on Twitter about girls saying they want to jump my bones. Having girls grab your ass is never a normal transaction, and doesn’t really lead anywhere good. A lot of the craziest interactions stem from people being really nervous themselves about meeting me. They don’t know how to handle it — they freak out and do something bizarre, and then that makes things even more uncomfortable. My job becomes putting everyone at ease and diffusing their awkwardness.
Are you ever able to meet and hang out with girls on the road?
It’s tough. It’s definitely tough. That’s a big misconception about being a quote-unquote rock star — people think there’s a line of ladies, a woman in every city, and that we’re out there hooking up all the time. I live on a bus. We pull into a city and hopefully have enough time to load up and sound check and eat something before the show. Then we pack up and leave for the next city. There’s rarely any time to even catch a glimpse of the cities we’re passing through, let alone try to pick up chicks. When we get off the stage all I want to do is find the nearest pillow, curl up, and get a couple hours of sleep before we get up and do it all over again. The last thing I want to do is get wasted and holla at chicks. Singing is a really fragile thing. If I go out after a show, talking at a loud bar, I’m wrecked the next day and can’t do my job. I can see how it might be appealing to romanticize this job and imagine that it’s a party all the time. It’s certainly a lot of fun, and I know just how lucky I am to be doing what I’m doing, but it’s also a lot of work. We put in way more hours of work than I ever did when I was working a nine-to-five. Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Davy Rothbart is the creator of Found magazine, editor of the Found books, author of the story collection The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas, and a frequent contributor to public radio’s This American Life. He’s also the founder of an annual hiking trip for inner-city kids called Washington II Washington.
Previously from Davy Rothbart:
What’s Your Deal? With Anne Buford, director of Elevate
What’s Your Deal? With Richard Jenkins
What’s Your Deal? With Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko
What’s Your Deal? With Joseph Gordon-Levitt
What’s Your Deal? With Dominic Fredianelli
What’s Your Deal? With Bismack Biyombo
Filed Under: Music, Mayer Hawthorne, Grantland Q&A
We Went There: Blur Finally Makes It to Madison Square Garden October 26, 2015
Songs of the Week: The Return of Adele October 23, 2015
We Went There: Jay Z and Tidal Bring Beyoncé and Friends to Barclays Center October 21, 2015
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r/GreenDay
The Story of American Idiot
Written By: GeekStinkBreath.net
Note: Adapted from the song meanings authored by GeekStinkBreath and presented here to provide an interesting take on the story from the American Idiot album.
The title of the song is referring to the author’s opinion that these days politicians and the media are telling us what to do, what to buy, what to believe in. We are constantly being subliminally mind-fucked by commercials, campaigns and reality TV. They turn us into idiots with no individuality. In this song, the narrator is saying that he doesn’t want his nation to be turned into complete idiots, he doesn’t want his country to be led by a redneck president (“I’m not a part of a redneck agenda”), doesn’t want people to be convinced that it’s right to hate someone because of their sexual preferences (“maybe I’m the faggot America”), doesn’t want the nation to be isolated and detested because of stupid decisions that the government makes (“Welcome to a new kind of tension, all across the alienation”).
This song is an overview of the album’s most important ideas, as well as a sort of a warning calling out to the people across the country: don’t let them take away your personality, don’t let them turn you into Idiot America.
Jesus Of Suburbia
This is the introduction of the album’s leading character. He describes himself as “the son of rage and love”, living on a “steady diet of soda pop and Ritalin” and “doing someone else’s cocaine”. He sarcastically mentions that this messed up life he’s living is completely normal for him: “there’s nothing wrong with me, this is how I’m supposed to be”, and goes on with his story about the “land of make-believe” that he lives in.
City of the Damned
The motto says “Home is where your heart is”, but it doesn’t mean that this works for everyone; some people just don’t fit in. Jesus points out that people don’t really care about anyone but themselves these days (“Lost children with dirty faces today no one really seems to care”), and surrounded by this indifference he states that now he doesn’t care either.
Jesus gives his opinion on the world – “everyone is so full of shit, born and raised by hypocrites”. He says that if no one cares about him, there is no reason for him to care about anyone else (“I don’t care if you don’t”). He’s tired of this “land of make-believe” that doesn’t believe in him.
This part shows the softer side of Jesus’ personality. His disguise of sarcasm covers his cry for help (“Oh therapy, can you please fill the void?”). He’s tired of being alone and rejected, of not fitting in. He wants to break free.
Tales of Another Broken Home
Jesus states that he’s not living, he’s just existing – “to live and not to breathe is to die in tragedy”. And he decided to run away and try to find something worth living for. He doesn’t want to walk that same line anymore, doesn’t want to keep living a life that he has no faith in. He feels no shame for leaving – “running away from pain when you’ve been victimized”. He doesn’t know what’s waiting for him, he just wants to start a new life.
Many famous seers have suggested a prediction that the end of the world will come after or during World War III. So, the line “Hear the sound of the falling rain, coming down like an Armageddon flame” could mean that the war Bush has started might cause unfixable damage to the world. “The shame, the ones who died without a name” is referring to everyone who’s fallen victim of the political battles that the power-hungry country leaders pull us into. All the soldiers, all the victims of the terrorist attacks – they all “died without a name”. Starting a war is never the right answer (“Trials by fire setting fire…”).
Holiday could be considered an anti-Bush song to a certain extent. The author shows his disgust towards the power-hungry president who will destroy anything that confronts him “Pulverize the Eiffel towers who criticize your government. Bang, bang! goes the broken glass, kill all the fags that don’t agree”). Another issue might be the number of vacations the president is taking – the current state of international politics is “the dawning of the rest of our lives”, and the president is always on holiday.
Coming after Holiday this song describes the feeling of loneliness that Jesus of Suburbia has to face after the party is over. After finally breaking free and entering the City, Jesus was excited and filled with expectations. But now the holiday is over, the confetti landed on the floor and the intoxication is wearing off – he looks around and finds himself alone on the street of the heartless city, empty in the morning darkness. Everything around him seems lifeless and only his vital signs prove that he’s not dead as well. He’s all alone…The phrase “I’m walking down the line that divides me somewhere in my mind” could be considered the beginning of St. Jimmy’s appearance – Jesus doesn’t want to be weak and vulnerable anymore, he wants to change.
Of course, there is more to this song than just Jesus’ emotional hangover. Walking a lonely road is not only a one-time realization of your loneliness. Going through life on your own you get so used to the solitude that this lonely road becomes your home and your actual life. Most songs about loneliness are a scream for help, an expression of despair and fear of being alone. Boulevard is different – the narrator accepts his life the way it is, he’s used to it, no matter how horrible it might get or seem, this loneliness is his way. Only sometimes does he dream of someone finding him and saving him from his aloneness, but so far he doesn’t know any better and is patiently waiting for a change.
Are We The Waiting
Are We the Waiting continues expressing the feelings that began during the hangover in Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Jesus hated his hometown and was dreaming of life in the city, of the skyscrapers and neon lights – something he considered to be the real life. But now he’s finally in the City, and he doesn’t fit it, doesn’t belong. Is that what he was waiting for? But it’s too late now, he’s made his choice and second thoughts will do nothing but cause regrets and insecurity. Jesus decides that all his Jingletown philosophy is a lie and he needs a drastic change in himself to be accepted by the City. That’s when St. Jimmy comes into the scene.
The song is also believed to have certain political overtones. It is quite possible that the frustration in Are We the Waiting is related not only to Jesus’ feelings but also to the author’s attitude towards the current situation in world politics. When the president started the war a lot of countries turned their backs on the US and the nation was isolated. And now second thoughts and doubts about what should have been done and what shouldn’t have are not going to change anything. Now, all we can do is wait and see what happens. What are we waiting for? Unknown.
St. Jimmy
Have you ever noticed how a shy little boy suddenly starts acting all cool and dangerous after changing schools? When you come to some new place where no one knows you, you get a chance to put on an act so everyone thinks you’re cooler than you actually are…So, after entering the City and realizing his own loneliness and vulnerability, Jesus decides to create a new self, a whole new person, a true rebel, a cold-blooded city resident – one that Jesus has never been.
From the first words of the introduction of Jimmy, he’s being described as this awesome son of a bitch shining with coolness – the kind of guy easily impressible teenage boys would want to be. Confident as hell and self-sufficient, Jimmy claims to be the “patron saint of the denial” and therefore refers to himself as “St. Jimmy”. In his attempts to be accepted by the new environment, Jesus suppresses all kinds of love in himself and turns into a reflection of rage that’s been brewing inside of him. There’s no more “son of rage and love” – now there’s a product of the victimized society, the martyr of war and fear, St. Jimmy.
Give Me Novacaine
There are two meanings to the song. One is the song’s significance in the story line, and the other one is some message that the author expresses through the words of the song.
So, as a part of the plot Give Me Novacaine is describing the insecurity and fear that Jesus of Suburbia is experiencing when he enters his new life. He’s tired of being weak, and so he fully surrenders to his alter ego, St. Jimmy. Now he’s doing what Jimmy tells him to.
If you look at this song apart from the album, it has a meaning of its own. In simple words, it’s about feeling shitty and not wanting to feel shitty. When the weight of emotional baggage is bringing you down and natural intelligence makes you realize things you might not really want to know that gives you a “bittersweet migraine” – you can’t take it anymore and just want to numb yourself and make the pain go away. Basically, Novacaine is not an intoxicant, it’s more of a pain-killer. So, the song is not as much about experiments with drugs, as just about the desire to get rid of the pain.
She’s A Rebel
The idea of the album cover is based on a line from this song (“she’s holding on my heart like a hand grenade”). The song is an introduction of Whatsername. After the despair and loneliness in Give Me Novacaine, She’s a Rebel reflects the infatuation that Jesus/Jimmy experiences when he meets Whatsername. He describes her as a rebel, vigilante, everything he’s ever dreamed of. “She sings the revolution, the dawning of our lives” is obviously connected to a line in Holiday (“This is the dawning of the rest of our lives”), which shows that everything Jesus expected from his life in the City is now in front of him, reflected in his new addiction – Whatsername. She gives him hope of a life he’s always wanted.
Since the album is highly political, there is an opinion that She’s a Rebel is a song about America. In certain ways, the country is considered to be a rebel, has always been the one able to start a revolution and bring liberty. However, as the album flows, we’ll see that this rebel isn’t always completely successful or happy and sometimes has to go through some hard times.
Extraordinary Girl
This song describes the difficulties that a romantic relationship is going through after the infatuation subsides and partners face the day-to-day routine of each other’s lives. They realize that love is not just enjoying the good sides of each other, but also compromising and accepting everything in your loved one. Alas, that doesn’t always work out the way it should.
Coming after the wildness of falling in love in She’s a Rebel, Extraordinary Girl is a calm and sad story of the next stage of the relationship between Jimmy and Whatsername – dating. This song gives a deeper introduction of Whatsername’s character and why the relationship between her and Jesus/Jimmy is doomed to fall apart. She is a true rebel – she doesn’t rebel just for the sake of being cool or to attract attention. This is her true nature and she’s not faking anything. Whereas Jesus is only pretending to be a rebel, and the war inside of him, the insecurities caused by living someone else’s life eventually lead to his inability to satisfy Whatsername’s needs in their relationship. He realizes that he’s failing, but no matter how he tries – he is not Jimmy. This whole relationship is based on lies and it crumbles leaving Jesus all alone again.
Another theory about this song says that “she” in this song is not only Whatsername but also America. Her lonely tears symbolize the political isolation that the US had to endure because of the war that the president started. In this case the line “She sees a mirror of herself, an image she wants to sell to anyone willing to buy” could be interpreted as a reference to the fact that the American culture is spread all around the world.
Then there is a theory that the song represents the world’s attitude to women and how they are supposed to be perfect and match the standards of beauty (“She sees a mirror of herself, an image she wants to sell to anyone willing to buy”) – some women would do anything to look like a cover girl, overlooking their inner beauty – the one thing that truly makes them extraordinary.
Letterbomb
Opinions about the meaning of this song range from a call for revolution (“Where have all the riots gone?”) to the nearing end of the world (“Where will we all go when it’s too late?”), and probably there is a little bit of everything in this song, going along one of the most important turns in the story of the album.
The song begins with a female voice singing the lines that will later recur: “nobody likes you, everyone left you…” This might be Whatsername pointing out Jesus’ failure to have a decent social life, but it just as well might be his subconsciousness playing a cruel joke on him and making him feel worthless and insecure. Everything around him seems so fake – nothing is stable, nothing is forever. No one wants to fight for their beliefs anymore (“Where have all the riots gone? As your city’s motto gets pulverized”). Jesus failed to be a rebel, his life in the city was a sand castle built on lies and pretence – and it fell apart. He didn’t want to be Jesus of Suburbia, but he couldn’t handle being Jimmy – and now he’s neither (“You’re not the Jesus of Suburbia. The St. Jimmy is a figment of your father’s rage and your mother’s love…”). His war with himself led to a crash of his relationship with Whatsername. His fake personality wasn’t enough to keep her by his side and she leaves the City and Jesus behind. “It’s not over till you’re underground” ‒ she still has a chance to try and start a new life somewhere else. Which she does.
Wake Me Up When September Ends is believed to be the most detached song of the album because it mostly portrays the author’s personal feelings and is barely linked to the story of the album. However, the song could be perceived as a part of the plot if we assume that the words of the song come from Jesus of Suburbia and this is him looking back on his childhood, his family and maybe his own father’s death. He’s recalling the better times he had in his past and realizing that his life in the City is really bringing him down. This gradually leads him to his decision to go back home.
Also, the song portrays Jesus’ loss of innocence. He entered the City with excitement, but after everything that’s happened to him, he sees that the freedom that he longed for is now hurting him. It all seemed so new to him at first, he thought he was discovering the world, his perception was enthusiastic and bright (“Hear the sound of the falling rain – coming down like an Armageddon flame”), and now everything lost its color (“Here comes the rain again, falling from the stars – drenched in my pain again…”). Complete loss of innocence – Jesus is growing up, Jimmy is dying.
East 12th Street
Supposedly, East 12th Street is where Armstrong was filling out his papers after getting arrested for DUI. So, the line “Jesus filling out paperwork now, at the facility on East 12th Street” probably means that he’s either planning to do community service for whatever crime he got caught for, or he got himself a desk job and is trying to have a “normal” life. But it all makes no sense to him, he wants to go back to his usual activities with “the underbelly”, nothing works out – he just wants to be free, wants to get out of this life-like dream. Anxiety fills his mind and he realizes that everything he’s doing is wrong.
Nobody Likes You
This song is a little abstract. Jesus is talking to himself, realizing he’s lost so much time waiting for something to happen and now he’s left with nothing. Whatsername left him, everyone left him, and he shouldn’t have come here in the first place.
Rock and Roll Girlfriend
This is a postcard from Tunny, one of the members of the underbelly. He describes his rock’n’roll life and says he’s pretty much doing great. Now while Tunny is living his dream, Jesus is stuck with his dead-end job, because Tunny is a true rebel like everyone else in the underbelly, while Jesus was only acting like a rebel. Therefore, his fake rebellion gets him nowhere…
We’re Coming Home Again
…and he decides to go home. Jesus calms down, takes a sober look at the world and realizes that there isn’t much he can do to change it, nor does he want to. Running away from his boring Jingletown life he’s made a full circle and is now coming back home. Home is a safety net that’s always there for you if your independent life goes haywire. Jesus leaves the ruins of his life-like dream behind and goes back home.
Whatsername
This song reflects the narrator’s feelings about a long lost love, a relationship that has ended a long time ago leaving only regretful memories in his mind. He was obviously hurt by the break-up and “made a point to burn all of the photographs”, however, he still remembers her face even though the name’s been erased by the time that passed.
Whatsername comes as the last track on the album but doesn’t give us a clear answer about what exactly the ending of the album is. We don’t know whether Jesus came back home or went to jail, or wound up somewhere else. It might be anything and the listeners can make up their own ending. But whatever happened to Jesus and however long it’s been since Whatsername left him – he still remembers her, and wonders how she’s been. “Forgetting you but not the time” – he’s already forgotten her name, one day he will forget her face, but the memory of the past will always dwell, no matter what.
Listening to the story of Jesus’ adventures in the City, we believe that Whatsername is the name of his girlfriend that he met on the streets and fell in love with. But when the story comes to its conclusion in the final song, we suddenly realize that the told story is Jesus’ memories about what happened. And since it was all a long time ago, he can’t remember the actual name of the girl he was in love with, and so he calls her “Whatsername”, while her real name remains unknown.
© 2021 GreenDay.fm | Contact | Twitter
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How to Use Turmeric to Reduce Inflammation and Pain
Acid Reflux and the Lungs
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Turmeric and GERD
Written by Dr. Golda Manuel
Many people are familiar with the nagging symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation that occur after certain meals or activities. A June 2011 review article published in "Alternative Medicine Review" reports that 14 to 20 percent of adults in the United States exhibit heartburn or other symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD 2. These symptoms are often treated with over-the-counter medications such as antacids, antihistamines or proton-pump-inhibitors. However, natural remedies like turmeric have been used as an alternative therapy. Turmeric, a well-known spice and supplement, has properties that could prove effective in preventing and decreasing GERD symptoms.
GERD is a condition characterized by frequent or severe acid reflux -- the backward flow of acidic liquid from the stomach into the esophagus. The causes of GERD can vary from person to person, but some common symptoms include heartburn, difficulty swallowing and regurgitation. Other reported symptoms are chest pain and cough. The American College of Gastroenterology's 2013 clinical practice guidelines outline that lifestyle changes such as weight management, avoiding meals before bedtime and elevating the head of the bed during sleep can help in the management of GERD 1. Due to a lack of solid research on herbal medicines and GERD, these guidelines do not mention the use of turmeric to manage GERD.
GERD is a condition characterized by frequent or severe acid reflux -- the backward flow of acidic liquid from the stomach into the esophagus.
The causes of GERD can vary from person to person, but some common symptoms include heartburn, difficulty swallowing and regurgitation.
Turmeric is a common spice added to foods such as curry and mustards. Historically, it has also been used as an herbal remedy for heartburn, stomach ulcer and other digestive problems. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, turmeric contains a compound called curcumin -- the component that gives turmeric both its yellow color and most of its health benefits 3. Curcumin is known to have antiinflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer effects. The antiinflammatory and antioxidant benefits have the potential to relieve GERD symptoms and possibly prevent GERD, though these benefits have not been confirmed in any human studies.
Turmeric is a common spice added to foods such as curry and mustards.
The antiinflammatory and antioxidant benefits have the potential to relieve GERD symptoms and possibly prevent GERD, though these benefits have not been confirmed in any human studies.
According to a January 2007 review article published in the “Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition," high levels of inflammation are involved in the development of GERD 4. Because turmeric is thought to decrease inflammatory chemicals in the body, it may play a role in relieving or preventing heartburn. Turmeric's antioxidant activity can also get rid of substances called oxygen-free radicals that could cause damage to the esophagus and eventually lead to GERD. Another article published in the December 2013 "World Journal of Gastroenterology” reported that turmeric can also reduce the sensitivity of the esophagus to acid, which could also help alleviate GERD symptoms.
According to a January 2007 review article published in the “Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition," high levels of inflammation are involved in the development of GERD 4.
Another article published in the December 2013 "World Journal of Gastroenterology” reported that turmeric can also reduce the sensitivity of the esophagus to acid, which could also help alleviate GERD symptoms.
While turmeric's potential benefits are intriguing, there simply is not enough quality research to clearly understand its role in GERD prevention and management. As with any alternative therapy, anyone considering using turmeric for GERD should review the effectiveness, potential side effects and drug interactions with a physician. Turmeric can interact with medications such as blood thinners. Similar to other herbal remedies, turmeric may have other unknown interactions with medications. If symptoms get worse or persist while using any treatment for GERD, consult a doctor. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should discuss the use of herbal medicines with their doctor before beginning their use.
While turmeric's potential benefits are intriguing, there simply is not enough quality research to clearly understand its role in GERD prevention and management.
As with any alternative therapy, anyone considering using turmeric for GERD should review the effectiveness, potential side effects and drug interactions with a physician.
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Acid Reflux and Regurgitation
American Journal of Gastroenterology: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Alternative Medicine Review: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): A Review of Conventional and Alternative Treatments
Ruszniewski P, Soufflet C, Barthélémy P. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use as a risk factor for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: an observational study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2008;28(9):1134-9. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2036.2008.03821.x
Monajemzadeh M, Haghi-ashtiani MT, Soleymani R, et al. Is There any Association Between Passive Smoking and Esophagitis in Pediatrics?. Iran J Pediatr. 2013;23(2):194-8.
Ramu B, Mohan P, Rajasekaran MS, Jayanthi V. Prevalence and risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux in pregnancy. Indian J Gastroenterol. 2011;30(3):144-7. doi:10.1007/s12664-010-0067-3
Cleveland Clinic. Lifestyle Changes to Treat GERD. Aug 21, 2018.
Jarosz M, Taraszewska A. Risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease: the role of diet. Prz Gastroenterol. 2014;9(5):297-301. doi:10.5114/pg.2014.46166
Mastronarde JG. Is There a Relationship Between GERD and Asthma?. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2012;8(6):401-3.
Festi D, Scaioli E, Baldi F, et al. Body weight, lifestyle, dietary habits and gastroesophageal reflux disease. World J Gastroenterol. 2009;15(14):1690-701. doi:10.3748/wjg.15.1690
Kahrilas PJ. Pathophysiology of Reflux Esophagitis. UpToDate. Updated March 6, 2018.
Mayo Clinic Staff. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Mayo Clinic. Updated March 9, 2018.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for GER & GERD. Published November 2014.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Symptoms & Causes of GER & GERD. Published November 2014.
Ping W, Xiao-Hu Z, Zi-Sheng A, et al. Dietary Intake and Risk for Reflux Esophagitis: A Case-Control Study Gastroenterology Research and Practice. 2013;2013:691026. doi:10.1155/2013/691026.
After earning her Doctor of Pharmacy degree, Dr. Golda Manuel began working at UNM Hospital as a clinical pharmacist specializing in critical care. She now resides in San Francisco and serves as an International Clinical Pharmacist, providing drug information worldwide. Her spare time is spent outdoors and on her health and food blog, Cook's Apothecary.
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The ObamaCare death spiral continues
Last week, after Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius claimed the private insurance market was in a “death spiral” long before ObamaCare came along, I pointed out that ObamaCare itself is the paramount modern example of a high-speed death spiral. Whatever one might say about the structural deficiencies of private health insurance – which are, in no small part, due to government interference – it’s taken decades for them to reach their current state. ObamaCare, by contrast, began falling apart the minute it passed. Literally billions of dollars have been dropping from its leprous bulk with every passing month.
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) of the Senate Budget Committee had the same idea, and decided to question Our Lady of the Death Spiral about it when she appeared before the Appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday, leading to the following hilarious and terrifying exchange:
In the course of a few minutes, Sebelius – who will become one of the most powerful officials on Earth, once ObamaCare is fully up and running – concedes that ObamaCare’s funding mechanisms are collapsing, its costs are ballooning out of control, and it has driven the cost of insurance for American families up instead of reducing them, and she has absolutely no idea what it’s going to do to the federal budget deficit.
Give Obama four more years, and his team will do even more wonderful things that nobody understands, at a cost no one can calculate!
Obama lobby of Senate leads to defeat of Keystone pipeline provision
Obama works hard to keep gas prices high
Written By John Hayward
John Hayward began his blogging career as a guest writer at Hot Air under the pen name "Doctor Zero," producing a collection of essays entitled Doctor Zero: Year One. He is a great admirer of free-market thinkers such as Arthur Laffer, Milton Friedman, and Thomas Sowell. He writes both political and cultural commentary, including book and movie reviews. An avid fan of horror and fantasy fiction, he has produced an e-book collection of short horror stories entitled Persistent Dread. John is a former staff writer for Human Events. He is a regular guest on the Rusty Humphries radio show, and has appeared on numerous other local and national radio programs, including G. Gordon Liddy, BattleLine, and Dennis Miller.
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Tag Archives: Lucy Bronze
Balls and Boots and Bangers and … Golden Tweets?
I’m late bringing you this as I was waiting for a Women’s World Cup all-star team to be announced first. One hasn’t been and likely won’t be. I guess FIFA just wasn’t interested in doing this anymore. Oh well. At least we still have the individual awards to celebrate and debate. Continue reading →
Tags: 2019 Women's World Cup, Ajara Nchout, Alex Morgan, Asisat Oshoala. Nigeria Women's National Team, Aurora Galli, Brazil Women's National Team, Cameroon Women's National Team, Cristiane Rozeira de Souza Silva, England Women's National Team, France Women's National Team, Germany Womens National Team, Giulia Gwinn, hopechaser, Italy Women's National Team, Japan Women's National Team, Lucy Bronze, Megan Rapinoe, Netherlands (Dutch) Women's National Team, Sari van Veenendaal, Sofia Jakobsson, Sweden Women's National Team, United States Women's National Team, Watishista Correspondents, Yui Hasegawa
Categories Watishista Correspondents, Women's World Cup 2019
2015 WWC: Goal of the Tournament
Time to vote for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 goal of the tournament. FIFA has compiled a list of 12 candidates from which to choose your favorite. Since my two favorites didn’t make this list, my vote went to Ange N’Guessan for her power floater vs Norway. Which goal is your pick? You have until Monday July 13 10:00am (CET) to submit your selection.
– hopechaser
Tags: 2015 Women's World Cup, Amandine Henry, Ange Nguessan, Australia Women's National Team, Carli Lloyd, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Women's National Team, Colombia Women's National Team, Daniela Montoya, England Women's National Team, France Women's National Team, hopechaser, Japan Women's National Team, Lauren Holiday, Le Sommer, Lieke Martens, Lisa De Vanna, Lucy Bronze, Maren Mjelde, Mizuho Sakaguchi, Netherlands (Dutch) Women's National Team, Norway Women's National Team, Ramona Bachmann, United States Women's National Team, Watishista Correspondents
2015 WWC: It’s Award Time!
FIFA recently announced the shortlists for the three (3) major Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 award categories. These lists were created the FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG). Why am I telling you this? It was the TSG which determined Messi was the best player and Neurer the best goalkeeper at last year’s World Cup. Uh huh. Still rolling my eyes hard about those selections. Continue reading →
Tags: 2015 Women's World Cup, Ada Hegerberg, Amandine Henry, Aya Miyama, Ayumi Kaihori, Canada Women's National Team, Carli Lloyd, Celia Sasic, China Women's National Team, England Women's National Team, France Women's National Team, Germany Womens National Team, Hope Solo, hopechaser, Hyundai Young Player Award, Japan Women's National Team, Jiali Tang, Julie Johnston, Kadeisha Buchanan, Lucy Bronze, Megan Rapinoe, Nadine Angerer, Norway Women's National Team, Saori Ariyoshi, United States Women's National Team, Watishista Correspondents, WWC Golden Ball, WWC Golden Glove
2015 WWC – Quarterfinals: England vs Canada Match Recap
And so it is written. The stuffed turtle key chain named Myrtle was right. As stuffed turtle key chains tend to be, ya know. England for the win. God Save the Queen. Yada yada yada. I’m happy for England, I really am. Just not as happy as I would have been if Canada had won. You understand. Continue reading →
Tags: 2015 Women's World Cup, Canada Women's National Team, Christine Sinclair, England Women's National Team, hopechaser, Jodie Taylor, Lucy Bronze, Watishista Correspondents
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Big Sean, Marian Hill, Linkin Park, Kygo & Selena, Martin & Dua Singles Added By 102.7 KIIS FM
Big Sean [Will Heath/NBC]
by Brian Cantor Feb 20, 2017, 3:25 pm
The most influential west coast station has reported its playlist adds for the week, and singles from Big Sean, Marian Hill, Linkin Park, Kygo x Selena Gomez, and Martin Garrix & Dua Lipa all made the cut.
Reporting to the February 21 add board, Los Angeles’ 102.7 KIIS confirms that it has picked up Big Sean’s “Bounce Back,” Marian Hill’s “Down,” Linkin Park’s “Heavy (featuring kiiara),” Kygo x Selena Gomez’ “It Ain’t Me,” and Martin Garrix & Dua Lipa’s “Scared To Be Lonely.”
“Down” entered the Top 20 on this week’s Mediabase pop radio airplay chart, while “It Ain’t Me” and “Bounce Back” earned Top 40 positions. “Heavy” and “Scared To Be Lonely” are officially inside the Top 50.
Headline Planet’s full weekly pop add recap is due by 7PM ET Tuesday.
big seanbounce backdowndua lipaheavyit ain't mekiiarakygolinkin parkmarian hillmartin garrixscared to be lonelySelena Gomez
B96 Adds Singles By Kygo & Selena Gomez, Maroon 5, Linkin Park, Migos, Dua Lipa, More
Krewella, DJ Khaled, Maroon 5, Axwell & Ingrosso, More Singles Added By 99.7 NOW
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« April 2005 | Main | June 2005 »
PostSecret, a confessional blog
A NYTimes.com article, “Bless Me Blog, for I’ve Sinned,” pointed me to the PostSecret weblog where anonymous 4x6 confessional postcards are displayed. They’re wonderfully creative and moving.
You need to see the artwork pasted on most of the cards to get the full impact of the PostSecrets. But here’s a sampling of words:
“My older sister has tried to kill herself three (3) times. Sometimes I wish she’d succeeded.”
“I make up fantasy stories because my real life sucks. And now my fantasy life is starting to suck, too.”
“Sometimes I think that other people are reading my thoughts so I think to myself ‘stop reading my mind,’ just in case they are listening.”
“I know that sending in a stupid postcard to share a secret with a bunch of strangers won’t do a damn thing to change the daily loneliness and unhappiness in my life. And I sent this anyway.”
Here’s another article about PostSecret from The Telegraph of Calcutta, India. People from all over the world are sharing their secrets. Most of the comments at the bottom of the PostSecret page are positive, though one questions the weblog creator’s motivations.
A PostSecret traveling exhibit exists now; a stage production is in the works; a book surely will be published. But I don’t begrudge the creator, Frank, from publicizing the secrets beyond the Internet.
That’s what the people who sent in their secrets want: to not have them be secret anymore.
My daughter redeems her hiking-self
After poking some fun at my daughter, Celeste, for letting Laurel and me leave her panting breathlessly in our dust during a hike in L.A.’s Runyon Canyon, I’m pleased to report that Celeste redeemed her hiking-self yesterday.
She and husband Patrick flew up to spend what I had hoped would be a pleasant sunny Memorial Day weekend in Oregon. Pleasant it was; sunny it wasn’t. Nevertheless, we took them up to the Little North Santiam trail, guided by William Sullivan’s recently updated great book “100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades.”
Though Celeste and Patrick had looked wonderfully fit and attractive standing on the Spring Lake dock near our home, I figured these admitted L.A. quasi-couch potatoes would find it hard to keep up with Laurel, me, and wonderdog Serena, avid Oregon outdoors people/canine that we are.
However, my view through most of the Little North Santiam hike was much like this: no sight of Patrick at all, who fell back into his fast-striding Aspen, Colorado hiking days as if he had never left the Rockies; a peek of Celeste’s back as she disappeared around a bend far ahead of me; and a closer view of Laurel, who, along with Serena, kept checking to see if I was still bringing up the rear (in my defense, I was carrying a pack with everybody’s lunch, which included four extremely dense peanut butter and jelly sandwiches plus a couple of gigantic Fuji apples).
When we stopped to appreciate what Sullivan calls the “little falls,” I was able to finally get a close-up look at Patrick and Celeste.
Then we were off again, past pristine Zen-like creeks cascading down to the river.
And through lush unspoiled old growth forest, which hopefully will forever remain so.
Celeste finally met her match (as I did) at the top of the steep switchbacks about two-thirds of the way to Three Pools, so we saved the end of the hike for another day. I reminisced with her about how nice it was to not have to carry her when she got tired, a fatherly memory from when she was three years old that is still fresh in my mind even though she’s thirty-three.
Even more fresh, though, is the memory of me now plodding along behind my daughter on the Little North Santiam trail, hoping that she won’t turn around and say, “Come on, Dad, you can’t be tired already. We just started walking!” She didn’t. But it would have been poetic justice if she had.
Oregon House Republicans score a triple outrage
Before Laurel and I enter into our mellow yin Memorial Day weekend mood, it was balancing to experience some yang outrage this morning after reading a Statesman Journal story: “GOP sidesteps public on hunting bill.”
I’ve got to hand it to the Oregon House Republicans. It isn’t easy to score a triple outrage, but they managed to do it through an amendment to a bill that would let counties overturn statewide voter-approved restrictions on cougar and bear hunting. A House committee approved the bill without advance notice, undoubtedly because if environmental and animal-rights activists had known about this move ahead of time they would have expressed their own outrage to the committee members.
The AP article gave the legislators only an outrage double, saying “The move was controversial on two levels: For trying to bypass the will of voters and for sneaking the true meaning of the bill through the committee, thus avoiding public testimony.”
It is indeed outrageous for House Republicans to argue that the civil unions bill being considered by the legislature shouldn’t be approved because it goes against the will of Oregon voters who approved a ban on gay marriage, while they try to circumvent the will of Oregon voters who approved a ban on using bait to hunt bears and dogs to hunt cougars in 1994—and reaffirmed that decision in 1996, when a measure to repeal the law was rejected.
And it is doubly outrageous for House Republicans to get on their high horse about how government has to be more responsive to citizens, returning power to the people, when they obviously don’t give a rip about hearing public testimony concerning the loosening of bear and cougar hunting rules (the proposed law would allow county commissions to put a vote on the local ballot on whether to allow the practices that were banned statewide).
I’d add a third moral outrage to these legal and political outrages, which is how I justify awarding the House Republicans a triple. Rep. Patti Smith is reported to have said that cougars are growing so numerous, lawmakers have to put their concern for protecting human life ahead of their worries about voter backlash.
That’s ridiculous. In the last 100 years there have been 14 documented deaths from cougar attacks in the United States, while on average there are 12 fatal dog attacks every year. If Rep. Smith wants to save human lives from animal attacks, she should be sponsoring a bill to ban ownership of pit bulls and other dangerous breeds.
Even better, if she really wants to protect human life, would be for her to urge that taxes be increased so that cuts to the Oregon Health Plan could be rescinded. Lots of Oregonians are going to die because they don’t have adequate health care; I’ll be surprised if even one person dies in the next few years from a cougar attack.
Laurel and I live on ten rural acres. Cougars have been seen near us. We walk at night through forested areas. And we’re happy to co-exist with cougars. We don’t fear them, but we respect them.
Since cougars aren’t a genuine threat to humans, why are people so adamant about hunting them down? I believe that Rep. Smith and other cougarphobes are afraid of an animal capable of challenging Homo sapiens. They like to believe that humans have the right to do what they want with the natural world: pollute it, kill it, clear cut it, whatever we desire.
Cougars, bears, and wolves remind us that when we’re stripped down to our essential human selves—no firearm in hand—we’re no match for some of our fellow animals. They literally would rip us to shreds in a fair fight.
So I might support a bill that would allow hunting of cougars with dogs if the hunter had to kill the treed cougar with his bare hands—or maybe a knife, if we want to give humans a better chance. Let’s see how many brave hunters would take up the challenge. I’m willing to bet: very few. Likely, none.
People call hunting a “sport.” It isn’t. A sport is a contest. Killing an animal with a high-powered rifle from a hundred yards away is no contest. Shooting an animal with the aid of dogs or bait is even less of a contest. Voters recognized this when they passed the 1994 law. The House Republicans should have respected the moral will of the people.
Carl’s Jr. Paris Hilton ad
Driving around in the car yesterday we heard a couple of talk show hosts, KEX’s Mark and Dave, tackle a pressing question: Is the new Carl’s Jr. “Spicy Burger” Paris Hilton ad soft-core pornography or savvy marketing?
Though we hadn’t seen the ad, we figured that if the Parent’s Television Council disapproved of it, we’d like it. And then—praise God!—last night the ad appeared while I was watching a recording of the final two-hour “24” episode.
After several watchings of a scantily-clad Paris Hilton washing a Bentley and chomping on a burger to the tune of “I love Paris in the spring time,” I concluded that a Victoria’s Secret ad is considerably more provocative. However, I’ll have to force myself to watch both of them few more times to be sure.
Which confirms the point made in a Business Week online article about the ad: if you don’t like something on television and want it to go away, ignore it. The more fuss you make about it—raunchy! sexually graphic!—the more you’ll drive people to see it.
Laurel spoke truly when she said, “If the ad had used violence to sell burgers, nobody would have a problem with it.” Yes, the United States is puritanical about broadcasting sexuality while Europe is reticent to show violence. Video-game makers have to put bikinis on topless women for the American version, while blood and guts have to be toned down for European consumption.
It’s strange that the Parent’s Television Council is making such a fuss over the Carl’s Jr. ad, calling it “the ultimate example of corporate irresponsibility,” when I saw the ad while watching Fox’s “24.” Broadcast over the public airwaves, “24” is a great show. A violent great show.
Recently I’ve seen a man’s fingers broken one by one until he talked (first, he screamed). I’ve seen a man shocked with electric wires stripped from a lamp in order to get him to talk (he also screamed first). I’ve seen a man shot in the knees to, you guessed it, get him to talk (getting people to talk is a top job on “24”).
And all of these nasty acts were committed by Jack Bauer, one of the good guys. The Islamic terrorists Jack was trying to stop were even nastier.
But apparently impressionable kids aren’t going to have their psyches disrupted by watching government agents torture people. If they see Paris Hilton spraying herself with a hose, though, watch out! Who knows what might happen?
Why, as a vegetarian, I’m worried that they could eat more hamburgers. That’s the sort of flesh-peddling that bothers me—selling carcinogenic saturated fat-laden animal carcasses.
Getting the newspaper in Camp Sherman
I’ve taken over getting the morning newspaper when we’re at our cabin in Camp Sherman. This used to be Laurel’s responsibility. She'd drive to the store before going for a walk with Serena, our dog.
But with my new Taoist sensibilities, I figure it’s more real for me to be riding my bike in the cool central Oregon air than sitting on my butt at the kitchen table, waiting for the newspaper to appear, drinking coffee and reading, in a Tao Te Ching book, about the benefits of living more naturally.
It’s a whole two miles to the Camp Sherman store and back. I don’t have to fight the traffic though.
And the roadside signs aren’t too bothersome.
Halfway down the road Mt. Jefferson pops into view. Jeff says to me, "Good morning, Brian. Wouldn't have seen you if you were sitting at the kitchen table."
Then I arrive at the Camp Sherman city center. Today this old car passed me on the road and got to the store just before me. It fit perfectly with the store’s (non-functional) gas pumps. Sorry for the generic term, “old car,” but that’s the best I can do.
While I was taking the photo I was impressed to hear a guy yelling at the driver, “Hey, isn’t that a ’28 or a ’29?” I think the owner replied, “No, it’s a ’30.” Given the evident level of macho car expertise in the Camp Sherman store parking lot, I was reluctant to ask the much more basic question: “Hey, what kind of car is that?”
I love the alphabetically-organized customer account pads behind the counter. They remind me of the Three Rivers Market, the one and only store in Three Rivers, California when my mother and I moved there in 1955. Just like Camp Sherman, if you were a resident you put your purchases on account and paid at the beginning of the month, or when you could.
There’s only a few hundred year-round residents in Camp Sherman. Reminiscing with the store clerk today, I told her that the town where I grew up was similar in that there were lots of tourists around in the summer, but just locals later on.
“If an unfamiliar person walked into the store during the winter,” I said, “the locals would talk about them after they left: ‘Do you know who that was?’”
The clerk told me, “We’re just the same here. Except we flat-out ask them, ‘Who are you?”
In a world where everything seems to be changing, it’s nice to know that small towns aren’t. Stay the same, Camp Sherman. I love you as you are.
God must be a Buddhist
Laurel and I are finding it difficult to practice Christian compassion. First problem: we’re not Christians. Second problem: it’s hard to be compassionate toward Christians when so many of them act like fools. Case in point, our nation’s Christian-in-Chief, President Bush.
He is threatening to veto legislation that would loosen restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Bush calls himself pro-life, but he doesn’t want to promote research that promises cures for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other degenerative brain and nerve diseases.
Bush’s own Christian compassion is constrained inside the tiny box of Christian fundamentalism, where crazy ideas are free to flower without any inconvenient pruning by facts. The legislation he wants to veto lets government-funded researchers work with embryonic stem cells left over from fertility treatments. These excess embryos either will be discarded, or they will be used in research.
It’s a no-brainer: use them for stem-cell research. But unfortunately Christian right voters do have brains, albeit malfunctioning ones.
Bush is afraid that he’ll lose the political support of fundamentalists who somehow have discovered in the Bible a theological foundation for banning therapeutic cloning, which the Bible never mentions. These, of course, are the same people who criticize the Supreme Court for finding support in the Constitution for allowing abortions, which the Constitution never mentions. Go figure.
My personal theological conclusion is that God must be a Buddhist, notwithstanding the fact that Buddhism doesn’t believe in a personal God (if the Christian right can make outrageous leaps of religious logic, so can I). For evidently God has blessed the predominantly Buddhist nation of South Korea with the leading world expert on cloning human embryos to treat and study disease, Hwang Woo-suk of Seoul National University.
“I want to give humans a gift of healing knowledge,” I picture God saying to herself (my anti-patriarchy wife reads this weblog). “But the United States is filled with too many closed-minded Christians to make wise use of it. So I’ll send a breakthrough in therapeutic cloning to a Buddhist country instead. I love those Buddhists; they don’t try to confine my will within imaginary bounds of their own making.”
More and more it looks like the United States will be getting health care advances from South Korea, consumer items from China, and information technology from India. It kind of makes you want to convert to Buddhism, Taoism, or Hinduism, since fundamentalist Christianity is becoming a foe of modern progress, just like fundamentalist Islam and fundamentalist Judaism.
Those big three Western monotheistic religions have an inbred aversion to seeing reality as it is. By comparison, the big three Eastern pluralistic religions don’t. Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism find it easy to absorb scientific facts into their flexible worldviews. This is one reason the United States is heading downhill, socially and scientifically, while South Korea, China, and India are on the upswing.
I’m pessimistic that things are going to get better in this country so long as Christian groups like the Center for Reclaiming America have so much support among the citizenry. I heard the Center’s founder, D. James Kennedy, interviewed on PBS radio recently. He’s scary. Really scary.
Kennedy believes that this country has to be governed on the basis of Christianity. He sounds just like Islamic fundamentalists who want Koranic law in Muslim countries. Except his Koran is the Bible. Otherwise, you could plunk Kennedy down in Iran or Saudi Arabia and he’d feel right at home.
The Center for Reclaiming America presents the untruth that our nation’s founders intended the United States to reflect Christian principles. Given this false premise, it is possible for the Center to make intolerance of non-fundamentalist Christian views into a virtue. A United Nations declaration, “Tolerance…involves the rejection of dogmatism and absolutism,” is ridiculed.
There’s no room for tolerance in right-wing Christianity. For example, it is obvious that creationism is true and evolution false. Why? Because the Bible tells Kennedy so, and there’s no need to consider inconvenient facts—such as the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence in support of evolution.
Naturally the Center also finds support in scripture for “ending judicial tyranny,” by which Kennedy means that judges should make decisions based on their Christian faith rather than the nation’s laws. Yes, I heard him say this in the PBS interview. He likened judges who rule in support of a woman’s right to have an abortion as being akin to judges in Nazi Germany who supported anti-Jewish German laws.
Again, he’s scary. Really scary.
As is George W. Bush. And everyone else who is trying to make the United States into a Christian nation. The way I see it, what is at risk here is nothing less than reality. Christian fundamentalists want us to close our eyes to truths. Truths about therapeutic cloning. Truths about evolution. Truths about persistent vegetative states. Truths about the big bang. Truths about the genetic basis of homosexuality. All kinds of truths.
Carl Sagan warned some time ago that the demons are beginning to stir. He was right. Now the demons are becoming more active. They have to be defeated. Take a stand: don’t go to church tomorrow. Read a copy of Scientific American instead.
“I worry that, especially as the Millennium edges nearer, pseudoscience and superstition will seem year by year more tempting, the siren song of unreason more sonorous and attractive. Where have we heard it before? Whenever our ethnic or national prejudices are aroused, in times of scarcity, during challenges to national self-esteem or nerve, when we agonize about our diminished cosmic place and purpose, or when fanaticism is bubbling up around us—then, habits of thought familiar from ages past reach for the controls.
The candle flame gutters. Its little pool of light trembles. Darkness gathers. The demons begin to stir.” [Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science As a Candle in the Dark]
Posted at 09:44 PM in Current affairs, Philosophy | Permalink | Comments (1)
Coffee, chocolate, and men
Some enduring wisdom about coffee, chocolate, and men, passed on from St. Lucia by my sister and brother-in-law.
Corporation Compliance Recorder scam
It looks like the Corporate Compliance Recorder scam described by the Los Angeles Better Business Bureau has made its way to Oregon. In the mail today I found this official-looking envelope addressed to the non-profit community association that I’m the secretary for.
I believe this is the time our annual corporation fee is due, so at first I thought the mailing was for real. But the $95 fee was steep, and I’d never heard of a requirement to disclose annual minutes.
Of course, there isn’t such a requirement. These scammers on Market Street are hoping that people don’t read the fine print of the other side of their letter, which begins: Corporation Compliance Recorder is a non-governmental service business that assists corporations to avoid possible penalties and fines with state and government agencies.
Aside from taking your $95, it’s hard to figure out what service they provide. Apparently you fill out the form describing the corporation’s annual meeting, then they send you back the information you provided with something like “These are your official minutes” stamped on it. Or whatever. It’s a useless service, regardless.
I just filed an online complaint with the Oregon Better Business Bureau. If you get a letter from the Corporate Compliance Recorder, file your own complaint. The sooner these folks are exposed for the rip-off artists they are, the better.
[P.S. on May 21: The Oregon Secretary of State's Office has issued a warning about this scam. They recommend filing a complaint with the Department of Justice if you get a mailing from the Corporation Compliance Recorder.]
Posted at 03:39 PM in Miscellany | Permalink | Comments (408)
Me and the Milky Way
I’m trying to put my problems into perspective. New Scientist magazine is helping me out. The current issue has a great article on the Milky Way galaxy. This is where I live. You too.
When I consider the big picture, really big, of what surrounds us, earthly aggravations look a lot less immense. In my saner moments, I’m able to juxtapose what gripes me with the galactic point of view. Then I see how miniscule are the mole hills that I’ve been regarding as mountains. [All quotes are from the New Scientist article.]
I’m going to be fifty-seven this year. I’m ancient!
“The galaxy’s oldest stars are roughly 13 billion years old, suggesting they formed less than a billion years after the universe began life in a giant explosion 13.7 billion years ago.”
The earth is overpopulated. I feel cramped.
“The Milky Way is a dense disc of stars, gas and dust some 100,000 light years wide.”
If my book doesn’t sell well, I’m a failure, a nothing!
“In total, the Milky Way contains at least 250 billion stars, possibly as many as a trillion.”
It’s crazy that people disagree with how I view the cosmos, since I know so much and I’m so obviously right.
“Compress the whole of human history into just one year, and you will find that it is only in the last four hours that we gleaned the faintest inkling of the geography of the galaxy we inhabit. It was in the 1920s that astronomers realized that our sun and the stars surrounding it form a cosmic island, just one of countless similar islands dotted across the universe.”
I’m afraid my bald spot is getting larger.
“At the heart of the Milky Way lies a monster…a supermassive black hole—a colossal nugget 3 million times as massive as the sun. It is so immense that its gravity prevents anything, including light, escaping from inside a radius of about 7.7 million kilometers, or about twice the distance from Earth to the moon.”
If the Senate eliminates the filibuster rule this week, the United States is doomed.
“The Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy are racing towards each other at a relative speed of 500,000 kilometers every hour, and in 3 billion years’ time, the two giants will run into each other in a catastrophic encounter that will change them both beyond recognition.”
Damn! I’ve gained two pounds.
“Ponder this one next time you make a cup of coffee. If you swapped your teaspoon of sugar for a teaspoon of neutron star innards, it would weigh about a million tonnes.”
We’re wrecking our planet; it’s the only one we have.
“In the Milky Way galaxy as a whole there must be an enormous number of planets…There are billions of planets in our galaxy.”
Sometimes I’m bored with my life. Everything I do seems so familiar.
“Most of the Milky Way is invisible, which has made it all the more difficult to figure out its structure. The motions of stars appear to be influenced by the gravity of vast amounts of mysterious ‘dark matter’ in a giant ball enclosing the galactic disk and bulge.”
My fellow humans, the indisputable fact is that we are small. Very small. And the universe is large. Very large.
If you need more convincing, remember that the Milky Way galaxy is 100,000 light years wide.
Now, let’s further broaden our horizons. Here’s a look at our neighborhood within a billion light years. THis is still just a small part of the entire universe, however. Those clumps aren’t galaxies, or even clusters of galaxies, but clusters of clusters of galaxies—superclusters. It’s estimated there are 3 million large galaxies like the Milky Way within a billion light years.
I feel even smaller.
But attaining a realization of complete cosmic insignificance requires Douglas Adams’ Total Perspective Vortex.
Be warned, though. As Adams says, “if life is going to exist in a Universe of this size, then the one thing it cannot have is a sense of proportion.”
Posted at 08:03 PM in Philosophy, Science | Permalink | Comments (0)
Salem is #1 in Wal-Marts!
Like my fellow Salem blogger Trey, I too was thrilled beyond words (until now, obviously) when I picked up today’s Statesman-Journal newspaper and saw the front page story: “3rd Wal-Mart fills racks: Salem will have more Wal-Marts than any other city in Oregon.”
Recently Laurel and I had been talking about what new businesses we’d like to see in Salem so our quality of life could be improved. We mused, perhaps a Trader Joes? A Whole Foods Market? Or a Middle Eastern restaurant?
We were thinking so inside the box. More precisely, inside such a small box. I realized that when we went to Lowe’s yesterday and passed by the soon-to-open Wal-Mart Supercenter on Turner Road, which is a big box.
When it opens Wednesday it will indeed be super, offering everything that a Salemite could want: general merchandise, groceries, a pharmacy, optical department, hair salon, Tire & Lube Express, and, thank god!, a Murphy’s Take N’ Bake Pizza Store.
Of course, Salem already has a jillion (more or less) businesses that sell exactly the same goods and services. But Wal-Mart has a unique international flair. Newsweek reported recently that 80% of Wal-Mart’s suppliers—5,000 out of 6,000—are in China.
Even though we have Toyota and Volvo cars, plus my watch is a Casio and my cell phone a Nokia, I’d been worrying that Laurel and I weren’t doing enough to make sure that the United States’ trade deficit will continue rising to ever higher record levels.
This 3rd Salem Wal-Mart store will make it more convenient for us to buy foreign, and I’m sure our Prius soon will visit the Supercenter parking lot along with lots of Ford and Chevy pickups plastered with American flag decals. Knowing Salem, our patriotic citizens will be eager to step up and help make China’s economy grow even faster.
Salem is #1! In Wal-Marts at least.
I’m getting softer with age
The older I get, the softer I become. And I’m happy about it. Let me hasten to point out that I’m speaking about my martial arts training, not, um, something else.
For nine years I labored in the field of a Shotokan karate dojo. Shotokan is one of the hardest of the hard-styles. I then transplanted myself to the Pacific Martial Arts Academy here in Salem, where, for about four years, I cultivated the mixed-style approach taught by Warren Allen—a blend of karate, jujitsu, aikido, weapons training, and other disciplines.
Now I’ve thrown myself into nurturing the seed of Tai Chi that is beginning to sprout in me. I feel like a baby again, just learning to walk. It’s delightful to explicitly return to what I’ve always been, but didn’t want to admit I was: a beginner.
When I first started training with Warren, I remember being surprised to hear him say: “Tai Chi is the ultimate martial art.” I had never thought of Tai Chi in that way. I considered that it was a rhythmic system of exercise practiced by people in parks who waved their hands around in a graceful fashion that looked good, yet wouldn’t hurt a flea.
It wasn’t long before I changed my mind. Experience will do that to you. Warren began to show me how softness can overcome hardness, just as the Tao Te Ching says. Those forceful linear punches and kicks so much beloved by Shotokan are easily deflected with a gentle circular response.
Plus, I’ve always wondered about the logic of taking self-defense classes where your body gets hurt. Isn’t the idea of self-defense to defend yourself? Even with the mixed-style I’ve pursued the past few years, I started to see that I was losing flexibility in my shoulders because of the forceful joint locks that kept getting applied in training. At the age of 56, my body wasn’t quickly bouncing back to normal the way it used to after being abused.
When I would go to Shotokan karate seminars, often I’d see high-ranking black belts who had been training for thirty years or more hobble around. Their knees and other important body parts were in bad shape after enduring hard impacts in Shotokan classes and competition. I could see that I was heading in the same direction, albeit less emphatically.
So I’ve become a Tai Chi neophyte. I’m coming to realize why another black belt in the Pacific Martial Arts Academy likes to say, “I’d learn Tai Chi but it’s too damn difficult.” You can’t fake lack of coordination, poor balance, bad posture, inflexibility, or lack of body control when you’re moving at the pace of a snail. That’s why I feel like a baby. It quickly dawned on me that after thirteen years of marital arts training, I don’t know how to take one step.
I know the short 24 form. Outwardly. Inwardly, I can’t do a single move. I mean, you can go through the motions of Tai Chi and not really be doing Tai Chi. Some of the advanced students in Warren’s Tai Chi classes have been pointing that out to me. I’ll perform some Tai Chi posture and they’ll say, “Yes, that’s how you do it. But you lost your root.” Which means, really, you aren’t doing it. They’re just being gentle with me, the Tai Chi way. I reply, “I couldn’t tell that I had lost my root, because I don’t know what it is to have my root.”
They show me. I can see that they have it. And I don’t. When I ask how you get it, I’ll be told: “Imagine that your energy is passing downward through your feet all the way to the center of the Earth, where it wraps itself around a (conveniently located) metal pole. Now it is immovable. That’s your root.”
I think: “Gee, that sounds easy. All I have to do is send my energy to the center of the Earth and wrap it around a pole. Should be able to learn how to do that in just, oh, a dozen years or so. Patience, Grasshopper, patience.”
Blogmobile
Here's a depiction of the Blogmobile concept car, courtesy of the April 4, 2005 The New Yorker. The driver kind of looks like me. Given how much time I spend on my weblogs, my wife probably would say "It is you!"
Oregon’s climatologist still a Pollyanna on global warming
While we were in Camp Sherman last week I picked up the Bend “Bulletin” and saw a front page story about a talk by Oregon’s climatologist, George Taylor. I’ve written before about how Taylor denies that manmade greenhouse gases are causing global warming, thus putting him at odds with the vast majority of scientists studying the earth’s climate.
The story, “Expert says state drought just a blip,” shows that Taylor is still going around spreading disinformation about the reality of global warming. He was quoted as saying, “We don't really understand climate. (The data) doesn't say humans don't have an effect, obviously they do. But we don't know what it means.”
Yes, if meteorologists can’t accurately forecast the weather ten days from now, they obviously can’t predict how human-caused global warming will have changed the Earth ten years from now. But when George Taylor says “We don’t know what it means,” his unstated message is “We shouldn’t do anything about it,” notwithstanding his reported statement that reduction of fossil-fuel use would be a good move.
Taylor probably realizes that if he wants to keep his position as Oregon’s climatologist, he needs to pay lip service to reducing greenhouse gas emissions because this is the official policy of Gov. Kulongoski, who joined Oregon with California and Washington in 2003 to create the West Coast Global Warming Initiative. Recently Kulogoski announced that he wants Oregon to adopt California’s tougher auto pollution standards to fight global warming.
The Kyoto Protocol is the world’s primary commitment to addressing the problems of human-caused global warming. George Taylor worked to keep the Kyoto Protocol from going into effect.
The protocol needed to be approved by countries responsible for at least fifty-five percent of the industrialized world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Since the United States accounts for thirty-four percent and withdrew from Kyoto negotiations in 2001, virtually every other major industrialized nation needed to approve the protocol or it would collapse.
In November 2002 Taylor signed an open letter to the prime minister of Canada urging that Canada delay ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. He and another Oregonian joined twenty-five other people in opposing mandatory efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. The other Oregon signer of the open letter was Art Robinson of the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (OISM), a small research institute in Cave Junction.
OISM’s head-in-the-sand scientific style is evident from the publication published by the Institute, “Nuclear War Survival Skills.” You also can buy Nuclear War Survival Skill DVDs that promise you’ll learn about “shelter construction and ventilation, water purification, food preparation, radiation monitoring and many other life-saving procedures - these essential survival skills are performed just as they would be to save lives in a real nuclear emergency.”
Surviving the effects of global warming must seem like a piece of cake to the folks at OISM since they are so optimistic about living through nuclear war. Global warming skeptics like they and George Taylor like to focus on the uncertainties of the science underlying the Kyoto Protocol rather than what is known for sure. I assume that they don’t think there is any problem with Social Security either, because it isn’t possible to forecast the exact year it won’t be possible to pay out full benefits.
As Elizabeth Kolbert writes in her excellent three-part series in The New Yorker, “The Climate of Man" (parts I and II currently are online), “In legitimate scientific circles, it is virtually impossible to find evidence of disagreement over the fundamentals of global warming.”
Kolbert quotes Robert Socolow, co-director of the Carbon Mitigation Initiative funded by BP and Ford:
“I’ve been involved in a number of fields where there’s a lay opinion and a scientific opinion. And in most of the cases, it’s the lay community that is more exercised, more anxious. If you take an extreme example, it would be nuclear power, where most of the people who work in nuclear science are relatively relaxed about very low levels of radiation. But in the climate case, the experts—the people who work with the climate models every day, the people who do ice cores—they are more concerned. They’re going out of their way to say, ‘Wake up! This is not a good thing to be doing.’”
Yet here in Oregon our state climatologist is going around giving talks where he tries to put people to sleep, assuring them that natural cycles are mostly responsible for global warming and that this state’s current drought is “nothing more than a blip in the long-term history of the area’s climate.” That’s irresponsible. It would be irresponsible if Taylor was speaking just for himself. It is doubly irresponsible when he speaks as Oregon’s climatologist.
Halfway across the world, “Australia's Greenhouse Gas Scientists Declare Climate Emergency.” But Oregon’s climatologist says, “No worries, mate.” A Business Week cover story says, “Consensus is growing among scientists, governments, and business that they must act fast to combat climate change. This has already sparked efforts to limit CO2 emissions. Many companies are now preparing for a carbon-constrained world.” But Oregon’s climatologist says, “Not to worry.”
Optimism is wonderful. Unless it blinds you to reality.
Here’s how Elizabeth Kolbert ends her series in The New Yorker:
“No matter what we do at this point, global temperatures will continue to rise in the coming decades, owing to the gigatons of extra carbon dioxide already circulating in the atmosphere. With more than six billion people on the planet, the risks of this are obvious. A disruption in monsoon patterns, a shift in ocean currents, a major drought—any one of these could easily produce streams of refugees numbering in the millions. As the effects of global warming become more and more apparent, will we react by finally fashioning a global response? Or will we retreat into ever narrower and more destructive forms of self-interest? It may seem impossible to imagine that a technologically advanced society could choose, in essence, to destroy itself, but that is what we are now in the process of doing.”
I’m worried. George Taylor should be too.
Posted at 04:25 PM in Current affairs, Sustainability | Permalink | Comments (1)
Ultimate rejection letter
Last month I was excited to receive an ultimate rejection letter from Beacon Press. Like most writers I’m a connoisseur of rejection letters. Since I’ve received so many, I figure I might as well appreciate them.
I’d sent a copy of my book, “Return to the One,” off to Beacon Press, The University of Chicago Press, and the State University of New York Press. I told them that on Amazon it was currently the #1 best selling title about the Greek mystic philosopher Plotinus. And this was with very minimal publicity/promotion.
I candidly admitted that I’d probably been wrong to publish “Return to the One” in a POD (print on demand) fashion. As good as the book is, most reviewers won’t even consider reviewing it because it’s tainted with the dreaded POD Mark of the Beast: Unclean! It's self-published! Quick, cast this work of the literary devil into the trash!
Most rejection letters include boilerplate language like “Although your work would no doubt be of interest to many…” (U of C Press) and “Your project seems to us to be an important one…” (SUNY Press).
Gee, guys, if it’s interesting to so many and so important, why don’t you publish it?! Oh, I forgot. You’re just trying to soften the smack of the rejection letter.
Beacon Press, on the other hand, didn’t mess around with any niceties. They sent me this postcard.
Which, when I turned it over, contained this message.
So beautiful. Nothing. A marvelous rejection letter literary device. I could make up my own rejectory language:
“Mr. Hines, we have read every word of your book with great enthusiasm. Truly, you have written a masterpiece. Sadly, we consider Beacon Press unworthy to publish such a work of genius. You deserve so much better than us. We could never live with ourselves if our acceptance of ‘Return to the One’ prevented it from being published by the most prestigious book company in the world. Hopefully you won’t mind that we have forwarded your book to ________ with our highest commendations, whom we expect you’ll be hearing from soon.”
Of course, another possibility is that Beacon Press’ rejection card printer ran out of ink at an inopportune moment. And it could even be that the back of the card was intended to say, “We are very much interested in publishing your book. Please contact us immediately to discuss the terms of our generous agreement.”
I suppose I should write Beacon Press and ask them to send me a non-blank card. But I’ve gotten attached to the nothingness of what I now have. I don’t think that I’m ever going to get a more Zen rejection notice. Maybe it’s time to quit while I’m behind.
One hour with my father
Here’s a contrarian Mother’s Day story about the one hour I spent with my father. Note: the one hour, period. This wasn’t the best or worst hour, nor the happiest or saddest hour. It was the only hour I spent face-to-face with him.
Well, not counting a bunch of hours when I was a baby that I can’t remember. These are the only photos that I have of my father, John Hines. They always have been part of my Baby Book. I used to stare at them a lot when I was a kid, wondering what my father was like.
My mother never talked much about him. They were divorced in October 1952 when I was four. But they split up quite a while before that. I have no memory of my father other than that one hour, which I’ll get to in a little bit.
I don’t think about my father much. I don’t have much to think about. He came to mind recently because Friday I found an envelope in a filing cabinet that Laurel and I were cleaning out. Mice had gotten into the cabinet and shredded quite a bit of paper. Fortunately the envelope that I had gotten from my mother’s things after she died in 1985 was still mostly intact.
A clipping of her engagement to my father was in the envelope. It was the second marriage for both of them. This one only lasted five years. My mother had kept the probate court divorce declaration also. The cause was “that the libellee [my father] being of sufficient ability, has grossly wantonly and cruelly refused and neglected to provide suitable maintenance for said libellant [my mother] and their minor children [me and my sister, Evie].” Ouch.
Evie, my mother told me, was the reason they got divorced. She was born with a congenital heart condition. My father supposedly refused to move from Massachusetts to a drier climate where, the doctors said, she’d do better. He didn’t want to leave his job. My mother moved to Texas and stayed with my grandmother anyway. Good for her. Sadly, Evie died anyway.
My father was supposed to pay $50 a month to support me. He never sent a dime, at least during the time I was old enough to know whether he did or not. He also never sent me a line—no letters, no phone calls, no visits. Every Christmas I’d get a card from him with a check for a small amount of money. The card would be signed, “John.” Not “Dad” or “Your father.” No “Love” either. Just “John.”
So those were my memories of my father until my thirties. Two photos and a few laconically signed Christmas cards. I wanted more, naturally.
Divorce was very uncommon in the 1950s. I think I was the only kid in my elementary school whose parents were divorced. I wasn’t religious, but I did talk a lot to God in my room at night asking him, “Why don’t I have a father like my friends?”
My mother enrolled me in Boy Scouts and sent me to YMCA summer camp for some male influence. The first question boys would ask at camp, once everyone was settled in their cots, was “What does your father do?” I remember lying in my cot petrified as the question circled the room and was answered by camper after camper. I had no idea what to say. It was unthinkable to admit that I didn’t have a father.
My best friend bailed me out with a distracting joke at just the right time. I’ve never thanked him for this until now: if you read weblogs, Kenny Hart (you probably go by “Ken” now), bless you for being so sensitive.
When I was in my early thirties I picked up the phone one evening and heard, “Hi. This is John, your father.” Hmmmm. Okay. So? He did most of the talking. I could tell right away that he was much more interested in telling me about himself, than in learning about me and my family. That figured. The way he abandoned my mother and me, I didn’t have him pegged for a saint.
My father was sick. He had emphysema. Apparently he wanted to do some long distance conversing with his son before he got sicker. He told me a lot about himself. I don’t know how much to believe. A genius IQ? Maybe. One of the country’s top computer experts and a NASA consultant? Maybe. A founder of a high tech company, Systems and Computer Technology Corporation? Certainly—he sent me some stock in recompense for all those years of not paying child support.
A kick-ass efficiency expert for General Electric? Yes, I confirmed that later, during my one hour with him. Let’s see, what else? He said that he was adopted by the Hines’ and put a lot of work into researching his family history. He found out that his parents were Polish speaking Germans who came to this country early in the 1900s to work on the railroad. His mother died giving birth to him. His father cut and ran. Like father, like son.
At the time he told me about being a co-founder of Systems and Computer Technology Corporation, I had recently become a Ph.D. dropout after completing two years of coursework in a Systems Science doctoral program. I couldn’t help thinking, ‘Like father, like son.” But I didn’t want to be like my father. Yet, obviously in some ways I was.
What little my mother told me about John Hines was along the lines of, “He was an ex-Marine, tall, good-looking, a fine writer, charming.” Also, a jerk. I didn’t mind associating myself with the 50% of my genetic heritage that had positive qualities. But it began to creep me out the more my father would phone and ramble on about his life. I started to realize that, as the saying goes, I was cut from the same cloth—or at least half of the cloth—but had just unfolded in a different way, owing to other influences.
During one of our conversations I told him that I was going to attend a Systems Dynamics computer modeling seminar at M.I.T. He was staying in a Boston hotel and getting treated at a local hospital. I agreed to meet him at his hotel the afternoon before the seminar started.
Most people have spent lots of time with their fathers. A few people never have seen their fathers because of adoption or death. I haven’t heard of anyone like me who got to spend just a single hour with his or her father. As you can imagine, I was nervous walking down the hotel corridor to his room. I knocked.
My half-brother, Mike, opened the door. Apparently my father needed some support during this visit. John walked up to me and shook my hand. We didn’t hug or anything. No tears of joy. Nothing that you see in the movies. Real life isn’t like the movies.
What is real life like? Real life is having one hour in your life face-to-face with your father, and spending that time looking at General Electric manuals that he had arranged on the bed prior to my arrival, efficiently opened up to pages that he wanted to impress me with.
I sat down on the edge of the bed. I dutifully thumbed my way through manual after manual, listening to my father’s stories about how he went into GE plants that were having problems and got them back up to speed. “What the hell?” I kept thinking to myself. “If this is how my father wants to spend his time with his long-ignored son, so be it.”
We got through all of the manuals. I shook his hand again. When the door shut behind me and I started walking down the corridor to my rented car, I was so happy. Not happy that I had finally gotten to meet my father—happy that I would never have to see my father again.
Which I never did.
Moral to this story? If there is one, it’s that fantasies aren’t reality and what you get in life often is better than what you want in life. Growing up, I wanted my father. When I was grown up, that one hour with him taught me that I was hugely better off fatherless. I’m already too much like him. If I had grown up with him, I might have become him.
That’s too scary to think about. Time for a mind-cleansing nap, hopefully with fatherless dreams.
Messing with mallard natural selection
Laurel, avid animal lover that she is, can’t resist messing around with natural selection. Today she put up this sign at our nearby Spring Lake, warning people that a wild duck, or mallard, has chosen to lay her eggs in a highly public spot (maybe she’s an exhibitionist).
Before showing you the nest, I want to point out the professional quality of this sign. It’s good to know that, if all else fails, we can always open up a sign shop. Laurel contributed the printing, the UPS man brought us the cardboard, and I thought of the protective cling wrap. Result: a warning sign that will last for the ages, or at least until the next heavy rain.
Laurel also put up the stakes that mark the nest’s location. You can see that it is just a few feet from the rocky top of Spring Lake’s earthen dam, across which people, dogs, and horses frequently walk. The nest is barely visible midway between the stakes.
Here’s a close-up of the six eggs. I hope that the ducklings are able to hatch and waddle their way across the rocks and into the lake (probably quacking all the way, “Damn it, Mom! Why did you have to nest on the side of the rocks away from the water?! My feet hurt! When are we going to get there?! I need to go potty!)
Nature probably intends that ducks who don’t have the good sense to nest in a safe place shouldn’t have babies with the same genetic predisposition. But Laurel also is part of nature, and she’ll do her best to help out Mommy Mallard.
However, there is one mallard that neither of us would lift a finger for. We'd be joyous if this duck disappeared.
Posted at 09:12 PM in Neighborhood | Permalink | Comments (0)
Amazing! I enjoy Fox News
Fox News usually is the news network that I love to hate. I watch it in lieu of aerobic exercise, because the unfair and unbalanced Fox News style does such a good job of getting my heart racing.
But today I enjoyed how anchor Shepard Smith handled two stories: the Texas state House’s approval of a bill that bans suggestive cheerleading and a provision in Congress’ Real ID Act that allows the Homeland Security secretary to unilaterally suspend federal laws.
It seems that long-awaited cracks are starting to appear in what used to be monolithic Republican support for conservative policies. Republicans with a libertarian, small-government bent (Shepard Smith seems to be in this group) are beginning to resist the social control, Christian right side of the party that wants to strengthen governmental powers.
Thus I found these Fox News snippets to be interesting reflections of divisions in the conservative ranks that likely will widen. First, here’s my DVR-aided transcript of the cheerleading story:
Shepard Smith: “The Texas state House has approved the so-called ‘booty bill.’ The bill restricts ‘overly suggestive cheerleading.’ Its sponsor says that the performances are a distraction for students, resulting in pregnancies, dropouts, and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.”
Then a clip was shown of the above-mentioned sponsor, Rep. Al Edwards, (who is a Democrat, but the state House has a majority of Republicans) saying, “We cannot afford to exploit our young girls the way we are.”
Smith: “Good Lord! Critics of the bill say it is unnecessary since Texas bans lewd acts in public places anyway and some are questioning the government’s priorities here.”
End of story. Smith begins to speak spontaneously to a network colleague after a several second silent quizzical look.
“Can you believe that, Janice? [a Fox weather girl]. It rarely happens, Janice… [I’m] Speechless. Unbelievable…Dumbfounded, Janice, dumbfounded.”
Second, here’s some excerpts from the more substantive border fence story that featured Fox News Senior Judicial Analyst Andrew Napolitano:
Judge Andrew Napolitano: After talking about the driver’s license provision of the Real ID act, he said, “There is other language in this bill that is frightening…The same bill says to the Secretary of Homeland Security, build a fence between Texas and Mexico. You may suspend any federal law you may like that interferes with your building that fence.
Shepard Smith: What?”
Napolitano: “And no judge in any court in America may review your suspension of that law. That makes the Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, the king if he can suspend any law he wants. This has never happened before in American history.”
Smith (sarcastically): “So we have a king now. That’s good. I knew things were changing. You can feel it.”
Napolitano: “First the cheerleaders in Texas and now the king in Washington, D.C.
Smith: “There’s the problem. The judge has told you there is a king in Washington, D.C.”
Napolitano: “You’re exactly right. Our listeners and viewers need to know what the government is doing—with no debate about this in the House or Senate. They are about to enact the legislation that lets one person in Washington, the Secretary of Homeland Security, suspend any law he wants and prohibits any judge from reviewing that act of suspension. We’ve never had such legislation in our history.”
Smith: “Frightening. That’s frightening.”
Shepard Smith and Judge Napolitano then talked about the Texas cheerleading story.
Smith: “They are telling people what they can and cannot do with their clothed bodies. And then they’re not giving a definition for what ‘suggestive’ is. It is in the eye of the beholder, said the Texas state House representative from whom you heard earlier."
Napolitano: “Government should not be telling people how to express and what to look at, and what not to look at…. What will they regulate next in Texas?
Smith: “I don’t know. Maybe the color of your shoes. Maybe what your roof has to be made out of. Maybe the color of the person you can marry. Maybe we’ll go back to that too.
Napolitano: “Government has to recognize that it has limits. And morality comes from within, not enforced from without.”
Right on, Fox News. For once you really were fair and balanced in your reporting.
Poor us
Yesterday Laurel and I felt sorry for ourselves. You probably won’t feel sorry for us. But then, you’re not us. If you were us, pretty obviously you’d feel like just us. And even though you’re you and we are ourselves, I bet you’ve engaged in some similar feeling-sorryness that appears ridiculous to anyone else but you.
Here’s the deal: wanting knows no bounds. I realize this philosophically. The Buddha clearly explained how desire leads to suffering, and I’ve read my share of Buddhist books. But it isn’t until I’m face to face with a concrete example of how my wanting expands to fit the space available to it (which seemingly is infinite) that I really grasp what a trap I’m in. Laurel too. All of us, except the few with Buddha nature.
This is the view from the deck of the Camp Sherman cabin that we just came back from. We share ownership of the cabin with three other families. It sits on leased national forest service land on the banks of the Metolius River.
In 1997 we were fortunate to learn about a ¼ share of the cabin being put up for sale. At the time a Coldwell Banker realtor in Sisters told us that in the seven years he had been with the firm only one forest service cabin had been listed publicly, and he had never seen a partial share made available. These Metolius River cabins generally are passed down from generation to generation in a family, treasured assets that they are.
Laurel and I love the cabin. We love Camp Sherman. We love the Metolius River. And yet, we feel sorry for ourselves because we don’t have a direct view of the river like lots of other cabins do.
Whenever we walk to the cabin at the very end of the Metolius River trail, nearest to the head of the Metolius (which issues full-blown from a large spring), we envy the view those owners have from their deck. “They’re so lucky to have a view of the river,” we say. “We just look at trees. Poor us.”
I know, I know. This sounds ridiculous. It is ridiculous. But that’s how the human mind works: it always wants more, even when it has a lot.
Here’s a Calcutta street scene. I’m pretty sure most of the people who live in Calcutta wouldn't feel sorry for us if they knew that we have to look at just trees from inside the cabin rather than trees and the river. And yet, I’m willing to bet that if a Calcutta slum dweller were to be transplanted to our Camp Sherman cabin, within a few years he or she would be walking the river trail thinking just like us: “Oh, how nice it would be to have a better view.”
Well, I meditate every morning, as does Laurel. We await our enlightenments, the end of our never-ending wantings. For now, we make do with who we are.
I’ve taken to carrying a lounge chair the 100 feet or so from our cabin to the river, naturally feeling sorry for myself the whole way as I try to balance a chair and cushions in one hand, and a glass of juice, magazines, paperback book, and highlighter in the other. It’s a tough life.
I stagger with my load to the bank of the Metolius and settle in. Looking around, it’s a nice view. I can’t see it from our cabin—boo-hoo!—but they say that suffering is good for the soul.
I vow to endure, somehow, as I sip my cranberry juice and listen to the rushing water. Somewhere in Calcutta a street urchin is searching for food in a pile of trash. And I'm feeling sorry for myself.
Posted at 09:03 PM in Philosophy, Recreation | Permalink | Comments (1)
Metolius River traffic and weather report
Reporting from the shores of the Metolius River in Camp Sherman, Oregon, just a few hundred yards from the head of the Metolius, and just a few hours late (hey, I’m on Camp Sherman time):
Nobody is on the trails.
Except two people and a dog.
One of whom (not the dog) says that walking traffic is flowing freely.
Just like the rain.
Cool 53 degrees rain.
And that’s your Metolius River traffic and weather report.
5:30 pm, May 1, 2005.
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Enlightened Moderation
1999-08 Quest for Legitimacy dph
Referendum and General Elections of 2002
Enlightened moderation is a term coined by the former President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf. It refers to the approach which, in his opinion, should be adopted to while practicing the religion Islam. He believed that Islam needs to be practiced in moderation as opposed to the fundamentalist version of the religion, which is supported by most groups. This strategy was unveiled by the former President in the OIC Summit Conference in Malaysia in 2002.
To use Musharraf’s own words, he believes, “The world has become an extremely dangerous place. The devastating power of plastic explosives, combined with high-tech remote-controlled devices, as well as a proliferation of suicide bombers, has created a lethal force that is all but impossible to counter. The unfortunate reality is that both the perpetrators of these crimes and most of the people who suffer from them are Muslims. This has caused many non-Muslims to believe wrongly that Islam is a religion of intolerance, militancy and terrorism.”
Musharraf believed that the extremist version of Islam more rampant in the world had earned a bad name to the religion and its adherents. He believed that this was damaging to the reputation of this religion and its followers and the situation needs to be addressed. His solution for this was Enlightened Moderation. He wrote, “My idea for untangling this knot is Enlightened Moderation, which I think is a win for all — for both the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds. It is a two-pronged strategy. The first part is for the Muslim world to shun militancy and extremism and adopt the path of socio-economic uplift. The second is for the West, and the United States in particular, to seek to resolve all political disputes with justice and to aid in the socio-economic betterment of the deprived Muslim world.
He believed that political unrest, injustice and economic deprivation had caused Muslims all over the world to revert to the more fundamentalist and militant aspects. He urged the Muslim body to remember the glorious, and more moderate, past of the religion Islam and invited them to participate in the Islamic renaissance, the time for which has approached. He said the tolerance, acceptance and generosity are the very virtues of the Prophet of Islam (SAW) unfortunately the Muslims today are far removed from them.
It is ironic that as Musharraf declared Enlightened Moderation to be the future of the Muslim world at large, Pakistan continued to suffer in the hands of jihadist elements, a constant battlefield between fundamentalist Islamic groups trying to control the land. The Musharraf administration tried to take steps along the lines of ‘enlightened moderation’ in Pakistan and faltered. Banning militant groups only led to them springing up under different names and although the process of registrations to madrassahs came to a halt, the deficiencies in the public sector education curriculum remained unaddressed. Moreover the army failed to sever ties with the Talibans or other militant groups operative within Afghanistan and Kashmir ‘in the interest of retaining strategic proxies.’ In the analysis of one author, “In sum, Musharraf failed to successfully anchor enlightened moderation in Pakistan, largely due to policies that empowered the Islamic parties and tolerated militant groups…fiery clerics and vigilante youth squads who tasked themselves with enforcing Islamic morality proliferated in parts of the country, culminating in taking over of the Red Mosque in Islamabad in 2007 and its storming by the Army. As enlightened moderation dimmed, it gave way to a darker phenomenon: Talibanization”.
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Tag Archives: elizabeth knox
by iansales 1 Comment
Reading diary 2020, #6
You know that thing where you accidentally scheduled a post, even though you hadn’t finished writing it? I seem to have done that with this Reading diary, which is why it briefly appeared a couple of weeks ago. And then I sort of forgot to go back to it and finish it off, so the blog went into an unplanned hiatus for a few weeks. I think after two months of working from home, it’s starting to wear me down. I’m looking forward to getting back into the office.
The Real-Town Murders, Adam Roberts (2017, UK). Well, this didn’t go where I where I expected it to. Adam Roberts is an excellent person, and probably the best genre critic currently active in the UK, and while he writes enormously clever science fiction it is not always to my taste. But The Real-Town Murders has a heroine called Alma and is all about Hitchcock, and I’ve been a huge Hitchcock fan for many, many years, so this was a book I wanted to read. And yes, it starts out like a locked-room mystery, not that Hitchcock made many locked-room mysteries – maybe in Alfred Hitchcock Presents?- but The Real-Town Murders then goes off down a completely different path, which resulted in a very different novel to what I had been expecting to read. Alma is a private detective in a UK where most of the population live in a virtual world and rarely experience “the Real”. A bit like now, I expect. Except for the virtual world. She is called in to solve how a dead body appeared in the boot of a car at an automated factory even though there is complete footage of the car being made and at no time could a body have been placed in it. Alma is led to believe this may have been accomplished by teleportation. And if teleportation were real, then people might start returning to the Real because travel will have become as trivial there as it is in the virtual world. Except, it’s not teleportation (the solution is not hard to figure out, to be honest). And Alma finds herself being harassed by various arms of the government’s security services, which jeopardises the life of her partner, who had been infected with a hacked disease linked to Alma’s DNA and only Alma can prepare a a treatment when the disease threatens to kill her partner every four hours or so. So, not really a murder-mystery. And the plot makes so many swerves, despite being essentially a fugitive story, that at times it’s in danger of burying its ideas. Nonetheless, I liked it. There is apparently a sequel.
A Very British History, Paul J McAuley (2013, UK). It’s almost certainly the case McAuley is one of the best hard sf writers the UK has produced, and yet I find it difficult to connect with his fiction. He should be a favourite author, he writes precisely down the line I appreciate most in the genre. But many of his novels have left me cold, and I can’t work out quite why I finish his books more annoyed than satisfied. This collection, which was, and still is, free on Kindle, although I’d apparently bought the signed limited edition when it was launched at an Eastercon, which is of course currently in storage, the book that is, was I thought a perfect way to explore McAuley’s fiction and perhaps understand why I didn’t connect with it. A Very British History is subtitled “The best science fiction stories of Paul McAuley, 1985 – 2012, so it’s an excellent career retrospective. And the one thing the collection really displays is that McAuley writes to market. Perhaps that’s too severe a way to describe it. It’s more that he writes the sort of science fiction, mostly of the hard variety, that is fashionable at the time of writing. He cuts his cloth to suit what seems to be the “in” thing. He writes with a distinctive voice, and his prose is never less than good, but in the space of half a dozen stories, or novels, his readers can be bounced from far future sf set aboard a vast unimaginably old artefact to neoliberal capitalism in near-future space to cyberpunk-recast-as-fairytale. The reason I don’t connect with McAuley’s fiction, it seems, is because I can’t determine an identity behind it. It sounds like the harshest of criticisms, and I apologise, but it’s not. If you read three unrelated McAuley novels in a row, it would be like reading three novels by three different – but similar – authors in a row. It’s a good trick, and it has resulted in some excellent science fiction, but it doesn’t work for me. One thing notable about the stories in this collection, a consequence of the twenty-six years they cover, is that while some of the sensibilities embedded in them have not aged well (although better than many of McAuley’s contemporaries), the science fiction in the stories has remained timeless. McAuley has been praised throughout his career for ideas and his ability to present them, and it’s true they’re a major factor in the appeal of his fiction. But that lack of consistency of identity behind his work has always proven a stumbling block for me.
Shardik, Richard Adams (1974, UK). Adams is best-known for Watership Down, an excellent novel about rabbits. Two years after that book’s massive success, he published a… straight-up fantasy novel. It wasn’t published as such, of course. If anything, Penguin tried hard to pretend Adams had pretty much invented fantasy with their marketing for the novel. But Shardik is set in an invented land, at a technology level not far above Bronze Age, and is about a giant bear considered to be a god, or an avatar of a god, by a race of people. So it’s basically a fantasy novel. It just happens to be better written than is typical for genre fiction. The title refers to an ancient god of the Ortelgans, personified as a giant bear, who was kept on an island inhabited by priestesses. But the empire fell, the capital Bekla was conquered, and a new empire rose in its place. Shardik died and did not reappear. Generations later, a giant bear appears on the island the Ortelgans, now simple hunter folk, settled on after the fall of their empire. And they see it as the second coming of their god, and use it to take back Bekla and re-establish their empire. But they are not the people they once were. The novel mostly concerns Kelderek, the hunter who discovers Shardik, becomes his priest, and then the priest-king of Bekla. But it’s an empire doomed to failure, and Shardik escapes after an attempt on its life. Kelderek goes after him, and the two travel about the country – there’s a handy map, of course – both sinking further and further from what they were as the book progresses. Kelderek encounters enemies he made while priest-king, and evil people he helped create. It’s all a bit grim, and Adams has this weird trick of referencing culture that would be known to a well-educated Brit in the 1970s, which does sort of kill the immersion. You do not, after all, except to see a mention of Shakespeare in a secondary-world fantasy novel. I suspect I wanted to like Shardik more than I did. It felt like it didn’t try hard enough to be a fantasy, even though the world-building was generally good. The quality of the prose, however, was a definite bonus.
The Green Man’s Foe, Juliet E McKenna (2019, UK). I read The Green Man’s Heir last year and enjoyed it very much. To be honest, I’d been wanting to read some of McKenna’s fantasy for many years but had never got around to it. The Green Man’s Heir was on offer at the time I bought it, and while I’m no fan of urban fantasy I’d certainly enjoyed its Mythago Wood meets Midsomer Murders story. The book proved successful enough to warrant a sequel (which has been nominated for the BSFA Award, but lost out to Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Ruin, which is also a sequel, as indeed was every book on the shortlist.). In an afterword, McKenna writes that The Green Man’s Foe had originally been a completely unrelated story, but had never been finished. But the story proved ideal as a sequel for The Green Man’s Heir, so she rewrote it as such. In this novel, carpenter and son of a dryad Daniel Mackmain is asked to project manage the conversion of an old mansion into a boutique hotel – because there is something weird going on in the attached woodland, and it may be tied in with the house’s history and its link to early twentieth-century British occultism. McKenna introduces a cast of believable and appealing characters, and lets her mystery develop over the length of the novel. There are some odd tonal changes as the story develops – is it a ghost story, an occult story, or does it all plug into the mythology developed in the first book? The answer is, well, all three, and the three aspects at times interfere with each other. It’s also much more Midsomar than the first book, although that is almost certainly a consequence of its location, a Cotswold village. And at times it felt a bit like a British detective series from the 1980s. But they’re minor quibbles. This is entertaining stuff, put together by someone who knows what they’re doing. The cast are likeable, the mythology works, and it all feels like a series with legs. More, please.
Billie’s Kiss, Elizabeth Knox (2002, New Zealand). I think this was on offer, but I’m not entirely sure what it was about the blurb which persuaded me to buy the book and read it. Something about “an Edwardian twist on The Tempest”, and a feeling the novel was sort of magical realism set some 100 years ago in the Shetlands. I knew nothing about the author, or even her most famous book, The Vinter’s Luck. Having now read Billie’s Kiss I can say many of the things its blurb promised it is not, although that does not make it a bad novel. Billie lives with her sister and brother-in-law. She is illiterate (actually dyslexic), a bit of a free spirit, and has been unable to find a situation of her own. Her brother-in-law is hired by a soap magnate, Lord Hallowhulme, who owns one of the Shetland islands, to catalogue the book collection in his castle there. Billie accompanies the couple. As the ferry approaches the island’s jetty, something in the hold explodes and the ship sinks, filling fifteen people. The magnate’s brother-in-law, Murdo Hesketh, a half-Swede who had served with the army in Stockholm but now works on the island, decides to investigate. This is by no means a murder-mystery. It’s the story of the Hallowhulme and Hesketh families, and the story of Billie, an innocent who gets caught up in pretty much everything that’s going on. It’s not an easy plot to summarise, and probably not worth the effort of doing so. Despite not being the book I was expecting it to be, I enjoyed Billie’s Kiss. The prose was generally good, if a little over-wrought in places, as indeed were some of the characters, and one or two of them tended a little toward pantomime. But it handled its time and place well, and Billie proved an interesting protagonist. Worth reading.
Categories: book review, books, reading diary 2020 | Tags: adam roberts, elizabeth knox, juliet e mckenna, paul mcauley, richard adams | Permalink.
@marcusgipps 99. But any list that puts Aliens higher than Alien is just wrong. 1 hour ago
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Tag Archives: richard calder
by iansales 4 Comments
Sf comics
It’s not just the Europeans and their bandes dessinées who produce science fiction in comic form. In my previous post (see here), I mentioned the UK’s anthology comics, such as 2000 AD or Starlord. There have been also many other sf comics and/or graphic novels published over the years. Here are the ones I own. Some are British, some are American, some are by British writers working for American publishers…
Ron Turner was a stalwart of the British comics scene, especially science fiction, with a career stretching from 1936 until his death in 1998. Rick Random, Space Detective, was created in 1953 for Super Detective Library, a collection of small comic books much like Commando and War Picture Library. Random appeared in 27 books between 1954 and 1957, but his adventures were later reprinted in a variety of venues, including 2000 AD summer specials. There was even an all-new story in 2000 AD in 1979. The book pictured collects ten of Random’s adventures, all but one drawn by Turner. No writing credits are given, but Harry Harrison is known to have written for the series.
Another important venue for sf comics in the UK was newspapers. The tabloids would often feature a number of strips, some of which were ongoing serials. Jeff Hawke, who appeared in the Daily Express between February 1955 and April 1974, was created and drawn by Sydney Jordan. Titan Books published two of the stories back in the mid-1980s, but the above two are much more recent. They’re worth getting hold of.
Another excellent sf strip from a newspaper is the Daily Mirror’s Garth. This ran from 1943 until 1997, but it’s the Frank Bellamy version I remember best. He drew it from 1971 to 1976 (my grandfather subscribed to the Daily Mirror, and I’d read the strip whenever I visited him). In the mid 1980s, Titan reprinted two stories in individual volumes – The Cloud of Balthus and The Women of Galba (ignore the awful cover art). The Daily Mirror only published two Garth annuals, in 1975 and 1976 – both are shown. Given there are 165 Garth stories, it’s about time someone did a proper job of collecting and republishing them.
And then there’s 2000 AD, which has been publishing issues constantly since 1977. I used to subscribe to it back in the late 1970s/early 1980s, and I have fond memories of many of the strips it featured. Which is what prompted me to buy the above. Robohunter is an old Titan Books reprint I bought back in the 1980s. The other two are more recent and were published by Rebellion, 2000 AD’s publisher. Sadly, it’s never wise to revisit things you loved when you were younger. The Stainless Steel Rat may be an improvement on the books, but that’s not saying much, and the adaptation misses out a couple of important plot points. ABC Warriors has its moments, but it’s really just a derivative mash-up of half a dozen war movies, with crap dialogue to suit.
Luther Arkwright is the work of Bryan Talbot, and appeared in a limited series comic in the late 1980s. It was collected as a trade paperback in the late 1990s, and a sequel Heart Of Empire was published soon after. It’s a New worlds-ish steampunky alternate worlds sf sort of thing, and it’s quite brilliant. Every self-respecting sf fan should own a copy. In fact, they should own copies of everything Talbot has done.
Also brilliant is Scarlet Traces and its sequel, The Great Game, a story set in Victorian Britain after Wells’ Martians have succumbed to the common cold. The British Empire has reverse-engineered the Martian technology and as a result maintained its technological and global preeminence. Later, Edginton and d’Israeli adapted Wells novel as a sort of prequel to their series.
Warren Ellis is British, but much of his work has been done for various US comics publishers. Several of the mini-series he has written are science fiction – such as the above. Ministry of Space, an alternate history story in which the British have a post-war space programme is especially good. Not shown are Ignition City and Anna Mercury, which a friend is currently borrowing.
Sf novels occasionally get the graphic novel treatment, although not always successfully – or rather, the project is not always completed. The silver book above is the graphic novel of Alfred Bester’s The Stars My Destination, drawn by Howard Chaykin, from 1979. It’s signed by Bester, Chaykin and Byron Preiss. It’s also only half of the novel’s story. A concluding volume was never produced. Empire shares a title with a Samuel R Delany novella, but the story Delany wrote for this Chaykin-illustrated story is not that ‘Empire’. Dead Girls is the first volume in an adaptation of Richard Calder’s novel of the same name, published House of Murky Depths. It originally appeared as a strip in the magazine Murky Depths, which has since ceased publication. The graphic novel will, however, continue. The edition shown is signed and numbered.
Jed Mercurio’s Ascent is one of my favourite novels, but sadly this graphic adaptation fails to capture what I like about the book. T-Minus is a comic-book potted history of the Space Race and is quite good.
Night And The Enemy is an illustrated short story, written by Harlan Ellison and illustrated by Ken Steacy. The Sacred and the Profane is a graphic novel, written by Dean Motter and also illustrated by Steacy, which first appeared in Star*Reach from 1977 to 1978. In the 1980s, Motter and Steacy rewrote, redrew and coloured it, and it was published in Epic Illustrated – which is where I saw it for the first time. (I used to buy issues of Epic Illustrated and Heavy Metal during the 1980s when I was passing through Schiphol, travelling to and from the Middle East.) The collected edition above is signed and numbered. It’s also very good.
I’m not entirely sure why someone decided a mash-up featuring Tarzan and another of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ characters was a good idea, but they went and did it. First Tarzan met Carson of Venus, and then he met John Carter of Mars. Not an entirely successful pair of literary experiments.
Recent years, perhaps triggered by the Disney film, have seen a surge of new John Carter adaptations, as well as omnibus editions of older versions. The two Dejah Thoris graphic novels aren’t too bad, though it would be nice if they could put some clothes on her. The other two are quite poor.
Categories: graphic novels, science fiction | Tags: 2000 AD, alfred bester, bryan talbot, d'israeli, dejah thoris, Frank Bellamy, Garth, harlan ellison, hg wells, howard chaykin, ian edginton, jed mercurio, Jeff Hawke, john carter, ken steacy, luther arkwright, richard calder, Rick Random, Ron Turner, samuel r delany, scarlet traces, Sydney Jordan, tarzan | Permalink.
Readings & watchings #9 2011
Despite making a compulsion of reading every day, the TBR pile looks no smaller – and, in fact, might well have grown. If I was smart I’d institute a policy of only buying a new book if I’ve read one from the TBR. Sadly, I’m not. Maybe I should get a Kindle or something – at least then the books wouldn’t take up as much space. Mind you, it would make my book haul posts look a bit silly…
Anyway, here are the books I have read in the past month or so; here are the films I’ve watched in the past month or so. Some were good, some were bad, some were meh. And so it goes. Apologies for the length of this post; I really should do these more frequently.
Hardball, Sara Paretsky (2009). I’ve been a fan of Paretsky’s novels since first reading one back in the early 1990s. Perhaps their chief appeal is that Paretsky wears her politics on her sleeve, and VI Warshawski’s investigations always end up uncovering something interesting about Chicago’s political landscape and history – and often as commentary on the US as a whole. Hardball, a slight return to form after the disappointing Fire Sale, is no different in that respect. Warshawski is asked to track down a young black man who disappeared during Martin Luther King’s visit, and the subsequent riot, in 1968… and discovers some unwelcome facts about the city’s police department of the time. Of which her late father was a member. There are a lot of angry men in Hardball – in fact, it often seems like the entire male cast are angry at Warshawski, and not always for good reason.
Shadow Man, Melissa Scott (1995), was September’s book for my reading challenge and I wrote about it here.
Valerian 1: The City of Shifting Waters (1970) and Valerian 2: The Empire of a Thousand Planets, Jean-Claude Mézières & Pierre Christin (1971), are the first two English translations by Cinebook of a well-known sf bande dessinée series. Valerian is a spatio-temporal agent and, with his sidekick Laureline, gets involved in various adventures throughout the universe and history. In The City of Shifting Waters, he’s sent back to 1980s New York, which is flooded after a global environmental disaster, to prevent an evil villain from a nefarious plot to prevent the creation of the agency for which Valerian works. In The Empire of a Thousand Planets, Valerian and Laureline are sent as diplomats to a thousand-world planetary system (!), but discover that some strange group controls all the planets and seems determined to wage war on Earth. These books are not entirely serious – there’s a gentle humour running throughout them, though it’s not very subtle. Laureline, the sidekick, for example, is the clever one, who always gets Valerian out of his scrapes. There’s some inelegant info-dumping, and some of the story and art of The Empire of a Thousand Planets looks suspiciously like a direct inspiration for Star Wars (as an afterword points out tongue-in-cheek). Fun, though.
On Green Dolphin Street, Sebastian Faulks (2001), I’m fairly sure I tried reading when I was living in Abu Dhabi, but gave up a couple of chapters in because nothing seemed to be happening. This time, I ploughed on and… nothing happened. The van Lindens are a diplomatic couple in 1959 USA. Charlie is an analyst at the British Embassy, and was something of a wunderkind. But his star is now waning, mostly as a result of his drinking. When Frank Renzo, an acquaintance from Charlie’s visit to Vietname years before, re-introduces himself at a party, it results in an affair between Renzo and Mary van Linden. This comes to a head when Charlie has a breakdown during a trip to Moscow, and Mary has to go and fetch him. I was expecting a final section like that in Charlotte Gray – another Faulks novel which ambles along at a geriatric pace – but there isn’t one in On Green Dolphin Street. Charlie has a breakdown, Mary rescues him. That’s it. There’s some nice writing, but it’s not really enough to keep you reading. Disappointing. I’ve got four more novels by Faulks on the TBR. I hope they’re better than this one…
The Adventures of Blake & Mortimer 11: The Gondwana Shrine, Yves Sente & André Juillard (2011), is another addition to Edgar P Jacob’s series, and follows on directly from the two The Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent volumes. It’s drawn in Hergé’s ligne claire style, but is very talky with great speech balloons filling up many panels. The plot is completely bonkers, as Blake & Mortimer stumble across evidence of a secret base in Africa of a civilisation which existed on Gondwana millions of years before the first humans left the Rift Valley. Sometimes, you get the impression Yves Sente is a bit too clever for his own good…
Ascent, Jed Mercurio & Wesley Robins (2011), is a graphic novel adaptation of Mercurio’s excellent novel of the same title. The hardware is well drawn, but the rest looks a bit rubbish and amateur. Disappointing.
The Kings of Eternity, Eric Brown (2011), has been receiving lots of positive notices, though I think it’s unlikely to bounce Brown’s career to the next level. It’s very good, but it’s far too considered a novel to have broad genre appeal. It’s also not space opera. A reclusive writer living on a Greek island in 1999 falls in love with the painter who has moved in next to him, but only reluctantly opens himself to her. Four friends in 1935 meet at the country home of one of them, and in the woods nearby witness the opening of a portal from another world and rescue the creature which comes through it. The link between the two narratives is not difficult to guess, but that doesn’t spoil any enjoyment this novel might have. The narrative set on the Greek island has a somewhat Fowlesian feel to it, though it’s perhaps more sentimental than anything Fowles ever wrote. The other narrative is very Wellsian, though it uses Wellsian-type tropes with the sophistication of a twenty-first century sf writer. Is this Brown’s best novel? Hard to say. I still like Kéthani a lot, though The Kings of Eternity is certainly a very good novel. Perhaps my reading of it was spoiled slightly as a result of reading the novella on which it was based, ‘The Blue Portal’, some years ago.
Silicon Embrace, John Shirley (1996), however, is not a good novel. I like Shirley’s fiction, but he can be very slapdash. And Silicon Embrace is one of the slapdash ones. It’s a post-apocalyptic US crossed with UFO mythology, featuring a Damnation Alley-style journey across California and Nevada, with a secret underground base staffed by a military in league with the Greys. Then the story heads for New York, and turns into something slightly different. This book was poorly edited, with far too many ellipses left in the dialogue, and a number of silly mistakes, like mention of “Neil Stephenson” (sic). Disappointing.
It Was the War of the Trenches, Jacques Tardi (1993), is a bande dessinée treatment of WWI from the point of view of the soldiers. Tardi has picked out some of the worst and most horrific stories, and given them a graphic novel treatment. Such as the one about the Sicilian soldier who could not speak French and so didn’t go over the top when ordered, and was subsequently tried and shot as a deserter. Or the officer who ordered machine-guns to open fire on his own men because they were being mowed down by the Germans and were trying to get back to their trenches. The more you learn about the First World War, the more you realise the wrong people were killed. Anyone who reads this and continues to glorify war and the military is clearly an idiot.
Maul, Tricia Sullivan (2003), was October’s book for my reading challenge and I’m still working on a blog post about it.
The Joy of Technology, Roy Gray (2011), is a chapbook published by Pendragon Press. The author is a friend of mine. The technology in question is that used in sex clubs in Germany in order to better titillate customers. The customers, in this case, are a coach-load of football fans from the UK, visiting Germany as their team is playing away. A father introduces his son to the joys of travelling onto the Continent to see a footy match, and also to the delights to be had before and after the match. Gray pulls no punches, and if his story dehumanises its characters I suspect that was its intent. It does trail off a bit towards the end, and perhaps would have been improved by a punchier finale.
Synthajoy, DG Compton (1968). A blinding novel by a much-underappreciated writer. I wrote about it here.
Dead Girls: Act 1 – The Last of England, Richard Calder & Leonardo M Giron (2011), is a graphic novel of part of Calder’s novel of the same title. I’ve read that novel – in fact, I’ve read the trilogy – and it’s very good. The graphic novel is also very good. The style of art suits the material perfectly. The story is actually the flashback from the novel, which actually makes the world of the book easier to understand. I’m looking forward to seeing the next installment.
The Unit, Ninni Holmqvist (2006), has lots of praise on the covers of my paperback copy of this book, and I’m not entirely sure why. In a near-future, or alternate present, Sweden, anyone over the age of fifty without children, or who has not made a significant contribution to culture or industry, is deemed “dispensable”. They are taken to luxurious centres – such as the “unit” of the title – where they have free housing, food and healthcare, and are encouraged to use the copious leisure facilities. While there, they must volunteer for medical experiments and, over a period of years, donate whenever necessary their organs. Dorrit is one such woman. Something of a loner, inside the unit she finds friendship, and then love. At which point, of course, she no longer wants to be dispensable. The concept of the unit is, I admit, quite neat, though it doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. From the description, it would cost far more to run than it returns in the form of drug testing or donated organs. The rules on who is dispensable are also open to abuse, especially for those who are childless but have contributed in some highly-recognised fashion. Also, the fact that survival is predicated on having children will also push women back into their traditional roles, undoing decades of feminism. None of this seems to have occurred to Holmqvist. She makes Dorrit a bit mannish, but has her enjoy being passive and feminine as if it were something to aspire to. I also thought the writing was very clumsy in places, though that may be more the translator’s fault than the author’s. I suspect this is one of those books where people can see little beyond the central conceit – like Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, for example, which has a brilliant central idea but is appallingly written. And yet those same people will sneer at science fiction because so many of its fans look only at its ideas and ignore all else in a text.
Warlord of Mars Vol 1, Arvid Nelson, Stephen Sadowski & Lui Antonio (2011). I have a love-hate relationship with John Carter. Or rather, with the books in which he features. Barsoom is a great invented land, but the prose is often quite painful to read – not only is the style horribly dated, but Edgar Rice Burroughs was a hack. But there’s something in John Carter and Barsoom which fires the imagination… even if every incarnation of it to date has yet to match expectation. This miniseries is an attempt at a more faithful comic adaptation of the first book of the series, A Princess of Mars. However, like all such it stands or falls on the quality of its art… and here it’s not too bad. Okay, so Dejah Thoris is improbably bosomed and near naked – though, to be fair, in ERB’s novel all the character are naked all the time. And the Tharks do bear a suspicious resemblance to the Tharks in Marvel’s 1978 John Carter, Warlord of Mars comic. Overall, this is quite a good adaptation, though it does make the source material appear more shallow than it actually is. Meanwhile, I’ll have to wait until Pixar’s film adaptation is released in March 2012…
The Uncensored Man, Arthur Sellings (1964), I read as part of my British sf Masterworks investigation, and I wrote about it here.
Warlord of Mars, Dejah Thoris Vol 1: Colossus of Mars, Arvid Nelson & Carlos Rafael (2011), is much better than the adaptation of A Princess of Mars by the same writer mentioned above. The artwork is lovely, though Dejah Thoris is still implausibly pneumatic. And mostly naked. But Dejah Thoris is certainly the heroine and drives the plot from start to finish. The story is set hundreds of years before John Carter appears on Mars, when Greater and Lesser Helium were at war and both owed allegiance to another city-state. The jeddak of that state finds an ancient colossus and goes on a rampage, but Dejah Thoris manages to ally the two Heliums and leads a force to defeat him. I’ll be keeping an eye open for the next book in the series.
The Testament of Jessie Lamb, Jane Rogers (2011), was, I believe, longlisted for the Booker, but since the plot summary made it clear it was sf-written-by-a-mainstream-author I picked up a copy just before Waterstone’s abolished their 3-for-2 promotion. And it’s certainly sf, in the same way The Handmaid’s Tale or The Children of Men are. Or even Nineteen Eighty-four. At some point in the near-future, a virus is released which infects everyone. But when women become pregnant, it turns into full-blown Creuzfeld-Jakob Syndrome and is always fatal. In other words, women can’t have children anymore – or they die. And it’s a particularly horrible death, as their brain dissolves in their skulls over a period of weeks and sometimes days. Jessie Lamb is 16-year-old whose father works at a clinic attempting to find a cure to Maternal Death Syndrome. While around them the world slowly falls apart. The first section of the novel, in which Jessie tries to come to terms with the world, and in which the role of women in society slowly erodes, is very good indeed. But about halfway through Jessie volunteers to become as “Sleeping Beauty” – she joins a programme which will keep the mothers in comas so the babies can be born safely, though, of course, the mothers will not survive. At which point, the novel turns into YA story and is all about Jessie trying to convince her parents that her choice is the right one. Yet the trigger for that choice doesn’t seem especially obvious. The Testament of Jessie Lamb is a pretty good book, but it’s also half of what could have been an excellent one.
The Garments of Caean, Barrington Bayley (1978). Bayley’s fiction was always slightly odd, and this one’s no exception. It’s 1970s hackwork, but it starts from a point, with a conceit, that no self-respecting sf hack would ever have tried. But Bayley makes it work. Sort of. In the Tzist Arm of the galaxy there are two major cultures, the Ziode cluster and Caean. The Ziodeans are just like contemporary Anglophone Westerners, but with spaceships and few other sf trappings of the day. The Caeanites, however, are entirely different. They have developed tailoring to such a degree – they call it the Art of Attire – that clothes do indeed maketh the man. So when a black marketeer liberates a cargo of Caeanic clothing from a crashed spaceship, it threatens the already minimal relations between the two groups. The prose veers from serviceable to the odd piece of fairly good writing. About two-thirds of the way through, the plot takes a turn that makes a nonsense of the book’s set-up up until that point. And there’s a casual mention of rape which is really quite offensive in this day and age. Not one of Bayley’s best. There were much better books written by British sf authors during the 1970s. Don’t bother with this one.
The Big Heat, Fritz Lang (1953), is one of Lang’s noir films from his Hollywood period. Glenn Ford plays the white knight, an honest cop, who tries to bring down the mob boss who runs the city. While the film is generally considered a classic of the genre, it does suffer heavily from simplistic morality, the righteousness of its hero, and the characterisation of women as either duplicitous or victims (Lang’s While the City Sleeps has a woman beat the shit out of a serial killer who attacks her). The Big Heat is especially brutal in this last regard, when mobster lieutenant Lee Marvin throws boiling hot coffee into the face of his girlfriend because she was seen talking to Ford. And she’s not the only victim of Ford’s relentlessness. He continues to harrass the mobster – ignoring due process, evidence, etc. – despite being told not to by his lieutenant, and as a result is suspended. But still he carries on. And he gets his man in the end, no matter who suffers or perishes in the process. Of the Lang noir films I’ve seen, The Big Heat is the least interesting – it’s too formulaic, has little or no ambiguity, and, let’s face it, Marvin’s brutality is no reason to celebrate a film.
Winter’s Bone, Debra Granik (2010), I vaguely recall hearing good things about, though I think I kept on getting it confused with Hanna. I’ve no idea why – the only thing the two films have in common are a teenage girl as protagonist. Anyway, I put it on the rental list, several weeks later it dropped through the letter box, I picked it up and looked at it and thought “meh”. One weekend night I stuck it in the DVD-player… and it proved to be one of the best films I’ve seen so far this year. A teenage girl is visited by the local sheriff, who tells her that her father, whom she has not seen for weeks, is due in court soon. He has put up his house as surety for his bail and if he doesn’t appear, then the girl, her young brother, and their mentally ill mother will be put out on the street when the bail bonds company seizes the property. So she goes looking for her errant pa. The film is set in the Ozarks, among poor families who live on subsistence farming and cooking methamphetamine. It’s an insular society, ruled by the threat of violence, in which women live in fear and even kin asking questions is unwelcome – and punished by threats and then violence. Jennifer Lawrence is excellent as the girl. Winter’s Bone is a scary film, set among very scary people. I now want to read the novel by Daniel Woodrell on which it’s based. In fact, I’d like to read all of his books. This is not always a good move: for example, Hitchcock’s Marnie is greatly superior to Winston Graham’s, and the film of Roddy Doyle’s The Commitments is much better than the book. But I’d still like to read them.
Black Heaven, Gilles Marchand (2010), I reviewed for The Zone and it was meh. See here.
The Wedding Song (Le chant des mariées), Karin Albou (2008), is one of those films that occasionally appears on my rental list but I forget why I put it there. Perhaps it was because it’s set in Tunisia, and I’ve seen many excellent North African films. The Wedding Song is set during WWII after the invasion of Tunisia by the Nazis. Two teenage girls, one an Arab Muslim, the other Jewish, are friends, but the Germans’ demands on the population soon push them apart. Not helping this are the Arab girl’s fiancé, who goes to work for the Germans identifying the local Jews, or the Jewish girl’s mother who marries her off to a wealthy doctor much older than her. This is not a pacey film, it’s far more about developing the characters in order to better understand their responses to the Nazi depradations. I’ve seen the film presented as a lesbian film, which it isn’t. The two girls are childhood friends, though that doesn’t prevent one from betraying the other – and later saving her. The Wedding Song is as much about the Nazi invasion’s effect on Tunisia as it is about the effect on the two girls. An excellent film.
Summer Storm, Douglas Sirk (1944). I’ve always thought that Sirk was to the melodrama what Hitchcock was to the thriller. But while Hitchcock never made a film that wasn’t entertaining, Sirk’s oeuvre is not so consistent. It’s not just later-period fluff like 1957’s Battle Hymn, but even earlier works such as this adaptation of Chekov’s novella, ‘The Shooting Party’. It just seems… weird. It’s melodramatic, and very much a mid-1940s melodrama. But everyone is dressed in nineteenth-century Russian costumes, and they all have Russian names. It makes for a weird disconnect between story and presentation. George Sanders plays a provincial judge ensnared by a scheming peasant beauty (Linda Darnell). First she marries the local aristocrat’s estate manager – and the aristocrat throws a party and invites all his effete peers as a joke – but Darnell’s sights are set higher. There’s probably a good script hiding in Summer Storm, but I kept on getting thrown by the fake scenery and American jocularity.
Thor, Kenneth Branagh (2011). Of all the heroes in Marvel’s stable, you have to wonder why they chose Thor for a movie adaptation. He’s one of the least interesting. He’s a Norse god with a big hammer, and in his secret identity he works as a doctor. The Thor from Norse mythology had much more interesting adventures. Of course, Thor is one of the Avengers, and The Avengers is next year’s Marvel tentpole release (the preview trailer actually looks quite boring). In order to introduce Thor, Branagh ripped off the plot of Superman II, but flipped it so that the good guy is exiled to Earth rather than the baddies. Thor’s brother Loki schemes for Odin’s throne, and big dumb Thor falls for his dastardly tricks, and a sa result is exiled to Earth. Where he happens to land in the lap of scientist Natalie Portman. For much of the film, Thor’s superpower appears to be stupidity, though he quickly learns to be a nice person, which not only gets him back to Asgard and allows him to defeat evil Loki, but also returns him to the loving bosom of his father. Because, of course, Thor is a father-son film. Admittedly, the film looks good – especially the bits set in Asgard, though it seems to have ditched the whole Norse mythology thing and implies that Asgard is an alien world / alternate dimension sort of place that just happens to be populated by humanoid Viking-types. I can’t see much point in trying to rationalise superheroes – it can’t be done. They are nonsense, their powers are magic. And the comics industry has never understood what rigour is, anyway.
Tron Legacy, Joseph Kosinski (2010). Perhaps the desire to update Tron, given the current state of special effects, is understandable. I mean, the original Tron had some good ideas, and an interesting look, but it wasn’t very good. Unfortunately, it was still a damn sight better than Tron Legacy. Yes, the special effects are much improved. But the story is rubbish. And it makes no sense. Jeff Bridges’ son accidentally gets himself digitised and ends up in the virtual world where his father has been trapped for the past umpteen years. In order to escape, they both need to defeat the evil copy of Bridges he created to run the virtual world. This is all supposed to have something to do with microprocessor architecture and programming, but I work in IT and it made no sense to me. anyway, Bridges, as creator, has special powers. But he only uses them in the last ten minutes of the film to save his son. He could have used them at any time. And the only way he can save him is to commit total genocide. Despite the fact he has been fighting his evil copy because said copy committed genocide on some virtual life that spontaneously appeared in the virtual world. Who writes this crap? Oh, and did I mention it’s a father-son film? Well, obviously.
Almighty Thor, Christopher Ray (2011), is the Asylum’s take on Thor. Except it’s completely different. Sort of. Odin and his two sons live in generic semi-mediaeval fantasyland (one of the greener parts of California, by the look of it, with a poor CGI rendering of a castle). Baldir is Odin’s heir, a powerful warrior. Thor, however, is a weakling and not very bright. He doesn’t know how to fight with a sword, either. Then Loki – Richard Grieco, looking like he’s spent the last decade shooting up – invades Asgard, and kills both Odin and Baldir. It’s up to Thor to save the day. Except he’s useless. Happily, Valkyrie Jarnsaxa appears and agrees to train him up. This involves hiding out in present-day Los Angeles – well, those back-streets where filming permits are evidently quite cheap. If the sections set in Asgard looked cheap, the ones set in LA resemble something from public access television. The Asylum are rightly known for making shit films, and the only astonishing things about them are the levels of shitness those film actually reach. Yes, some films are so bad they’re good, but that’s one trick the Asylum has yet to master.
Bonjour Tristesse, Otto Preminger (1958). When I think of Preminger I think of classy noir films from the 1940s, but Bonjour Tristesse, adapted from the novel by Françoise Sagan, is a 1950s melodrama. It opens in black and white, with Jean Seberg describing her ennui in voice-over as she flits from one Parisian night-club to the next, from one wealthy young playboy to the next… The action then shifts to the previous summer, on the French Riviera, and in colour. Seberg is holidaying there with her father, shallow playboy David Niven. Staying with them is a bouncy Swedish blonde playmate… but then Deborah Kerr, an old flame, unexpectedly accepts an invitation to visit. and she manages to tame the playboy father. This unfortunately puts the kaibosh on Seberg’s plans for a life of profligate leisure, so she hatches a cunning ploy. Which has a somewhat unfortunate consequence. It’s all very high-society and irresponsible wealth, and you can’t feel much sympathy for the characters. But it’s an excellently-made film, and both Niven and Kerr are very good in it. Seberg I found too gamine and empty-headed to really convince, and as a result the film for me never quite managed the charm of Hitchcock’s To Catch A Thief or the cool sophistication of Antonioni’s L’Avventura.
Princess of Mars, Mark Atkins (2009), I stumbled across one night on Movies 24, but only managed to catch part of it. So I made a note of its next showing, and sat down to watch it from start to finish. It is, of course, an Asylum film, and while it’s currently titled Princess of Mars to cash in on Pixar’s release of John Carter of Mars next March, it was originally titled Avatar of Mars after James Cameron’s blue-peopled epic. In fact, Princess of Mars follows ERB’s novel quite closely – though, like every adaptation ever made, it ditches the nudity. Carter himself is updated to a Special Forces soldier in Afghanistan, and the mechanism which sends him to Barsoom is a military experiment performed on him since he’s at death’s door. But once on the Red Planet, he runs into the Tharks, joins them, captures Dejah Thoris, falls in love with her, and goes on to save the planet and unite the Red and Green Men. Mars itself resembles an Arizona desert, most of the special effects are cheap and nasty, as are the make-up and prosthetics, and Traci Lords as Dejah Thoris is astonishingly bad. But for an Asylum film, this one is actually almost watchable.
Ricky, François Ozon (2009). There’s something about Ozon’s films I find appealing – though, it’s not true of all of them. Angel is garish and amusing, Water Drops On Burning Rocks has that astonishing dance scene in it, Under The Sand is beautifully played… but Le Refuge is a bit dull, as is Swimming Pool, and 8 Women I find a little too OTT. Certainly he’s a director whose films I seek out, however. And happily, Ricky is one of the good ones. A working-class French woman falls in love with a spaniard who works at the same factory. He moves in with her, the woman’s young daughter is upset at having her world altered but gradually comes to accept him… then the woman becomes pregnant. The family dynamic immediately changes. That is until the baby – rickey – is born and when several months old develops bruises on his shoulder blades. The woman accuses the father of hurting Ricky. Hurt and disgusted, he leaves her. The bruises grow worse… and sprout into a pair of wings. Ricky can fly. Mother and father are reconciled. At first they try to keep Ricky’s ability a secret, but he escapes during a trip to the local supermarket, so they reluctantly call in the media. Perhaps Ricky with his angel’s wings feels a little too much like over-egging the new-family-new-baby cake – it’s perhaps a cliché that families always see their new babies as “little angels”. And there’s the daughter to consider too – she goes through the typical cycle of jealousy to acceptance to pride.
X-Men: First Class, Matthew Vaughn (2011), has been much praised as an intelligent addition to the (typically dumb) corpus of superhero films. Which is to forget that the first two men X-Men films directed by Bryan Singer were actually pretty smart movies. In X-Men: First Class – which is, of course, a cunning pun – the action is set in the 1960s and shows the X-Men helping the CIA prevent a conspiracy by evil mutants to use the blockade of Cuba to trigger nuclear Armageddon. Along the way, we get to discover how the above-the-title mutants discovered their powers, and the use they put them to before deciding the patriotic thing to do was work for a bunch of interfering types like the CIA. While X-Men: First Class is a pretty smart film for a superhero film, and it marches along at an energetic pace, look too closely and things start to look less shiny. It’s not just Kevin Bacon’s really bad German accent – which he thankfully drops when he reappears as Sebastian Shaw… or the over-preponderance of semi-naked women throughout the film… or that Banshee, an Irishman in the comic, has been recast as American in the film… or that Angel is now female, though he was male in the comic and earlier films… or that the Soviet villain uses a Bell 47 helicopter to visit his dacha (which looks more like a stately home left to wrack and ruin, anyway)… or why the villains always win in their fights against the good guys until the last reel of the film… or that the X-Men supersonic jet, which has always been modelled on a Lockheed SR-71, apparently has no room in its interior for jet fuel… or that Magneto introduces himself to Nazi refugees in South America by offering to buy them a Bitburger, but no one says “bitte, ein Bit”… But perhaps I’m asking too much of what is essentially pure entertainment. Except, if it’s “pure entertainment”, why try to position it as an intelligent film which comments on real life geopolitical events? Why not just admit it’s men – and women – in tights with logic-defying superpowers trying to remould the planet to fit in with US preconceptions of what Earth should be?
Green Lantern, Martin Campbell (2011). You’d think a story about a man with a magic ring that allows him to defeat evil, and who wears magic tights, wouldn’t be science fiction. But Green Lantern has aliens in it, and lots of lovely shots of galaxies and other celestial objects, and apparently the Green Lantern Corps are the guardians of galactic civilisation. If there’s a genre this film belongs to it’s the genre of tosh. I am a science fiction fan, but even I couldn’t swallow the central premise of Green Lantern. Still, it is a Marvel film. It’s also a Hollywood film, so it’s all about a son and the father he could never live up to. Because all Hollywood films are father-son films. I suspect some powerful studio executive has done way too much therapy. Anyway, Green Lantern was entertaining in a “nice visuals” sort of way, providing you turn off your higher cognitive functions. The story didn’t make much sense, and was filled with pointless scenes. For example, the commander of the Green Lantern Corps beats the crap out of Green Lantern and then tells him he’s rubbish. Well, of course he is. He only put the ring on twenty minutes ago, and no one’s trained him how to use it. And then the super-powerful villain that no one can beat only be defeated by that self-same rookie who has, um, oh hours of experience in the job. Then you have lines such as “The bigger you are, the faster you burn.” Er, no. But why expect accurate physics in a film about a man with a magic ring?
51, Jason Connery (2011), I reviewed for The Zone, and it was shit. See here.
Dr Who: The Ribos Operation, The Pirate Planet, The Stones of Blood, The Androids of Tara, The Power of Kroll and The Armageddon Factor (1978 – 1979), are the six stories which make up the Key to Time sequence, which introduced fellow Time Lord Romana as the Doctor’s companion. The final story also revealed the Doctor’s real name, which is apparently Theta Sigma, so I’m not surprised he insists on being called the Doctor. (According to the mythology, this is a “known alias”, though why someone would use an alias at an academy is never explained. It also transpires that ΘΣ was used in the New Testament as an abbreviation for God, so it’s most likely a case of a scriptwriter having a small joke…). The Key to Time is some sort of magic thingummy which, er, safeguards time or the universe or something. The White Guardian tasks the Doctor with gathering the six pieces, which have been hidden throughout time and space, and giving him the completed Key. Because then it would be safer than being hidden in six pieces throughout time and space. Apparently.
The Ribos Operation is a straightforward sting story. A pair of interstellar conmen try to sell a planet – without the knowledge of its semi-mediaeval natives – to a deposed noble by planting a sample of a valuable mineral and pretending not to understand its worth. The Doctor puts a stop to their con, but also prevents the nasty noble from furthering his own nasty plan.
The Pirate Planet is Douglas Adams’ first Dr Who script, and so is held in high regard. I can’t see why myself. The story has a neat idea but it doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. The titular world is hollow and hyperjumps to enclose other planets. Which it then strips of their resources. These worlds are generally inhabited, except… if the pirate planet was only after the natural resources of a world, then populated ones would probably already be mined out. Uninhabited ones would be a much better prospect. Unless it’s the fruits of their societies – technology, artworks, jewellery, etc – the pirates are after… The Pirate Planet is also infamous for a fight between K-9 and a robot parrot. Which is exactly as silly as it sounds. Incidentally, the hidden segment in this story proves to be latest planetary victim of the pirates. So even if they hadn’t committed genocide, the Doctor would have done so when he transformed the planet into a segment of the Key to Time.
The Stones of Blood feels a little like a return to a slightly older Dr Who story. It’s set on Earth around the time of filming (ie, late 1970s). Two women are researching a local stone circle, but there’s funny stuff going on at the manor, which is now owned by the oily leader of a druidic sect. It’s all to do with some alien that looks like a standing stone – well, which is meant to look like a standing stone, but actually looks a bit crap – an immortal alien, and a spaceship hidden in hyperspace somewhere over the stone circle. It’s one of the better stories.
As is The Androids of Tara, in which Dr Who rips off The Prisoner of Zenda, only with androids impersonating various members of the rival factions for the throne of Tara. It was filmed in and around Leeds Castle, and certainly looks good. It’s Dr Who at its frothiest.
The Power of Kroll, on the other hand, is Dr Who at its wettest. It’s set in a swamp – well, an estuary. With green-skinned humans, who worship a semi-mythical giant squid; and a really crap model of an oil rig, which is supposedly a facility for converting methane into “protein”. Their drilling has woken the giant squid, Kroll, which is actually a couple of miles across. Terror ensues. There’s a lot of really offensive racism against the green-skinned people in this, and while it’s plainly intended to make a point, the writers seem to forget what that point is halfway through.
The final episode, The Armageddon Factor, is perhaps the worst of the six. The story reminded me of one from the classic Star Trek series. Or maybe it was from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Anyway, there are two planets engaged in nuclear war, and it’s all going very badly. The Marshal of one talks to a mirror and refuses to accept the possibility of negotiation. But then the Doctor arrives, and it turns out there’s no one left alive on the other planet and their military machine is all being run by a computer. And there’s this toad-like evil villain called the Shadow who has manufactured the entire situation because he wants the Key to Time. At one point, the Doctor ends up running around some caves in a secret planet, miniaturised. But I think my eyes had started to glaze by that point.
I never saw the Key to Time stories when they were first broadcast (1978 – 1979), though I was in the UK at the time. At boarding-school. So there was no rosy tint watching these, though I admit to being a very small fan of Dr Who, inasmuch as it was an on-and-off part of my childhood. While the six stories in the sequence are not especially good – some of Tom Baker’s other adventures are much, much better – they are interesting because of the presence of Romana (played by Mary Tamm). For the first couple of stories, she actually runs things. Yes, she’s portrayed as a somewhat clichéd bossy, interfering female, but at least she’s not just running around and screaming. Sadly, as the sequence progresses she becomes less of an equal, and more like a typical companion. But perhaps she went on to better things. There’s only one way to find out…
Categories: books, films, readings & watchings 2011 | Tags: arthur sellings, barrington bayley, blake and mortimer, dg compton, douglas sirk, dr who, eric brown, françois ozon, fritz lang, jacques tardi, jane rogers, jed mercurio, john carter, john shirley, melissa scott, ninni holmqvist, otto preminger, richard calder, roy gray, sara paretsky, sebastian faulks, tricia sullivan, valerian and laureline | Permalink.
Too many words, too little time
I promised yesterday I’d put up a post showing the books I bought at Novacon, and so here it is. Also included are those books purchased since the last book haul post. Embarrassingly, it’s more than I thought it was. Oh well. Time to learn to speed-read…
Three Women’s Press sf titles from Novacon – as mentioned in my previous post: Memoirs of a Spacewoman, Naomi Mitchison; The Book of the Night, Rhoda Lerman; and The Two of Them, Joanna Russ. Expect reviews to appear at some point on SF Mistressworks.
More from Novacon – and, er, a Moore from Novacon: Judgment Night by CL Moore. Also for SF Mistressworks. Critical Threshold and The City of the Sun are the second and fourth books of Brian Stableford’s Daedalus Mission sextet. Now I need to find copies of the other four…
More recent books from Novacon. And you can’t get more recenter than the brand new Solaris Rising collection. The Matthew Farrell of Thunder Rift is actually sf author Stephen Leigh, and the Adam Roberts of The Snow is actually top parodist A.R.R.R Roberts.
Some charity shop finds. Marilynne Robinson’s Home I’ve been keen to read after being impressed by her Gilead. Not sure why I picked up Touching The Void – possibly because it’s on the World Book Night list. Adam Thorpe is an excellent writer and his Hodd is a retelling of the Robin Hood legend. John Banville I’m not especially keen on, but I thought I’d give his Eclipse a go.
Some sf (-ish) novels from Harewood House’s second-hand book shop. Jayge Carr’s Leviathan’s Deep I’ve been after ever since I read her story in Women of Wonder: the Contemporary Years (see here). It will be reviewed for SF Mistressworks. The Raw Shark Texts was a Clarke Award finalist in 2008, but lost out to Richard Morgan’s Black Man. The Manual of Detection by Jebediah Berry I’ve been on the look-out for ever since seeing an approving review of it by Michael Moorcock.
A pair of paperbacks from my father’s Penguin collection. Never read any Faulkner, so Intruder In The Dust should be interesting. And the only Orwells I’ve read are Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-four, so Down and Out in Paris and London should also be interesting.
Some new books. Songs of the Dying Earth I have to review for Interzone. I’m about a third of the way through it. The Ascendant Stars is the third and final part of Mike Cobley’s jam-packed space opera trilogy. Prague Fatale is the eight novel featuring German detective Bernie Gunther. I’m guessing it’s set in the Czech Republic…
The Electric Crocodile first edition is for the collection. Anthony Burgess: A Bibliography is to assist with the collection.
Some sf graphic novels. I finally got round to buying a copy of Dead Girls, the first part of the graphic novel adaptation of the novel of the same title. It’s very good. Dejah Thoris: Colossus of Mars is an original story set in Edgar Rice Burrough’s Barsoom, featuring John Carter’s improbably bosomed wife and set long before he appeared stark naked on the Red Planet. It’s actually quite good – keeps to the spirit of the books, gives Dejah Thoris very much a starring role with agency, and has some lovely artwork. Warlord of Mars, an adaptation of ERB’s A Princess of Mars, is less successful. The art is a little variable, and ERB’s prose was never very good. But then the idea of ERB’s Barsoom novels was always better than their implementations.
Finally, a book about Ridley Scott’s Alien. It’s full of lots of fanboi goodies, like behind-the-scenes photographs, production design sketches, fold-out plans of the Nostromo, and all that sort of stuff. Cool.
Categories: book haul | Tags: adam roberts, adam thorpe, anthony burgess, brian stableford, cl moore, dg compton, edgar rice burroughs, george orwell, ian whates, jayge carr, jebediah berry, joanna russ, john banville, marilynne robinson, matthew farrell, michael cobley, naomi mitchison, philip kerr, rhoda lerman, richard calder, ridley scott, steven hall, william faulkner | Permalink.
@marcusgipps 99. But any list that puts Aliens higher than Alien is just wrong. 48 minutes ago
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Troops Kill 869 Criminals, Rescue 321 Kidnap Victims In Three Months
The Coordinator of Defence Media Operations, John Enenche absolves the military of sabotage as claimed by Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum.
Troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces have killed 869 criminals and rescued 321 kidnap victims.
The feat was achieved in various operations carried out within the last three months.
The Armed Forces through its spokesman, Major General John Enenche, disclosed that within the time under review (July 1 and September 30), the troops recovered 9,040,300 litres of stolen AGO and 33, 500.00 litres of DPK during various clearance operations.
According to the Coordinator Defence Media Operations, 1,708 other criminals were arrested in connection with various crimes while a large cache of arms and ammunition were also recovered.
Major Enenche said the results from the theatres of operations within the time, confirm the military is winning the war from various operations within the third quarter of the year.
He was of the opinion that it is obvious that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is winning the war against the enemies of the country.
“The efforts and sacrifices of the gallant officers and men of the Military as well as other security agencies that conduct these operations have been progressive. It thus behooves on us to keep the Public abreast of our unrelenting and committed efforts in the various theatres of operation,” Major Enenche said.
Below is the full speech by the military spokesman.
THIRD QUARTER SCORECARD ON THE ARMED FORCES OF NIGERIA’S OPERATIONS (JULY TO SEPTEMBER 2020)
1. As you are aware, the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies have been involved in different operations across the country. The efforts and sacrifices of the gallant officers and men of the Military as well as other security agencies that conducts these operations has been progressive.
It thus behooves on us to keep the public abreast of our unrelenting and committed efforts in the various theatres of operation. Hence, the need for this third quarter scorecard, to give the general public a succinct outlook of our performance between July and September 2020.
This would give a better perspective of the cumulative results of the operational activities and achievements of the Military operating with sister security agencies in the various theatres of operation, across the geopolitical zones of the Country.
2. Within the period under review, troops engaged in series of land, maritime and air operations, involving both kinetic and non-kinetic activities across the country in major and subsidiary operations.
The land operations conducted among others across the various theatres of operation include; clearance, ambush, raid, picketing, cordon and search operations as well as artillery bombardments and aggressive patrols. Others were maritime operations involving anti-piracy, anti-illegal bunkering, anti-crude oil theft and anti-pipeline vandalism operations as well as other duties such as anti-smuggling operations.
Furthermore, comprehensive air operations including air patrols, Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance missions, offensive air strikes, air interdictions, search and rescue operations as well as close air support and air cover for ground troops. These operations resulted in the deletion of several terrorists and bandits, inhibition of activities of economic saboteurs as well as exposures and obviation of other criminal activities.
3. In all these efforts, some of our troops paid the supreme prize. However, troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies have consistently exhibited gallantry and resilience in the various operations.
Just as evidenced in our press releases and weekly briefings, during the period, scores of terrorists and bandits have been neutralized, others incapacitated and their camps destroyed through ground, maritime and air operations.
In addition, several criminal elements, including high profile members were killed in action while others arrested, sometimes together with their families as well as informants and gunrunners. Besides, there are records of scores of them surrendering to troops due to overwhelming superior firepower.
Other feats recorded in the course of our operations were the rescue of kidnapped victims, repel and forestallment of terrorists attack on civilians and troops as well as recovery of caches of arms and ammunition, equipment and vehicles and oodles of livestock.
You may also recall that, in the maritime environment, troops in major and subsidiary operations were able to disrupt smuggling activities, deactivate illegal refining sites, arrest perpetrators, seize foreign parboiled rice and recover tons of petroleum products.
4. In the North-West zone of the country, between 1 July and 30 September 2020, a total of 3,829 livestock, 6,830 rounds of ammunition and 93 assorted rifles were recovered from the armed bandits by the gallant troops in the zone.
Furthermore, within the period under review, a total of 91 kidnapped victims were rescued and 312 armed bandits were killed in action. In the same vein, a total of 391 arrests were made in the zone including high profile armed bandits, gun runners and bandit’s collaborators.
A total cash of Four Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N4,800.000.00) was recovered from armed bandit’s informants in the zone.
5. Meanwhile, in the North-East zone of the country within the period, 66 kidnapped victims were rescued by the gallant troops of operation LAFIYA DOLE.
Also, a total of 285 rounds of ammunition as well as 84 assorted rifles were recovered from the BHT/ISWAP fighters. Similarly, a total of 450 insurgents/terrorists including commanders were killed by the troops.
Additionally, 10 gun trucks as well as 38 grenades were recovered. Also, within the period a total of 53 arrests were made including high value targets.
6. In the North-Central zone of the country, within the period, troops of Operations SAFE HAVEN, WHIRL STROKE and THUNDER STRIKE have achieved appreciable successes. A total of 116 kidnapped victims were rescued. Furthermore, troops neutralized a total of 107 armed bandits including militia gang leaders.
In the same vein, 84 assorted rifles as well as 385 rounds of ammunition were recovered from armed bandits and other criminal elements in the zone. Similarly, a total of 1,136 criminals including family members of the Darul Salam sect were arrested within the period in the North-Central zone.
7 In the South-South zone, the Armed Forces of Nigeria working with other security agencies have continued to record tremendous successes against economic sabotage and other sundry crimes in the zone.
Within the period under review, a cumulative total of Eight Million, Eight Hundred and Ninety, Three Hundred (8,890,300) litres of stolen Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Thirty Three Thousand Five Hundred (33,500.00) litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) were impounded by troops of Operation DELTA SAFE.
In the same vein, the gallant troops immobilized a total of 70 illegal refining sites, 66 dug out pits and 134 metal storage tanks within the period.
Troops also, impounded a cumulative total of Twenty Six Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy Two (26,772) barrels of stolen crude oil from oil thieves in the zone. Additionally, a total of Three Hundred and Thirty One, One Hundred and Seven Thousand (331,107) litres of product suspected to be stolen Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) was recovered.
Troops also impounded 263 drums of stolen PMS within the period. A total of 18 kidnapped victims were rescued while 46 arrests were made. Furthermore, a total of 2,647 bags of 50 kg foreign parboiled smuggled rice were impounded and 27 boats engaged in illegal activities were arrested.
Troops also arrested a total of 46 pirates, 11 trucks and recovered 10 rifles and 60 rounds of ammunition, this is in addition to 15 sea pirate camps that were destroyed.
8. Equally, troops of Operation AWATSE in the South-West zone have continued with the fight against pipeline vandals and economic saboteurs with attendant successes. Between 1 July and 30 September 2020, troops of Operation AWATSE have impounded a total of Three Hundred and Eighty Three Thousand, Six Hundred (383,600) litres of PMS and Ten Thousand Three Hundred and Forty Five (10,345) barrels of stolen crude oil. Additionally, a total of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand (150,000) litres of stolen AGO was recovered within the period.
Troops also, recovered a total of 3,594 rounds of ammunition as well as 14 assorted rifles. Also, within the period, a total of 30 kidnapped victims were rescued, 36 arrests were made and 18 illegal refining sites were immobilized. In the same vein, a total of 5 boats and 5 trucks engaged in illegal activities were arrested within the period.
9. In addition to the kinetic operations, the Armed Forces of Nigeria have carried out non-kinetic operations in form of Civil Military Cooperation Activities (CIMIC).
A total of 81 boreholes were sunk for host communities across the country. Equally, a total of 14 schools were renovated. Additionally, 14 clinics and dispensaries were constructed and donated to host communities as well as renovation of 2 worship centres.
Furthermore, 2 buses were donated to some host communities. Additionally, the Armed Forces of Nigeria constructed road, installed transformer and solar power equipment in some host communities.
The military also fostered several stakeholders and reconciliation meetings between hostile communities and carried out medical outreaches.
10. In summary, the Armed Forces of Nigeria from 1 July to 30 September 2020 neutralized 869 criminal elements and rescued 321 kidnapped victims across the country.
Furthermore, a cumulative total of Nine Million, Forty Thousand, Three Hundred (9,040,300) litres of stolen AGO and Thirty Three Thousand Five Hundred (33, 500.00) litres of DPK were recovered.
A total of 1,708 arrests were made as well as recovery of large cache of arms and ammunition. Also, a cumulative total of Thirty Seven Thousand One Hundred and Seventeen (37,117) barrels of stolen crude oil was recovered. Additionally, a cumulative total of Nine Hundred and Fourteen Thousand, Seven Hundred and Seven Thousand (914,707) litres of stolen PMS was recovered.
11. From our operations within the third quarter of this year, it is obvious that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is winning the war against the enemies of our great country. Consequently, the Armed Forces of Nigeria will remain resolute and highly committed to this cause.
It will sustain the offensive and will not relent until peace is restored to every troubled zone of Nigeria. The general public is also assured of the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to protect our economic assets.
The High Command of the Nigerian Military wishes to thank the general public for their support and further solicit their cooperation towards providing credible and timely information that will facilitate proactive engagements in our operations.
12. The third quarter performance of operations conducted by the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies is a show of our commitment, synergy and determination to lay down our lives to protect our great Nation.
The gallant troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and operatives of other security agencies will sustain the tempo against the enemies of our dear Nation.
The Military High Command commends all the gallant troops of the Armed Forces and personnel of other security agencies involved in various operations across the country for their resilience, doggedness and commitment.
Troops are further encouraged to remain resolute and decisive in securing the country.
The general public is thus encouraged to continue to support the gallant troops by providing credible intelligence to the troops operating within their localities.
Defence Media Operations
Credit :Channels TV
Posted in NEWS HEADLINES POLITICSTagged #NigerianArmy
BREAKING: FG Orders Reopening Of Unity Schools
Appeal Court Overturns Nullification Of Diri’s Election As Bayelsa Governor
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Styrene-Butadiene Rubber
PEP Review 96-5
Published May 1998
This Review updates information on the major commercial processes currently used to produce rubber elastomers—styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and polybutadiene rubber (BR). The Review does not address processes for styrene-butadiene block copolymers, given that these copolymers are basically resins rather than elastomers. [PEP Report 207, Specialty Styrenic Thermoplastics (October 1991), evaluated styrenic block copolymers, and PEP Report 104, Thermoplastic Elastomers (November 1976), evaluated styrene-butadiene thermoplastic elastomers.]
SBR elastomer is principally manufactured by the emulsion-polymerization process or by the solution-polymerization process. Although the emulsion process is dominant worldwide, SBR producers are moving toward the solution technology because it yields an elastomer of superior properties. In the emulsion processes, a major portion of the SBR elastomer is manufactured via the cold-emulsion polymerization method; globally, cold emulsion accounts for more than 90% of emulsion SBR.
The major commercial process for producing BR is solution polymerization. Producing BR via the emulsion process is relatively insignificant and is not evaluated here. Cobalt- and lithium-based catalysts account for a major portion of global BR production.
Basic manufacturing methods for SBR and BR have not radically changed since the early 1970s, when PEP Report 64, Styrene-Butadiene Elastomers (November 1970), and PEP Report 73, Polybutadiene (1970), were issued. Better recipes, however, have been formulated and implemented since then, producing diverse rubbers of a much superior quality.
In this Review we evaluate SBR and BR emulsion and solution processes that account for a major portion of the SBR and BR consumed globally. We both update the referenced reports and use recent recipes and formulations claimed in the patents as design bases for our evaluation. We highlight radical changes that have taken place in the process flowsheet or in the basic recipe.
We base the evaluation of the processes on a production capacity of 77.5 million lb/yr (35,000 t/yr) of SBR and 100 million lb/yr (45,000 t/yr) of BR, respectively, at a 0.9 stream factor. The capacities selected represent typical world-scale commercial units. We assume that the production units are located in the U.S. Gulf Coast region
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Kate Middleton prepared for her future role as Queen
Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton (Image Source: Instagram)
London [UK], January 9 (ANI): As she turned 39 years old on Saturday, it became apparent that the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, who was once merely a mild-mannered college graduate, is ready for her role as the future Queen.
According to E! News after almost a decade of officially accepting her post, Kate has more than proved her worth as a senior royal while deftly filling the void left by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle's swift departure. She has carved out her space in the areas of early education, child development and mental health awareness, proving she's ready to embrace the role that awaits her in the future.
For years she was viewed as Prince William's soft-spoken, mild-mannered college sweetheart. But now after a decade she's done with that and is committing herself to foster real change in the nation and the world at large by mastering the art of the walkabout.
As per E! News, describing the duchess, a source said, "If she needs to step up to the plate, she does it--and she always has."
"You see it more and more. The young student has turned into our future Queen."
Before the titles, the 20 some odd patronages and the crash course in security protocols, Kate was an accessories buyer that Queen Elizabeth II fretted wasn't up for such a blue-blooded existence. (ANI)
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Rashmika Mandanna Begins Shooting Of Her Bollywood Debut ‘Mission Majnu’ with Sidharth Malhotra
Rajasi Nagwekar
Rashmika Mandanna is an Indian film actress and model who works predominantly in Telugu and Kannada films. She is popularly dubbed by the media and Kannada film industry as the ‘Karnataka Crush’. Mandanna made her acting debut with the 2016 Kannada film Kirik Party. Now the actress is all set to make her Bollywood debut opposite Sidharth Malhotra in Mission Majnu. The actress has started shooting for the film and was snapped at Mumbai’s Film City today. The actress took to her social media account to thank RSVP movies (producers of Mission Majnu), Sidharth Malhotra and others.
While talking about her most awaited Bollywood debut she said, “I have been fortunate to receive so much love from audiences across languages. As an actor it is always the story of the film that I connect with, and the language of the film is never a barrier for me. I am grateful to the makers for offering me Mission Majnu which is written beautifully, and I am super excited to be part of a team that has so much passion. We are all working together to make it even more amazing. I am super excited to start my journey in Hindi cinema and to reach out to newer audiences.”
The film which is directed by Shantanu Bagchi and produced by RSVP and Guilty By Association is inspired by real events and is set in the 1970. The story written by Parveez Shaikh, Aseem Arrora, and Sumit Bathega describes it as a story of a mission that changed the relationship between India and Pakistan forever.
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The unusual question people were asking in 2020 (that had nothing to do with COVID)
Ross McGuinness
People march during a Black Lives Matter protest in London in July. (AP Photo)
It was a year absolutely dominated by coronavirus, with Britons asking constant questions about COVID-19.
The public wanted to know everything about the pandemic, from face masks and self-isolating to the furlough scheme and lockdown.
Which makes it somewhat surprising that the most popular query asked by web users in the UK had nothing to do with coronavirus.
According to Yahoo Search data, the most asked online question in 2020 was: “What does woke mean?”
The data is comprised of total searches for all Yahoo Search UK users — which includes users not based in the UK but who have chosen to use Yahoo Search UK. Yahoo Search gets billions of searches per year, globally and in the UK we have hundreds of millions of searches and millions of users.
“Woke” has taken on social and political connotations in recent years.
The most popular question asked by Britons this year was about wokeness. (Getty)
According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), it means: “Originally: well-informed, up-to-date. Now chiefly: alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice."
The word was added to the OED in 2017, but it’s taken three years for it to become the UK’s most asked online question.
Wokeness became a part of the national debate this year as early as January, thanks to a controversial appearance on BBC’s Question Time by actor Laurence Fox.
He engaged in a heated argument with a female audience member, who had said the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle was a victim of racism at the hands of some sections of the British media.
Fox responded by saying: “It’s not racism. We are the most tolerant lovely country in Europe.”
Watch: Laurence Fox clashes with Question Time audience member
When the audience member called Fox a “white privileged male”, he accused her of being racist.
The episode of Question Time received more than 250 complaints from the public.
In an interview with Talk Radio the week after the show, Fox labelled woke people as “racist”.
He said: “I think there is racism everywhere but I don’t think we are systemically racist – but then again I am a straight white male.”
Actor Laurence Fox launched an 'anti-woke' political party in 2020. (AFP via Getty)
In a separate interview in the days that followed his Question Time appearance, Fox said he refuses to date women under 35 because of their politically correct views, and that he once dumped a girlfriend for being “too woke”.
The woke debate was addressed by prime minister Boris Johnson in August, when he accused the BBC of “wetness” for announcing it would remove the lyrics of Rule, Britannia! from the Last Night of the Proms, following criticism its words refer to colonialism and slavery.
The BBC eventually reversed its decision and the lyrics were sung during the show at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
A demonstrator wears a face mask during a Black Lives Matter protest in London in July. (Reuters)
The Black Lives Matter movement has used the message, “Stay woke”, during its protests, which spread across the US and the UK in the summer following the death in May of George Floyd, an African American killed during an arrest in Minneapolis.
White police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against Mr Floyd’s neck for almost eight minutes as Mr Floyd cried out, “I can’t breathe”. Chauvin has been charged with Mr Floyd’s murder and is awaiting trial.
The query about being woke aside, Yahoo Search data showed that almost all of the top 10 most popular questions asked this year related to COVID-19 - eight of the list were about coronavirus.
In second place overall, Britons asked: “How to make a face mask”.
There was fierce debate among politicians, health experts and scientists about face masks as the pandemic unfolded, with the government eventually making a U-turn on its policy to fall in line with nations in mainland Europe, who made them mandatory on public transport and many indoor settings.
The third most popular question was: “What does furlough mean?”, as British workers who lost income because of the pandemic tried to discover if they were eligible to receive 80% of their monthly pay up to £2,500 through their employers.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak extended the scheme on a number of occasions - it is currently scheduled to conclude at the end of April 2021.
The fourth most popular online search question was: “How many coronavirus cases in my area?”
When the government announced the introduction of the three-tiered system of restrictions in England, people quickly went online to find out what it meant for their everyday lives, which made “What is Tier 1/2/3/4?” the fifth most searched question.
Britons were eager to discover when hairdressers would reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. (PA)
'What is normal body temperature?' was one of the most popular online search questions in 2020. (AFP via Getty)
Britons wanted to know how to make their own hand sanitiser. (PA)
The sixth most asked question, according to Yahoo Search, was “What is the R number?”
The R number, or reproduction number, measures the ability of the coronavirus to spread. It is the number of people that any one infected person will pass the virus on to, on average. Anything above 1.0 means the number of cases is increasing exponentially.
“When will hairdressers reopen?” was the seventh most popular question, followed by “What is normal body temperature?” in eighth and “How to make hand sanitiser” in ninth position.
British web users wanted to know about TikTok in 2020. (AP Photo)
The final question to make it into the top 10 was: “What is TikTok?”
The video-sharing app became a phenomenon in 2020, emerging as a haven for social media personalities and A-list actors alike.
It spent long periods in the news in 2020 because of a battle over its status in the US, where president Donald Trump tried to ban the Chinese-owned app unless it was purchased by an American company, citing security concerns.
TikTok’s owners Bytedance have struck a preliminary deal with software company Oracle and retailer Walmart. Two judges have issued injunctions blocking the US government from banning TikTok there.
Watch: Judge blocks US ban on TikTok
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In Sri Lanka, Development Begins with Reconciliation
By Prasad Kariyawasam
Prasad Kariyawasam is Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary. Following are extensive excerpts from his address to the UN's Peacebuilding Commission at the UN Headquarters in New York on November 20, 2017. – The Editor
UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – Sri Lanka is known, perhaps mostly, as the place where Ceylon Tea originates from, or as the land which was torn by conflict for several years, or the country where the famous science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke lived.
But, we are also so much more, and our history also has a bearing on current peacebuilding in our country.
Located, right in the middle of the Indian Ocean, we are approximately 65,610 square kilometres in size, with a coastline of 1700 kilometres, and located just 32 kilometres away from the southernmost tip of India.
We have a recorded history of over 2500 years, and visitors like the 13th Century Muslim Scholar Ibn Battuta, and the 4th Century Chinese Pilgrim Fa-Hien have described the glorious past of Sri Lanka, vividly, in their records.
During the colonial era, since 1505, the Portuguese, the Dutch, and then the British have held a foothold in Sri Lanka, primarily due to our country's geographic location in the oceans of the world. Contacts between America and Sri Lanka started when merchant ships from New England called at Galle harbour, around the same time that the new American Republic adopted its Constitution in 1789.
Sri Lanka was known in the ancient world as a trading hub and a land that was endowed with precious gems, spices, and other bounties of nature that included elephants and exotic fauna and flora.
Sri Lanka neither existed, nor evolved in isolation in the ancient world. It is recorded that Sri Lankan Kings sent envoys to the Royal court of Roman Emperor Augustus.
The people of Sri Lanka, islanders, since ancient times, were influenced by several waves of external interactions, that led to the exchange, not only of goods, but ideas and knowledge, with travellers and traders passing through, and visitors from lands near and far.
Some traders and visitors settled in our country, making our country their home. As a result, Sri Lanka is today, a rich multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-religious nation.
Buddhism has thrived in Sri Lanka since the arrival in the 3rd Century, of the Indian Emperor Ashoka's children. Arab traders enriched our land with the teachings of Prophet Mohammed.
The symbol of the Nestorian Cross found in the ancient city of Anuradhapura, dated to within 500 years of the birth of Christ, points to the existence of Christians in my country even before the arrival of colonial powers.
Hindu beliefs and customs have contributed to Sri Lankan culture significantly and are engrained in the everyday lives of all. Almost all Buddhist temples have images of Hindu Gods and Goddesses installed; and the bronze statues of Gods and Goddesses discovered in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, crafted by local artisans and bronze casters, are considered to be some of the best in the world.
The beauty and wealth of Sri Lanka had caught the imagination of Arab writers to such an extent that the land they referred to as 'Serendib' was incorporated into the stories of 'Sinbad the Sailor'.
They believed that Adam, banished from paradise, lived in Sri Lanka. Even today, a Holy Mountain in the country, 7,300 feet in height, called 'Siri Pada' or 'Adam's Peak', is venerated by Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians.
A depression in the Summit that resembles a footprint is considered by Muslims to be that of Adam. The Buddhists consider it to be that of the Buddha. The Hindus consider it to be that of Shiva; and the Christians consider it to be that of St. Thomas the Apostle.
For a country that is just 65,610 square kilometres, we have six cultural world heritage properties, and two natural world heritage sites, recognised by UNESCO. Ancient historical sites of Sri Lanka include the largest brick building in the world, in the 4th Century AD.
The roughly 21 million people who dwell in my country, share this space with the largest land mammal in the world – around 6,000 elephants; and our oceans are blessed to be home to the largest marine mammal in the world, the blue whale.
As an ancient land, we are a country that has many stories to tell of our history and our people. But it is important to place things in context which will enable one to understand better, how people in Sri Lanka view themselves.
At the time of Independence, in 1948, Sri Lanka was hailed as holding the potential to become the 'Switzerland of the Eas'. The people of our country and in the rest of the world had great expectations and confidence on the future of Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon. Our per capita GDP at the time was second only to that of Japan, in Asia.
Having introduced universal adult franchise as far back as 1931, we were hailed as the oldest democracy in Asia.
Within the UN, we played an important role, despite being comparatively small in size. We provided leadership to evolve the 'Law of the Sea’ Convention'. We were elected to the Security Council in 1960, just five years after becoming a member of the UN. We held the Presidency of the General Assembly in 1976, and also chaired several important conferences of this Organisation at different times.
Failure at inclusive nation-building, and successful, effective and efficient service-delivery mechanisms, coupled with several complex factors, led to erosion of trust and confidence among communities in Sri Lanka, that led to two youth insurrections and a prolonged conflict involving terrorism. Such violence has affected all communities, and, as a nation, we have deprived ourselves of the socio-economic heights that our nation could have achieved.
Our relations with the United Nations became unfortunately strained in connection with the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009, which led to Sri Lanka being isolated on the international arena.
However, then came January 8, 2015. Presidential Elections were called ahead of time, and the people in my country seized the moment in the true sense of the word. They exercised their franchise firmly and clearly, for:
- a change in political culture, against ethnic and religious division and against extremism on all sides;
- against impunity;
- for a strong democracy;
- for the rule of law and good governance;
- for reconciliation and sustainable peace;
- equality;
- upholding, promoting and protecting human rights of all and the pluralistic nature of our society; and
- for inclusive and equitable growth and development in the country.
This message from the people that was repeated at the August 2015 Parliamentary Election, enabled us to hit the re-set button, to re-gain and re-launch Sri Lanka on a new trajectory to, reach out to the international community; restore and renew valuable relationships and partnerships with countries; renew and restore our partnership with the entire UN system; and work towards restoring trust and confidence both locally and and internationally, including with persons of Sri Lankan origin overseas.
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and the present Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, their respective teams at headquarters, the present UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Una McCauley, and before that Mr. Subhinay Nandy, and the entire country team including the OHCHR Senior Adviser on Human Rights, and the Reconciliation and Development Advisor, have all been extremely supportive of Sri Lanka's journey since January 2015, from the moment we reached out to the UN.
I recall the very first meeting that our Foreign Minister at the time, Mangala Samaraweera, had with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on February 13, 2015, just a month following the January 8 Presidential Election.
At this meeting, Minister Samaraweera explained the path that the National Unity Government is taking on building sustainable peace and reconciliation in the country, and sought the UN’s assistance through the Peacebuilding Fund.
The funding we received from the Immediate Response Facility and longer-term funding have been invaluable to us in a multitude of areas, including resettlement, and obtaining the correct technical expertise and advise for the Office of National Unity and Reconciliation led by former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, the SCRM, and for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that works extremely closely with the SCRM on matters that relate to reconciliation directly, as well as indirectly.
What has been most critical for us, is having the resources to obtain the right assistance at the right time, quickly, which the constraints of Government procedures do not often allow, in a timely manner.
Through the Peacebuilding Priority Plan, and Peacebuilding Board, the UN and the Government have succeeded in working together to identify areas where Government requires assistance, and to bring on board all bilateral partners as well, so that there is clarity, and duplication is avoided.
Visit >http://lk.one.un.org/our-work/peacebuilding/peacebuilding-priority-plan
Confidence among the public in the UN system itself was at an extremely low point in Sri Lanka, at the time the January 8, 2015 Presidential Election took place. There was suspicion and mistrust. The UN was viewed as an entity that dictates to Sri Lanka, and is trying to pressurise the country and target the country unfairly.
Indicating the Government's firm commitment to work with the United Nations in Sri Lanka, the President and Prime Minister took leadership, attending a ceremony at the UN premises in Colombo that was held in October 2015 to mark the 70th anniversary of the UN and Sri Lanka’s 60th year of membership.
Since January 2015, the multiple visits of UN officials including the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the visits of Special Procedures, and the proactive approach of the UN Country Team in aligning itself with the Government's priorities, and assisting the Government in implementing the SDGs, and the reconciliation, peacebuilding and development agenda, have helped regain trust and confidence despite certain media organisations, journalists, and political personalities striving hard, almost on a daily basis, to create divisions between the Government and the United Nations, by influencing the public, adversely.
Although there is a perception that progress in Sri Lanka has stalled or that progress is way too slow, looking back, having been in the Sri Lanka Foreign Service for over 30 years, I can confidently say that I marvel at how Sri Lanka, despite multiple challenges, has managed to achieve so much in multiple areas of policy, legal and economic reform, in just over 34 months.
This, however, is not to say that all is fine and that we are happy with the pace of reform. We are not. There is much left to do, and we are definitely not complacent.
As you may be aware, we have just completed our examination under the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), on November 17, in Geneva, and among the documents circulated to you, the 'Vision 2025' document, the 'National Human Rights Action Plan', the diary titled 'Advancing Human Rights, Reconciliation and Good Governance in Sri Lanka, January 2015 to November 2017'; is an Op-ed by Sri Lanka’s Head of Delegation to the UPR, Deputy Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, titled 'Struggle for Human Rights in Sri Lanka: Progress Despite a Difficult Legacy' which will indicate some of our achievements during the last 34 months.
Our main message to our people through all these campaigns including through mechanisms and processes for truth-seeking, justice, reparation, and guarantees of non-recurrence is that 'Development begins with Reconciliation' and that Reconciliation is essential for Sri Lanka, which now stands at the threshold of its 70th year of Independence, to realise its vision of a stable, peaceful, reconciled and prosperous nation, for everyone. [IDN-InDepthNews – 28 November 2017]
Read also > Sri Lanka’s 'Vision 2025' Development Programme Gets Going.
Photo: Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam. Credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sri Lanka.
IDN is the flagship agency of the International Press Syndicate.
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Home Academics Professor G. Raghuram takes charge as Director of IIM Bangalore
Professor G. Raghuram takes charge as Director of IIM Bangalore
India Education Diary Bureau Admin
Bengaluru: Professor G. Raghuram took charge as Director of IIM Bangalore today.
Prof. G. Raghuram has a PhD from Northwestern University, USA, a Postgraduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) from IIM Ahmedabad and a BTech degree from IIT Madras.
In a message to faculty and staff at IIM Bangalore, whom he addressed today, Prof. Raghuram said, “I feel honoured and privileged to get the opportunity to work for IIM Bangalore. This is a top rated institution with a unique culture which I look forward to discovering. I would like to reach out to all its stakeholders: students and participants, faculty, staff, alumni, board members and the external ecosystem including industry and government, to enable IIMB reach greater heights.”
Prof. Raghuram was a faculty member at IIM Ahmedabad (IIMA) since 1985. Prior to taking over as Director of IIM Bangalore, he was Professor and Chairperson of the Public Systems Group at IIMA. He was Dean (Faculty), IIMA, from September 2013 to December 2015. He was Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Maritime University from July 2012 to March 2013. He was the Indian Railways Chair Professor from January 2008 to August 2010. He specializes in infrastructure and transport systems, and logistics and supply chain management. He conducts research on the railway, port, shipping, aviation and road sectors. He has published over 35 refereed papers in journals and written over 155 case studies. He has published six co-authored books. He was awarded the ‘MC Puri Memorial Award’ for Contribution to Operational Research in India, 2016; ‘Academician of the Year’ by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in 2012, and ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for contribution to logistics and infrastructure by EXIM News in 2014. He is a Fellow of the Operational Research Society of India, and Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. He has teaching experience at universities in India, USA, Canada, Yugoslavia, Singapore, Tanzania and UAE.
He is a member of the Global Future Council on Mobility of the World Economic Forum, Executive Council of the National Aviation University, and of the Board of Directors of six companies in the fields of infrastructure, logistics and education. Overall, he has been on the Board of 12 companies. He has offered consultancy services to over 100 organizations including multilateral agencies. He has served on various government policy making and advisory committees for the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Shipping, Cabinet Secretariat, Comptroller and Auditor General, the Planning Commission and various State Governments.
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beauty pageant fan, a travel enthusiast and movie buff. I am a part time blogger.
By Simeon on July 29, 2018 • ( Leave a comment )
Hanna Berkovic is Miss World Canada 2018
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Anthony Clarinda of Curacao wins Mister Universe 2018
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Morgane Theresine is Miss World Guadeloupe 2018
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Miss Universe Laos 2018 is On-anong Homsombath
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Meenakshi Chaudhary is Miss Grand India 2018
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Dario Duque of USA is Mister Global 2018
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By Simeon on July 21, 2018
Miss World Armenia 2018 and Miss Universe Armenia 2018
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Nadia Purwoko is Miss Grand Indonesia 2018
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Francesca Mifsud crowned Miss Universe Malta 2018
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Chapter 589 – Yang Nianxue!
Action Comedy Crafting Fantasy Mystery Xuanhuan Chinese Ongoing 2019/11/24
Almighty Sword Domain
NEW NOVEL: First and foremost, I'm delighted to announce that our long-time veteran translator littleshanks has finally launched his new novel, Rise! Rise is a novel about the esports scene in Shanghai, the competitive gaming capital of China. It follows the story of Lin Feng, a boy who has just moved to the city for his last year of high school. He's a passionate gamer and dreams of being the best professional League of Legends player in the world. The twist? He almost achieved his dream, but failed at the...
Yang Ye’s face darkened. What’s she trying to say? Is she playing a trick on me?
Ding Shaoyao continued, “The Ding Clan has placed all its hopes on you, so it can only truly be at ease with a marriage between you and me. Because my Ding Clan would be completely tied to you then. Of course, their true motive is to obtain even more benefits through me!”
“You’re quite frank about all of this!” said Yang Ye.
Ding Shaoyao said, “Since we’re working together, then we naturally have to be frank with each other.”
“Then why didn’t you agree?” Yang Ye suddenly asked this question, but he immediately regretted his decision.
“Are you willing to spend your entire lifetime with someone you have no feelings for?” Ding Shaoyao gazed at him and said, “Of course, I don’t hate you, but I don’t feel anything special about you. You aren’t my type because you’re a real player.”
Yang Ye rubbed his nose and felt rather embarrassed. So, he hurriedly changed the topic and said, “Go back and tell the Ding Clan that I, Yang Ye, will never forget the Ding Clan’s timely assistance in a time of difficulty. Thus, so long as the Ding Clan doesn’t betray me, then I’ll never betray the Ding Clan.”
Ding Shaoyao glanced at Yang Ye and spoke indifferently, “I’ll deal with the Ding Clan, and I’ve even helped you deal with the problems between your women for now. All you have to do is attain the Monarch Realm as soon as possible. You should realize that you’re like the rope that ties all the powers in the southern territory together, and the entire southern territory will definitely collapse if you were to perish. Because everyone is following you out of consideration for your future. They believe that you’ll definitely become a figure comparable to the Sword Sect’s Founding Ancestor. So if you die, then their hopes would be lost. Understand?”
Yang Ye nodded and said, “Don’t worry, I still have many things to do, so I won’t die that easily!”
Ding Shaoyao nodded, and then she suddenly said, “Why didn’t you take An Nanjing as well?”
“Huh?” Yang Ye was stunned.
Ding Shaoyao spoke seriously, “She’s so formidable. If she were to join forces with you, then I presume your joint forces would even be sufficient to kill a Monarch Realm expert, right? I would think that there’s no chance at all if it was any other person, but I think that you might be able to take the Martial God of this era as yours if you worked hard on it.”
Yang Ye’s face darkened and said, “We’re friends. It’s a pure friendship!”
Ding Shaoyao chuckled and said, “Is pure friendship even possible between a man and a woman? Perhaps it is, but I don’t think that’s possible for you!”
Yang Ye suddenly said, “Are we not pure friends?”
The smile on her face stiffened a little, and then she turned around and walked towards the door. She was merely halfway there when she spoke again, “Right, the Madam of the Southern An Clan wishes to see you. Should I bring her to you?”
“I’m cultivating!”
Ding Shaoyao nodded, and then she left the room.
After that, the only thing Yang Ye did every single day besides cultivating bitterly was to accompany Su Qingshi, Xiao Yuxi, and Little Yao. The little girl had burnt away almost 20,000 extreme-grade energy stones that day. In other words, Yang Ye had less than 10,000 left now. But that was quite sufficient!
The amount of energy required for the advancement of every single rank of cultivation from the fifth rank of the Exalt Realm was enormous, but since he cultivated within the Primordial Pagoda and supplemented it by madly consuming extreme-grade energy stones, he’d advanced into the sixth rank of the Exalt Realm in just a short period of half a month.
Yang Ye had intended to continue cultivating but something gave him no choice but to stop cultivating for now — Su Qingshi was giving birth!
Su Qingshi gave birth to a baby girl, and they named her Yang Nianxue. She looked very much like her mother, and Yang Ye loved her to bits. He was constantly holding her in his arms and showing her off to everyone.
Su Qingshi held Yang Nianxue in her arms within her room, and her eyes were filled with a gentle expression. Yang Ye was sitting by her side, and for the very first time in his life, he felt slight detest towards slaughter and battle as he gazed at Su Qingshi and his daughter.
An Nanjing’s objective was the end of the path of cultivation; Yang Ye’s objective was merely to live a peaceful life with his family. Of course, such a simple objective was clearly not easy to achieve at all.
It was like that sometimes. Even if you didn’t cause any trouble, it didn’t mean that others wouldn’t cause trouble for you. Moreover, in this world where the strong were respected, one without strength was bound to be bullied and oppressed. But one’s lack of strength made it so that one could only endure when suffering such a situation.
Yang Ye understood all of these principles. So, he’s figured out a principle. If he wanted to live a peaceful life, then he had to obtain absolute strength first. Because only absolute strength would make it so that others wouldn’t dare disturb his peace.
Yang Ye enjoyed a rare period of peace during this month.
The reason Luo Jun hadn’t attacked Ancient Domain City was mainly because he was waiting for the Hallowed Grounds to attack. Before this, he’d thought that Yang Ye was dead and hadn’t taken any precautions, and that was why Yang Ye had an opportunity to take advantage of and slaughter his army. Now, it was utterly impossible for Yang Ye to sneak into his army again.
The overall strength of the central territory was multiple times stronger than Ancient Domain City. So, if he were to launch a full-scale attack, then he was confident in his ability to breach Ancient Domain City. Because no matter how abnormal Yang Ye’s strength was, it was impossible for Yang Ye to annihilate the entire army. However, even if he won such a battle, it would be a pyrrhic victory!
Thus, he hadn’t chosen to launch a full-scale attack, and chose to wait for the Hallowed Grounds’ forces instead. He intended to rely on them to eliminate Yang Ye before he launched his full-scale attack. Because the alliance formed by the powers of the southern territory would definitely fall apart once Yang Ye was killed!
After waiting and waiting for an entire month, they finally arrived.
Qing Feng and Lan Ling led an old man, four men, and a woman to Profounder Continent.
“As expected of an abandoned world. The density of spirit energy here isn’t even a fifth of what it’s like at our Hallowed Grounds. Moreover, it seems like the spirit energy here will be drying up soon!” A man with a small sword shaped mark at the center of his forehead frowned as he spoke in midair.
“It has nothing to do with us!” The old man by the man’s side spoke indifferently, “All of you go look for Yang Ye. I’ll be heading to the demon territory. I’m really curious to see who the current Demon Emperor is as he actually dared to refuse the summons of my Hallowed Grounds. I’ll be sending him off on his way if he’s too weak!” The old man vanished on the spot once he finished speaking.
Once the old man left, the man looked at Lan Ling and said, “Take us to Yang Ye. I hope he’ll be a little stronger. Otherwise, it would truly be too boring!”
“Senior Brother Jian Kuang, it’s best if we don’t underestimate our enemy!” said Lan Ling softly.
A wisp of disdain appeared on the corners of Jian Kuang’s mouth as he said, “Underestimate our enemy? I sincerely hope he isn’t too weak.”
“I heard he’s called the Sword Emperor on this continent?” Meanwhile, the woman who looked quite similar to Lan Ling spoke abruptly.
Lan Ling nodded, “Indeed.”
The woman revealed a ridiculing smile when she heard this and said, “Jian Kuang, you’re called the Young Sword Saint in our Hallowed Grounds. I really look forward to the battle between the Young Sword Saint and the Sword Emperor of Profounder Continent!”
“I’ll make him realize that he isn’t worthy of being called the Sword Emperor!” Jian Kuang spoke flatly.
In next to no time, their group arrived outside Ancient Domain City.
上一篇 Chapter 588 – Forming An Army! 下一篇 Chapter 590 – Grievances!
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home » JIS News » Office of the Prime Minister
Government must lead the way in energy conservation – PM Golding
Prime Minister Bruce Golding says the public sector must set the example and lead the way in addressing the problem of excess use of energy in order to get the whole country to support energy efficiency and conservation. He said Jamaica faces severe energy challenges, far beyond most other countries as we depend almost entirely on imported oil for our energy. Jamaica’s Oil imports, he said account for almost 40% of the country’s total import bill which makes it vulnerable to the volatility of the international oil market.
Addressing a workshop on energy saving opportunities within the public sector at the Knutsford Court hotel in Kingston yesterday, (Dec 2) Mr. Golding said the whole country must become engaged in the effort, but that effort must start with government.
‘We in the public sector are inefficient users of electricity. We spend $11 billion a year to pay electricity bills for government institutions, our schools, our hospitals, government offices and so on. That represents almost 15% of the total electricity consumed in Jamaica and it ought not to be’, Mr Golding lamented.
The Prime Minister said that 2 years ago he mandated the public sector to ensure a 15% reduction in energy usage but he is not convinced that enough effort was made to achieve this objective. ‘We have not worked hard enough. We haven’t seen the 15% reduction in dollar terms, although this does not mean that there has not been a reduction as the dollar figures will be misleading depending on the value of the dollar’. Mr Golding said more recently, he requested a check on kilowatt usage to see if there has been any real reduction in electricity consumption but to date he has not received the figures.
He suggested that the workshop look at sensitising the public through public education, seminars or competitions, to see which government agency comes out best before adopting the energy saving techniques which have been identified.
The workshop was presented by the Ministry of Energy and Mining in conjunction with the Inter-American Development Bank. This morning’s session heard a summary of findings by PA Consultants and saw the Prime Minister along with the Minister of Energy and Mining, James Robertson and other government officials, touring the energy efficiency exhibits.
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home » JIS News » Justice
Legal Aid Council Safeguarding Citizens’ Rights Under Enhanced Security Measures
Written by: Denise Dennis
Photo: Mark Bell
Executive Director, Legal Aid Council, Hugh Faulkner.
JIS News | Presented by:
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Executive Director of the Legal Aid Council, Hugh Faulkner, has reiterated the agency’s commitment to safeguarding citizens’ rights, particularly while enhanced security measures are being administered in some communities to curb crime.
“In many instances, persons do not have the means to obtain legal representation… so we have a duty to fulfil (that entitlement) on behalf of those persons. So whatever we do, it is not to undermine any (security) effort, but to ensure that the ordinary citizen is equitably and humanely treated,” the Executive Director said.
Detainees also have a right to due process, inclusive of legal representation and medical treatment as well as the provision of food and clothing.
He said that as the Government implements measures to ensure public safety, the Council has a duty to play its role in preserving individuals’ fundamental rights.
The Government announced a State of Public Emergency for St James in January, consequent on the upsurge in crime in the parish, as part of efforts to restore peace and public safety.
Mr. Faulkner, who noted that the protection of human rights is fundamental to that dispensation, provided a breakdown of the entitlements of persons detained.
He said detainees have the right to be informed about the reason for their detention, as soon as is reasonably convenient and in a language that is clearly understood.
These persons also have the right to be visited by a spouse, partner or family member, religious counsellor and a medical practitioner of their choice.
“He/she must be treated humanely and with respect for the inherent dignity of the person. In other words, the conditions of his/her detention should not violate the inherent human dignity… the presumption of innocence tags along with the detainee. He/she cannot be compelled to testify or make any statements against himself,” Mr. Faulkner explained.
Special provisions must also be facilitated if a minor is detained. The name of the child is not to be published, and the minor must be held at a facility that is suitable for children. The juvenile is also entitled to have his or her parent(s) or guardian(s) present if he/she is being interrogated.
Detainees also have the right to request a review of their detention or restriction of their freedom of movement through the Emergency Powers Review Tribunal.
The Tribunal, located at the Office of the Prime Minister in Montego Bay, St. James, will review cases of detention or restriction orders in accordance with regulations 22, 32, and 33 of the Emergency Powers Act.
Mr. Faulkner urged persons to contact the Legal Aid Council if they believe their rights have been violated during the State of Public Emergency operations.
They may visit the Montego Bay Legal Aid Clinic, located at 42B Union Street; contact the Cornwall Bar Association at 312-8215; or the Legal Aid Council office in Kingston at 948-4861 or email aid.legal@moj.gov.jm.
Persons may also visit the regional office of the Public Defender, located at Shop 18, St. Claver Avenue, Montego Bay.
Under the Emergency Powers Regulations 2018, the security forces have been given extraordinary powers, which include the authorisation to arrest without a warrant and detain pending investigation any person whose behaviour gives reasonable grounds to believe that they are acting in a manner deemed prejudicial to public safety, or if they have committed, are committing or are about to commit any other offence.
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Making a Difference through Advocacy
Shri and his family
Breda O’Reilly rsm shares some thoughts on advocacy.
When I was asked to talk on the topic of advocacy to Year 11 students, my first inclination was to see what the dictionary definition was of advocacy. This is what the dictionary says: Advocacy is the act of speaking on behalf of or in support of another person, place or thing.
Other references on the word advocacy include: argument for, arguing for, pushing for, pressing for, defence of, promotion and acceptance.
Before I looked in the dictionary I knew exactly what the experience of advocacy is in my own life. As part of the group of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea I very much fit into the following statement: ‘We are all challenged to respond to situations of injustice and their systemic causes. Together let us take action and tell others of the situation and ensure our politicians know of our concern about the issue.’
The following are examples of times in which I have been fully aware that I was in the situation of being an advocate:
My first intentional experience of being an advocate was when I was working in Broome. I worked for three years at the University of Notre Dame and then for five years for the Diocese of Broome. When I was working in Broome I got a message from one of our Sisters in New South Wales to say the she had been supporting an Asylum Seeker in the Curtin Detention Centre for many weeks. However, the person she was writing about suddenly disappeared and she believed he had been taken to the Broome Prison. Her request was would I go and visit him in prison. The person’s name was Karim Alikhani. Karim was sent to prison in Broome because he broke a window in the Curtin Detention Centre by throwing a computer through the window! I was able to visit Karim regularly while he was at the Broome prison. I continued to support Karim first when he was sent to Port Headland Detention Centre and then to the Baxter Detention Centre in Adelaide. My main advocacy for Karim was to write letters to lawyers and government people and to be present, when invited by a Sydney lawyer, at a video conference at Baxter Detention Centre in Adelaide. After this conference Karim was freed and came to live in Perth for some time. He then lived in Sydney for some years and I believe he has gone back to Iran!
When I came back from Broome to live in Perth I had my second intentional experience of being an advocate. I got a message from a Sister in Adelaide to say that a refugee family were coming to live in Perth and would I please support them. There was a mum and dad and two small children. This family were from Sri Lanka. After twelve months a brother-in-law and his wife also arrived in Perth, so I had two families to support and enjoyed it very much. I supported them for two years before they all moved to Sydney. The major advocacy experience I remember with them was – helping them to buy a second-hand car. I took them to about six second hand car places before they were satisfied. You see, Shri (the husband) knew all about cars. He owned a fleet of trucks when he was living in Sri Lanka. So between his car knowledge and my English we were finally able to get a second hand car that he was happy with. I was able to get the Sisters of Mercy to support them in buying a second hand car. Also, I was able to get the garage, where we eventually bought the second hand car, to take a cheque as well as cash that the family had saved and were keeping it under their mattress! It was not the usual practice for this garage to take cheques, but I persuaded them that a cheque from the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea would be a safe cheque!
My third experience of being an intentional advocate was at the last election time when I went to do my voting at the voting booth. There was a woman in front of me who was obviously a refugee. She had two small children and she was in line to do her voting. The people at the desk were having great difficulty understanding what the woman wanted. In my advocacy role I went up and helped them to realize that the woman was just asking for her voting paper as I was. I couldn’t stand and see her not being served because she was from another culture!
Last year when I was in Ireland on home leave I had an experience of advocacy. One day I was in a crowded bus in Dublin and I saw a family – a mother, and two young children, and a teenager – getting on the bus. Two or three minutes later they were getting off the bus. I went up to the bus driver and asked what the problem was. He said the family did not have the right change and so could they not get on the bus. I offered to pay the bus fare for the family. The bus driver did not seem happy that I had offered to do this. He questioned me and asked if I had enough money on my card. I said that was not a problem. I was concerned that it might have been a case of discrimination because the family were from Africa. When they got on the bus the mother of the three children passed me a piece of paper with the word ‘Blessing’ and a phone number on it That night I rang the family and we talked. That’s when I discovered that the word ‘Blessing’ was actually the woman’s name! I asked them where they were going on the bus. The mother said they had come to Dublin from Galway to see if they could get their visa to stay in Ireland. They had been in Ireland for six years already without a permanent visa!
So, we can all be advocates in our own lives if we can be alert to those who are new to this country, especially migrants and asylum seekers and refugees. The smallest awareness of the need for support can make a huge difference in the lives of people.
Written by : Breda O’Reilly rsm
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WE’LL WALK WITH YOU
On May the 13th, in the Mercy lecture theatre at the Melbourne campus of Australian Catholic University, a wonderful event took place, organised and presented by members of Young Mercy Links.
The organising committee chose the title of We’ll Walk With You as the evening’s aim was to help those in attendance to become better equipped to support those seeking asylum in Australia.
The evening began with a dramatic retelling of one person’s real journey to Australia. This was eye opening and thought provoking, and encouraged the audience to reflect on the dangers many people face, before making the difficult decision to flee their home country.
This was followed by an interactive session run by Hannah Carr and Sheelagh Purdon from the Asylum Seekers Recourse Centre (ASRC). They engaged the audience in really meaningful conversations, touching on possible reasons why so many Australians lack empathy toward and even seem to fear Asylum seekers. Sheelagh and Hannah spoke about just a few of the countless human stories behind this issue. The speakers also addressed some of the facts surround the cost of Offshore Detention, in contrast to the benefits of community integration.
Frank from Edmund Rice Community & Refugee Services (ERCRS), spoke about the incredibly important work this group carries out, with the help of their dedicated volunteers. With the aim of giving young people from disadvantaged backgrounds opportunities and support, ERCRS run homework clubs, tutoring programs and school and mentoring programs. The audience was given insight into just how rewarding it can be to assist these children who are eager to learn.
The final speaker for the night, Hilly Montague, introduced us all to the #WHYICARE movement. The Movement’s aim is to provoke conversation within communities all around Australia and to communicate to politicians, in all political parties, that we in fact do care about Refugees and Asylum seekers. The challenge was set; to come up with a response to the question ‘Why do you care?’ and to share this with as many people as possible. By sharing genuine human stories and our own genuine compassion the #WHYICARE movement encourages us to remove some of fear and apathy surrounding the topic.
The excellent range of speakers was matched by the diverse people in the 50 strong audience. In attendance were students from numerous universities, parents and students from Sacred Heart College, Kyneton and OLMC Heidelberg. Those who attended were all left feeling inspired by the current work being carried out to support refugees and asylums seekers. As well as this, we have been empowered to continue the conversations with family, friends and colleagues, write to our politicians and volunteer with programs where possible.
Congratulations to Nathan Pierce, Kaitlyn Krahe and Elisa Bolzonello, who worked tirelessly to put the evening together. The way in which they hosted the evening was both engaging and professional. A big thank-you also goes to Bernadette Inman Young Mercy Links Coordinator and Margaret Moore RSM for their assistance in making the evening run smoothly. Their belief in the Young Mercy Links team gives us the drive to continue to work for change.
NEWS FLASH: One of our members, Nathan Pierce, has created a website for Young Mercy Links. This was done after receiving feedback from current and prospective members that as a group we are hard to find on the internet. There will now be a link to the site on the Institute website or you can go direct to yml.org.au.
Messages to: Bernadette Inman
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Russian military
The International Massmedia Agency
If you play with fire in the Donbass, blaze all Ukraine
January 30, 2017 IMMRussian military
In the background, like Donald trump, apparently, decided to fulfil a campaign promise and held a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin, Ukraine continues to race toward the abyss with suicidal zeal.
Ukraine continues the tactics of escalating provocations in the quest to make the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s Republic to make a mistake. To this end, it is the second time in a week used rocket systems “Grad”, which was pre-announced to the front line.
20 Jan under fire appeared in the Northern peripheries of Donetsk to the East of the village of Spartak. Friday night under the sight of the heavy weapons hit the army positions DNR from the airport. Within 24 hours the number of shots exceeded 800, and in total for a week it was 5 956.
With an average a score of 850 rounds per day, the Ukrainian army is coming to the end of November 2016, and soon, probably, will reach the figures of December 2016 (the most intensive attacks during the year). Thus, in 2017 while that does not Bode well in terms of implementation of the Minsk agreements and other signed contracts of Kiev.
In particular, the Ukrainian authorities refuse to take units of more than 1.5 kilometers from Donetsk water treatment plant, although this requires a signed by them in March 2016 agreement. The presence of Ukrainian troops in such close proximity to the station is a new war crime and threatens the environmental and health disaster in the case if the shots hurt stored on site chemicals (like chlorine).
On the morning of 28 January, the Ukrainian army opened fire on the South of the DNI, three hours shelling the village of Sahanka.
LNR, the Ukrainian military again fired from mortars and anti-tank guns the city of Kirovsk and Bryanka. Two civilians were injured and many buildings were destroyed.
Can not break the deadlock and work in the other direction of the Minsk agreements, the exchange of prisoners. Kyiv once again postponed the exchange of which is to be held according to the principle “all for all”, under new false pretenses, thereby violating the existing agreements.
Ukraine as you can, stalling and demonstrates the disgusting dishonesty in the performance she signed the same agreements. This tells us that the Ukrainian authorities do not want a peaceful settlement of the conflict in the Donbass and the resumption of war.
This may create for Kiev more problems than they solve, despite the fact that state propaganda bursting at the seams, as can be seen from a recent TV program in which the resident of Kharkov on the phone with a lead on the Russian “aggressor”:
“You often say “aggressor”, and I wonder why the aggressor in the Crimea cares about our Ukrainian much better? Their pension is higher than my four times, medicine is free, gas is much cheaper and so on. It turns out, who is the aggressor then?”
When he tried to exchange the apartment for housing in the Crimea, hoping to find who want to leave Ukrainian patriots, it was found that no breaks from the Crimea to Ukraine:
“Like, there are patriots who would have gone — I began to show a finger to his temple, no one there to Ukraine doesn’t want”.
Now, when it becomes increasingly clear that Ukraine seeks to resume large-scale military action to deal with the conflict in the Donbas by military means, securing thereby the division of the country, more and more voices in Russia’s urge to expand relations with the Donbas and to facilitate its integration into the Russian Federation.
A year ago, Russia rejected a proposal to present to the residents of Donbas of Russian passports, in order not thereby violate the Minsk agreement. As a result, both republics had to issue their own passports. Anyway, today, this idea attracts more and more supporters.
In November 2016 Duma Deputy Sergei Shargunov has proposed to work with the Ministry of foreign Affairs for granting Russian passports to those wishing that the residents of Donbas. Now another MP urges foreign Minister to change the rules for the issuance of these securities.
The head of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs Leonid Kalashnikov said the issue obstacle for obtaining Russian passports to the residents of Donbas need to give up Ukrainian citizenship and to provide a certificate. But who will deliver? Certainly not Kiev.
MP proposes to amend legislation and procedures to make possible the issuance of Russian passports to residents of Donbass. So Russia will be able to confirm its continued support for these people and give them documents that allow them to travel and study abroad (passport, DNI and LC are recognized only by Russia and independent republics like South Ossetia).
Persisting in warlike logic, Kiev is only increasingly thicken the clouds over Ukraine. Now, as I write these lines, under fire from its airport, Spartacus and peripherals Yasinovataya. There was an explosion in the center of Donetsk. A prelude to another night of fear, hosted by the Ukrainian army civilians of the Donbass, where she allegedly came to “liberate”.
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The results of the day: news of Ukraine and world, facts and figures
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Science and Technology Daily (China): as the sport annually saves millions of people from premature death
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Avigilon Cuts Field Services Team
By John Honovich, Published Nov 11, 2016, 09:21am EST
Avigilon has cut their field services team, as the company continues to reorganize, adapting to lower growth and profit pressures.
In this note, we examine the cut, Avigilon's feedback, and what this means for Avigilon's future.
Cut ****
******** *** *** ***** field ******** ****, ********* 6 *********. *** ***** services **** *** **** ***** up **** *** **** ~2 ***** **** *** goal ** ********* ******* post-sales ******* ** ********'* growing ********** ********. *** team *** **** ** Eric ******* [**** ** longer *********].
Response ********
******** **** **:
** ****** **** ******** into *** ****** ***** engineering **********. **** **** provide ** **** ****** customer ********** ** ****** more ***** ********* ********* to ******* *** ******’* needs ****** *** *****.
**** **** ****** *** cut ***** ******** **** into ***** *********** ******* us ** *********** ****. However, ** ** *** clear *** ******* **** group *** *********** ***** field ********* ***** ****** a ****** ******** **********.
Savings **** ***
***** *** ********* **** savings **** *** *** but *** **** ***** relative ** ********'* *******. The ***** ******** **** likely **** ******** $* - $* ******* ******** compared ** ********'* ~$*** million ****** *******. *******, Avigilon *** **** ********** with ********** ******* ** it ****** **** *****, at ***** ** *** short ***.
Overall ************
**** ***********, **** ***** to ** **** ** a ******* **** '************'. Previously ********'* ******** *** ** ************ increase ***** ** ***** top **** ******* ******. These ****, ***** **** other ******* **** ** business *********** *** *********, shows **** ******** ** reigning ** *****, ***** many ********* *** **** reassuring.
** *** ***** ****, having * ********* ***** services **** ** ******** for ********* ***** ***** enterprise ********* *** ****** and ******* **** *** more ****** ************ ******* and ************. ******* **** team ***** ******** **** they **** *** ***** as **** ******* ***** customers ** **** ********* or **** **** **** be ********** ** ** so ***** ******* ******* these *********.
***** ******** *** ** improving ***** ******* **** structure, ***** ***** **** signal ** ********** ** a ****** ****** ******.
Steven Turney
Reply Edit
Delete Create Issue
Ban post
Anyone know of the individuals impacted by this as some in the industry are hiring
Agree Disagree Informative Unhelpful Funny: 1 Fav
Undisclosed #1
Never dealt with the field services team, what exactly did they do? I only deal with a sales engineer and RSM occasionally.
Agree: 1 Disagree Informative Unhelpful Funny Fav
In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 11/11/16 09:12pm
Sales Engineers are the field services team aren't they? The terms are interchangeable (imo).
I am generally wary of companies that start cutting these types of positions. Field services teams at growing/thriving companies (at least in my experience) are forever short-staffed. i.e. as new customers come on board, existing resources become stretched thin.
To combat this, various schemes are employed in the short term, but if a company is actually healthy (i.e. growiing/thriving) they generally will hire on more field support people to accommodate the growth.... field services are the life-blood of growing companies.
imo, when you start cutting costs in areas of importance for growth (like field services), then you are structuring yourself for an impending buyout.
Agree: 1 Disagree: 1 Informative: 3 Unhelpful Funny Fav
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
Field Services specifically dealt with 2 categories:
Break/Fix- Escalations from technical support where it was difficult to achieve resolution remotely for not ACC and ACM
Professional Services: revenue generating services for system deployments both ACC and ACM
Agree: 1 Disagree Informative: 3 Unhelpful Funny Fav
Undisclosed Integrator #4
They shouldn't have fired those who help the Customers to fix issues with poorly written software on site.
Just look at any VMS software, new releases list pages of solved issues. Sometimes these issues must be addressed on site prompt. I think that a company which is getting rid of field support engineers, does not take responsibility for the problems with their system any more.
Agree Disagree Informative Unhelpful Funny Fav
In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #4 | 11/14/16 10:24am
Which other companies have Field support engineers?
Never dealt with any of the people in these positions. Most of that can be accomplished with our own resources.
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Fire Up These Firefighter Facts (13 pics + 5 gifs)
Posted in INTERESTING 27 Mar 2020 1930 1
While there is some evidence of firefighting in Ancient Egypt, it’s believed that the first mandated fire brigades were in Rome during the 3rd century. Though, it wasn’t the best firefighting, and not just because of a lack of technology. You had to make a deal for your property while it was burning before the firefighters would do anything, and if you couldn’t pay up, they just let your place burn down.
A Different Kind of Firefighting
From 1603 to 1867, Japanese firefighters had an odd (but clever) M.O. To help them fight fires, they would dowse themselves in water before entering buildings to make themselves less flammable. They also “fought fires” in a pretty different way: They ripped a burning house apart to keep the fire from spreading. It sucked for the property owners, but by all historical accounts, it saved many lives.
Via WikiMedia Commons
Before we were even a nation, the first fire department in the “colonies” was established in Boston in 1678. A bit more fascinating is who was responsible for Philadelphia’s first fire company: Benjamin Franklin.
Not only did he create it, but it was also named after him, called “Benjamin Franklin’s Bucket Brigade” (which is a damn good name).
See No Evil, Hear No Evil
One of the most difficult parts of firefighting is sensory depravation. If you enter a burning building, it’s almost impossible to see because of smoke, and it’s almost impossible to hear because of the crackling of burning materials in the building. Combine that with wearing a mask so you can breathe at all, and you can see just how difficult it is to rescue people from a burning building.
A First For Everything
The first recorded woman firefighter was in the United States, and her name was Molly Williams. And she’s certainly not the last, around 7% of all firefighters are women, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Time is of the essence when it comes to containing fires, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that you have to get into gear pretty damn quick. As a result, firefighters are trained to get everything they need on in less than two minutes.
An Unfortunate Irony
Statistically speaking, you’re bound to have a few bad firefighters out there, but approximately 100 firefighters a year are arrested for… Starting fires.
Modern firefighting equipment is made of some pretty remarkable material, able to withstand up to 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. For comparison, steel melts at around 2,500 to 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit.
Due to the constant need for firefighters, shifts can be brutally long. Some firefighting crews have been known to work for 24 hours straight without a break, and sometimes even longer depending on the situation. In the “ideal” scenario, shifts last 24 hours with a rest-break of 48 hours, or 10-12 hours for 3 to 4 four days.
No Facial Hair, Please
While our pal Chief Terry might not follow this rule, firefighters are NOT supposed to have facial hair, or piercings. It’s not about aesthetics, it’s about safety: Ideally, a firefighter’s mask shouldn’t have anything in the way of creating a tight seal, and facial hair/piercings do just that.
Beyond Fire
Something that people tend to forget is that firefighters fight more than fires. Because of the special equipment for rescues given to fire departments, they are often called in for all sorts of situations, from flooding to earthquakes, even to man-made disasters. And since they often arrive first to a situation, they can even serve as temporary first aid until doctors arrive.
The True Enemy of the Firefighter
What do you think the number one way firefighters die is? Because it’s not from fire, so let’s get that out of the way.
It’s from heart attacks. Over 45% of firefighters who die on duty die from heart-related issues, which shows just how unbelievably stressful the job really is.
In the United States alone, a fire department responds to a fire every 33 seconds, which is just a staggering number.
Every second counts in firefighting, and as we’ve talked about already, it’s not easy to see or hear during a fire. So, firefighter suits are equipped with motion alarms called Personal Alerting Safety Systems, AKA PASS. The system sounds an alarm if a firefighter stops moving for 30 seconds.
Mostly Voluntary
Volunteer firefighters are a very real thing, but you might be surprised just how many firefighters are volunteers. A stunning 75% of all firefighters are volunteers, and the country of Chile is the only country in the world where all of the firefighters are volunteers.
With all of the equipment necessary for the job, combined with the material necessary to withstand extreme heat, firefighting is not a light job. Firefighters wear anywhere between 11 to 66 pounds of equipment on them.
Nowadays, “smoke jumpers” are a deeply respected group of firefighters, literally skydiving into fires to put them out. But, it was not respected when it was created.
You see, smoke jumpers started becoming a thing in 1939, and was mostly made up of conscientious objectors during World War II so that they could be put to use. And after World War II was over, most of the objectors were shoved out of the job.
Why Dalmatians?
In classic drawings and photos of old firefighters, you’ll notice an abundance of Dalmatian dogs. Why is that?
Well, back when firefighters didn’t have engines/cars to transport water, they used horse carriages. And of all the dog breeds, Dalmatians get along the best with horses while running alongside them. Since we don’t pull water by horse carriage anymore, you see all sorts of dogs used now.
1 Comment ?
Back 9 month s ago
#1 those first firefighters were the slaves of rich romans who used this opportunity to get more property in Rome. They would destroy the house after they put the fire out and replace it by insulae, apartment buildings. They did this until it was eventually forbidden and a official brigade, the vigiles, was founded. Modern firefighters in Italy are still called vigiles.
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Kenyon Zimmer
Red Scare Deportees
Tag Archives: Croatian
Faces of the First Red Scare
December 24, 2019 Red Scare Deporteesanarchist, Argentine, Austrian, Bulgarian, Canadian, Chinese, CLP, CP, CPSU, Croatian, cuban, Czechoslovakian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Galician, German, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, IWW, Lithuanian, Mexican, Norwegian, PLM, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Scottish, SLP, SP, Spanish, Swedish, Swiss, unaffiliated socialist, United Communist Party, URW, WIIU, Yugoslavianadmin
As part of the ongoing research for my book on the global history of immigrant radicals who were deported during America’s First Red Scare, I have posted brief profiles of 761 (and counting) individual deportees I have identified. This list is a work in progress, and some entries will be updated as I obtain additional sources.
Who is included:
This list includes radicals and suspected radicals who were deported between 1918 (following America’s entrance into the First World War) and 1925, when the last of the foreign-born radicals arrested between 1917 and 1920 were expelled, some after serving prison sentences. It includes both those who were deported by government order and those who were ordered deported but “voluntarily departed” at their own expense with the government’s consent (both categories were included together in US government deportation statistics). It does not include those who fled the country to avoid arrest or deportation. It includes both individuals deported for belonging to legally-defined “anarchistic classes,” and others who were suspected of radicalism but deported on other grounds (most commonly for entering the country without inspection or being retroactively deemed “likely to become a public charge” at the time of their entry).
This is not a complete list. In the fiscal years (June-July) 1918-1926, the United States deported 979 aliens as “anarchists,” and an unknown number of additional radical immigrants under other statutes. The largest single group of deportees, composed of 242 alleged radicals (as well as seven unrelated deportees) departed on the USAT Buford on December 21, 1919. However, it appears that no complete list of Red Scare deportees was produced by either the Bureau of Immigration or the Bureau of Investigation. I have instead had to rely on partial lists and mentions of individual cases included in these organizations’ files, congressional testimony, radical publications, newspaper reports, and other sources.
How to use this site:
Profiles have been posted in small batches. They are organized in alphabetical order by last name, followed by alternate spellings and pseudonyms in parentheses. (The Cyrillic spellings of Russian names are generally my best guess; American sources from the era were wildly inconsistent in their spellings of such names. The same is true of the transliteration of Chinese names in the Roman alphabet.) You can also browse the Index of Names.
Birth years are often approximate, usually having been calculated from an individual’s age at the time of their examination by immigration authorities, and some may therefore be off by a year.
You can search by individuals’ nationalities (country of birth and, in some cases, ethnicity [i.e. Jewish, Lithuanian, etc.]) by using the tags above.
Occupations describe the individuals’ employment in the US, not necessarily the work they engaged in before arrival or after their deportation.
Political affiliations represented include the syndicalist Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), the anarcho-syndicalist Union of Russian Workers of the United States and Canada (URW); the anarchist Partido Liberal Mexicano (PLM); anarchists unaffiliated with larger organizations; the Communist Party of America (CP); the Communist Labor Party (CLP); the Socialist Party of America (SP); the Socialist Labor Party (SLP); and unaffiliated socialists. You can search by political affiliation by using the tags above.
You may also use the “Search” box at the top of the page to look for individual names, locations, etc.
The main sources used for compiling these profiles are case files from the Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), Record Group 85, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington DC; the Old German Files (OG) and Bureau Section Files (BS) of the Records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Record Group 65, National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD (as digitized at fold3.com); and (for Italians) the Casellario Politico Centrale (CPC), Archivio Centrale dello Stato, Rome, Italy.
A special thanks to Molly Thacker, who photographed dozens of INS files for me; Malcolm Archibald, who has translated a number of Russian-language sources; D.J. Alperovitz, who has provided photographs of several IWW members; and the dozens of other archivists, translators, activists, and colleagues who have helped me locate, acquire, and read material from across the globe while undertaking this research.
Finally, if you have additional information about any of the deportees, or spot an error, please contact me!
Beniecewich to Berg
January 13, 2020 Red Scare DeporteesCP, Croatian, IWW, Russian, SLP, SP, Swedish, URWadmin
Kazimir Benicewich (or Benicowich)
Born circa 1880, Vilna, Russia (present-day Lithuania). Tailor. Migrated to US circa 1902; opened his own tailor shop in Baltimore 1919. Joined IWW circa 1914, but left circa 1916; joined Baltimore Branch No. 1 of Union of Russian Workers in 1917; active in national URW affairs. Arrested November 1919. Deported 1921. Subsequent activities unknown.
INS file 54709/419
Tom Benich
Born 1895, Slavonia, Austro-Hungarian Empire (present-day Croatia). Laborer. Migrated to US 1912. Member, Socialist Labor Party; 1919 joined South Slavic Branch no. 75, Communist Party of America. Claims he joined CP “in order to get the members to come over to the Socialist Labor Party.” Arrested Youngstown, Ohio 1920. Stated, “I believe that the working men should run this country.” Deported to Yugoslavia, September 1920. Subsequent activities unknown.
FBI file OG 384859
Philip Berezka (or Beresko)
Born 1896, Grodno, Russia (present-day Belarus). Laborer. Migrated to US 1913 via Canada. Employed by Pullman Coach Company. Joined Socialist Party in Rockford, Illinois, in 1918; joined Communist Party of America, November, 1919. Arrested Chicago, January 1920, during second Palmer Raids; declared “I do not believe in organized government.” Arrested again while on bail August 1920, with Kondrate Serovatke, while posting pro-Soviet posters on telephone poles. “Voluntary departure” to Russia, October 1920. Subsequent activities unknown.
INS file 54808/7; FBI files OG 811, OG 386686, and BS 202600-152-1
Philip Berezovsky (aka Philip Borodsky)
Deported to Russia 1921. No further information available.
Included on list of deported radicals in FBI file BS 202600-33
Edward Berg
Edward Berg’s IWW credentials
Born 1880, Sweden. Laborer. Migrated to US 1905. Joined IWW 1906; paid organizer and delegate for Lumber Workers Industrial Union no. 500. Arrested Spokane, Washington, April 1918. Deported November 1918. Subsequent activities unknown.
Bogush to Brezovic
January 22, 2020 Red Scare Deporteesanarchist, Communist Party, Croatian, IWW, Jewish, Russian, Socialist Party, unaffiliated socialist, URW, Yugoslavianadmin
______ Bogush (Богуш)
Born Russia (probably in present-day Ukraine). Member of the Union of Russian Workers. Multiple sources claim Bogush was deported on the Buford; however his name is not on the ship’s manifest (though it is possible that Bogush or the name he was deported under was a pseudonym). In Ukraine, joined anarchist Nabat Federation and observed Nestor Makhno’s partisan army. Arrested Kharkov circa November 1920 and executed by Checka circa March 1921 (Voline and Maximoff give slightly different dates).
See: Senya Fleshin Papers, International Institute for Social History; http://socialist.memo.ru/lists/bio/l3.htm#n814; Voline, The Unknown Revolution, 1917-1921; G. P. Maximoff, The Guillotine at Work: Twenty Years of Terror in Russia (Data and Documents)
Nikolai Bolsun (Bolson, Bolsum)
Member of the Communist Party of America in Plainfield, New Jersey. Arrested during second Palmer Raids, January 1920. Deported to Russia December 23, 1920. Nor further information found.
Included on list of deported radicals in INS file 54325/36G
See also: The Morning Post (Camden, New Jersey), December 23, 1920
Vasiliy Bondarenko (Васи́лий Бондаренко, Wasiliy Bondarenko, aka William Bender/Bander)
Born 1897, Kiev, Russia (present-day Ukraine). Laborer. Migrated to US 1912. Wife and two children in US. “Very active” member of Union of Russian Workers branch in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and lectured for the URW nationally. Arrested in New York during second Palmer Raids, January 1920. Deported October 1920. Subsequent activities unknown, but likely the same Bondarenko mentioned by anarchist Clara Larsen as having been “killed by Stalin.”
See also Lazar Lipotkin, The Russian Anarchist Movement in North America; Paul Avrich, Anarchist Voices: An Oral History of Anarchism in America
Samuel Bondarenko (Самуил Бондаренко; Sam Bondarenko)
Born Russia (present-day Ukraine), year unknown. Member, Communist Party of America, Philadelphia. Deported to Russia February 1921. No further information found.
Included on list of deported radicals in INS file 54325/36G; see also FBI file OG 267034
Peter Bonko
Arrested in Brooklyn during second Palmer Raids, January 1920. Probably Communist Party of America member. Deported to Russia December 23, 1920. No further information found.
Included on lists of deported radicals in INS file 54325/36G and FBI file BS 202600-33
Vasiliy Bootryn
Born 1888, Russia. Molder. Migrated to US 1913. Joined Socialist Party of America, April 1919; transferred to Communist Party of America later that year. Arrested during second Palmer Raids, January 1920. “Voluntarily departed” 1920. Subsequent activities unknown.
Vladimir Borisyuk (Владимир Борисюк, Vladimir Borisiuk/Borisink, Walter Borisuk)
Vladimir Borisyuk’s Socialist Party membership card
Born 1893, Grodno, Russia (present-day Belarus). Laborer. Migrated to US 1914. Arrested during first Palmer Raids, November, 1919, Hartford, Connecticut. Member of the Socialist Party (not a deportable offense), but had paid one month’s dues to Communist Party, and authorities suspected he belonged to Union of Russian Workers. Also accused of making revolutionary statements. Deported on the Buford.
Ivan Borovsky (Боровский; John; Borowsky)
Born 1878, Ventspils, Russia (present-day Latvia). Barber, railroad worker. Migrated to US 1908. Married; wife in Chicago. Member of IWW’s Russian Branch in Chicago; also suspected of belonging to URW. Arrested Chicago during first Palmer Raids, November 1919. Deported March 1921. Subsequent activities unknown.
INS file 54709/267; FBI file OG 380320
Boris Borsuk (Борис Борсук, Boroes/Borores Borsuk)
Born 1896, Brest, Russia (present-day Belarus). Barber. Migrated to US 1912. Owned barbershop at 70 Robinson Rd., Youngstown, Ohio. Helped organize Youngstown branch of the Union of Russian Workers and distributed URW literature. Arrested Youngstown in August 1919. His brother, Dimitri, arrested after visiting him in jail and again in 1920 on suspicion of belonging to the URW, although he denied this and does not appear to have been deported. Boris meanwhile was deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
See also: FBI file OG 380628
Max Brazeliya (Макс Бразелия or Бразилия, Brazelia)
Born 1892, Warsaw, Russia (present-day Poland). Jewish; laborer. Migrated to US 1913 (via Canada). Unaffiliated socialist; subscribed to the Forverts. Arrested March 1919, St. Louis after employer at Nelson Pants Manufacturing Company reported him for “spreading Bolsheviki propaganda in the workroom.” His employer, not actually wanting to see him deported, later defended him as harmless and “a good workingman.” Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
INS file 54616/25; FBI file OG 352388
See also: Kenyon Zimmer, “The Voyage of the Buford: Political Deportations and the Making and Unmaking of America’s First Red Scare,” in Deportation in the Americas: Histories of Exclusion and Resistance, edited by Kenyon Zimmer and Cristina Salinas
Josef Brencich
Born 1887, Fiume, Austria-Hungary (present-day Croatia). Sailor; painter. Italian-speaker, member of “the Slavish Race.” Migrated to US 1911. Anarchist, member of Philadelphia’s Union of Italian Workers. Arrested April, 1921, with Erasmo Abate and other members. Ordered deported to Hungary, but in 1921 Fiume had become an independent state, so allowed “voluntary departure” as a sailor “direct for Mediterranean ports,” January 1923. Subsequent activities unknown.
INS file 55009/82
Stefen Brezovic (Vrezovic; Steve)
Born 1886, Austro-Hungarian Empire (somewhere that later became part of Yugoslavia). Laborer. Migrated to US 1912. Joined Socialist Party of America 1916; September 1919 transferred to the South Slavic Branch No. 17 of the Communist Party of America. Arrested January 1920, Detroit. Deported May 1920 to Yugoslavia. Subsequent activities unknown.
MacDonald to Makarevich
March 13, 2020 Red Scare DeporteesCanadian, CP, Croatian, IWW, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, URWadmin
John Alex MacDonald (J. A. MacDonald; McDonald)
Editor of the IWW’s newspaper The Industrial Worker in Seattle from June 1916 to July 1918; active in defense of IWW members on trial following the Everett Massacre. Defendant at federal IWW trial 1917-1918; sentenced to ten years. His wife Kate edited the Industrial Worker, for which she had been the bookkeeper, during the trial. 1923 his sentence commuted on the condition of his deportation to Canada. In Canada, continued organizing for the IWW and writing for American IWW publications until at least 1926; led 1925 effort to organize Canadian agricultural workers, along with fellow deported IWW member Sam Scarlett. He should not be confused with the Communist Party of Canada organizer of the same name; MacDonald believed “a political revolution had occurred in Russia, but that any industrial revolution other than from feudalism to capitalism was unthinkable…[I]ndustrial communism must not come from the top but from the bottom, changing the foundations of society and consequently its superstructure, and destroying the state, of necessity an instrument of class rule.” Or, as he put it elsewhere, “a proletarian revolution is possible in a nation of smokestacks but it can not occur in a nation of haystacks” (see Industrial Pioneer, May 1925 and May 1926).
FBI file OG 8000-41990
See also: Industrial Workers of the World Collection, Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University; Stephen M. Kohn, American Political Prisoners: Prosecutions under the Espionage and Sedition Acts; Heather Mayer, Beyond the Rebel Girl: Women and the Industrial Workers of the World in the Pacific Northwest, 1905-1924; James Sullivan, “Reviewing the 1925 Harvest Drive,” Industrial Pioneer November 1925; J. A. McDonald [sic], “Training for Freedom,” Industrial Pioneer, March 1926; J. A. MacDonald, “The Reforging of Russia,” Industrial Pioneer, May 1925.
Samuel Mackway
Deported to Russia, January 22, 1921. No further information found.
Victor Macur
Born Vilna, Russia, 1887 (present-day Lithuania). Polish. Laborer. Migrated to US 1912. 1919 joined Russian Branch No. 3 of the Socialist Party of America in August 1919, which subsequently transferred into the Communist Party of America. Arrested during the second Palmer Raids, January 1920. “Voluntarily departed” to Poland via Canada, October 16, 1920.
Nils Madsen (Nels; Madison)
Born 1886, Drammen, Norway. Laborer; union organizer. Migrated to US 1904. 1912 joined IWW; became General Organizer for the Lumber Workers’ Industrial Union No. 500 circa 1916; arrested multiple times in connection with IWW organizing. Arrested March 26, 1918, in St. Maries, Idaho under state “criminal syndicalism” law. Deported November 4, 1918. 1918-1919 lectured throughout Norway on conditions in the US and cofounded the “Norwegian-American Defense Committee” to raise money for imprisoned IWW members. May be the same Nels Madsen who, by 1922, had become an organizer for the Norske Arbeiderpartiet (Norwegian Labour Party) and led its Norges Røde Speiderforbund (Norwegian Red Scout Federation, NRS), an attempt to create a radical alternative to the international Scout movement, but in the Labour Party’s 1925 split sided with the expelled pro-Communist faction connected to the publication Mot Dag and most of the NRS organizations followed him, only to collapse in 1926.
See also: “Norwegian Workers Come to the Aid of the I. W. W.,” One Big Union Monthly, March 1, 1919; Terje Halvorsen, Partiets salt : AUFs historie; Sondre Ljoså, “‘Etter beste evne at alltid være en god kamerat’: Speiderarbeid i arbeiderbevegelsen på 1920-tallet,” Arbeiderhistorie (2007)
Piotr Mager (Петр Магер; Peter Magyar)
Born 1891, Russia. Metalworker. Migrated to US 1913. Wife in Russia. Joined the Union of Russian Workers in Youngstown, Ohio circa 1915. Arrested August 1919, then again during the first Palmer Raids, November 1919. Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
Ivan Maiboroda (Иван Майборода; John)
Deported to Russia January 22, 1921. No further information found.
Vinko Majetic
Deported to Croatia, September 1, 1920. No further information found.
Lavrenti Makarevich (Лаврентий Макаревич; Lawrence Makarvitch)
Born 1894, Grodno, Russia (present-day Belarus). 1914 migrated to Canada; 1915 migrated from there to US. Joined the Union of Russian Workers in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Arrested during the first Palmer Raids, November 1919. According to INS file, he was deported January 22, 1921; however, a Department of Justice agent reported that Makarevich attended a June 4, 1922 conference of the URW in New Haven as a delegate of that city’s Russian Progressive Organization. His wife, Sophie Babitz, was living with her parents in Connecticut “and does not desire to have anything more to do with him.” Unclear if he was deported and returned, was never deported, or was deported and the DoJ report was in error.
Milligan to Molochko
March 20, 2020 Red Scare DeporteesCP, Croatian, Hungarian, IWW, Russian, Scottish, URWadmin
William Milligan (aka Wilson)
Born 1874, Edinburgh, Scotland. Miner. Migrated to South Africa circa 1900; then Australia and Mexico; migrated to US circa 1901. Took out a declaration of intent to naturalize, but never did so, explaining, “I traveled all over the country and saw too much.” Joined the IWW circa 1910; also an admitted anarchist. Worked in mines and acted as IWW propagandists on both sides of US-Mexico border. Arrested in Deming, New Mexico, September 1919. Deported April 3, 1920. Subsequent activities unknown.
See also: The Deming Headlight (Deming, NM), September 26, 1919.
Anton Minarich (Tony)
Born 1891, Austria-Hungary (in present-day Croatia). Laborer. Migrated to US 1909. Worked for Ford Motor Company Hospital in Detroit. Joined South Slavic Branch No. 17 of Communist Party of America in 1919. Arrested during the second Palmer Raids, January 1920. Deported to Yugoslavia June 19, 1920.
Yakov Minich (Яков Минич; Jacob; Jakow; Minicz)
Laborer. Deported to Russia, February 26, 1921. No further information found.
Included on list of deported radicals in INS file 55110/4
Petr Ivanovich Mironovich (Петр Иванович Миронович; Mironovich)
Mironovich’s URW membership card
Born 1900, Russia. Laborer. Migrated to US 1915. A member of the Union of Russian Workers in New York and then Hartford, Connecticut. Arrested during the first Palmer Raids, November 1919. Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
______ Mirolyubov (Миролюбов)
A member of the Union of Russian Workers in Akron, Ohio. Deported to Russia. No further information found.
See: Probuzhdenie, January 1932 (with thanks to Malcolm Archibald for translating this source)
Simeon Misnik (Симеон Мисник; Semeon; Minnik)
Member of the Communist Party of America in Chicago. Arrested during the second Palmer Raids, January 1920. “Voluntary departure” to Russia, October 16, 1920.
FBI file BS 202600-153-1
Joseph Miss
Deported to Hungary, March 21, 1920. No further information found.
Nicholas Mlaveransky (Mlaverausky)
Born 1894, Russia. Machinist. Migrated to US 1914. Joined the Union of Russian Workers in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1918. Arrested during the first Palmer Raids in November 1919. Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
Ketia Fedrovich Molkowsky (Кетя Федрович Молковский; aka L. C. Marten; Leo Martin)
Born 1884. Laborer; fisherman. Arrested Seattle, September 1919. Deported on the Buford (as a contract laborer and as “likely to become a public charge”, but radicalism was “suspected”). Subsequent activities unknown.
INS file 54709/68 (file missing)
See also: Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, House of Representatives, Communist and Anarchist Deportation Cases
Aggi Molochko (Агги молочко; aka Mike A. Molaka)
Born 1889, Starobin, Russia (present-day Belarus). Millworker. Migrated to US 1913. Joined the Union of Russian Workers in Norwich, Connecticut, circa October 1919. Arrested during the second Palmer Raids, January 1920. Deported February 1, 1921.
Orlov to Pankov
April 1, 2020 Red Scare DeporteesCP, Croatian, IWW, Russian, SP, URW, WIIU, Yugoslavianadmin
Mikhail Orlov (Михаил Орлов; Mike; Orloff)
Born 1889, Mogilev, Russia (present-day Belarus). Miner. Migrated to US 1909. Joined the Union of Russian Workers in Homestead, Pennsylvania in 1915. Also a member of the United Mine Workers. “It is suspected…that alien is one of the moving spirits of the branch of the Union of Russian Workers which is thought to exist in the Bertha mines” in Morgantown, West Virginia. Received anarchist and IWW literature from Max Maisel’s anarchist bookstore in New York. Arrested December 1, 1919 (during miners’ strike). Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
Samuel Orlov (Самуил Орлов; Sam; Orloff)
Born 1889, Mogliev, Russia (present-day Belarus). Miner. Migrated to US 1912. Joined the Union of Russian Workers in Mosessen, Pennsylvania, circa 1915. Also a member of the United Mine Workers. Arrested December 1, 1919 (during miners’ strike). Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
INS file 54709/609; FBI file OG 8000-248688
Albert Osborn
Born 1898, Førde, Norway. Sailor; laborer. Migrated to US 1909 with step-mother to rejoin father. 1915 went to England as a sailor; returned 1916 (without inspection). Joined the IWW in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota in 1915, but during his inspection claimed “I don’t care much about them…I had to join, because it was a matter of joining them or getting beaten up in going around the country in the harvest fields…they throw you from trains going sixty miles an hour.” 1917 arrested in Everett, Washington for no registering for the draft; served 13 days in jail. Arrested May 23, 1918 in Seattle as an IWW member. Diagnosed as “insane” June 6, 1918 due to “dementia praecox” resulting from a head injury as a child.Deported September 20, 1919 (as “likely to become a public charge,” entering without inspection, and suffering from “insanity”). According to Commissioner General of Immigration A. Caminetti, “the charge against him does not arise, even remotely, from his connection with the I.W.W.” Subsequent activities unknown.
Yakov Ozols (Яков Озолс; Jacob; Ozal; Ozols)
Member of the Russian Branch of the Communist Party of America in Philadelphia. Deported February 1, 1921. No further information found.
FBI file OG 8000-276616
Peter Paich (Paick)
Born 1897, Požega, Austria-Hungary (present-day Croatia). Migrated to US 1913. Joined the Socialist Party of American in Detroit and 1915, and the Workers’ International Industrial Union in 1918 in Lorain, Ohio. Arrested August 1917 in Lorain for distributing socialist literature and spent four days in jail; arrested April, 1918, for distributing socialist and anti-conscription literature; then interned at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, as an “enemy alien”; detained for deportation upon his release in September 1919; Deported May 8, 1920 (on the charge of being “likely to become a public charge,” as SP and WIIU membership did not meet the legal definition of a deportable “anarchist”). Subsequent activities unknown.
Alexandr Palukevich (Александр Палукевич; Alexander; Palukovich; Pavlukoich)
Communist Party of America member in Bayonne, New Jersey; deported to Russia December 23, 1920. No further information found.
Pavel Panasuk (Павел Панасук; Paul; Panosik)
Member of the Communist Party of America in Chicago. Arrested during the second Palmer Raids, January 2, 1920. “Voluntarily departed” to Russia October 10, 1920. No further information found.
Joseph T. Pandack
Deported to Yugoslavia August 1, 1920. No further information found.
Dimitri Panko (Дмитрий Панко; Panco)
Born 1890, Minsk, Russia (present-day Belarus). Mechanic. Migrated to US 1914. Joined Branch No. 2 of the Union of Russian Workers in Newark, for which he distributed literature. Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
Pavel Pankov (Павел Панков; Pual Panko)
Moulder. Deported to Russia, February 26, 1921. No further information found.
Pivarsky to Potenkin
April 10, 2020 Red Scare DeporteesAustrian, Belarusian, CP, Croatian, IWW, Polish, Serbian, URWadmin
Steve Pivarsky
Born 1892, Veliki Bečkerek (present-day Zrenjanin), Austria-Hungary (present-day Serbia). Autoworker. Migrated to US 1912. Employee of the Fisher Body Corporation in Detroit. 1913 joined Branch No. 61 (later Branch No. 17) of the South Slavic Federation of the Socialist Party of America; 1919 transferred into the Communist Party of America. Arrested during the second Palmer Raids, January 1920. Deported to Yugoslavia, April 14, 1920. Subsequent activities unknown.
Jacob Plajek
Deported to Poland, August 1, 1920. No further information found.
Mike Podalak
Deported to Austria, June 19, 1920. No further information found.
Mathew Podlipsky (Матвей Подлипский)
Podlipsky’s URW membership card
Born 1887, Rakitnitsa, Russia (present-day Belarus). Polish-Belarusian. Laborer. Migrated to US 1909. A member of the Union of Russian Workers branch in Newark. Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
Marko Podner
Born 1892, Okrug, Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary (present-day Croatia). Croatian. Laborer; miner. Migrated to US 1913. Wife in Croatia-Slavonia. June 1919 joined Branch No. 62 of Communist Party of America in West Winfield, Pennsylvania; became its secretary. Arrested during the second Palmer Raids, January 1920. Deported to Yugoslavia, June 19, 1920. Subsequent activities unknown.
Wolf Pohl (aka Pawlowicz; Pavlovich)
Housepainter. Deported to Russia, February 26, 1921. No further information found.
George Polevoy (Полевой)
Born 1883, Chernihiv, Russia (present-day Ukraine). Miner. Migrated to US 1907. Joined the IWW circa 1914 in Moundsville, West Virginia; also a member of the United Mine Workers (UMW). Participated in a miners’ strike protesting the conviction of Tom Mooney, and another in protest of the imprisonment of Eugene V. Debs. Arrested June 1918 for disturbing the peace during a dispute with UMW leaders; sentenced to $50 fine and ten days in jail (UMW member William Bursey later testified against Polevoy as a leader “of the foreign element [in the union]…they have made all kinds of trouble.” Arrested August, 1919. Described by immigration agent as “exceptionally shrewd and astute.” Deported February 1, 1921. Wife and child in US. Subsequent activities unknown.
Josef Polulech (Йозеф Полулех; Joseph; aka Joseph Balluch)
Born 1892, Grodno region, Russia (present-day Belarus). Laborer. Migrated to US 1913. Arrested during raid on the Union of Russian Workers’ “Russian People’s House” in New York during the first Palmer Raids, November 1919. Denied membership in the URW (and no evidence of membership was produced); claimed he was only there to attend arithmetic and Russian classes. He had, however, been an active member of New York Methodist Episcopal Church of All Nations since 1913, and several church leaders attempted to intervene on his behalf. Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
See also: The Churchman, January 24 and February 21, 1920; Constantine M. Panunzio, The Deportation Cases of 1919-1920
Jacob Popich
Born 1892, Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary (present-day Croatia). Laborer. Member of the South Slavic Branch of the Communist Party of America in Omaha. Arrested in St. Paul, Nebraska, January 8, 1920. Deported to Yugoslavia, July 15, 1920.
See also: Omaha Daily Bee, January 9, 1920
Andrew Postaruk (Pestaruk?)
Deported to Russia, February 1, 1921. No further information found.
Efrim Potenkin (Ефрим Потемкин; Efrem; Efreem; Potemkin)
Born 1897, Gomel, Russia (present-day Belarus). Migrated to US 1913. Steelworker. Attended meetings of the Union of Russian Workers in Monessen, Pennsylvania, but denied being a member and no evidence of membership produced. Arrested in Greensburg, Pennsylvania during the first Palmer Raids, November 1919. Immigration Inspector in Charge recommended cancelation of the deportation warrant for lack of evidence, but overruled by Commissioner General A. Caminetti. Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
See also: Kate Holladay Claghorn, The Immigrant’s Day in Court
Urkevich to Vazenas
May 27, 2020 Red Scare DeporteesAustrian, CP, Croatian, Russian, SP, URWadmin
Peter Urkevich (Петр Уркевич; Urkevitch; Yurkovics; Yurkewicz; aka John Jorkevits)
Born unknown year , Minsk, Russia (present-day Belarus). Shirt presser. Migrated to US 1913. Wife and two children in Russia. 1919 joined Branch No. 1 of the Union of Russian Workers in Philadelphia. Federal agents claimed he was treasurer of the branch; he claimed to be illiterate. Arrested during the first Palmer Raids, November 7, 1919. Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
Josip Vargo (Joseph; Varga; aka Jospeh Vasek)
Vargo’s Communist Party membership card
Born 1881, Zákány, Austria-Hungary (present-day Hungary). Grew up in Croatia; Croatian speaker. Steelworker. Migrated to US 1913. Wife and three children in Croatia. 1916 joined the South Slavic Branch of the Socialist Party of America in Youngstown, Ohio; 1919 transferred into the Communist Party of America. Participated in 1919 steel strike at Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company. Arrested February, 1920. Deported to Yugoslavia, September 1, 1920. Subsequent activities unknown.
Vasiliy Vaschuk (Василий Ващук; Wasily Waschuk; aka Porify Silkuko; Proify Silnko)
Born 1892, Volhynia region, Russia. Laborer. Migrated to US 1913. Wife in Russia. October 1919 joined Branch No. 1 of the Union of Russian Workers in Philadelphia. Arrested in the first Palmer Raids, November 1919. Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
Mikhail Vaseyko (Михаил Васейко; Michael; Wassiko; Vaseiko; Mike Vsiko)
Born 1890, Volhynia region, Russia. Laborer. Migrated to Canada 1913; from there migrated to US 1916. Wife and child in Russia. Member of the Union of Russian Workers branch in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Arrested during the first Palmer Raids, November 20, 1919. Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
Zachary Vaseyko (Захарий Васейко; Zach Wasciki)
Born 1886, Pidhorodna, Volynia, Russia (present-day Ukraine). Laborer. Migrated to Canada 1913; from there to the US in 1916. Wife and three children in Russia. Inconclusive evidence that he was a member of the Union of Russian Workers in Hartford, Connecticut, though he did attend several of its meetings and signed up for its automobile school. Arrested in raid on Hartford URW hall November 25, 1919. Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
Iosif Vasilenko (Иосиф Василенко; Joseph; Joe; Wassilenko)
Born 1881, Kiev Governorate, Russia (present-day Ukraine). Machinist. Migrated to US 1907; returned to Russia 1912; again migrated to US 1913. Wife and child in Russia. Twice arrested during 1919 strike at American Brass Company in Ansonia, Connecticut. Arrested again during the first Palmer Raids, November 7, 1919. Authorities claimed he belonged to the Union of Russian Workers, but he denied this and claimed he belonged only to the Socialist Party of America. Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
Nikolai Vasilyev (Николай Васильев; Nicholas; Wasilieff; aka Adam Vlasoff)
Born 1883, Podolian Governorate, Russia (present-day Ukriane). Ukrainian. Sailor. Already an anarchist in Russia. Migrated to US 1912. Joined Branch No. 1 of the Union of Russian Workers in New York; says he quit the URW because it “does not consist of anarchists, but merely of people who want education.” Arrested during the first Palmer Raids, November 11, 1919. Stated, “I believe that the history of government is the history of organized burglary.” Deported on the Buford. Subsequent activities unknown.
Konstantin Vasiliuk (Константин Василюк)
Maria Vasiliuk (Мария Василюк; Mary)
Housewife. Deported to Russia, February 26, 1921. No further information found.
Stefan Vasiluk (Стефан Василук; Stephan; Wasiluk)
Born 1870, Russia. Migrated to US 1914. Wife and children in Russia. Member of the Communist Party of America. St. Paul, Minnesota. Arrested during the second Palmer Raids, January 9, 1920. Deported January 22, 1921. No further information found.
Vasily Vasilyevich (Василий Васильевич; Wasilly; Wasilewics; Wasylewics; Wasylevicz)
Deported to Russia, October 2, 1920. No further information found.
Stanley Vazenas
Index of Deportees
Zharko to ______
Zaremba to Zedik
Yarmovics to Yereb
Wilckens to Yanish
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The Beatles Set To Release Deluxe Edition Of Iconic 'White Album'
50th anniversary edition to include previously unreleased material
PA Images/Sipa USA
The Beatles iconic White Album is about to turn 50, and fans are the ones who will be receiving a gift. The band will release anniversary editions of its 1968 effort. The crown jewel will be a super deluxe 7-disc set featuring previously unreleased recordings. All of the tracks will be mixed with 5.1 surround audio.
Related: Paul McCartney Back On Top After 36 Years
The full details and pre-order information were released on Beatles twitter this morning.
On Nov 9, @TheBeatles will release the #BeatlesWhiteAlbum Anniversary Editions - including a super deluxe 7-disc set featuring 50 mostly previously unreleased recordings all newly mixed with 5.1 surround audio as well as the much-sought after Esher Demos https://t.co/jH57w8tovU pic.twitter.com/pTOKvHzsY5
— The Beatles (@thebeatles) September 24, 2018
The White Album was the Beatles 9th studio album. It was a double album featuring 30 songs, including “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Birthday,” and “Back in the U.S.S.R.” You can listen to three different mixes of the latter track right now.
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The captain of the French team, Zinedine Zidane, dribbles the ball during the 2006 World Cup final between France and Italy.
© © Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Sport
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webmaster@cvradio.com
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Dave’s Blog
VETERAN ELTON JOHN GUITARIST SETTLES IN FOR THE LONG ‘FAREWELL’
Guitarist Davey Johnstone, who joined Elton John's band in 1971 and currently serves as his musical director, admits that launching the three-year “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour is as daunting as it is exciting. Johnstone spoke with Rolling Stone and was asked if he felt it was strange to finally be saying goodbye to the fans across the globe. Johnstone, who's now 67, said, “No, because it’s a long farewell tour. They’re planning a lot of gigs. In a sense it is strange, but my only real concern as the musical director and the guy who puts the band together is to make sure everybody’s on point with what they’re playing and that we don’t just diss our audience. So we try and play arrangements that are interesting enough where people say, '. . . They didn’t play that last time out,' or 'That’s new,' or 'Oh, wow, listen to that.' I’m more intent on this being an extension of what we’ve always been known for, which is great musicianship and giving a really powerful show. And I think there’s gonna be no problem where that’s concerned.”
Johnstone is one of the rare musicians who's collaborated musically with Elton, and recalled co-writing the 1983 Top 10 hit “I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues” during sessions for that year's Too Low For Zero album. Johnstone recalled the set up at George Martin's AIR Studios on Monsterrat: “We’re sitting and Elton said, 'I’ve got this lyric and I think it’s a guitar song.' I said, 'OK.' He showed me the lyric and I went, 'Oh, what a beautiful lyric.' We wrote the song right there in about 20 minutes. He said, 'That’s it. Let’s record it.' The next day, I think, we invite the whole band in the room. We played them the song and we proceeded to record it and that was it. I mean, when you start with a lyric like that, you’re already halfway there. So I really can’t emphasize enough how important Bernie (Taupin)’s contribution has been over the years through this whole thing.”
Johnstone went on to defend some of Elton's late-'80s albums, which he feels have been unfairly knocked: “If you’ve produced a number of really great things, people expect the next thing to be amazing. And sometimes it’s not what they expect. And so therefore they go, 'Well, what the f*** happened?' I think John Lennon said it best. He certainly said this to me. He said, 'Look, an album is really just a little postcard of where you are at that time. If you’re honest enough to put it out like that, that’s what it is. And what people think of it really is neither here nor there, because if you’re a true artist that’s what it’s gonna be.'”
Amazingly, Davey Johnstone has been lucky enough to witness the Elton John – Bernie Taupin songwriting partnership up close for nearly 50 years and has literally seen some of rock's most beloved songs being written in front of him: “Elton’d have a stack of lyrics and he’d just look through them. He wouldn’t do any pre-work (on the songs) in those days, y’know, he wouldn’t ever sneak ‘em at home with them, he’d wait till he get to the studio, and then literally sit down after breakfast and write a song. I mean, I’ve seen him write songs in the time that it’s taken me to make a chicken sandwich, or something.” at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center.
AUDIO: DAVEY JOHNSTONE ON ELTON JOHN’S SONGWRITING
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Aston Villa 1-4 Liverpool: Jürgen Klopp’s reaction
Jürgen Klopp was pleased with Liverpool’s second-half response as they beat a youthful Aston Villa team 4-1 in the FA Cup on Friday night.
The Reds took a fourth-minute lead in the third-round tie at Villa Park through Sadio Mane but were pegged back before the break as Louie Barry bagged for the hosts.
A more clinical showing after the interval ensured a place in the next round, however, with Georginio Wijnaldum, Mane again and Mohamed Salah on target.
Read Klopp’s verdict on the evening at his post-match press conference below…
On Liverpool’s performance and the challenge presented by Villa…
It’s the same, pretty much – the boys did really well, the kids of Aston Villa did really well, were organised and all that stuff. It was clear. We scored an early goal, a nice one, and then we didn’t play quick enough anymore, didn’t move fast enough, didn’t play the right spaces. These are football problems and we solved the football problems with football in the second half. So, I’m really fine with it. It was a tricky one. I’ve never before had this kind of challenge in my life, that you have no idea who you’re playing against – absolutely no idea; that you prepare a meeting and then you can throw all the preparation, all the videos in the bin and then you have to start new. That’s football and academy players are good players. Last year we played here with our kids and they gave Aston Villa a proper game as well. That’s just how it is. These young kids can all play football and if you don’t play well against them you have problems. Second half, we played exactly like we should have played from the beginning and that’s why we won really, the right way.
On whether there were any reservations about playing the game and if Jordan Henderson going off at half-time was due to an injury…
No, no, Hendo and Thiago was clear before the game that we do it like this: 45, 45. Absolutely no problem. And no, no reservations. We trust the authorities, we had our test results come back yesterday as well, everybody was negative. Then the FA did what they thought is right with the U23s, they got tested, we got their results this morning I think at 10 o’clock. We were on the car park at the airport. So, then everything is fine.
On starting Takumi Minamino on the left and Mane in the middle, and his assessment of Minamino’s performance…
We trained it like this and we prepared it for the Aston Villa first team. We wanted Sadio much more keeping the centre-halves together pretty much, offering and being a threat in behind the last line. And using Taki actually, offensively, completely on his position, between the lines on a rather No.10 position, slightly more the left side, that’s all. But then they obviously had to change, but Sadio can play the position, Taki can play the other position as well because there is not a big change for him, he is just an offensive player and can move in his comfortable areas.
Match report: Reds slip to defeat at Southampton
Match report: Reds held to goalless draw by United at Anfield
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Investors Consider Bitcoin and US Tech Stocks as Biggest Market Bubbles Right Now
Military-Backed Party Takes Lead In Thailand Polls, Election Commission To Announce Full Results On Monday
AsiaWorld
By Admin On Mar 24, 2019
LAHORE MIRROR (Monitoring Desk)– Military-backed party is taking lead in Thailand’s national elections today, initial results from the Election Commission show.
The country is witnessing first elections since a military coup in 2014.
With about 90 percent of ballots in Sunday’s long-delayed polls counted, the Palang Pracharat party had seven million votes. Pheu Thai, the party linked to the former Prime Minister and exiled tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra, had 6.6 million.
Future Forward, a newly founded party that campaigned on a promise of change and military reform, was third, with nearly 4.8 million votes.
The commission said it would announce the final results on Monday at 10am (03:00 GMT).
The vote is taking place under a new constitution that gives the military considerable influence over the country’s civilian politics and makes it difficult for any party to win a majority in the 500-seat lower house. The upper house is appointed by the military.
Prayuth Chan-ocha, the retired army general who led the coup against the country’s last elected government five years ago, hopes the election will return him to power as a civilian prime minister.
The prime minister will be the person who secures a majority across both houses, and the 250-seat Senate is seen as giving Prayuth an advantage.
“This constitution was written to support a crazy party,” Boon Srichok, 77, told Al Jazeera at Pheu Thai’s headquarters in Bangkok. “Palang Pracharat already had 250 by law and that’s not fair. It’s cheating.”
Turnout stood at 65.96 percent, below expectations. In early voting last week, it was 87 percent.
About 52 million voters were registered to vote, some seven million of them for the first time.
Thais are choosing their representatives through a complicated system that includes both direct votes and a party list, and while the official results will not be announced until after the coronation of King Vajiralongkorn in May, the Election Commission is expected to announce preliminary results hours after the polls close.
The king himself released an announcement on the eve of the election that was broadcast across national television to say that Thais should support “good people” to run the country.
Thailand has been consumed by divisions between supporters and opponents of Thaksin since he was elected prime minister in 2001 promising to help ordinary people who had long felt ignored by the traditional elites in Bangkok.
Thaksin was overthrown in a coup in 2006 after mass street protests by the so-called “yellow shirts” and lives in exile after being found guilty of corruption. He says the charges were politically motivated.
The cycle of Thaksin-backed election win, instability and coup continued until Prayuth seized control of the country in 2014, banning political activity and cracking down on freedom of expression.
Despite the ban being lifted to allow election campaigning, parties and candidates continue to operate in a restrictive environment.
Thai Raksa Chart, another Thaksin-linked party, was banned and dissolved in February after nominating Princess Ubolratana, the king’s elder sister, as its candidate for prime minister.
Thanathorn faces court on Tuesday for criticising the military.
Parties need to secure 376 seats for a majority so it is possible for Palang Pracharat to form a government with only 126 seats in the lower house, assuming they have the support of the 250-seat upper house which is appointed by the military.
Election Commission To Announce Full Results On MondayMilitary-Backed Party Takes Lead In Thailand Polls
Guess Which One Is The World’s Happiest Country In 2019?
Australia Beats Pakistan In Second ODI; Finch Strikes 155
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World News, 9/4/04 - 2004-09-04
Russia is counting the dead from a school hostage crisis that ended Friday in a bloody gunbattle between Russian forces and militants who had seized the building. Latest reports put the death toll at 322, about half of them schoolchildren. Russian officials say 27 attackers -- both Chechen militants and Arabs -- are among the dead. Officials say many of the wounded are in grave condition. More than 700 people were hurt when Russian forces stormed the building Friday after explosions were heard inside.
World leaders have reacted strongly to the violent conclusion of the school hostage crisis in southern Russia. President Bush called the hostage taking a "grim reminder" of the tactics of terrorism and said the United States "stands with the people of Russia." The European Union expressed regret the crisis was not resolved peacefully but said the blame rests on the those who committed a "heinous crime." United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was "horrified" that so many children lost their lives. Similar sentiments were expressed by leaders of Britain, India, Australia, Thailand, Egypt, Israel and other countries.
Former President Bill Clinton is to undergo heart bypass surgery early next week after tests revealed blockages in his coronary arteries. Mr. Clinton, who has had no history of heart disease, is expected to make a full recovery, after spending several days in the hospital, and at least four weeks recuperating at home. The 58-year-old former president was admitted to a New York hospital Friday on the advice of doctors, a day after complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath.
Listen to our World News for details of these stories and more. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Apple plans larger iPhones
Report: Apple plans larger iPhones
NEW YORK – Jan. 27, 2014 – Apple plans to launch two larger iPhones this year and probably will avoid using the plastic exterior design of last year’s 5c model, which has not sold as well as expected, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
Apple is developing an iPhone with a display larger than 4.5 inches diagonally and a second version with a screen bigger than 5 inches, the newspaper said.
Both new models are expected to feature metal casings similar to what is used on the current iPhone 5s. Apple is expected to scrap the plastic exterior used on the iPhone 5c, the Journal added, citing unidentified people familiar with the situation.
The phones are expected in the second half of 2014. The smaller of the two models is being prepared for mass production, while the larger-screen version is still in development, the WSJ reported. Apple spokeswoman Teresa Brewer declined to comment.
So far, Apple’s largest phone has sported a 4-inch display. However, Samsung and other rivals have made bigger phones, including so-called phablets, that have sold well, particularly in Asia, a region where Apple is searching for growth.
“It’s a product category that’s been missing from Apple, so this is good to see,” says Alex Gauna, an analyst at JMP Securities.
Apple has been dogged by concern about thinning profit margins and slowing growth as a wave of cheaper smartphones gained market share in recent years.
Apple tried to tackle those concerns last year with the iPhone 5c – a slightly cheaper version of its smartphone, with a colorful plastic case. But the 5c was still not cheap enough for developing markets such as Asia, while most consumers in the USA snapped up the high-end iPhone 5s.
“The notion that Apple may not use plastic casing for the new larger phones is not a surprise,” Gauna says. “The 5c has been a disappointment to market watchers and Apple internally.”
The analyst expects that the larger iPhones will be positioned as a premium device, similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3, which has a 5.7-inch display. The larger phones will be crucial as Apple tries to sell more mobile devices in Asia. Bigger screens are popular there, Gauna says.
Copyright © 2014 USA TODAY, Alistair Barr; Invision/AP.
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