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How to watch Outback Bowl 2021 Online on Official Channel
Outback Bowl 2021 is an upcoming Bowl Game event. It will air after a few weeks. You need to get ready to enjoy Outback Bowl 2021 Live Stream. All the information about Outback Bowl 2021 we will share with you. You need to follow the instructions. Let’s know all about Outback Bowl 2021.
1 When and Where is Outback Bowl 2021?
2 How To Watch Outback Bowl 2021 Live Stream on Online Channel?
3 How To Watch Outback Bowl 2021 Live Stream All Over The World?
When and Where is Outback Bowl 2021?
The 2021 Outback Bowl is a college football bowl game that is scheduled to be played on January 2, 2021, with kickoff scheduled for 12:30 p.m. EST.
How To Watch Outback Bowl 2021 Live Stream on Online Channel?
ESPN is an American multinational basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc, owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications. The company was founded in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen along with his son Scott Rasmussen and Ed Egan.
It is possible to enjoy Outback Bowl 2021 Live Online without cable. You can enjoy all the games on ESPN. For this, you have to spend a little cost. And you should confirm your subscription on ESPN.
You can access ESPN via the existing ESPN app on a variety of streaming players, mobile devices, and smart TVs. It costs $5.99 per month or $49.99 annually. You can also bundle ESPN with Hulu and Disney+ for $12.99 a month.
How To Watch Outback Bowl 2021 Live Stream All Over The World?
Bowl Game is a very famous event not only in the USA but also in Various Countries. There is a lot of fans in The World who love to enjoy Bowl Game. So it is possible to enjoy Outback Bowl 2021 Live Stream from any corner of the world. For this, you need to know some channels and information. Only for the fans, we are sharing this. Let’s know about that.
You can watch Outback Bowl 2021 Live on Sky from the UK. Sky UK Limited is a British broadcaster and telecommunications company that provides television and broadband Internet services, fixed-line and mobile telephone services to consumers and businesses in the United Kingdom. For the basic service, here’s what you pay: Installation: £0, £30 or £60 – Free if you get a Sky+HD box! You only pay the installation once.
Outback Bowl 2021 match will broadcast on ITV. ITV is a British free-to-air television channel. Previously a network of separate uniquely identifiable regional television channels, ITV currently operates in England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands. From 2001 until 2013, the primary ITV channel was called ITV1.
BT Sport is a group of pay television Outback Bowl 2021 channels provided by BT Consumer; a division of BT Group in the United Kingdom and Ireland that was launched on 1 August 2013. The channels are based at the former International Broadcast Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
Movistar TV is a subscription television service operated by Telefónica. Currently, the service is available in Chile, Perú, Colombia, El Salvador, Venezuela, and Argentina. In Spain, this service merged with the satellite platform Canal+, resulting in a new platform called Movistar+. You can enjoy Outback Bowl 2021 Live Stream From Latin America.
When it comes to Bowl Game in Japan, several TV companies are covering the sport on a free-to-air basis. These include the likes of Fuji TV and TBS. There is also however a major paid TV channel that covers Bowl Game in Japan, with regular live shows as well as numerous archive shows. That is NTV G+, which we refer to as just G+ for simplicity purposes. Fran From Asia can enjoy Outback Bowl 2021 Live Stream By using G+.
Fans from Australia can enjoy Outback Bowl 2021 Live Stream on Foxtel. NXE Australia Pty Limited is an Australian pay television company—operating in cable television, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April 2018, superseding an earlier company from 1995.
Fans From New Zealand can enjoy Outback Bowl 2021 Live Stream on TVNZ. Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to as TVNZ, is a state-owned television network that is broadcast throughout New Zealand and parts of the Pacific region. Although the network identifies as a national, part-public broadcaster, it is fully commercially funded.
Show Club will telecast Outback Bowl 2021 Live Stream. Show Club is a 1999 American film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter. It is based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. Norton plays the unnamed narrator, who is discontented with his white-collar job. He forms a Show club with soap salesman Tyler Durden.
Teleport was the first Romanian Outback Bowl 2021 channel launched on 1 December 2003, by Silviu Prigoana, the man behind Taraf TV and Ethno TV. In March 2008, Realitatea-Caţavencu Group bought the station and brought a new team to manage the channel, team led by Vlad Enăchescu, a former manager at TVR1. You can enjoy your favorite Outback Bowl 2021 Live on Teleport.
Outback Bowl 2021 will be the biggest event of this year. In The Event, famous stars will be a great experience for you, your friends, and your family. I hope you get all information about Outback Bowl 2021 Live Streaming from our site. Because our site is all about Outback Bowl 2021. We have tried to give you the information about Outback Bowl 2021 Live online streaming, social media streaming, using the app for streaming, and so on. If you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask us through our contact option. If you need more information, please visit this site.
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PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Streaming Online
The PDC World Darts Championship is the premier event on the Professional Darts Corporation calendar. First held in 1994 as a consequence of a split in professional Darts, with the British Darts Organization now running a separate BDO World Darts Championship. The competition was dominated by Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, who won 14 titles and was runner-up 5 times. Scotland’s Peter Wright is the current Champion, having won his first Championship in the 2019/2020 event after beating the then defending Champion Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in the Final.
1 When and Where is PDC World Darts Championship 2021?
2 PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream on Online Channel
3 PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream All Over The World
4 PDC World Darts Championship 2021 on Without cable
4.1 DirecTV Now
4.2 FuboTV
4.3 Sling TV
5 PDC World Darts Championship 2021 on a Device
5.1 Roku
5.3 Apple TV
6 PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream on Social Network
6.2 Reddit
6.4 Instagram
6.5 Tumblr
7 PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream using VPN services
When and Where is PDC World Darts Championship 2021?
The 2020/2021 PDC World Darts Championship will be held between the 18th December 2020 and 4th January 2021. The PDC World Darts Championship is held as Alexandra Palace.
PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream on Online Channel
The PDC World Darts Championship 2021 is available on Sky Sports Box Office in the U.K. and DAZN in the U.S., along with many other regions globally. Taylor v Gutierrez on DAZN is available to users in the following markets: United States, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Japan. In addition to those countries, select beta testers worldwide are able to watch the fight ahead of the upcoming global roll-out of the service.
It is possible to enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Online without cable. You can enjoy all the games on DAZN. For this, you have to spend a little cost. And you should confirm your subscription on DAZN.
You can pay for Dazn on either a monthly or yearly basis. A monthly subscription costs a hefty $19.99 per month, while the annual plan is a better value at $99 per year. To sum up this DAZN 2019 review, DAZN is absolutely worth it. It’s really hard to say anything bad about a platform that saves us hundreds per month, shows us far more sport that we actually want to see with the choice of the sport we watch being ours, with the ability to watch from anywhere.
PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream All Over The World
Sports is a very famous event not only in the USA but also in Various Countries. There is a lot of fans in The World who love to enjoy Sports. So it is possible to enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream from any corner of the world. For this, you need to know some channels and information. Only for the fans, we are sharing this. Let’s know about that.
You can watch PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live on Sky from the UK. Sky UK Limited is a British broadcaster and telecommunications company that provides television and broadband Internet services, fixed-line and mobile telephone services to consumers and businesses in the United Kingdom. For the basic service, here’s what you pay: Installation: £0, £30 or £60 – Free if you get a Sky+HD box! You only pay the installation once.
PDC World Darts Championship 2021 match will broadcast on ITV. ITV is a British free-to-air television channel. Previously a network of separate uniquely identifiable regional television channels, ITV currently operates in England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands. From 2001 until 2013, the primary ITV channel was called ITV1.
BT Sport is a group of pay television PDC World Darts Championship 2021 channels provided by BT Consumer; a division of BT Group in the United Kingdom and Ireland that was launched on 1 August 2013. The channels are based at the former International Broadcast Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
Movistar TV is a subscription television service operated by Telefónica. Currently, the service is available in Chile, Perú, Colombia, El Salvador, Venezuela, and Argentina. In Spain, this service merged with the satellite platform Canal+, resulting in a new platform called Movistar+. You can enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream From Latin America.
When it comes to Sports in Japan, several TV companies are covering the sport on a free-to-air basis. These include the likes of Fuji TV and TBS. There is also however a major paid TV channel that covers Sports in Japan, with regular live shows as well as numerous archive shows. That is NTV G+, which we refer to as just G+ for simplicity purposes. Fran From Asia can enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream By using G+.
Fans from Australia can enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream on Foxtel. NXE Australia Pty Limited is an Australian pay television company—operating in cable television, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April 2018, superseding an earlier company from 1995.
Fans From New Zealand can enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream on TVNZ. Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to as TVNZ, is a state-owned television network that is broadcast throughout New Zealand and parts of the Pacific region. Although the network identifies as a national, part-public broadcaster, it is fully commercially funded.
Show Club will telecast PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream. Show Club is a 1999 American film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter. It is based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. Norton plays the unnamed narrator, who is discontented with his white-collar job. He forms a Show club with soap salesman Tyler Durden.
Teleport was the first Romanian PDC World Darts Championship 2021 channel launched on 1 December 2003, by Silviu Prigoana, the man behind Taraf TV and Ethno TV. In March 2008, Realitatea-Caţavencu Group bought the station and brought a new team to manage the channel, team led by Vlad Enăchescu, a former manager at TVR1. You can enjoy your favorite PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live on Teleport.
PDC World Darts Championship 2021 on Without cable
Behind This Modern World, There Is Another World That Is Called Internet World. If You Want To Watch PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Online Without A Cable, You Have To Find The Online Accessible Channels. Watching Without A Cable Is A Prevalent Choice For Those With High Mobility, Or Simply Those Who Don’t Want To Use Cable. It will be The Best Streaming Services For You. There are many without cable site, for your knowledge we are sharing some of those.
It will be one of The Best options to enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 live streaming. For international users, It Can Be the Better choice for you. DirecTV Now Is The Channel Under The Umbrella Of AT & T. Any Package You Can Free Travel For A Week. Direct TV is one of America’s most popular satellite channels.
DirecTV Now starts at $40 per month with its Live a Little package, which includes more than 60 live channels. DIRECTV NOW lets you stream your favorite channels and On Demand titles for a low monthly price. There’s no bulky hardware or annual contracts required, but you will need hours on end to watch the news, PDC World Darts Championship 2021, movies, and more on DIRECTV NOW. You can also stream on your computer and mobile devices.
FuboTV Is One Of The Better Option To The Streaming Channel. Fubo TV Is Available For All NCAAF Lovers For All Times. For Watching PDC World Darts Championship 2021, You Can Use Fubo TV You Are Anywhere It Doesn’t Metter. To Gating Access To Fubo Tv, You Can Use iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Laptop, as well as PC.
This means you’ll get Sports. The only match you won’t get is on ESPN. Once you subscribe, you will be able to stream your local Show Event on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon, Fire TV, Chromecast, iOS, and Android.
FuboTV offers a $55 base package in addition to several a la carte channel additions ranging from $5 to $29 a month. You can upgrade your Cloud DVR storage and add one extra simultaneous stream for monthly fees.
You can enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream On Sling TV. It is an American streaming television service operated by Sling TV LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dish Network. Unveiled on January 5, 2015, at the Consumer Electronics Show, the virtual multichannel video programming distributor aims to complement subscription video-on-demand services for cord-cutters, offering a selection of major cable channels and OTT-originated services that can be streamed through smart TVs, digital media players, and apps.
You do not need a Dish subscription to get Sling TV. It’s available on several different platforms including iOS, Android, Apple TV, and Roku. Plans start at $30 and include around 30 live TV channels. Local channels are limited or nonexistent on Sling TV. Sling is one of the most affordable cord-cutting services on the market, offering two packages Orange and Blue with 30+ live channels starting at $30 a month or combined for $45 a month. Orange offers the Disney Channel and ESPN, while Blue offers a slate of Fox channels, NBC, Bravo, and Discovery.
PDC World Darts Championship 2021 on a Device
In This Modern Era in 2020, Smartphone Is The Most Using Thing To Watch Anything, To Get Information About Anything, And So On. For The Users Of Smart Phone We Are Ready To Give You The Information, So That, You Can Always Enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Show. You Can Install Official Broadcasting Software. Or You Can Get Access By Using Smartphone To Following Our Instruction. Always Follow Our Site And Enjoy The PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream On Device. Let’s know about some apps to enjoy the PDC World Darts Championship 2021.
Roku is a line of digital media players manufactured by American company Roku, Inc. The devices offer access to streaming media content from various online services. The line was introduced in May 2008 with its first model, developed in collaboration with Netflix. The Roku series has been considered on the overall market for digital media players, helping to popularize the concept of low-cost.
Roku is an app, which will provide you PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live streaming. After setting up Roku, access the Roku channel store for adding new channels. By entering the focus channel in the search bar, you will find an app, now install it. You have to subscribe to the channel from your devices to get access to Roku. You can access Roku by using the information on Channel. Then you will enjoy the live Event PDC World Darts Championship 2021.
Roku streaming players start at just $29.99, and Roku TVs are available from a variety of TV manufacturers at affordable prices. There are no monthly fees for watching free channels or for using a Roku device. History Vault $4.99/month Stream acclaimed series like America the Story of Us and The Men Who Built America, probing documentaries, and captivating specials, all commercial-free. Choose from the largest collection of historical videos with new content added weekly.
Kodi is a free and open-source media player software application developed by the XBMC Foundation, a non-profit technology consortium. Kodi is available for multiple operating systems and hardware platforms, with a software 10-foot user interface for use with televisions and remote controls. Here you can enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live.
Kodi Solutions’ starting package costs $5/month for a single stream on one device. For streaming on up to three devices simultaneously, the cost is $8/month. You can stream Kodi Solutions on up to 5 devices simultaneously for $10/month.
If you can’t watch the PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live from anywhere, you can use other online streaming channels like Apple tv or iPad. Apple tv provides the streaming service per month. Apple tv gives other facilities. Apple tv provides a full HD video. It is also one of the low-cost online streaming channels. There is no free travel on this Apple Tv. This is not a big deal for you to spend per month on your entertainment. Hurry up, don’t be late to subscribe to the Apple TV.
Apple TV Plus costs $5 a month, or $50 for an annual subscription, and it offers a standard seven-day free trial. People who buy an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod Touch, or Mac starting back on Sept. 10 qualify for a free subscription for one year. Previous Apple device owners aren’t grandfathered in.
PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream on Social Network
We live in a modern era. In recent times, Social Network is the most popular option for PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Streaming. Most people want to enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 on Facebook Live Streaming, Reddit is also a better option to enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live. Twitter is a great option to get PDC World Darts Championship 2021 event news online. You can also enjoy the event by using Instagram and YouTube. The web-based social network will voluntarily boost The PDC World Darts Championship 2021 content. Chances are, you will catch up with the entire event through all of the popular social media sites. Let’s know the details about social media.
Facebook is the most popular social media. Although it is very popular, people come to Facebook to get information about PDC World Darts Championship 2021. Facebook has also added live broadcasts recently. In recent times, Facebook has started streaming high voltage events. So, people can cut off Red from wasting time to find PDC World Darts Championship 2021 live streaming site. Since Facebook is live streaming PDC World Darts Championship 2021, you shouldn’t find anything without Facebook. Facebook streaming is one of the best ways to watch PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live online. Facebook Live is an effective way to watch PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live. People all over the world are willing to enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live. Some people will come to Facebook to live to show PDC World Darts Championship 2021.
Facebook first started rolling out fan subscriptions in early 2018, allowing creators to charge their fans $4.99 per month in exchange for access to exclusive content and a fan badge.
Facebook Signup!!
1.Go to www.facebook.com/r.php.
2.Enter your name, email or mobile phone number, password, date of birth, and gender.
3.Click Sign Up.
4.To finish creating your account, you need to confirm your email or mobile phone number.
Reddit is also a social media service. Using Reddit will give you access to the PDC World Darts Championship 2021 event. Because Reddit is going to stream PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live. Reddit is an easy way to watch PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Online. We know the social site is trying to stream a famous event. So PDC World Darts Championship 2021 in one of them. We have seen that Reddit streaming is a very popular way in this day and age. If your luck is your favorite, you can watch your favorite PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream on Reddit.
Reddit Premium is a paid subscription service for Reddit that costs $5.99 per month. At its root, Reddit Gold is a premium membership to Reddit. Gold used to cost $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year, and if you originally signed up for that subscription, don’t worry—you’re still a legacy subscriber. For everyone else, however, the Reddit premium is now $5.99 a month.
Reddit Signup!!
1.Start at Reddit.com.
2.Register an account in seconds by going to the upper right-hand corner on the homepage and clicking Register.
3.Choose a Username and Password (and email, if you choose) and click, Create an Account.
4.In seconds, your new account has been created!
Twitter is one of the most famous social services such as Reddit or Facebook. But Twitter won’t live stream PDC World Darts Championship 2021. But by using twitter you can get any updates or information about PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Show. Twitter will update any time of news about the event. Thus, Twitter can be the best site to get PDC World Darts Championship 2021 live news.
The pricing for the premium APIs ranges from $149/month to $2,499/month, based on the level of access needed. The first premium offering, the Search Tweets API, is launching today into public beta. This will give developers the ability to access the past 30 days of Twitter data.
Twitter Signup!!
1.Use your web browser to navigate to the Twitter website.
2.Click the large yellow Sign Up for the Twitter button.
3.Type your desired username and basic information in the appropriate fields.
4.Consider two additional options.
5.Click the large yellow Create My Account button.
6.Type the CAPTCHA code in the field, if you’re prompted to do so.
7.Follow the on-screen tutorial to find people you know.
8.To confirm your email address, log in to the email account you used to sign up for your Twitter account.
9.Open the email, and click the blue Confirm Your Account Now button or click the link in the email.
Instagram comes into the picture, it won’t belong. But in this short amount of time, Instagram is becoming one of the best streaming services like other social media. By using Instagram you can enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 live. Because Instagram has already aired a lot of events recently. Which are very popular all over the world. But one thing you have to remember: you will get the Live for a short time. But in this short amount of time, you will get the correct information about PDC World Darts Championship 2021. Don’t panic to enjoy your favorite PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream. You get it on Instagram.
For $10 a month, they get access to a private Instagram and priority treatment in his inbox. Instagram is a free photo and video sharing app available on Apple iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. People can upload photos or videos to our service and share them with their followers or with a select group of friends. They can also view, comment, and like posts shared by their friends on Instagram.
Instagram Signup!!
1.Go to instagram.com.
2.Click Sign up
3.Enter your email address
4.Create a username and password or click Log in with Instagram to sign up with your Instagram account.
5.If you register with an email, click Sign up. If you register with Instagram, you’ll be prompted to log into your Instagram account if you’re currently logged out.
By using Tumblr You can Watch PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream. Tumblr is an American microblogging and social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and currently owned by Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content to a short-form blog. Users can follow other users’ blogs. Bloggers can also make their blogs private.
Tumblr is a free microblogging service that allows you to post short blog posts, images, links, videos, audio, and quotes on a personalized URL that can be shared with others. Premium themes can be purchased directly from Tumblr or a variety of third-party websites. You’ll pay $3.99 for one month, $7.99 for three months, $19.99 for a year-long subscription to the console’s online service.
Tumblr Signup!!
1.In your web browser, go to www.tumblr.com.
2.Enter your email address, a password, and your chosen username.
3.If you enter a username that’s already being used by someone else, a list of similar names appear. Choose one of these by clicking on it, or type a different name.
4.Once you’ve entered an available username, click Sign up.
PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream using VPN services
There are millions of viewers outside the AU and NZ who are not allowed to watch the PDC World Darts Championship 2021 event on the official channel. If you want to solve this problem, you can use a VPN. By using a VPN you can unblock any websites that have been blocked by your government or the authority of those sites. Initially, you need to buy a subscription for a legal VPN service. After purchasing a VPN service, you will be able to access the event’s broadcast channels. You will get a new coverage area IP address. Then connect your VPN to the IP addresses as we will mention below. Check it out and enjoy it.
ExpressVPN is a virtual private network service offered by the British Virgin Islands-registered company Express VPN International Ltd. The software is marketed as a privacy and security tool that encrypts users’ web traffic and masks their IP addresses.
VPN is one of the most essential elements to enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Streaming. Sometimes, you can’t get access to any Show. Then you need to use VPN. ExpressVPN is a very popular VPN. It is also one of the most uses VPN. In this case, if you want to enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream, you can use ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN has three subscription options: $12.95 billed each month, $59.95 billed every six months, and $99.95 billed annually.
VyprVPN is a virtual private network service provider offered by Golden Frog, GmbH. VyprVPN was developed by the internet privacy company Golden Frog GmbH in 2009 and is incorporated in Meggen, Switzerland.d. The software is marketed as a privacy and security tool that encrypts users’ web traffic and masks their IP addresses.
VyprVPN has more than 7000 servers in approximately 70 countries. This VPN on most devices. You can take a 3-day trial with VyprVPN, after the trial ends you have to pay $ 6.67 monthly to purchase a plan. As other VPN, connect to the US server, you can access the broadcast app. This is one of the most popular VPNs.
Nord VPN operates including 5000 servers in 62 countries around the world. It is one of the best VPN services. You can also subscribe to a three-year plan or monthly subscription. You have to spend $ 2.99 monthly. After you sign up for the VPN, you will need to connect to any network in the US. After that, you have to search for apps or channels to enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream.
VPN is one of the most essential elements to enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Streaming. Sometimes, you can’t get access to any Show. Then you need to use VPN. NordVPN is a very popular VPN. It is also one of the most uses VPN. In this case, if you want to enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream, you can use NordVPN. NordVPN offers four pricing tiers: $11.95 per month, $83.88 annually, $119.76 every two years, or $125.64 every three years.
By using this VPN you can enjoy PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream. CyberGhost works including 1400 servers from 60 countries around the world. Here you can get a 3-year plan. You have to cast $ 2.75 / month. When you sign up with this VPN you can find the streaming site. Now enjoy your favorite PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream.
CyberGhost is a software company that provides a virtual private network for web browsing. It offers users online privacy and internet traffic security. The company is headquartered in Bucharest, Romania. In 2017, it was acquired by Kape Technologies PLC. A one-month plan with CyberGhost costs $12.99. That’s quite a bit higher than the current industry average of $10.10 per month and significantly higher than the $5.54 per month Mullvad charges.
IPVanish offers more than 1,200 servers from 60 countries. You can use IPVanish VPN simultaneously for different gadgets such as Macintosh, iOS, or Android gadgets. For a premium account, you have to burn $ 6.49 every month. As indicated by certain sites, those servers with the letter ‘a’ are the fastest. You can link this VPN to a Canadian server to access the PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Stream application with ease.
IPVanish has a simple pricing scheme with just three options, all of which have the same features. The service costs $10.00 per month, or $77.99 billed annually. You can alternatively opt to pay $26.99 every three months.
Using smart DNS proxies, you can watch the event from outside the restricted areas. This is almost like the VPN service. Smart DNS proxies unblock many other sites and change your geographic location. So it is another method to watch live wherever you live.
PDC World Darts Championship 2021 will be the biggest event of this year 2020. In The Event, famous stars will be a great experience for you, your friends, and your family. I hope you get all information about PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live Streaming from our site. Because our site is all about PDC World Darts Championship 2021. We have tried to give you information about PDC World Darts Championship 2021 Live online streaming, social media streaming, using the app for streaming, and so on. If you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask us through our contact option. If you need more information, please visit this site.
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Anne Hunter
Book Anne Hunter
Anne Hunter tells traditional myths and tales from Scotland and around the world, funny recitations, stories of strong women and stories of the heart. Inspired by her late husband, storyteller Andy Hunter, she also likes to tell stories in, and of, place, stories which reveal and explore our relationship to both urban and rural environments.
Anne has a warm, friendly and collaborative style and brings her musical and artistic skills to enhance her stories. She is a singer and musician and plays the violin, guitar, recorder and tin whistle.
As an artist, art psychotherapist and ‘Talking Mats’ accredited trainer, Anne has shared and facilitated stories with a diverse range of people in Scotland, UK, Europe and America. She has many years of experience of working with adults with learning disability and mental health problems and as a storyteller she is happy to work with children and adults with and without additional support needs.
Anne was born and brought up in Clitheroe, Lancashire. This small town nestles beneath Pendle Hill, where George Fox had the visionary experience that inspired the Quaker movement, and is notorious for the Pendle Witches. Its landscape and history have inspired and influenced her as have her travels around the world and her many years of working for an organisation based on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner.
She is a frequent teller at the Guid Crack Club, Cafe Voices, and Woodland Wheels cycle ride events in Glasgow and Edinburgh and performs regularly with the Burgh Blatherers.
Email Storyteller
anne@artsplash.co.uk
Area: Edinburgh
Suitability: Adults, Nursery, Older people, Primary, Secondary, Special Educational Needs, Storytelling Workshops,
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Gallery 7 Theatre Holding Open Auditions for Hilarious Comedy About Family
By The EditorOctober 23, 2018Arts, Community
Gallery 7 Theatre is looking forward to holding open auditions for its next production of their 2018/2019 “Back to Classics” Theatre Season, Beau Jest, a comedy about family by James Sherman. The audition will be held on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 6:30 PM at the theatre’s rehearsal hall located at #100 – 34595 3rd Ave, Abbotsford.
The audition is open to all performers ages 18 -75. Those interested in working behind the scenes as assistant stage managers, running crew, or tech operators, are also invited to attend the audition.
“Beau Jest is a classic comedy because it explores all the traditional struggles we experience with growing up, relating to our parents and/or children, and trying to please the ones who matter the most to us,” explains Gallery 7 Theatre’s Executive Artistic Director, Ken Hildebrandt. “I think performers are in for a fun-filled, action-packed adventure rehearsing and performing this show!”
The story of Beau Jest goes like this: All Sarah’s parents want is for her to marry a nice Jewish boy. But Sarah has been dating anyone but! To get her parents off her back, Sarah hires an actor to play her imaginary Jewish doctor boyfriend at a family dinner. Hilarity ensues as Sarah attempts to keep the charade going as long as she possibly can! A play about family, this delightful comedy will chase away those mid-winter blues.
Directing Beau Jest is Jessica Garden, who directed last season’s hit production of The Miracle Worker. Garden studied theatre and literature at Trinity Western University and served as managing producer for Dark Glass Theatre for a number of years. She served as assistant director on productions of DisPlace: Refugee Stories in Their Own Words and Ruined by Lynn Nottage and directed the world premiere of Throne for the 2017 Vancouver Fringe Festival.
Beau Jest will run January 25 – February 9, 2019 at the Abbotsford Community Arts Addition and rehearsals will get underway starting November 19th, 2018. For more information, or to register for an audition, please visit www.gallery7theatre.com or call 604-504-5940.
ABOUT GALLERY 7 THEATRE
Gallery 7 Theatre exists to produce entertaining and thought-provoking theatre that explores the spiritual, relational and social aspects of the human experience with a vision towards hope, reconciliation and redemption. Founded in 1991, Gallery 7’s season features main-stage productions, as well as guest performances and workshops. To date, they have produced over 90 productions ranging from sketch revues, touring productions and full-length plays.
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ADAM AMEL ROGERS
The Social Media Bridge
by Adam Amel Rogers, Originally posted by the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center
Social media is demolishing the layers of barriers between the fans and the famous.
In my parents' generation, if you wanted to contact your favorite celebrity, you joined the fan club, paid the dues and maybe got an autographed picture in the mail months later. When I was a teenager, in the late '90s, I was a huge fan of MTV personality Dave Holmes, so I wrote him a letter and sent it to MTV Networks. No response. I tried emailing it to the general MTV email address - only to receive a canned response. Today, I am "friends" with Dave on Facebook and Twitter. Our symbiotic relationship allows him to keep me and other fans abreast of everything he is up to while making me feel as though I have a backstage pass.
People on both sides of the social media bridge have begun to realize the power of these fledgling connections. Fans have recognized that they have the power to affect the entertainment they consume, while PR agencies and marketing experts understand that online viral campaigns are just as important as billboards and TV advertisements, if not more so.
Last month, it was announced that icon Betty White will host Saturday Night Live. The reason? A 29-year-old man in San Antonio started a Facebook page demanding it. How could Lorne Michaels not try to get Betty White on the show after 500,000 people signed onto the effort? White's May 8th episode will be a ratings goldmine for NBC, because so many viewers feel like they helped make it a reality.
This isn't the only successful grassroots campaign. In 2009 NBC's My Name is Earl was initially saved by a Twitter petition, or as the organizers coined it, a "twitition." Also last year, fans of the comedy Chuck organized online to encourage people to purchase sandwiches from Subway, the show's main sponsor, and put "Save Chuck" cards into the Subway comment boxes - resulting in a new season of Chuck and an increased advertising relationship with Subway. Current online campaigns for Better Off Ted and As the World Turns are hoping to end up more like Jericho, which was famously saved in 2007 after fans sent in two tons of nuts (the edible kind) to network executives, and less like the efforts for Pushing Daisies, whose fans were unable to save the show.
Media content creators clearly understand the clout of online affinity communities - building new mavens through online campaigns is imperative for any new show. For example, in conjunction with the premiere of ABC's Flash Forward, a popular Facebook application was created that used all of the information, friends and pictures on user pages to create a vision of the user's future in the spirit of the show's plot.
Most of the power of the social media bridge is found in day-to-day examples. Did something on the last Grey's Anatomy episode irk you? Tell Shonda Rhimes, the show's creator and executive producer, all about it in a tweet and chances are she will respond. Many writers and producers find it de riguer to have direct conversations with fans via Twitter, leaking timely tid-bits about upcoming shows.
This new breed of intimate access should surprise no one. The Lear Center's report on the Business & Culture of Social Media explains how the rise of the social web has accelerated the transformation of audiences. Web 1.0 technology gave them the power to find more information about their favorite entertainment; now they're using Web 2.0 technology to have a direct impact on the media they love. And whether celebrities and media movers-&-shakers like it or not, these intimate relationships are here to stay.
Tim Tebow and the Gay Sports Fan
by Adam Amel Rogers, Originally posted on change.org
I was born a Denver Broncos fan. Seriously. There wasn’t very much choice in the matter.
On Sundays, my family didn’t go to church, we put on our Broncos gear and watched the game. Some of my most cherished memories involve meeting the players at training camp or screaming my head off at Mile High Stadium. Years later and 1,000 miles away, my passion and affinity for my team is alive and well (I almost succeeded in getting a blue and orange wedding … almost). So, like most other football fans, I was glued to the TV during this year’s NFL draft to meet the new Broncos. Little did I know that my team was going to make the biggest move of the draft by trading up to take Tim Tebow.
Yes, that Tim Tebow. The Tim Tebow who is arguably one of the best college football players ever and who seems like a good guy with a good heart.
So what’s the problem?
The problem is that I am pretty sure that Tim Tebow doesn’t like me. In his defense, I actually don’t know for sure — to my knowledge he has never gone on the record in saying anything about gay people at all, but if someone were ever guilty by association it would be Tim Tebow. He made headlines a few months ago for appearing in a Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad. Yes, the same Focus on the Family that has demonized and attacked the LGBT community at every turn. And it isn’t just his association with Focus that has me worried; it seems like he is the hero of every organization that I abhor. Some have even painted him as the future savior of the social conservative movement in America — which is probably true. Tebow could run for Congress in virtually any district south of the Mason-Dixon line and win in a landslide.
I will try to retain hope that just because Tebow rolls with an anti-gay crew doesn’t mean that he believes my husband and I have committed hell-worthy trespasses, but even if he does have a problem with gay people — should it matter to me?
If I didn’t root for every homophobic professional athlete, I’m not sure I would be very fun to watch games with. In fact, I don’t think I would be very good real-life friends with most professional athletes. The greatest Bronco of all time, Mr. John Elway, has revealed himself as a proud conservative who even introduced President Bush at a speech in Denver. Should that change my view of his on-field heroics? How about one of my favorite basketball players, Allen Iverson? Among many other problems, he based an entire rap career around anti-gay epithets — am I losing my integrity by cheering for him? I hope not, because I don’t think that boycotting anti-gay players is the answer.
Instead, I think it is important to come out as a gay sports fan and let these players know that their gay fans are watching and their anti-gay behavior is harmful. Hopefully with time, we will be able to fill the sports world with more Scott Fujita’s and less Larry Johnson’s.
So, Mr. Tebow you are officially on notice that I am rooting for you to succeed as a Bronco, but I am also rooting for you to sever your ties with the anti-gay industry and embrace ALL of your fans.
Here’s Hoping.
Photo Credit: OPEN sports
Gay Married Father for Congress
Steve Pougnet has a chance to make history. Soon, he could be standing next to his husband and their children while he is sworn in as a United States Congressman.
Pougnet is currently the openly gay mayor of Palm Springs and the only thing between him and Congress is … Chaz Bono’s stepmom. Yes, Mary Bono Mack, who took over Sonny Bono’s Congressional seat in 1998 is Pougnet’s Republican opponent. Mary isn’t exactly a Tea Party Republican, but she has been a reliable conservative soldier in Congress. Since her district contains a significant LGBT population, she has moderate voting record on gay issues. The Human Rights Campaign gave her a score of 55 (out of 100) on LGBT issues in the last congressional session. Her gay record is in contrast to her husband Connie Mack, who is a Florida Congressman and one of the most reliably anti-gay voices in Congress.
Conventional wisdom, historical evidence and current mainstream media narrative all indicate that this is going to be a tough November for Democrats. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is on the defensive in most districts, but the California 45th is one of a handful of districts that bode a serious Democratic threat to a Republican seat. It is going to be a difficult task to unseat a Republican incumbent, but Pougnet seems up to the task.
The possibility of having a gay married father in Congress is very exciting. Pougnet is a living embodiment of many of the things we are fighting for. He has no problem talking about the importance of marriage equality and as the father of young twins, he will be a fantastic high level responder the next time Mike Huckabee or anyone else demeans the ability of gay and lesbian people to be good parents.
In an election season that doesn’t have a lot of races to get excited about, this is an important opportunity to elect a good man to Congress. Help Steve Pougnet become the fourth openly gay member of the House of Representatives by visiting www.electpougnet.com.
Photo credit: Steve Pougnet
Adam studies the impact of entertainment on society at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center. Previously, he wrote for the Gay Rights section of change.org. He also worked at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), he served as Director of Alumni for Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) and he dedicated two years of AmeriCorps service with the American Red Cross.
Anti Gay Industry
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Mac Davis, hit songwriter
Morris Mac Davis, known as Mac Davis (January 21, 1942 – September 29, 2020), was a country music singer and songwriter originally from Lubbock, Texas who has enjoyed much pop music crossover success. He became one of the most successful country singers of the 1970s and 1980s. He is also an actor.
“It’s Hard to Be Humble” Words and Music by Mac Davis
Performed by Mac Davis and Jim Henson
“Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me” Words and Music by Mac Davis Performed by Mac Davis
“I Believe In Music” Words and Music by Mac Davis Performed by Cliff Richard and Nana Mouskouri
In The Ghetto Words and Music by Mac Davis
Performed by Mac Davis
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22nd March 2019 at 8:50 pm #3690
David Toft
I have received a query from the editor of the Postage Due Mail Study Group, of which I am also a member, regarding an interesting postage due cover from Sweden. Although he has already received some comments from within the Study Group, including my own, it would be helpful to also have the comments from members within the Scandinavian Philatelic Society who have a specialized knowledge of Swedish practices in processing this type of mail. I understand that he intends to write an article on the cover for the PDMSG Journal. If permissible I should like to submit the query (including a scan of the item) to this forum for discussion.
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Revealing the science behind effective natural treatments.
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Shingles Virus Linked to Heart Attacks and Strokes (How Scary is That?)
The varicella zoster virus (VZV), which causes shingles, is linked to a dangerous decrease in blood flow in the coronary arteries. (1)
Ever had chickenpox?
As you may already know, the varicella zoster virus (VZV, also known as herpes zoster), is a herpes virus that normally causes chickenpox in childhood. The virus may re-activate to cause shingles in later life, and has been linked to a condition known as acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
This condition causes a decrease “in blood flow in the coronary arteries such that part of the heart muscle is unable to function properly or dies.” (2) In one study that tested the association between VZV and ACS, “the risk of ACS was significantly higher in the herpes zoster group than in the control group.” (3)
Another study showed that the VZV may be responsible for another, similar condition. That study showed that the virus increases the risk of transient ischemic attacks (TIA), which are a dysfunction in the brain caused by a loss of blood flow, for stroke, and for myocardial infarctions (MI, also known as heart attacks) (3). “Risk factors for vascular disease were significantly increased in cases of HZ (herpes zoster) compared with controls… (and)…TIA and MI were increased in cases whose HZ occurred when they were younger than 40 years (3).”
According to study authors, the bottom line is that “…conditions that predispose to vascular disease…are significantly more common in subjects with HZ (3).”
These are some scary facts. Almost everyone has had chickenpox, or has received the chickenpox vaccine. This means they were exposed to the virus, even if they never developed chickenpox symptoms. In other words, they have the virus living within them in a latent (semi – sleeping) state. It can wake up later and cause shingles…but it can also cause other, more dangerous changes in the body that lead to a deadly result.
What can an individual do?
Research suggests that there are some natural ingredients, that when combined, have a devestating effect on the herpes zoster virus.
Scientifically minded individuals can read a few studies on one such formula at the website for the medical journal Pharmacology & Pharmacy.
Those who prefer a more “down to earth” discussion of study findings in everyday language can read up on the study results at the website of the Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease (CBCD) here:
http://www.cbcd.net/Gene-Eden-VIR-Clinical-Study.php
– TargetShingles.com Team
Shingles Virus Causes Pancreas Problems
Although generally non-lethal, VZV infection can be associated with serious complications, particularly in adults.
As most people know, the varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a herpes virus, which causes both chickenpox and shingles.
Well, as it turns out, a new study showed that VZV can cause a serious, possibly life-threatening condition called Acute Pancreatitis. WebMD describes the disease in the following manner:
“Acute pancreatitis can result in bleeding into the gland, serious tissue damage, infection, and cyst formation. Severe pancreatitis can also harm other vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys.” (See WebMD, last reviewed on May 15, 2013.)
Dr. Zhen Wang and colleagues wrote that “acute pancreatitis should be considered in VZV patients who complain of abdominal pain, especially in the epigastric area. Early detection and proper treatment are needed to prevent the condition from deteriorating further and to minimize mortality.” (See The World Journal of Gastroenterology on December 21, 2014) Dr. Wang is from the Cancer Institute, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, China.
In the study mentioned above, Dr. Wang wrote further that “Although the mechanism of pancreatitis with herpes zoster is still unknown, VZV may remain latent in posterior sensory nerve roots that contain fibers from both skin and abdominal viscera, including the pancreas.” (1) This is just one reason the TargetShingles Team believes in helping the immune system to target the latent VZV.
To do that, there are a number of treatments on the market. However, there is only one remedy that is both natural and effective. That remedy is called Novirin.
Novirin has a natural antiviral formula that was designed to help the immune system target the latent form of the Varicella Zoster Virus. The formula was also shown to be effective against herpes viruses in two separate post-marketing clinical studies that followed FDA guidelines, which is one reason the TargetShingles Team recommends this product.
The formula of Novirin was tested by Hanan Polansky and Edan Itzkovitz from the CBCD. The studies showed that it is effective against the herpes family of viruses. The clinical studies were published in the peer reviewed, medical journal Pharmacology & Pharmacy, the first, in a special edition on Advances in Antiviral Drugs. Study authors wrote that, “individuals infected with (herpes viruses) … reported a safe decrease in their symptoms following treatment ….”
The study authors also wrote that, “we observed a statistically significant decrease in the severity, duration, and frequency of symptoms.”
Individuals can read the studies concerning the Novirin formula (which was originally marketed in a sister product called “Gene-Eden-VIR” by clicking on the following links:
http://cbcd.net/Gene-Eden-VIR-Clinical-Study.php and http://cbcd.net/Gene-Eden-VIR-Decreases-Fatigue-Clinical-Study.php
-The Target Shingles Team
(1)WebMD – What Is Pancreatitis? Last reviewed on May 15, 2013.
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-pancreatitis?page=3
(2) Zhen Wang, Jun Ye, and Yue-Hua Han “Acute pancreatitis associated with herpes zoster: Case report and literature review.” World J Gastroenterol. Dec 21, 2014; 20(47): 18053–18056.
(3) Polansky, H. Itzkovitz, E. Gene-Eden-VIR Is Antiviral: Results of a Post Marketing Clinical Study. Published in September 2013.
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=36101
Varicella Vaccine against Chicken Pox Virus is Effective (Who Knew?)
A vaccine in development by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) prevents shingles in 97% of vaccinated individuals.
According to a report, “positive results have emerged from the Zoster Efficacy study, which started in August 2010 and was conducted in more than 16,000 adults aged 50 years and over. It remains ongoing in 18 countries.” (1) Results of the study showed that during the 4 years of the study, the shingles vaccine HZ/su “reduced the risk of shingles by 97.2 percent in adults aged 50 years and older compared to placebo.” (1)
Alain Brecx, vaccine development leader at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) said that “this candidate vaccine may offer an important option for the prevention of shingles, a painful disease that negatively impacts peoples’ health and quality of life.” (1)
The CDC notes that the varicella zoster virus (VZV), which is a herpes virus, causes both chickenpox and shingles. “After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays dormant (inactive) in the body. For reasons that are not fully known, the virus can reactivate years later, causing shingles.” (2)
Additionally, the CDC adds that “almost 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will develop shingles, also known as zoster or herpes zoster, in their lifetime. There are an estimated 1 million cases of shingles each year in this country. Anyone who has recovered from chickenpox may develop shingles; even children can get shingles. However the risk of shingles increases as you get older. About half of all cases occur in men and women 60 years old or older.” (2)
Although this vaccine research is very encouraging, (a vaccine that improves on the efficacy offered by Zostavax would be an important step forward) completing the development and approving a vaccine through the FDA may take time.
Until then, we encourage VZV infected individuals to consider natural antivirals that help the immune system to target the latent form of the virus.
(1) Zenopa.com – “GlaxoSmithKline reports positive data from shingles vaccine trial.” Published on December 24, 2014.
(2) CDC.gov – “Shingles (Herpes Zoster)” – Prevention & Treatment. Last Reviewed on May 1, 2014.
Got Shingles? Add on Multiple Sclerosis for a Devastating Effect….
People who get shingles are more likely to also develop multiple sclerosis, according to a study in Taiwan.
Many people do not realize it, but a case of shingles (herpes zoster) actually increases the risk of developing Multiple Sclerosis (MS). A study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases and reported on by the Reuter’s news agency, showed that “people who developed shingles had four times the risk of being diagnosed with MS within the following year, relative to people who had never experienced shingles.” (1)
“MS occurs when the protective coating around nerve fibers begins to break down – slowing the brain’s communication to the rest of the body. Symptoms include fatigue and problems with balance and muscle coordination, as well as memory loss and trouble with logical thinking in some people.” (1)
Results of the study, which took place in Taiwan, showed that “of 1,262,200 sampled patients, 29 from the study group and 24 from the control group had MS during the 1-year follow-up period. After adjusting for monthly income and geographic region, the hazard of MS was 3.96 times greater for the study group than controls.” (2)
Dr. Jiunn-Horng Kang wrote that “About 2.5 million people have MS worldwide, according to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America. Most experience their first symptoms between the ages of 15 and 50. Shingles occurs most commonly in the elderly, but is not uncommon in younger people.” Dr. Kang was one of the study authors, and works at the Taipei Medical University Hospital.
In Dr. Kang’s study, “approximately 100,000 people with shingles were younger than 45. Reviewing a database from the insurer that covers 98 percent of Taiwan’s population, the researchers found more than 300,000 people with shingles. They compared them to nearly 950,000 others with similar characteristics, who didn’t have the disease.
Over the course of a year, fewer than one in 10,000 in the group with shingles developed MS – three times as many as in the group without shingles.” (1)
It’s important to note that Dr. Kang’s study did not show that shingles actually causes MS. However, Dr. Kang said that “there are ‘several potential mechanisms’ that could explain why the two diseases are linked … for instance, shingles is associated with disruptions to the immune system, which in turn might trigger MS.” (1)
This suggests the need for effective treatments that target the varicella zoster virus (VZV), which causes shingles.
Shingles Rates Are Going Up (And What You Can Do About It)
The number of individuals who end up developing shingles is increasing.
An article published on April 14, 2014 on Medscape.com said that all across America, Herpes Zoster rates “have increased by 39% from 1992 to 2010 among adults older than 65 years of age.” (1) This data comes from a recent CDC study, using Medicare data from 1992 to 2010.
Some scientists believe that the increase in herpes zoster is associated with the widespread vaccination of children against the varicella zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox.
However, a growing body of evidence shows that this is unlikely. Another theory says “that exposure to varicella disease may boost a person’s immunity to VZV and reduce the risk for VZV reactivation as zoster. Some studies have shown reduced risk for zoster in adults who are exposed to varicella, but other studies have not shown this effect.” (1)
Regardless of the reason for the increase, Dr. Hales, one of the authors of the article mentioned above, wrote that “we do know that many cases of zoster could be prevented by the zoster vaccine. CDC recommends that adults aged 60 years or older receive 1 dose of zoster vaccine to help prevent the disease and its potentially debilitating complications, including post-herpetic neuralgia (1).”
“Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays in the body in a dormant (inactive) (latent) state. For reasons that are not fully known, the virus can reactivate years later, causing shingles.” (2)
Are there treatments that target the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV)?
Yes there is.
Zostavax is a vaccine that may reduce the risk of developing a shingles outbreak, and decrease the long-term pain from post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). In adults vaccinated at age 60 years or older, however, protection from the vaccine decreases within the first 5 years after vaccination.
There are also antiviral drugs, such as Zovirax or Valtrex. However, these medications, when effective, only work to shorten the time of the shingles outbreak. They are ineffective against the latent VZV virus.
Gene-Eden-VIR and Novirin are natural remedies designed to help the immune system target latent herpes viruses, including the VZV. A recent clinical study tested the effect of the Novirin and Gene-Eden-VIR formula on viral infections, including an infection with herpes viruses.
VZV is a member of the herpes family of viruses.
Novirin shares the same formula as Gene-Eden-VIR. The difference between the two is that Novirin has higher quality, more expensive ingredients. The Novirin/Gene-Eden-VIR formula was tested in two post-marketing clinical studies published in September 2013 and March 2014, respectively, in the peer reviewed medical journal Pharmacy & Pharmacology. However, Novirin contains higher quality, more expensive ingredients. These ingredients were selected to fight latent viruses even more effectively than Gene-Eden-VIR.
“Because of the increase in the shingles rate, we recommend that people talk to their doctors about Novirin or Gene-Eden-VIR, the most effective natural antiviral products on the market.” – The TargetShingles.com Team
Interested individuals can view the two published studies on the Novirin and Gene-Eden-VIR formula here, http://cbcd.net/Gene-Eden-VIR-Clinical-Study.php and http://cbcd.net/Gene-Eden-VIR-Decreases-Fatigue-Clinical-Study.php.
(1) Herpes Zoster Rates Are Increasing, but Why? Published on April 14, 2014.
(2) CDC – Shingles (Herpes Zoster). Last Updated January 10, 2011.
http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/overview.html
(3) Gene-Eden-VIR Is Antiviral: Results of a Post Marketing Clinical Study. Published in September 2013.
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=36101#.U056hVWSz90
(4) Eden-VIR Decreased Physical and Mental Fatigue in a Post Marketing Clinical Study That Followed FDA Guidelines; Results Support Microcompetition Theory. Published in March 2014.
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=44234#.U056t1WSz90
Can Therapy Exorcise Shingles Caused Depression?
Did you know? Symptoms of depression may be caused by viral infection.
So shingles is linked to major depression. Who knew?
According to WebMD, there is actually a laundry list of reasons for major depression including:
• Abuse. Past physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can cause depression later in life.
• Certain medications. Some drugs, such as Accutane (used to treat acne), the antiviral drug interferon-alpha, and corticosteroids, can increase your risk of depression.
• Conflict. Depression in someone who has the biological vulnerability to develop depression may result from personal conflicts or disputes with family members or friends.
• Death or a loss. Sadness or grief from the death or loss of a loved one, though natural, may increase the risk of depression.
• Genetics. A family history of depression may increase the risk. It’s thought that depression is a complex trait that may be inherited across generations, although the genetics of psychiatric disorders are not as simple or straightforward as in purely genetic diseases such as Huntington’s chorea or cystic fibrosis.
• Major events. Even good events such as starting a new job, graduating, or getting married can lead to depression. So can moving, losing a job or income, getting divorced, or retiring.
• Other personal problems. Problems such as social isolation due to other mental illnesses or being cast out of a family or social group can lead to depression.
• Serious illnesses. Sometimes depression co-exists with a major illness or is a reaction to the illness.
• Substance abuse. Nearly 30% of people with substance abuse problems also have major or clinical depression.
Now science has added the virus that causes shingles to the list.
“Those with herpes zoster (HZ) had a higher incidence of developing major depression,” according to a study published on May 7, 2014 in Psychosomatic Medicine (2).”
“Previous studies have shown that herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia were associated with anxiety, depression, and insomnia (2).” This study followed patients from the year 2000 through 2010.
The same study found that “those with herpes zoster had a higher incidence of developing major depression… (and the virus was) … an independent risk factor for major depression (2).”
Another study reported that “in the United States, the incidence of HZ exceeds 1% per year in persons ≥60 years of age; more than a million new cases occur each year; and one-third of the population is expected to suffer HZ during their lifetime – numbers destined to increase with the increasing age of the population.” (3).
In other words, as the population ages, the number of patients with herpes zoster will increase, and the numbers of those with major depression may also increase.
WebMD notes that the pain associated with Shingles can also lead to depression. “Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication of shingles. It lasts for at least 30 days and may continue for months or years. This pain may make it difficult for the person to eat, sleep, and do daily activities. It may also lead to depression.” (4).
“After you get chickenpox the virus remains inactive…in certain nerves in the body. Shingles occurs after the virus becomes active again in these nerves after many years. The reason the virus suddenly becomes active again is not clear. Often only one attack occurs. Shingles can develop in any age group. You are more likely to develop the condition if: you are older than 60, you had chickenpox before age 1, and your immune system is weakened by medications or disease.” (5).
“We recommend that anyone concerned about developing shingles, or depression due to the presence of the VZV, talk to their doctor about antiviral treatments against the varicella zoster virus.” – TargetShingles Team
Two natural antiviral supplements on the market today, which were shown to be effective against herpes viruses (of which VZV is a member) are Gene-Eden-VIR and Novirin.
Novirin shares the same formula as Gene-Eden-VIR. The difference between the two is that Novirin has higher quality, more expensive ingredients.
The Novirin/Gene-Eden-VIR formula was tested in two post-marketing clinical studies published in September 2013 and March 2014, respectively, in the peer reviewed medical journal Pharmacy & Pharmacology. (6)
Interested individuals can view the two published studies here, http://cbcd.net/Gene-Eden-VIR-Clinical-Study.php and http://cbcd.net/Gene-Eden-VIR-Decreases-Fatigue-Clinical-Study.php.
(1) Risk of depressive disorder among patients with herpes zoster: a nationwide population-based prospective study. Published on May 7, 2014.
(2) Varicella zoster virus-specific immune responses to a herpes zoster vaccine in elderly recipients with major depression and the impact of antidepressant medications. Published in April 2013.
(3) WebMD – Shingles Health Center. Last updated on December 18, 2012.
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/shingles-symptoms
(4) MedlinePlus – Shingles. Last updated on June 6, 2013.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000858.htm
Memory Loss or Paralysis: How Shingles Could Result in a Stroke
Did you know? A stroke, sometimes called a “brain attack,” usually happens when an artery to the brain becomes blocked or ruptures.
Most people don’t realize it, but strokes aren’t always caused by a blocked artery. No, in fact, research now shows that the cause of stroke may be traced all the way back to a virus. In the research we’ll be discussing below, the virus in question is the varicella zoster virus (VZV), which causes both chickenpox and shingles.
A study published in May 2014, in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases found that in general, there is “an increased stroke rate within 6 months following zoster.” (1) A more targeted review of the medical literature published in the journal Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy, on May 12, 2014, found that people with shingles in the eye had a 4.5 fold increase in the risk of stroke. (2) This is significant since “Herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) represents approximately 10 to 25 percent of all cases of herpes zoster.” (3)
Interestingly, Dr. Sinead M. Langana wrote that “The low antiviral prescribing rate needs to be improved; our data suggest that antiviral therapy may lead to a reduced stroke risk following zoster.” Dr. Langana is from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom.
This image is taken from an article published on Mail Online. (A U.K based online magazine.)
Clearly, doctors should take into account the risk of stroke faced by shingles patients, and should take care to implement an antiviral regimen as soon as a diagnosis is made. Individuals who have experienced a shingles outbreak should educated themselves about the varicella zoster virus and what they can do to reduce their risk of stroke.
For example, did you know that VZV enters into a dormant (latent) state after the immune system defeats its initial active phase (chickenpox)?
The virus is never entirely killed off by the immune system because the virus retreats, and hides away deep in the body’s nerves. While there, it behaves as if it is asleep…or as if it is a criminal, conducting clandestine operations where the immune system police cannot detect it. While dormant (or latent) the virus never stops making proteins or replicating entirely. It merely slows down these processes to an almost undetectable level. While in this state, it bides its time, and from its location in the nerves, it can reactivate whenever the immune system declines in efficiency.
We believe that when an individual understands this, he or she will want to learn how to help the immune system target latent viruses.
Is there a way to do this?
Another study, published in the peer reviewed journal Pharmacology & Pharmacy, in an advance edition on antiviral drugs, found that a product called Gene-Eden-VIR reduced symptoms associated with herpes viruses (the varicella zoster virus is a member of the herpes family). (4) Authors wrote that “individuals infected with a latent virus … reported a safe decrease in their symptoms following treatment with Gene-Eden-VIR.” (4) The study authors also wrote that, “We observed a statistically significant decrease in the severity, duration, and frequency of symptoms.” (4) In addition, this natural antiviral was recently proven to reduce mental and physical fatigue in another post-marketing clinical study that followed FDA guidelines.
But if stroke may be the end result of shingles, especially when the condition affects the eye, you may ask:
“How do shingles in the eye develop in the first place?”
The answer is that “Like many viruses, the herpes simplex 1 and varicella-zoster viruses are present in most adults. The viruses in the herpes family usually live around the nerve fibers in humans without ever causing a problem. Occasionally, the viruses will start to multiply, or they will move from one area of the body to another, and that is when herpetic disease breaks out. This often happens when the immune system of the body is weakened by some other health problem.” (See WebMD, last reviewed on May 21, 2012) (5)
People with shingles in the eye usually have very painful symptoms, which include “pain in and around only one eye, redness, rash, or sores on the eyelids and around the eyes, especially on the forehead. Sometimes the rash breaks out on the tip of the nose, (and there can be) redness of the eye, swelling and cloudiness of the cornea. (5)
“A reactivation of VZV and an outbreak of shingles can be bad enough without having to worry about the possibility of stroke. That’s why we recommend helping the immune system to target the latent varicella zoster virus.”
- The TargetShingles.com Team
(1) Sinéad M. Langana, Caroline Minassiana, Liam Smeeth, and Sara L. Thomas “Risk of Stroke Following Herpes Zoster: A Self-Controlled Case-Series Study.” Published in May 2014.
http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/03/25/cid.ciu098.full
(2) Grose C1, Adams HP. Reassessing the link between herpes zoster ophthalmicus and stroke. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2014 May;12(5):527-30.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Reassessing+the+link+between+herpes+zoster+ophthalmicus+and+stroke.
(3) Shaikh S1, Ta CN. “Evaluation and management of herpes zoster ophthalmicus.” Am Fam Physician. 2002 Nov 1;66(9):1723-30. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12449270
(4) Polansky H, Itzkovitz E. Gene-Eden-VIR Is Antiviral: Results of a Post Marketing Clinical Study. Pharmacology & Pharmacy, 2013, 4, 1-8 http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/pp.2013.46A001
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=36101#.U-s9ouOSz90
(5) WebMD – Genital Herpes Health Center – Herpes and the Eye
Facial Paralysis Can be Caused by Shingles
Did you know? Shingles can affect the eye and cause loss of vision.
Although older people usually suffer from shingles, the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) can actually infect people of all ages. Research shows that when the immune system is damaged, the virus can attack the eye. This condition is called herpes zoster opthalmicus (HZO).
In up to 31% of those with HZO, the virus causes paralysis in muscles outside of the eye.
Dr. Chaker and colleagues wrote in a recent study that, “HZO may cause extraocular muscle palsies of the third, fourth, and sixth cranial nerves in 7-31% of patients … the extraocular muscle palsies (muscular paralysis) usually appear 2-4 weeks after the rash, but sometimes occurs simultaneously with the rash or more than 4 weeks later.” (See the Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice. from April, 2014)(1) Dr. Chaker and colleagues are part of the Faculty of Medicine of Tunis at the University of El Manar in Tunisia.
Allow us to point out that Herpes Zoster (HZ), commonly called shingles, is a distinctive syndrome caused by reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV). This reactivation happens whenever immunity to VZV declines as a result of aging or immunosuppression (a damaged immune system).
Herpes Zoster can happen at any age, yet it “commonly affects the elderly population.” (See Mayo Clinic Proceedings, from March 2009)(2) When the immune system is damaged, a latent virus, such as VZV, can increase in number, causing shingles, and resulting diseases.
The CDC notes that “Nearly 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will develop shingles in their lifetime. Anyone who has had chickenpox or received chickenpox vaccine in the past may develop shingles.” (See CDC, last updated May 1, 2014)(3)
In addition to muscular paralysis, herpes zoster can also cause the following conditions in the eye: “conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva, the outermost layer of the eye, and the inner surface of the eyelids), keratitis (inflammation of the eye’s cornea), episcleritis (inflammation of the thin layer of tissue that lies between the conjunctiva and the connective tissue layer that forms the white of the eye), scleritis (a serious inflammatory disease that affects the white outer coating of the eye), uveitis (inflammation of the uvea), secondary glaucoma (a condition characterized by fluid pressure in the eye that can lead to blindness), cataract (a clouding of the lens inside the eye which leads to a decrease in vision), and retinal necrosis (an aggressive, necrotizing inflammation of the eye’s retina).” (1)
Herpes zoster opthalmicus (HZO) can cause paralysis of the facial muscles.
Are there effective treatments against the VZV?
WebMD says that, “several antiviral medicines-acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir-are available to treat shingles. These medicines will help shorten the length and severity of the illness. But to be effective, they must be started as soon as possible after the rash appears. Thus, people who have or think they might have shingles should call their healthcare provider as soon as possible to discuss treatment options. Analgesics (pain medicine) may help relieve the pain caused by shingles. Wet compresses, calamine lotion, and colloidal oatmeal baths may help relieve some of the itching.” (See WebMD, last updated May 1, 2014)(4)
Allow us to remind everyone that there are also two safe and effective natural VZV remedies designed to help the immune system target the latent virus. These remedies are Novirin and Gene-Eden-VIR. The formula of these products was tested in two separate post-marketing clinical studies, which found that the formula was antiviral, and that it reduced symptoms caused by herpes viruses. (See Pharmacology & Pharmacy, August 2013)(5)
(1) Chaker N, Bouladi M, Chebil A, Jemmeli M, Mghaieth F, El Matri L. Herpes zoster ophthalmicus associated with abducens palsy. J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2014 Apr;5(2):180-2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24966563
(2) Priya Sampathkumar, MD, Lisa A. Drage, MD, and David P. Martin, MD, PhD Herpes Zoster (Shingles) and Postherpetic Neuralgia. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. March 2009.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2664599/
(3) CDC – Shingles (Herpes Zoster). Last updated May 1, 2014.
http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/symptoms.html
(4) WebMD – Shingles Health Center – Topic Overview. Last updated December 18, 2012. webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/shingles-topic-overview
(5) Polansky H, Itzkovitz E. Gene-Eden-VIR Is Antiviral: Results of a Post Marketing Clinical Study. Pharmacology & Pharmacy, 2013, 4, 1-8
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=36101#.U-c7EeOSz90
Shingles and CFS: One Virus May Explain Both Conditions
A shingles rash forms blisters that typically scab over in 7 to 10 days and that clears up within 2 to 4 weeks.
Doctors have long suspected that those who suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), may be infected with a virus. The problem has always been obtaining sufficient evidence to back this hypothesis.
Now, however, at least one study found that individuals who experience a shingles (herpes zoster) outbreak are almost twice as likely to develop Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). (1)
“Infection of the peripheral ganglia causes at least some cases of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), with a neurotropic herpesvirus, particularly varicella-zoster virus (VZV).” (See Medical Hypotheses, from 2009) (2)
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complex disorder accompanied by unexplained, persistent fatigue (tired and weak all the time), in which several factors contribute to the development of the disease, such as latent viral infections.
Dr. JS Shapiro wrote in the study quoted above that “virtually all CFS symptoms could be produced by an infection of the peripheral ganglia, with infection of the autonomic ganglia causing fatigue, postural hypotension, and sleep disturbances, and infection of the sensory ganglia causing sensory symptoms such as chronic pain.” (2) Dr. Shapiro is from the University of Michigan.
What he means, is that when the latent VZV infects the nerves, individuals can experience long term loss of memory or concentration, feeling unrefreshed after sleep, muscle pain, headaches, multi-joint pain without redness or swelling, and a frequent sore throat.
By itself, this doesn’t suggest that the virus, which causes shingles, also causes CFS.
However, Dr. Shapiro continued, writing that “infections of the peripheral ganglia are known to cause long-term nerve dysfunction, which would help explain the chronic course of CFS. Herpesviruses have long been suspected as the cause of CFS; this theory has recently been supported by studies showing that administering antiherpes agents causes substantial improvement in some CFS patients.” (2)
As we are sure you know, “Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays in the body in a dormant (inactive) (latent) state. For reasons that are not fully known, the virus can reactivate years later, causing shingles.” (See the CDC’s website last updated on January 10, 2011) (3).
Apparently, according to the findings of these new studies, the latent varicella zoster virus may also be the cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
If you would like to learn more about latent viruses and the chronic conditions and diseases that they can cause, we suggest that you visit the website of the Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease.
-The TargetShingles.com Team
Click to learn more about latent viruses like VZV.
(1) Tsai SY1, Yang TY, Chen HJ, Chen CS, Lin WM, Shen WC, Kuo CN, Kao CH. Increased risk of chronic fatigue syndrome following herpes zoster: a population-based study. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2014 Sep;33(9):1653-9.
(2) Shapiro JS. Does varicella-zoster virus infection of the peripheral ganglia cause Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Med Hypotheses. 2009 Nov;73(5):728-34. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19520522
(3) CDC.gov – Shingles (Herpes Zoster) – Signs & Symptoms
cdc.gov/shingles/about/symptoms.html
Did you know that about half of all shingles cases occur in men and women 60 years old or older?
Welcome to TargetShingles.com. In these pages, you’ll discover a wealth of science backed information.
On this site, we’ll be covering the findings of various scientific and medical studies on the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV). As we do, we’ll translate the academic language that’s normally used, into everyday language that you’ll be able to understand.
Well, because almost 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will develop shingles, also known as zoster or herpes zoster, in their lifetime and because there are an estimated 1 million cases of shingles each year in this country, we believe that it is important for the average person in America and elsewhere to understand just how dangerous the Varicella Zoster Virus is.
We explain how the virus can actually cause disease, even when in a latent (some would say “sleeping”) state.
To the side, you’ll see our postings categorized and archived for your convenience. We invite you to browse around, read some of the articles, and then to contact us with thoughts or questions.
-The TargetShingles.com team.
Sites We Recommend
Shingles Support Group
Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease
The CDC
Copyright © 2021 Shingles . All Rights Reserved. Modern Business by Slocum Studio
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Learning from the past.
Much of this can be described by the Grand Solar Minimum Symptoms.
1 Younger Dryas
2 Previous Minima
2.1 Asian cycles (4th-16th Centuries)
2.2 Wolf Minimum (1280-1350)
2.2.1 Dobler's Abrupt Earth Changes and the Black Plague
2.2.2 The Great Mandrake
2.2.3 Great Famine of 1315-1317
2.3 Spörer Minimum (1450-1550)
2.3.1 Colds, Crop Losses, Food Prices, Epidemics (English Sweats)
2.3.2 The Early Sporer Minimum: Extraordinary Climate & Socio-economic Changes in Europe
2.4 Maunder Minimum (1645-1715)
2.4.1 Europe's Deep Freeze of 1709
2.5 Dalton Minimum (1790-1820)
2.5.1 Lewis & Clarke: Cold, Wind, Hail, Crop Loss, ...
2.5.2 John Adams
2.5.3 Thomas Jefferson
2.5.4 1815 Mt Tambora Eruption / 1816 Year without a Summer
3 Weather History
Younger Dryas
The Younger Dryas is one of the best known examples of abrupt climate change. See Younger Dryas.
Previous Minima
Asian cycles (4th-16th Centuries)
Goncharov, in an abstract on the “Asian Nomadic Invasions and Solar Cycles”, said, “From the 4th to the 16th centuries the Central Asian Steppe was the cradle of the series of great nomadic tribal invasions into agricultural regions of Europe, China, and South Asia. Those invasions had similar features. They arose in middle latitudes and recurred every 160-220 years – exactly after solar abatements.”
Wolf Minimum (1280-1350)
Dobler's Abrupt Earth Changes and the Black Plague
Sacha Dobler from abruptearthchanges.com's eBook offers fantastic perspective here:
Black Death & Abrupt Earth Changes in the 14th Century: 1290-1350: Abrupt Earth changes, astronomical, tectonic and meteorological events leading up to and culminating at the Black Death period at 1348
The Great Mandrake
Great Famine of 1315-1317
via wikipedia: In the spring of 1315, unusually heavy rain began in much of Europe. Throughout the spring and the summer, it continued to rain, and the temperature remained cool. Under such conditions, grain could not ripen, leading to widespread crop failures. Grain was brought indoors in urns and pots to keep dry. The straw and hay for the animals could not be cured, so there was no fodder for the livestock. The price of food began to rise; prices in England doubled between spring and midsummer. Salt, the only way to cure and preserve meat, was difficult to obtain because brine could not be effectively evaporated in wet weather; its price increased from 30 shillings to 40 shillings. In Lorraine, wheat prices grew by 320% making bread unaffordable to peasants. Stores of grain for long-term emergencies were limited to royalty, lords, nobles, wealthy merchants and the Church. Because of the general increased population pressures, even lower-than-average harvests meant some people would go hungry; there was little margin for failure. People began to harvest wild edible roots, plants, grasses, nuts and bark in the forests.
A number of documented incidents show the extent of the famine. Edward II, King of England, stopped at St Albans on 10 August 1315 and had difficulty finding bread for himself and his entourage; it was a rare occasion in which the King of England was unable to eat. The French, under Louis X, tried to invade Flanders, but in the low country of the Netherlands, the fields were soaked and the army became so bogged down that they were forced to retreat, burning their provisions where they left them, unable to carry them away.
In the spring of 1316, it continued to rain on a European population deprived of energy and reserves to sustain itself. All segments of society from nobles to peasants were affected but especially the peasants, who represented 95% of the population and who had no reserve food supplies.[9] To provide some measure of relief, the future was mortgaged by slaughtering the draft animals, eating the seed grain, abandoning children to fend for themselves (see "Hansel and Gretel") and, among old people, voluntarily refusing food for the younger generation to survive.[9] The chroniclers of the time noted many incidents of cannibalism.
The height of the famine was reached in 1317, as the wet weather continued. Finally, in that summer, the weather returned to its normal patterns. By then, however, people were so weakened by diseases such as pneumonia, bronchitis and tuberculosis, and so much of the seed stock had been eaten, that it was not until 1325 that the food supply returned to relatively normal levels and the population began to increase again. Historians debate the toll, but it is estimated that 10–25% of the population of many cities and towns died.[2] Though the Black Death (1338–1375) would kill more people, it often swept through an area in a matter of months, whereas the Great Famine lingered for years, prolonging the suffering of the populace.
The Great Famine was restricted to Northern Europe, including the British Isles, northern France, the Low Countries, Scandinavia, Germany, and western Poland.[10] It also affected some of the Baltic states except for the far eastern Baltic, which was affected only indirectly. The famine was bounded to the south by the Alps and the Pyrenees.
Spörer Minimum (1450-1550)
Colds, Crop Losses, Food Prices, Epidemics (English Sweats)
History: Spörer Minimum (1450-1550)
The Early Sporer Minimum: Extraordinary Climate & Socio-economic Changes in Europe
this: The Early Sporer Minimum: A Period of Extraordinary Climate and Socio-economic Changes in Western and Central Europe
Maunder Minimum (1645-1715)
In the years 1694 to early 1697, cold winters and cool and wet springs and autumns led to extreme famine in northern Europe, particularly in Finland, Estonia, and Livonia. It is estimated that in Finland about 25–33% of the population perished, and in Estonia-Livonia about 20%. The famines to a lesser extent also affected Sweden (especially in the northern region), Norway, and northwestern Russia. The famine decimated the population of Finland and Estonia-Livonia either through prolonged starvation, epidemics and other diseases promoted by undernourishment, or the reliance on unwholesome or indigestible foods, and the contamination of water supplies. In Estonia in 1696, landlords could no longer feed their farmhands and servants and began dismissing them. Many of these recently unemployed along with destitute, hungry peasants turned to begging. Even some members of the nobility were reduced to this state. In the autumn of 1696, the famine became terrible. There was a pronounced rise in the death rates. ‘The peasants died like flies.’ Bodies of the dead were lying everywhere.
More: History: Extreme Weather during the Maunder Minimum
Europe's Deep Freeze of 1709
Winter is Coming: Europe's Deep Freeze of 1709
UK: Over 8,000 People Killed In An Extreme Storm That Lasted Nine Days (In 1703)
Dalton Minimum (1790-1820)
Lewis & Clarke: Cold, Wind, Hail, Crop Loss, ...
History: Weather Records from Lewis & Clarke, during Dalton Minimum (1805-1806)
During the late 1700s, the ground froze to a depth of 2 feet according to John Adams. When John Adams set out to travel to Philadelphia, it was bitterly cold and there was a foot or more of snow that covered the landscape that had blanketed Massachusetts from one end of the province to the other. Beneath the snow, after weeks of severe cold, the ground was frozen solid to a depth of two feet. Packed ice in the road made the journey very hazardous. In a letter to his wife, John Adams wrote:
“Indeed I feel not a little out of Humour, from Indisposition of Body. You know, I cannot pass a Spring, or fall, without an ill Turn — and I have had one these four or five Weeks — a Cold, as usual. Warm Weather, and a little Exercise, with a little Medicine, I suppose will cure me as usual. … Posterity! You will never know, how much it cost the present Generation, to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make a good Use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it.”
Thomas Jefferson himself noted in a letter to Albert Gallatin, September 8, 1816:
“We have had the most extraordinary year of drought and cold ever known in the history of America. In June, instead of 3¾ inches, our average of rain for that month, we had only 1/3 of an inch; in August, instead of 9 1/6 inches our average, we had only 8/10 of an inch; and it still continues. The summer too has been as cold as a moderate winter. In every state North of this there has been frost in every month of the year; in this state we had none in June and July but those of August killed much corn over the mountains. The crop of corn through the Atlantic states will probably be less than 1/3 of an ordinary one, that of tobacco still less, and of mean quality.”
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/world-news/climate/the-coming-big-freeze/
1815 Mt Tambora Eruption / 1816 Year without a Summer
1815 eruption of Mt Tambora preceded the 1816 Year Without a Summer
See this video: http://youtu.be/bB3Jx0N9mWo
Also a tremendous amount of information here: https://ia600700.us.archive.org/19/items/yearwithoutsumme1992hari/yearwithoutsumme1992hari.pdf (PDF, 594 pages - large file)
Weather Records
Florida Freeze Timeline
The "Old-Fashioned" Winter of 1917-18
The Ice Age in the North American Arctic
Retrieved from "https://wiki.iceagefarmer.com/index.php?title=History&oldid=1473"
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Saint September 26 : Sts. Cosmas and Damian : Patrons of Physicians, Dentists, Barbers, Veterinarians and Orphanages
Sts. Cosmas and Damian
Feast: September 26
Feast Day:
3rd century AD, Arabia
287 AD, Aegea, Roman province of Syria
Major Shrine:
Convent of the Poor Clares in Madrid, Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Bitonto, Bari, Italy
Patron of:
surgeons, physicians, dentists, protectors of children, barbers, pharmacists, veterinarians, orphanages, day-care centers, confectioners, children in house, against hernia, against the plague.
Early Christian physicians and martyrs whose feast is celebrated on 27 September. They were twins, born in Arabia, and practised the art of healing in the seaport Ægea, now Ayash (Ajass), on the Gulf of Iskanderun in Cilicia, Asia Minor, and attained a great reputation. They accepted no pay for their services and were, therefore, called anargyroi, "the silverless". In this way they brought many to the Catholic Faith. When the Diocletian persecution began, the Prefect Lysias had Cosmas and Damian arrested, and ordered them to recant. They remained constant under torture, in a miraculous manner suffered no injury from water, fire, air, nor on the cross, and were finally beheaded with the sword. Their three brothers, Anthimus, Leontius, and Euprepius died as martyrs with them. The execution took place 27 September, probably in the year 287. At a later date a number of fables grew up about them, connected in part with their relics. The remains of the martyrs were buried in the city of Cyrus in Syria; the Emperor Justinian I (527-565) sumptuously restored the city in their honour. Having been cured of a dangerous illness by the intercession of Cosmas and Damian, Justinian, in gratitude for their aid, rebuilt and adorned their church at Constantinople, and it became a celebrated place of pilgrimage. At Rome Pope Felix IV (526-530) erected a church in their honour, the mosaics of which are still among the most valuable art remains of the city. The Greek Church celebrates the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian on 1 July, 17 October, and 1 November, and venerates three pairs of saints of the same name and profession. Cosmas and Damian are regarded as the patrons of physicians and surgeons and are sometimes represented with medical emblems. They are invoked in the Canon of the Mass and in the Litany of the Saints.
SOURCE http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/C/stcosmas_damian.asp
Sister Christina VIRAL Singing Nun about to Release New Album with Universal - SHARE
Sister Cristina Scuccia, age 25, who won 1st prize on the show "The Voice" in Italy is now making her 1st Music Video with Universal. She always wore her habit and a crucifix around her neck during performances. Suor Cristina thanked God for her win and recited the "Our Father" prayer saying "I want Jesus to come in here!" she said. This new Video shows her preparing her new Album.
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"My presence here is not up to me, it's thanks to the man upstairs!" said the Sister. Suor Cristina, is originally from Sicily but now lives with the Ursuline order in Milan. She won the record contract with Universal. She explained, "I'm not here to start a career but because I want to impart a message." She felt called to perform from Pope Francis's calls for a Church that is closer to ordinary people. Her performance of Alicia Keys's "No One" that first led to her popularity. This performance has reached over 57 million YouTube hits. Actress Whoopi Goldberg -- star of "Sister Act" - also endorsed Suor Christina. Suor Christina said, "Since Pope Francis talks of a bible of joy I think I'm on the right track." She was inspired to become a nun when she auditioned for a part in a musical about the founder of the Ursuline Order, Saint Angela Merici. Christina became a novice in 2009 and worked for two years with poor children in Brazil. "I will continue to sing wherever the Lord wants," she said. According to reports “The work will be done in time to be a Christmas present.” SHARE her Amazing Story!
Novena for Feast of the Archangels - SHARE this Prayer - St. Michael, St. Gabriel
September 29th is the Feast of the Archangels. Here are three novenas to the archangels St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and ST. Raphael.
Novena to St. Michael the Archangel
Novena Dates September 21 - 29, Feast Day September 29
St. Michael the Archangel, loyal champion of God and His people, I turn to you with confidence and seek your powerful intercession. For the love of God, Who made you so glorious in grace and power, and for the love of the Mother of Jesus, the Queen of the Angels, be pleased to hear my prayer. You know the value on my soul in the eyes of God. May no stain of evil ever disfigure its beauty. Help me to conquer the evil spirit who tempts me. I desire to imitate your loyalty to God and Holy Mother Church and your great love for God and people. And since you are God's messenger for the care of his people, I entrust to you this special request: (Mention your request).
St. Michael, since you are, by the Will of the Creator, the powerful intercessor of Christians, I have great confidence in your prayers. I earnestly trust that if it is God's holy Will, my petition will be granted.
Pray for me, St. Michael, and also for those I love. Protect us in all dangers of body and soul. Help us in our daily needs. Through your powerful intercession, may we live a holy life, die a happy death, and reach heaven where we may praise and love God with you forever. Amen.
Novena to St. Gabriel the Archangel
St. Gabriel the Archangel, I venerate you as the "Angel of the Incarnation," because God has specially appointed you to bear the messages concerning the God-Man to Daniel, Zechariah, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Give me a tender and devoted Mother, more like your own.
I venerate you also as the "strength from God," because you are the giver of God's strength, consoler and comforter chosen to strengthen God's faithful and to teach them important truths. I ask for the grace of a special power of the will to strive for holiness of life. Steady my resolutions, renew my courage, comfort and console me in the problems, trials, and sufferings of daily living, as you consoled our Savior in His agony and Mary in her sorrows and Joseph in his trials. I put my confidence in you.
St. Gabriel, I ask you especially for this favor: (Mention your request). Through your earnest love for the Son of God-Made-Man and for His blessed Mother, I beg of you, intercede for me that my request may be granted, if it be God's holy Will.
Pray for us, St. Gabriel the Archangel. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us Pray. Almighty and ever-living God, since You chose the Archangel Gabriel from among all the Angels to announce the mystery of Your Son's Incarnation, mercifully grant that we who honor him on earth may feel the benefit of his patronage in heaven. You live and reign for ever. Amen.
Novena to St. Raphael the Archangel
Holy Archangel Raphael, standing so close to the throne of God and offering Him our prayers, I venerate you as God's special Friend and Messenger. I choose you as my Patron and wish to love and obey you as young Tobiah did. I consecrate to you my body and soul,all my work, and my whole life. I want you to be my Guide and Counselor in all the dangerous and difficult problems and decisions of my life.
Remember, dearest, St. Raphael, that the grace of God preserved you with the good Angels in heaven when the proud ones were cast into hell. I entreat you, therefore, to help me in my struggle against the world, the spirit of impurity, and the devil. Defend me from all dangers and every occasion of sin. Direct me always in the way of peace, safety, and salvation. Offer my prayers to God as you offered those of Tobiah, so that through your intercession I may obtain the graces necessary for the salvation of my soul. I ask you to pray that God grant me this favor if it be His holy Will: (Mention your request).
St. Raphael, help me to love and serve my God faithfully, to die in His grace, and finally to merit to join you in seeing and praising God forever in heaven. Amen.
Today's Mass Readings : Thursday September 25, 2014
Reading 1ECCL 1:2-11
Even the thing of which we say, “See, this is new!”
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
Prince William attends 1st Catholic Mass in Official Capacity
Prince William, right, at an Independence Day Mass at St John's Co-Cathedral in Malta (Photo: CNS)
Prince William attends Mass ‘in official capacity’ for the first time
By SIMON CALDWELL on Tuesday, 23 September 2014
Catholic Herald Co UK: Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, has attended his first public Mass in an official capacity, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
During a visit to Malta last weekend, the second in line for the throne went to Mass in St John’s Cathedral in Valletta, the island’s capital.
The Prince, attending in an official capacity as part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Malta’s independence, was seated beside British High Commissioner Rob Luke, just a few seats away from Maltese President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca.
Prince William was travelling alone, without his wife, Katherine, and 14-month-old son George.
Aides told assembled media that Prince William might have attended Masses privately in the past but this was his first public appearance at such a ceremony.
In a private capacity, Prince William might have attended the Requiem Mass for Frances Kydd, his Catholic maternal grandmother, at the Catholic Cathedral in Oban on June 10 2004.
A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace later said: “This was the Prince’s first public Mass,” she said.
“There is every chance he may have attended one in private but we couldn’t verify that,” she added.
“But this is the first Catholic Mass he has publicly attended in an official capacity.”
The cathedral is regarded as one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in the world, and is home to Caravaggio’s painting of the beheading of St John the Baptist.
When Prince William ascends the British throne he will inherit the title of supreme governor of the Church of England.
He also has strong Catholic links because he is distantly related to Fr Ignatius (George) Spencer, whose Cause for sainthood is presently being considered by the Vatican.
A great-great-great uncle of the Prince’s mother, Diana, Fr Spencer was an Anglican vicar before he became a Catholic at the age of 31, then a priest and ultimately a Passionist.
He had not shown strong feelings toward Christianity until he saw Mozart’s Don Giovanni during a visit to Paris and was struck by a scene in which the anti-hero Giovanni, a seducer and blasphemer, is carried off to Hell by a troop of devils.
During his ministry in England Fr Spencer worked with Irish migrants so poor that some lived in caves dug out of slag heaps.
He also expressed the wish that he would like to die in poverty like Jesus – “in a ditch, unseen and unknown”, which was fulfilled when on October 1 1864 he had a seizure on a country lane near Edinburgh and died there alone.
Shared from Catholic Herald Co UK
Priest found dead in River in Mexico - RIP Father Osorio
AMERICA/MEXICO - Priest found dead in the river Balsas
Chilpancingo (Agenzia Fides) - The Attorney General of Guerrero state, Mexico, has opened an investigation into the death of the parish priest of Arcelia, Father José Acuña Asención Osorio, whose body was found in the river Balsas. The priest had been missing since Sunday September 21, leaving the faithful who were waiting for mass astonished. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Ciudad Altamirano.
According to the note sent to Fides Agency by a local source, the priest's body was found, thanks to an anonymous warning, very close to the village of Santa Cruz de Las Tinajas, in the municipality of San Miguel Totolapan (region of Tierra Caliente, at the center of the country), therefore far from his residence.
The local police arrived on the scene, the body was removed from the water and transported to the morgue of the area for autopsy. According to what has been declared so far, the cause of death was asphyxiation due to drowning. The identification of the body was made by a close relative of the priest and an assistant of the parish, who demanded the return of the body for burial. The prosecutor's office is investigating to determine the exact circumstances of the death, as there is suspicion that we are dealing with murder. In fact, it is not the first case of this kind that occurs in the area. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 24/09/2014)
Posted by Jesus Caritas Est at 9:40 AM
Pope Francis “How many Christians live for appearances? Their life seems like a soap bubble." Homily on Vanity
(Vatican Radio) During his morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis warned us to beware of vanity, which takes us far from the truth and makes us seem like "soap bubbles." Taking the first reading as his starting point, he emphasised that when they do good, Christians must avoid the temptation to “make themselves seen.”
If you “do not have something substantial, you too will pass like all things.” Pope Francis took his cue from the Book of Ecclesiastes to dwell on vanity. Vanity is a temptation not only for the pagans but also for Christians, for “people of faith.” Jesus, he noted, often rebuked those who boasted. He told the teachers of the law that they should not “walk down the streets” with “luxurious outfits,” like “princes.” When you pray, the Lord warned, do not do it to be seen, do not pray so that people will see you; “pray in secret, go to your room.” You should do the same, the Pope said, when you help the poor: “Don’t sound the trumpet, do it secretly. The Father sees it, and that is enough”:“But the vain man [says]: ‘Look, I’m giving this check for the work of the Church’ and he shows the check; then he scams the Church from the other direction. But this is what makes the vain man: he lives for appearances. ‘When you fast,’ the Lord says to this, ‘please do not be melancholy, sad, so that everyone will notice that you’re fasting. No, fast with joy; do penance with joy, so that no one will notice.’ This is vanity: it is living for appearances, living to be seen.”
“Christians who live that way,” he continued, “for appearances, for vanity, seem like peacocks, they strut about like peacocks.” They are the people who say, “I am a Christian, I am to that priest, to that sister, to that bishop; my family is a Christian family.” They boast. But, the Pope asked, “what about your life with the Lord? How do you pray? Your life in the works of mercy, how’s that going? Do you visit the sick? Reality.” This, he added, is why “Jesus tells us we must build our house – that is, our Christian life – on the rock, on the truth.” On the other hand, Jesus warned that “the vain build their house on sand, and that house falls, that Christian life falls, slips, because it is not able to resist temptations”:
“How many Christians live for appearances? Their life seems like a soap bubble. The soap bubble is beautiful, with all its colours! But it lasts only a second, and then what? Even when we look at some funeral monuments, we feel it’s vanity, because the truth is returning to the bare earth, as the Servant of God Paul VI said. The bare earth awaits us, this is our final truth. In the meantime, do I boast or do I do something? Do I do good? Do I seek God? Do I pray? Substantial things. And vanity is a liar, a fantasist, it deceives itself, it deceives the vain, because in the beginning he pretends to be [something], but in the end he really believes himself to be that, he believes. He believes it. Poor thing!”
And this, he emphasised, is what happened to the Tetrarch Herod who, as the day’s Gospel relates, asked anxiously about the identity of Jesus. “Vanity,” the Pope said, “sows wicked anxiety, takes away peace. It’s like those who put on too much make-up, and then are afraid the rain” will come “and all that make-up will come streaming down.” Vanity does not give us peace, he repeated. “Only the truth gives us peace.” Pope Francis said Jesus is the unique rock on which we can build our life. “And we consider that this proposal of the devil, of the demon, also tempted Jesus to vanity in the desert,” saying to Him: “Come with me, let us go up to the temple, let us make a spectacle. Throw yourself down and everyone will believe in you.” The demon presented to Jesus “vanity on a platter.” Vanity, the Pope said, “is a particularly grave spiritual illness”:
“The Egyptian Fathers of the desert said that vanity is a temptation against which we must battle our whole life, because it always comes back to take the truth away from us. And in order to understand this they said: It’s like an onion. You take it, and begin to peel it – the onion – and you peel away vanity today, a little bit tomorrow, and your whole life your peeling away vanity in order to overcome it. And at the end you are pleased: I removed the vanity, I peeled the onion, but the odour remains with you on your hand. Let us ask the Lord for the grace to not be vain, to be true, with the truth of reality and of the Gospel.”
Saint September 25 : St. Finbarr - Bishop of Ireland
St. Finbarr
550 AD, near Bandon, Ireland
620 AD, Cloyne, County Cork, Ireland
Bishop and patron of Cork, born near Bandon, about 550, died at Cloyne, 25 September, 623, was son of Amergin. He evangelized Gowran, Coolcashin, and Aghaboe, and founded a school at Eirce. For some years he dwelt in a hermitage at Gougane Barra, where a beautiful replica of Cormac's chapel has recently been erected in his honour. Finbarr was buried in the cathedral he built where Cork city now stands. He was specially honoured also at Dornoch and Barra, in Scotland. There are five Irish saints of this name.
SOURCE http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/F/stfinbarr.asp
Saint September 26 : Sts. Cosmas and Damian : Patr...
Sister Christina VIRAL Singing Nun about to Releas...
Novena for Feast of the Archangels - SHARE this Pr...
Prince William attends 1st Catholic Mass in Offici...
Priest found dead in River in Mexico - RIP Father ...
Pope Francis “How many Christians live for appeara...
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'Boys In The Band' Original Film Continues…
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David Bowie’s ‘Last Five Years’ Coming To HBO In January
HBO is officially entering the market on movies called The Last Five Years. In January, the network will release a new documentary, titled David Bowie: The Last Five Years, which navigates the final years of David Bowie’s life — and it’s bound to be a standout among America’s two films that are already titled The Last Five Years. The other film that is titled The Last Five Years, in which David Bowie does not appear, is a ho-hum adaptation of the 2002 Off-Broadway play of the same name.
This version of The Last Five Years, however, is likely to be a fascinating insight into David Bowie’s life, unlike that other film which we’ve already forgotten about. (What’s it called again?) Directed by Francis Whately, who also gave us the less elaborately-titled David Bowie: Five Years in 2013, The Last Five Years will feature interviews with those closest to Bowie, including musicians Earl Slick, Gail Ann Dorsey, Carlos Alomar, and Bowie himself (for who is closer to Bowie than Bowie?)
“I have a certain niche that I work in,” says Bowie in a teaser trailer for the film. “A lot of it tends to be about alienation, being on the outside of things, because that tends to be where I feel more comfortable as a writer.”
The doc will reportedly explore the musician’s creative process as he oversees his musical, “Lazarus” and releases The Next Day and Blackstar, which the doc argues are his “most revealing” albums.
“Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in,” says Bowie. “And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”
Reportedly, Anna Kendrick has not been involved in any way with the making of The Last Five Years.
tags: blackstar, carlos alomar, david bowie, earl slick, francis whately, gail ann dorsey, lazarus, the last five years, the next day
By We Are Flagrant
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3 Mar 2016 - This year’s main theme is “The future of wildlife is in our hands”, with a sub-theme of “The future of elephants is in our hands”. To mark the day, the United Nations, Gabon, Germany, and Thailand are co-hosting a high-level panel discussion on international wildlife crime, in collaboration with civil society partners. The event will focus on front line challenges, progress, and new initiatives to stop the illegal wildlife trade. Media are invited.
Illicit trafficking in wildlife is has a devastating impact on many vulnerable species, but its impacts go much further. The illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is among the five most lucrative illegal trades globally, worth up to an estimated 20 billion USD annually. It has negative impacts on human security, economic development, environmental integrity, and community well-being. It fuels conflict, weakens rule of law, and feeds large-scale corruption, often linked to organized crime; and it undermines poverty eradication efforts, and diminishes livelihoods.
English 11 May 2019
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Current desert locust situation & FAO’s response - Press Conference…
Daily Press Briefing: Central African Republic, Mali, South Sudan…
Brenden Varma (GA President Spokesperson) on the UN peacekeeping…
Geneva Press Briefing: UNCTAD, WFP, ILO, UNHCR, OHCHR, OCHA,…
Brenden Varma (GA President Spokesperson) on the Group of 77…
Daily Press Briefing: Libya, Central African Republic, Mali,…
Rosemary DiCarlo (DPPA) on cooperation between the UN and regional…
Opening of the annual handover ceremony of the Chairmanship of…
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Namibia sprays over 10,000 hectares of land to contain locusts
0 Comment(s) Print E-mail Xinhua, October 22, 2020
WINDHOEK, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Namibia has so far sprayed about 10,532 hectares of land as part of efforts to control the African migratory locusts which have broken out in parts of the country, agricultural official said Thursday.
According to Agriculture Ministry spokesperson Margaret Kalo, the spraying is moving swiftly and is on schedule.
"It is estimated that the affected area is 400,216 hectares, but the locusts keep moving. Aerial spraying is helping to contain the locusts we are on track and still spraying," she said.
Namibia is looking to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with neighboring countries experiencing a similar disaster while it has also deployed researchers from the University of Namibia to conduct surveys and assessing the behaviors and life cycle of the pests.
Namibia reported the second wave of the African migratory red locusts on Aug. 12, 2020. Enditem
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Missy Kline
Content Manager – Communications and Marketing
mkline@cupahr.org
CUPA-HR Expresses Disappointment Over DOL Overtime Rule
DOL Failed to Respond to Concerns Expressed by Higher Education; Impact on Institutions, Higher Ed Employees and Students Will Be Severe
The College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) issued the following statement in response to the final rule released today by the U.S. Department of Labor changing the exemptions to the federal overtime pay requirements for executive, professional and administrative employees.
“We are deeply disappointed that the Labor Department did not do more to address the concerns of colleges and universities across the country that submitted comments, wrote letters to Congress and met with the administration officials” said CUPA-HR Chief Executive Officer Andy Brantley. “The final rule presents tremendous issues for colleges and universities, which would face annual cost increases in the millions and be forced to make difficult decisions for the 3.9 million higher education workers nationwide and the students they serve.”
Based on data the association has collected from members in the last few days and over the last year, the increase will result in significant costs — the combined cost estimates of the 35 institutions that provided data is nearly $115 million — to institutions and would inevitably trigger tuition hikes and reductions in force and services. The rule could negatively impact virtually every facet of academic life, from research to student services and athletics at community colleges, larger public universities, small liberal arts colleges, faith-based institutions and large research institutions.
In a recent survey of CUPA-HR members, 87 percent of respondents indicated that as a result of the rule they would have to reclassify any exempt employee making less than $47,500. “This will directly impact employees who could lose much of the flexibility and opportunity that is innate to salaried status,” said Brantley.
Last summer, CUPA-HR conducted a survey of 819 members as part of the comments submitted by 18 higher ed organizations in response to DOL’s proposal. In this survey, 88 percent of respondents indicated any threshold over $40,352 would be too high. More recently, CUPA-HR’s 2016 Professionals in Higher Education Salary Survey Report shows that a threshold of $47,000, which is slightly below the final rule’s $47,476, would impose significant costs on the higher education system. According to the report, institutions would face an average cost of $209,169 if they had to adjust just one employee for each of the 24 professional positions reporting a median salary below that level. Institutions will typically have many professionals in these slots below the threshold, particularly institutions in lower-cost areas of the county, which will be those hardest hit by the rule.
CUPA-HR has been following this rulemaking since March 2014 when President Obama issued a memorandum directing the Secretary of Labor to update the exemptions. In July 2015, DOL proposed increasing the threshold to $50,440 with automatic updates on an annualized basis. “Through each and every stage of the rulemaking process, CUPA-HR and its members have been the voice of higher education advocating for positive changes that would lessen the negative impact of the many unintended consequences associated with the proposed rule,” said Brantley.
CUPA-HR supports the Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act introduced in the Senate and House by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) and cosponsored by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.). The bill would require the Labor Department to conduct a new and comprehensive economic analysis on the impact of mandatory overtime expansion to small businesses, nonprofits and public employers as well as an analysis on the effect on employee flexibility before implementing a change to the exemptions.
“We agree with these members of Congress and the Obama Administration’s own Small Business Administration that the Labor Department needs to comprehensively examine the economic impact of a change to the overtime laws before imposing this rule on colleges and universities and other employers,” said Brantley.
CUPA-HR helps lead the Partnership to Protect Workplace Opportunity (PPWO). For more information about the partnership, visit www.protectingopportunity.org.
About CUPA-HR
The College and University Professional Association for Human Resources serves as the voice of human resources in higher education, representing more than 20,000 human resources professionals and other campus leaders at over 1,900 colleges and universities across the country, including 91 percent of all United States doctoral institutions, 77 percent of all master’s institutions, 57 percent of all bachelor’s institutions and 600 two-year and specialized institutions. For more information about CUPA-HR, visit www.cupahr.org.
CUPA-HR will continue to advocate for a more appropriate salary threshold — one that will not harm institutions of higher education, their employees and the students they serve — and we urge members of Congress to support the Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act.
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It's the biggest party of the summer! We've finally reached Summerslam and we were in for a treat. Again this was a very long PPV and the buildup to this event was underwhelming, but did the matches make up for it? Let's take a look at what went down last night in Toronto!
Well, just when I thought I didn’t need to watch another Summerslam, here we are. The 2018 Summerslam isn’t really one I remember too well so in a way I’m kinda looking forward to rewatching it.
Hello I am Ben Mawson and welcome to my sixth and final Summerslam review and this time it is Summerslam 2017, I’m going just going to jump into it.
The 2016 edition of Summerslam was a memorable one! Long ass show of course, but there was some things on this show that were quite unforgettable. Let's take a look at what went down 3 years ago!
Time to review the 2015 edition of Summerslam! Crazy to think that this was only 4 years ago it doesn't feel like it for sure. This was the kickoff to 4 hour PPVs so I was not excited about watching this because of the length, but I did so let's take a look at what went down!
The night Suplex City was born! Brock Lesnar was on fire back in 2014 after he ended the historic Wrestlemania streak of The Undertaker and it didn’t seem like anything was stopping The Beast. That Summerslam, he challenged WWE World Heavyweight Champion, John Cena in a rematch of their Extreme Rules match only a few years earlier.
It’s my last Summerslam review and to be honest, I couldn’t be happier! I love Summerslam, I really do but I’ve digested too much of it in the past 4 weeks but I end on a good one; 2013! The 2013 Summerslam was one of the best of all time in my opinion so let’s jump into it!
In fairness, WWE’s roster wasn’t the best back in 2012 . What would be solid mid-carders in 2019(or more likely, nowhere to be seen) were elevated to lofty positions as the company struggled to create any stars to sit alongside John Cena and CM Punk.
Summerslam is one of the big four, the biggest party/event/whatever else they want to call it this year, of the summer, so let's look and see if WWE was able to punch above its weight seven years ago.
The event was held at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles and 17,482 fans turned out for what they hoped would be an evening of thrilling action.
Time to review the 2011 edition of Summerslam! This show had some good stories going into it, especially with the double main events. I didn't remember much from this show besides the main event so this was a treat to watch. Let's take a look at what went down on this show!
Remember the nexus? August 15th, 2010 was the night that they died and the killer? John Cena. Today, I’ll be reviewing the 23rd Summerslam so let’s get started.
The final Summerslam of the 2000s! It's time to review the 2009 edition of Summerslam and I must say I was looking forward to this as I haven't seen this show in its entirety. After looking at the card for this event, I was for sure interested in seeing how theses matches turned out. Let's take a look at what went down 10 years ago!
This SummerSlam had a little bit of everything. You had a never before seen match, a fake retirement, the return of the Undertaker, CM Punk as a world champion, and a decent Great Khali match! Let's jump right into the thick of things.
Summerslam 2007 was weird. It had some good matches and feuds that had either been huge or were going to be huge moving forward, and matches that kinda just seemed to be there to fill out the card. It also had Great Khali as World Heavyweight Champion, so there's that. All the matches were all super quick as well, with only two going over 10 minutes and one going over 15 minutes. It almost felt like the entire show was really rushed. The show did feature two big returns, as Rey Mysterio and Triple H made their returns from a knee injury and a quadriceps tear respectively. Would there returns save the show, we'll just have to wait and see.
It’s about to get heated as it’s time for another Summerslam review and no we will not stop! Here we are, 2006 and it’s live from Boston! I’m excited and that means, you should be too!
This Summerslam has gone down in a bit of infamy due to the main event, but we’ll get there when we get there. Overall, this show played out like most fans expected. You had a quick opener, a blood feud between two guys that hated each other, two old rivals facing off again, two pretty good world championship matches, a legendary main event, and Eugene vs Kurt Angle. Let’s dive right into the show!
We're now in the year 2004 so it's time to take a look at that year's Summerslam! Held in Toronto, CA, this show had some good hype going into it. Some of the matches had good storytelling going into them and fans were intrigued to see how the matches would deliver. Did the matches do just that, deliver? Let's take a look at what went down!
This show had a lot to live up to. It was following a from 2002 that had a lot of fantastic moments, so how do the try to top that? In order to try and top it, they used a great fatal four way for the United States Championship, a fantastic WWE Championship match, and the second ever Elimination Chamber Match. Was it able to exceed Summerslam 2002, no. But this one stood out in its own way.
I’m excited for this one - Summerslam 2002, many call it the greatest Summerslam of all time and today, I’m going to see if that’s true or not so here we go, Summerslam 2002.
Hello I am Ben Mawson and welcome to my third summerslam review and this time it is summerslams 2001. This takes place right after the invasion PPV between the WWF and Alliance so all the matches are between both sides which should be interesting.
Hello I am Ben Mawson and welcome to my second summerslam review and it is summerslam 2000, this was a rollercoaster of emotions with great spots one moment and not so good moments at other points through out the show. Let’s just go into it.
Summerslam, Summerslam, Summerslam - will these reviews ever end? No. Here we are now in the year 1999 and it’s time to conclude this week of reviews and before we approach the new millennium, we need to review this PPV so let’s get this done!
It’s the summer of 1998 and it’s time for the World Wrestling Federation to put on their “Summerslam” PPV. Now, it’s the summer of 2019 and it’s time for All Things Combat and it’s time to review the “Summerslam” PPV.
It’s time for me to tackle a full week by the looks of it! I’ll happily take it, I can compare these three Summerslams and link them all together which should be good fun. This is my third summerslam review for AllThingsCombat.com and I’m really looking forward to this one so let’s get started.
The Summerslam the year before I was born emanated from the Gun in Cleveland, Ohio where I am from. This show featured two very interesting matches, the famous Boiler Room Brawl and the infamous Vader vs Shawn Michales match. Other than those two matches, there was nothing really special about this show. All the wrestlers that should’ve won, did win and there was not a lot of story progression.
It’s Summerslam 1995 and it’s going to be a crazy Wednesday Review. We’ve got so much to look forward to as Diesel defends his belt against King Mabel, Razor Ramon defends his title against Shawn Michaels in an iconic ladder match and Alundra Blayze defending her WWF Women’s title. Let’s start the show!
It’s my turn to chime in with a review and the random wheel name generator picked me to do 1994 - I don’t think, I’ve ever watched this summmerslam and I couldn’t even tell you who’s fighting on this card so I’m just going to watch this now and review the whole PPV and I’ll be back very soon to do the 1995 PPV because I was one of the “lucky ones” who got two back to back.
An interesting Summerslam to say the least! Once again I love the nostalgia, but the matches were hit or miss. Not to mention a very memorable ending to the show. Let's take a look at this show!
This one's definitely a treat for you guys! This was the first time I got to watch this Summerslam in its entirety and I must say this was definitely a Summerslam to remember. So much nostalgia, so much moments, so many memories! Not to mention, this was held in Wembley Stadium in the UK and 80,000 fans packed this place, setting the 2nd all time attendance record for a PPV behind Wrestlemania III. Let's take a look at what went down on this historic show!
Hello, I’m Ben Mawson and welcome to my first summerslam review and it is Summerslam 1991! This was a solid show with a ending made in heaven as the wedding bells ring.
One year after a very bad show, SummerSlam 1990 was for the most part very good. You had great matches, good story set-up, but the last three matches just didn’t click for me when I watched it. But that shouldn’t distract from what was a very good undercard.
I’m gonna say this right off the bat, this was not a good show. It had the potential to be a great show with the likes of The Brain Busters, The Hart Foundation, Dusty Rhodes, Mr. Perfect, Shawn Michales, Tito Santana, Rick Rude and Randy Savage. There was a ton of potential for this to be a great show, but something didn’t click this night. And my biggest issue comes at the main event, but well get to that later.
Well so it begins - a look back at every Summerslam that ever happened. So this is where it all began with the first summer slam and the first match was
Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid vs The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers. Let’s just get this started.
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Home Page of the Year of FaithNewsBOOK ON THE CHALLENGES OF NEW EVANGELISATION IN LATIN AMERICA
BOOK ON THE CHALLENGES OF NEW EVANGELISATION IN LATIN AMERICA
Vatican City, 10 March 2012 (VIS) - The Pontifical Commission for Latin America has recently published a work entitled "Reflections on New Evangelisation in Latin America: Challenges and Priorities". The book, 130 pages long, is the outcome of a study day organised by the commission which took place on 11 November 2011.
The book begins with an introduction by Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and includes the text of three lectures delivered during the course of the study day: "New Evangelisation in the Light of the Pontifical Magisterium" by Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation; "From the Evangelisation of Jesus Christ to the Continental Mission as New Evangelisation" by Bishop Santiago Jaime Silva Retamales, secretary of the Latin American Episcopal Council, and "New Evangelisation in Latin America Today: Challenges and Priorities" by Guzman Carriquiry Lecour, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. There then follows a list of forty-one recommendations for new evangelisation on the American continent.
The work will be sent to all members and counsellors of the commission, to the bishops of Latin America and to the prefects and presidents of the various dicasteries and offices of the Roman Curia.
A communique from the pontifical commission accompanying today's publication states that the book contains "a number of useful contributions to that 'new evangelisation' which has been repeatedly invoked by John Paul II and by Benedict XVI, ... and which found a significant response in the 'continental mission' launched during the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean held in 2007 in Aparecida, Brazil. That mission is in the process of being accomplished". The book also "aims to contribute to the many discussions and reflections which are taking place in view of the forthcoming General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October, ... and the subsequent Year of Faith".
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FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE STREETS:
THE UNLIKELY COLLABORATION THAT LEAD TO PURE BRONX
GET THE OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE BELOW and Learn the whole story!
purebronx_press_release.pdf
Melissa most recently read at her alma mater Fordham University on Nov. 20, 2014. Read about it here.
New York, NY (Nov. 24, 2013) - What do you get when you mix academia brightest minds, Street Literature and New York’s most vibrant borough? The incredible story of Khalil and Rasheeda, a young couple from the South Bronx, trying to make it out of the ghetto and have a taste of the prosperity middle class Americans take for granted.
Available now via download on Kindle and Nook as well as in paperback on Amazon and Barnes & Nobles, Pure Bronx, is more than just another release in one of literature’s fast-growing genres. It is also the result of an incredible collaboration between Mark Naison, Professor of History and African American Studies at Fordham University and a young graduate student, Melissa Castillo-Garsow (previously at Fordham, and now currently pursuing a PhD at Yale). When teaching a graduate class on street literature and hip hop at Fordham University, Dr. Mark Naison challenged students in the class to help him write a novel which used the non stop action of street literature to bring to life people in South Bronx neighborhoods being changed by an influx of immigrants and big money coming in from Manhattan. Melissa Castillo-Garsow, a master's student in creative writing, took up the challenge and the result is a novel unlike any written before it-- filled with violence, adventure, love, lust, greed and political commentary.
News Coverage:
“NYU Alumna, Fordham Professor co-write ‘Pure Bronx.’” Washington Square News. Sept. 16, 2013.
“Professors Novel Depicts the Realities of Street Life.” The Fordham Ram. Oct. 3, 2013.
“‘Pure Bronx,’ new urban lit by Mexican American author.” Gina Vergel. Nov. 4, 2013.
“Vida Entrevista: Mexican American Author Melissa Castillo-Garsow.” Vida Vibrante. Nov. 3, 2013.
“hip-hop Prof pens street lit.” The Bronx Times. Dec. 9, 2013.
Lit writing. Just Do It." Fordham Notes. Jan. 28, 2014.
Wednesday Dec. 4, 2013, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
“BCA Bronx Culture Trolley Night – Readings & Conversations”
Wednesday Dec. 11, 2013, 7 p.m.
OFFICIAL BOOK RELEASE PARTY featuring G-Bo The Pro’s – Wayback Whensday at Camaradas El Barrio, NYC
January 15, 2013, 7 P.M.
Pure Bronx Book Signing & Movie Announcement at
Guantanamera Restaurant, NYC
Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014: Har’d Life Ink Reading and Hip Hop Show. Har’d Life Ink Shop, 711 church ave., Brooklyn, New York 11218.
Featuring the transnational art collective Har’d Life Art Collective and Mexican Hip Hop in New York pioneers Hispanos Causando Paniko (HCP).
For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/740452552633296/
Saturday, July 12, 2014: Panelist, “The New Urban Aesthetics: The Black Arts Movement, Revised,” Harlem Book Fair.
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2014: Fordham University Lincoln Center Prose Reading. For more information: http://fordhamenglish.com/news1/2014/11/7/fall-2014-prose-reading#
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The Florida Project's Gem Turns 25...
Ok, so EPCOT didn't turn out to be the "Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow" that Walt envisioned. But it still has his spirt, his sense of optimism and wonder. It is still something for the Mouse to be proud of... even if over the last decade or so they've not treated her well.
Today she turns 25. And she looks much nicer than she did a few weeks ago since having that plastic surgery to remove the wart... I mean wand from her nose. I figure we should start seeing greater attention to the details of the Second Gate over the next few years. The Disney Geeks made a big stink about no anniversary and some Suits took note. Uncle John took note. The new Suit in charge happens to be an Epcot employee, which is good. The focus on the words; "EPCOT Center" are a good sign...
The Walt Disney Company spend 1.4 Billion dollars to build it... I want to sound like Dr. Evil saying that. In 1982 that was a lot of money. Well, it's still a lot of money, just not near as much as it was then. The Mouse hasn't spent anywhere near that amount on a theme park since. The only company that has spent those kinds of numbers to create elaborate Disney attractions is the Oriental Land Company... the only company other than the Mouse with the right to build Disney attractions. When WDW's Third Gate, Disney-MGM Studios was built in 1989 it cost of less than 800 million. The fourth gate, Disney's Animal Kingdom was around 800 million(after cutting the "Beastly Kingdom" section) when it opened in 1998. The Second Gate in California, Disney's California Adventure was 650 million(after Pressler ordered Braverman to cut the budget by a third) in 2001 and Disney's investment in Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005 which cost 3.5 billion was in the hundreds of millions... 314 million dollars to be exact, with the Hong Kong Government footing the rest of the bill . I won't mention Walt Disney Studios Paris which opened in 2002, because I don't consider it having a budget, especially if you've seen it. But enough of that... that's old hat. We're in a new time with lots of exciting things happening to the Mouse.
The future of the Second Gate at America's Second Disney Resort's is positive and full of promise. Ironically, just like Walt was. Fitting, don't you think? Happy Birthday, EPCOT Center! I like saying that... I really do.
Labels: 25th, Anniversary, Epcot, WDW
Thomas Phillip said...
What a great birthday wish! Happy birthday EPCOT!
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Home » WHY CITY NEPHI COULD NOT HAVE BEEN KAMINALJUYU, GUATEMALA
WHY CITY NEPHI COULD NOT HAVE BEEN KAMINALJUYU, GUATEMALA
by Joe V. Andersen
December 2010 joeandersen38@Gmail.com
There are many reasons why I believe that the Pre-classic site of Kaminaljuyú, near downtown Guatemala City, could not have been the location of the land and city of Nephi of the Book of Mormon as proposed by the Allens at page 571 of their book, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, 2010 2nd edition, (hereafter designated as Exploring). Dr. Richard Hauck has done, and is still doing, extensive work in defining all the requirements outlined in the Book of Mormon for locating the land of Nephi. He is currently writing about those requirements and about which of the requirements have been identified archeologically and geographically.
In this article I will discuss four of those requirements, not to prove where the land of Nephi was located, but mainly to show why the land and city of Nephi could not have been located at Kaminaljuyú;
1. Shilom and Nephi must have been within eyesight of the narrow strip of wilderness.
2. There must have been a substantial and visible hill north of Shilom.
3. Too many “potentially hostile Maya” were living at Kaminaljuyú when Nephi Landed.
4. Kaminaljuyú was located too far from the waters of Mormon if the waters of Mormon were located at or near Lake Atitlan.
(1) & (2)
The cities of Nephi and Shilom must have been within eyesight of the narrow strip of mountainous wilderness & of the hill north of Shilom.
(A) Mosiah 1 used the hill north of Shilom as a gathering place about 200 BC
Nephi landed west of the narrow strip of mountainous wilderness on the Pacific coast about 588 BC. After 2 or 3 years, when Joseph was still “little” (2 Nephi 3:25), Nephi moved with “all those who would go with [him]… into the wilderness.” This included 3 couples and their children plus Jacob, Joseph, and Nephi’s sisters and perhaps their children. I submit that this small colony did not exceed 25 to 30 people, unless they had converted a few local people, possibly Jaredite colonists. After “many days” they settled in a land they called Nephi, located south of the narrow strip of mountainous wilderness that extended from the east sea to the west sea.
About 380 years later King Mosiah 1 (about 200 BC) obeyed the Lord and fled from Nephi to Zarahemla which was located north of the narrow strip of mountainous wilderness:
Omni 1:13. “…He did according as the Lord had commanded him. And they departed out of the land into the wilderness, as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord; [Mosiah11:13] [up to] the hill north of the land of Shilom, which had been a place of resort for the children of Nephi at the time they fled out of the land… [Omni 1:13 continuing]…through the wilderness until they came down into the land which is called the land of Zarahemla.”
The hill north of Shilom was a gathering place for Mosiah 1 to assemble “all those who would hearken unto the voice of the Lord.” How many were there? I suspect something between 5 and 20 thousand. For purposes of this article the important point is that, according to these scriptures, the hill north of Shilom was located at the very southern edge of the narrow strip of mountainous wilderness. It was very close, within eyesight, and probably within a couple of miles, of the city of Shilom. And further, it must have been an area large enough, and with sufficient water, where several thousand people could have gathered and lived (a place of resort for those fleeing from Nephi, Shilom, and surrounding area) at least for a few days before traveling through the wilderness and then down to Zarahemla.
(B) King Noah built a tower on the Hill north of Shilom.
King Mosiah I died in Zarahemla and his son King Benjamin reigned in his stead. Sometime during his reign, about the year 170 BC or so, an overzealous man named Zeniff returned to the land of Nephi with “a considerable number” of all those who “were desirous to go up to possess the land of Nephi” from which they had fled about 20 to 30 years prior. Mosiah 9:6-8 states:
[The cunning King of the Lamanites] covenanted with me that I might possess the land of Lehi-Nephi, and the land of Shilom. He also commanded that his people should depart out of the land, and I and my people went into the land…and we began to build buildings and to repair the walls of the city, yea, even the walls of the city of Lehi-Nephi, and the city of Shilom.
About 35 years later (ca.135 BC), Zeniff conferred his kingdom upon his son Noah. Noah was a very vain and wicked Nephite king. At Mosiah 11:1-13 it says, quoting the pertinent parts:
“…King Noah built many elegant and spacious buildings…he also built him a spacious palace and a throne in the midst thereof…and the seats which were set apart for the high priests, which were above all the other seats, he did ornament with pure gold; and he caused a breastwork to be built before them, that they might rest their bodies and their arms upon while they should speak lying and vain words to his people….and…he built a tower near the temple; yea, he could stand upon the top thereof and overlook the land of Shilom and also the land of Shemlon, (all these areas must have been within a couple of miles of each other, including the hill north of Shilom because they were visible from Nephi) which was possessed by the Lamanites and he could even look over all the land round about…and he caused a great tower to be built on the hill north of the land of Shilom.…”
Why the very vain, proud, and wicked King Noah built a second tower and why he built it upon the hill north of Shilom is not explained. It could have been for defensive purposes or, more likely, it could also have been a monument for himself. Obviously the great tower king Noah built on the hill north of Shilom was obvious to the people. I submit that it was within eyesight of the people living in the land of Shilom. The city of Nephi was located just southward from Shilom. I submit that this hill north of Shilom could not have been more than 2 or3 miles from Shilom.
(C) Ammon and his 15 scouts used the hill north of Shilom
as their base to observe Shilom and Nephi.
From about 135 BC to 121 BC there were many skirmishes between the Lamanites and King Noah’s Nephites. King Noah was finally killed and his righteous son Limhi became King. The Lamanites imposed a 50 percent tax on Limhi and his people and had “surrounded them on every side.” They prayed for deliverance. Ammon and 15 others were sent by Mosiah II, about 121 BC, to inquire about Zeniff and his followers. Mosiah 7:3-15 states:
4. …They knew not the course they should travel in the wilderness to go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi; therefore they wandered many days in the wilderness.…
5. And when they had wandered forty days (in the narrow strip of mountainous wilderness) they came to a hill, which is north of the land of Shilom, and there they pitched their tents.
6. And Ammon took three of his brethren…and they went down into the land of Nephi.
7. …King Limhi commanded his guards…that they should go to the hill which was north of Shilom, and bring their brethren into the city, that thereby they might eat, and drink, and rest themselves from the labors of their journey…(the hill was very close to Shilom).
They located first on the hill north of Shilom where Ammon reconnoitered Shilom and Nephi and then he took 3 of his men and went down to meet Limhi.
Clearly the hill north of Shilom was very close to Shilom and not more that 2 or 3 miles because people could see Noah’s tower there. Ammon could see Shilom from the hill. It was a place close enough for Mosiah 1 to gather his people fleeing from the land of Nephi before going through the narrow strip of wilderness to go down to Zarahemla. This was a prominent hill and one that was located at the very southern edge of the narrow strip of mountainous wilderness. Remember Nephi was not “in” the Narrow strip of wilderness but south of it. It also must have been a large enough hill adjacent to and part of the narrow strip of wilderness that several thousand people could have occupied it during the time of gathering of the people of Mosiah 1 before crossing the narrow strip of wilderness on their way to Zarahemla.
I submit that there is no qualifying hill anywhere near the Kaminaljuyú complex in Guatemala City. This 6-kilometer-square complex was built about 1000 BC upon a high plateau (elevation about 5000 ft) and above the many deep ravines in the area. There is no qualifying hill to the north of, and above, Kaminaljuyú and the surrounding area, until one comes to the Chuacus Mountains some 30 air miles on the north. In order to get to the narrow strip of wilderness from Guatemala city, one must descend from an elevation of over 5000 feet to the Motagua River (elevation about 2000 feet) and then ascend over the Chuacus mountains, (elevation about 6000 feet) and then cross the Salamá valley to finally get to the Sierra de las Minas Mountains (narrow strip of wilderness) about 50 air miles northward from Kaminaljuyú.
The Chuchumatanes/Sierra de Las Minas chain of mountains is believed by Garth Norman, Richard Hauck, and the Allens to be the narrow strip of mountainous wilderness. One cannot see this range of mountains from Guatemala City (Kaminaljuyu) (See maps below)
One cannot see the narrow strip of mountainous wilderness from Kaminaljuyú. Travel today in a car over paved roads from Kaminaljuyú to the southern edge of the narrow strip of wilderness takes 3 hours to give an idea how rugged and difficult travel in that region is and was. If one takes the dirt road that more closely follows the ancient trade route it takes at least 8 hours.
Therefore, I believe that it must be concluded that Kaminaljuyú cannot be the city of Nephi because it is too far away, and there is no significant hill that could qualify as the hill north of Shilom from which Ammon could have seen the cities of Nephi and Shilom.
Too many “potentially hostile Maya” lived in Kaminaljuyú in 588 BC.
When Lehi landed on the western end of the narrow strip of wilderness (the Pacific coast) in 588 BC, Kaminaljuyú was a huge “city/state” with more than 40,000 people living in the area. It was a beautiful city surrounding a lake with a dam and irrigation canals providing water for a large agricultural area (see picture below). This Mayan culture enjoyed extensive trading with other “city states” along the west coast through Izapa. This trade route continued through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec facilitating trade with areas like Oaxaca, La Venta, Tres Zapotes, and many others. The Maya people living in the area of Kaminaljuyú also sought captives to practice blood sacrifice as they expanded their territory (Wikipedia).
When Lehi landed in 588 BC the Jaredites were probably close to their height wherein many hundreds of thousands of people lived northward from the Nephites’ landing place. Between Kaminaljuyú and the Tehuantepec area, where the Jaredites lived, there were many thousands more people (probably Jaredite colonists) occupying large cities like: El Baul, Monte Alto, La Democracia (near Escuintla, Guatemala) and from there northward along the Pacific coast to cities like Abak Takalik, Ocos, Izapa, Pijijiapan,and Tuztzuculi (which was located near the pacific side of the Tehuantepec Isthmus). The following map shows the approximate trade route that existed about that time.
I submit that Nephi would quickly have become aware of these population centers and, being required of the Lord to preserve his Hebrew religion and Christian beliefs, would not have taken his 3 or 4 adult males, 5 or 6 adult females and 15 plus young children to such an area as Kaminaljuyú or northward to the Jaredite nation. There is no way he could have conquered, converted, or assimilated them into his system of beliefs and practices. There is also no archaeological evidence to suggest that there were two different cultures co-existing at Kaminaljuyú from about 500 BC to ca. AD 200.
Therefore, I believe there were just too many “potentially hostile Maya” people living in the Kaminaljuyú area at the time the Nephites landed west of the narrow strip of wilderness for it to have been the land of Nephi.
If “Waters of Mormon” was Lake Atitlan then Kaminaljuyú could not have been the city of Nephi because the distance was too great.
I submit that if the “waters of Mormon” were located at Lake Atitlán as proposed in Exploring at pages 478,484,636-639, then Kaminaljuyú could not have been the city of Nephi because it was too far, according to the Book of Mormon, for the followers of Alma to have had weekly meetings there. At page 639, Exploring, it states:
If Lake Atitlan is the waters of Mormon and if the city of Lehi-Nephi…is in the area of Guatemala City, then approximately 10 days of travel time were required for Alma and his converts to travel to the land of Mormon. (The wording here implies that they traveled 10 days and lived at the waters of Mormon. This concept does not seem possible considering the following scriptures).
The pertinent Book of Mormon scriptures that show the correct distance between “waters of Mormon” and the cities of Nephi and Shilom to be less than a half day’s journey are as follows: As one reads the following, ask how could all of these events have taken place 10 days away from the place where the followers of Alma were living at the cities of Nephi and Shilom?
Alma 18:1….Alma, who had fled from the servants of King Noah…went about privately among the people [the people had not fled yet] and began to teach the words of Abinadi [Alma was still living in the area and not 10 days journey away].
3…he taught them privately, that it might not come to the knowledge of the king [he initially taught them in their homes or at least not in public places].
4…as many as did believe him did go forth to a place, which was called Mormon, having received its name from the king [It does not say that the believers moved their families and belongings anywhere. First he taught them in the homes, probably at night, and then those that believed him started meeting where he was “resorting” at the waters of Mormon in the thicket of small trees].…
5…there was in Mormon, a fountain of pure water, and Alma resorted [lived] thither, there being near the water a thicket [not the wilderness] of small trees, where he did hide himself in the daytime from the searches of the king [there were daily searches. Apparently he began teaching the people in their homes or in private places, and perhaps at night, else why did he hide during the daytime?].
6. as many as believed him went thither to hear his words. [After he converted a few then they began to meet at the waters of Mormon. They went back and forth from their abodes in Nephi and Shilom to the waters of Mormon. Therefore, the distance from Nephi to the “waters of Mormon” could not have been more than the time it took to travel from Nephi to the waters of Mormon, have a meeting and teaching experience, and then return home to Nephi all within one day. I submit that this distance would not have been over 4 or 5 miles].
7….after many days there were a goodly number gathered together at the place of Mormon [it says “gathered” not “living”. I submit that had this many people been living at the waters of Mormon, King Noah would have discovered the movement much sooner].
16…after this manner he did baptize everyone that went forth [implies not a great distance and that they were not living at the waters of Mormon but in Nephi and Shilom] to the place of Mormon; and they were in number about 254 souls.…
17…they were called …the church of Christ from that time forward…whosoever was baptized…was added to his church.[again this implies frequent additions to the church and frequent visits to waters of Mormon which would not have been possible if it were located 10 days away].
24…he also commanded them that the priests whom he had ordained would labor with their own hands for their support. [They were not laboring at the waters of Mormon where Alma was hiding but in their own homes and lands in Nephi and Shilom.]
25…there was one day in every week that was set apart that they should gather themselves together [at the waters of Mormon] to teach the people, and to worship…and as often as it was in their power, to assemble themselves together. [If Mormon was 10 days away from Nephi and if they had moved to the waters of Mormon with their families and living there then they would have had the power to meet any time they desired without fear. I submit that the army of King Noah did not make daily searches of the “waters of Mormon” at Lake Atitlán, 10 days distance away from Nephi, nor was the army of King Noah living in the area of the waters of Mormon].
30…all this was done in Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, in the forest (thicket of small trees) that was near the waters of Mormon, …[this certainly means all the meetings, teachings, and baptizing was done at the waters of Mormon, except for the initial teaching Alma did in their homes or private places].
31…these things were done in the borders of the land, that they might not come to the knowledge of the king. [I submit that 10 days away is not in the borders of the land. The borders of the land would have been the borders of the land of Nephi and Shilom because all other lands surrounding them were occupied and controlled by the Lamanites.]
32…the king, having discovered a movement among the people, sent his servants to watch them [they were clearly still living in Nephi and Shilom and not at Mormon]. Therefore on the day that they were assembling themselves together to hear the word of the Lord they were discovered unto the king. [How could the servants of Noah watch them assemble and on that same day advise King Noah who then sent his army to destroy them if they were assembling at Lake Atitlán 20 days round trip away?]
33…the king said that Alma was stirring up the people to rebellion against him; therefore he sent his army to destroy them. [How could the people rebel if they lived 20 days round trip from where King Noah resided? I submit that this army was not 10 days away from Nephi (20 days round trip) as that would have left King Noah too vulnerable to the Lamanites].
34…Alma and the people of the Lord were apprised of the coming of the king’s army; therefore they took their tents and their families and departed into the wilderness. [I submit that this means the narrow strip of wilderness. They must have known that the King was after them and they had been preparing to flee from the lands of Nephi and Shilom and from the waters of Mormon when the appropriate time came].
35…they were in number about 450 souls.
I do not see how anyone can read the above and believe that the waters of Mormon were 10 days travel, one way, from Nephi. The people were clearly living in their homes in Nephi and Shilom and went back and forth to Mormon in the borders of the land the Lamanites had given them. Therefore, I submit that Mormon could not have been more than a half-day’s walk from Shilom. Shilom was closer to the narrow strip of wilderness than Nephi and the waters of Mormon were closer to the narrow strip of wilderness than Shilom because when they were discovered by King Noah, the people “departed into the wilderness.”
I agree with and appreciate Dr. Stephen L Carr’s comment to me in an E-mail dated 1-11-11:
One point that no one seems to have ever brought up that I've considered, is that the Lamanites allowed Zeniff and his group to settle in only the cities of Nephi and Shilom and the associated nearby farm lands. If Kaminaljuyú is the city/land of Nephi, then Lake Atitlán (10 days' travel away) is way out of the range of territory that the Lamanites would have included as part of the local lands that they had given to the Nephites. This lake would have been solidly in Lamanite territory, and Alma would not have been able to take his followers there for any time at all.
I believe all of the above proves that if the waters of Mormon were located at Lake Atitlán then Kaminaljuyú could not have been city of Nephi because it was too far away. Dr. Hauck and I do not believe that the waters of Mormon were located at Lake Atitlán. The point here is that at least one of the two locations must be incorrect. I personally believe that probably both locations do not conform to the requirements of the Book of Mormon.
If not at Kaminaljuyú then where was the land of Nephi?
If Kaminaljuyú was not the city of Nephi and if the pass through the middle of the narrow strip of mountainous wilderness (Cobán) (as believed by Dr. Richard Hauck and Garth Norman) was the Manti area, then I submit there is only one probable location for the land of Nephi and that is the beautiful Salamá Valley area. There have been over 40 Pre-classic sites located in this general area by the archeological team of David Sedat and Robert Sharer of the University of Pennsylvania cited at University of California Archaeological Research Facility Contribution 16: 23-35, (1972). Within this past year Hauck has discovered at least 5 additional Pre-classic sites in the Salamá valley area that have never been documented.
Hauck has found about 25 of 30 requirements, or so, for locating the land of Nephi in the Salamá Valley area, as required by the Book of Mormon. He is currently excavating in this area and writing about his research and study to see if it can be corroborated as the land of Nephi. There is no doubt that this area contained many thousands of people living in many cities and villages spread over the entire Salamá valley area, and they lived and flourished during the Book of Mormon time period.
It is our belief that when Nephi was prompted by the Lord to move inland, he moved to this very secluded, protected and one the most beautiful valleys in all Guatemala. It is also one that is most productive and has a very agreeable Mediterranean type climate wherein all manner of fruits, vegetables, and grains can be produced Gold, silver, and other minerals, including jade, are also found in the area. Salamá is located just south of the center of the narrow strip of mountainous wilderness that extends from the east sea to the west sea. Over many centuries this area became pivotal to trade through the center of the country. To Dr. Hauck and me it is the most probable location for the land of Nephi and much more probable than the area of Kaminaljuyú.
In summary, I believe that Kaminaljuyú could not have been the city/land of Nephi because:
1. It was just too far from the narrow strip of mountainous wilderness which was not visible from Kaminaljuyú.
2. It had no visible qualifying “hill north of Shilom” as required by the Book of Mormon.
3. There were too many “potentially hostile” people living there (40,000) for Nephi to have been able to have assimilated or conquered.
4. It was too far (10 days travel one way) to Lake Atitlán (believed by many to be the waters of Mormon).
5. Lake Atitlán, 10 days from Kaminaljuyú, would have been in Lamanite control and never would have been given to Zeniff in the first place.
Andersen, Joe V.
Book of Mormon Names and Places
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THEFT, ROBBERY, AND RELATED CRIMES View Entire Chapter
812.014 Theft.—
(1) A person commits theft if he or she knowingly obtains or uses, or endeavors to obtain or to use, the property of another with intent to, either temporarily or permanently:
(a) Deprive the other person of a right to the property or a benefit from the property.
(b) Appropriate the property to his or her own use or to the use of any person not entitled to the use of the property.
(2)(a)1. If the property stolen is valued at $100,000 or more or is a semitrailer that was deployed by a law enforcement officer; or
2. If the property stolen is cargo valued at $50,000 or more that has entered the stream of interstate or intrastate commerce from the shipper’s loading platform to the consignee’s receiving dock; or
3. If the offender commits any grand theft and:
a. In the course of committing the offense the offender uses a motor vehicle as an instrumentality, other than merely as a getaway vehicle, to assist in committing the offense and thereby damages the real property of another; or
b. In the course of committing the offense the offender causes damage to the real or personal property of another in excess of $1,000,
the offender commits grand theft in the first degree, punishable as a felony of the first degree, as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(b)1. If the property stolen is valued at $20,000 or more, but less than $100,000;
2. The property stolen is cargo valued at less than $50,000 that has entered the stream of interstate or intrastate commerce from the shipper’s loading platform to the consignee’s receiving dock;
3. The property stolen is emergency medical equipment, valued at $300 or more, that is taken from a facility licensed under chapter 395 or from an aircraft or vehicle permitted under chapter 401; or
4. The property stolen is law enforcement equipment, valued at $300 or more, that is taken from an authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in s. 316.003,
the offender commits grand theft in the second degree, punishable as a felony of the second degree, as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. Emergency medical equipment means mechanical or electronic apparatus used to provide emergency services and care as defined in s. 395.002(9) or to treat medical emergencies. Law enforcement equipment means any property, device, or apparatus used by any law enforcement officer as defined in s. 943.10 in the officer’s official business. However, if the property is stolen within a county that is subject to a state of emergency declared by the Governor under chapter 252, the theft is committed after the declaration of emergency is made, and the perpetration of the theft is facilitated by conditions arising from the emergency, the theft is a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. As used in this paragraph, the term “conditions arising from the emergency” means civil unrest, power outages, curfews, voluntary or mandatory evacuations, or a reduction in the presence of or response time for first responders or homeland security personnel. For purposes of sentencing under chapter 921, a felony offense that is reclassified under this paragraph is ranked one level above the ranking under s. 921.0022 or s. 921.0023 of the offense committed.
(c) It is grand theft of the third degree and a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the property stolen is:
1. Valued at $750 or more, but less than $5,000.
2. Valued at $5,000 or more, but less than $10,000.
3. Valued at $10,000 or more, but less than $20,000.
4. A will, codicil, or other testamentary instrument.
5. A firearm.
6. A motor vehicle, except as provided in paragraph (a).
7. Any commercially farmed animal, including any animal of the equine, avian, bovine, or swine class or other grazing animal; a bee colony of a registered beekeeper; and aquaculture species raised at a certified aquaculture facility. If the property stolen is a commercially farmed animal, including an animal of the equine, avian, bovine, or swine class or other grazing animal; a bee colony of a registered beekeeper; or an aquaculture species raised at a certified aquaculture facility, a $10,000 fine shall be imposed.
8. Any fire extinguisher that, at the time of the taking, was installed in any building for the purpose of fire prevention and control. This subparagraph does not apply to a fire extinguisher taken from the inventory at a point-of-sale business.
9. Any amount of citrus fruit consisting of 2,000 or more individual pieces of fruit.
10. Taken from a designated construction site identified by the posting of a sign as provided for in s. 810.09(2)(d).
11. Any stop sign.
12. Anhydrous ammonia.
13. Any amount of a controlled substance as defined in s. 893.02. Notwithstanding any other law, separate judgments and sentences for theft of a controlled substance under this subparagraph and for any applicable possession of controlled substance offense under s. 893.13 or trafficking in controlled substance offense under s. 893.135 may be imposed when all such offenses involve the same amount or amounts of a controlled substance.
However, if the property is stolen within a county that is subject to a state of emergency declared by the Governor under chapter 252, the property is stolen after the declaration of emergency is made, and the perpetration of the theft is facilitated by conditions arising from the emergency, the offender commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the property is valued at $5,000 or more, but less than $10,000, as provided under subparagraph 2., or if the property is valued at $10,000 or more, but less than $20,000, as provided under subparagraph 3. As used in this paragraph, the term “conditions arising from the emergency” means civil unrest, power outages, curfews, voluntary or mandatory evacuations, or a reduction in the presence of or the response time for first responders or homeland security personnel. For purposes of sentencing under chapter 921, a felony offense that is reclassified under this paragraph is ranked one level above the ranking under s. 921.0022 or s. 921.0023 of the offense committed.
(d) It is grand theft of the third degree and a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the property stolen is valued at $100 or more, but less than $750, and is taken from a dwelling as defined in s. 810.011(2) or from the unenclosed curtilage of a dwelling pursuant to s. 810.09(1).
(e) Except as provided in paragraph (d), if the property stolen is valued at $100 or more, but less than $750, the offender commits petit theft of the first degree, punishable as a misdemeanor of the first degree, as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(3)(a) Theft of any property not specified in subsection (2) is petit theft of the second degree and a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, and as provided in subsection (5), as applicable.
(b) A person who commits petit theft and who has previously been convicted of any theft commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(c) A person who commits petit theft and who has previously been convicted two or more times of any theft commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(d)1. A judgment of guilty or not guilty of a petit theft shall be in:
a. A written record that is signed by the judge and recorded by the clerk of the circuit court; or
b. An electronic record that contains the judge’s electronic signature as defined in s. 933.40 and is recorded by the clerk of the circuit court.
2. At the time a defendant is found guilty of petit theft, the judge shall cause the following to occur in open court and in the judge’s presence:
a. For a written judgment of guilty, the fingerprints of the defendant against whom such judgment is rendered shall be manually taken and affixed beneath the judge’s signature on the judgment. Beneath such fingerprints shall be appended a certificate to the following effect:
“I hereby certify that the above and foregoing fingerprints on this judgment are the fingerprints of the defendant, , and that they were placed thereon by said defendant in my presence, in open court, this the day of , (year) .”
Such certificate shall be signed by the judge, whose signature thereto shall be followed by the word “Judge.”
b. For an electronic judgment of guilty, the fingerprints of the defendant must be electronically captured and a certificate must be issued as provided in s. 921.241(3)(b).
3. A written or an electronic judgment of guilty of a petit theft, or a certified copy thereof, is admissible in evidence in the courts of this state as provided in s. 921.241(4).
(4) Failure to comply with the terms of a lease when the lease is for a term of 1 year or longer shall not constitute a violation of this section unless demand for the return of the property leased has been made in writing and the lessee has failed to return the property within 7 days of his or her receipt of the demand for return of the property. A demand mailed by certified or registered mail, evidenced by return receipt, to the last known address of the lessee shall be deemed sufficient and equivalent to the demand having been received by the lessee, whether such demand shall be returned undelivered or not.
(5)(a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle so as to cause it to leave the premises of an establishment at which gasoline offered for retail sale was dispensed into the fuel tank of such motor vehicle unless the payment of authorized charge for the gasoline dispensed has been made.
(b) In addition to the penalties prescribed in paragraph (3)(a), every judgment of guilty of a petit theft for property described in this subsection shall provide for the suspension of the convicted person’s driver license. The court shall forward the driver license to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in accordance with s. 322.25.
1. The first suspension of a driver license under this subsection shall be for a period of up to 6 months.
2. The second or subsequent suspension of a driver license under this subsection shall be for a period of 1 year.
(6) A person who individually, or in concert with one or more other persons, coordinates the activities of one or more persons in committing theft under this section where the stolen property has a value in excess of $3,000 commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(7) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) shall perform a study every 5 years to determine the appropriateness of the threshold amounts included in this section. The study’s scope must include, but need not be limited to, the crime trends related to theft offenses, the theft threshold amounts of other states in effect at the time of the study, the fiscal impact of any modifications to this state’s threshold amounts, and the effect on economic factors, such as inflation. The study must include options for amending the threshold amounts if the study finds that such amounts are inconsistent with current trends. In conducting the study, OPPAGA shall consult with the Office of Economic and Demographic Research in addition to other interested entities. OPPAGA shall submit a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by September 1 of every 5th year.
History.—s. 4, ch. 77-342; s. 1, ch. 78-348; s. 1, ch. 79-124; s. 1, ch. 80-389; s. 1, ch. 82-164; s. 1, ch. 86-161; s. 1, ch. 87-376; s. 1, ch. 88-312; s. 8, ch. 90-92; s. 1, ch. 92-79; s. 9, ch. 95-184; s. 30, ch. 96-247; s. 3, ch. 96-260; s. 49, ch. 96-388; s. 1819, ch. 97-102; s. 102, ch. 99-3; s. 36, ch. 99-6; ss. 67, 79, ch. 99-248; s. 2, ch. 2001-115; s. 1, ch. 2003-15; s. 2, ch. 2004-341; s. 1, ch. 2006-51; s. 2, ch. 2007-115; s. 1, ch. 2007-177; s. 206, ch. 2007-230; s. 22, ch. 2011-141; s. 62, ch. 2011-206; s. 41, ch. 2016-105; s. 29, ch. 2016-145; s. 1, ch. 2018-49; s. 5, ch. 2019-98; s. 36, ch. 2019-167.
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Career Timeline
Priestesses & Guinevere
2015 Revised Title
Welcome to Norma Lorre Goodrich
Author Norma Goodrich has combed the fields of literature, history, anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, and linguistics to present the first historical proof that Arthur was once the King.
The many readers who are enthralled with the enduring legend of Camelot will be drawn to this fascinating book, which "may become the definitive work in the effort to prove the historical authenticity of King Arthur."--UPI
From Library Journal
Though Goodrich asserts that hers "is the first book to have explored very minutely and in the original languages both the historical and literary material concerning King Arthur," numerous Arthurian scholars have written similarly researched books with similar conclusions. Goodrich assumes ancient authors were accurate, and she has made the following findings: the real Arthur operated "between what is now Scotland and what is now England," rather than in the South; he died near Douglas; and Avalon was St. Patrick's Isle, near Man. Her romantic sensibilities skate over the treacherous evidence and find geographic certainties everywhere. Despite these drawbacks, this is enjoyable reading for the public library patron interested in King Arthur. Don Fry, Poynter Inst. for Media Studies, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From ABOUT.COM
Goodrich traces the origins of the Arthurian tales back to 1136, when "the best writers of the twelfth century... happened upon written materials containing mention of this ancient lost king, his queen, and his commander Lancelot. According to the legends, Merlin wrote down the earliest records of Arthur's reign; but those annals have long since disappeared.
To understand the story of Arthur's life, we have the Arthurian texts of William of Malmesbury, Geoffrey of Monmouth, Caradoc of Llancarvan, Eilhart von Oberge, Brother Robert, Marie de France, Chretien de Troyes, Robert de Boron, Gervase of Tilbury, Thomas of Britain, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Gottfried von Strassburg, Ulrich von Zatzikhoven, and the ever famous Anon. And, that's just from the High Middle Ages. "During the Middle Ages," Goodrich says, "writers specializing in mythology took the circumstances of Arthur's life and enhanced them until his biography resembled various mythical plots and characters." The Great Wain (the Big Dipper) constellation was associated with Arthur, who rode across the sky on a magical horse.
In Search of King Arthur
Goodrich says, "We know that the search for King Arthur takes us back to the most obscure centuries of the Dark Age. His realm illustrates the idea of lost knowledge... Arthur was born into a savage world." Drawing material from the many sources, she constructs a vivid portrayal of King Arthur, using Geoffrey's parts as an outline: Arthur's ancestry and birth, his battles, his coronation, the continental campaign, the defeat of Calan, Arthur's wounding, and his departure."Like the epic hero he is beloved of the gods," Goodrich says. King Arthur is depicted as "pious and honorable, an active and military hero, and like the true epic hero he is a man whose death becomes him as much as his deeds in life raised him daily in the reverence of his followers."
RECENT AMAZON REVIEWS:
"Goodrich uses excellent practical pursuits of getting her historical evidence. Knowing Old French and having many strings of critical foreign words that relate to her research was hard on some of the brain-dead critics. Old French was spoken by Arthur. Norma died at 89 and spent her whole life studying this material. Because she was not officially from a Historian Background (professor of comparative Literature) does not mean her material is suspect. It means Historians should be more respectful of her work until they know what is going on themselves. Professional arrogance gets in the way of their quick bias reviews. Most of these stupid thoughts by young people who have never really read the book or had the capacity to understand her thinking should be using reverence of how to polish her shoes. This books abounds in interesting information from a time frame so far back that is tricky to get a picture of the Situation. Goodrich is very careful of how she decides to accept some premise and reject others." -Edward J Stack (August 2016)
Obviously, this book has many detractors. But they all seem to completely miss the point...it's all about the translation.
Dr. Goodrich is an ancient languages expert (she knows more than 20), and her postulations are primarily based on her corrections of previously mistranslated names and places in the source texts. These mistaken translators had a difficult job nailing down correct proper names in a time when spelling differed according to the writer, and knowledge of the areas in which the events took place was imperfect (in some cases, the translators had never actually been to those sites themselves, since travel was often difficult and dangerous during the middle ages). This is why her theories diverge widely from the majority of others'.
It's obvious that Dr. Goodrich has done extensive research in both oral history and legend, written material, and geographic sites all connected to King Arthur. It is true that some, but not all, of Dr. Goodrich's sources are works of fiction, although the 'Historia Regum Britanniae,' was considered factual at the time of its publication in 1136-38. However, I would also like to point out that Mr. Geoffrey Ashe, among others, used many of those same source texts as Dr. Goodrich to attempt to prove his theories about the real King Arthur. I mention this because he has been compared to Dr. Goodrich in other reviews. This book is not a fast read, but i was impressed and intrigued by her theories and the methods by which she formulated them (which she thoroughly and politely explains, though other reviewers claimed the contrary). In summary, I love this book and look forward to reading 'Guinevere', 'Merlin', and 'Holy Grail', also by Dr. Goodrich. I would also like to appeal to reviewers who spit vitriol at Dr. Goodrich for her theories: it seems to me that many of you didn't actually read all of this book, so why blame Dr. Goodrich for your lack of patience or your inability to follow along? And please tone down the insults...they only serve to reveal your lack of manners and education. -Lass MacArthur (May 12, 2012)
"When people come to me looking for references on King Arthur, Norma Lorre Goodrich's book is the first place I send them. She also has these wonderful titles on Guinevere and Merlin (books by those titles also). She has done so much research it's pathetic. She manages to keep the flavor of the mythology while also making you think and helping you sort through the details. An Arthur researcher who is familiar with this many of the old languages? You just don't find this. Start here on your Arthur reading then include T.H. White's Once and Future King and Robert Nye's Merlin. You really need nothing else to get acquainted. Beats the heck out of all that bad Celtic fan writing out there." -Amazon Reviewer
"Goodrich provides evidence that King Arthur had life beyond the myth, based on Medieval documents, her knowledge of Middle-Ages languages, and present-day Ordinance maps. In conjunction with her works on Merlin, Guenievere, and The Holy Grail she documents his life and times and is most persuasive. She cites research by Marie of France, Eleanore of Aquitane's daughter, and the story that one written account was lost by Richard the Lionheart in a card game. This dense-with-information study takes diligence -- I'm a college graduate with an English minor and it's the hardest book I ever read. But well worth it. " -Compulsive Reader, Santa Cruz, CA
This book was daunting, but I loved it- fascinating to see her language-based approach to the historical Arthur. Filled with one revelation after another and I was convinced by most of them. I could also see why the historical "establishment" had a hard time with her conclusions. It's not written like a history book, which makes sense since her emphasis is language and literature. She's willing to find a breakthrough and accepts it wholeheartedly. Historians tend to waffle more when it comes to conclusions, especially with so little physical evidence. But I'm a believer!- from Dave (June 2013) at goodreads.com
A real history of King Arthur by a historian. Not for the faint hearted.-from Doug (March 2012) at goodreads.com
"Dr. Goodrich gives a wonderful look at the life and actions of King Arthur. She has done numerous amounts of research in order to prove that this once great King did in fact exist, but she refuses to leave it at that. She goes on to discuss such subjects as the abduction of Arthur's queen and where his body lay after death. If ever you are interested in, and open-minded about, King Arthur and his life pick up this book. It will be worth your while. " -Amazon customer
"Anyone who subscribes to the romance and mystery of the Arthurian legends will be upset and confused by this book. Those who have open minds and have not been blinded by what has been written centuries before, will appreciate Ms. Goodrich's diligent efforts. Modern man and woman have had the wool pulled over their eyes too many years where Arthur and Camelot have been concerned. It's time that the story be told correctly!" -Debrirk, Scottsdale, AZ
Disclaimer: All content, information, photos and all copyrighted material from published and unpublished books have been used with permission from the owner and heir of the Dr. Norma Lorre Goodrich Estate. All material contained on this website or in the published or unpublished books shall remain the property of the owner.
Content copyright . Andrew Whitenack. All rights reserved.
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To insure that our academically talented graduating seniors are recognized for their scholarship, we have established a number of programs to honor their achievements:
Baccalaureate students qualify for three levels of Latin Honors
Summa Cum Laude (with highest distinction), awarded to students whose cumulative GPA is at least 3.9
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This distinction will be noted on the student’s transcript.
To be eligible for graduation with honors, you must complete at least 56 credits at the College. If you entered with an associate degree, you qualify for these honors with a minimum of 52 credits earned. All courses and grades earned at John Jay, including failing grades, enter into the computation.
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To qualify for honors in the major, you must have completed the credit requirements for the major and have earned at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA in courses above the 100-level in the major. Credit for courses required as prerequisites for major courses and transfer credits applied to the major will not be calculated into the major cumulative GPA. Students must have also earned at least a 3.2 overall cumulative GPA. This honor will be noted on your transcript.
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In 1999, John Jay College established a chapter of Phi Eta Sigma. As the oldest and largest national freshman honor society, Phi Eta Sigma encourages and rewards academic excellence among first-year students in institutions of higher learning. Membership is open to individuals who have earned GPAs of 3.5 or better during one or both semesters of their freshman year as full-time students, have passed or been exempted from all three placement exams, and have not been registered for any remedial or developmental courses during the freshman year.
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A chapter of Psi Chi was established at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in May 1974. Selection for membership is based upon the student’s academic record in psychology (with a minimum of 12 credits), as well as the overall class standing. Membership is open to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as to faculty members in the Department of Psychology.
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← Strangeness on a Train [on von Trier’s ZENTROPA/EUROPA]
Through the Past, Darkly [GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI & THE CRUCIBLE] →
The Freed Woman
From the Chicago Reader (September 14, 2007). –J.R.
FLYING: CONFESSIONS OF A FREE WOMAN ***
DIRECTED AND WRITTEN BY JENNIFER FOX
There’s something nervy about the way Jennifer Fox, in her new autobiographical six-part, six-hour miniseries, showing this week at the Gene Siskel Film Center, tries to combine her life, her art, and her politics. Made with funding from the Danish Film Institute over a four-year period ending in late 2006, Flying: Confessions of a Free Woman recounts the privileges, confusions, and self-examinations of Fox, a Manhattan-based filmmaker in her mid-40s who grew up associating her freedom with being like a boy, feeling much closer to her permissive father than to her disapproving mother, and never having the slightest interest in getting married or (until recently) having kids.
Known for such PBS documentaries as Beirut: The Last Home Movie (1987) and An American Love Story (1999), a miniseries about the everyday life of an interracial couple, Fox does a fair amount of globe-trotting, and during the time frame of Flying she’s juggling two lovers on separate continents who know about each other. The less serious relationship is with Patrick, a Swiss-German cinematographer she sees more often, mainly in New York (he’s credited as the film’s “technical supervisor”). Kye is a South African poet she sees infrequently in South Africa, where she sometimes teaches. (Kye’s married with kids and keeping his affair a secret; he remains almost completely off-camera.)
More than a simple diary film, Flying is also a kind of essay about what freedom for a contemporary woman consists of. On her travels and in New York, Fox records many conversations she has with other women about this topic. The women vary in age, nationality, ethnicity, and class and include Fox’s ancient grandmother, a 54-year-old Somalian exile in London fighting to end female genital mutilation, a married 43-year-old Egyptian journalist in France who combines work and parenting, a 32-year-old Pakistani villager and activist who’s chosen not to marry, and a 22-year-old single mother in Soweto sharing a house with her unemployed relatives.
Fox’s immediate personal issues provide most of the connecting threads of the series, with many unexpected plot turns along the way. But her connection with so many women points to the transition she makes from identifying with men to identifying with women, even while recognizing that sometimes women, herself included, can unwittingly collude in their own oppression.
There were times when I wished Fox had more of a sense of humor about herself and her project, if only because her poker-faced seriousness gets monotonous. But the most problematic part of the enterprise is that she has to fictionalize certain aspects of her life to create an easy-to-follow narrative. That is, she has to give her material — and therefore the representation of her life — a coherent shape without calling too much attention to the process. Camera placement and editing are essential tools in this endeavor, but it works against her purposes for the audience to think about them too much.
A simple, prosaic example of what I mean is the occasional unacknowledged presence of another camera operator. Fox records most of her dialogues by passing the camera back and forth with her interlocutor, allowing us to view both sides of the exchanges. And there are other times, such as when she’s seen riding on a plane alone, when we presume that’s she managed to position her own small camera without assistance. But there are some sequences that encourage us to conclude that she’s alone when she couldn’t possibly be — such as when we see her pensively walking her dog in Manhattan. I guess we’re supposed to ignore the trickery and concentrate on more important matters, but I found it distracting, and even after I adjusted, the artificiality undermined the authenticity of what I was watching.
The problem is, when you’re doing so many different things at once — struggling with your values, filming your struggle, and trying to make it compelling while remaining honest — something ultimately has to give. No one’s life qualifies as an absorbing soap opera all the time, and clearly special solutions are required for those junctures when it doesn’t. So it’s the moments when the narrative of her life appears to be most artfully arranged and told that Fox’s undertaking starts to seem most questionable. (Her elliptical ways of representing Kye–showing just enough of him, or of a stand-in, to reveal that he’s black, but without making a big deal of the fact that theirs is an interracial romance — create some related ambiguities.)
She’s pretty fearless about revealing her own self-absorption and allowing herself to be irritating. She also raises the question of whether the project is actually affecting her life and her decisions about it — not just upping the ante but goading her into a kind of ongoing self-definition. It’s certainly having an effect on some of the others we see. Patrick in particular, who seems unusually accepting about many aspects of her life, adamantly refuses to be filmed at times — and considering that he’s collaborating on the filmmaking more than the dialogue seems to acknowledge, we start to realize that his decisions about her film automatically become decisions about his life and her life as well. Our not being allowed access to certain parts of the filmmaking process — especially the editing, which is obviously a central stage — eventually suggests that what we’re really watching is more a construction than a discovery, of a life as well as a film.
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Biographical collections
In 1959 the Academy received its name and current functions, since which date it has continuously adjusted its sphere of activities to the changes — and at times the upheavals — undergone by countries overseas.
For several decades the activities of the Academy concentrated essentially on Africa, to which it has remained traditionally attached. Nevertheless, over recent years it has diversified its focus of attention and the Academy has gained a more international character by forging bonds with a wide range of scientific organisations, as witnessed by the co-operation agreements signed with UNESCO, the "Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen" (The Royal Institute for the Tropics — The Netherlands), the "Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical" (the Institute for Tropical Hygiene and Medicine) and the "Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical" (The Institute for Tropical Scientific Investigation) (Portugal), the "Third World Academy of Sciences" (Italy), the "Chinese Academy of Sciences" (China) and the "Academia Nacional de Ciencias" (The National Academy of Sciences — Bolivia).
The Academy also takes an interest in knowledge about the past and prides itself on its role in maintaining the memory of the past in the light of the present, including the colonial period during which it was founded.
In fact, it was under the name of "Institut Royal Colonial Belge" (Royal Belgian Colonial Institute) that the present Academy was founded in 1928 and inaugurated in 1929 by the Minister, Henri Jaspar. At that time the area over which it carried out its mission was restricted exclusively to the Belgian Congo. In 1931 the Institute gained greater liberty of action, thanks to its civil status which subsumes an autonomous existence, the ownership of a patrimonium and the possibility to receive gifts and legacies.
Renamed as the "Royal Academy of Colonial Sciences" in 1954, our Institution changed its name to the present "Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences" in 1959.
Un autre regard sur l'histoire congolaise. Les documents arabes et swahilis dans les archives belges (1880-1899)
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The Belgian Congo between the Two World Wars
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(363 pp., 23 fig., 11 tab., 2019)
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Killing It Prize T&Cs
The title of the competition is Killing It. It shall be referred to as the Competition through these terms and conditions.
The competition starts on Thursday 7th January 2021
Closing Date is midnight on 7TH April 2021
No entries received after the date at 1.3 will be accepted.
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Any application containing incorrect, false or unreadable information will be rejected. Any applications made on behalf of or for another person or multiple entries will not be included in the competition.
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Postal address: HarperCollins Publishers, The News Building, 1 London Bridge St, London SE1 9GF
The prize is an individual editorial report on your manuscript from a HarperCollins editor.
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Submit an entry to the crime writing competition organisers through the provided email address.
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The winner of the competition will be selected by HarperCollins editors and one independent judge based on the following criteria: The work entered must be of the commercial crime, suspense AND/OR thriller genre. Writers must submit up to 10,000 words in size 12 font. Writers must submit a synopsis up to one A4 pages. Writers must submit a short biography (of no more than 5 sentences) about the author of the work.
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Beauty & Body Image
Cultural Identities
Pioneers & Trail Blazers
Listener Messages
Stories By Our Interns
The Call for Stories
Chicken Pills
Hidden World of Traveller Girls
Hidden World of Daphne Mae Hunt
Deborah Luster: One Big Self
Hidden Wedding Dance of Sudan
Women in Pop in Character
Brave Heart Women’s Society
The Secret Life of Theresa Sparks
Hidden World of Kandahar Girls
Girls Who Hunt
Lesbian Lives in Pakistan
Al Qaida Brides
Horses, Unicorns & Dolphins
Veiling, Unveiling and Reveiling
The Secret Life of the Termite Queen
Sisters of General Vang Pao
Amira in America
Russia’s Singing Babushkas
Mandy Lu: My Two Worlds
Hey, Boo Boo
The Hidden World of Vivian Maier
Just Girls: The Hidden World of Patti Smith & Judy Linn
The Hidden World of Shadi Ghadirian
The Hidden World of Kate McGarrigle
Frida Kahlo Overheard
The Bernardi Sisters
WORK THAT INSPIRES
Scholars and Advisors
A story of family, crime and the power of art to grapple with some of society’s hardest issues.
Produced by The Kitchen Sisters
In collaboration with Nathan Dalton
Mixed by Jim McKee
Aired on June 30, 2010 on NPR’s All Things Considered
“My mom… It’s hard to talk about your mom. She was very glamorous but she never put on any airs. There was no saditty with her. She was infected with that southern ancestor worship thing, all into the arts of dress and manners and home and the table, conversation and story telling. She was a shutterbug.
“IN OUR FAMILY,THE CAMERA WAS MANNED BY A WOMAN”
Deborah Luster’s mother and father divorced when she was a baby and she went to live with her grandparents in Arkansas. She and her mom communicated through photographs. “If I got a new coat I would have to be photographed and usually I didn’t want to be photographed so it would be the back of the coat. There would be photographs of me and my cat, my grandfather and me.”
From her mother, Deborah would receive posed photographs. “She would dress up even when she was cooking. Designer clothes and high heels. I mean, she’d wear a mink coat to a tractor pull, think nothing of it. Red hair. Big glamourpuss.”
On April 1, April Fools Day, 1988, Deborah’s mother was murdered in her bed by a contract killer who came in through her kitchen window, down her hall and shot her five times in the head. Deborah believed she had seen the man at one time so she reasoned that he might be after her as well. For seven years she lived in terror until they arrested the man and he was tried and convicted. They have never, however, caught the person who hired her mother’s killer.
ANY CHARACTER HERE
After her mother’s death Deborah started to photograph. “My mom had photographed constantly, my grandmother had photographed and constantly documented our family. Photography became something that I could think to do to try to dig out of the place I had found myself.”
“Perhaps I was channeling my ancestors in the years following the deaths of my mother and grandmother. Perhaps it was their spirits that moved me to pick up a camera—for in our family, the camera was manned by women. It was my turn. Or perhaps I picked up the camera out of desperation. I did need a tool. I was buried under the loss of my family members. The world was a sinister one. I was awake and numb and frightened. How could I sleep under the same stars as my mother’s murderer? I used the camera to dig out. I found that I was still capable of making contact”.
THERE SEEMED TO BE A LOT OF PRISONS
Deborah had moved to Monroe in northern Louisiana. In 1998 she was sent out with other photographers by The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities to photograph in the region in support of an empowerment zone application for the state’s very impoverished.
“Debbie started noticing that the landscape was fairly emptied out,” remembered poet C.D. Wright, Deborah’s friend and collaborator. “Then she noticed that it was fairly emptied out but for the fact that there seemed to be a lot of prisons. And she thought, ‘well maybe that’s where everybody is.” Which, in fact, is where everybody is.”
On a Sunday afternoon Deborah knocked on the gates of a small prison on the banks of the Tensas River. The warden came out and she asked if she might photograph some of the inmates there. He said yes.
” I photographed there once and realized it was a project I had been looking for for a long time, something in response to the murder of my mother,” said Deborah. “It was like it lifted when I went in through the gates it became something else.”
I CAME TO PHOTOGRAPH THAT PERSON, NOT THAT PERSON IN PRISON
Deborah got entrance to the women’s prison in St. Gabriel, the minimum security male prison in Transylvania and Angola Maximum Security prison in Louisiana. She teamed up with her long time collaborator, C.D. Wright and the two began working together on the project.
Deborah started taking very straightforward formal portraits. “I would say to the prisoners, you’re an invisible population, and this is your opportunity to show the world who you are, to present yourself to the world as you would be seen. One man went in and came back out and he had written the world “freedom” on a piece of notebook paper.”
For the most part, the inmates posed themselves. They might want to hold something like a box of valentine candy or a family photo. One woman wanted to hold her shoe.
Deborah would take in a few pieces of black velvet and some duct tape, find a place that had good light and tape up her backdrop. She didn’t want any sort of sign of prison life. “I didn’t want that to get in the way of the person I was photographing. What I came to photograph was that person, not that person in prison.”
“I was trying to photograph as many inmates as I possibly could, because I wanted to really show the numbers of people who are incarcerated, to try to communicate to some degree, just how many y of our population reside in prisons.”
At Angola, Deborah photographed prisoners in the cotton fields where they still pick cotton by hand.
While Deborah photographed, CD Wright would interview and observe. One poem she wrote was inspired by overheard conversations on the field line—an entry level job at Angola State Penitentiary where prison farm laborers make about eight cents an hour.
LISTEN: C.D.Wright-Overheard in the Field Line
“IN LOUISIANA EVERYTHING FEELS LIKE A COSTUME…”
Deborah photographed the women at their Mardi Gras celebration and at the Halloween haunted house at at San Gabriel women’s prison. “There were all of these traditional Louisiana costumes and archetypes,” said Deborah. “Alligator Girl, Rat Face. They run this haunted house in the gymnasium. There’s the snake room, the bird room, the bat room. And there’s the execution chamber where one inmate sits in an electric chair, and the other inmate is the executioner, and she throws a switch, and this strobe light goes on behind the head of the woman that’s supposedly being executed, and that woman starts jumping around. There’s a lot of black humor there.”
The women make their costumes out of sheets, table clothes and available materials. “The winning costumes were big striped uniforms,” said CD Wright. “Uniforms with big tall Dr. Seuss like striped hats. They were made from uniforms of the women in maximum security who could not participate in either Halloween or Mardi Gras. So those were made in their honor.”
“In Louisiana, everything feels like a costume,” said CD Wright. “The inmates had different uniforms for all of the different positions in the prison. The prisoners were identified by their work detail uniforms. People in culinary arts wore big baker hats and white jackets.”
“This man who is scarred so badly, we heard that his brother threw a tire over his head and set it on fire,” explained CD Wright. “He was so dignified. He was beautiful, really. He had green eyes. He always looked absolutely, directly at the camera. I found him very striking. Not just because he was so scarred, but because of the dignity he brought to his very disfigured face.”
The photographs are done on aluminum photographic plates reminiscent of tintypes. The aluminum is treated with gelatin silver as you would treat a canvas with gesso before you paint on it. Deborah makes paper copies of the aluminum plates for the prisoners. They are not allowed to have sharp metal objects. The photographs are small, only a little larger than a postcard. “I wanted to preserve the intimacy of these very formal photographs,” Deborah said.
THEY MADE THEMSELVES SO VULNERABLE TO ME
At Angola where 90 percent of the men that go there, die there, it was very sober. There was no clowning around. It was a very formal. The way they would pose themselves was very sort of nineteenth century.
“For the most part they presented themselves as they wanted to be presented, looking out,” said CD Wright. It as was all voluntary. She returned a portion of the funds that she received from selling the plates which are on aluminum to the prisoners fund. With which they buy popcorn and books and undershirts and personal items.
Deborah made prints for each person she photographed. She returned 25,000 prints to inmates.
At one point Deborah was walking down the block at Angola, in the middle of the 18,000-acre prison, near one of the dormitories there. And a voice behind her said, “You’ve been to the women’s prison at St. Gabriel, haven’t you?” And she said, “Now how would you know that?” And the man said, “Because I sent my girlfriend a picture you took of me, and she sent me one back just like it.” “So there were these little images are flying between the prisons,” said Deborah, ” and, I thought that’s what it was all about.”
“They made themselves so vulnerable to me and it’s not often that you have an encounter like that. I know a lot of it was that they were actually posing for the people that they loved, their husbands, their wives, their children.”
“There was a woman who asked to be photographed,” said Deborah. “She said ‘I’ve been here 15 years. I’m down for 99 years. I have 19 children. My children haven’t spoken to me since I came to prison. Perhaps if I had some photographs I could send them it would soften their hearts to me.’ A few months later she said, ‘Four of my children came to visit me. The baby came and he’s nineteen. He was five years old when I came to prison.’”
SOMETHING MY MOTHER WOULD HAVE DONE
“For me,” said Deborah. “It became this project about the importance of the personal photograph, and what that little slip of paper, or piece of tin can mean to a person.”
“I think this project is the kind of thing my mother would have done,” said Deborah. “She had this way of looking right through the veneer, right into people. She could see the bottom in people. She liked to photograph her family, the food on your plate, you brushing your teeth. She photographed what she loved and that’s what she loved.”
How We Found this Story
We have been thinking about this girls series for a long time, even while we were in the middle of the Hidden Kitchens project. One of our central methods is to say everything out loud, tell everyone we know and don’t know about what it is we’re working on and looking for. We have a good nose for stories, but sometimes the people we know have an even better one. This story, “Deborah Luster: One Big Self” came to us because one night writer Michael Ondaatje and his wife, writer Linda Spalding were asking what new story we were working on. We described a new project we were just beginning to imagine about the secret life of girls around the world. Michael jumped in, “One Big Self. You have to see it. You have to know about Deborah Luster and her photographs and her collaboration with her C.D. Wright, the poet. They call it “One Big Self.” He told us Deborah’s story and we were mesmerized.
“AMERICA IS A THEME PARK OF VIOLENCE…” C. D. Wright
Poet CD Wright is a long-time friend and colleague of Deborah Luster who collaborated with her on One Big Self. Here are some excerpts from her interview.
Can you talk about your collaboration with Deborah Luster?
Deborah and I met at the University of Arkansas. I was a teaching assistant and she was a senior undergraduate, so we’ve known each other for some time. We have similar sensibilities, the same kind of edgy sense of humor and the same sort of political orientation. And we have complimentary aesthetics. We’ve worked on several projects together. Both photographers and poets are used to working in solitude so it’s sometimes testing to try to work out certain visions, but our visions are actually very compatible.
This project was initiated by Deborah who is working out a long term relationship to violence which began with her mother’s murder. She’s trying to include every point of view. This is a very sympathetic project for someone who is a survivor of such a violent act. The decision from the beginning was to photograph inmates in their whole selves, their better selves.
The title of the project comes from a sentence by Terrence Malik: “Maybe all men got one big soul where everybody’s a part of–all faces of the same man: one big self.”
The popular perception is that art is apart. I insist it is a part of. Something not in dispute is that people in prison are apart from. If you can accept that — whatever level of discipline and punishment you adhere to momentarily aside — the ultimate goal should be to reunite the separated with the larger human enterprise, to see prisoners among others, as they elect to be seen. In “their larger selves.”
LISTEN: Wright talks about writing text for One Big Self
What significance do you feel these photographs had for the inmates?
In the maximum security prison, the mirrors are stainless steel, so there’s a kind of warp—your reflection is not that clear. So many of these inmates don’t see themselves for years at a stretch, they don’t see the real delineation of their faces. And time passes. I think that many of them are not aware of the details of their physical changes.
The last photograph for many of these prisoners is their mug shot. In Deborah’s photos prisoners presented themselves as they wanted to be presented, looking out. Dressed in costume, holding up a sign, a photo or something they cared about.
Family portraiture, is a big tradition in the south, so these photographs were another opportunity to be included in that tradition. It was important that they were posed and dignified pictures. We tried very hard not to idealize people there; most of them were not there for spitting on the sidewalk, they had done really bad things. Most of them had brought some harm of some kind to somebody else.
LISTEN: Wright reads from One Big Self
MORE POEMS FROM ONE BIG SELF:
If I were you:
Screw up today, and it’s solitary, Sister Woman, the padded dress with the food log to gnaw on. This is where you enter the eye of the far. The air is foul. The dirt is gumbo. Avoid all physical contact. Come nightfall the bugs will carry you off. I don’t have a clue, do I?
The women pass around a handmirror and a tube of lipstick
they sit on the slab walk, smoke and talk
They pass a stuffed bunny from hand to hand
for their turn in front of the camera
The church ladies are out on soul patrol
they’ve got ditty bags for the prisoners
Poster: Black History, women’s prison
The blacker the college
The sweeter the knowledge
Navy is housekeeping
Khaki is for peer tutor
The search for Molly is forty-five days old
If you were a felon
You’d be home now
Cradle my head Sister
until the last rivet of grief is secure
C.D. Wright is the author of ten volumes of poetry, and an editor of Lost Roads Publishers. Her most recent book Steal Away (2001) is a selection of her verse over the last twenty years. Deepstep Come Shining (Copper Canyon, 1998) is a book-length poem originating in a road trip by Luster and Wright visiting outsider artists in the Southeast. She and Luster also collaborated on a multimedia project titled The Lost Roads Project: A Walk-in Book of Arkansas, focusing on the literature of their native state. Wright’s work has appeared in American Letters & Commentary, Conjunctions, The New Yorker , and other publication. She is the recipient of a 2004 MacArthur Foundation Grant, as well Lila Wallace Writers’ Award, a Lannan Literary Award, and an artist award form the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Wright is on the faculty of Brown University.
Deborah Luster is best known for the series, One Big Self: Prisoners of Louisiana, which she undertook in 1998 with poet C. D. Wright. This collection of photographic portraits—painstakingly printed on 5 x 4 inch sheets of black aluminum—are individualistic, diverse and emotionally compelling. One Big Self was shown at the Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco: Jack Shainman Gallery, New York; the Bell Gallery, Brown University, Providence, RI; and Blue Sky Gallery, Portland, OR; among other venues. Luster’s awards include the Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize for Documentary Photography from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University (with C.D. Wright), an Anonymous Was a Woman Award, The John Guttman Award, and a Bucksbaum Family Award for American Photography. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and other notable public and private collections.
Deborah Luster’s latest project Tooth for an Eye: A Choreography of Violence in Orleans Parish was recently exhibited at the Jack Shainman Gallery in New York. In this audio slideshow, Deborah guides us through the gallery as she talks about the project and photographs.
Music from the Story
Elizabeth Chooses a Career, Dennis Russel Davies & Maki Namekawa from Les Enfants Terribles composed by Philip Glass
Tipitina and Me, Allen Toussaint
Whoa Buck, recorded by Alan Lomax at Parchman Farm Prison
Another Glacier, Peter Broderick
The Hidden World of Ann Savoy
Alice Waters’ New Audio Book
Cabrillo Festival
Just Girls
Radio Stories (25)
Beauty & Body Image (4)
Crossing the lIne (13)
Cultural Identities (13)
Pioneers & Trail Blazers (17)
Your Stories (15)
Listener Messages (10)
Stories By Our Interns (13)
Bay Area listeners "Hidden World of Girls" stories.
Chicken Pills on All Things Considered, Mon., March 22
Electric Girls
Listen to Tina Fey host HWofG
Girls on Your Turntable - 29 comments
What Girls Are On Your Turntable? - Bonnie Raitt's List - 20 comments
Across the Great Divide - 18 comments
The Lost & Found Photographs of Vivian Maier - 17 comments
Listen to Tina Fey host HWofG - 15 comments
Follow the Hidden World of Girls
Audio Gems
Deb Amos—Telling Women’s Stories from the Middle East
Marge Thrasher 1934-2012
Obscura Digital
Hidden World of Girls on Flickr
Funding for this series comes from:
Further Support Provided By:
Select Month April 2014 March 2013 January 2013 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010
The Kitchen Sisters, Davia Nelson & Nikki Silva / copyright 2010
Header photo by Shadi Ghadirian
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MIDWEEK UPDATE 18 JANUARY 2017
THIS WEEK IN MIDWEEK UPDATE
Notice Board........Plan Your Weekend........Forthcoming Events
Aviation News………. Worldwide Incidents and Accidents
This Week in Aviation History………Advertising Rate Card
RAASA is proud to introduce the 2017 interactive and comprehensive Special Air Events Seminar.
The Annual Special Air Events Seminar will be taking place on Saturday, 04 February 2017 from 08:30 till 15H00 at Rand Airport.
- Amendments and updates of the Special Air Event Manual of Procedure
- Administration and Timelines for SAE Applications and Approvals
- Flight Display Directors and Appointment of Airside Safety Teams
- The Future development and Promotion of Special Air Events
- Insurance, legal and liability matters
- ARO participation
- Display Authorisation Committee and Display Authorisation Examiners - Airshow Safety and Standards.
- Special Guest Speaker - TBA
# Attendance of this seminar is compulsory for all Organisers, FDD and Airside Safety Personnel, Display Authorisation Examiners and Display Pilots wishing to organise, plan or participate in Special Air Events during 2017.
# All ARO section leaders Chairman or appointed representatives involved in SAE planning, organising or managing events and competitions.
For more information email tania@raasa.co.za by the 20th of January 2017.
THIS SEMINAR IS HOSTED BY RAASA, TO IMPROVE QUALITY AND SAFETY IN THE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT.
See new date 11-12 August : SAC Judges' Trophy Tzaneen. Contact Annie Boon e-mail: chunge@mweb.co.za
3rd Saturday of every month. Microland. Bring and braai. Fires and bykos provided. Fires start from 09h30. Contact person: Nick Swardt 082 441 8011 or Alan Hussey 072 82 2341
1: EAA Chapter 322 meeting. Dicky Fritz Moth Hall Edenvale. Contact Contact editor@afskies.co.za
4: SAAF Museum AFB Zwartkop open practise day
4: RAASA annual seminar for all officials regarding Special Air Events
It is critically important for flight display directors, flight display safety officers, event organisers, display authorisation examiners and display pilots to attend, in preparation of the 2017 event season. E-mail: tania@raasa.co.za
11: Rand Airport Challenge. Please remember to book online at http://www.sapfa.co.za/index.php/component/competition/?view=pilot in order for us to adequately cater for the numbers. Contact: Contact Frank Eckard email: frank.eckard@mweb.co.za cell: 083 269 1516.
11 - 12:Swellengrebel Flying Club Fly in. Contact Pieter Venter E-mail: pventer@vgv.co.za
11-12: W/Cape regionals in Swellendam Annie Boon e-mail: chunge@mweb.co.za
15-21: SADF Armed Forces Day - Durban.
4: Durban Wings Club Fun Rally. Virginia Airport. Contact: Mary de Klerk maryd@expandingbranding.co.za
10 - 12: The Aero Club Air Week Parys. Website: www.aeroclub.org.za Contact Sandra Strydom Tel: 011 082 1100 E-mail: office@aeroclub.org.za
11-12: Ficksburg RC Club Fly and Braai. Contact Johan 0835785321or johan.vangreunen@dcs.gov.za
30-9 April: Entry for the 2017 Stars of Sandstone Festival is available from Leigh Sanders who can be contacted on +27 79 327 7649 or e-mail leighs@sandstone.co.za - or see details at www.sandstone-estates.com
30-1 April: National Rally Flying Championships. Brits Air Field. Contact Frank Eckard e-mail: frank.eckard@mweb.co.za cell: 083 269 1516
31-1 April: Wings and Wheels Festival. Utenhage Airfield. Contact Lourens Kruger E-mail: imk@trlkomsa.net Cell 082 320 2615
QUEST AIRCRAFT SECURES LARGE FLEET ORDER
Quest Aircraft Company is pleased to announce that it has signed a major fleet order for up to 20 aircraft. The agreement was signed at the recent National Business Aviation Association Convention (NBAA) in Orlando, Florida. The first aircraft was delivered last month to the customer, who is located in Japan.
"We are very excited to have completed such a large order for the Kodiak," said Nick Newby, Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. "While we have had other fleet sales for multiple Kodiaks, this represents our largest commercial fleet order to date." The aircraft ordered will be used for a new membership-based private travel service that was officially launched November 7.
The Kodiak's rugged aluminium construction combines superior STOL performance and high useful load. With powerful turbine performance, the aircraft has the ability to land and take off from unimproved surfaces and is capable of working off floats without structural upgrades. The Kodiak can take off in under 1,000 feet at full gross take-off weight of 7,255 lbs and climb at over 1,300 feet per minute. These attributes make the Kodiak extremely well-suited for use in Japan where the topography and private transportation infrastructure can be challenging.
The aircraft's versatility, along with its roomy cabin, also makes the Kodiak perfect for individuals and companies who want guaranteed access to comfortable, efficient and reliable transport. The new private air charter service, known as SKY TREK, plans to begin flying trips in spring 2017. Both corporate and individual memberships are available.
Kodiaks are in operation around the world in over 20 countries in key market segments including personal use, Part 135 operations, and government and humanitarian organizations. The Kodiak has received 23 certifications covering 33 countries, with several additional certifications imminent.
RED BULL AIR RACES-THREE NEW PILOTS JOIN THE CHALLENGER CLASS
Photos © Red Bull
World medallist Kenny Chiang will open a new chapter in China's motorsport history in 2017, when he becomes the first pilot from his country to compete in the Red Bull Air Race. Chiang will be joining the Challenger Class along with two more international newcomers - Daniel Genevey of Hungary and Baptiste Vignes from France.
The charge for the Challenger Cup in 2017 will feature nine contenders from eight countries, with three new additions including the first pilot from China ever to fly in the Red Bull Air Race. Among the fresh faces is Hong Kong native Kenny Chiang, who has already claimed Asia's first World aerobatics medal and is keen to expand his skillset with the discipline of Air Racing. Another newcomer, Daniel Genevey, is a member of the Hungarian Aerobatic Team who ranked among Europe's top 10 in only his second year at the highest level of aerobatic competition, Unlimited, and additionally won a French National Advanced Championship. Also joining the Challenger Class is Baptiste Vignes of France, who holds three Advanced World Championship gold medals in team and individual competition and currently flies for the French National Team at the Unlimited level.
"Ever since I first saw the Red Bull Air Race, I was captivated, so to be a Challenger Class pilot is a dream come true," says Chiang. "The mental preparation is very similar to aerobatics, but the flying discipline is quite different - there will be a lot of work to do."??
Launched as a new element of the Red Bull Air Race in 2014, the Challenger Cup was conceived to help the next generation of pilots develop the skills needed for potential advancement to the Master Class that vies for the World Championship.
While the focus is on learning, a key part of the Challengers' growth includes competition in real-world race conditions. So far, six Challenger pilots have earned a berth in the elite Master Class line-up.??The Challenger Class, as well as the Master Class; will kick off their eight-race calendar at the Red Bull Air Race season opener in Abu Dhabi on 10-11 February.
CHINA AIR SHUTTLE ORDERS 50 PIPER ARCHERS
Photo © Piper
Piper Aircraft has received an order for 50 Archers from their dealer in China, China Air Shuttle.
China Air Shuttle, based in Beijing with branches in different provinces of China, will begin to take delivery in Q2 of 2017. China Air Shuttle also intends to order and stock more trainers to meet the fast-growing flight training market in China.
The fleet of aircraft will be manufactured and certificated at Piper Aircraft's factory in Vero Beach, Florida, and then shipped to China where they will be reassembled by China Air Shuttle's affiliate company in Rizhao, Shandong Province, China. The facilities in Rizhao will be developed to a localized delivery centre for prompt service including reassembly, training, maintenance and product support for Chinese customers
As the approved Piper Dealer for Archer airplanes in China, China Air Shuttle will then distribute those aircraft to some of the major flight schools and general aviation companies of the region. Ruixiang Flight Academy has been announced as the launch customer by Li Chen, Chairman of China Air Shuttle. Ruixiang Flight Academy purchased two Piper Seminoles in Q2 of 2016, and currently operates the popular multi-engine trainer in its ab initio flight training program.
The high demand for pilots, along with the Civil Aviation Authority of China's move to accommodate General Aviation as well as the infrastructure improvements seen in China, are leading to the establishment of a multitude of new flight schools and General Aviation companies. "We want to have the Archer readily available in China to answer those company's aircraft purchase needs," said Chen Li, Chairman of China Air Shuttle. "This aircraft's safety record, ease of maintenance and low acquisition and operating costs will be instrumental to the Archer's success in China".
BOEING, SPICEJET ANNOUNCE DEAL FOR UP TO 205 AIRPLANES
Photo © Boeing
Boeing [NYSE: BA] and SpiceJet commitment for up to 205 airplanes during an event in New Delhi. Booked at the end of 2016, the announcement includes 100 new 737 MAX 8s, SpiceJet's current order for 42 MAXs, 13 additional 737 MAXs which were previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing's Orders & Deliveries website, as well as purchase rights for 50 additional airplanes.
The Boeing 737 class of aircraft has been the backbone of our fleet since SpiceJet began, with its high reliability, low operation economies and comfort," said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet. "With the next generation of 737 and the 737 MAX we are sure that we can be competitive and grow profitably."
SpiceJet, all-Boeing jet operator, placed its first order with Boeing in 2005 for Next-Generation (NG) 737s and currently operates 32 737 NGs in its fleet.
The 737 MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets and other improvements to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.
The new airplane will deliver 20 percent lower fuel use than the first Next-Generation 737s and the lowest operating costs in its class - 8 percent per seat less than its nearest competitor.
SIKORSKY - PZL MIELEC PLANS CARIBBEAN AND LATIN AMERICAN TOUR TO DEMONSTRATE MULTIROLE CAPABILITIES OF THE M28
Photo © Voytek S/commons.wikimedia.org
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, and its PZL Mielec affiliate will launch a two-month, 13-city tour across seven Caribbean and Latin American countries in early 2017 to demonstrate the short take-off and landing capabilities of the M28 twin turboprop airplane.
Flight and ground demonstrations starting mid-March in Trinidad and Tobago will extend to Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and Mexico though mid-May. The tour will enable commercial operators, government agencies and militaries across the region to assess the performance of the 7,500 kg (16,500 lb.) Polish designed-and-built M28 airplane on short and underdeveloped runways - and how its 19-passenger cabin with clamshell rear door can be quickly converted for paratroop, cargo and casualty evacuation missions.
With its high-lift wing, thrust-reversing propellers and two 1,100 shp (820 kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-65B turboprop engines the empty M28 aircraft can take off and land on rough airstrips just 345 meters (1,000 ft.) long. An M28 loaded with a 1,000 kg (2,204 lb.) payload offers a range of 1,592 km (860 nm) distance with safety reserve for 45 minutes of flight; two pilots can take off in the M28 with a full payload of either 19 seated passengers or a maximum 2,300 kg (5,000 lb) of cargo in just 548 meters (1,800 ft.) of runway length, for a range of over 450 kilometers (225 nm).
The 148m3 (485 cu ft.) cabin can be outfitted with a removable roller floor, optional cargo hoist, and heavy cargo restraints to either para drop or load/unload cargo from the full-width aft door.
"The M28 is a proven, tough airplane that doesn't need much support to keep flying," said Mariusz Kubryn, M28 chief designer. "It has the highest useful load in its class, and is often preferred to larger platforms because of its multi-mission flexibility and cost-effective performance."
More than 100 M28 aircraft currently operate worldwide in both commercial and military configurations providing passenger transport, parachute training, border patrol and fisheries protection. The aircraft is certified by Brazil's ANAC, and by EASA and the FAA. The U.S. Air Force has used the C-145A variant for air cargo missions for deployed troops in Afghanistan.
MARENCO SWISSHELICOPTER APPOINTS NEW CEO
Photos s© Marenco
The Board of Directors of Marenco Swisshelicopter AG (MSH) has agreed with Martin Stucki on December 5, 2016, that he will retire from his functions at MSH. Together they have appointed Andreas Loewenstein as new CEO effective January 1, 2017. Bruno Gubser, Chief Operating Officer, will assume his responsibilities ad interim.
The Board of Directors expressed its gratitude to Martin Stucki for his visionary ideas, relentless efforts and entrepreneurial spirit that led MSH from a most respected engineering bureau to the brink of becoming a full-fledged player in the helicopter industry. In his role, Martin Stucki has brought significant contributions to the helicopter industry in Switzerland.
The Board of Directors is convinced that Andreas Loewenstein together with the MSH management and employees will accelerate the transition from a technology pioneer to the first Swiss global helicopter provider and manufacturer.
The Board of Directors confirmed MSH's commitment to its Swiss roots and will even more strive to expand the business activities in Switzerland and in particular at those Swiss locations, where MSH has engaged in the construction of its new facilities.
Andreas Loewenstein has 25 years of experience in business development and strategy in the European helicopter and high-tech industries, as an Executive at Aerospatiale, EADS (today Airbus Group) and Eurocopter (today Airbus Helicopters). Since 2010, he is Executive Vice President Strategy Partnership and Innovation (CTO) and a member of the management Board of DCNS, the European leader in naval defence and major player in marine renewable energy based in Paris.
Andreas Loewenstein graduated in law at the Friedrich-Wilhelm Universität Bonn, Germany and earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Air & Space Law and Economics at McGill University, Canada and he holds an MBA from HEC (France). He is trilingual in German, French and English.
USA, Rochester: A Fedex Boeing 757-200 on a freight flight from Memphis to Rochester was descending towards Rochester when the crew received a cargo smoke indication. The aircraft continued for a safe landing. There was concern because the aircraft carried a load of Lithium batteries. An extensive inspection of the cargo bay however did not reveal any evidence of fire, heat or smoke.
Netherlands, Amsterdam: A Singapore Airlines Cargo Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration departing from Amsterdam to Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), was climbing out of Amsterdam's runway 24 when the crew stopped the climb at FL150 reporting they had shut their outboard left engine as a precaution and were preparing to return to Amsterdam. The aircraft dumped fuel and landed safely back on Amsterdam's runway 27 about 70 minutes after departure.
China, Hong Kong: An Etihad Airbus A330-200, on a flight from Hong Kong to Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), was climbing out of Hong Kong's runway 07R when the crew stopped the climb at 7000 feet reporting they had a flaps control issue but requested to continue along the standard instrument departure route. The aircraft subsequently entered a hold at 9000 feet, the crew ultimately decided to return to Hong Kong. The aircraft burned off fuel and landed safely back on Hong Kong's runway 07R about 4:45 hours after departure.
Jules Védrines claims an FF25,000 prize by landing an aircraft (a Caudron G-3) on the roof of a department store in Paris
Jules Charles Toussaint Védrines
Jules Charles Toussaint Védrines (1881-1919) was an early French aviator, notable for being the first pilot to fly at more than 100 mph and for winning the Gordon Bennett Trophy race in 1912.
Védrines was born in Paris and was raised in the tough back alleys of the city. He started his working life as a apprentice at the Gnome engine manufacturing company. In 1910 he spent six months in England as Robert Loraine's mechanic and on return enrolled at the Blériot Flying School where on 7 December 1910 he became the 312th French Citizen to be awarded a pilot's license.
By the end of 1912 Védrines was recognised as one of the most accomplished pilots in aviation. In 1911 he had won the Paris to Madrid air race flying a Morane-Borel monoplane. Later the same year he finished second in the Circuit of Britain race and third in the Circuit of Europe race. In 1912 flying a Deperdussin Racing Monoplane he was the first person to fly an aircraft at more than 100 mph (160 km/h) and he also won the Gordon Bennett Trophy race.
Morane-Boral monoplane. Photo: Public Domain / commons.wikimedia.org
During WWI he was posted to the French 6th Army flying reconnaissance and clandestine missions in his Blériot XXXVI bis. By wars end he had flown over 1,000 hours.
On 19 Jan 1919 he succeeded in landing a Caudron G.3[11] on the roof of the Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris, winning a 25,000 franc prize which had been offered before the war.
On 19 January 1919 in order to claim a FF25,000 prize Védrines landed his a Cauldron G-3 on the 92 feet (28 metres) x 39 feet (12 metres) roof of a department store in Paris. The Caudron was damaged beyond repair. Védrines suffered some non-life threatening injuries.
Caudron G.3
Three months later, on 21 April 1919, he was killed when attempting to fly a Caudron C.23 from Villacoublay to Rome. After an engine failed he attempted a forced landing but crashed near St Rambert d'Albon near Lyon killing himself and his mechanic Guillain.
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We are advising a children’s hospital on the development of a 1206(l) medical foundation, including capitalization and cash flow, tax-exemption, Medicare and Medi-Cal provider enrollment, documentation, governance, physician compensation, compliance, etc.
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(Between 10:00 a.m. and 10:25 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Police Officers Find a Man of Middle Eastern Appearance Behaving Suspiciously in the North Tower
Clifford Allen. [Source: New York Daily News]Officers belonging to New York Police Department’s elite Emergency Service Unit (ESU) who are making their way out of the North Tower of the World Trade Center encounter a man of Middle Eastern appearance who is behaving very suspiciously and subsequently arrest him. [Appel, 2009, pp. 125-128] The ESU officers were on the 31st floor of the North Tower when the South Tower collapsed, at 9:59 a.m. (see 9:59 a.m. September 11, 2001). A colleague who was outside at the time of the collapse promptly radioed them to say what had happened and instruct them to get out of the building. [9/11 Commission, 5/18/2004; PoliceOne, 9/9/2011]
Suspicious Man Is Apparently Slipping Back into the Tower - As the officers are making their way down the stairs, one of them, Detective Timothy Morley, overhears transmissions coming over the radios of the firefighters he passes about a “suspicious man” who has been ignoring the Fire Department’s orders and is “talking gibberish on his cell phone.” As they approach the 21st floor, Morley and his colleagues encounter this man. They see him watching firefighters going down the stairs and, once he is sure they have gone, slowly making his way into the stairwell. They find it odd that someone is apparently sneaking back into the building while it is being evacuated.
Man Refuses to Say Who He Is - Morley asks the man what he is doing. The man turns around and the ESU officers see that he is about 40 years old, is well dressed, wearing a suit and tie, and has an olive complexion, dark hair, and dark eyes. They think he looks Middle Eastern. He is holding a leather valise in front of him. Morley asks him, “Do you work here?” but the man just stands still and says nothing. Morley then asks, “Who are you?” and again the man says nothing. Suddenly, the man opens his valise and pulls out a white, fluffy, stuffed toy rabbit and shoves it into Morley’s face. Another officer, David Norman, knocks the toy rabbit out of the man’s hand and onto the floor.
Officers Think the Man's Phone May Be a Detonator Device - A few firefighters who are coming down the stairs see the man and ask the ESU officers: “What’d we got? A terrorist?” In response, the man says, menacingly: “You want to know who I am? Let me show you.” He then reaches for a cell phone that is hooked to his belt. Seeing the man’s fingers just an inch from the phone’s keypad, Morley shouts out, “You’re not pressin’ any buttons!” Concerned that the cell phone might be a detonator device, Morley, Norman, and another ESU officer, Clifford Allen, snatch it off the man and toss it onto the floor.
Senior Officer Wants the Man to Be Taken out of the Tower - By this time, more people have come down the stairs and are watching the commotion. Among them are two civilians who work on the 65th floor. Someone asks them if they recognize the suspicious man. They have a good look at him and say, “He’s not from that floor,” referring to the 21st floor. Deciding now that the man doesn’t belong in the building, ESU Lieutenant Venton Hollifield orders: “Get this guy outta here. We’ll find out what he is and who he is later.” A Port Authority Police Department sergeant who is on the stairs starts gathering up the man’s belongings, but when he goes to pick up the toy rabbit, Morley orders him to leave it where it is.
Man Goes into a Rage and Is Then Arrested - The ESU officers then start escorting the man down the stairs. But a couple of flights down, he goes into a rage and tries to get past them to run back upstairs. He starts swearing while flailing his arms, and punching and kicking at the officers. The officers are easily able to restrain him, but at this point Hollifield instructs Morley to arrest him. Morley does so and handcuffs the man behind his back. The man then quietens down and everyone is able to continue down the stairs. But occasionally the man makes an outrageous statement. For example, he says, “I was a soldier in my country” and when he is asked what his country is, he replies, “The Ukraine,” even though he doesn’t look Ukrainian.
Man Laughs When He Sees the Destruction outside the Tower - When the ESU officers reach the plaza level, they see the devastation caused by the collapse of the South Tower through the windows. But while everyone else is shocked at what they see, the suspicious man giggles and says: “Look at the fire. Nice, nice fire.” [Appel, 2009, pp. 125-129] Morley and Hollifield will escort the man away from their colleagues and eventually pass him on to the FBI. However, a man in a dark suit—apparently some kind of government agent—will subsequently instruct Morley to keep quiet about the strange man he’d arrested in the North Tower (see After 10:30 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Appel, 2009, pp. 131, 173-175] Curiously, considering that the suspicious man threatened the ESU officers with a toy stuffed rabbit, a week later, the New York State Police will be warned that terrorists might try to get bombs onto commercial planes by hiding them inside stuffed toys. But the man’s toy rabbit will never be recovered from the rubble of the North Tower and therefore is not examined to see if it contains explosives. [Appel, 2009, pp. 340]
Entity Tags: Clifford Allen, New York City Police Department, David Norman, Timothy Morley, Venton Hollifield
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events
(10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Alert Fighters at Tyndall Air Base Do Not Launch to Escort Air Force One
Logo of the 148th Fighter Wing. [Source: Air National Guard]Although the White House has requested a fighter escort for Air Force One (see 9:59 a.m. September 11, 2001), fighter jets that are kept on alert at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida reportedly fail to launch in order to accompany the president’s plane after it takes off from Sarasota, Florida (see 9:54 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Filson, 2003, pp. 87; St. Petersburg Times, 7/4/2004; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 38]
Fighters on 'Battle Stations' but Not Launched - The 148th Fighter Wing of the Minnesota Air National Guard has a full time active duty detachment at Tyndall Air Force Base, near Panama City. [Filson, 1999; US Air Force, 2004; GlobalSecurity (.org), 8/21/2005] This unit serves as one of NORAD’s seven “alert” sites around the US, which all have a pair of fighter jets on the runway, armed, fueled, and ready to take off within minutes if called upon. [Airman, 12/1999; Air Force Magazine, 2/2002; Bergen Record, 12/5/2003] But, according to the 1st Air Force’s book about 9/11, although NORAD’s Southeast Air Defense Sector (SEADS) puts the alert jets at Tyndall on “battle stations,” it does not launch them. The jets’ pilots sit “in their cockpits awaiting word to go, but Air Force One moved so quickly they were never scrambled.” Instead, F-16s from Ellington Field in Texas are scrambled, and escort Air Force One to Barksdale Air Force Base (see (After 9:56 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and (11:29 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Filson, 2003, pp. 87] However, in a 2002 interview, Major General Larry Arnold, the commanding general of NORAD’s Continental US Region, will claim that after NORAD is told “just to follow the president” on Air Force One, it “scrambled available airplanes from Tyndall and then from Ellington in Houston, Texas. The Ellington F-16s chased Air Force One and landed with the president at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana.” [Code One Magazine, 1/2002]
Other Alert Fighters in Florida Not Launched - NORAD also keeps two fighters on alert at Homestead Air Reserve Base, near Miami, Florida, but it is unclear whether these are scrambled after Air Force One, and apparently they never accompany the president’s plane (see (10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001). Philip Melanson, an expert on the Secret Service, will later comment: “I can’t imagine by what glitch the protection was not provided to Air Force One as soon as it took off. I would have thought there’d be something in place whereby one phone call from the head of the security detail would get the fighters in the air immediately.” [Filson, 2003, pp. 87; St. Petersburg Times, 7/4/2004]
Entity Tags: Southeast Air Defense Sector, Larry Arnold, 148th Fighter Wing
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, George Bush
10:00 a.m. September 11, 2001: NEADS Commander Complains about Senior Officer Interfering on Operations Floor
Ian Sanderson. [Source: Rome Sentinel]Major Kevin Nasypany, the mission crew commander at NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS), complains about Lieutenant Colonel Ian Sanderson—an officer from the NEADS battle cab—spending time on the operations floor, where, Nasypany says, he has been “circumventing my system.” [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001] Sanderson is the NEADS Sector Operations Control Center (SOCC) director. He is also beginning his training as a fighter director on this day. [9/11 Commission, 10/29/2003 ] He is one of a number of senior personnel working in the battle cab, which is a glass-walled room overlooking the NEADS operations floor. [Filson, 2003, pp. 55; 9/11 Commission, 10/30/2003 ] However, he has also been spending time on the operations floor.
Director Is 'Circumventing My System' - Nasypany therefore now complains, “Got to get Ian [Sanderson] off the floor.” He adds that Sanderson has been “on it, circumventing my system here.” [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001] (As the mission crew commander (MCC), Nasypany is supposed to be in charge of the entire operations floor. [Spencer, 2008, pp. 25] ) He continues with his complaint, saying that Sanderson is “not an MCC” and so he “needs to stay up there” in the battle cab. [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001]
Director Says He 'Did Not Interfere' - Despite Nasypany’s grievance that he has been “circumventing my system,” Sanderson will tell the 9/11 Commission that his “first inclination” after the first World Trade Center tower was hit had been to “step back and let everyone do their jobs.” He will say that in “wartime”—presumably referring to situations like the present crisis—“there really is no function for the SOCC director.” His role on this day is therefore, partly, “to stay out of everyone’s way.” Sanderson will also say he is “parental” to the NEADS personnel, and, in contrast with Nasypany’s complaint about him, will say he “did not interfere.”
Director Responsible for Recalling Off-Duty Personnel - The SOCC director, according to Sanderson, serves as “an internal look at the operations on the SOCC [operations] floor,” and “involves manning and procedures of floor operations.” On this day, Sanderson is responsible for ensuring that the operations floor has additional personnel, and for coordinating fighter jets from bases that are not NORAD assets. Sanderson will say he is “primarily concerned with calling back the operations personnel” who are off duty. [9/11 Commission, 10/29/2003 ]
Entity Tags: Kevin Nasypany, Ian Sanderson
(10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Fighters Possibly Scrambled from Florida Air Base toward Air Force One, but Apparently Do Not Reach It
An F-15 Eagle from the 125th Fighter Wing. [Source: Shaun Withers / US Air Force]Fighter jets belonging to a military unit in Jacksonville, Florida, launch to escort Air Force One after it takes off from Sarasota, Florida (see 9:54 a.m. September 11, 2001), some accounts will later indicate. [New York Times, 9/16/2001; Daily Telegraph, 12/16/2001] However, other accounts will indicate that these jets, if launched, never reach the president’s plane. [Code One Magazine, 1/2002; CBS News, 9/11/2002; Spencer, 2008, pp. 255]
Fighters Reportedly Launched - The New York Times will report that at 10:41 a.m., Air Force One is “headed toward Jacksonville to meet jets scrambled to give the presidential jet its own air cover.” [New York Times, 9/16/2001] And, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph, after Air Force One climbs to 40,000 feet, it is “joined by an escort of F-16 fighters from a base near Jacksonville.” [Daily Telegraph, 12/16/2001] These reports are presumably referring to jets belonging to the 125th Fighter Wing, a unit of the Florida Air National Guard located at Jacksonville International Airport. The wing keeps two F-15s on alert at Homestead Air Reserve Base, near Miami, ready for immediate takeoff, as part of NORAD’s air sovereignty mission. [Airman, 12/1999; GlobalSecurity (.org), 8/21/2005; Florida Air National Guard, 2009]
Fighters Likely Launched from Homestead - If 125th Fighter Wing jets are scrambled to accompany Air Force One, it appears they would be the unit’s F-15s on alert at Homestead, rather than its fighters at Jacksonville Airport. Major Charles Chambers, who is at the National Military Command Center at the Pentagon, will state within a week of the attacks, “Fighters had been scrambled from Homestead [Air Reserve Base] and were escorting Air Force One westward.” [US Department of Defense, 9/2001] In contrast, at Jacksonville International Airport, according to a 2007 report in the Florida Times-Union, “Within hours of the 2001 terrorist attacks, the wing’s aircraft were sitting on a JIA runway ready for the order to scramble.” [Florida Times-Union, 9/15/2007] And an account published by the Florida Air National Guard will only say, “On Sept. 11, 2001, several loaded F-15 aircraft lined Runway 13/31 [at Jacksonville Airport] for the first time in history.” [Eagle's Eye, 2007 ]
Fighters Apparently Do Not Reach Air Force One - Most accounts will contradict Chambers’ claim that, if indeed 125th Fighter Wing jets are scrambled toward the president’s plane, they are subsequently “escorting Air Force One westward.” According to the 1st Air Force’s book about 9/11, it is in fact “[f]our F-16s from the 147th Fighter Wing, Texas Air National Guard,” that accompany Air Force One “from the panhandle of Florida to Barksdale Air Force Base.” [Filson, 2003, pp. 87] CBS News will report that the first fighters to reach Air Force One are two F-16s from the 147th Fighter Wing (see (11:29 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [CBS News, 9/11/2002; Spencer, 2008, pp. 255] And Major General Larry Arnold, the commanding general of NORAD’s Continental US Region, will only say that 147th Fighter Wing F-16s “chased Air Force One and landed with the president at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana,” making no mention of any 125th Fighter Wing jets being scrambled. [Code One Magazine, 1/2002] At NORAD’s other alert site in Florida besides Homestead—a unit at Tyndall Air Force Base—the two alert fighters are put on “battle stations,” but apparently do not take off to escort Air Force One (see (10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Filson, 2003, pp. 87]
Entity Tags: Larry Arnold, 125th Fighter Wing, Charles Chambers
After 9:59 a.m. September 11, 2001: FEMA Representative Goes to the Police Command Center, but Then Has Problems Responding to the Attacks
Jay Kopstein. [Source: Jay Kopstein]Richard Ohlsen, an employee at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region II office in Lower Manhattan, goes to the headquarters of the New York Police Department (NYPD), but is initially denied entry into the building and, once inside, experiences various difficulties as he tries to respond to the terrorist attacks. Following the second crash at the World Trade Center, the FEMA office was unable to communicate with Office of Emergency Management personnel in WTC Building 7 and so Ohlsen was told to go to WTC 7 to act as a liaison there (see (After 9:03 a.m.) September 11, 2001). As he was on his way out, though, the South Tower of the WTC collapsed (see 9:59 a.m. September 11, 2001).
FEMA Employee Is Denied Entry into the Police Headquarters - Consequently, instead of going to the WTC site, Ohlsen heads to the command center at NYPD headquarters, at One Police Plaza. When he arrives at NYPD headquarters, however, officers refuse to let him in because they do not recognize his FEMA identification as being official. Fortunately, Jay Kopstein, an inspector with the NYPD who happens to be passing by, recognizes him and takes him up to the command center.
Employee Lacks Priority Access to the Phone Network - Ohlsen’s problems continue, however, after he arrives there. Ohlsen does not have with him a special GETS (Government Emergency Telecommunications Service) phone card, which gives government and emergency workers priority to make phone calls during a crisis. Consequently, when he wants to reach FEMA headquarters in Washington, DC, he has to contact it through the normal collect call procedures, even though this is a national emergency. And when he does get through, he is told that responsibility for dealing with the attacks in New York has been transferred to FEMA’s Region I office in Massachusetts, as part of the agency’s standard continuity of operations procedures, and so all requests are meant to go through there.
Officials Refuse to Open an Equipment Cache - Ohlsen also runs into difficulty when he asks for an equipment cache that contains personal protective gear and search and rescue equipment for New York City’s urban search and rescue team to be opened. He is incredulous when, in light of the current situation, officials with the New York City Fire Department, which maintains the cache, refuse his request, supposedly because no one from the federal government has authorized the use of the equipment. Ohlsen apparently persists and eventually gets the cache opened, since he will later describe this setback as “the first problem he was able to resolve” after arriving at the command center. [9/11 Commission, 3/16/2004 ; Graff, 2017, pp. 343-344]
Entity Tags: New York City Fire Department, Jay Kopstein, Federal Emergency Management Agency, New York City Police Department, Richard Ohlsen
(Between 10:00 a.m. and 10:20 a.m.) September 11, 2001: President Bush May Speak with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld about Shootdown Procedure; Accounts Conflict
Just after President Bush authorizes the military to shoot down threatening aircraft, he speaks with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld about this, according to some accounts. According to the Washington Post, Bush gave the shootdown authorization after taking off on Air Force One (see (Shortly After 9:56 a.m.) September 11, 2001). He then talks “to Rumsfeld to clarify the procedures military pilots should follow in trying to force an unresponsive plane to the ground before opening fire on it. First, pilots would seek to make radio contact with the other plane and tell the pilot to land at a specific location. If that failed, the pilots were to use visual signals. These included having the fighters fly in front of the other plane. If the plane continued heading toward what was seen as a significant target with apparently hostile intent, the US pilot would have the authority to shoot it down.” [Washington Post, 1/27/2002] Journalist and author Bill Sammon will give a similar account, saying that, having spoken with Vice President Dick Cheney soon after Air Force One took off, Bush “then explained the shootdown order to Donald Rumsfeld, who was at the still-burning Pentagon.” [Sammon, 2002, pp. 102] The 9/11 Commission will concur that the “president apparently spoke to Secretary Rumsfeld for the first time… shortly after 10:00.” However, contradicting earlier accounts, it will say, “No one can recall the content of this conversation, but it was a brief call in which the subject of shootdown authority was not discussed” (see (10:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.) September 11, 2001). According to the Commission, furthermore, the phone call between Bush and Cheney where the president gives the shootdown authorization is not until 10:18 (see 10:18 a.m.-10:20 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41 and 43] Bush’s senior adviser Karl Rove, who is on Air Force One with the president, will also say this critical call occurs “at about 10:20,” and add that, after it, Bush reports that he has just talked to Rumsfeld as well as Cheney. [MSNBC, 9/11/2002] Rumsfeld will indicate he first learns that shootdown authorization has been given from Cheney rather than Bush, telling the 9/11 Commission that the vice president “informed me of the president’s authorization to shoot down hostile aircraft” over the air threat conference call. [9/11 Commission, 3/23/2004] The conversation he is referring to does not occur until 10:39 a.m. (see 10:39 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 43]
Entity Tags: George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Donald Rumsfeld, George Bush, Flight UA 93, All Day of 9/11 Events, Donald Rumsfeld, George Bush, Flight UA 93
(Between 9:59 a.m. and 10:28 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Firefighters Do Not Hear Any Message to Evacuate North Tower
Someone falling from the WTC. Well over 50 jumped or fell from the North Tower, none from the South Tower. [Source: Associated Press]At some point between the collapse of the two WTC towers, it is claimed that fire chiefs order the firefighters to come down. It has not been reported exactly who issued this order or when. Witnesses claim that scores of firefighters, unaware of the danger, were resting on lower floors in the minutes before the second tower collapsed. “Some firefighters who managed to get out said they had no idea the other building had already fallen, and said that they thought that few of those who perished knew.” At least 121 firefighters in the remaining tower die. The Fire Department blames a faulty radio repeater. However, the Port Authority claims later transcripts of radio communications show the repeaters worked. [New York Times, 11/9/2002]
Entity Tags: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, World Trade Center
(10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Flight 93’s Autopilot Turned Off; Alarms Sound
Based on information from the plane’s flight data recorder, the National Transportation Safety Board will later determine that Flight 93’s autopilot is turned off at “about 10:00,” and remains off for the flight’s final minutes. [National Transportation Safety Board, 2/13/2002 ] Phil Bradshaw, whose wife is an attendant on Flight 93, will later hear the plane’s cockpit voice recording. Being a pilot himself, he recognizes on it the sound of the alarm that goes off when the autopilot is disconnected. [News and Record (Piedmont Triad, NC), 9/11/2002] CNN’s Kelli Arena will hear the recording during the 2006 Zacarias Moussaoui trial and will report that, shortly after this alarm sounds, “Another alarm goes off.” [CNN, 4/12/2006] According to journalist and author Jere Longman, as well as the alarm set off when the autopilot was disconnected, another alarm “would have sounded because the plane was traveling at five hundred seventy-five miles an hour in the final minutes, far exceeding the design limits of four hundred twenty-five miles an hour below twenty thousand feet and two hundred eighty-seven miles an hour below ten thousand feet.” [Longman, 2002, pp. 208] So presumably this is the second alarm described by Arena.
Entity Tags: RobertMoomo, Jere Longman, Kelli Arena, Phil Bradshaw
Category Tags: Flight UA 93, All Day of 9/11 Events
(10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Langley Pilots Hear Warning that Planes Could Be Shot Down; Ordered to Protect the White House
The pilots that took off from Langley Air Force Base (see (9:25 a.m.-9:30 a.m.) September 11, 2001) hear a warning over radio that errant aircraft will be shot down, and receive an instruction from the Secret Service to protect the White House. [Spencer, 2008, pp. 222-223]
Pilots Learn of FAA Order - The three Langley fighter jets have now reached the Baltimore-Washington area. [Spencer, 2008, pp. 222] The pilots hear over their radios that the FAA has ordered all civilian aircraft to land. [New York Times, 10/16/2001] (The FAA issued this instruction at around 9:45 a.m. (see (9:45 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [US Congress. House. Committee On Transportation And Infrastructure, 9/21/2001; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 29] )
Borgstrom Hears Shootdown Warning - The three pilots are all on different radio frequencies, but are able to communicate between themselves on their auxiliary frequency. According to author Lynn Spencer, one of them, Captain Craig Borgstrom, hears a message over the emergency radio frequency that is in response to the FAA’s recent order: “Attention all aircraft! Attention all aircraft! You are ordered to land at the nearest suitable airport. All aircraft must land immediately. Violators will be shot down.” The source of this message is unstated. [Filson, 2003, pp. 66; Spencer, 2008, pp. 222-223] (Author Leslie Filson will describe the Langley pilots hearing what is apparently a separate but similar message later on, some time after 10:42 a.m. (see 10:05 a.m.-11:05 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Filson, 2003, pp. 82] )
Instructed to Protect the White House - Around the time Borgstrom hears this, Major Dean Eckmann, the lead Langley pilot, is on the radio with the FAA’s Washington Center. A Secret Service agent has arrived there and wants to talk to him. [Filson, 2003, pp. 68; Spencer, 2008, pp. 222-223] Eckmann then receives a garbled message over his radio, which is difficult to make out. [New York Times, 11/15/2001] The message is, “Protect the house.” Eckmann will later recall, “I took it to mean protect the White House.” [Filson, 2003, pp. 68] He notifies the two other pilots—Borgstrom and Major Brad Derrig—of this message. He tells them, “I think I just talked to the Secret Service, but I’m not sure.” [New York Times, 11/15/2001]
Possible Shootdown Order? - According to Spencer, this message means that “Unknown to NEADS” (NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector), Eckmann has been “given shootdown authority directly from the Secret Service, bypassing the military chain of command.” [Spencer, 2008, pp. 223] But Borgstrom and Derrig will later say they “never received explicit orders to fire on incoming planes perceived to be hostile.” [New York Times, 11/15/2001] Borgstrom radios NEADS weapons director Steve Citino and asks for specific instructions about what to do (see 10:07 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Spencer, 2008, pp. 223] According to the 9/11 Commission, NEADS will only learn that NORAD has been given clearance to shoot down threatening aircraft at 10:31 a.m., and even then it does not pass this order along to the fighter pilots under its command (see 10:31 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 42-43]
Entity Tags: Brad Derrig, Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center, Craig Borgstrom, Dean Eckmann, US Secret Service
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93
(Shortly After 9:59 a.m.-12:10 p.m.) September 11, 2001: Security Officer Heads into WTC 7 and Gets Trapped in Building
A security officer for one of the businesses in Building 7 of the World Trade Center (WTC 7) goes up WTC 7 and subsequently becomes trapped on its seventh floor. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 9/2005, pp. 109-110; National Institute of Standards and Technology, 11/2008, pp. 298-299] Although most people were evacuated from the building around the time the South Tower was hit, if not earlier (see (9:03 a.m.) September 11, 2001), after the South Tower collapses at 9:59 a.m. the security officer heads up to a floor in the 40s in WTC 7, reportedly to check that all his personnel have left. (The name of the company he works for is unstated.) He is initially accompanied by a police officer, but at around the 10th floor this officer has difficulty breathing, and so goes back down and exits the building. When the North Tower collapses at 10:28 a.m., WTC 7 shakes and the stairwell goes dark. The security officer, who has reached the 30th floor by this time, heads back down the stairs. When he reaches the 23rd floor, where the headquarters of New York’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is located, he opens the door to check for any members of staff that might still be there, but finds the area filled with smoke. (The OEM was evacuated at about 9:30 a.m., if not earlier (see (Soon After 8:46 a.m.-9:35 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and (9:30 a.m.) September 11, 2001).) He then continues down to the seventh floor, where he has to stop because he is unable to see or breathe. He is able to break a window, and calls for help. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 11/2008, pp. 298-299] At around 12:10 to 12:15 p.m., firefighters will enter the building and rescue the security officer, escorting him down the stairs and out of the building. They will also rescue two men who are trapped on the eighth floor (see 12:10 p.m.-12:15 p.m. September 11, 2001). [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 6/2004; National Institute of Standards and Technology, 9/2005, pp. 110]
(10:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Defense Secretary Rumsfeld Returns to the Pentagon; Speaks to President Bush and Temporarily Joins White House Teleconference
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld returns from the Pentagon crash site “by shortly before or after 10:00 a.m.” Then he has “one or more calls in my office, one of which was with the president,” according to his testimony before the 9/11 Commission. [9/11 Commission, 3/23/2004] The commission later concludes that Rumsfeld’s call with President Bush has little impact: “No one can recall any content beyond a general request to alert forces.” The possibility of shooting down hijacked planes is not mentioned. [9/11 Commission, 6/17/2004] Rumsfeld then goes to the Executive Support Center (ESC) located near his office, arriving there at around 10:15 a.m. In the ESC already are Stephen Cambone, Rumsfeld’s closest aide, Larry Di Rita, Rumsfeld’s personal chief of staff, and Victoria Clarke, the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs. Rumsfeld had instructed Di Rita and Clarke to go to the ESC and wait for him there when they’d come to his office soon after the second WTC tower was hit at 9:03 A.M. (see (Shortly After 9:03 a.m.) September 11, 2001). Presently, Rumsfeld gives them their first confirmation that a plane hit the Pentagon, saying, “I’m quite sure it was a plane and I’m pretty sure it’s a large plane.” According to Clarke, he pulls out a yellow legal pad and writes down three categories, “by which his thinking would be organized the rest of the day: what we needed to do immediately, what would have to be underway quickly, and what the military response would be.” [Clarke, 2006, pp. 221-222; Cockburn, 2007, pp. 5-6] The Executive Support Center has secure video facilities, and while there, Rumsfeld participates in the White House video teleconference. This is the video conference that counterterrorism “tsar” Richard Clarke claims Rumsfeld is a part of much of the morning (see (9:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001). Then at around 10:30 a.m., he moves on to the National Military Command Center NMCC, located next door to the ESC (see (10:30 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Washington Times, 2/23/2004; 9/11 Commission, 6/17/2004; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 43-44] Those in the NMCC are apparently unaware of Rumsfeld’s whereabouts during the half-hour from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.: Brigadier General Montague Winfield later recalls, “For 30 minutes we couldn’t find him. And just as we began to worry, he walked into the door of the [NMCC].” [ABC News, 9/11/2002]
Entity Tags: National Military Command Center, Stephen A. Cambone, Victoria (“Torie”) Clarke, Richard A. Clarke, George W. Bush, Larry Di Rita, Donald Rumsfeld, Executive Support Center
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Donald Rumsfeld, Pentagon
(Between 10:00 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.) September 11, 2001: President Bush and Vice President Cheney Said to Confer on Shootdown Orders; 9/11 Commission Later Doubts Their Account
Dick Cheney talking to Condoleezza Rice. [Source: David Bohrer / White House] (click image to enlarge)According to the 9/11 Commission, Vice President Dick Cheney is told that the Air Force is trying to establish a combat air patrol (CAP) over Washington. Cheney, who is in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) below the White House, then calls President Bush on Air Force One to discuss the rules of engagement for this CAP. Cheney later tells the 9/11 Commission that he’d felt “it did no good to establish the CAP unless the pilots had instructions on whether they were authorized to shoot if the plane would not divert.” He recalls that “the president signed off on that concept.” Bush will recall this phone call and emphasize to the 9/11 Commission that, during it, he had authorized the shootdown of hijacked aircraft. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, who is in the PEOC with Cheney, will tell the Commission she recalls hearing Cheney inform the president: “Sir, the CAPs are up. Sir, they’re going to want to know what to do.” Then she hears Cheney say, “Yes sir.” However, as the Commission will later note, “Among the sources that reflect other important events that morning there is no documentary evidence for this call, although the relevant sources are incomplete” (see (Mid 2004)). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 40-41] Reportedly, some members of the Commission’s staff will not believe this call between Bush and Cheney ever took place. [Newsweek, 6/27/2004] Cheney phones Bush at 10:18 (see 10:18 a.m.-10:20 a.m. September 11, 2001). According to the 9/11 Commission, it is in fact during that call that Bush authorizes the military to shoot down threatening aircraft. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, George W. Bush
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Key Day of 9/11 Events
(10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Maryland Police Say They Cannot Send Helicopters to Pentagon, but Other Units Provide Helicopters
A Maryland State Police helicopter. [Source: Maryland State Police]Sergeant Ronald Galey, the pilot of a US Park Police helicopter responding to the attack on the Pentagon, asks the Maryland State Police to send medical evacuation (medevac) helicopters to help out at the crash scene, but is told, “No, we can’t respond,” apparently because the airspace has been shut down. [Rotor and Wing, 11/2001; US Naval Historical Center, 11/20/2001] Galey is flying one of the two Park Police Aviation Unit helicopters that arrived at the Pentagon within minutes of the attack there (see Shortly After 9:37 a.m. September 11, 2001). His helicopter has been circling overhead while the other Park Police helicopter landed to conduct medical evacuations. They are currently the only helicopters to have arrived on the scene.
Pilot Wants More Helicopters to Assist at the Pentagon - Realizing that his helicopter cannot provide its current command and control function and conduct medical evacuations at the same time, Galey requests assistance from other departments that have helicopters equipped to transport injured patients. The first department he calls is the Maryland State Police. [US Naval Historical Center, 11/20/2001; McDonnell, 2004, pp. 20-22 ] The Maryland State Police Aviation Command owns 12 helicopters and most of its work involves medical transport, with its helicopters carrying injured patients to hospital. [Maryland State Police, 2/16/2003; Baltimore Sun, 3/7/2006] According to Galey, the unit has “the most resources for aircraft, medevac aircraft, that we knew were manned and ready to go.” However, Galey will later recall, in response to his request, “they came back and said, ‘No, we can’t respond.’”
Maryland Police Think They Cannot Launch Helicopters - When Galey is told that the unit cannot respond, he and the rest of his crew are “very shocked,” and, Galey will say, “[T]hat’s when we were starting to suspect there was something more to it.” According to later accounts, the unit cannot respond because the airspace has been shut down. [Rotor and Wing, 11/2001; US Naval Historical Center, 11/20/2001] (The FAA has issued a nationwide “ground stop” that prevents any aircraft from taking off (see (9:26 a.m.) September 11, 2001) and has also ordered that all airborne aircraft must land at the nearest airport (see (9:45 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [US Congress. House. Committee On Transportation And Infrastructure, 9/21/2001; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 25, 29] Galey is currently unaware that the airspace has been shut down. However, the Maryland State Police helicopters should be able to respond all the same, because NORAD has told him, “The aircraft that you’re calling in, we’re going to allow to come in” (see (Shortly After 9:55 a.m.) September 11, 2001). According to Galey, the Maryland State Police “just didn’t know [that] if we requested them they could come.”
Other Departments Send Helicopters - Galey then contacts MedStar at the Washington Hospital Center and AirCare at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia. Each of them dispatches helicopters to the Pentagon. Galey will recall that these two departments “hadn’t gotten the word that the airspace was shut down, and since I’m the one who requested the aircraft and informed NORAD, NORAD allowed them to come in.” [Rotor and Wing, 11/2001; US Naval Historical Center, 11/20/2001] It is unclear exactly when Galey contacts the different departments. But according to the Arlington County After-Action Report, the helicopter that MedStar launches arrives at the Pentagon at around 10:18 a.m. Inova Fairfax Hospital launches one helicopter at “approximately 10:00 a.m.” and then sends a second helicopter to the Pentagon at around 10:40 a.m. [US Department of Health and Human Services, 7/2002, pp. A-45 ]
Entity Tags: MedStar Health, Ronald A. Galey, Maryland State Police, United States Park Police, AirCare
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Pentagon
(10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Counterterrorist Center Does Not Evacuate with Rest of CIA Headquarters
Counterterrorist Center logo. [Source: CIA]At around 10 a.m., following reports that several aircraft were not responding to communications and could be heading toward Washington, CIA Director George Tenet orders the evacuation of the CIA headquarters building in Langley, Virginia (see (9:50 a.m.-10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001). However, Cofer Black, the director of the Counterterrorist Center (CTC), is unhappy about this and tells Tenet, “Sir, we’re going to have to exempt CTC from this because we need to have our people working the computers.” The CTC, according to the Los Angeles Times, is “the nerve center for the CIA’s effort to disrupt and deter terrorist groups and their state sponsors.” About 200 employees are currently working in it. Eight of them are in the Global Response Center on the sixth floor of the building, monitoring the latest intelligence on terrorism throughout the world. The rest are in a windowless facility low down in the building. When Tenet points out that the Global Response Center staff will be at risk, Black responds, “They have the key function to play in a crisis like this. This is exactly why we have the Global Response Center.” When Tenet points out, “They could die,” Black replies, “Well, sir, then they’re just going to have to die.” After pausing, Tenet agrees, “You’re absolutely right.” Tenet later says, “Now that we were under attack, the Counterterrorist Center, with its vast data banks and sophisticated communications systems, was more vital than ever. Even as we were discussing going or staying, CTC was sending out a global alert to our stations around the world, ordering them to go to their liaison services and agents to collect every shred of information they could lay their hands on.” [Los Angeles Times, 10/12/2001; Woodward, 2002, pp. 8-9; Tenet, 2007, pp. 164-165]
Entity Tags: Counterterrorist Center, Central Intelligence Agency, George J. Tenet, Cofer Black
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, All Day of 9/11 Events
(10:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m.) September 11, 2001: Members of Congress at Police Headquarters Poorly Informed, Receive Few Details about Security Situation
Members of Congress who are assembled at the headquarters of the Capitol Police in Washington, DC receive regular briefings from police officers, but these reveal little more than what is being reported in the news. [Washington Post, 9/12/2001] After being evacuated from the Capitol building, many members of Congress go to the Capitol Police headquarters, located a block and a half away (see (9:55 a.m. and After) September 11, 2001). [Daschle and D'Orso, 2003, pp. 110-112] Throughout the day, several hundred of them go there, though some Congressional leaders are moved to a secure bunker outside Washington around late morning or early afternoon (see (Between Late Morning and Early Afternoon) September 11, 2001). [Washington Post, 1/27/2002; CNN, 9/11/2002] According to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), the police headquarters becomes “Congress’s central command center for the rest of the day.” [Daschle and D'Orso, 2003, pp. 112] But, CNN will report, “In a place where power means knowing things, nobody knew very much.” Deputy Chief James Rohan of the Capitol Police later describes, “There was somebody [at the headquarters] had brought out a little four inch black and white TV with just an antenna stick on it, plugged it in, and they were getting all their information from the networks from this tiny little TV.” [CNN, 9/11/2002] The Senate and House members at the headquarters receive hourly briefings from Capitol Police officers. But, according to the Washington Post, “lawmakers privately described the sessions as ‘rudimentary,’ offering few details beyond published reports.” [Washington Post, 9/12/2001] According to Daschle, who is among those moved to the secure bunker outside Washington, members of Congress who remain at the police headquarters spend the day “crammed into several conference rooms and offices, working the telephones and watching the TV monitors for developing news,” though he gives no specific details of what they do. [Daschle and D'Orso, 2003, pp. 112] Late in the afternoon, about 50 of them speak by phone with the Congressional leaders at the secure bunker (see (5:00 p.m.) September 11, 2001), and during the evening, many of them will join the leaders on the steps of the Capitol building for a press conference (see 7:24 p.m. September 11, 2001).
Entity Tags: Tom Daschle, Capitol Police (Washington, DC), James Rohan
10:00 a.m.-10:02 a.m. September 11, 2001: Flight 93 Hijackers Respond to the Passenger Revolt
Hijackers in the cockpit of Flight 93 react to the passengers who are apparently trying to retake control of the aircraft and one of them appears to ask if they should fly the plane into the ground. [9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 45-46] Passengers on the flight have apparently been trying to force their way into the cockpit, using a food cart as a shield (see 9:57 a.m.-9:59 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Observer, 12/2/2001; Longman, 2002, pp. 270-271]
Hijacker Asks if He Should 'Finish It Off' - The cockpit voice recording from the plane will later reveal that, in response to this, a hijacker in the cockpit apparently suggests crashing the plane into the ground. Speaking in Arabic, he asks: “Is that it? Shall we finish it off?” Another hijacker in the cockpit replies: “No. Not yet. When they all come, we finish it off!”
Passengers Try to Get into the Cockpit - Seconds later, a male passenger shouts: “Ah! I’m injured.” A hijacker then exclaims: “Oh Allah! Oh Allah! Oh gracious!” A male passenger apparently instructs those with him to continue trying to force their way into the cockpit. “In the cockpit,” he shouts, adding, “If we don’t, we’ll die!” A hijacker then makes some unusual statements. He says: “Up, down. Up, down, in the cockpit. The cockpit. Up, down.” He adds, “Saeed, up, down!” [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 12/4/2003; McMillan, 2014, pp. 103-104] “Saeed” is presumably Saeed Alghamdi, one of the alleged hijackers of Flight 93. [9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 35]
Hijacker Again Suggests Crashing the Plane - The cockpit voice recorder then picks up the sound of a male passenger, in the distance, giving the instruction, “Roll it!” He is possibly talking about rolling the food cart forward, journalist and author Tom McMillan will suggest. This is followed by the sound of glasses and plates breaking. A hijacker then apparently starts praying, saying: “Allah is the greatest! Allah is the greatest!” He then appears to suggest crashing the plane into the ground again. “Is that it? I mean, shall we pull it down?” he asks. “Yes, put it in it and pull it down,” another hijacker replies.
Hijacker Says to Shut Off the Oxygen Supply - One of the hijackers then suggests that they turn off the oxygen supply to the cabin, saying: “Cut off the oxygen! Cut off the oxygen! Cut off the oxygen! Cut off the oxygen!” [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 12/4/2003; McMillan, 2014, pp. 104] (However, cutting off the oxygen below an altitude of 10,000 feet would have little or no effect on the passengers, aviation officials will comment. [Longman, 2002, pp. 271] ) About 20 seconds later, he makes more unusual statements, saying: “Up, down. Up, down. Up, down.”
Passengers Continue Their Assault - Within the next 20 seconds, the cockpit voice recorder picks up the sounds of loud crashes, snaps, loud grunts, and a male passenger shouting, “Ah!” A passenger then issues some commands. “Go! Go!” they say. “Move! Move!” they shout. A male passenger—perhaps the same person—then yells loudly, “Turn it up!” What they mean by this is unclear. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 12/4/2003; McMillan, 2014, pp. 104] The passengers will apparently continue to struggle against the hijackers until the plane crashes, at 10:03 a.m. (see 10:02 a.m.-10:03 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 46]
Entity Tags: Saeed Alghamdi
Shortly After 9:59 a.m. September 11, 2001: Fire Department Expert on Building Collapses Thinks Bombs Caused South Tower to Come Down
Ray Downey. [Source: Unknown]When the WTC’s South Tower collapses, Father John Delendick—one of New York Fire Department’s chaplains—runs down a ramp to the garages below the nearby World Financial Center, to escape the dust cloud. He speaks there with Fire Chief Ray Downey, and asks him if the jet fuel from the plane had blown up, causing the collapse. [City of New York, 12/6/2001] Downey is in fact a renowned expert on building collapses. Robert Ingram, a battalion chief in the New York Fire Department later refers to him as “the premiere collapse expert in the country.” [US Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce, 10/11/2001 ] 9/11 Commissioner Timothy Roemer calls Downey a “very, very respected expert on building collapse.” [9/11 Commission, 5/18/2004] And Fire Chief Mike Antonucci, who is a best friend of Downey’s, says he “was probably the most knowledgeable person on building collapses there was. That was his [hobby], to study building collapses—what affected the engineering of buildings, how they [would] weaken and how he could respond and stay safe.” [Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, 9/7/2006] In response to Delendick’s question, Downey replies that, “at that point he thought there were bombs up there because [the collapse] was too even.” [City of New York, 12/6/2001] Earlier on, Downey told other fire chiefs responding at the WTC that he was worried about “explosive devices” in the Twin Towers “that could hurt the firemen” (see (9:20 a.m.) September 11, 2001). He is killed when the North Tower collapses at 10:28 a.m. [New York Times, 9/9/2005]
Entity Tags: Ray Downey, John Delendick
(10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: United Airlines Loses Contact with Three Flights
United Airlines temporarily loses communication with three of its aircraft. Andrew Studdert, United Airlines’ chief operating officer, will tell the 9/11 Commission that at around 10:00 a.m., the airline loses contact with Flight 399, Flight 415, and Flight 641. Persistent attempts to communicate with these “missing” aircraft are eventually successful. [9/11 Commission, 1/27/2004] At 10:45 a.m., the FAA’s Cleveland Center will report that Flight 641 is on the ground at Detroit Metro Airport in Michigan. [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/11/2001]
Entity Tags: Andrew P. Studdert, United Airlines
(Shortly After 9:59 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Navy Commander Tells New York City Deputy Mayor He Has Permission to Send Planes Over New York
Robert Natter. [Source: CBS]Rudy Washington, who is one of Rudolph Giuliani’s deputy mayors, had earlier on called Admiral Robert Natter, the commander of the US Atlantic Fleet at Norfolk Naval Station, Virginia, and requested air cover over New York (see (Between 8:46 a.m. and 9:03 a.m.) September 11, 2001). After the WTC’s South Tower collapses at 9:59, Washington heads to City Hall, where he again communicates with Natter. Natter informs him that the Pentagon has been hit, and says he has now gotten permission from NORAD to send some fighter jets over the city. [New York Daily News, 5/20/2004] However, when exactly these jets are launched and when they arrive over New York is unstated. Patrick Burns, who is currently at the Norfolk Naval Station for his two-week Naval Reserve obligation, later recalls, “Air cover was already up with Navy jets out of Naval Air Station Oceana.” Naval Air Station Oceana, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is home to F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet fighters. But Burns does not state a time for when these fighters are airborne. [Virginian-Pilot, 9/22/2001; Digital Journalist, 10/2001; Notre Dame Magazine, 4/2007] The 9/11 Commission Report will make no mention of any Naval fighters. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004]
Entity Tags: Robert Natter, Rudy Washington, North American Aerospace Defense Command
(Between 10:00-10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Flight 93 Cell Call Listeners Hear Silence, Strange Sounds
Potential pilots Don Greene and Andrew Garcia. [Source: Family photos]During this time, there apparently are no calls from Flight 93. Several cell phones that are left on record only silence. For instance, although Todd Beamer does not hang up, nothing more is heard after he puts down the phone, suggesting things are quiet in the back of the plane. [Longman, 2002, pp. 218] The only exception is Richard Makely, who listens to Jeremy Glick’s open phone line after Glick goes to attack the hijackers. A reporter summarizes Makely explaining that, “The silence last[s] two minutes, then there [is] screaming. More silence, followed by more screams. Finally, there [is] a mechanical sound, followed by nothing.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 9/17/2001] The second silence lasts between 60 and 90 seconds. [Longman, 2002, pp. 219] Near the end of the cockpit voice recording, loud wind sounds can be heard. [Longman, 2002, pp. 270-271; CNN, 4/19/2002] “Sources claim the last thing heard on the cockpit voice recorder is the sound of wind—suggesting the plane had been holed.” [Mirror, 9/12/2002] There was at least one passenger, Don Greene, who was a professional pilot. Another passenger, Andrew Garcia, was a former flight controller. [Newsweek, 9/22/2001; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/28/2001; Daily Telegraph, 7/31/2002]
Entity Tags: Andrew Garcia, Jeremy Glick, Don Greene, Richard Makely, Todd Beamer
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93, Alleged Passenger Phone Calls
(After 9:59 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Counterterrorism ‘Tsar’ Clarke Orders Securing of Buildings, Harbors, and Borders
Some time after the first WTC tower collapse, counterterrorism “tsar” Richard Clarke orders all landmark buildings and all federal buildings in the US evacuated. He also orders all harbors and borders closed. [Clarke, 2004, pp. 14-15] The Sears Tower in Chicago begins evacuation around 10:02 a.m. Other prominent buildings are slower to evacuate. [Ottawa Citizen, 9/11/2001]
Entity Tags: Sears Tower, Richard A. Clarke
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Richard Clarke
(After 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Cell Phones Not Working in New York City
Throughout the day of 9/11 and after, members of the public in New York City experience significant communications problems, particularly with cell phones. “In the aftermath [of the attacks], and for several days afterwards, cellular phone services were either not working or were severely overloaded.” [SatNews, 10/19/2001] As Time magazine reports, “Lines formed, at least 20 people long, at all pay phones, because cell phones were not working.” [Time, 9/14/2001] (Reportedly, though, the 911 system is not disrupted.) Later accounts will suggest that an increased volume of phone calls being made in response to the attacks may have overloaded networks. Within minutes of the first attack, according to the New York Times, there were “tens of millions of [phone] calls—many from worried relatives and friends—that threatened to clog the system.” [New York Times, 9/20/2001] The call volume of Verizon Communications, which has its main regional switching station across the street from the World Trade Center, reaches twice its normal daily rate of 115 million calls in New York City. “And although it remained operational, the wireless network experienced massive congestion that prevented most calls from getting through. During the peak of the chaos, Verizon experienced nearly 100 percent more traffic than normal on its nationwide wireless network.” [Verton, 2003, pp. 148] Some of the communications problems in the New York area are later attributed to physical damage to the infrastructure. A report by the Mineta Transportation Institute will summarize, “The collapse of the World Trade Center towers knocked out Verizon’s switching center in Lower Manhattan and severely damaged the infrastructure for cellular telephones. Telephone communications for NYPD Command and Control was also destroyed in the attack. As a consequence, cell phone service was subsequently overloaded. NYC Transit lost a key portion of its fiber-optic network in one tunnel.” [Jenkins and Edwards-Winslow, 9/2003, pp. 33 ] Similar communication problems are also experienced around Washington, DC, and some top government officials are affected (see (After 8:55 a.m.) September 11, 2001). According to one government official, the nation was “deaf, dumb, and blind” for much of the day. [Verton, 2003, pp. 151]
Entity Tags: Verizon Communications, Verizon Wireless
(Shortly After 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: National Security Adviser Rice Has Diplomatic Cable Sent Out Stating that US Government Is Still Functioning
At the instruction of National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage sends a cable out around the world saying the US government is still functioning. [US Department of State, 9/8/2006] Having recently arrived at the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) below the White House (see (Shortly Before 9:59 a.m.) September 11, 2001), the first thing that occurs to Rice, she will later say, is that it is important to get a cable out to all diplomatic posts around the world, to say the United States government has “not been decapitated by this attack.… I thought to myself, we need to let everybody know that we’re still up and running.” [MSNBC, 9/11/2002] She therefore tells her deputy, Stephen Hadley, to call Armitage at the State Department, and urge him to send a cable to all overseas posts with this message. [BBC Radio 4, 8/1/2002 ; Bumiller, 2007, pp. xvi]
Entity Tags: Stephen J. Hadley, Condoleezza Rice, Richard Armitage
10:01 a.m. September 11, 2001: NEADS Calls Toledo Unit, Requests Fighter Jets
NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) contacts an Air National Guard unit in Toledo, Ohio, and requests that it launch two fighter jets in response to the attacks. [WTOL, 9/11/2006; Lynn Spencer, 2008; Spencer, 2008, pp. 178]
First Time that Unit Has Answered a NORAD Request - The 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard is based at Toledo Express Airport. It has 20 F-16 fighter jets and about three dozen pilots. [Toledo Blade, 12/9/2001] Its “primary mission” is “to provide combat ready F-16C and support units capable of deploying worldwide in minimum response time.” [180th Fighter Wing, 9/19/2001; GlobalSecurity (.org.), 10/21/2001] The unit is not one of NORAD’s seven alert facilities around the US, and this is believed to be the first time it has ever answered a request for help from NORAD. [Airman, 12/1999; Toledo Blade, 12/9/2001]
Call due to Concern over Delta 1989 - According to author Lynn Spencer, a weapons technician at NEADS makes the call to the 180th FW due to concerns about Delta Air Lines Flight 1989, which is incorrectly thought to have been hijacked (see 9:39 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Spencer, 2008, pp. 177-178] NEADS has already contacted units in Minnesota and Michigan about this aircraft (see (Shortly After 9:41 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and (9:55 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 1/23/2004 ; Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006] The weapons technician calls the Toledo unit after Master Sergeant Joe McCain gives an update across the NEADS operations floor: “Delta [19]89! Hard right turn!” According to Spencer, the weapons technician knows the 180th FW is much better positioned than the Selfridge unit’s fighters are to reach Delta 1989. [Spencer, 2008, pp. 178]
NORAD Commander Gives Different Explanation - But according to Larry Arnold, the commander of the Continental United States NORAD Region, the weapons technician’s call might also be in response to concerns over Flight 93. Arnold will say that NEADS calls the 180th FW “because we thought [Flight] 93 or Delta Flight 1989 might be headed toward Chicago.” [Filson, 2003, pp. 71] Two Toledo pilots who initially answer the call from NEADS appear to believe the call is a joke, but their wing commander then picks up the line and responds appropriately (see 10:01 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Spencer, 2008, pp. 178-179]
Unit Prepared for Crisis Like This - Although it is not one of NORAD’s alert facilities, Lt. Col. Gary Chudzinski, a former commander of the 180th FW, will later comment that the Toledo unit has always been aware that it could be alerted to crises such as the current one, “but you just don’t expect it.” According to General Paul Sullivan, who heads all Ohio Air National Guard units, the 180th FW’s pilots practice “air interception,” but a typical mission focuses on either a plane ferrying drugs or enemy fighters approaching America’s coasts. [Airman, 12/1999; Toledo Blade, 12/9/2001] Two 180th FW jets will take off from the Toledo unit at 10:17 a.m. (see 10:17 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Toledo Blade, 12/9/2001; WTOL, 9/11/2006]
Entity Tags: Gary Chudzinski, Joe McCain, Larry Arnold, 180th Fighter Wing, Northeast Air Defense Sector, Paul Sullivan
10:01 a.m. September 11, 2001: Local Pilot Sees Flight 93 Rocking Back and Forth
Bill Wright. [Source: WTAE-TV]Bill Wright is piloting a small plane when an air traffic controller asks him to look around outside his window, according to his later claims. Wright sees Flight 93 three miles away—close enough that he can see the United Airlines colors. Air traffic control asks him the plane’s altitude, and then commands him to get away from the plane and land immediately. Wright sees the plane rock back and forth three or four times before he flies from the area. He will later say, “That’s one of the first things that went through my mind when they told us to get as far away from it as fast as we could—that either they were expecting it to blow up or they were going to shoot it down, but that’s pure speculation.” [Pittsburgh Channel, 9/19/2001] According to the 9/11 Commission, the FAA Command Center tells FAA headquarters that a nearby plane has seen Flight 93 “waving his wings.” The Commission will say, “The aircraft had witnessed the radical gyrations in what we believe was the hijackers’ effort to defeat the passenger assault.” [9/11 Commission, 6/17/2004] This presumably is a reference to Wright.
Entity Tags: Federal Aviation Administration, Bill Wright
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93, All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93
(Shortly After 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Emergency Response Team Carrying Guns Escorts First Lady from Senate Office Building
Secret Service emergency response team officers patrolling the South Lawn of the White House. [Source: Associated Press]Laura Bush, the president’s wife, is escorted out of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, by members of the Secret Service with their guns drawn, to be driven away to a secure location. [National Journal, 8/31/2002; Bush, 2010, pp. 200] People began evacuating from the Russell Senate Office Building and the nearby Capitol building at 9:48 a.m., apparently due to concerns that a plane was heading toward Capitol Hill (see 9:48 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Associated Press, 9/11/2001; Associated Press, 8/21/2002; CNN, 9/11/2006] While Bush and her staff were waiting for the Secret Service emergency response team to arrive and take them away from the Russell Office Building, they stayed in the office of Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) (see (9:50 a.m.-10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001).
Emergency Response Team Arrives with Guns Drawn - Secret Service agents collect the first lady from Gregg’s office at “[s]ometime after 10:00 a.m.,” Bush will later recall. [Bush, 2010, pp. 200] Bush usually travels with four Secret Service agents. [Kessler, 2006, pp. 136; Kessler, 2009, pp. 181] But her usual agents are now joined by “an additional Secret Service detail and an emergency response team, dressed in black tactical clothing like a SWAT force and moving with guns drawn.” As Bush is being hurried through the hallways, past panicked staffers leaving their offices, members of the emergency response team escorting her shout, “Get back!” and cover her every move with their guns. [Bush, 2010, pp. 200]
First Lady Escorted to Her Limousine - Noelia Rodriguez, the first lady’s press secretary, will recall that she and several other members of Bush’s staff reach Bush’s limousine before the first lady does. While they are waiting there, they chat excitedly, asking each other: “What could this be? Where are we going? What’s next?” But the driver instructs them to be quiet, saying, “Ladies, this is a time to pay attention.” “Just then,” Rodriguez will say, “what seemed like two dozen of these ninja guys surrounded the car—Secret Service agents all dressed in black. Mrs. Bush then got in the car.” [National Journal, 8/31/2002] Bush will describe, “We reached the underground entrance; the doors on the motorcade slammed shut, and we sped off.” [Bush, 2010, pp. 200]
Motorcade Delayed before Leaving Capitol Hill - However, Bush and those accompanying her reportedly face a delay as they are about to drive off. Ashleigh Adams, the first lady’s deputy press secretary, will describe, “At one point, we were all going to leave, and then Mrs. Bush got out of the motorcade and they [presumably members of the Secret Service] told us to stay in the staff van.” At this point, Adams will say, “Everyone was distraught” and they “didn’t know what was going on.” She will add: “We knew something was going on in DC, because we could see people running around. A lot of us were under the impression that there were car bombs going off throughout the city.” Bush and those accompanying her leave Capitol Hill at 10:10 a.m., according to Rodriguez. [National Journal, 8/31/2002] Bush’s Secret Service agents say they are going to take everyone to a secure location. This turns out to be the Secret Service headquarters in Washington (see (10:10 a.m.-10:55 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Kessler, 2006, pp. 136]
Entity Tags: Laura Bush, Noelia Rodriguez, Ashleigh Adams, US Secret Service
(After 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: CIA Establishes a Secure Line to the White House but Is Prevented from Getting the Latest Information from the NSA over It
Charles Allen. [Source: Chertoff Group]The CIA sets up a secure line to the White House, but because the line is kept constantly connected to the White House, the CIA will be unable to receive the latest information about the terrorist attacks from the National Security Agency (NSA) over it. [Coll, 2018, pp. 32] At around 10:00 a.m., personnel at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, were ordered to evacuate. Consequently, the agency’s senior leaders left the headquarters building and headed across the campus to the CIA printing plant, where they could continue their operations (see (9:50 a.m.-10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Tenet, 2007, pp. 164; Whittle, 2014, pp. 236] When CIA Director George Tenet and other senior officials reach the printing plant, a technician sets up a secure terminal equipment (STE) line to the White House for them to use. Tenet then talks to Stephen Hadley, the deputy national security adviser, who is at the White House. During their conversation, Hadley insists that Tenet keep the STE line open to the White House continuously. However, this hinders the ability of the NSA to communicate with the CIA. NSA Director Michael Hayden wants to send the CIA preliminary evidence that al-Qaeda is responsible for the attacks on the US. [Coll, 2018, pp. 32] Presumably this includes details of a phone conversation between one of Osama bin Laden’s operatives in Afghanistan and someone in the Republic of Georgia that was intercepted at 9:53 a.m., in which the operative said he had “heard good news” and another target was still to come (see 9:53 a.m. September 11, 2001). [CBS News, 9/4/2002] But because the STE line is occupied, Charles Allen, assistant director of central intelligence for collection, who is with Tenet at the printing plant, is unable to securely receive the latest intercept reports from the NSA about who might be responsible for the attacks. He consequently has to send an NSA liaison officer to the headquarters building to collect these reports from a secure fax machine there. [Coll, 2018, pp. 32]
Entity Tags: George J. Tenet, Central Intelligence Agency, Michael Hayden, Charles E. Allen, Stephen J. Hadley, White House, National Security Agency
(After 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Vice President Cheney Assembles Legal Team for Expanding Presidential Power
David Addington. [Source: David Bohrer / White House]According to an in-depth examination by the Washington Post, within hours of the 9/11 attacks, Vice President Dick Cheney begins working to secure additional powers for the White House. Cheney had plans in place to begin acquiring these powers for the executive branch before the attacks, but had not begun to execute them.
Gathering the Team - David Addington, Cheney’s general counsel and legal adviser, had been walking home after having to leave the now-evacuated Eisenhower Executive Office Building. He receives a message from the White House telling him to turn around, because the vice president needs him. After Addington joins Cheney in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) below the East Wing of the White House, the pair reportedly begin “contemplating the founding question of the legal revolution to come: What extraordinary powers will the president need for his response?” Later in the day, Addington connects by secure video with Timothy Flanigan, the deputy White House counsel, who is in the White House Situation Room. John Yoo, the deputy chief of the Office of Legal Counsel, is also patched in from the Justice Department’s command center. White House counsel Alberto Gonzales joins them later. This forms the core legal team that Cheney will oversee after the terrorist attacks. Associate White House counsel Bradford Berenson will later recall: “Addington, Flanigan and Gonzales were really a triumvirate. [Yoo] was a supporting player.” Addington dominates the group. Gonzales is there primarily because of his relationship with President Bush. He is not, Yoo will later recall, “a law-of-war expert and [doesn’t] have very developed views.” Along with these allies, Cheney will provide what the Washington Post calls “the rationale and political muscle to drive far-reaching legal changes through the White House, the Justice Department, and the Pentagon,” which will free the president to fight the war on terror, “as he saw fit.”
Drafting the AUMF - The team begins drafting the document that will become the Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF—see October 10, 2002) passed by Congress for the assault on Afghanistan. In the words of the group, the president is authorized “to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States.”
Extraordinarily Broad Language - The language is extraordinarily broad; Yoo will later explain that they chose such sweeping language because “this war was so different, you can’t predict what might come up.” The AUMF draft is the first of numerous attempts to secure broad powers for the presidency, most justified by the 9/11 attacks. The Washington Post will later report, “In fact, the triumvirate knew very well what would come next: the interception—without a warrant—of communications to and from the United States” (see September 25, 2001). [CNN, 9/11/2001; CNN, 9/12/2001; Unger, 2007, pp. 220-221; Washington Post, 6/24/2007]
Entity Tags: Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, John C. Yoo, Timothy E. Flanigan, Craig Unger, Bradford Berenson, David S. Addington, Alberto R. Gonzales
Timeline Tags: Complete 911 Timeline, Civil Liberties
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Dick Cheney
(After 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Intelligence Officer Is Instructed to Get Drones Ready for Use in Afghanistan
Rich Gibaldi. [Source: Rich Gibaldi]Colonel Ed Boyle, director of intelligence for the Air Combat Command (ACC), and Colonel Rich Gibaldi, another senior Air Force intelligence officer, are ordered to return to Langley Air Force Base in Virginia to get the Predator drone, a remotely controlled, unmanned plane, ready to deploy over Afghanistan. Boyle spent part of the summer organizing an expanded “expeditionary intelligence squadron” to fly Predators over Afghanistan for the CIA, beginning on September 25, but he has recently had time for some other business. He and Gibaldi flew to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, where, yesterday, they attended some meetings.
Officers Learned of the Attacks While Driving to an Army Base - The two officers learned of the attacks on the World Trade Center this morning as they were driving from there to Fort Huachuca, an Army base in southern Arizona, where they were going to attend a change of command ceremony. They heard of the crashes on the car radio. After hearing about the second one, Boyle told his colleague, “We’ve got a problem.” The officers arrived at Fort Huachuca within half an hour.
Officer Was Told to Return to Langley Air Force Base - While they were at the gate, Boyle’s cell phone rang. On the other end of the line was Lieutenant General Donald Cook, acting commander of the ACC, calling from ACC headquarters at Langley Air Force Base. After Boyle said where he and Gibaldi were, Cook told him to get back to Langley Air Force Base as soon as possible and ordered him to call back from a secure phone. Boyle was unable to use a secure phone at Fort Huachuca. But with the ceremony there canceled in response to the terrorist attacks, he and Gibaldi apparently left the base promptly to head back to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
Commander Asks about Getting Drones Airborne - Now, as they are driving to Davis-Monthan, Boyle calls Cook and explains that it will be some time before he can call from a secure phone. Cook then tells him he will need to get Predator drones ready for use as soon as possible. “You need to get your butt back here,” he says. He adds that General John Jumper, the Air Force chief of staff, “wants to know when you can be operational and flying.”
Officer Is Told the White House Wants Drones over Afghanistan - After Boyle and Gibaldi arrive back at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Boyle finds a secure phone and calls Cook. [Whittle, 2014, pp. 232-233, 236] Cook received a call earlier this morning in which he was told the White House wanted to know when Predators could be deployed (see (Before 9:45 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Air and Space Magazine, 3/2015] He now tells Boyle about this call, saying the White House wants to know how soon the Air Force can get three Predators, armed with Hellfire missiles, over Afghanistan. Boyle and Gibaldi will subsequently have to drive the long distance from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to Langley Air Force Base, and will arrive at Langley early on the morning of September 14. [Whittle, 2014, pp. 236, 238-239] The first Predator mission over Afghanistan will take place on September 18 and on October 7, the first day of the war in Afghanistan, the first armed Predator mission will be flown (see September 18-October 7, 2001 and October 7, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 3/24/2004 ; Grimes, 2014, pp. 335]
Entity Tags: Rich Gibaldi, Ed Boyle, John P. Jumper, Donald G. Cook
(After 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Aircraft Accompanying President in Sarasota Takes Off, Eventually Reaches Washington
An aircraft that is in Sarasota, Florida, in support of President Bush’s visit there takes off with people and equipment on board shortly after Air Force One leaves Sarasota, and will eventually make its way back to Washington, DC. [Marist Magazine, 10/2002] Air Force One took off from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport with Bush on board at around 9:54 a.m. (see 9:54 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Washington Post, 1/27/2002; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 39] Members of the president’s entourage who have stayed behind in Sarasota subsequently load the second aircraft with vehicles and other items. The aircraft would normally be used just to transport people back to Washington. But Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Herman, a senior presidential communications officer, will later recall that all of the presidential limousines “and a bunch of equipment we had which I can’t really discuss” are loaded onto it. The aircraft then takes off from the Sarasota airport “not too long after the president got airborne.” Those on the aircraft, as well as Herman, include members of the Secret Service and Major Paul Montanus, one of the president’s military aides. Herman will not say where the aircraft goes, or why, after it leaves Sarasota. “Obviously we were in the air for a reason, for any contingency,” he will say. “Basically we could have gone to any city or county or location in the United States, and landed and supported the president at that location.” Herman will add that the flight “became a special mission.” The aircraft will land at Andrews Air Force Base, just outside Washington, “about 15 minutes after the president,” according to Herman. [Marist Magazine, 10/2002] This would mean it lands at around 6:45 p.m. [Sammon, 2002, pp. 127; Rove, 2010, pp. 263]
Entity Tags: US Secret Service, Thomas Herman, Paul Montanus
10:01 a.m. September 11, 2001: Toledo Pilots Apparently Think Call from NEADS Is a Joke
Pilots from the 180th Fighter Wing who are called to service on 9/11. [Source: WTOL]Two fighter pilots with a Toledo, Ohio, military unit that answer a call from NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS), requesting assistance in response to the morning’s attacks, respond as if they think the call is a joke. [Spencer, 2008, pp. 178-179] The pilots belong to the 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, which is based at Toledo Express Airport. [GlobalSecurity (.org), 1/1/2002; WTOL, 9/11/2006]
Pilot Puzzled by Call - When a weapons technician at NEADS contacts the Toledo unit, his call is answered by F-16 pilot Ed Rinke. The weapons technician says, “We need you to scramble two airplanes right now.” However, according to author Lynn Spencer, “to Rinke, the order makes no sense.” The Toledo unit “is not an alert squadron and does not report to NEADS.” Rinke is only a part-time pilot, and thinks someone more suitable should be taking the call. He shouts down the hall: “Hey, we’ve got a phone call at the duty desk. Some guy wants us to launch alert fighters!” Pilot Scott Reed responds: “What? We don’t do that!” Pushing the phone toward Reed, Rinke says: “You take it! It’s somebody on drugs.”
Second Pilot Tells NEADS It Is Calling 'the Wrong People' - After Reed takes the phone, the weapons technician repeats his request, saying, “Major Reed, we need you to scramble two airplanes.” Yet Reed sounds as baffled as Rinke had been. He answers: “You’re calling Toledo, Ohio. Do you not understand who you’re calling here? Who are you trying to call, because you are obviously calling the wrong people. This is Toledo. We don’t have any alert birds. This is Toledo. Do you understand that?”
Commander Takes Call, Orders Launch - Fortunately, the two pilots’ wing commander then takes over the call and responds to it more appropriately. Within minutes, according to Spencer, he will instruct Reed and Rinke to take off in two F-16s. Rinke reportedly thinks to himself, “Things must be really bad if NEADS is launching Toledo on an active air scramble!” [Spencer, 2008, pp. 178-179] The Toledo Blade will later comment, “Toledo’s response on Sept. 11 is believed to be the first time the unit has answered a call from the North American Aerospace Defense Command.” Two 180th Fighter Wing jets will take off from the Toledo unit at 10:17 a.m., but accounts will conflict over who the pilots are (see 10:17 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Toledo Blade, 12/9/2001; WTOL, 9/11/2006; Spencer, 2008, pp. 179]
Entity Tags: 180th Fighter Wing, Northeast Air Defense Sector, Ed Rinke, Scott Reed
10:01 a.m.-10:15 a.m. September 11, 2001: Delta 1989 Pilot’s Failure to Use Standard Term in Communications Makes Controllers Suspicious
Air traffic controllers at the Cleveland Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) remain suspicious of Delta Air Lines Flight 1989 as it is coming in to land at Cleveland Hopkins Airport, due to the pilot’s failure to use an important standard term in his communications with them. [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/16/2001] A TRACON is an FAA facility that guides aircraft approaching or departing an airport. Flights coming in to land will subsequently be passed on to the airport’s air traffic control tower once they are within five miles of the airport and below 2,500 feet. [Federal Aviation Administration, 3/24/2006] The Cleveland TRACON is in contact with Delta 1989 as it descends from 9,000 feet down to 3,000 feet. [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/16/2001] Delta 1989, a Boeing 767 out of Boston, is mistakenly suspected of being hijacked (see 9:39 a.m. September 11, 2001 and (Shortly After 9:44 a.m.) September 11, 2001) and has been instructed to land as soon as possible in Cleveland (see (9:42 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [USA Today, 8/13/2002; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 27-28; Spencer, 2008, pp. 167-168; USA Today, 9/11/2008]
Pilot Does Not Use Term 'Heavy' - A detailed timeline provided by the Cleveland Airport control tower shortly after 9/11 will describe, “One anomaly that perpetuated concern by approach controllers in the face of constant information that there was nothing going on with [Delta 1989] was that the pilot never used the HEAVY designator in his communications.” [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/16/2001] The term “heavy” alerts controllers to provide extra spacing behind very large aircraft, which are above a certain weight, because these aircraft generate significant wake turbulence. [USA Today, 6/1/2005; USA Today, 5/22/2006]
Controllers Skeptical of Delta 1989's Security - While the TRACON controllers use the “heavy” designator, “the pilot [of Delta 1989] did not respond with it.” The control tower’s timeline will state that, while this detail “may seem minor,” it “should not be overlooked. The use of HEAVY in the terminal environment is of the highest importance. Increased separation standards are required, and misapplication of separation standards can be disastrous. For pilots, not referring to a heavy aircraft as HEAVY is tantamount to calling a doctor ‘Mister.’” As a result, “This omission, along with all of the other information flying around, kept everyone alert and skeptical of the security of the flight.” [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/16/2001]
Entity Tags: Cleveland Terminal Radar Approach Control, Paul Werner
(After 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Some Aircraft Debris Visible Inside Pentagon
John McWethy. [Source: Steve Fenn / ABC]ABC News correspondent John McWethy was at the Pentagon at the time it was hit. [Newsweek, 9/24/2001] At some later time, an army general he knows offers to take him in closer to the crash site. McWethy recalls: “I got in very close, got a look early on at the bad stuff. I could not, however, see any plane wreckage—it was well inside and had been, basically, vaporized.” [Gilbert et al., 2002, pp. 187] The following day, Arlington County Fire Chief Ed Plaugher will similarly tell reporters: “[T]here are some small pieces of aircraft visible from the interior during this firefighting operation… but not large sections. In other words, there’s no fuselage sections and that sort of thing.” [US Department of Defense, 9/12/2001] According to the Defense Department’s book about the Pentagon attack: “The front part of the relatively weak fuselage [of Flight 77] disintegrated, but the mid-section and tail-end continued moving for another fraction of a second.… The chain of destruction resulted in parts of the plane ending up inside the Pentagon in reverse of the order they had entered it, with the tail-end of the airliner penetrating the greatest distance into the building.” [Goldberg et al., 2007, pp. 17] Navy Lt. Kevin Shaeffer reportedly sees a “chunk of the 757’s nose cone and front landing gear” in the service road between the Pentagon’s B and C Rings. [Virginian-Pilot, 9/9/2002] Other witnesses say they see a large airplane tire. [Office of Medical History, 9/2004, pp. 117-118; Goldberg et al., 2007, pp. 54] Army Staff Sgt. Mark Williams, whose search and rescue team enters the Pentagon less than four hours after the attack, recalls seeing “the scorched bodies of several airline passengers… still strapped into their seats” inside the building. [USA Today, 9/13/2001]
Entity Tags: Mark Williams, Kevin Shaeffer, Edward Plaugher, John McWethy, Pentagon
(After 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Arizona FBI Agents Visit a Local Flight School and Learn that a Suspected Hijacker Was a Student There
George Piro. [Source: FBI]George Piro and Ken Williams, two agents at the FBI field office in Phoenix, Arizona, visit a flight school in Phoenix to see if any suspicious students have attended it recently and the manager immediately informs them about Hani Hanjour, one of the alleged hijackers of Flight 77. As they watched the terrorist attacks unfolding on television, Piro and Williams decided they wanted to start responding to the crisis on their own initiative, rather than sitting around and waiting for an order. They know Phoenix has the second-highest concentration of flight schools in the nation. Piro therefore looked in the Yellow Pages and found three programs that offer commercial pilot licenses. With this information in hand, the two agents set out to visit some flight schools. The first one they go to is the Sawyer School of Aviation at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. They ask the manager there if any suspicious students have attended recently. Almost without hesitation, she gives them the file of one such student: Hanjour. [Graff, 2011, pp. 325; Washingtonian, 5/5/2011] Hanjour received training at the flight school earlier this year and, previously, in 1998 (see 1998 and Summer 2001). [Washington Post, 10/15/2001; Associated Press, 12/29/2001; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 529] He allegedly flew Flight 77 into the Pentagon (see 9:37 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Fox News, 1/7/2016] Just after they are given the file, Piro receives a call on his cell phone from an agent from the FBI’s Boston office. The agent, who is currently at Logan International Airport in Boston, says he has a name from the passenger manifest for Flight 77 that the Phoenix agents should look into: Hani Hanjour. To the agent’s surprise, Piro replies, “I’m holding his file in my hands right now.” Piro and Williams then head back to their office to report their progress. At the office, Piro tells their squad leader, “I’ve identified one of the hijackers.” Incredulous at this news, the squad leader replies, “Get out of here—I don’t have time for jokes today.” [Graff, 2011, pp. 325-326; Washingtonian, 5/5/2011]
Entity Tags: George Piro, Ken Williams, Hani Hanjour, Sawyer School of Aviation
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, 9/11 Investigations, FBI 9/11 Investigation
(After 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Plane Heading for Britain Appears Suspicious, Emits Strange Transponder Signals
Richard Dearlove. [Source: Daily Express]CIA Director George Tenet later recalls that, at some unspecified time during this day, a commercial passenger jet on its way to Britain behaves suspiciously, raising fears that al-Qaeda might have launched a two-continent attack. Aircraft are equipped with a device called a transponder, which transmits information to controllers on the ground, such as the plane’s flight number, altitude and speed. But this plane is emitting all kinds of “squawks,” with its transponder going off and on. Tenet calls Richard Dearlove, his counterpart at the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), to inform him of what is going on. Eventually, according to Tenet, the problem is resolved, and it turns out to have been caused simply by the transponder being faulty. [Washington Post, 9/17/2001; Tenet, 2007, pp. 166]
Entity Tags: George J. Tenet, Richard Dearlove
10:01 a.m. September 11, 2001: Passenger Andrew Garcia Calls Wife from Flight 93
Dorothy Garcia. [Source: Darryl Bush / San Francisco Chronicle]Andrew Garcia, a passenger on Flight 93, makes a phone call to his wife, Dorothy Garcia, but is quickly cut off and does not call again. [Longman, 2002, pp. 190-191; Discovery Channel, 2005] Garcia, a 62-year-old businessman from Portola Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area, calls his wife on his cell phone. He is only able to get out one word, her name “Dorothy.” [Los Angeles Times, 9/14/2001; Sun (Sunnyvale), 9/26/2001; San Francisco Chronicle, 12/27/2001] According to Garcia’s son, the line then “got staticky and faded out.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 9/14/2001]
Entity Tags: Andrew Garcia, Dorothy Garcia
(Shortly After 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Shelton Talks to Vice Chairman Myers, Updated on Military’s Actions
General Henry Shelton, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talks over the phone with General Richard Myers, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who is at the Pentagon, and is given information about the Pentagon attack and the military’s response to the terrorist attacks. Shelton took off at 7:15 a.m. to fly to Europe for a NATO conference (see 7:15 a.m. September 11, 2001). He learned of the attacks in New York while his plane was over the Atlantic Ocean, and has just been told of a “big explosion at the Pentagon” (see (8:50 a.m.-10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001).
First Report Is of a Hand Grenade Going Off at Pentagon - Shelton heads to the communications console just behind the plane’s cockpit. From there, he talks over a secure, encrypted phone line with Myers, who is in the National Military Command Center (NMCC) at the Pentagon. Myers updates Shelton on what is known about the explosion at the Pentagon. He says the first report is that a hand grenade went off in the Pentagon parking lot.
Myers Updates Shelton on Military Response to Attacks - Myers then gives Shelton a complete status report. He says: “We’ve transitioned the SIEC [significant event conference] into an air threat conference call, which is in progress as we speak (see 9:29 a.m.-9:34 a.m. September 11, 2001 and 9:37 a.m.-9:39 a.m. September 11, 2001). FAA has requested that NORAD take over control of US airspace. Fighters have scrambled to escort Air Force One (see (After 9:56 a.m.) September 11, 2001) and we’re sending AWACS up to provide further monitoring (see Before 9:55 a.m. September 11, 2001). We’ve escalated to Threatcon Delta and are about to launch the NAOC [National Airborne Operations Center plane]. Bases around the world are locked tight, [Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul] Wolfowitz has been relocated to Site R (see (11:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001), plus, [Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen] Hadley has requested we implement full ‘Continuity of Government measures’ (see 9:59 a.m. September 11, 2001), and we are proceeding along those lines.”
Myers Says Plane Hit the Pentagon - Myers is then interrupted by some commotion in the background. When he returns to the line, he tells Shelton, “Okay, we just got the word: the prior report was incorrect; it was not a hand grenade that exploded, it was another commercial airline that struck the Pentagon.” He then continues with his status report, saying, “[P]er the president, we’ve gone weapons free in the event of a hijacked aircraft or one that threatens the White House.” [Giesemann, 2008, pp. 20, 22-24; Shelton, Levinson, and McConnell, 2010, pp. 430-433]
Shelton Wants to Return to Washington - Myers will tell the 9/11 Commission that after he arrives at the NMCC—presumably referring to the time of this phone call—he “recommended General Shelton return to Washington, DC.” [9/11 Commission, 6/17/2004 ] But Shelton will recall that he tells Myers, “I need you to call Ed Eberhart [General Ralph Eberhart, the commander of NORAD] at NORAD and let him know that we’re coming back [to Washington] on Speckled Trout [the nickname of the plane he is on], and tell him that I would consider it a personal favor if he would see to it that the chairman and his crew are not shot down on their way back to Andrews.” Myers confirms, “Will do.” According to Shelton, his plane is called back 10 minutes later “with confirmation that we had been officially cleared to fly through the shutdown airspace.” [Shelton, Levinson, and McConnell, 2010, pp. 433] But according to Captain Rob Pedersen, the flight navigator on Shelton’s plane, it is several hours before the plane is cleared to enter the US airspace (see (After 9:45 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Air Force Magazine, 9/2011 ] The plane will therefore only land at Andrews Air Force Base, near Washington, at 4:40 p.m. (see 4:40 p.m. September 11, 2001) and Shelton will only arrive at the NMCC an hour after that (see 5:40 p.m. September 11, 2001). [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/11/2001 ; Myers, 2009, pp. 159] The exact time of the call between Shelton and Myers is unclear, though it would be at some time after about 10:00 a.m., when Myers arrives at the NMCC (see (Between 9:55 a.m. and 10:25 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 2/17/2004 ; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 38]
Entity Tags: Rob Pedersen, Henry Hugh Shelton, Richard B. Myers
(Shortly After 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: President Bush’s Speechwriter Told that President Should Hold Those Who Harbor Terrorists Responsible for Attacks
The headquarters of the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC. [Source: Vornado / Charles E. Smith]David Frum, a speechwriter for President Bush, spends an hour on the phone with Richard Perle, the chairman of the Defense Policy Board, and Perle tells him the president needs to say he will hold not just terrorists but also the nations that harbor them responsible for the morning’s attacks. [Vanity Fair, 7/2003] Frum is currently at the headquarters of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) think tank in Washington, DC, while Perle is at his vacation home in the south of France. [Packer, 2005, pp. 40] Frum went to the AEI headquarters after he was evacuated from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House (see (9:45 a.m.) September 11, 2001). On the way, he was joined by John McConnell, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief speechwriter. After they arrived at the AEI headquarters, sometime after 10:00 a.m., Chris DeMuth, AEI’s president, offered the two men the use of offices, telephones, and Internet connections. [Frum, 2003, pp. 115-117]
Frum and Perle Discuss Attacks and How the US Should Respond - Frum therefore talks over the phone with Perle for about an hour. [Vanity Fair, 7/2003] “We had a very long conversation,” Frum will later recall, “and touched on a lot of things: where [the attacks] had come from and the mistakes of the past, things to be avoided.” The thing that emerges “most clearly” from the conversation, according to Frum, is how important it is for the president to “make it clear at the start: this was not going to be more law enforcement—they were not going to be indicting these terrorists—that this was to be understood as war.” [PBS Frontline, 7/7/2004] Therefore, Perle says to Frum, “Whatever else the president says, he must make clear that he’s holding responsible not just terrorists but whoever harbors those terrorists.” [Vanity Fair, 7/2003]
Speechwriters Leave AEI to Join Other White House Staffers - Frum and McConnell will subsequently leave the AEI headquarters and head to the DaimlerChrysler building in Washington, where dozens of White House employees go to continue their work. There, the two men will work on a statement for Bush to deliver when he returns to the capital. [Frum, 2003, pp. 117-118, 120; Politico, 9/9/2011] After he arrives back at the White House, Bush will give a speech to the nation from the Oval Office (see 8:30 p.m. September 11, 2001). [CNN, 9/12/2001; Washington Post, 1/27/2002] The speech Frum and McConnell work on, however, will have been discarded, with the president using something different. [PBS Frontline, 7/7/2004] But Bush will say in his speech that America “will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.” [US President, 9/17/2001] Referring to the speech, journalist and author George Packer will comment: “Bush followed Perle’s advice to the word and then expanded on it: The rest of the world was either with America or with the terrorists.” [Packer, 2005, pp. 40]
Entity Tags: David Frum, Richard Perle
After 9:59 a.m. September 11, 2001: New York Deputy Mayor Develops and Implements Emergency Strategy
Rudy Washington. [Source: Congress of Racial Equality]After being caught in the dust plume when the WTC’s South Tower collapses at 9:59, Rudy Washington, who is one of Rudolph Giuliani’s deputy mayors, heads to City Hall, where he coordinates the city’s emergency response to the attacks. He is in contact with New York Governor George Pataki, high-ranking New York Police Department officers, and Navy Admiral Robert Natter, the commander of the US Atlantic Fleet (see (Shortly After 9:59 a.m.) September 11, 2001). He orders the closing of bridges. (Though, according to some accounts, the New York Port Authority ordered all bridges to be closed earlier on, at 9:21 (see 9:21 a.m. September 11, 2001).) As New York Daily News columnist Stanley Crouch later describes, Washington also finds “heavy machinery to get downtown for the cleanup and got the Navy to guard against a seaborne attack. He evacuated City Hall, which shook like crazy when the second tower fell. He gathered people who could give medical help, gave the order to find lights that could be used at Ground Zero and worked out new phone communications, since power was being lost. Accompanied by city engineers, he went into the streets around the fallen towers, testing the ground to make sure it would hold when the heavy equipment came in.” Washington’s efforts at developing an emergency strategy are reportedly aided by what he learned at an anti-terrorist training session chaired by counterterrorism “tsar” Richard Clarke and held at the WTC, in preparation for the millennium celebration (see (Late 1999)). Stanley Crouch later credits Rudy Washington with having “ran New York for the first few hours after the attack during a period when Giuliani was thought to have been killed inside the first building that went down.” [New York Daily News, 5/20/2004] During the initial hours following the attacks, between around 9:50 a.m. and midday, Mayor Giuliani is moving around between a series of temporary command posts (see (9:50 a.m.-10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and (After 10:28 a.m.-12:00 pm.) September 11, 2001).
Entity Tags: Rudy Washington, Robert Natter, New York City Police Department, George E. Pataki, Rudolph (“Rudy”) Giuliani
10:02 a.m. September 11, 2001: NORAD Commander Eberhart Declares ‘Concern’ over the Crisis
The NORAD representative on the Pentagon’s air threat conference call reports that General Ralph Eberhart, the commander in chief of NORAD, has declared “concern” for the crisis that is taking place. At around 9:39 a.m., the NORAD representative said over the conference call that “[n]o assessment for the overall air situation” had been given by NORAD at that point (see (9:39 a.m.) September 11, 2001). But now he says an assessment has been issued. He reports over the conference call: “At this time, CINC [commander in chief] NORAD”—meaning Eberhart—“has declared an assessment of concern for the air events does hold. I say again, an assessment of concern does hold for the air events.” [US Department of Defense, 9/11/2001; US Department of Defense, 9/11/2001 ] Eberhart will tell the 9/11 Commission that at NORAD, he alone would be responsible for making an assessment of concern. He will say that at around 9:40 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., he received a lot of pressure from personnel at NORAD’s Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center to say that “yes,” he did assess concern. If he makes an assessment of concern, Eberhart will comment, it triggers a “Defcon surge.” What he means by a “Defcon surge” is unclear. [9/11 Commission, 3/1/2004] (The military’s defense readiness condition (Defcon) will in fact be raised to Defcon 3, on the orders of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, at 10:52 a.m. (see (10:43 a.m.-10:52 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [US Department of Defense, 9/11/2001 ; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 326; Goldberg et al., 2007, pp. 131] ) Eberhart will also say that an assessment of concern is “tied basically to a foreign attack” and making it triggers a number of consequences that, among other things, would impact Russia. [9/11 Commission, 3/1/2004]
Entity Tags: Ralph Eberhart, North American Aerospace Defense Command
Shortly Before 10:03 a.m. September 11, 2001: Witnesses See Flight 93 Flying Erratically and Making Strange Noises before It Crashes
Numerous eyewitnesses see and hear Flight 93 just before it crashes in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Terry Butler, in Stoystown, sees the plane come out of the clouds, low to the ground. He will later recall: “It was moving like you wouldn’t believe. Next thing I knew, it makes a heck of a sharp right-hand turn.” The plane then appears to be trying to climb to clear a ridge, but it continues to turn to the right and then veers behind a ridge. About a second later it crashes. [St. Petersburg Times, 9/12/2001]
Witnesses Hear the Plane's Engines -
Laura Temyer of Hooversville will recall: “I didn’t see the plane but I heard the plane’s engine. Then I heard a loud thump that echoed off the hills and then I heard the plane’s engine. I heard two more loud thumps and didn’t hear the plane’s engine any more after that.” [Philadelphia Daily News, 11/15/2001]
Charles Sturtz, who lives a half-mile from the crash site, will recall seeing the plane heading southeast with its engines running. No smoke can be seen. “It was really roaring, you know, like it was trying to go someplace, I guess,” he will say. [WPXI 11 (Pittsburgh), 9/13/2001]
Michael Merringer, who is two miles from the crash site, will describe, “I heard the engine gun two different times and then I heard a loud bang.” [Associated Press, 9/12/2001]
Tim Lensbouer, who is 300 yards away from the crash site, will recall, “I heard it for 10 or 15 seconds and it sounded like it was going full bore.” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/12/2001]
Witnesses See the Plane Flying Upside Down -
Rob Kimmel, who is several miles from the crash site, sees Flight 93 flying overhead, banking hard to the right. It is 200 feet or less off the ground as it crests a hill to the southeast. “I saw the top of the plane, not the bottom,” he will say. [Longman, 2002, pp. 210-211]
Eric Peterson of Lambertsville sees the plane flying overhead unusually low. It seems to be turning end-over-end as it drops out of sight behind a tree line. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/12/2001]
Bob Blair of Stoystown sees the plane spiraling and flying upside down, not much higher than the treetops, before crashing. [Daily American, 9/12/2001]
Plane Is Heard Making Strange Sounds -
An unnamed witness hears two loud bangs before he sees the plane take a downward turn of nearly 90 degrees. [News Channel 5 (Cleveland), 9/11/2001]
Tom Fritz, who is about a quarter-mile from the crash site, hears a sound that “wasn’t quite right,” he will recall, and looks up into the sky. The plane “dropped all of a sudden, like a stone,” going “so fast that you couldn’t even make out what color it was,” he will say. [St. Petersburg Times, 9/12/2001]
Lee Purbaugh, who works at a scrapyard overlooking the crash site, will describe seeing the plane crashing, saying: “There was an incredibly loud rumbling sound and there it was, right there, right above my head—maybe 50 feet up.… I saw it rock from side to side then, suddenly, it dipped and dived, nose first, with a huge explosion, into the ground. I knew immediately that no one could possibly have survived.” [Independent, 8/13/2002]
Plane Is Seen Making a Sudden Plunge -
Linda Shepley hears a loud bang and sees the plane bank to the side. [ABC News, 9/11/2001] She sees the plane wobbling right and left, at a low altitude of roughly 2,500 feet, when suddenly the right wing dips straight down and the plane plunges into the earth. She will say she has an unobstructed view of Flight 93’s final two minutes. [Philadelphia Daily News, 11/15/2001]
Kelly Leverknight in Stonycreek Township will recall: “There was no smoke, it just went straight down. I saw the belly of the plane.” The plane is heading east and sounds like it is flying low. [Daily American, 9/12/2001; St. Petersburg Times, 9/12/2001]
Tim Thornsberg, who is working in a strip mine near the crash site, will recall: “It came in low over the trees and started wobbling. Then it just rolled over and was flying upside down for a few seconds… and then it kind of stalled and did a nose dive over the trees.” [WPXI 11 (Pittsburgh), 9/13/2001]
Some people will claim that these witness accounts support the idea that Flight 93 was hit by a missile. [Philadelphia Daily News, 11/15/2001] Leverknight, whose home is a couple of miles from the Flight 93 crash site, will note that planes flying over Shanksville are nothing unusual because the area is a “military flight corridor.” [Daily American, 9/12/2001]
Entity Tags: Eric Peterson, Bob Blair, Charles Sturtz, Kelly Leverknight, Linda Shepley, Rob Kimmel, Laura Temyer, Tom Fritz, Michael Merringer, Tim Thornsberg, Terry Butler, Lee Purbaugh, Tim Lensbouer
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93, Shanksville, Pennsylvania
Shortly Before 10:03 a.m. September 11, 2001: Witness Describes the Final Minutes of Flight 93 to a 9-1-1 Operator
Ricky Allen Souders, who is in Stahlstown, Pennsylvania, calls 9-1-1 after he notices Flight 93 flying low overhead and then describes his observations of the plane’s final minutes to the operator before it crashes. Souders is doing some building work, installing a foundation at a house in Stahlstown, when he notices Flight 93 overhead. He is unaware at the time that planes have crashed at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He hears a roar and when he looks up sees a large plane about 150 to 200 feet above the ground. It is so low that he can see the rivets, and also the colors and stripes, on it, he will later say. The plane, which is intact, is flying very fast and heading east. Souders sees it rolling to the right until its right wing is pointing toward the ground. It then returns to a level position before rolling to the left until its left wing is pointing toward the ground. Souders sees the plane continuously rolling back and forth in this manner as it heads east. He notices that the roar he can hear, which he will describe as being “abnormally loud,” is coming from the plane’s jet engines. He sees black smoke coming from these, “like when the engines are throttled up,” he will say. At some point, Souders calls 9-1-1 on his cell phone to report what he is seeing. He tells the operator the plane is in trouble, is going down, and is going to crash. He says that from where he is located, he can see into the distance for about 15 to 20 miles and so is still able to see the plane as it heads east. He continues reporting his observations and answering the operator’s questions until he eventually sees the plane disappear over the horizon. At the time, it is rolling hard to the right, with its right wing “going well past perpendicular to the ground,” he will recall. He then hears the sound of the plane crashing (see (10:03 a.m.-10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and (10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001). However, he does not see a fireball or smoke rising up. Souders sees no other planes in the area around the time Flight 93 crashes, he will recall. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 6/18/2002] Paula Pluta, a resident of Stonycreek Township, also witnesses Flight 93 going down, and she will reportedly be the first person to call 9-1-1 and report the crash after it occurs (see (10:03 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/12/2001; East Bay Times, 9/10/2005; McMillan, 2014, pp. 106]
Entity Tags: Ricky Allen Souders
10:02 a.m.-10:03 a.m. September 11, 2001: Flight 93 Passengers Continue Their Revolt until the Plane Crashes
Passengers on Flight 93 continue struggling against the hijackers as they try to retake control of the plane, up to the point when the plane crashes. The passengers have been carrying out a sustained attempt to force their way into the cockpit and, in response, one of the hijackers apparently suggested flying the plane into the ground (see 9:57 a.m.-9:59 a.m. September 11, 2001 and 10:00 a.m.-10:02 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 13-14]
Hijackers Possibly Fight over the Plane's Controls - The cockpit voice recording from the plane will later reveal that a hijacker in the cockpit, speaking in Arabic, now gives the instruction: “Down, down. Pull it down! Pull it down!” [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 12/4/2003; McMillan, 2014, pp. 104] At this point, the 9/11 Commission Report will comment, the hijackers are still “at the controls, but must have judged that the passengers were only seconds from overcoming them.” [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 14] The hijacker then shouts, “Down!” A hijacker, possibly the same one, exclaims: “Hey! Hey!” He then says: “Give it to me. Give it to me. Give it to me. Give it to me. Give it to me. Give it to me. Give it to me. Give it to me.” [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 12/4/2003; McMillan, 2014, pp. 104-105] This indicates that the hijackers might be fighting among themselves over the plane’s controls, Newsweek will suggest. [Newsweek, 12/3/2001]
Loud Air Noise Is Heard in the Cockpit - Over about the next 20 seconds, the cockpit voice recorder picks up the sounds of grunting and loud air noise. A hijacker then prays, saying: “Allah is the greatest! Allah is the greatest! Allah is the greatest! Allah is the greatest! Allah is the greatest!” The sound of a struggle is picked up by the cockpit voice recorder and a male passenger shouts loudly, “No!”
Passengers Are Apparently in the Cockpit When the Plane Crashes - While some people are screaming, a hijacker whispers: “Allah is the greatest! Allah is the greatest! Allah is the greatest! Allah is the greatest!” Finally, at 10:03 a.m. and 10 seconds, everything goes silent and the cockpit voice recording ends. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 12/4/2003; McMillan, 2014, pp. 105] Flight 93 crashes in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, one second later, according to the 9/11 Commission Report (see (10:03 a.m.-10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 14, 30] In the final moments of the struggle, voices that previously seemed muffled and distant on the cockpit voice recording suddenly become clearer, according to relatives of Flight 93’s passengers who will hear the recording in 2002 (see April 18, 2002). These relatives will see this as evidence that passengers made it into the cockpit before the plane crashed. [Longman, 2002, pp. 271; MSNBC, 7/30/2002]
10:02 a.m. September 11, 2001: Secret Service Warns Vice President Cheney that Hijackers Are Headed Toward Washington
Vice President Cheney and other leaders now in the White House bunker begin receiving reports from the Secret Service of a presumably hijacked aircraft heading toward Washington. The Secret Service is getting this information about Flight 93 through links to the FAA. However, they are looking at a projected path, not an actual radar return, so they do not realize that the plane crashes minutes later. [9/11 Commission, 6/17/2004]
Entity Tags: Federal Aviation Administration, Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, US Secret Service
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93, Dick Cheney
10:02 a.m. September 11, 2001: Cockpit Voice Recording Ends Early?
The cockpit voice recording of Flight 93 was recorded on a 30-minute reel, which means that the tape is continually overwritten and only the final 30 minutes of any flight would be recorded. The government later permits relatives to hear this tape. Apparently, the version of the tape played to the family members begins at 9:31 a.m. and runs for 31 minutes, ending one minute before, according to the government, the plane crashes. [Longman, 2002, pp. 206-207; CNN, 4/19/2002] The New York Observer comments, “Some of the relatives are keen to find out why, at the peak of this struggle, the tape suddenly stops recording voices and all that is heard in the last 60 seconds or so is engine noise. Had the tape been tampered with?” [New York Observer, 6/20/2004]
10:02 a.m. September 11, 2001: Flight 93’s Transponder Briefly Comes Back On
Flight 93’s transponder, which was switched off after Flight 93 was hijacked, is turned back on just before the plane crashes, thereby revealing the plane’s altitude to air traffic controllers at the FAA’s Cleveland Center. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/11/2001; MSNBC, 9/11/2002] A transponder is a device that sends a plane’s identifying information, speed, and altitude to controllers’ radar screens. [Washington Post, 9/16/2001] Flight 93’s transponder was switched off at around 9:40 a.m. (see (9:40 a.m.) September 11, 2001), although Cleveland Center controllers have still been able to follow Flight 93 on “primary radar,” which shows less information about a flight (see (9:41 a.m.-10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1/8/2002; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 29; Cleveland Plain Dealer, 7/3/2011]
Plane Shown to Be Flying at 8,200 Feet - Flight 93’s transponder is reactivated at 10:02 a.m. and 50 seconds, and then stays on for “approximately 20 seconds,” according to “information from the flight data” provided to the FBI later today by Rick Kettell, the manager of the Cleveland Center. After the transponder is turned back on, Flight 93’s radar track is observed by Cleveland Center controllers Linda Justice and Stacey Taylor. The information from the transponder shows them that Flight 93 is at an altitude of 8,200 feet. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 9/11/2001; Federal Aviation Administration, 9/16/2001 ; 9/11 Commission, 10/2/2003 ]
Plane Soon Disappears from Radar Screens - Flight 93 will crash into the ground at 10:03 a.m. and 11 seconds, according to the 9/11 Commission Report, less than 30 seconds after the transponder is reactivated (see (10:03 a.m.-10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 30] Cleveland Center controllers will see the plane completely disappear from their radar screens around that time. [MSNBC, 9/11/2002] A Cleveland Center controller will then report, apparently over an FAA teleconference, that Flight 93’s transponder “came on briefly and then it went back off with the primary, and now we’ve lost him completely.” [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/11/2001] “I had two radar hits on [Flight 93],” Taylor will recall, adding that she then “lost the primary target on [Flight 93] and we suspected it had gone down.” [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/16/2001 ] The reason Flight 93’s transponder is switched back on just before the plane crashes is unclear. Taylor will comment, a year after 9/11: “That’s something we’ve always wanted to know. Why did the transponder come back on?” She will say Cleveland Center controllers wondered this because they believed that “the hijackers had shut it off so that they couldn’t be tracked.” [MSNBC, 9/11/2002]
Entity Tags: Stacey Taylor, Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center, Linda Justice
(Before 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Witnesses See Flight 93 Rocking Wings as It Slowly Descends
In the tiny town of Boswell, about ten miles north and slightly to the west of Flight 93’s crash site, Rodney Peterson and Brandon Leventry notice a passenger jet lumbering through the sky at about 2,000 feet. They realize such a big plane flying so low in that area is odd. They see the plane dip its wings sharply to the left, then to the right. The wings level off and the plane keeps flying south, continuing to descend slowly. Five minutes later, they hear news that the plane has crashed. Other witnesses also later describe the plane flying east-southeast, low, and wobbly. [New York Times, 9/14/2001; Longman, 2002, pp. 205-206] “Officials initially say that it looks like the plane was headed south when it hit the ground.” [News Channel 5 (Cleveland), 9/11/2001]
Entity Tags: Brandon Leventry, Rodney Peterson
(10:03 a.m.-10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Flight 93 Crashes; Seven-Minute Discrepancy in Exact Timing of Crash
Smoke rising, minutes after Flight 93 crashes in Pennsylvania. [Source: CNN]Exactly when Flight 93 crashes is unclear. According to NORAD, Flight 93 crashes at 10:03 a.m. [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/18/2001] The 9/11 Commission gives an exact time of 11 seconds after 10:03 a.m. It will claim this “time is supported by evidence from the staff’s radar analysis, the flight data recorder, NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board] analysis, and infrared satellite data.” It does note that “[t]he precise crash time has been the subject of some dispute.” [9/11 Commission, 6/17/2004] However, a seismic study authorized by the US Army and drafted by scientists Won-Young Kim and Gerald Baum to determine when the plane crashed will conclude that the crash happened at 10:06:05 a.m. [Kim and Baum, 2002 ; San Francisco Chronicle, 12/9/2002] The discrepancy is so puzzling that the Philadelphia Daily News will publish an article on the issue, titled “Three-Minute Discrepancy in Tape.” This notes that leading seismologists agree on the 10:06 a.m. time, give or take a couple of seconds. [Philadelphia Daily News, 9/16/2002] The New York Observer will note that, in addition to the seismology study, “The FAA gives a crash time of 10:07 a.m. In addition, the New York Times, drawing on flight controllers in more than one FAA facility, put the time at 10:10 a.m. Up to a seven-minute discrepancy? In terms of an air disaster, seven minutes is close to an eternity. The way our nation has historically treated any airline tragedy is to pair up recordings from the cockpit and air traffic control and parse the timeline down to the hundredths of a second. However, as [former Inspector General of the Transportation Department] Mary Schiavo points out, ‘We don’t have an NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) investigation here, and they ordinarily dissect the timeline to the thousandth of a second.’” [New York Observer, 2/15/2004]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Federal Aviation Administration, Won-Young Kim, Mary Schiavo, Gerald R. Baum
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93, Shanksville, Pennsylvania
10:03 a.m. September 11, 2001: FBI Anti-Terrorist Unit Away from Washington on Training Exercise in California
The FBI is reportedly in “chaos,” in particular because its Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) is stranded away from Washington, DC, being instead in California for a major training exercise. The CIRG would normally coordinate the FBI’s rapid response to a crisis incident, such as a terrorist attack. [NBC 4, 9/11/2001; Darling, 2010, pp. 73-75] But NBC News reports that the FBI has been “operating a massive exercise from their hostage rescue unit. All of their top teams, about 50 personnel, helicopters, equipment, [have been] in Monterey, California, for the last two days, scheduled to fly back today commercially. So all of those people are out of place.” [NBC 4, 9/11/2001] USA Today will add that the day’s attacks are “so unexpected that a joint FBI/CIA anti-terrorist task force that specifically prepared for this type of disaster was on a training exercise in Monterey.” [USA Today, 9/11/2001] NBC News concludes: “It’s fair to say, according to sources that we’ve talked to here at NBC, that the FBI rescue operations and other FBI operations are really in chaos right now, because they can’t reach their officials in New York, all of their phone lines are down. And now you’ve got all of their special experts on this stuck in Monterey, California.… So they are seriously out of pocket, and there is a real breakdown of the FBI anti-terror coordination team, which is of course the principal team that would lead any effort.” [NBC 4, 9/11/2001] The US politics website evote.com will similarly conclude, “[J]ust as the worst terrorist act was being committed on American lives and property, the chief federal agency responsible for preventing such crimes was being AWOL.” [Evote [.com], 9/11/2001] The CIRG arrived in California the previous day for a week of special weapons and tactics (SWAT)-related field training (see September 10, 2001). Its members will be flown back to Washington around late afternoon on a specially arranged flight (see Late Afternoon September 11, 2001). [Darling, 2010, pp. 75-76]
Entity Tags: Critical Incident Response Group, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Training Exercises
(Shortly After 10:02 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Counterterrorism Staffer Suggests Addressing the Public Using the ‘Emergency Alert System’
Roger Cressey. [Source: Publicity photo]Roger Cressey, the deputy for counterterrorism on the National Security Council, suggests activating the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to address the nation, but no one with him knows what could be said to calm the public. [Graff, 2017, pp. 341] Cressey is one of about a dozen people who remained in the White House Situation Room after most staffers evacuated from the White House (see (Shortly After 9:45 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Clarke, 2004, pp. 10; Daily Telegraph, 9/10/2010] Apparently sometime shortly after Ralph Seigler, the Situation Room deputy director, reported that the Secret Service was saying a hostile aircraft was approaching Washington, DC (see (After 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001), Cressey proposes to his colleagues that they activate the EAS to give a message to the American public. However, Richard Clarke, the White House counterterrorism chief, promptly rejects his suggestion. “And have them say what?” Clarke asks. [Clarke, 2004, pp. 9]
Alert System Is Not Used in Response to Today's Attacks - The EAS, known as the Emergency Broadcast System until the 1990s, was created in 1951 as part of America’s response to the threat of nuclear attack. It serves as a tool for the president and others to warn the American public about emergency situations. However, it is not activated at any point today in response to the terrorist attacks. Richard Rudman, chairman of the EAS National Advisory Committee, will later justify this, explaining that the EAS is intended to alert the public to the danger before an incident occurs, not afterward. “Some events really do serve as their own alerts and warnings,” he will comment. Referring to today’s attacks, he will say, “With the immediate live media coverage, the need for an EAS warning was lessened.” One broadcast engineer will say that activating the EAS after the first hijacked plane crashed into the World Trade Center (see 8:46 a.m. September 11, 2001) might have caused more harm than good. “At that point, it could have stirred up even more panic,” the engineer will say. [Radio World, 9/26/2001; Moore, 8/13/2004, pp. 1 ]
Entity Tags: Roger Cressey, Richard Rudman, Richard A. Clarke
(10:03 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Local Resident Becomes the First Person to Report the Crash of Flight 93 to the Authorities
Paula Pluta, a resident of Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania, sees Flight 93 crashing behind some trees about 1,500 yards from her home and then calls 9-1-1, becoming the first person to call the emergency services to report the crash. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/12/2001; East Bay Times, 9/10/2005] Pluta is at her home, watching television, unaware of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and at the Pentagon. Everything has been quiet and normal. Suddenly, though, her house starts to vibrate, and things in it start rattling and shaking. She hears a roar coming from the skies above her that gets louder and louder. “I heard this noise like a dive bomber; you know, one of those planes they use in war,” she will later recall. When she looks out the living room window, though, she sees nothing unusual outside. She then goes out onto the front porch. From there, she sees a “silver streak” plummeting toward the ground at an angle of about 45 degrees. “It looked like a silver bullet,” she will describe. [Los Angeles Times, 9/12/2001; McMillan, 2014, pp. 106; Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial, 3/17/2016] Flight 93 crashes into the ground at 10:03 a.m. (see (10:03 a.m.-10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and (10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [New York Times, 9/9/2011; National Park Service, 5/2013, pp. 13 ] Pluta is unable to see the impact, since the plane disappears behind a line of trees before hitting the ground, but she feels the ground shaking when the plane crashes. “It hit so hard that it almost took my feet out from underneath me,” she will recall. [Los Angeles Times, 9/12/2001; McMillan, 2014, pp. 106; Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial, 3/17/2016] She also sees a huge fireball about 150 feet up in the air and a plume of smoke coming from behind the trees. [Chicago Tribune, 9/12/2001; National Park Service, 3/2017, pp. 15 ] The explosion damages the outside of her home. Pluta notices that a garage door has buckled and a latched window has been sucked open. She immediately calls 9-1-1 to report the incident. “Oh my God!” she tells the operator. “There was an airplane crash here!” She is the first of about 20 local residents to report the crash of Flight 93 to the authorities. She will promptly head to the site where the crash occurred and be surprised at the lack of wreckage there (see (After 10:03 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/12/2001; McMillan, 2014, pp. 106-107; Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial, 3/17/2016]
Entity Tags: Paula Pluta
10:03 a.m. September 11, 2001: NMCC Learns of Flight 93 Hijacking, NORAD Still Not Told
According to the 9/11 Commission, the NMCC learns about the Flight 93 hijacking at this time. Since the FAA has not yet been patched in to the NMCC’s conference call, the news comes from the White House. The White House learned about it from the Secret Service, and the Secret Service learned about it from the FAA. NORAD apparently is still unaware. Four minutes later, a NORAD representative on the conference call states, “NORAD has no indication of a hijack heading to Washington, D.C., at this time.” [9/11 Commission, 6/17/2004]
Entity Tags: US Secret Service, Federal Aviation Administration, National Military Command Center
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93, Key Day of 9/11 Events
(After 10:03 a.m.) September11, 2001: Russia Cancels Air Force Exercise in Response to Attacks in the US
In response to the terrorist attacks in the United States, the Russian military cancels a major training exercise it has been holding, turning back its bomber aircraft and calling off planned missile testing. [Toronto Star, 12/9/2001; Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System, 9/8/2011] The Russian Air Force began the exercise—which was being conducted over the North Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans—on September 10 (see September 10, 2001), and had planned for it to continue until September 14. NORAD has deployed fighter jets to Alaska and Northern Canada to monitor the exercise (see September 9, 2001).
Russians Cancel Exercise to Avoid Confusion - The Russians now call off their exercise, “to avoid misunderstandings, since US defenses were now on high alert in case of further possible terrorist attacks,” according to BBC correspondent Bridget Kendall. [BBC, 2001, pp. 161; North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/9/2001; Washington Times, 9/11/2001] “The Russians knew NORAD would have its hands full,” the Toronto Star will report. Lieutenant Colonel William Glover, the commander of NORAD’s Air Warning Center, will say the Russians stop their exercise “because they understood the magnitude of what had happened to us in the United States. They didn’t want any questions; they didn’t want us worrying about what they would be doing or entering our Air Defense Identification Zone.”
Russia Tells US about Canceling Exercise - The Russians notify the US of their actions. Captain Michael Jellinek, the director of plans, requirements, and readiness at NORAD’s Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center in Colorado, will later recall: “They sent the message to the State Department clearly and unambiguously: ‘Don’t worry about our movements, we’re going to stay down for a while.’”
Russia's Actions Are 'Very Helpful' to US - It is unclear when exactly the Russians call off their exercise. According to the Toronto Star, they “immediately” cancel it “on seeing the attacks in New York and Washington.” Glover will say the Russians notify the US that they are stopping their exercise “after the United Flight 93 went into Shanksville” (see (10:03 a.m.-10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and (10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001). Jellinek will call the Russians’ actions in canceling their exercise “[v]ery, very useful. Very helpful.” Glover will comment, “[T]hat was amazing to me, personally, the fact that they stopped their exercise and… that they told us that they were going to stop the exercise.” [Toronto Star, 12/9/2001; Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System, 9/8/2011] Russian President Vladimir Putin will contact the White House and inform National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice that the Russians are voluntarily canceling their exercise (see Between 10:32 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Washington Post, 1/27/2002]
Entity Tags: Michael H. Jellinek, Russian Air Force, North American Aerospace Defense Command, US Department of State, William Glover
(After 10:03 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Witnesses Notice a Lack of Plane Wreckage at the Flight 93 Crash Scene
The Flight 93 crash site. [Source: Associated Press]Numerous individuals who see the Flight 93 crash site notice a lack of plane wreckage there:
Jon Meyer, a reporter with WJAC-TV, will later describe: “I was able to get right up to the edge of the crater.… All I saw was a crater filled with small, charred plane parts. Nothing that would even tell you that it was the plane.… There were no suitcases, no recognizable plane parts, no body parts. The crater was about 30 to 35 feet deep.” [Newseum et al., 2002, pp. 148]
According to Mark Stahl, who goes to the crash scene: “There’s a crater gouged in the earth, the plane is pretty much disintegrated. There’s nothing left but scorched trees.” [Associated Press, 9/11/2001]
Frank Monaco of the Pennsylvania State Police will comment: “If you would go down there, it would look like a trash heap. There’s nothing but tiny pieces of debris. It’s just littered with small pieces.” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/12/2001]
Scott Spangler, a photographer with a local newspaper, will recall: “I didn’t think I was in the right place. I was looking for a wing or a tail. There was nothing, just this pit.… I was looking for anything that said tail, wing, plane, metal. There was nothing.” [Newseum et al., 2002, pp. 149]
Paula Pluta, a local resident who headed to the site promptly after the crash occurred, will describe seeing “[j]ust a big crater that looked… like something had gone into it, and it rolled the dirt up around and buried itself.” “I’m looking around for plane wreckage and there’s nothing,” she will recall, adding: “I just stood there in amazement. Where did this thing go?” [McMillan, 2014, pp. 107]
Dave Berkebile, another local resident, arrives at the site shortly after Pluta does. However, he cannot see any large airplane parts there. “The biggest chunk of debris he identified,” according to journalist and author Tom McMillan, “was a cooling unit that was maybe eight inches by 12 inches.” [McMillan, 2014, pp. 107]
According to Ron Delano, a local who rushes to the scene after hearing about the crash: “If they hadn’t told us a plane had wrecked, you wouldn’t have known. It looked like it hit and disintegrated.” [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/12/2001]
Gabrielle DeRose, a news anchor with KDKA-TV, views the crash site from a hill overlooking it. She will comment: “It was very disturbing to think all the remains just disintegrated…. There were no large pieces of airplane, no human remains, no baggage.” [Sylvester and Huffman, 2002, pp. 160-161]
Local assistant volunteer fire chief Rick King, who sees the crater at the crash site, will say, “Never in my wildest dreams did I think half the plane was down there.” King sends his men into the woods to search for the plane’s fuselage, but they keep coming back and telling him: “Rick. There’s nothing.” [Longman, 2002, pp. 216]
Bob Craig of the FBI’s evidence-gathering team will explain what is supposed to have happened when Flight 93 hit the ground. “Turn the picture of the second plane hitting the World Trade Center on its side, and, for all intents and purposes, the face of the building is the strip mine in Shanksville [where Flight 93 crashed],” he will say. [Longman, 2002, pp. 260] When the plane’s two black boxes are later discovered (see September 13-14, 2001), they are reportedly found 15 and 25 feet inside the crater. [Longman, 2002, pp. 217; Washington Post, 5/12/2002]
Entity Tags: Mark Stahl, Paula Pluta, Ron Delano, Jon Meyer, William Robert Craig, Rick King, Gabrielle DeRose, Scott Spangler, Dave Berkebile, Frank Monaco
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93, Key Day of 9/11 Events, Shanksville, Pennsylvania
(Shortly After 10:03 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Members of the Public Take Flight 93 Wreckage from the Crash Site as ‘Souvenirs’
Thomas O’Connor. [Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]Members of the public are observed removing—or trying to remove—debris from the crash site shortly after Flight 93 goes down and some of them are arrested for doing so. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/18/2009; Thompson, 2017, pp. 6-7] Flight 93 apparently crashed in a field in rural Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m. (see (10:03 a.m.-10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and (10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 30] Emergency responders soon start arriving at the crash site. “Almost as quickly,” however, according to author J. William Thompson, “legions of curiosity seekers and souvenir hunters showed up.” The “dozens of souvenir hunters” who converge on the scene are observed “stuffing objects in their shirts.” [Thompson, 2017, pp. 6-7] Sergeant Thomas O’Connor and Corporal Ronald Zona of the Pennsylvania State Police are among the first people to arrive. During their first few hours at the site, they have to prevent “souvenir hunters from coming near the downed plane,” according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. While doing so, they make several arrests. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/18/2009; PAMatters (.com), 9/10/2011] Eventually, a security perimeter will be set up to protect the site and only authorized personnel will be allowed through it. [McMillan, 2014, pp. 131; Thompson, 2017, pp. 27-28] But two “curiosity seekers,” one of them on an all-terrain vehicle, will be arrested later today for trying to get through the perimeter. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/12/2001] People are similarly observed removing—or trying to remove—wreckage from the crash site at the Pentagon, following the attack there (see (After 10:15 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Library of Congress, 11/30/2001; Library of Congress, 12/3/2001]
Entity Tags: Thomas O’Connor, Ronald Zona
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Shanksville, Pennsylvania
After 10:03 a.m. September 11, 2001: FAA Liaison Refuses to Share the Passenger Lists for the Hijacked Planes with the CIA
Robert White, the FAA liaison at the Counterterrorist Center (CTC) at CIA headquarters, refuses to provide the CIA with passenger lists for the four planes that were hijacked this morning. Richard Blee, chief of Alec Station, the CIA’s bin Laden unit, wants copies of the passenger lists for the hijacked planes. He, along with Alec Station’s analysts at the CTC, are now certain al-Qaeda was behind the attacks on the United States, but they need proof of this before they can pass on their assessment to the White House. White has the capability to access airline passenger manifests, and so Blee asks him to access the FAA’s computers and share the manifests for the hijacked planes with him. White, however, refuses. He maintains that “[t]hese were American airliners filled with American citizens and under the law the CIA could not access private information about US persons.” Blee is frantic when he is told this. He therefore asks FBI agents deployed to Alec Station to see if they can get the information he requires through their channels. [9/11 Commission, 10/8/2003 ; Coll, 2018, pp. 33] The FBI agents will subsequently obtain the passenger manifests and pass them on to the CIA (see (1:00 p.m.) September 11, 2001). [Daily Beast, 8/12/2011; Council on Foreign Relations, 9/12/2016; Coll, 2018, pp. 35]
Entity Tags: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Richard Blee, Central Intelligence Agency, Robert White (FAA)
Just Before 10:06 a.m. September 11, 2001: Locals Hear a Missile Before Flight 93 Crashes?
Several local people believe they hear a missile overhead just before Flight 93 goes down. Barry Lichty, a US Navy veteran and mayor of Indian Lake Borough (just to the east of where Flight 93 crashes), is watching television with his wife. He says he hears “a loud roar above the house that sounded like a missile.… Shortly thereafter, we heard an explosion and a tremor. My first reaction, as a former utility employee, was that maybe someone shot a missile into the substation.” He says Flight 93 “did not come over my house. I don’t know what we heard.” [Kashurba, 2002, pp. 158-159] Joe Wilt, who lives a quarter-mile from the crash site, hears a “whistling like a missile, then a loud boom.” He says, “The first thing I thought it was, was a missile.” [Boston Globe, 9/12/2001; Washington Post, 9/12/2001] And Ernie Stuhl, the mayor of Shanksville, later says, “I know of two people - I will not mention names - that heard a missile. They both live very close, within a couple of hundred yards.… This one fellow’s served in Vietnam and he says he’s heard them, and he heard one that day.” [Philadelphia Daily News, 11/18/2001] Officials will emphatically deny that Flight 93 was shot down, as some people later suggest (see September 14, 2001). [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/14/2001; Longman, 2002, pp. 264] However, a number of witnesses report seeing a small, white jet plane near the crash site, around the time Flight 93 reportedly goes down (see (Before and After 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001).
Entity Tags: Barry Lichty, Joe Wilt
(Before 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Fighters Trailing Flight 93 When It Crashes, According to Some Accounts; Other Accounts Contradict This
Shortly after 9/11, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will say the nearest fighter jets to Flight 93 at the time it crashes are the F-16s from Langley Air Force Base that are flying a combat air patrol over Washington, DC (see (Between 9:49 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/18/2001; 9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 34] Other accounts will conflict over whether or not there are any fighter jets near Flight 93 when it goes down:
Two days after the attacks, it will be reported that an unnamed New England air traffic controller has ignored a ban on controllers speaking to the media, and this controller claims “that an F-16 fighter closely pursued Flight 93.… [T]he F-16 made 360-degree turns to remain close to the commercial jet.” The controller adds that the fighter pilot “must’ve seen the whole thing.” He reportedly learned this from speaking to controllers who were closer to the crash. [Telegraph (Nashua), 9/12/2001; Associated Press, 9/13/2001]
Five days after the attacks, on September 16, CBS News will report that two F-16s are tailing Flight 93 and are within 60 miles of it when it goes down. [CBS News, 9/16/2001; Independent, 8/13/2002]
But, also on September 16, Major General Paul Weaver, the director of the Air National Guard, will say that no military planes were sent after Flight 93. [Seattle Times, 9/16/2001]
In April 2002, Anthony Kuczynski will tell the University of St. Thomas’s weekly newspaper that he had flown toward Pittsburgh alongside two F-16s on 9/11. He says he was piloting an E-3 Sentry AWACS plane, which has advanced radar and surveillance equipment that can be used to direct fighter jets to their targets. He was just about to intercept Flight 93 when it crashed. He says, “I was given direct orders to shoot down an airliner.” (E-3s are unarmed, so, if this account is accurate, the order presumably applied to the fighters Kuczynski was accompanying.) [St. Thomas Aquin, 4/12/2002; US Air Force, 9/22/2015]
A year after the attacks, ABC News will report that the “closest fighters” to Flight 93 when it crashes “are two F-16 pilots on a training mission from Selfridge Air National Guard Base” near Detroit, Michigan. These are ordered after Flight 93, according to some accounts, even though they are unarmed. [ABC News, 8/30/2002; ABC News, 9/11/2002] However, other accounts will state that these jets are in fact ordered to intercept another aircraft, Delta 1989, or are simply told to return to their base (see (9:55 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and (9:56 a.m.-10:29 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 28; Mount Clemens-Clinton-Harrison Journal, 9/6/2006; Spencer, 2008, pp. 178]
Stacey Taylor, an air traffic controller at the FAA’s Cleveland Center, will claim not to have seen any fighter jets on radar around the area of the crash. [MSNBC, 9/11/2002]
Five years after 9/11, Bill Keaton, a Cleveland Center controller who tracked Flight 93 as it flew eastward (see (9:41 a.m.-10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001), will be asked whether there were fighter jets in the vicinity of the plane when it crashed. He will reply, “[T]hat goes beyond the scope of what I can comment on.” (Air traffic controllers reportedly can lose their security clearances if they discuss the movements of military aircraft.) [Cleveland Free Times, 9/6/2006]
Entity Tags: Stacey Taylor, Anthony Kuczynski, Bill Keaton, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Paul Weaver
10:05 a.m.-11:05 a.m. September 11, 2001: Andrews Air Force Base Tower Broadcasts Warnings that Planes Could Be Shot Down
The air traffic control tower at Andrews Air Force Base, near Washington, DC, broadcasts regular warnings over radio that any aircraft entering the restricted airspace around the capital will be shot down, even though, according to the 9/11 Commission, the president does not authorize the shooting down of threatening aircraft until 10:18 a.m. [9/11 Commission, 2004; 9/11 Commission, 2/17/2004; 9/11 Commission, 3/11/2004 ; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41] The Andrews control tower begins broadcasting warning messages over the Air Traffic Information System (ATIS) at 10:05 a.m. [9/11 Commission, 3/11/2004 ] The ATIS is an automatic information system over which “[p]re-recorded airfield advisory information is automatically transmitted at timed intervals over the airways on a specific frequency.” [US Air Force, 10/1/1999 ]
Planes Told They Could Be 'Shot Down' - A 9/11 Commission document summarizing key transmissions from the Andrews tower will show that warning messages are broadcast about once or twice every 10 minutes. The messages, which are all quite similar, include: “No fly notice. Remain clear of Andrews Class B airspace or you will be shot down,” and, “Any aircraft monitoring Andrews Approach Control frequency: remain clear of Andrews Class B airspace or you will be shot down.” [9/11 Commission, 2/17/2004] (Class B airspace is restricted airspace in which no one is supposed to fly without a working transponder and permission from an air traffic controller. The airspace around much of Washington is designated Class B airspace. [Washington Post, 9/12/2001; New York Times, 9/29/2001] )
Fighter Pilots Hear Warning - At least one of the warning messages is heard by District of Columbia Air National Guard (DCANG) fighter pilots who launch from Andrews Air Force Base at 10:42 a.m. (see 10:42 a.m. September 11, 2001) and by pilots launched from Langley Air Force Base by NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) earlier on (see (9:25 a.m.-9:30 a.m.) September 11, 2001). DCANG pilots Marc Sasseville and Heather Penney Garcia are flying at low altitude over Washington, while the three Langley pilots are above them at around 20,000 feet. Although they are on different radio frequencies, both sets of pilots hear a message over a shared channel: “Attention all aircraft monitoring Andrews tower frequency. Andrews and Class Bravo airspace is closed. No general aviation aircraft are permitted to enter Class Bravo airspace. Any infractions will be shot down.” [Filson, 2003, pp. 82]
Officers Hear Warning - The warning messages are also heard by DCANG officers at Andrews. After hearing that violators of the Washington airspace will be shot down, Brigadier General David Wherley thinks to himself, “I guess that will be us doing the shooting.” [Washington Post, 4/8/2002; Vogel, 2007, pp. 446] Apparently referring to the warnings from the Andrews tower, Lieutenant Colonel Phil Thompson will later recall: “We kind of winced at that, because there are plenty of hard reasons to not shoot somebody down. We were really in an ID posture—and trying to really be careful.” [Aviation Week and Space Technology, 9/9/2002]
Shootdown Not Authorized until 10:18 - Although the first of the warnings is broadcast at 10:05 a.m., President Bush only gives authorization for hostile aircraft to be shot down at 10:18 a.m., according to the 9/11 Commission, in a phone call with Vice President Dick Cheney (see 10:18 a.m.-10:20 a.m. September 11, 2001). Furthermore, NEADS only learns that NORAD has been given clearance to shoot down threatening aircraft at 10:31 a.m. (see 10:31 a.m. September 11, 2001). The 9/11 Commission document of Andrews tower transmissions will show that the warnings are broadcast until at least 11:05 a.m., although presumably they continue after that. [9/11 Commission, 2/17/2004; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41-42]
Entity Tags: District of Columbia Air National Guard, Heather Penney Garcia, Marc Sasseville, Phil Thompson, David Wherley, Andrews Air Force Base
10:05 a.m.-10:08 a.m. September 11, 2001: NEADS Alerted to Flight 93, Reportedly for the First Time
The military liaison at the FAA’s Cleveland Center calls NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) and alerts it to the hijacked Flight 93. According to the 9/11 Commission, this is the first notification NEADS receives about Flight 93, but it comes too late, since the plane has already crashed (see (10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 30; 9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 46]
'Bomb on Board' Flight 93 - At 10:05 a.m., the military liaison at the Cleveland Center, who is unaware that Flight 93 has just crashed, calls NEADS to inform it that Flight 93 is heading toward Washington, DC. Even though communicating with NEADS is not one of his responsibilities, he wants to make sure it is in the loop. [Spencer, 2008, pp. 224] At NEADS, the call is answered by Tech Sergeant Shelley Watson. Shortly into the call, at 10:07, the military liaison tells her: “We got a United 93 out here. Are you aware of that?” He continues, “That has a bomb on board.” Watson asks: “A bomb on board? And this is confirmed? You have a mode three [beacon code], sir?” The military liaison replies, “No, we lost his transponder” (see (9:40 a.m.) September 11, 2001). The news about Flight 93 is shouted out to Major Kevin Nasypany, the NEADS mission crew commander. Nasypany responds: “Gimme the call sign. Gimme the whole nine yards.… Let’s get some info, real quick. They got a bomb?”
Liaison Wants Fighters Sent toward Flight 93 - The military liaison continues, asking Watson if NEADS scrambled fighter jets in response to Delta 1989, an aircraft that was mistakenly reported as having been hijacked (see (9:28 a.m.-9:33 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and 9:39 a.m. September 11, 2001). Watson replies: “We did. Out of Selfridge and Toledo” (see (9:55 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and 10:01 a.m. September 11, 2001), and says these jets are airborne. When the military liaison asks if the fighters can be directed to where Flight 93 is, Watson asks him if the Cleveland Center has latitude and longitude coordinates for this aircraft. The military liaison replies that he has not got this information available right now. All he knows is that Flight 93 has “got a confirmed bomb on board… and right now, his last known position was in the Westmoreland area.… Which is… in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area.” [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001; Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006]
NEADS Searches on Radar - The news of a bomb on board Flight 93 spreads quickly at NEADS, and personnel there search for the aircraft’s primary return on their radar screens. But because the plane has already crashed, they will be unable to locate it. NEADS will only learn that Flight 93 has crashed at 10:15 a.m., during a call with the FAA’s Washington Center (see 10:15 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 30-31]
FAA Failed to Notify Military Earlier - The Cleveland Center’s notification to NEADS about Flight 93 comes 39 minutes after the plane was hijacked (see (9:28 a.m.) September 11, 2001) and 33 minutes after FAA headquarters was alerted to the hijacking (see 9:34 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 11, 28] At the time NEADS is alerted to Flight 93, NORAD is similarly uninformed about this aircraft, according to the 9/11 Commission. The Commission will state, “At 10:07, its representative on the air threat conference call stated that NORAD had ‘no indication of a hijack heading to DC at this time.’” According to the Commission, the National Military Command Center (NMCC) at the Pentagon learned about the Flight 93 hijacking slightly earlier on, at 10:03 a.m. (see 10:03 a.m. September 11, 2001). However, the NMCC was notified by the White House, not the FAA. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 42] A former senior FAA executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, will later try to explain why it takes the FAA so long to alert NEADS to Flight 93. He will say, “Our whole procedures prior to 9/11 were that you turned everything [regarding a hijacking] over to the FBI.” [Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006] Yet military instructions contradict this, stating, “In the event of a hijacking, the NMCC will be notified by the most expeditious means by the FAA.” [US Department of Defense, 7/31/1997 ; US Department of Defense, 6/1/2001 ]
NORAD Commanders Claim Earlier Awareness of Flight 93 - Two senior NORAD officials will contradict the 9/11 Commission’s conclusion, and claim they were aware of Flight 93 well before it crashed (see Shortly Before 9:36 a.m. September 11, 2001 and (9:36 a.m.-10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Filson, 2003, pp. 68, 71-73] Colonel Robert Marr, the NEADS battle commander, will tell the Commission that, while the flight was still airborne, “his focus was on UAL 93, which was circling over Chicago,” and he “distinctly remembers watching the flight UAL 93 come west, and turn over Cleveland.” [9/11 Commission, 10/27/2003 ; 9/11 Commission, 1/23/2004 ] Major General Larry Arnold, the commander of the Continental US NORAD Region, will recall, “[W]e watched the [Flight] 93 track as it meandered around the Ohio-Pennsylvania area and started to turn south toward DC.” [Filson, 2003, pp. 71]
Entity Tags: Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center, Kevin Nasypany, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Northeast Air Defense Sector, Shelley Watson
(Just Before 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Lights Go Out Before Flight 93 Crashes, Allegedly Indicating a Missile Being Fired
John Fleegle, a manager at the Indian Lake Marina about 1.5 miles from where Flight 93 crashes, is indoors with some colleagues, watching the televised coverage of the World Trade Center attack. Then, as he later describes, “All of a sudden the lights flickered and we joked that maybe they were coming for us. Then we heard engines screaming close overhead. The building shook. We ran out, heard the explosion and saw a fireball mushroom,” following the crash. When he later describes this incident while on a training course in Atlanta, Fleegle will be told that what happened means Flight 93 “was shot down.” A man there who says he is a retired Air Force officer will tell Fleegle, “[W]hen your lights flickered, [it was because] they zap the radar frequency on everything before they shoot. Your lights didn’t flicker from the impact—your lights flickered because they zapped the radar system before they shot it.” However, William “Buck” Kernan, a retired four-star Army general, will dispute this claim, saying, “[R]egarding an aircraft engaging an airborne target having an electrical disruption on the ground, no, this would not be a result of lock on or any electromagnetic pulsing.” He will suggest it is “possible that overpressure from explosions could momentarily disrupt microwave connections or cause sensations on ground relays, wiring, etc.” that might result in the lights having flickered. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/14/2001; Lappe and Marshall, 2004, pp. 35-36] But, consistent with Fleegle’s allegation, a number of local residents—including military veterans—say they heard the sound of a missile overhead just before the time of the crash (see Just Before 10:06 a.m. September 11, 2001). Another local resident, Val McClatchey, will report her lights and phone going out around the time of the crash. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/11/2002] According to Barry Lichty, the mayor of Indian Lake Borough, the town’s electricity goes out around this time. He later learns that the plane crash had disrupted service to the borough. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/12/2001] Interestingly, one alternative theory later suggested is that Flight 93 could have been brought down using “electromagnetic interference” (see August 13, 2002). The US Air Force and Pentagon have in fact “conducted extensive research on ‘electronic warfare applications’ with the possible capacity intentionally to disrupt the mechanisms of an airplane in such a way as to provoke, for example, an uncontrollable dive.” [Independent, 8/13/2002]
Entity Tags: Barry Lichty, Val McClatchey, John Fleegle, William Kernan
(Before 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Flight 93 Breaks Up Prior to Crash?
Flight 93 apparently starts to break up before it crashes, because debris is found very far away from the crash site. [Philadelphia Daily News, 11/15/2001] The plane is generally obliterated upon landing, except for one half-ton piece of engine found some distance away. Some reports indicate that the engine piece was found over a mile away. [Independent, 8/13/2002] The FBI reportedly acknowledges that this piece was found “a considerable distance” from the crash site. [Philadelphia Daily News, 11/15/2001] Later, the FBI will cordon off a three-mile wide area around the crash, as well as another area six to eight miles from the initial crash site. [CNN, 9/13/2001] One story calls what happened to this engine “intriguing, because the heat-seeking, air-to-air Sidewinder missiles aboard an F-16 would likely target one of the Boeing 757’s two large engines.” [Philadelphia Daily News, 11/15/2001] Smaller debris fields are also found two, three, and eight miles away from the main crash site. [Independent, 8/13/2002; Mirror, 9/12/2002] Eight miles away, local media quote residents speaking of a second plane in the area and burning debris falling from the sky. [Reuters, 9/13/2001] Residents outside Shanksville reported “discovering clothing, books, papers, and what appeared to be human remains. Some residents said they collected bags-full of items to be turned over to investigators. Others reported what appeared to be crash debris floating in Indian Lake, nearly six miles from the immediate crash scene. Workers at Indian Lake Marina said that they saw a cloud of confetti-like debris descend on the lake and nearby farms minutes after hearing the explosion…” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/13/2001] Moments after the crash, Carol Delasko initially thinks someone had blown up a boat on Indian Lake: “It just looked like confetti raining down all over the air above the lake.” [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/14/2001] Investigators say that far-off wreckage “probably was spread by the cloud created when the plane crashed and dispersed by a ten mph southeasterly wind.” [News Journal (Wilmington, DE), 9/16/2001] However, much of the wreckage is found sooner than that wind could have carried it, and not always southeast.
Entity Tags: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Carol Delasko
10:06 a.m.-10:08 a.m. September 11, 2001: Some NEADS Staff and Others Uncertain Whether Day’s Training Exercise Is Over
Tape recordings of the operations floor at NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) indicate that some military personnel are uncertain whether a training exercise that was being conducted on this day has been canceled. NEADS has been participating in a major exercise called Vigilant Guardian. [Newhouse News Service, 1/25/2002] This was reportedly called off “shortly after” the second WTC tower was hit at 9:03 (see (Shortly After 9:03 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Airman, 3/2002] But at 10:06, someone calls NEADS and asks, “Is the exercise knocked off?” to which they are told, “Yes.” Two minutes later, a member of the NEADS staff is heard saying, “If this is an exercise input, this is a good one.” [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001] It is around this time that NEADS is first alerted to Flight 93 (although this plane has already crashed) (see 10:05 a.m.-10:08 a.m. September 11, 2001) and also hears a report of an unidentified aircraft over the White House (see 10:07 a.m. September 11, 2001). So presumably it is one of these incidents that is considered a possible “exercise input,” meaning a simulated scenario. [Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006]
Entity Tags: Northeast Air Defense Sector
(Before and After 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Witnesses See Low-Flying, Small White Jet at Flight 93 Crash Site
Looking straight down onto the Flight 93 crash site. North is to the top. Note the impact point north of the road, and the burned trees to the south of it. [Source: FBI]A second plane, described “as a small, white jet with rear engines and no discernible markings,” is seen by at least ten witnesses flying low and in erratic patterns, not much above treetop level, over the crash site within minutes of United Flight 93 crashing. [Independent, 8/13/2002]
Lee Purbaugh: “I didn’t get a good look but it was white and it circled the area about twice and then it flew off over the horizon.” [Mirror, 9/12/2002]
Susan Mcelwain: Less than a minute before the Flight 93 crash rocked the countryside, she sees a small white jet with rear engines and no discernible markings swoop low over her minivan near an intersection and disappear over a hilltop, nearly clipping the tops of trees lining the ridge. [Bergen Record, 9/14/2001] She later adds, “There’s no way I imagined this plane—it was so low it was virtually on top of me. It was white with no markings but it was definitely military, it just had that look. It had two rear engines, a big fin on the back like a spoiler on the back of a car and with two upright fins at the side. I haven’t found one like it on the Internet. It definitely wasn’t one of those executive jets. The FBI came and talked to me and said there was no plane around.… But I saw it and it was there before the crash and it was 40 feet above my head. They did not want my story—nobody here did.” [Mirror, 9/12/2002]
John Fleegle and two work colleagues arrive at the crash site “before any fireman or paramedics or anybody.” According to Fleegle, “When we got there, there was a plane flying up above and he was smart, he flew straight for the sun so you couldn’t look at it and see exactly what type of plane, if it was a fighter or what it was.” However, Fleegle claims the plane “was decent sized. It wasn’t just a little private jet or something like that, from what we could see.” [Lappe and Marshall, 2004, pp. 35-36]
Dennis Decker and/or Rick Chaney, say: “As soon as we looked up [after hearing the Flight 93 crash], we saw a midsized jet flying low and fast. It appeared to make a loop or part of a circle, and then it turned fast and headed out.” Decker and Chaney described the plane as a Learjet type, with engines mounted near the tail and painted white with no identifying markings. “It was a jet plane, and it had to be flying real close when that 757 went down. If I was the FBI, I’d find out who was driving that plane.” [Bergen Record, 9/14/2001]
Kathy Blades, who is staying about quarter of a mile from the impact site, runs outside after the crash and sees a jet, “with sleek back wings and an angled cockpit,” race overhead. [Philadelphia Daily News, 11/18/2001]
Anna Ruth Fisher says, “After the crash, another jet went near over to look.” Her mother, Anna B. Fisher, adds, “We were looking at the smoke cloud when we saw the jets circling up there.” [Kashurba, 2002, pp. 27]
Jim Brandt sees a small plane with no markings stay about one or two minutes over the crash site before leaving. [Pittsburgh Channel, 9/12/2001]
Bob Page sees a large plane circling the crash site for about two or three minutes, before climbing almost vertically into the sky. He cannot see what kind of plane it is or if there are any markings on it, but says, “It sure wasn’t no puddle jumper.” [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/12/2001]
Tom Spinelli: “I saw the white plane. It was flying around all over the place like it was looking for something. I saw it before and after the crash.” [Mirror, 9/12/2002]
The FBI later claims this was a Fairchild Falcon 20 business jet, directed after the crash to fly from 37,000 feet to 5,000 feet and obtain the coordinates for the crash site to help rescuers (see 10:07 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Pittsburgh Channel, 9/15/2001; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/16/2001] The FBI also says there was a C-130 military cargo aircraft flying at 24,000 feet about 17 miles away (see 10:08 a.m. September 11, 2001), but that plane wasn’t armed and had no role in the crash. [Pittsburgh Channel, 9/15/2001; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/16/2001] Note that this is the same C-130 that flies very close to Flight 77 right as that planes crashes into the Pentagon (see 9.36 a.m. September 11, 2001).
Entity Tags: Anna B Fisher, Dennis Decker, Anna Ruth Fisher, Bob Page, Susan Mcelwain, Kathy Blades, Federal Bureau of Investigation, John Fleegle, Tom Spinelli, Lee Purbaugh, Jim Brandt, Rick Chaney
(10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Flight 93 Crashes into Filled-in Mine in Pennsylvania Countryside
Flight 93 crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside. Resue vehicles arrive in the distance. [Source: Keith Srakocic/ Associated Press]Flight 93 crashes into an empty field just north of the Somerset County Airport, about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, 124 miles or 15 minutes from Washington, D.C. Presumably, hijackers Ziad Jarrah, Ahmed Alhaznawi, Ahmed Alnami, Saeed Alghamdi, and all the plane’s passengers are killed instantly. [CNN, 9/12/2001; North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/18/2001; Guardian, 10/17/2001; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/28/2001; USA Today, 8/12/2002; Associated Press, 8/21/2002; MSNBC, 9/3/2002] The point of impact is a reclaimed coal mine, known locally as the Diamond T Mine, that was reportedly abandoned in 1996. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/12/2001; St. Petersburg Times, 9/12/2001; Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/11/2002] Being “reclaimed” means the earth had been excavated down to the coal seam, the coal removed, and then the earth replaced and planted over. [Kashurba, 2002, pp. 121] A US Army authorized seismic study times the crash at five seconds after 10:06 a.m. [Kim and Baum, 2002 ; San Francisco Chronicle, 12/9/2002] As mentioned previously, the timing of this crash is disputed and it may well occur at 10:03 a.m., 10:07 a.m., or 10:10 a.m.
Entity Tags: San Francisco Chronicle, Ziad Jarrah, Ahmed Alhaznawi, Saeed Alghamdi, NBC, Ahmed Alnami
(10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Local Resident Captures ‘One-of-a-Kind’ Photo of Flight 93 Crash Explosion
A local resident is able to take the only photo showing the Flight 93 crash in the seconds after the plane went down. Val McClatchey lives just over a mile away from the crash site. [Wall Street Journal, 9/12/2006] She is at home watching television when she hears the surge of a plane engine, sees a silver flash outside, and then hears a loud boom that causes her house to shake. Luckily she has her new digital camera ready by her door. She was planning to photograph a friend who had promised to fly over in a helicopter on this day. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/29/2003; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 8/6/2006; Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown), 9/9/2006] She grabs it and from her front porch manages to take a picture of the smoke cloud rising into the sky, “approximately five seconds after impact,” she says. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 9/11/2002; Windsor Park Stories, 3/23/2003] Her photo will appear in numerous newspapers and magazines. According to the FBI, it is the only known image taken within seconds of the crash. Considering the sparsely populated area in which Flight 93 went down, Pittsburgh FBI agent Jeff Killeen calls it “one-of-a-kind.” [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 8/6/2006; Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown), 9/9/2006; Wall Street Journal, 9/12/2006]
Entity Tags: Val McClatchey
(10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Nearby Cottage Destroyed When Flight 93 Crashes
The local structure most severely damaged when Flight 93 crashes in rural Pennsylvania is a stone cottage, an estimated 1,000 feet from the crash site. Located within thick trees, the cottage belongs to Barry Hoover who is away at work at the time of the crash. Reportedly, “every window and door” has been “blown off and obliterated, its ceilings and floor tiles had been blasted loose and much of the interior was wrecked.” Hoover describes it as “like what you see after a tornado or hurricane goes through—a total ruin.” The garage adjacent to it has its door blown off by the shockwave from the crash. According to Somerset County Solicitor Dan Rullo, “The way it was described to me was that it must have been blown up, the springs snapped, and it came back upside down.” The surrounding area is scattered with remains and debris. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/14/2001; Kashurba, 2002, pp. 122; Washington Post, 5/12/2002]
Entity Tags: Barry Hoover
After 10:06 a.m. September 11, 2001: Emergency Dispatch Reports Second Suspicious Plane Heading Toward Johnstown Airport?
Soon after Flight 93 has crashed, Sherry Stalley, who is a reporter with a Johnstown, Pennsylvania, television station, is traveling in a car and hears a dispatch over the scanner (a type of radio receiver used by reporters), reporting that apparently another plane, possibly with a bomb onboard, is heading towards the Johnstown airport (located about 14 miles north of the Flight 93 crash site). According to Stalley, “The scanner was jammed with talk. Emergency crews and firefighters were being sent to the airport. Police were being dispatched to shut down roads. Every available unit within a thirty-mile radius was asked to help.” [Gilbert et al., 2002, pp. 111] The control tower at the Johnstown airport was evacuated at around 10 a.m., following reports of a suspect aircraft heading towards it (see (Between 9:40 and 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001).
Entity Tags: Sherry Stalley
(After 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Fighter Said to Fly Past Flight 93 Crash Site
“Up above, a fighter jet streak[s] by,” just after Flight 93 crashes, according to ABC News. [ABC News, 9/15/2002] It isn’t clear what evidence this ABC News claim is based on. There are other accounts of a fighter or fighters in the area before the crash, mentioned previously.
(After 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Michigan Fighters Diverted Toward Flight 1989
At some point after Flight 93 crashes, NORAD diverts “unarmed Michigan Air National Guard fighter jets that happened to be flying a training mission in northern Michigan since the time of the first attack.” [Associated Press, 8/30/2002] The 9/11 Commission concludes these fighters and fighters from Ohio are scrambled for Delta Flight 1989, a flight that was never hijacked or even out of contact. Meanwhile, reportedly, no fighters are scrambled after Flight 93 at all, which has already crashed. [9/11 Commission, 6/17/2004]
(After 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Counterterrorism’ Tsar’ Clarke Updated on Fighter Situation, Told Flight 93 Still Headed toward Washington
Counterterrorism “tsar” Richard Clarke is told by White House Situation Room Deputy Director Ralph Seigler, “Secret Service reports a hostile aircraft ten minutes out.” Two minutes later, he is given an update: “Hostile aircraft eight minutes out.” In actual fact, when Flight 93 crashed at 10:06 a.m., it was still about 15 minutes away from Washington. Clarke is also told that there are 3,900 aircraft still in the air over the continental US (which is roughly accurate); four of those aircraft are believed to be piloted by terrorists (which is inaccurate by this time). Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Richard Myers then reports: “We have three F-16s from Langley over the Pentagon. Andrews is launching fighters from the DC Air National Guard. We have fighters aloft from the Michigan Air National Guard, moving east toward a potential hostile over Pennsylvania. Six fighters from Tyndall and Ellington are en route to rendezvous with Air Force One over Florida. They will escort it to Barksdale.” [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/18/2001; Clarke, 2004, pp. 8-9] However, fighters do not meet up with Air Force One until about an hour later (see (11:29 a.m.) September 11, 2001). Franklin Miller, a senior national security official who is working alongside Clarke on 9/11, and another official who is also in the Situation Room, will later fail to recall hearing any warning that a plane could be only minutes away. [New York Times, 3/30/2004] The time of this incident is unstated, but the Michigan fighters are not diverted until after 10:06 a.m. (see (After 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001). If it takes place after 10:06 a.m., this would parallel similar warnings about Flight 93 after it has already crashed provided to Vice President Dick Cheney elsewhere in the White House (see (Between 10:10 a.m. and 10:18 a.m.) September 11, 2001).
Entity Tags: Richard B. Myers, Franklin Miller, Richard A. Clarke, US Secret Service, Ralph Seigler
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93, Richard Clarke, All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93, Richard Clarke
10:07 a.m. September 11, 2001: Air Traffic Control Suggests that No Distress Signal Indicating a Plane Has Crashed Was Noticed When Flight 93 Went Down
The FAA’s Cleveland Center, which had the last contact with Flight 93 before it crashed, suggests that no distress signal indicating a plane crash has occurred was picked up at the time Flight 93 went down. [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/11/2001; Federal Aviation Administration, 9/11/2001] Flight 93 reportedly crashed in rural Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m. (see (10:03 a.m.-10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [National Transportation Safety Board, 2/19/2002 ; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 30; USA Today, 9/11/2008] An air traffic controller at the Cleveland Center now says, apparently over an FAA teleconference, that someone has reported seeing black smoke in the vicinity of Flight 93’s last known position, near Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The controller then says, “We’re trying to see if we can get an ELT check.” [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/11/2001; Federal Aviation Administration, 9/11/2001] An “ELT” is an emergency locator transmitter, a device carried on most general aviation aircraft in the US that is designed to automatically start transmitting a distress signal if a plane should crash, so as to help search and rescue efforts in locating the downed aircraft. [Federal Aviation Administration, 3/23/1990; Federal Aviation Administration, 7/12/2001; Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, 1/22/2009] The Cleveland Center controller’s information, as an FAA timeline will later state, therefore indicates that “[n]o ELT” signal has been picked up in the area where Flight 93 apparently crashed “at this time.” [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/11/2001] Someone at the FAA’s Command Center in Herndon, Virginia, acknowledges the controller’s communication, responding, “Copy that, Command Center.” [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/11/2001] Whether anyone will subsequently report picking up an ELT signal in the area where Flight 93 apparently crashed is unclear. Major Allan Knox, who works at the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, which is “the contact for credible” ELT signals, will tell the 9/11 Commission that he “does not recall an ELT detection being brought to his attention” today. [9/11 Commission, 10/1/2003 ; 9/11 Commission, 10/6/2003 ] However, an ELT signal was picked up in the New York area by the pilot of an aircraft minutes before Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center (see 8:44 a.m. September 11, 2001) and another ELT signal was picked up in the New York area by the same pilot minutes before Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower (see 8:58 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/11/2001 ; New York Times, 10/16/2001]
Entity Tags: Federal Aviation Administration, Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center, Allan Knox
(Shortly After 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: CIA Director Tenet Tells Vice President Cheney Attackers Are ‘Done for the Day’
At some unspecified time, apparently relatively soon after Flight 93 crashed, Vice President Dick Cheney calls CIA Director George Tenet and asks him if he is anticipating any further attacks. Tenet replies, “No. My judgment is that they’re done for the day.” Tenet will later explain his reasoning behind this judgment: “There was a lull in the action, and to me that was telling.… I had no data to go on. But the pattern of spectacular multiple attacks within a very tight attack window was consistent with what we knew of al-Qaeda’s modus operandi based on the East African embassy attacks and others. Events happened within a strict timeline, and then they were done.” Yet at 10 a.m., Tenet had wanted the CIA headquarters evacuated, following reports that several airplanes were not responding to communications and were perhaps heading toward Washington. A large number of the CIA’s workforce had therefore been sent home (see (9:50 a.m.-10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Tenet, 2007, pp. 164 and 167] And according to recordings of the operations floor at NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) later obtained by Vanity Fair magazine, “inside NEADS there was no sense that the attack was over with the crash of United 93; instead, the alarms go on and on. False reports of hijackings, and real responses, continue well into the afternoon” (see 10:15 a.m. and After September 11, 2001). [Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006] Tenet and his staff will return to the CIA headquarters building at around 1 p.m. after having earlier evacuated to the CIA’s printing plant nearby. By that time, Tenet will say, “The danger was over for the day, in our estimation.” [Tenet, 2007, pp. 168]
Entity Tags: George J. Tenet, Richard (“Dick”) Cheney
After 10:06 a.m. September 11, 2001: Paper Debris Survives Flight 93 Crash
Paper debris found in New Baltimore, six miles from the crash site. [Source: Steve Mellon / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] (click image to enlarge)Despite the apparent lack of plane wreckage and human remains at the Flight 93 crash site (see (After 10:03 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and 10:45 a.m. September 11, 2001), a large amount of paper debris is found there, mostly intact. Faye Hahn, an EMT who responds to the initial call for help, finds “pieces of mail” everywhere. [McCall, 2002, pp. 31-32] Roger Bailey of the Somerset Volunteer Fire Department finds mail “scattered everywhere” around the site. He says, “I guess there were 5,000 pounds of mail on board.” [Kashurba, 2002, pp. 38] Some envelopes are burned, but others are undamaged. Flight 93 had reportedly been carrying a cargo of thousands of pounds of US mail. [Longman, 2002, pp. 213-214] Whether this is later examined as crime scene evidence is unclear: According to Bailey, over subsequent days, whenever a lot of this mail has been recovered, the post office will be called and a truck will come to take it away. Several of the first responders at the crash site also see an unscorched bible lying open on the ground, about 15 yards from the crash crater. [Kashurba, 2002, pp. 43, 110 and 129; Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 6/13/2006] Local coroner Wallace Miller will later come across a second bible at the warehouse where the Flight 93 victims’ belongings are kept. [Washington Post, 5/12/2002] Other paper debris rains down on the nearby Indian Lake Marina (see (Before 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001). According to witness Tom Spinelli, this is “mainly mail,” and also includes “bits of in-flight magazine.” [Mirror, 9/12/2002] Other paper items will be recovered from the crash site in the following days. These include a fragment of Ziad Jarrah’s passport and a business card linking al-Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui to the 9/11 hijackers. [CNN, 8/1/2002; Washington Post, 9/25/2002] A flight crew log book and an in-flight manual belonging to Lorraine Bay, a flight attendant on Flight 93, will also be recovered. [National Museum of American History, 9/20/2003]
Entity Tags: Tom Spinelli, Faye Hahn, Roger Bailey
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, All Day of 9/11 Events, Shanksville, Pennsylvania
10:07 a.m. September 11, 2001: Police Helicopter Reports Top of North Tower ‘Glowing Red’; Says Collapse is ‘Inevitable’
A helicopter flying above the burning World Trade Center. [Source: History Channel]Minutes after the collapse of the south WTC tower, police helicopters fly near the North Tower to check on its condition. The pilot of one helicopter radios, “About 15 floors down from the top, it looks like its glowing red,” and adds, “It’s inevitable.” Seconds later, another helicopter pilot reports, “I don’t think this has too much longer to go. I would evacuate all people within the area of that second building.” While these warnings are relayed to police officers, fire and rescue personnel do not hear them, as they operate on a different radio system. [New York Times, 7/7/2002; Inter Press Service, 8/25/2005; National Institute of Standards and Technology, 9/2005, pp. 224] The North Tower will collapse 21 minutes later (see 10:28 a.m. September 11, 2001).
Entity Tags: World Trade Center, New York City Police Department
10:07 a.m. September 11, 2001: Langley Pilot Reports Aircraft over White House, Asks NEADS for Instructions
NEADS personnel who are on duty the morning of 9/11. [Source: Vanity Fair] (click image to enlarge)One of the pilots that took off from Langley Air Force Base (see (9:25 a.m.-9:30 a.m.) September 11, 2001) calls NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) to relay information he has received about an aircraft over the White House, and is promptly instructed to intercept this aircraft. [Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006]
Borgstrom Wants Instructions - The three F-16s that took off from Langley Air Force Base are now flying in the Baltimore-Washington area. They have just heard a warning over the radio that errant aircraft will be shot down, and received an instruction from the Secret Service to protect the White House (see (10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001). The FAA’s Washington Center also notified them of a suspicious aircraft flying at high speed toward the White House. In response, pilot Craig Borgstrom radios NEADS and asks weapons director Steve Citino for instructions on what to do. [Spencer, 2008, pp. 222-223] Borgstrom says: “Baltimore [the Washington Center] is saying something about an aircraft over the White House. Any words?” Citino replies: “Negative. Stand by,” and then relays Borgstrom’s message to Major James Fox, the leader of the NEADS weapons team. Fox then notifies Major Kevin Nasypany, the NEADS mission crew commander, of the aircraft over the White House.
Ordered to Intercept - Instinctively, Nasypany responds, “Intercept!” and he then elaborates, “Intercept and divert that aircraft away from there.” Citino passes this instruction to the Langley fighters, telling them their mission is to “intercept aircraft over White House. Use FAA for guidance.” Fox then adds: “Divert the aircraft away from the White House. Intercept and divert it.” Borgstrom confirms the order, saying, “Divert the aircraft.”
Unidentified Aircraft a False Alarm - As the F-16s head for the White House, the NEADS controllers are unable to find the building on their dated equipment, and also have trouble communicating with the Langley pilots. NEADS personnel speculate that the unidentified object is probably just a helicopter or smoke from the burning Pentagon. Minutes later, the suspect aircraft will be realized to probably be one of the Langley fighters, mistakenly reported by a Washington Center air traffic controller who was unaware of the military’s scrambles. Citino will comment: “That was cool. We intercepted our own guys.” [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001; Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006]
Entity Tags: Northeast Air Defense Sector, Kevin Nasypany, Steve Citino, Craig Borgstrom, James Fox
10:07 a.m.-10:21 a.m. September 11, 2001: FAA’s Cleveland Center Receives Bomb Threats
The FAA’s Cleveland Center receives a number of bomb threats. The Cleveland Center, which had the last contact with Flight 93 before it crashed, receives the first of these bomb threats at 10:07 a.m., according to an FAA report published in 2002. Then, at 10:17 a.m., the report will state, the center says over an FAA teleconference that it is “receiving a bomb threat,” although it is unclear if this is a second threat or a reference to the earlier one. At 10:21 a.m., the center reports over the teleconference that it has received “two more” bomb threats. [Federal Aviation Administration, 3/21/2002, pp. S-17, S-19] The Cleveland Center will subsequently be searched and found to be secure. It is unclear whether the search is made in response to the bomb threats. [Federal Aviation Administration, 9/19/2001, pp. 6-7 ] Newsweek will later report, “Officials suspect that the bomb threats [on September 11] were intended to add to the chaos, distracting controllers from tracking the hijacked planes.” [Newsweek, 9/22/2001] However, the Washington Post will subsequently state that according to FAA officials, “reports of multiple threats were apparently the result of confusion during the early hours of the investigation and miscommunication in the Federal Aviation Administration.” [Washington Post, 9/27/2001] The Cleveland Center is evacuated at around 10:17 a.m. (see (10:17 a.m.) September 11, 2001), although this is in response to a report of a suspicious aircraft flying above it rather than the bomb threats. [Federal Aviation Administration, 3/21/2002, pp. S-19; Newsnet5, 8/12/2002; Associated Press, 8/15/2002]
Entity Tags: Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center
10:07 a.m. September 11, 2001: Business Jet Asked to Help Locate Flight 93 Crash Site
Falcon 20 business jet. [Source: Portuguese Air Force]According to some accounts, following a request from the FAA’s Cleveland Center, a Fairchild Falcon 20 business jet reports seeing puffs of smoke in the area of Flight 93’s last known position. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/16/2001; Federal Aviation Administration, 9/17/2001 ] The FBI later says the business jet was within 20 miles of Flight 93 when it crashed, at an altitude of 37,000 feet, and on its way to Johnstown. It was asked to descend to 5,000 feet to help locate the crash site for the benefit of the responding emergency crews. [Pittsburgh Channel, 9/15/2001] Stacey Taylor appears to be the Cleveland Center controller who made the request. She later recalls: “I had another airplane [other than Flight 93] that I was working. And I told him, I said, ‘Sir,’ I said, ‘I think we have an aircraft down.’ I said, ‘This is entirely up to you, but if you’d be willing to fly over the last place that we spotted this airplane—and see if you can see anything.‘… So he flew over and at first he didn’t see anything and then he said, ‘We see a great big plume or a cloud of smoke.’” [MSNBC, 9/9/2006] The business jet belongs to VF Corp, a Greensboro, North Carolina clothing firm. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/16/2001] According to David Newell, VF Corp’s director of aviation and travel, Cleveland Center contacted the plane’s copilot Yates Gladwell when it was at an altitude “in the neighborhood of 3,000 to 4,000 ft,” rather than 37,000 feet, as claimed by the FBI. He will add: “They got down within 1,500 ft. of the ground when they circled. They saw a hole in the ground with smoke coming out of it. They pinpointed the location and then continued on.” [Popular Mechanics, 3/2005] This incident occurs around 40 minutes after the FAA initiated a nationwide ground stop, which required planes in the air to land as soon as reasonable (see (9:26 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Time, 9/14/2001; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 25] The FBI will claim the VF Corp business jet is probably the plane some witnesses on the ground see up above, shortly after the crash of Flight 93 (see (Before and After 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Pittsburgh Channel, 9/15/2001] However, at least two witnesses say they saw a plane overhead even before the time of the Flight 93 crash, and one of them describes it as “definitely military,” rather than a business jet. Also, some will describe it as flying much lower than the Falcon 20 was—just “40 feet above my head,” according to one witness. [Bergen Record, 9/14/2001; Mirror, 9/12/2002]
Entity Tags: Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stacey Taylor, Yates Gladwell
(10:07 a.m.-10:15 a.m.) September 11, 2001: United Airlines Headquarters Learns of Smoke Plume Rising at Flight 93’s Last Known Location
Hank Krakowski. [Source: Unisys]After seeing Flight 93’s radar track stopping over Pennsylvania, a senior United Airlines official contacts an airport in that area and receives confirmation of what appears to be an airplane crash nearby. Along with other United Airlines managers, Hank Krakowski, United’s director of flight operations, has just been watching Flight 93 on a large screen in the crisis center at the airline’s headquarters, outside Chicago (see (9:36 a.m.-10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001). A dispatcher has determined the plane’s last position was south of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, so Krakowski tries phoning the Johnstown airport. However, due to an apparent power failure, there is no reply. He has to call the airport manager’s cell phone number. He asks the manager: “We might have a plane down in your area there. See anything unusual?” The manager reports a black smoke plume visible about 30 miles to the south of the airport. Krakowski thinks, “We just watched one of our airplanes crash.” [Longman, 2002, pp. 214; USA Today, 8/13/2002] Therefore, by 10:15 a.m. according to the 9/11 Commission, United Airlines headquarters has “confirmed that an aircraft [has] crashed near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and [it] believed that this was Flight 93.” [9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 47]
Entity Tags: United Airlines, Hank Krakowski
(10:06 a.m.-10:25 a.m.) September 11, 2001: FBI Informed of Plane Crash; Agents Head to Flight 93 Crash Scene
Wells Morrison is the supervisory special agent in charge of the FBI’s Mon Valley Resident Agency, a satellite of the bureau’s Pittsburgh field office. [Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 4/13/2003] He receives a call informing him that a plane has crashed in Somerset County. Another phone call informs him that Westmoreland County 911 received a call saying a plane had been hijacked. (This is the call believed to have been from Flight 93 passenger Edward Felt (see 9:58 a.m. September 11, 2001).) He sends an agent out, who quickly seizes the tape of the call from the emergency dispatchers. Morrison also has agents sent to the Flight 93 crash site and subsequently goes there himself, being one of the first FBI agents to arrive at the scene. [Washington Post, 9/12/2001; Kashurba, 2002, pp. 109-110] Patrick Madigan of the Pennsylvania State Police, who arrives at the crash site around 10:20 a.m., says the first FBI agent gets there soon after him. Initially, four or five FBI agents will be there. [Department of the Army and the Air Force National Guard Bureau, 2002 ; Kashurba, 2002, pp. 60 and 110] In the subsequent days, about 150 agents will be involved in the recovery effort (see (September 11-27, 2001)). [Longman, 2002, pp. 259] As it is a crime scene, the FBI is in charge of the Flight 93 crash site and the subsequent investigation. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11/4/2001; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2/17/2002]
Entity Tags: Patrick Madigan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wells Morrison
(After 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Counterterrorism’ Tsar’ Clarke Told of Flight 93 Crash
Counterterrorism “tsar” Richard Clarke is told by an aide, “United 93 is down, crashed outside of Pittsburgh. It’s odd. Appears not to have hit anything much on the ground.” The timing of this event is unclear. [Clarke, 2004, pp. 14-15]
Entity Tags: Richard A. Clarke
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93, Richard Clarke
(After 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: President Bush Is Told of Flight 93 Crash, Wonders If It Was Shot Down
President Bush is told that Flight 93 crashed a few minutes after it happened, but the exact timing of this notice is unclear. Because of Vice President Cheney’s earlier order, he asks, “Did we shoot it down or did it crash?” Several hours later, he is assured that it crashed. [Washington Post, 1/27/2002]
Entity Tags: Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, George W. Bush
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Flight UA 93, George Bush
(After 10:06 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Al-Qaeda Agents Heard Saying ‘We’ve Hit the Targets’
According to Newsweek, “shortly after the suicide attacks,” US intelligence picks up communications among bin Laden associates relaying the message: “we’ve hit the targets.” [Newsweek, 9/13/2001]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, US intelligence
10:08 a.m. September 11, 2001: Military Cargo Plane Pilot Asked to Verify Flight 93 Crash
Lt. Col. Steve O’Brien standing in front of a C-130. [Source: CBC]Cleveland Center air traffic controller Stacey Taylor has asked a nearby C-130 pilot to look at Flight 93’s last position and see if he can find anything. Remarkably, this C-130 pilot, Lt. Col. Steve O’Brien, is the same pilot who was asked by air traffic control to observe Flight 77 as it crashed into the Pentagon earlier on (see 9.36 a.m. September 11, 2001). O’Brien tells Taylor that he saw smoke from the crash shortly after the hijacked plane went down. [Guardian, 10/17/2001; MSNBC, 9/11/2002; 9/11 Commission, 6/17/2004] An article in the London Independent will later suggest that Flight 93 might have been brought down by the US military using “electronic warfare applications” that can disrupt the mechanisms of an airplane (See August 13, 2002); it will refer to this C-130, since “in 1995 the Air Force installed ‘electronic suites’ in at least 28 of its C-130s—capable, among other things, of emitting lethal jamming signals.” [Independent, 8/13/2002]
Entity Tags: Stacey Taylor, Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center, Steve O’Brien
10:08 a.m. September 11, 2001: FAA Informed that Flight 93 Has Crashed, Confirms Crash Nine Minutes Later
According to the 9/11 Commission, the FAA Command Center reports to FAA headquarters at this time that Flight 93 has crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside. “It hit the ground. That’s what they’re speculating, that’s speculation only.” The Command Center confirms that Flight 93 crashed at 10:17 a.m. [Guardian, 10/17/2001; MSNBC, 9/11/2002; 9/11 Commission, 6/17/2004]
10:08 a.m. September 11, 2001: Guards Surround the White House
Armed agents deploy around the White House. [CNN, 9/12/2001]
(10:08 a.m.-10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001: NORAD Commanders Arnold and Marr Consider Possibility of Shootdown Authorization
Two senior NORAD officials, Colonel Robert Marr and Major General Larry Arnold, have to address the possibility of issuing shootdown authorization to fighter jets under their command, after a report is received about an aircraft over the White House. [Spencer, 2008, pp. 224-225]
Aircraft over White House - Marr, the battle commander at NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) in Rome, New York, is in the NEADS battle cab. On the NEADS operations floor, mission crew commander Major Kevin Nasypany has just learned of a report of an aircraft flying over the White House (see 10:07 a.m. September 11, 2001), and now talks to Marr over the phone. Nasypany asks: “Okay, did you hear that? Aircraft over the White House. What’s the word? Intercept and what else?” Marr has a phone to each ear and does not hear what Nasypany says. Nasypany therefore repeats, “Aircraft… over… the White House!” pausing on each word for emphasis. [Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006; Spencer, 2008, pp. 224]
Commanders Discuss Shootdown Order - The news of an aircraft over the White House forces Marr and Arnold, with whom he has been communicating, to address the issue of authorizing the shooting down of aircraft. [Spencer, 2008, pp. 225] Arnold, the commander of NORAD’s Continental US Region (CONR), is at the CONR air operations center at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. [Code One Magazine, 1/2002] According to author Lynn Spencer, he has not yet received any instructions from his higher-ups regarding shootdown authorization. “He talked to Major General Rick Findley,” who is at NORAD’s operations center in Colorado, “and asked him to get shootdown authority from the vice president, but he’s still heard nothing back.” [Spencer, 2008, pp. 225]
Arnold Possibly Authorizes Shootdown - Arnold will later tell author Leslie Filson that he has “the authority in case of an emergency to declare a target hostile and shoot it down under an emergency condition.” [Filson, 2003, pp. 75] But according to Vanity Fair, he only passes the current request for rules of engagement further up his chain of command. [Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006] However, Spencer will claim otherwise, stating, “In light of the imminent attack on the White House,” Arnold “decides he will exercise the authority he has to protect the nation in an emergency.” He tells Marr: “We will intercept and attempt to divert. If we can’t, then we’ll shoot it down.” [Spencer, 2008, pp. 225]
Alleged Shootdown Authorization Not Passed On - Minutes later, though, Nasypany will tell his staff that the pilots that took off from Langley Air Force Base (see (9:25 a.m.-9:30 a.m.) September 11, 2001) have “negative clearance to shoot” aircraft over Washington (see 10:10 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 31] And according to the 9/11 Commission, NEADS only learns that NORAD has been given clearance to shoot down threatening aircraft at 10:31 a.m., and even then it does not pass this order along to the fighter pilots under its command (see 10:31 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 42-43]
Entity Tags: Larry Arnold, Northeast Air Defense Sector, Kevin Nasypany, Robert Marr
(Shortly Before 10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Navy Commander Answers a Call from the Pentagon, Requesting Shootdown Authorization
Anthony Barnes. [Source: US Navy]Navy Captain Anthony Barnes, deputy director of presidential contingency programs for the White House Military Office, receives a call from a senior official at the Pentagon who wants permission for fighter jets to shoot down aircraft that are under the control of terrorists. Barnes is in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) below the White House, and has been “running liaison between the ops guys who had Pentagon officials on the phone and the [PEOC] conference room where the principals were,” he will later recall. [Summers and Swan, 2011, pp. 141; Graff, 2019, pp. 164-165] Communicators in the PEOC have been receiving reports from the Secret Service about a suspicious aircraft that is presumably hijacked and is heading toward Washington, DC (see 10:02 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41] Barnes now receives a call from a general at the Pentagon who is concerned about this aircraft and wants permission for the military to engage it. “The Pentagon thought there was another hijacked airplane and they were asking for permission to shoot down an identified hijacked commercial aircraft,” Barnes will recall. [Summers and Swan, 2011, pp. 141; Graff, 2019, pp. 164-165] In response to the call, Barnes will go from the operations and communications room in the PEOC to the conference room, tell Vice President Dick Cheney about the suspicious aircraft, and request his permission for the military to engage it (see (Between 10:10 a.m. and 10:18 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Newsweek, 12/30/2001; 9/11 Commission, 4/16/2004; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41]
Entity Tags: Anthony Barnes
(10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Air Force One Turns West, Away from Washington
Air Force One, the president’s plane, changes course and heads west instead of north toward Washington, DC, but it currently has no specific destination. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 325] Washington had been Air Force One’s original destination. [White House, 8/29/2002; Lompoc Record, 9/11/2011] And President Bush has been anxious to return to the capital. [White House, 8/12/2002; White House, 8/16/2002] But when it took off from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in Florida (see 9:54 a.m. September 11, 2001), Air Force One had no fixed destination. There has been a discussion between the plane’s pilot, the lead Secret Service agent on the plane, Bush’s military aide, and Bush’s chief of staff, about where to go, and it was decided that Washington was too unsafe to be their destination (see (9:55 a.m.-10:04 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 39] This decision is now passed on to the president.
President Notified of Decision to Change Course - In his 2010 memoir, Bush will recall that “[s]hortly after we took off from Sarasota,” Andrew Card, his chief of staff, and Edward Marinzel, the lead Secret Service agent, “said conditions in Washington were too volatile, the danger of attack too high. The FAA believed six planes had been hijacked, meaning three more could be in the air.” [Bush, 2010, pp. 130] Card tells Bush: “We’ve got to let the dust settle before we go back. We’ve got to find out what’s going on.” [White House, 8/16/2002] Bush tells Card and Marinzel he is “not going to let terrorists scare me away.” He says: “I’m the president. And we’re going to Washington.” However, Card and Marinzel refuse to back down. [Bush, 2010, pp. 130] Finally, “Bush reluctantly acceded” to their advice, and so “Air Force One changed course and began heading due west,” according to the 9/11 Commission Report. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 325] Bush wants to know where they are now going. Card tells him that their new destination is still being decided. [White House, 8/16/2002]
Plane Turns West within '20 Minutes of Takeoff' - Air Force One begins heading west “at about 10:10,” according to the 9/11 Commission Report. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 325] A reporter who is traveling on Air Force One at this time will write that the plane “suddenly veered west” within “perhaps 20 minutes of takeoff,” meaning before 10:15 a.m. Describing the plane’s initial route after taking off, this reporter will write, “Assuming that a direct flight from Sarasota to Barksdale Air Force Base [in Louisiana] would have taken us over the Gulf of Mexico, we can conclude that we flew east (to within sight of the Atlantic Ocean), then north, then west.” [USA Today, 9/11/2001] However, a few accounts will claim that Air Force One continues flying toward Washington at this time, and only changes course and heads west at around 10:45 a.m. (see (10:45 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Sammon, 2002, pp. 108-109; Washington Post, 1/27/2002; National Journal, 8/31/2002] At around 10:20 a.m., according to the 9/11 Commission Report, Barksdale Air Force Base will be identified “as an appropriate interim destination,” and so Air Force One heads toward there (see (10:20 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 325]
Entity Tags: Edward Marinzel, George W. Bush, Andrew Card
(10:10 a.m.-10:55 a.m.) September 11, 2001: First Lady Taken to Secret Service Headquarters, but Delayed in Traffic
Andi Ball. [Source: White House]Laura Bush, the president’s wife, and her entourage are driven from Capitol Hill to the Secret Service headquarters in Washington, DC, for their own security, but their journey is slowed by the heavy traffic. [Woodward, 2002, pp. 17; National Journal, 8/31/2002; Kessler, 2006, pp. 136; Bush, 2010, pp. 200-201] Bush has been at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, where she was originally scheduled to testify before a Senate committee. [CNN, 9/12/2001; Woodward, 2002, pp. 16-17] Her Secret Service agents have said they are going to take the first lady and her staff to a secure location. [Kessler, 2006, pp. 136] After the Secret Service emergency response team arrived for her, Bush was escorted out of the Russell Senate Office Building and to her limousine (see (Shortly After 10:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001). Bush and those accompanying her leave Capitol Hill at 10:10 a.m., according to Noelia Rodriguez, the first lady’s press secretary.
Agents with Guns Drawn Protect Motorcade - Secret Service agents protect Bush’s motorcade with their guns as it heads to the secure location. Ashleigh Adams, the first lady’s deputy press secretary, will later recall, “It felt like we were in a war, because the Secret Service was driving next to the motorcade and they were hanging out of the windows with their machine guns out.” She will add that she has “been around the agents” before, but has “never seen them with their guns.”
Motorcade Delayed by Traffic - However, the motorcade is slowed by the heavy traffic. Bush will describe, “Outside our convoy windows, the city streets were clogged with people evacuating their workplaces and trying to reach their own homes.” Rodriguez will say, “In the car, we seemed to be going in slow motion.” [National Journal, 8/31/2002; Bush, 2010, pp. 200] “The traffic was so bad that everything was stopped,” Andi Ball, Bush’s chief of staff, will recall. One of the Secret Service agents escorting Bush and her staff will later say a car sideswiped them during the journey.
Secure Location Is Secret Service Headquarters - The “secure location” that Bush and her staff are being taken to turns out to be the Secret Service headquarters. [Kessler, 2006, pp. 136] The Secret Service headquarters, according to journalist and author Ronald Kessler, is “an anonymous nine-story tan brick building on H Street at Ninth Street NW in Washington.” [Kessler, 2009, pp. 23] It is located a few blocks from the White House. After the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 (see 8:35 a.m. - 9:02 a.m. April 19, 1995) it was reinforced to survive a large-scale blast. Bush and her entourage arrive there through an underground entrance. [Washington Post, 8/23/2009; Bush, 2010, pp. 200-201]
Journey Reportedly Takes 45 Minutes - The exact time they arrive at is unclear. According to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, “In the traffic jam from the Capitol, it took 45 minutes to get [Bush] to Secret Service headquarters.” This would mean the first lady arrives there at around 10:55 a.m. [Woodward, 2002, pp. 17] However, Bush will write that she watches the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsing “live in front of my eyes,” on a screen at the headquarters. [Bush, 2010, pp. 201] If this is correct, she must arrive at the headquarters sometime before 10:28 a.m., when the North Tower comes down (see 10:28 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 311] White House spokespeople will refuse to disclose where the first lady has been taken to, only saying she is at a “secure location.” [Associated Press, 9/11/2001; CNN, 9/12/2001; CNN, 9/11/2002]
Entity Tags: Andrea Ball, Laura Bush, Ashleigh Adams, Noelia Rodriguez, US Secret Service
(Between 10:10 a.m. and 10:35 a.m.) September 11, 2001: US Military’s Force Protection Level Is Raised
US military installations are placed on the highest state of alert, known as Force Protection Condition Delta (FPCON Delta), in response to the terrorist attacks in New York and at the Pentagon. The raised threat level applies to every US military installation across the country and around the world, and every member of the US armed forces. [Associated Press, 9/11/2001; US Department of Defense, 9/11/2001; New York Times, 9/12/2001] Measures that are taken once FPCON Delta has been declared include placing more guards on duty at military installations, having all vehicles on installations identified, and having all personnel positively identified. Additionally, all suitcases, briefcases, and packages brought into an installation must be searched. [Slate, 9/12/2001]
Rumsfeld and Myers Decide to Raise the FPCON - The decision to raise the force protection condition is apparently made by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and/or acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myers. Rumsfeld will tell the 9/11 Commission that after he arrives at the Pentagon’s National Military Command Center (NMCC) (see (10:30 a.m.) September 11, 2001), he and Myers “discussed, and I recommended… increasing the force protection level.” [9/11 Commission, 3/23/2004] Myers will later write that after he arrives at the NMCC (see (Between 9:55 a.m. and 10:25 a.m.) September 11, 2001), he “recommended that all American military commands and units worldwide go to [FPCON] Delta.” He will add: “Terrorists had staged major attacks in New York and Washington. Although we did not yet have reliable intelligence on when and where they would strike next, it seemed likely that they would.” [Myers, 2009, pp. 153] But White House counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke will write that he gave the instruction to raise the force protection condition, at around 9:30 a.m. (see (9:29 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Clarke, 2004, pp. 5-6]
Conflicting Times Are Given for the Raising of the FPCON - The exact time at which the force protection condition is raised is unclear. CNN’s Barbara Starr will report that “all US military forces [are] ordered to Condition Delta” at 10:10 a.m. [CNN, 9/4/2002] However, other evidence indicates the force protection condition is raised at a later time, around 10:35 a.m. Rumsfeld only enters the NMCC at about 10:30 a.m., indicating it is raised after that time. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 43-44] And at 10:38 a.m., after Vice President Dick Cheney asks him on the air threat conference call if US forces are on “heightened alert,” Rumsfeld will reply, “Yes,” and say they are at FPCON Delta. [US Department of Defense, 9/11/2001 ]
Some Areas Are Already at FPCON Delta - Although the entire US military is now under the same FPCON level, usually, different locations can have different FPCON levels. [Slate, 9/12/2001] US forces in some parts of the world, particularly the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region, are in fact already at FPCON Delta. [New York Times, 9/12/2001] (The force protection condition was raised in those areas in late June, after intelligence reports suggested that terrorists might attack American military or civilian targets in the region (see June 21, 2001). [Los Angeles Times, 6/23/2001; National Public Radio, 5/23/2002; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 257] ) Shortly after the force protection condition is raised, Rumsfeld will order that the defense readiness condition also be raised (see (10:43 a.m.-10:52 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [US Department of Defense, 9/11/2001 ; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 326, 554]
There Are Five Possible Force Protection Conditions - The force protection condition is a “chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-approved standard for identification of, and recommended responses to, terrorist threats against US personnel and facilities,” according to the Department of Defense. [US Department of Defense, 11/8/2010 ] It was created in June 2001 and replaced the “terrorist threat condition,” or “Threatcon.” [Los Angeles Times, 1/22/2002] There are five possible force protection conditions. The lowest, FPCON Normal, means no threat of terrorist activity is present. The other conditions are Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, up to the highest, FPCON Delta, which means a terrorist attack has occurred or intelligence has been received indicating that action against a specific location is likely. [Associated Press, 9/11/2001; Slate, 9/12/2001]
Entity Tags: Donald Rumsfeld, Richard A. Clarke, US Department of Defense, Richard B. Myers
Category Tags: All Day of 9/11 Events, Donald Rumsfeld
10:10 a.m.-10:11 a.m. September 11, 2001: Dispatcher Tells Flight 93 Not to Divert to Washington
Unaware the aircraft has crashed, United Airlines flight dispatcher Ed Ballinger instructs Flight 93 not to divert to Washington. At 10:10, he sends a text message to Flight 93, stating: “Don’t divert to DC. Not an option.” A minute later, he resends this same message to it. [9/11 Commission, 1/27/2004; 9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 46] Someone on Flight 93 had contacted the FAA at 9:30, requesting a new flight plan with the destination of Washington (see 9:30 a.m. September 11, 2001), and at 9:55 the pilot hijacker reprogrammed the plane’s navigational system for the new destination of Washington’s Reagan National Airport (see 9:55 a.m. September 11, 2001). United Airlines will not confirm that Flight 93 has crashed until around 10:15 (see (10:07 a.m.-10:15 a.m.) September 11, 2001), and will notify its employees of this at 10:17 (see 10:17 a.m. September 11, 2001).
Entity Tags: Ed Ballinger
(Between 10:10 a.m. and 10:18 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Vice President Cheney Authorizes the Military to Shoot Down a Suspicious Plane Approaching Washington
Dick Cheney in the PEOC, speaking to administration officials including (from left) Joshua Bolten, Karen Hughes, Mary Matalin (standing), Condoleezza Rice, and I. Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby. [Source: David Bohrer / White House]Navy Captain Anthony Barnes, deputy director of presidential contingency programs for the White House Military Office, asks Vice President Dick Cheney if the military is authorized to engage a suspicious aircraft that is approaching Washington, DC, and Cheney says it is. [White House, 11/19/2001; White House, 12/17/2001] Communicators in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) below the White House have received reports from the Secret Service about a suspicious aircraft that is presumably hijacked and is heading toward Washington (see 10:02 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41] Meanwhile, Barnes, the senior military officer on duty in the PEOC this morning, was called by a general at the Pentagon who wanted permission for the military to shoot down this aircraft (see (Shortly Before 10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001). In response to the request, Barnes goes into the PEOC conference room to ask the vice president to provide this authorization. [Summers and Swan, 2011, pp. 141; Graff, 2019, pp. 164-165]
Cheney Is Told that a Suspicious Aircraft Is 80 Miles Out - He tells Cheney there is an unidentified aircraft approaching Washington that is not squawking a transponder code and is believed to be hijacked. [9/11 Commission, 4/16/2004; Cheney and Cheney, 2011, pp. 3] He says the plane is 80 miles out and asks Cheney for authorization to engage it. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41] “I posed this question to the vice president exactly the way it was posed to me,” Barnes will later recall. “I asked for confirmation on what I was being allowed to pass back to the general,” he will say. [Summers and Swan, 2011, pp. 141-142]
Cheney Authorizes the Military to Shoot the Plane Down - Cheney responds immediately and decisively, telling Barnes that fighters can engage the inbound aircraft. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41; Cheney and Cheney, 2011, pp. 3] “Yes, take it out,” he will recall saying. [Foundation for Constitutional Government, 9/30/2014] But according to Barnes, he says, “If you can confirm there’s another terrorist aircraft inbound, permission is granted to take it out.” [Summers and Swan, 2011, pp. 142] Cheney will explain why he decided so quickly that the military could shoot down the aircraft, saying, “As the last hour and a half had made brutally clear, once a plane was hijacked it was a weapon in the hands of the enemy.” [Cheney and Cheney, 2011, pp. 3] At 10:14 a.m., presumably as a result of hearing Cheney giving his authorization, a military officer in the PEOC tells participants on the air threat conference call convened by the National Military Command Center at the Pentagon that the vice president has confirmed that fighters are cleared to engage hijacked aircraft (see 10:14 a.m.-10:19 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 42]
Officer Again Asks for Authorization to Engage the Aircraft - A short time after receiving Cheney’s authorization for the military to engage the suspicious aircraft, Barnes returns to the conference room to repeat his request. He says the plane is now 60 miles out and, for a second time, asks Cheney to give his authorization for the military to engage it. [White House, 11/14/2001; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41; Gellman, 2008, pp. 120] “For me, being a military member and an aviator—understanding the absolute depth of what that question was and what that answer was—I wanted to make sure that there was no mistake whatsoever about what was being asked,” he will explain. “I am confirming that you have given permission,” he says to Cheney. [Graff, 2019, pp. 164-165] Again, Cheney agrees to the request. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41; Cheney and Cheney, 2011, pp. 3] “Yes, if it won’t divert, take it out,” he says. [Foundation for Constitutional Government, 9/30/2014] According to Josh Bolten, the deputy White House chief of staff, Barnes then asks Cheney to give his authorization for a third time. “Just confirming, sir, authority to engage?” Bolten will recall him saying. But according to the Washington Post, Barnes asks, “Does the order still stand?” Cheney, sounding annoyed, replies, “I said yes,” according to Bolten. But according to the Washington Post, he snaps, “Of course it does.” [Washington Post, 1/27/2002; CNN, 9/11/2002; Hayes, 2007, pp. 338] After receiving the shootdown authorization from Cheney, Barnes goes and passes it on to the general who called him to request it (see (10:18 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Summers and Swan, 2011, pp. 142; Graff, 2019, pp. 165]
Bush Has Already Given Shootdown Authorization, Cheney Will Claim - Cheney will claim that he talked to President Bush about “rules of engagement” for fighter pilots and Bush gave his authorization for them to shoot down hostile aircraft during a call made before the vice president talked to Barnes about the issue (see (Shortly After 9:56 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [White House, 11/19/2001; White House, 12/17/2001; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 40] “I had a conversation with the president earlier about what the rules of engagement would be with our airplanes,” Cheney will say. [Foundation for Constitutional Government, 9/30/2014] He will recall telling Bush, “We’ve got to give the pilots rules of engagement,” and recommending that “we authorize them to shoot,” and Bush replying, “Okay, I’ll sign up to that.” Therefore, Cheney will explain, when he authorized the military to engage the suspicious aircraft, he simply “passed on the decision the president had already made.” [White House, 11/19/2001] However, the 9/11 Commission Report will state that “no documentary evidence for this call” was found and some 9/11 Commission staffers will be highly skeptical about Cheney’s claim (see June 15, 2004). [Newsweek, 6/27/2004; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41; Shenon, 2008, pp. 265] The first time Cheney talks to Bush to get his authorization for the military to shoot down hostile aircraft, according to the 9/11 Commission Report, will be in a phone call at 10:18 a.m., shortly after the vice president gives his permission for the military to engage the approaching aircraft (see 10:18 a.m.-10:20 a.m. September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 41, 465; Gellman, 2008, pp. 121-122]
Entity Tags: Anthony Barnes, Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, Joshua Bolten
(10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Suspected Hijacked Aircraft Is Reportedly Heading for NORAD’s Operations Center in Colorado
Michael Gould. [Source: US Air Force]Officials in NORAD’s operations center in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, are notified that an aircraft out of San Diego, California, may be hijacked and could be targeting Cheyenne Mountain. [BBC, 9/1/2002; Grant, 2004, pp. 26] The FBI warns NORAD’s Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center (CMOC) “that a flight originating in San Diego might be hijacked and headed for a target in Colorado,” according to Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine. [Aviation Week and Space Technology, 6/3/2002] According to an official Air Force report on the war on terrorism, the CMOC is told that the flight is “headed to Denver,” and Brigadier General Michael Gould, the commander of the CMOC, then realizes there are “plenty” of targets near Denver, “from the Air Force bases around Colorado Springs to downtown Denver or even Cheyenne Mountain.” [Grant, 2004, pp. 26]
Cheyenne Mountain Is the Plane's Target - According to other accounts, Cheyenne Mountain specifically is believed to be the plane’s intended target. [Washington Post, 7/29/2006] Brigadier General Jim Hunter, the vice commander of the CMOC, will later recall that the operations center receives intelligence that “there might be another airliner airborne from a city in the United States,” which has reportedly “been hijacked near San Diego,” and the plane’s target is “specifically Cheyenne Mountain.”
Threat Reportedly Leads to the Blast Doors Being Shut - The Regina Leader-Post will point out, “Protected by 2,600 feet of granite, the NORAD command center and hundreds of personnel in their green flight suits were actually in the safest place in North America.” Hunter will comment, “They could have driven airliners into that mountain all day.” [BBC, 9/1/2002; Regina Leader-Post, 9/12/2011] But, according to some accounts, the concern about the suspicious plane is what leads to the 25-ton blast doors to the CMOC being closed for the first time ever in a real-world, non-exercise event (see (10:15 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Toronto Star, 12/9/2001; BBC, 9/1/2002; North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/9/2011]
Suspicious Flight Is a False Alarm - The suspect aircraft eventually identifies itself and lands uneventfully. But, Gould will recall, NORAD starts “expanding our focus away from just the northeast corridor” of the US and also begins “considering other critical infrastructure, [such as] nuclear power plants.” Gould will add, “We’re just thinking, ‘What kind of damage could an airliner full of fuel do?’” [Grant, 2004, pp. 26] Later on today, CMOC personnel will be informed that a truck, or a number of trucks, carrying Arab-looking men is heading their way, but the apparent threat will turn out to be a false alarm (see (Shortly After 1:05 p.m.) September 11, 2001). “We were receiving all kinds of input from everybody,” Lieutenant Colonel William Glover, the commander of NORAD’s Air Warning Center, will comment. Every rumor is treated as a potential threat. “It didn’t make sense, but those phone calls were happening,” Glover will say. [US Department of Defense, 9/11/2001; Aviation Week and Space Technology, 6/3/2002; BBC, 9/1/2002]
Entity Tags: Jim Hunter, Michael Gould, William Glover, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Federal Bureau of Investigation
10:10 a.m. September 11, 2001: NEADS Personnel Told Langley Fighters Cannot Shoot Down Hijacked Planes
The mission crew commander at NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) tells members of his staff that the fighter jets launched from Langley Air Force Base (see (9:25 a.m.-9:30 a.m.) September 11, 2001) have “negative clearance to shoot” aircraft over Washington. [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001; 9/11 Commission, 6/17/2003; Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006; Spencer, 2008, pp. 226-227]
Marr Does Not Pass on Authorization - NEADS battle commander Colonel Robert Marr has just been talking on the phone with Major General Larry Arnold, the commander of NORAD’s Continental US Region, and the two men have discussed whether fighters should be authorized to shoot down hostile aircraft (see (10:08 a.m.-10:10 a.m.) September 11, 2001). According to author Lynn Spencer, Arnold told Marr that if a suspicious aircraft cannot be diverted, “then we’ll shoot it down.” However, this is not the instruction that Marr then passes on to Major Kevin Nasypany, the NEADS mission crew commander. [Spencer, 2008, pp. 225-227] Marr will later tell the 9/11 Commission that at this time, he “may have had the authority” to order a plane shot down, “but he never gave [Nasypany] clearance to fire.” Marr “does not believe at this point there was a clearance to ‘kill.’” [9/11 Commission, 1/23/2004 ]
Order Issued: 'Negative Clearance to Fire' - Nasypany relays the instructions Marr gives him to those on the operations floor, saying: “Negative. Negative clearance to shoot.” He then adds: “ID. Type. Tail.” This means the orders are for fighter jets to identify aircraft by their type and tail number, and nothing more. [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001; 9/11 Commission, 8/26/2004, pp. 46-47; Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006] About a minute later, Nasypany’s instructions will be passed to the Langley pilots (see 10:11 a.m. September 11, 2001). [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001; 9/11 Commission, 6/17/2003]
Entity Tags: Northeast Air Defense Sector, Robert Marr, Kevin Nasypany
10:11 a.m. September 11, 2001: After Communications Problems, NEADS Tells Langley Pilots They Cannot Shoot Down Hijacked Planes
A weapons director at NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) informs the fighter jets launched from Langley Air Force Base (see (9:25 a.m.-9:30 a.m.) September 11, 2001) that they do not have permission to shoot down aircraft over Washington, though he is delayed in giving this instruction due to communications problems. [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001; 9/11 Commission, 6/17/2003; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 45; Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006; Spencer, 2008, pp. 227]
Citino Cannot Reach Borgstrom - Major Kevin Nasypany, the NEADS mission crew commander, has just told his staff that the Langley fighters have “negative clearance to shoot,” and the orders from higher headquarters are that the jets are to identify aircraft by their type and tail number, and nothing more (see 10:10 a.m. September 11, 2001). Now Master Sergeant Steve Citino, a NEADS weapons director, tries relaying these instructions to Captain Craig Borgstrom, one of the three Langley pilots. However, he cannot get through to him over the radio. According to author Lynn Spencer, this is because the “reception is weak over the Washington area, and NEADS loses the ability to communicate whenever [Borgstrom] flies below a certain altitude.” Citino complains to Major James Fox, the leader of the weapons team: “I can’t talk to ‘em. They’re too low.” [Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006; Spencer, 2008, pp. 227]
Citino Issues Instructions - Finally, about a minute after receiving the instructions from Nasypany, Citino reaches Borgstrom. He tells him, “Reiterating, mission is ID by type… divert if necessary.” Borgstrom acknowledges this instruction, telling Citino, “Quit 2-6 copies.” [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001; 9/11 Commission, 6/17/2003] When two of the Langley pilots later discuss this day’s events at a news conference, they will say they “never received explicit orders to fire on incoming planes perceived to be hostile.” [New York Times, 11/15/2001]
Entity Tags: Steve Citino, James Fox, Craig Borgstrom
10:12 a.m. September 11, 2001: NORAD Operations Center Still Receiving False Radar Information for Training Exercise, Wants It Stopped
An officer at NORAD’s operations center in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, calls NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) and asks it to stop “exercise inputs” being sent to the operations center.
NORAD Calls Chief of Exercises at NEADS - The NORAD officer, a “Captain Taylor,” calls NEADS, where the phone is answered by Captain Brian Nagel. [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001] Nagel is chief of NEADS live exercises. [Filson, 2003, pp. 74] After introducing himself, Taylor says, “What we need you to do right now is to terminate all exercise inputs coming into Cheyenne Mountain.” Nagel gives Taylor an extension number and suggests that he call it to get the exercise inputs stopped. Taylor replies, “I’ll do that.” [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001] According to an article in Vanity Fair, “inputs” are simulated scenarios that are put into play for training exercises. [Vanity Fair, 8/1/2006] NORAD has been conducting a major exercise this morning called Vigilant Guardian (see (6:30 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Arkin, 2005, pp. 545]
Exercise Includes Simulated Radar Information - Taylor is presumably referring specifically to false tracks that have been transmitted onto NORAD radar screens for the exercise. NORAD has the capability to inject simulated material, including mass attacks, into the system during exercises, “as though it was being sensed for the first time by a radar site.” [US Department of Defense, 1/15/1999] All of the operations personnel at NEADS have been instructed to “have their sim switches turned ‘on’” (presumably to allow simulated information to appear on their radar screens) from September 6 until the end of Vigilant Guardian, on September 13. An information page on the exercise stated that a “sim test track will be in place and forward told [i.e. transferred to a higher level of command] to both NORAD and CONR,” NORAD’s Continental United States Region. [Northeast Air Defense Sector, 8/23/2001]
Exercise Supposedly Called Off Earlier - More than 50 members of the battle staff at the NORAD operations center have been participating in Vigilant Guardian this morning. [Airman, 3/2002; 9/11 Commission, 3/1/2004 ] Some accounts will claim this exercise was canceled shortly after 9:03 a.m., when the second World Trade Center tower was hit (see (Shortly After 9:03 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Airman, 3/2002; Filson, 2003, pp. 59] And a report in the Toronto Star will state, “Any simulated information” for the exercise was “purged from the [radar] screens” at the operations center shortly before the second tower was hit (see (9:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [Toronto Star, 12/9/2001] But a member of staff at NEADS complained at 9:30 a.m. about simulated material still appearing on radar screens there, and at 9:34 a.m. the NEADS surveillance technicians were instructed to turn off their “sim switches” (see 9:34 a.m. September 11, 2001). [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001; North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001; 9/11 Commission, 2004]
Entity Tags: Vigilant Guardian, Brian Nagel, Northeast Air Defense Sector, North American Aerospace Defense Command
10:12 a.m. September 11, 2001: Syracuse Fighter Jets Still Not Ready to Launch
Someone from the 174th Fighter Wing, which is based at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base near Syracuse, NY, calls NORAD’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) and speaks with Major Kevin Nasypany, the mission crew commander there. [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001] Earlier on, shortly after seeing the second plane hitting the World Trade Center at 9:03, a commander of the 174th Fighter Wing called NEADS to offer fighter jets to help (see (After 9:03 a.m.) September 11, 2001). They’d said: “Give me ten [minutes] and I can give you hot guns. Give me 30 [minutes] and I’ll have heat-seeker [missiles]. Give me an hour and I can give you slammers.” [Aviation Week and Space Technology, 6/3/2002; News 10 Now, 9/12/2006] Yet, now, more than an hour after the second attack, these fighters have still not been launched. Syracuse tells Nasypany, “I’ve got guys that’ll be launching in about 15 minutes.” Despite the earlier promise to have heat-seekers and slammers on the planes, Syracuse says: “We’ve got hot guns. That’s all I’ve got.” Nasypany says: “I’ve got another possible aircraft with a bomb on board. It’s in Pennsylvania, York, approximate area.” He adds that there is “another one, that’s possibly at Cleveland area.” These aircraft, he says, are United Airlines Flight 93 and Delta ‘89, respectively. (Although Flight 93 has already crashed, NEADS apparently does not learn of this until 10:15 (see 10:15 a.m. September 11, 2001).) NEADS was alerted to Delta Flight 1989 at 9:41, and mistakenly suspects it has been hijacked (see 9:39 a.m. September 11, 2001). Syracuse says: “I’ve got two jets right now. Do you need more than two?” After NEADS requests another two, Syracuse replies, “Get four set up, yep.” [North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/11/2001] According to the Syracuse Post-Standard, the first fighters to launch from Hancock Field are two F-16s that take off at 10:42 a.m. A further three take off at about 1:30 p.m., and two more launch around 3:55 p.m. (see 10:42 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Post-Standard (Syracuse), 9/12/2001]
Entity Tags: Northeast Air Defense Sector, Kevin Nasypany, 174th Fighter Wing
(10:13 a.m.-10:23 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Projected Flight 93 Arrival into Washington; Could It Have Been Shot Down?
The 9/11 Commission later concludes that if Flight 93 had not crashed, it would probably have reached Washington around this time. The commission notes that there are only three fighters over Washington at this time, all from Langley, Virginia. However, the pilots of these fighters were never briefed about why they were scrambled. As the lead pilot explained, “I reverted to the Russian threat… I’m thinking cruise missile threat from the sea. You know, you look down and see the Pentagon burning and I thought the b_stards snuck one by us.… You couldn’t see any airplanes, and no one told us anything.” The pilots knew their mission was to identify and divert aircraft flying within a certain radius of Washington, but did not know that the threat came from hijacked planes. In addition, the commission notes that NEADS did not know where Flight 93 was when it crashed, and wonders if they would have determined its location and passed it on the pilots before the plane reached Washington. They conclude, “NORAD officials have maintained that they would have intercepted and shot down United 93. We are not so sure.” [9/11 Commission, 6/17/2004]
Entity Tags: North American Aerospace Defense Command, Northeast Air Defense Sector
(10:13 a.m.) September 11, 2001: President’s Military Aide Requests Fighter Escort for Air Force One
Michael Irwin. [Source: Publicity photo]Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gould, a military aide who is accompanying President Bush on his visit to Florida, makes a call requesting a fighter escort and other assets to support Air Force One as it flies away from Sarasota. Gould, who has tactical control of all the military assets that support the president, including presidential aircraft, was with Bush on Air Force One when the plane took off from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (see 9:54 a.m. September 11, 2001). He has talked with Colonel Mark Tillman, Air Force One’s pilot, about the plane’s ability to evade other aircraft. “At this point we don’t know the scope of this attack and what’s in front of us,” Gould will later recall. Gould will say that because he “thought there was a threat,” he makes a phone call and asks for three things: fighter jets to escort Air Force One, a refueling plane, and an AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System plane) to provide the ability to “see” around the president’s plane.
Request Relayed over Conference Call - Gould will say, in 2011, that he calls the Pentagon to make this request. [Lompoc Record, 9/11/2011; Santa Barbara News-Press, 9/11/2011] However, other evidence indicates that he contacts the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) below the White House with the request, and the request is then passed on to the Pentagon over the air threat conference call. A transcript of the air threat conference call shows that at 10:14 a.m., Colonel Michael Irwin, the director of operations for the White House Military Office, who is in the PEOC, says he has “just talked to [the] mil aide” on Air Force One, and then adds: “We’d like AWACS over Louisiana. We’d like fighter escort.” [US Department of Defense, 9/11/2001 ]
Fighters and AWACS Later Accompany Air Force One - An AWACS on a training mission off the coast of Florida is directed toward Air Force One and will accompany it all the way to Washington, DC (see Before 9:55 a.m. September 11, 2001). [Code One Magazine, 1/2002] Fighters will also arrive to escort the president’s plane. However, it will be over an hour before they reach it (see (11:29 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [USA Today, 9/11/2001] It is unclear if and when a refueling plane reaches Air Force One.
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, Michael Irwin, Thomas Gould, Mark Tillman
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Review: Catherine
As an ATLUS fan, I had this game pre-ordered with its Deluxe Edition for the XBOX 360 as soon as it was available. Knowing ATLUS, they’re going to make a game that has great character development and an interesting story line, the two features I praise them of. This strange tale of CATHERINE, is no exception. ATLUS brought to us another fantastic story with intuitive game play.
In this tale, you star as a thirty-two year old man called Vincent Brooks. You have a lovely girlfriend named Katherine which you’ve been dating for years now. Soon in the story, another attractive young girl will enter the Vincent’s life. Her name is Catherine.
CATHERINE’s story focuses on relationships and what they mean to you. Depending on your decisions facing both Katherine and Catherine, Vincent’s thoughts will change. Each answer you give will affect the game’s final outcome. There are a total of eight endings to the game, and I have only completed two.
During gameplay, there are several phases you go through each “day”. You start each night with a “nightmare”, where Vincent will have to conquer his dreams in order to survive into the next day. Shall you wake up in the morning, the game usually rewards the player with an in-depth cutscene that progresses the story. These cutscenes is what kept me going because the story only gets more interesting, keeping your curiosity to what may happen next. Cutscenes are either in a 3D cel-shaded style or 2D anime cartoon style, both extremely well done.
Finally, after your day is over, you always hang out at the “Stray Sheep” bar with your friends. During your time at the bar, you are allowed to chat with all your friends, the bartender, customers, check your phone, and even text back to your messages. These messages will also determine your ending and even pictures you receive from your two ladies. There is also a mini-game in the corner of the bar where you can test your skills similar to the ones in Vincent’s nightmares.
Getting the meat of the entire game, are the nightmare puzzles where you are forced to go through every night after Vincent leaves the bar to return home.
The game was tackled in a short three to four days with some frustration in between but mostly filled with enjoyment. No doubt everyone will have a moment in this game where they’d want to chuck their controller at something. Personally, I’m a big fan of puzzle games because I found myself at a comfortable pace at the “Normal” difficulty setting but my friends beg otherwise.
The puzzles are arranged as blocks that you have to “scale”. The objective is to climb this tower and reach the top while the bottom is slowing falling away. Not only will you have to think, you will have to think fast. The puzzles are composed of big white blocks that you can pull, push, and climb in a 3D plane. You can also learn “techniques” between each stage. ATLUS was smart to make random blocks which will make the blocks heavy, have spikes, explode, or other neat features which even the best climbers cannot predict, making it a surprise each time.
My best tool was the “undo” feature, the back button. It allows you to “undo” up to nine actions just in case you really messed up somewhere and have to go back in the puzzle. This also helps in a pinch during those nasty boss battles each night where you have to run extra fast. During boss stages, not only does the tower crumble at the bottom, the boss will also chase you with an array of attacks.
Puzzles are very challenging but not impossible. You are most likely to keep playing because you can get further and further each time with trial and error. You are constantly reminded that the light is only at the top, not too far away! A literal “Hallelujah” is waiting for you.
The music in this game is very fitting for each scenario and is composed by Shoji Meguro, whom also worked on music for ATLUS’ Shin Megami Tensei series. The pieces never goes unnoticed when you play, it heightens the emotions for each scene and is not presented as just a background noise. As you go through the introduction credits, CATHERINE presents you with Meguro’s general style of music which is hip-hop with J-pop. There is also an option to listen to more of his tracks at the jukebox at the Stray Sheep.
Though the game received a mature rating, I believe it’s only because it discusses about sex and has one cutscene which Catherine is somewhat revealed. In my opinion, the mature rating should have come from the subject of the story which is marriage and responsibility. This story would be hard for anyone to relate to if they’re not in a relationship or doesn’t care to be in one at all. However, through the beginning of the story, the player is smacked with the burden of all this lovey-dovey marriage responsibility stuff which is not what the game advertised to do.
Also, the story never really quite tells you what could happen and your actions do not affect the story at all, just the ending. They don’t tell you how many endings you can have, and it does not explicitly tell you there are more endings to achieve so you may never go back to play it again at all.
For players that are not anime fans, this game can be hard to understand. I’ve had people confuse sweatdrops for tears when I played through the game. Many of the scenes use anime-stylization and features which only people that watch anime would understand.
As for fans of achievements, there are many side story features you can do. “Encouraging” other customers and completing the mini-game at the bar. If you are intended on getting all the endings, you can skip the puzzles which you go through the game again if you achieved gold medals at the same setting.
Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed the game. Personally, I can relate to the story very well and I am a huge fan of anime and ALTUS. The actors and actresses are charming, even though I find Vincent to be a spineless good-for-nothing male character. I would recommend this for gamers that enjoy puzzle games, Japanese style, and quirky story lines.
Score card: 8.5/10
Sequel to the PSN-exclusive eroge-esque RPG, Record of the Agarest …
Record of the Agarest War 2 coming to US and Europe in Summer 2012 because of Ghostlight
Let’s face it: Sonic is kind of a joke nowadays. …
Sonic CD Review
Julie Mok
Rian Quenlin
Most visual novels and visual-novel-esque games like this tend to have a straightforward storyline and only the ending truly gets influenced. Most of the guys in them are spineless do-nothings as well unless it’s Tsukihime or Fate/.
I agree with that usually because they are bound and locked by the novels themselves or by the original creators. Though Catherine shouldn’t be the case, I don’t think it’s really “srraightforward”, which in my book means the ending is a white light I can see since the beginning, but rather that it cannot be changed no matter what you do. I have to say though, most male manga characters are pretty spineless. Yes, especially Shirou. Really REALLY? I wanted to throw the remote at that boy sometimes when I was watching Fate/Stay Night.
Read the visual novel, he takes multiple levels in badass in the Unlimited Blade Works route and is a full-time hardcore mofo in Heavens Feel. Or you can watch the movie adaption of Unlimited Blade Works but I don’t recommend that unless you’ve read the visual novel, it’ll be wasted on you otherwise.
Tyciol
I’d like to see the preceding games in the series before playing this one, as tempting as it is.
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S.I. No. 183/1965 - Committees of Agriculture (Officers' Travelling Expenses and Maintenance Allowance and Expenses) (Amendment) Regulations, 1965.
COMMITTEES OF AGRICULTURE (OFFICERS' TRAVELLING EXPENSES AND MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE AND EXPENSES) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1965.
I, CHARLES J. HAUGHEY, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 28 of the Agriculture Act, 1931 (No. 8 of 1931), and section 6 of the Agriculture (Amendment) Act, 1958 (No. 17 of 1958), as adapted by the Agriculture (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order, 1965 ( S.I. No. 146 of 1965 ), hereby make the following regulations:—
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Committees of Agriculture (Officers' Travelling Expenses and Maintenance Allowance and Expenses) (Amendment) Regulations, 1965.
(2) These Regulations shall be deemed to have come into operation on the 1st day of January, 1965.
2. The Interpretation Act, 1937 (No. 38 of 1937) applies to these Regulations.
3. Part III of the Schedule to the Committees of Agriculture (Officers' Travelling Expenses and Maintenance Allowance and Expenses) Regulations, 1965, is hereby amended by—
(a) the substitution of "fifty-one shillings and six pence" for "forty-eight shillings and six pence" in both places where that expression occurs and of "forty-seven shillings and six pence" for "forty-four shillings and six pence" in sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph 10,
(b) the substitution of "forty-six shillings and three pence" and "thirty-nine shillings and six pence" for "forty-three shillings and six pence" and "thirty-seven shillings and three pence" respectively in each place where those expressions occur in subparagraphs (b) and (c) of paragraph 10,
(c) the substitution of "thirty-eight shillings and nine pence" for "thirty-six shillings and six pence" in both places where that expression occurs and of "thirty-two shillings" for "thirty shillings" in subparagraph (d) of paragraph 10,
(d) the substitution "eight shillings and three pence" for "seven shillings and nine pence" in subparagraph (b) of paragraph 11,
(e) the substitution of "seven shillings" for "six shillings and six pence" in subparagraphs (d) and (f) of paragraph 11, and
(f) the substitution of "six shillings and nine pence" for "six shillings and three pence" in subparagraph (h) of paragraph 11.
GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 19th day of August, 1965.
CHARLES J. HAUGHEY,
These Regulations provide for increases as from 1st January, 1965, in the rates of maintenance expenses in the form of night and day allowances payable to officers of Committees of Agriculture.
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The tracking technology that keeps world ports safe
As reported in Israel21c:
As a Toyota sedan approaches a busy airport, an Israeli-developed vehicle identity recognition (VIR) system instantly gives security personnel a summary of the car’s make and model, the country or state that issued the license plate and the holder of the plate.
Much more than simply tracking users at this sensitive security point, the VIR is also a first alert. What if the car is recognized as a Corolla but the plate is registered to a Ford Focus owner? Either the license plate was switched or the car is stolen — a clear red flag.
VIR is the newest product of Hi-Tech Solutions (HTS) Israel, which has specialized in optical character recognition (OCR) solutions since 1992. Forty countries use HTS products to fight terrorism and crime, as well as manage cargo, traffic and toll roads — including all ships leaving the ports of the United States.
“We have two basic product lines: cargo and traffic,” says Meta Rotenberg, the Canadian-born vice president for marketing and business development. SeeCar License Plate Recognition and SeeContainer Identification “both offer automation and security solutions that can work in many different scenarios and add value to many different market sectors.”
The just-launched VIR suite, providing a comprehensive profile of every vehicle, can be added to existing license plate recognition systems and allows for comparison of several aspects of the vehicle’s identity.
“We are the only OCR company that has this technology,” Rotenberg tells ISRAEL21c. “It’s based on different algorithms. Instead of just reading characters, we can identify so many more parameters for security-oriented markets.”
From Africa to Vietnam
The privately held Rishon LeZion-based company owns its technology and does all development at an R&D and customer service center in the northern town of Migdal HaEmek. The growing product line stems from ideas dreamed up by its founder and chief technology officer, Yoram Hofman, while he was still a graduate student.
VIR, the new patent-pending HTS technology to identify cars by other parameters in addition to license number.
Today, HTS is behind security and efficiency systems working in Australia, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, India, North America, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Hong Kong, Vietnam and a host of other areas, with particular growth in Central and South American markets.
Each of Ports America’s 42 seaports in the US is equipped with HTS technology to speed merchandise from ship to shore and keep tabs on it at the same time. At these ports and 15 European and Asian ports as well, the software identifies every container in real time during loading and unloading, and cross-checks information on the source and destination of the container.
“A port is like a large warehouse,” says Rotenberg. “Truck, train and crane are the ways in and out of a port, and we are on all of them.”
HTS recently completed a successful cargo-scanning pilot program at a major airport in Europe, and its system has been digitally scanning cars entering Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv for several years, alerting security personnel if any driver is listed a suspicious person. Similar systems are installed at other airports and at entrances to office and residential complexes.
Border crossings are another hot spot where HTS technology is increasingly deployed around the world. Rotenberg says border patrols are primarily concerned about smuggling of drugs, weapons and even people. The company’s software counts and monitors every vehicle coming in and out.
99% accurate
Collecting tolls and parking garage fees are less glamorous tasks, but the OCR products are in demand for streamlining these processes across the globe.
As each car enters a parking lot, the license plate is read to automatically enter pre-paid users and calculate the charge for others by comparing the exit and entry times. An optional face-imaging tool can prevent car hijackings and add an extra layer of security.
The system cuts down so drastically on wait times, according to HTS, that an equipped parking facility needs fewer entrances and exits and fewer personnel manning the stations. The same is true for toll plazas.
Recently, the company began to integrate its recognition software on handheld devices used by municipal inspectors and police officers around the world for maintaining order in cities, roads and parking areas. That can extend to catching speeders, monitoring municipal traffic loads and tracking down stolen vehicles.
According to CEO Phil Alovik, the company’s image-processing algorithms and artificial intelligence enable identification accuracy of close to 99 percent.
The company employs 40 people in Israel, and has opened offices in Rotterdam — a Dutch port city that is a business hub for the European continent — and most recently in New York.
“We have always been profitable, and we got an infusion of money from Pegasus [a US private equity fund manager] three or four years ago,” says Rotenberg.
HTS has partnerships in technology, service and implementation with companies such as IBM, Vulcan and Elbit.
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Scorpion 3x24 Review: “Maroon 8” (These Are the Nerds You Can Bet On) [Guest Poster: Yasmine]
12:36 PM guest poster: yasmine, s03.24, scorpion review No comments
Original Airdate: May 8, 2017
I just want to start by saying that this episode gave me so many Lost flashbacks. It was like watching Lost if Lost had been more quirky and fun than dramatic and heartbreaking. It had everything from the crashed plane, to people keeping secrets from each other, to the impromptu island surgery and the mysterious hatch in the jungle. But it was all done Scorpion style. It was fun and funny, exciting and fast-paced and containing enough makeshift science to keep the geniuses on their game.
The episode picks up where the last one ended, with the team on the plane and Happy and the pilot, Scotty, losing control of the plane. They do manage to locate an island off in the distance and brace themselves for a crash landing.
Luckily, the team wakes up with minimal injuries sustained — all except for the pilot. Having been the only on in the cockpit which disconnected from the rest of the plane upon impact, the team find Scotty with his arm pinned down. It looks like an easily fixable situation at first, until Toby assesses and determines that it is far more dangerous than they thought. If they unpin the pilot, poison will flood his system and he will be dead almost immediately; if they don’t, he will also die, but only a little later. They have no option but to perform an on-island, all-organic surgery. The team splits up to gather and prepare what they need from around the island and this gives them a chance to talk, bond, and find out new, interesting things about each other.
A lot of the geniuses are not acting themselves, the first of whom is Sly. The math genius we know would be freaking out in a situation like this. But for some reason, Sylvester is not freaking out. Instead, he takes on the fatalist mentality, calculating their rate of demise at every chance he gets. And even after finding a bunker in the jungle — which they surmise is an old Japanese station from WWII — Sly’s morale still remains down.
They find maps in the bunker that show them they are miles off course and no one would be looking for them — another Lost flashback here — and also discover an old radio that they manage to fix, using it to find out that a Japanese ship would be passing by soon. This discovery gives the team another task, besides saving the pilot, and that is signaling for the ship to rescue them.
Sylvester is not the only one acting strange. Young Ralph is as well. The usually very polite Ralph is disrespectful to Cabe while the two are in charge of the fire and sterilizing the makeshift surgical tools. When Cabe asks Ralph about his uncharacteristically rude attitude, the boy admits that he knows about Walter and Paige’s new relationship and that he is worried it won’t survive the island if they don’t get rescued soon.
And Ralph may not be wrong with his assessment. Being in love for the first time in his life, Walter literally has no idea how to behave himself. Sylvester aptly calls him a putz in how he is behaving. The two men, along with Paige, are off into the jungle to find the fruits necessary for the island surgery, and Walter’s behavior is uncomfortably un-Walter. Instead of his usual facts-loving genius self, Walter is walking around like a love-struck fool. In the middle of his crisis, Walter is picking flowers for Paige and calling her the most ridiculous pet names.
Sylvester is the first to call him on his behavior and Paige is quick to do the same. Walter promises to change his behavior, but after watching Toby and Happy during the day, Paige eventually changes her mind. Because there was a big lesson to be learned from the newlywed couple.
Having tied the knot just a few hours ago, Toby and Happy were looking forward to a beachside honeymoon, but instead found themselves marooned. With the stress of being on a stranded island, trying to rescue the pilot, and getting signal a ship to rescue them, things get a little bit more personal than they’d expected — and not in the way they want. In the middle of all this, Happy starts accidentally revealing things about her past that she had never confessed before, and Toby soon realizes he does not really know the woman he just married.
Apparently, Happy lived in Portugal for a while, recorded a pop single, and dated Jake Gyllenhaal. And when Toby reaches his limit with all these secrets, Happy puts his worries to rest. Once again, Happy proves that she may be the least open person in the group, but when she needs to, she knows just what to say. She tells Toby that even though she has never told him that stuff about her past, she would never change anything about it because it led her to him, and of all the things that she had been in her life, being his wife is her favorite.
The team manages to save Scotty’s life, but unfortunately fail to signal the ship, and the episode ends with a three-week jump and the team still marooned on the island, setting up the season finale.
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High fluctuation rate at cantonal parliaments
There is significant fluctuation at Swiss cantonal parliaments, according to a study funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation at the University of Bern. The composition of parliaments in Western Switzerland has seen the fastest rate of change, while the term of office of politicians in Eastern Switzerland is the longest.
There is significant fluctuation at Swiss cantonal parliaments, according to a study funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation at the University of Bern. The composition of parliaments in Western Switzerland has seen the fastest rate of change, while the term of office of politicians in Eastern Switzerland is the longest.
Politicians are elected to office, and sometimes they fail to be re-elected. A change of heads in governments and parliaments is a key aspect of democracy. The benefit of this fluctuation is that new heads bring new ideas to the table. “It is important that the rate of change is not too high, however, since this can reduce expertise and efficiency can suffer,” explains Antoinette Feh Widmer of the Institute of Political Science at the University of Bern. Earlier studies have shown that the “ideal” turnover rate in membership of parliaments is around 20 to 30 per cent per legislative term.
However, the composition of Swiss cantonal parliaments is changing much more rapidly, as Feh Widmer shows in her doctoral thesis. On average, the fluctuation in membership per legislative term in the period from 1990 to 2012 is an incredible 50 per cent. There also appears to be a clear east-west variation. The highest rate of change can be found in the canton of Geneva (69 per cent), followed by Jura (63 per cent), Fribourg (61 per cent) and Vaud (59 per cent). The most stable parliaments are those in Appenzell Innerrhoden (29 per cent), Grisons (35 per cent) and Thurgau (39 per cent). In Appenzell Innerrhoden and Grisons this may be attributable to the first-past-the-post elections contested there.
Political culture makes a difference
According to Feh Widmer, there are probably also aspects of political culture underpinning these differences. She reports that in Western Switzerland, membership of a cantonal parliament carries greater prestige than in the German-speaking areas. As a result there is more competition for places, resulting in higher fluctuation rates. In total, the rate of change is high in all cantons, says Feh Widmer. There are no studies, however, into whether this has a negative impact on parliamentary work.
The most common cause of a change in representation cited by the study is the member’s resignation, either at the end of a legislative period or during their term of office. The proportion of parliamentarians who fail to get re-elected is low by comparison. However, there are ma-jor differences between the cantons. In Appenzell Innerrhoden, only three per cent of elected representatives fail to win the support of the electorate at the next elections, while in Schaffhausen this rises to 31 per cent. “This high rate of non-re-election could tie in with the mandatory voting requirements in this canton,” explains Feh Widmer.
Time is more important than money
The researcher also investigated the reasons given by members of parliament when resigning. She surveyed almost 400 politicians in the six cantons of Berne, Geneva, Zurich, Aargau, St. Gallen and Uri. The results show that there is no single pattern of resignation. Rather, the reasons for withdrawing from parliament are individual and various. “Age is frequently a factor,” says Feh Widmer. In addition, resignation is often linked to being very busy professionally. Financial considerations are of minor importance, as the remuneration for parliamentary work seems to have little impact. Instead parliamentarians often indicate “time” as being a key reason for their decision to leave office.
Feh Widmer’s analysis is clear: if the cantons wish to persist with running their parliamentary systems as citizens’ legislatures (part-time public service), they need to ensure that the time commitment de-manded of members of cantonal parliaments is bearable. Otherwise the result could be an increased level of professionalisation, and certain groups of people might no longer have the time for parliamentary work, despite holding a keen interest.
Summary of the study (PDF, 763 KB)
Antoinette Feh Widmer
Fabrikstrasse 8
E-mail antoinette.feh@ipw.unibe.ch
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Laurent Fabius: Our Climate Imperatives
By LAURENT FABIUS
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/25/opinion/laurent-fabius-our-climate-imperatives.html?_r=0
PARIS — Toward the end of this year, France will host the 21st United Nations climate conference. The aim? To reach a universal agreement that will limit the rise in average global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius, compared to the pre-industrial period, by the end of the century. There is real hope for success, but it is an enormous task.
As the president of the conference, known as COP21, my role will be to facilitate an ambitious compromise between 195 states (196 parties when we include the European Union). In the negotiations, the differences among countries that are at distinct stages of development necessitate differences of approach. Yet strong common interests unite us. One example is the impact of climate change on our shared security.
The climate has always posed threats to security. Climate disruption upsets the full range of economic and social equilibrium — and it therefore threatens countries’ internal security.
In France, for example, historians have shown that disastrous weather in 1788 caused the food crisis that contributed to the outbreak of the French Revolution. More recently, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc that led to disturbances in civil order and the deployment of the army on American soil.
Beyond borders, climate change can stoke international conflict over the control of vital and increasingly scarce resources — particularly water. Examples of this include the tensions among Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over the Nile and its tributaries, between Israel and its neighbors over the Jordan River basin, and among Turkey, Syria and Iraq over the Euphrates.
Another source of insecurity is the massive displacement of people. By making certain areas uninhabitable, droughts and rising water levels uproot entire populations. They often find refuge in regions that are already overpopulated, creating or exacerbating tensions among countries or groups.
When uprooted, such populations can fall prey to radical movements. This is what happened in the Sahel in the late 1970s, when extreme droughts contributed to the exodus of many Tuaregs toward Libya, many of whom then enrolled in Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s Islamic Legion. A trace of this was found in the destabilization of northern Mali that led to France’s military intervention in 2013.
Threats to peace and security will increase in both number and intensity if the rise in temperatures exceeds 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) — and this rise will happen if we fail to act or take insufficient action. A climate-disrupted planet would be an unstable one.
There is nothing abstract about these risks. In Egypt, an increase of 50 centimeters, or almost 20 inches, in the sea level would cause millions of people to flee the Nile Delta, with security consequences for the entire region. Increased desertification of unstable areas, such as the Sahel, would foster the growth of criminal networks and armed terrorist groups, which are already thriving there.
Similarly, climate disruption would exacerbate the threats that are currently concentrated in regions from Niger to the Persian Gulf. This “arc of crisis” is also an “arc of drought.”
These facts should lead us to two conclusions. First, it is essential to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. Second, we need to reduce the exposure of people to the damage caused by climate disruption — in particular, by protecting coastlines from rising water levels and by organizing more effective management of water in dry areas. In the language of international negotiations, this is called adaptation, a topic that has not always received the attention it deserves. Adaptation must be a central focus of the agreement that is to be reached at the end of 2015.
The massive use of fossil fuels — coal, oil, gas — has accelerated conflicts ever since they have been central to our economies. Fossil fuel deposits are very unevenly distributed, leading to dependency, jealousy and often violent competition. It should not be forgotten that control of coal resources on both sides of the Rhine was a core issue in the conflicts between France and Germany. It is thanks to the European Coal and Steel Community and to the reduced dependence on coal that these rivalries have disappeared.
Today, at the very gates of Europe, control of natural gas supply routes is also at the center of conflicts that threaten to destabilize our Continent, as demonstrated by the “gas war” between Russia and Ukraine in 2009. In Asia, exploitation of the hydrocarbon-rich seabed and the securing of supply routes for these resources contribute much to the tensions between China and Japan.
We need a “global clean energy community” to free us from dependence on fossil fuels and the related risks of conflict. Reducing carbon intensity improves security — energy security and security in general — as it equalizes access to energy. A country that develops its own solar- or wind-energy production takes nothing from anyone: The light and wind that it uses are not only renewable; they belong to all. We should not underestimate the major contribution this could make to peace and security.
It follows that it is essential for COP21 to provide — first and foremost to developing countries — the practical means to increase access to energy, while reducing the carbon intensity of economies. This would decrease considerably the risk of fossil fuels becoming a cause of conflict in the coming decades.
Helping countries reduce their exposure to climate damage, and democratizing energy access while reducing carbon intensity are two imperatives for our fundamental security needs. Aligning all of our interests around them should allow us to reach a universal agreement. If we want to achieve this objective — and doing so is essential for humanity — we will need everyone to contribute.
Laurent Fabius is France’s minister of foreign affairs and international development and the president of the United Nations conference on climate change scheduled for later this year.
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Immy Humes
Shirley Clarke film
Jenny Mascia
A Little Vicious
Lizzie Borden Hash & Rehash
Racist Serial Killer
The Killer's Mind
Unemployment series
Little Wishes
Portrait of Shirley
Portrait of Shirley > About us >
Shirley Clarke Documentary
A Documentary about Filmmaker Shirley Clarke
“If she had been a man or hadn’t trained her cameras so intently at black Americans, she would have likely received more attention while she was alive. But then she wouldn’t have been Shirley Clarke—pioneer, radical, visionary.” — Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
Shirley Clarke was an inventor of independent film in America. In the 1950’s and early 60’s, she declared flat-out war on the reigning conformist image factory: “Who says a film has to cost a million dollars and be safe and innocuous enough to satisfy every 12-year-old in America?”
These treasures, and their invaluable expertise, are major project assets. Additionally, Milestone will distribute the completed film, a rare opportunity for any contemporary documentary to reach a wide and discerning international audience.
Clarke helped start a cultural revolution by filming people never seen on Hollywood screens: Harlem gang members; jazz musicians, including the great Ornette Coleman; heroin addicts; a single Latina mother; and the inimitable Jason Holliday, one of the first gay black men ever immortalized on screen. As she nd other founders of independent cinema put it in a famous 1961 manifesto: “We don’t want false, polished, slick films—we prefer them rough, unpolished, but alive; we don’t want rosy films—we want them the color of blood.”
Shirley directing The Cool World
With outsider subjects and fresh stylistic approaches, Clarke took risks. Her feature-length works, including The Connection (1961); The Cool World (1964); Portrait of Jason (1967); and Ornette: Made in America (1985), all melt the boundaries between documentary and fiction, and break new ground in cinema. Shirley’s career follows the whole sweep of moving image art in the 20th century: starting with her avant-garde shorts, to fiction and doc features, and then on to the video frontier of interactivity and social practice art.
And yet—who knows her story? Of the 28 signatories of the 1961 New American Cinema Manifesto, Clarke was the only woman, a role she held for a long time, and one reason she’s been neglected for so long.
It’s time to change that. It’s time to bring Shirley Clarke’s legacy back to life—and also to finally break the blockade against women directors in our time.
Project History and Background
The genesis of this project lies with Milestone Film, a remarkable small distribution company that specializes in bringing lost cinematic gems back to life. Many of their titles are almost-forgotten films made by women, Native American, and black directors; they write outsider artists back into history.
Shirley with her longtime partner, actor Carl Lee
Milestone’s diligence and good taste over 25 years has won awards and the respect of the film world: Martin Scorsese, Francis Coppola, Barbara Kopple, Steven Soderbergh, Thelma Schoonmaker, Jonathan Demme, Charles Burnett and Sherman Alexie have all co-sponsored release campaigns.
Four years ago, Milestone launched “Project Shirley.” They have painstakingly restored and re-released almost all Clarke’s features, rescuing her from neglect. They also uncovered a mother lode of unseen material from home movies to video works.
Milestone asked filmmaker Immy Humes to direct, on the basis of Doc, the critically-acclaimed film she made about her father, forgotten novelist and founder of The Paris Review H.L. “Doc” Humes. Doc Humes was a friend of Shirley’s, and their stories resonate, as artists working in the face of personal demons and quickly changing social conditions of the post-war era.
To date, we have seed funds from over 50 small donors, and are plunging into shooting interviews with important octognarian friends and colleagues of Shirley’s, including: DA Pennebaker (her early work partner); Jonas Mekas; Fred Wiseman (producer of her feature, The Cool World); Agnes Varda; and other notables. At the same time we are developing our team and seeking production funds.
Style and Approach
Above all, this is a film about a woman artist. Shirley had a mission we must embrace today: to smash blockades against female creation. In her words:
“There's deep discrimination against women artists... I was a representative of tokenism. I was relied on to be the woman filmmaker. No one person can carry that burden. There's no question that my career would have been different if I was a man, but if I was a man I would be a different human being…. The industry's been rotten. The history of women in all the arts has been rotten. The history of women is rotten.” (interview by DeeDee Hallack, project participant)
In the Chelsea Hotel (Photo by Peter Angelo Simon)
Women are still held back from making movies. Of 2013’s 100 top money-makers, women directed only two. The discrimination Shirley dealt with throughout her career persists in the film industry even today—her story is incredibly relevant.
We approach Shirley’s story as an unfolding drama, told in her own voice, with her daughter, Wendy Clarke, video artist, and an all-star cast of her film artist friends. We have a wealth of cinematic riches to work with: from the camera’s soaring dance with urban bridges in Bridges Go Round, to the B&W documentary grit of Harlem (inspiration for Scorsese’s film of Michael Jackson’s hit Bad) and the proto-Afrofuturist video of Ornette Coleman in space—our film will have great dramatic, visual, musical, and social interest.
Shirley’s is a contemporary story, and our style will reflect that. This is not a history film, its subject is not dead, our subject is life itself.
More on Shirley Clarke
Also see ProjectShirley.com by Milestone Films.
“Dancer, bride, runaway wife, radical filmmaker and pioneer — Shirley Clarke is one of the great undertold stories of American independent cinema. A woman working in a predominantly male world, a white director who turned her camera on black subjects, she was a Park Avenue rich girl who willed herself to become a dancer and a filmmaker, ran away to bohemia, hung out with the Beats and held to her own vision in triumph and defeat. She helped inspire a new film movement and made urgently vibrant work that blurs fiction and nonfiction, only to be marginalized, written out of histories and dismissed as a dilettante. She died in 1997 at 77 and is long overdue for a reappraisal.”
— Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
"Shirley Clarke was a gorgeously baroque and complex personality, a character worthy of a novel or two. But what she did as a filmmaker, the subjects she chose, and how she related as a director to her medium has become so much a part of the vocabulary of cinema that her movies – ‘The Cool World,’ for instance, or ‘Ornette in America’ -- are nothing less than essential."
— John Anderson, member of the New York Film Critics Circle
"The most extraordinary film I've seen in my life is certainly Portrait of Jason… It is absolutely fascinating."
— Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman
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Environmental Health OSHA issues new whistleblower protections for food industry workers
March 12, 2014 Kim Krisberg 1Comment
When President Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) into law in 2011, it was described as the most sweeping reform of the nation’s food safety laws in nearly a century. Public health advocates hailed the law for shifting regulatory authority from reaction to prevention. What received less attention was a first-of-its-kind provision that protects workers who expose food safety lawbreakers.
The law’s whistleblower provision, also known as Section 402, amends the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to provide “protection to employees against retaliation by an entity engaged in the manufacture, processing, packing, transporting, distribution, reception, holding, or importation of food” for reporting or testifying to a violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act or for refusing to participate in activities the worker “reasonably” believes to be a violation. Just a few weeks ago, OSHA issued its final interim rule on the whistleblower provision, outlining the agency’s procedures for handling FSMA-related complaints of employers retaliating against employees who raise food safety concerns. The provision is the first food industry-specific law designed to protect whistleblowers.
“It’s the gold standard of whistleblower protections — the Cadillac version,” said Amanda Hitt, director of the Food Integrity Campaign at the Government Accountability Project, a whistleblower advocacy and protection organization. (Here’s an example of the new whistleblower provision in action.)
Previously, a patchwork of different state and federal laws might have protected some food industry whistleblowers, Hitt told me, but left others with little recourse if they were fired after speaking up. However, with the new FSMA provision, “we get a nice uniform exception for the safety of public health,” she said. In a very real way, the whistleblower provision creates “civilians who are deputized to oversee food safety, to become inspectors in real time on the floor,” Hitt noted.
“Any time you get a uniform statutory set-up, you’ll get a much better informed workforce,” Hitt said. “With a patchwork that varies from state to state, you won’t get that sort of education inoculation. …What we would love to have is a totally educated workforce, but that’s probably not going to happen. What usually happens is you get better trained (human resources) staff and better educated industries and you hope they have appropriate training around whistleblower activity.”
Even though one wouldn’t imagine that the food industry favors whistleblower protection, Hitt said that getting the whistleblower provision included in FSMA wasn’t particularly difficult. Hitt’s colleague Tom Devine, legal director at the Government Accountability Project, said FSMA was swept up in a wave of whistleblower rights that Congress routinely wrote into major regulatory legislation between 2006 and 2010. Devine said that not only was the Democratic majority at the time sympathetic to whistleblower rights, but the law also followed a “major paradigm shift in corporate speech” with passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which was crafted in the wake of corporate frauds such as the Enron scandal. Sarbanes-Oxley puts in place criminal penalties for retaliating against whistleblowers.
While the FSMA provision is the first food industry-specific whistleblower protection, Devine noted that the industry’s workers had some prior protection “through the backdoor of other statutes.” For example, if the food company is publically traded, a whistleblower would be protected via Sarbanes-Oxley, though that worker would most likely be an accountant or bookkeeper, not someone who’d witness a food safety violation. Whistleblower protections written into environmental laws, such as the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act, could also apply to food industry workers, depending on the violation being reported. Still, the FSMA provision is the first to specifically protect food industry workers and apply to food manufacturing practices.
“Whistleblower protection creates a safe channel for the free flow of information from the front lines where food safety breakdowns occur to all of society’s stakeholders who should be warned about them,” Devine told me. “(The FSMA) whistleblower provision reflects the current gold standard for free speech rights in the private sector. It was a landmark breakthrough for food safety.”
Gaps in protection
The provision isn’t perfect, though. First, it only applies to food industries that come under U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority. Whistleblowers in food industries regulated via the U.S. Department of Agriculture, such as beef and poultry producers, aren’t covered. Also, the complaint process, which is overseen by an OSHA investigator, has some gaps too, Devine said. For example, once OSHA makes its preliminary finding that a worker was a victim of retaliation, the agency gives the employer a chance to argue that finding. However, the worker doesn’t get the same chance to defend the preliminary finding. In other words, Devine said, once OSHA issues a preliminary finding, the worker is effectively shut out of the process.
Another big gap is that the provision doesn’t pin down who’s responsible for educating workers on the new whistleblower protections.
“The law should have had a provision that required every employer to post the rights and train its staff, both management and employees, in the new rules of the road for freedom of speech, but that didn’t happen,” Devine told me.
Devine said that retaliation is a “very significant barrier to exposing the truth,” noting that even employees with comfortable salaries can find themselves bankrupt due to legal expenses. During his career, Devine has worked with about 400 food industry workers, noting that whistleblower disclosures have been “indispensible” in stopping government attempts to deregulate meat and poultry inspection.
Hitt added that whistleblower protections not only help level the playing field between employer and employee, but between companies and consumers.
“Whatever rights consumers enjoy implies an ability for employees to speak up safely,” she said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food-borne illness affects about 48 million Americans every year, of which 128,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die. Researchers estimate that food-borne illnesses cost the country between $14 billion and $16 billion every year in medical costs, lost productivity and premature death.
To learn more about whistleblower protections and the food industry, visit the Food Integrity Campaign.
Kim Krisberg is a freelance public health writer living in Austin, Texas, and has been writing about public health for more than a decade.
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Home Eastern NE News
Programs Combat High Substance & Alcohol Abuse Rates in LGBTQ Community
TOPICS:AIDSalcoholAlcoholics AnonymousArbour Health System’s Triangle ProgramDr. Karl Jeffriesfrank busconihealthcareHIVlgbtq newsmark b. rosenbergMelissa Brownsubstance abuseVermont’s Brattleboro Retreat
Vermont’s Brattleboro Retreat, which has an LGBTQ Adult Inpatient Treatment Program.
Photo: Jeff Kelliher
Posted By: The Rainbow Times October 1, 2014
By: Clara Lefton/TRT Reporter—
BOSTON, Mass.—It is estimated that one-third of the LGBTQ population abuse drugs and alcohol, compared with 9 percent of the general population, according to the Center for American Progress, among other sources. Conclusions for these high statistics vary from opinions on social stigma, cultural expectations and a lack of dedicated treatment in healthcare.
“For generations LGBTs had to hide in bars because there was nowhere else for them to go,” said Mark B. Rosenberg, an alcoholic and addict who has been sober for nearly six years, and is author of the book “Blackouts and Breakdowns.” “Nowadays being gay is so much more accepted so there is more to do. But a lot of times gays and lesbians feel more comfortable in a bar surrounded by likeminded people. When you’re single—gay or straight—bars are a huge part of socializing and meeting people. Some people simply don’t know when to stop. Other LGBTs turn to drinking and drug use when they are shunned by their families or when they get to college, like myself.”
On Rosenberg’s road to recovery he sought advice from his uncle who had been in Alcoholics Anonymous for 30 years, but never sought specific LGBTQ programs. Fenway Health in Boston, Mass. follows along with this concept, offering assistance to people with substance abuse problems regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Frank Busconi, manager of Fenway’s substance treatment programs, said he believes the current healthcare trend is to move away from focusing on one population, but rather being broader by still maintaining staff with expertise in a variety of backgrounds. [pullquote]For those who wish to see treatment in a specifically LGBTQ friendly and centered environment, a few programs do exist. One such option is Vermont’s Brattleboro Retreat, which has an LGBTQ Adult Inpatient Treatment Program.[/pullquote]
“The Fenway is a place that has a lot of experience with treating LGBTQ people and people with HIV, but we treat everybody and anyone who can receive,” said Busconi. “It’s likely that its higher rates for LGBT identified people because of the experience of being stigmatized, marginalized and that is an experience in the world that causes pain and suffering. It’s often the case that people seek relief for that by drinking and using drugs. That can get very pretty complicated. I’ve sat with a lot of people who are closeted and said, ‘The only way I can have the kind of sex I want to have is if I’m intoxicated/drugged.” It helps mitigate some of the shame and pressures they have.”
For those who wish to see treatment in a specifically LGBTQ friendly and centered environment, a few programs do exist. One such option is Vermont’s Brattleboro Retreat, which has an LGBTQ Adult Inpatient Treatment Program. The operation offers 13 single rooms, one double, and assists with a variety of issues ranging from drug and alcohol addiction to anxiety, depression, sexual trauma, self-harming and suicidal behaviors, as well as many others.
The Retreat’s Dr. Karl Jeffries said he believes a large reason for the LGBTQ population’s high rates of drug and alcohol addiction is due to social aspects.
“A big part of what our hospital is doing in general is really trying to address stigma and promote early intervention,” said Jeffries. “We try to tackle problems before they develop into full-blown disorders by having people recognize early symptoms and seek out treatment instead of allowing things to get in the way.”
The Retreat’s program first started in July 2009 and was supposed to be dedicated to solely to LGBTQ patients, but because the program did not yet have a widespread reputation, it initially had a difficult time attracting people who specifically identified in these ways. It began accepting people who identified as allies to the LGBTQ community. The new program dedicated time to listening to consumer and population feedback as a way to better learn how to provide for its patients.
“We spent a lot of time asking the people who were coming here, ‘What’s important to you? What will help you be able to focus on your recovery from mental illness or addiction? What works and what doesn’t? What can we do more of?’ So it was really driven by the focus of who showed up and told me their opinions,” the Retreat’s Director of Professional Development, Eileen Glover, explained.
After temporarily closing due to Hurricane Irene’s impact in 2011, the unit reopened in March 2012. As of a few weeks ago, 80 percent of the unit identifies as part of the LGBTQ community. [pullquote]“We spent a lot of time asking the people who were coming here, ‘What’s important to you? What will help you be able to focus on your recovery from mental illness or addiction? What works and what doesn’t? What can we do more of?’ So it was really driven by the focus of who showed up and told me their opinions,” the Retreat’s Director of Professional Development, Eileen Glover, explained.[/pullquote]
Another option for substance abusers is the Arbour Health System’s Triangle Program, which has been serving the LGBTQ community since the early 90s. Triangle is known as the only partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient program for the LGBTQ community on the East Coast.
“The Triangle provides the clinical treatment for substance use and mental health concerns primarily, and it does so in the context of how people’s experiences are shaped and affected by their gender and sexuality. Our clinicians operate with an awareness of the queer community and the unique needs of the people within it,” said Melissa Brown, the lead clinician.
Although opinions vary about what leads to high rates of substance abuse in both the youth and adult LGBTQ communities, there are several options for those seeking to overcome these issues.
“When you make the decision to get sober, it’s a very personal experience, so I believe people should do what makes them feel comfortable. Some feel the need to surround themselves with other LGBTQs while others chose a different path,” said Rosenberg. “Whether you find solace with other LGBTQs or not is a choice you make once you feel out different groups and see what works best for you.”
For more information on Fenway Health, visit www.fenwayhealth.org. For more on the Triangle Program, visit www.arbourhealth.com. For more on The Brattleboro Retreat, visit www.brattlebororetreat.org/lgbt.
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MUSIC | BOOKS | MOVIES | TELEVISION | COMICS
HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES: HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES
(JOHN VARVATOS RECORDS/REPUBLIC RECORDS/UNIVERSAL MUSIC ENTERPRISES; 2015)
Though I am an avid connoisseur of all things Alice Cooper, as well as a fan of the Joe Perry Project (and the guy’s other, lesser known band, Aerosmith), I have had a falling out with Johnny Depp over the past 13 years or so (I suppose I can forgive him for DARK SHADOWS, but… THE LONE RANGER? No my friend… that is a step too far… a step too far, I say!) As you can imagine, I was trapped betwixt the proverbial rock and an unyielding hard spot. My hard-headedness nearly cost me the chance to hear what turned out to be a really cool record but, thanks to a dear friend and her Christmas spirit, I was soon the proud owner of HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES… on magnificent black vinyl, no less. At first blush, this would appear to be the covers album that the Coop has been touting for the last few years… with a couple of tasty originals bookending the nostalgic trip down Alice’s drunken memory lane; apparently, though, that one’s still in the works. Oh… the record also features a butt-ton of special guests and old friends. Did I forget to mention that?
HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES (Joe Perry, Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp) (publicity photo)
While HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES is essentially a covers record dedicated to Alice’s “dead, drunk friends,” those delectable morsels are indeed bookended by a pair of originals… well, three, actually, with “The Last Vampire” acting as an introduction to the album, as well as to “Raise the Dead.” The short piece features Sir Christopher Lee reciting a vampiric lament from Bram Stoker’s DRACULA over a soundscape created by producer Bob Ezrin and Depp (with a little help from Justin Cortelyou). This may actually be Sir Christopher’s – forever Count Dracula to me – last performance before his death. “Raise the Dead” itself is the kind of song that Alice Cooper (the band) could have come up with. In fact, it’s so good that I’m a bit miffed that Depp had a hand in writing it and plays some pretty good guitar, to boot. One of Alice’s regular guitarists, Tommy Henriksen, also makes an appearance, evoking the memory of Glen Buxton and his psychedelic freak-outs. Current Alice Cooper drummer, Glen Sobel (who I thought was just mailing it in of late, particularly on the RAISE THE DEAD – LIVE FROM WACKEN release), also makes his first (recorded) Vampires appearance and, though he lacks Neal Smith’s percussive finesse, powers the tune along quite nicely. Along with bassist Bruce Witkin (who also gets a co-writing credit), he delivers a magnificently sludgy Zombie-like rhythm bed for the others to play over. Don’t you just love redemption stories? This early into the game, I’m already wondering what a full album of Vampires originals would sound like. So, now, it’s on to the covers. First up is “My Generation,” a song that the Coop has done off-and-on as an encore for a couple of decades with his tongue firmly set in his cheek. This salute to fellow Vampire (the drinking variety) Keith Moon is kind of a stripped down version for this group, with only bass, two guitars (again, Depp and Henriksen) and drums from the Who’s longtime skin basher, Zak Starkey (who I think is related to Paul McCartney or one of those other Beatle-type guys), who adds an extra bit of thunder to the proceedings. Zak sticks around to represent another of Alice’s departed drummer friends, John “Bonzo” Bonham, on Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” The intro to the song is absolutely mesmerizing, with Alice’s harmonica and slow burn vocals bolstered by some awesome Kip Winger bass playing and Joe Walsh’s slide guitar before the song kicks in full force. AC/DC’s Brian Johnson joins in on vocals, singing some serious ear-damaging high parts (I initially thought that it may have been Ann Wilson singing) and hot-shot guitarist Orianthi (again from Alice’s band) adds a wicked solo. Holy crap, boys and girls… this one may actually be better than the original!
Walsh sticks around for a rousing version of the Spirit classic, “I Got a Line On You,” as does Winger on bass. Perry Farrell (of Jane’s Addiction fame, for you kids who don’t listen to the “new” music) joins Alice on vocals and longtime session drummer, Abe Laboriel Junior, shows us exactly why Paul McCartney keeps him on his payroll. This is a far better version than the hair metal version that the Coop did for the TOP GUN II soundtrack. Cooper, Depp, Henriksen, Witkin and Laboriel deliver fairly faithful versions of two songs from the Doors, “Five To One” and “Break On Through (To the Other Side),” with Alice channeling Jim Morrison’s Lizard King persona. Charlie Judge makes an appearance as Ray Manzarek while the legendary Robby Krieger (yeah… THAT Robby Krieger) absolutely tears it up on lead guitar. A nearly forgotten member of the original Hollywood Vampires, songwriter par excellence Harry Nilsson, is represented by a pair of his most well-known pieces: “One,” which Three Dog Night rode to the top of the charts (well… number 5, actually) in 1969 and “Jump Into the Fire,” from Harry’s 1971 masterpiece, NILSSON SCHMILSSON. Perry Farrell is back and Krieger continues to shred on the solos. Foo Fighters front-man Dave Grohl joins the festivities on drums… I guess old habits die hard.
HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES (Abe Laboriel Junior, Johnny Depp, Paul McCartney, Brian Johnson, Alice Cooper, Joe Perry) (photo credit: KYLER CLARK/UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP)
If you’ve ever wondered what a duet featuring Sir Paul McCartney and Alice Cooper would sound like, wonder no more. Abe Laboriel Junior’s boss lends a few of his many talents to the song that launched Badfinger’s career, “Come and Get It,” playing piano and bass, as well as singing. Joe Perry finally makes an appearance, joining the guitar frenzy alongside Johnny Depp. Alice, Tommy, Glen and Bruce get a bit funky with Marc Bolan on “Jeepster,” from the T Rex album ELECTRIC WARRIOR. Joe and Johnny add some glamorous guitar, as is only fitting. The same group also delivers a very heavy version of John Lennon’s “Cold Turkey,” with Perry soloing nicely. The heaviness adds – if you’ll pardon an unintended pun – weight to Lennon’s lyrics. While there may be better Lennon songs for the boys to cover, this is a really cool version of this one. “Manic Depression” sees the return of Joe Walsh and Zak Starkey to the studio. Though Jimi Hendrix was well-known for his guitar histrionics, this tune was more in line with the Rhythm and Blues he loved, with the fiery soloing replaced with a more riff-based sound that allowed Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell a lot of free space to kinda go wild. Here, the Vampires do the same thing, keeping things simple over the top while Witkin’s bass rumbles and Starkey’s drums steamroll through the understated guitar work of Depp, Walsh and Henriksen. While it’s hard to beat the original ARE YOU EXPERIENCED version, this is one of the better cover versions out there.
HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES (Joe Perry, Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper) (photo credit: ROSS HAFLIN)
Alice goes mod with the psychedelic pop of the Small Faces’ “Itchycoo Park,” a weird sort of song for this band to try to tackle. But, you know what? They pull it off, with a wink and a nod to the whole “Peace and Love Through Altered States” late ‘60s mentality (and Alice’s – as well as Johnny’s – own well-documented bouts of altered states), especially near the end, when the music is brought to an abrupt, record-scratching end and Alice asks, “Uh… because I’m HIGH?” before the background singers bring us back around to the tune. Musically, Tommy does most of the heavy-lifting on guitar, though Depp proves himself a stand-out guitarist, as well. For quite awhile now, Alice’s solo shows have featured the no-brainer coupling of “School’s Out” with Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In the Wall, Part Two.” The track bristles with electricity, as Brian Johnson returns to hit some high notes to counter balance the Coop’s growl and Slash and Joe Perry join Depp and Henriksen (oh… and Bruce Witkin, too) for some wicked soloing and a little slash-and-burn riffing along the way. And, of course, what better rhythm section to have behind this magnificent mayhem than two-fifths of the original band, Dennis Dunaway and Neal Smith? In an album of highlights, this may very well be my favorite, as the basic “School’s Out” groove weaves it way in and out of both songs. “My Dead Drunk Friends” is a tune that Alice has played for a couple of years now. It certainly puts a fitting exclamation point to the first Hollywood Vampires album, with the group pared down to the five songwriters (Cooper, Depp, Henriksen, Witkin and producer Bob Ezrin) and drummer Glen Sobel. The tune is a swinging waltz with a bluesy kinda sway and a Depp (I’m guessing) solo to match. It features a particularly snotty vocal from Alice as he toasts the carnage that drink and drug wrought on the original Vampires. The zombie-fied (or, should that be “zombie-fried?”) chorus and the wind-down fade, with Ezrin’s just slightly off-kilter tack piano, definitely add to the faux drunken feel of the song, highlighting the spirit – if not the reality – of those bygone days of stupefied revelry.
HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES (Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry onstage) (uncredited photo)
There is a “deluxe version” of HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES out there, with three extra tracks: The Who’s “I’m a Boy” (seems a natural for Alice to sing), “Seven and Seven Is” by Love’s Arthur Lee (a song that Alice recorded back in 1981 for his SPECIAL FORCES album) and an original called “As Bad As I Am.” If, like most of us, you are digitally tuned-in, you can buy this digital album and pick up these tunes as a bonus. While much of the music I receive nowadays is of the digital variety, there is still something very special to me about holding an actual record in my hand and watching as the needle drops on that first track, especially with this release.
DO THE ARCHITECTURAL WATUSI Music Reviews Streaming Video | Darren Tracy | December 29, 2015 | Abe Laboriel Junior Alice Cooper Badfinger Blues Rock Bob Ezrin Brian Johnson British Invasion Music Bruce Witkin Christopher Lee Classic Rock Covers Dave Grohl Dennis Dunaway Garage Rock Glam Rock Glen Buxton Glen Sobel Hard Rock Harry Nilsson Hollywood Vampires Jim Morrison Jimi Hendrix Joe Perry Joe Walsh John Bonham John Lennon Johnny Depp Justin Cortelyou Keith Moon Kip Winger Led Zeppelin Marc Bolan Mitch Mitchell Music Neal Smith Noel Redding Orianthi Paul McCartney Perry Farrell Pink Floyd Pop Music Psychedelic Rock Robby Krieger Rock and Roll Slash Small Faces Spirit Streaming Video T Rex The Doors The Jimi Hendrix Experience The Who Theatrical Rock Tommy Henriksen Zak Starkey
WHAT’S INSIDE Select Category Comics (27) DO THE ARCHITECTURAL WATUSI (289) Live Music Reviews (58) Music Features/Interviews (20) Music Reviews (208) Streaming Audio (11) DVD/Blu-Ray (69) HEY, MA! WATCH THIS (74) Actor/Creator Features/Interviews (11) Movies (60) Television (13) LITERARY LICENSE… REVOKED! (23) Book Features/Author Interviews (7) Fiction Book Reviews (5) Non-Fiction Book Reviews (12) Live Music Preview (2) Stage Productions – Musical (1) Streaming Video (127) TWO GEEKS WALK INTO A BAR (26) Comic Features/Creator Interviews (1) Graphic Novels (8)
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Eckhart, Essence, and Personality part II
Ostia Antica, Italy
I spoke recently of the gate through which God melts outward, which is goodness. But essence is that which keeps to itself and does not melt outward - rather it melts inward. But that is unity, which remains one in itself, apart from all things, and does not communicate itself, while goodness is where God melts outward and communicates Himself to all creatures.
—Meister Eckhart, The Complete Mystical Works, p. 212
In the last post on the subject, we examined the connection between Gurdjieff's ideas of essence and personality and the way that Eckhart treats the subject.
Essence — that which keeps to itself and melts inward — is, in and of itself, a representation of the transcendental aspect of the Lord, that is, the aspect which is forever unknowable. From this unknowable and transcendent aspect, there is an outward melting which creates the universe.
We are, in fact, perfect mirrors of the nature of the Lord in this regard: we have an inward aspect which is forever hidden to the outward and forever unknown to it, such that we can never truly show another human being how we are inside. This hidden, intimate part is what Gurdjieff called essence; and it is what makes the outward truth of every life, for the outward truth of every life is completely formed from the flow from essence outward into life.
The inward flow — which is, in man, connected to the divine energy that flows into him, that is, the influence he is under — is the creative force from which, in the case of God, the universe emerges. The outward flow is equivalent to man's personality. In this way, we understand that the universe is the outward melting or outward flow of God; and thus, the universe in its entirety is God's personality, in the same way that the outward melting of our inner being into life creates our personality. This is another aspect whereby we can understand Gurdjieff's (and Swedenborg's) contention that man is a cosmos in miniature. And, I think, readers may agree; it's quite interesting to think of the universe as God's personality.
In any event, one of the key ideas here is that the outward melting is a form of goodness.
Because God is essentially good, all of the outward melting, all of His personality, is from goodness and of goodness and expresses itself as goodness. This is where everything begins; for to Be is good. Because we are mirrors of God, and ought to exactly represent Him in a microcosmic sense, the outward expression of our personality, our outward melting, ought to also be of goodness. This means that our personal expression ought to always be outwardly good, that is, of service to the inward, of service to others, and positive in its nature. Of course, we are not like that; this is part of the problem. But today we are discussing the nature and meaning of this question.
The nature and meaning of this question is important to consider in the sense that personality is the vehicle whereby the inward goodness of Being can be expressed. That is to say, personality is the partner of essence, for without it essence would be unable to express its inherent goodness (or whatever inherent quality it may, in more unfortunate cases, have.) So personality is a very important feature in the landscape of the soul; without it, no outward goodness could be expressed.
We are pretty confused about this; and although parts of us well understand that things ought to function in this way, we deviate from it frequently. The reasons for that are complex and cosmological. I will take it up in an essay in March.
One of the signature points about this quote from Meister Eckhart is how congruent it is to Swedenborg's understanding. Swedenborg had essentially the same understanding of the relationship between the inward flow of the essence of God, and the outward flow of goodness, including the way that it creates the universe.
Swedenborg insisted that outward service on behalf of one's inner essence—not the following of an outwardly established form of goodness — was an essential duty of man's; and we can well imagine that Gurdjieff saw things in quite the same way, if we absorb the lessons from Beelzebub's Tales to his Grandson, which is, at its heart, a search throughout time for that lost quality of goodness which mankind ought to serve and express... but doesn't.
Hosannah.
The Inward Flow
As I pointed out in my book The Esoteric Bosch, many of the things that Hieronymus Bosch painted are not at all obscure, if one has an understanding of the esoteric meaning behind the images. These meanings are universal; one can recognize esoteric imagery and its implications in artworks all over the world if one understands the divine inward flow and nature of the way that the Word becomes flesh, which is what Bosch illustrated in the left panel of the Garden of Earthly Delights.
The previous post, which quoted Meister Eckhart's Sermon 29, details this question of the Word and how the inward and perfect expression of the Word manifests outwardly. Make no mistake about it; what Eckhart speaks of in the quote and what Bosch painted here are one and the same thing.
The inward flow of energy from a higher source has been discussed by many masters, including the teaching I have preferentially followed, which originated with Gurdjieff and was further expanded by Jeanne de Salzmann. In reality, this teaching differs little — if at all – from all the other great esoteric teachings. de Salzmann called the inward flow influence— a word which means exactly the same thing, if one understands the way in which she used the word. But this particular understanding is only tangible if one has the experience, organically.
At that point, many things become obvious. One can know for certain what a great deal of esoteric art is saying. And this particular illustration by Bosch beautifully details what Eckhart was saying in sermon 29. The Divine Word, which emanates (as the universe originally emanated) from a single point — exactly as illustrated here — descends into the material world, creating a perfection and magnificence — the bed of gemstones and jewels — which is only afterwards corrupted by the mind of man.
The descent of the divine energy and its manifestation in the material is a universal language; and this explains the similarity in imagery from widely disparate cultures who could not possibly have had contact with each other. While we were in Mexico (see yesterday's post) we visited Palenque, where we saw the entire complex of temples, including the Temple of the cross. And in the Temple of the cross, there is a fine esoteric masterpiece which encodes a great deal of imagery that reflects the Maya understanding of the divine inflow.
This image, a drawing by Frederick Catherwood, shows the Mayan world tree, which appears in the shape of a cross indicating both the horizontal (earthly, or personal) and vertical (heavenly, or essential) nature of reality. The cross rests on the skull or face of a great demon, representing the Mayan underworld, and corresponding in Western terms to the collective unconscious of mankind. It also represents the root, or essence, of our animal nature, as well as the base of the spine which receives the energy that flows downward from the top of the universe. At the top of the tree is a spectacular bird, representing the divine energy in all its magnificent and unknowable iterations.
As I pointed out in my essay on Mayan yoga, the Maya had an enormous amount of spinal imagery and serpent imagery in their art; in fact, the founding King of Palenque — a king whose exact origins are lost to time —was named Snake Spine. One suspects that the city was one of the key Mayan schools for esoteric practice, which may have been what marked it as a gem that the city of Calakmul could not resist putting in its crown.
Aside from the specifics of yogic and Tantric art and Maya art, a subject which deserves far more investigation and treatment — not because of purported (and dubious) cultural contacts, but simply because of the similar esoteric content — the general tendency of the Maya to depict this divine inflow in their own terms and understanding is striking. As I said at the beginning of this piece, anyone who knows the effects and influence of the inflow will immediately recognize it in spiritual arts. There are times when it is obscured; and times when it is lost. But the world's great esoteric masterpieces all share this in common, and, as unlikely as it seems, both Bosch and the Mayan artists who created this image (as well as the other images at the temples of the cross group and Palenque) were painting the same thing; and all of them had experienced the same understanding of this energy and its divine creative force.
More will be said on this in the March 3rd post..
All Being
Orchids, Calakmul, Mexico
I took this picture on a nature walk in Mexico earlier this month, and wasn't quite sure what I would do with it. I just knew that the plant was beautiful, flowers or no flowers, right here, in its present state.
Now I will see what this plant has to offer us.
All Being ultimately has its roots in the mind of God. This is something which many masters have tried to explain, but there is no way to explain the organic sensation and understanding of this idea. It remains a thought for us.
Yet the thought is in fact a reality, which is forever in expression.
Eckhart puts it thus:
When the word is first conceived in my intellect, it is so pure and subtle that it is a true word, before taking shape in my thought. In the third place, it is spoken out loud by my mouth, and then it is nothing but a manifestation of the interior word. Thus the eternal Word is spoken inwardly, in the heart of the soul, in the inmost and purest, in the head of the soul of which I just spoke, in the intellect, and therein the birth takes place. (The Complete Mystical Works, Sermon 29, page 177.)
He goes on, helpfully, to advise that those who only have a firm hope and conviction of this may be heartened by its truth, as it is expounded by him.
Let us think of it, today, like this picture of an orchid. It begins from something tiny and invisible; orchid seeds can barely be seen with the naked eye. Yet from this invisible beginning, which is in itself a precise and exact emanation of all that life is, our plant grows— extending into myriad directions, each one manifesting itself specifically in according to the way it feeds off the light, which is emanated from an incredible distance (92,955,807 miles) and higher source.
In its entirety, the plant is one plant; yet it appears to be many different plants. The whole concept and thought of the plant is contained within the seed; everything that it can and will be is contained in its beginnings and its origin, yet as it unfolds itself into life, through time, it becomes something quite different and far more magnificent than the tiny seed where it began.
Even now, the roots of its Being are fully hidden from our view; and we cannot see the sweetness that it will eventually give birth to when it flowers. This does not happen constantly, but only rarely; and it's only then that we see the completeness of the secret and magnificent beauty that was always hidden within the genetic code of the plant. The genetic code, in itself, contains the entire idea and understanding of the flower the plant will eventually produce; yet who could look at a crystalline strand of DNA and predict that this has anything to do with that flower, when it appears? All the science in the world can't explain this mystery, how life, photosynthesis, leaves, roots, flowers, and time itself are folded up into a small set of molecules that are ready to encounter completely alien outside forces and so fully express them, in relationship.
Perhaps it seems a bit of a bridge, too much of a span, to marry a medieval Christian monk's ideas with an orchid in Mexico and the ideas of biology and DNA; and yet here they all fit together seamlessly, because every one of them is born from a wholeness. There is a unity that binds these things at their root, in the same way that the plant's many leaves are bound in their root, even though each one is unique and pursues its own destiny.
The idea of the way that the word gives birth to material truth as it manifests outwardly is very much the same as the idea of the DNA and the plant. Swedenborg said nearly the exact same thing about inward birth of the word and outward expression of truth that Meister Eckhart says here; outwardness is always born from inwardness, and inwardness always begins, originally, with the eternal word, which is a mystery that penetrates everything — even the sciences.
Love and desire
Hydraulic Organ, Villa D'Este, Italy
Individuals speak of desire and love as though they knew what these things were; and, to a certainty, every man and woman knows what desire is, because we live with in it.
But to speak of love; well, this is a different thing. The first thing a man who has tasted real love, the love of God, will admit to is that he does not know how to speak of love; and yet, we try. Because to speak of God's love is to speak of the most vital principle in the universe, something so vital that we can barely even breathe it in and out, yet that is the only way we can take it in within the body.
This breathing is not a breathing of the lungs; it is the breath of the soul that takes in the love of God and exhales it. This is what sustains us; if we live in an inward sense, if there is any touch of grace within us, we breathe it in and out through the soul, and the air that we take in is this love of God which suffuses us.
We are always perpetually confused by our desires, which we think to have something to do with love. All the things we want; every material thing that sustains material existence; we have our desire for this confused with the love of God, because we are trapped within the cyclical relationships of materiality, desire, and power. These are the three great forces that rule over our bodies, our will, and what we think we are as human beings. Yet — no matter how absolutely valid and necessary these conditions and circumstances are — we do not realize that there is a much greater sphere, a higher triad, which can affect us, that of Being, purification, and wisdom. The breath of God's love, as it flows through the soul, can sustain our search within this higher realm of effort, but only if we sense it and come to it on bended knee.
Throughout the ages, one of the traditional ways of coming to the love of God has been through the denial of desires, yet this is at best a flawed path. We cannot banish desires; on this level, they are necessary. But we shouldn't confuse them with love.
Here is the difference between sacred impulses and impulses that rule the ordinary. It takes a transformation of organic sensation to understand the difference between these two; and it requires a new relationship with feeling which we don't usually have, and more likely have just heard stories about, without ever actually experiencing it.
These things can change; but it's impossible to just think about changing them, nothing changes through thinking. It is impossible to change them through doing things about it, either; we can't do anything in this sense, it is like hitting iron with iron. It makes great noise, but the forces are equal, and nothing actually happens. Even if the iron bends itself and takes a different shape, both sides are still iron.
Think about this. Iron cannot breathe the love of God in and out. We are like iron; but we don't see that. Iron is the best that we can achieve; and yet it isn't gold. Something much greater is needed for gold to appear, in the same way that an ordinary solar process of fusion can only produce iron. The sun has to give itself up in order for gold to be produced.
Love and sexuality
Gurdjieff saw a distinct difference and separation between love and sexuality, which he expounded on in some detail with his groups.
Sex, he explained, is a function; and love is a different thing. The word function is derived from the Latin fungi, to perform. It is, in other words, a natural action that takes place in order to fulfill biological requirements. The fact that it is deeply tied to pleasure is, so to speak, immaterial to its purpose and place in the scheme of life.
It might seem demeaning to separate sexuality from love and reduce it to a mechanical function; yet, by way of analogy, drugs and alcohol are also deeply tied to pleasure and act mechanically on the body,—yet we don't make the mistake of connecting them to any ideas of love... except in the crudest sense of love for the needle, the pill, or the bottle. The very idea sounds absurd.
Although, broadly speaking, objects, events, circumstances, and conditions originally arise from the sacred impulse of Love (all things do), because they have become separated from the transcendent by their manifestation in the material world, they become, in alchemical terms, coarser. The material world is, at its heart, mechanical; and perhaps this is something we can take away from Gurdjieff's teachings about man — and the universe — as a machine. They perform functions.
Yet Love is a higher, or sacred, impulse, a finer substance, the true gold of the philosopher's stone; and at its root it provides a connection between God and His creation. As such, mixing it with sexuality, although it is possible and can at times be desirable, is not in the least necessary.
Human beings oft have these two qualities, sex and love, confused. I think we can all admit that to ourselves; we understand that there can and should (at times) be a connection between these two things, and yet we are somehow taught by society that that connection ought to be there at all times.
Is love sex? Every adolescent is convinced of it. Is sex love? Here, again, the adolescent is the authority; but of course it's necessary to bring more than an adolescent point of view to the subject. That's difficult, because almost all of us remain mired in many adolescent attitudes; if anything characterizes the modern world, it's the refusal of most adults to actually grow up.
Our juvenile way of thinking (and feeling) on this matter causes many contradictory impulses and understandings of sexuality to arise. Examining the question provides ample illustration of how perverse our reasoning and feeling become when they are contaminated by desire and subjectivity. Sex is sacred because it is a part of all creation, and all creation is sacred; yet, especially in puritanical and fundamentalist societies, it's treated as profane. So it becomes its own opposite, in the minds of men and women who ought to know better.
At the same time, sex is a function, a mechanical action, and understanding it as quite divorced from the action of love (which is a "scientifically correct" observation, from Gurdjieff's point of view) leads us to see that pornography may well have, at its root, a more accurate understanding of this question than romanticized sexuality does.
This leads us, of course, into dangerous territory; but it also explains why Gurdjieff often told his students that having sex was like "blowing your nose." What seems like a cynical attitude towards sex was actually nothing more than a practical one; yet we can't allow practical considerations to become perversions, which is what pornography may do. Society's complex and contradictory attitude towards both overt and covert sexuality, which involves a staggering amount of lying (the internet is flooded with pornography, but most people deny watching it) illustrates just how badly we understand and manage these questions.
Most human beings would agree that trying to sort their sexuality out is a tangled ball of string. For all of us, subjectivity and desire are so deeply rooted in this action that we can't have an objective view towards it.
We can, on the other hand, open to a higher energy that may inform us correctly about the nature of Love, that is, sacred Love, which contains all of the aspects of sexuality embodied not in the principal of physical existence, but in the nature of a higher energy that creates. In this sense, sexuality is nothing more than a crude mirror, a reflection of a much higher principle. it reminds us of Swedenborg's doctrine of correspondences — actually, not an idea that he originated, although he did receive it from divine revelation. Essentially, the doctrine says that all material reality is a mirror of much higher principles; and this is an idea that the ancient Greek and Hindu philosophers certainly examined in great detail.
Perhaps we could say that our difficulty lies in confusing love in its coarser form, desire, and love as it emanates from the divine principle. Desire and sexuality are inevitably mixed; they both belong to this level. What we often call love is usually desire; and what we desire is not real love.
What we desire for the other could perhaps be considered real love; but what do we really know of that?
Love as the foundation
Following on several recent posts, including the last one, and the post on Meister Eckhart, essence, and personality, it occurs to me this morning that the entire question of existence turns on Love.
I don't mean this way in any sense in the ordinary terms we conceive of love; that is, what we generally call love between man and woman (notwithstanding its modern variants) or, shall we say, two individuals, of whatever inclination. This kind of love is of the material world and, by and large, consists of desire; and is frequently, if not always, confused with our sexuality.
The sense and aim of existence, however, is the expression of an objective or Divine Love, which is of a transcendental nature that may occasionally be sensed by an individual, depending on the action of its force within them. Love is the foundation of the universe; upon it, all other things are built.
It's important to recognize that the action of this force is very different than anything we ordinarily experience in terms of desire. Desire always wants something for itself; real Love always wants something for the other. This is why Swedenborg went to such great lengths to explain that truly heavenly characteristics are completely unselfish; a long subject in itself. The point being that the manifestation of Divine Love is the essential reason that the universe exists in the first place. It was created in order that care could be taken for the other; as is said in John 3:16:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This verse indicates that God would give anything, even the death of His own Son, so that all of creation can have the opportunity to participate in His care for it, and for them.
God cares more about all of creation than He cares, metaphorically speaking, about Himself. The esoteric secrets of transcendence in all of its unknowable aspects lie within this truth, which can never be fully penetrated.
To taste this Love is not just to understand that God loves us (and that He does so unconditionally), but that we have the capacity to love each other; not that we are loved, but that we can Love. To taste the fact that we can Love, which is a transcendental impulse, organically sensed, much greater than any desire we know from our ordinary state: this is the highest calling that a soul in any faith can come to. It eclipses our ideas of ourselves, and brings us to the humble recognition of what real Love is, which encompasses everything.
This kind of sensation — which is only bestowed by Grace and Mercy acting together, the influence of a higher energy — is a rare thing. Sometimes, when I encounter it, I think that if a man or woman experiences this once in a lifetime it is already an enormous event. It seems scarcely credible that the human organism has the capacity for this kind of feeling; yet, fundamentally, it is what we are made for — and, for the most part, we don't even know it.
In tomorrow's post, I will examine a bit of the distinction between sexuality and love.
An insufficiency of love
Flowering plant, Yaxchilán, Mexico
What does it mean to be human? Gurdjieff told his followers that "man" has quotation marks around him: we are a reference to what man might be, a diminished version, what the Germans would call ersatz— a substitute.
This calls us to question what is missing, which is the central question, perhaps, that Jeanne de Salzmann put to everyone around her — what is my lack?
Readers have noticed by now that my re-reading of Meister Eckhart's sermons has resulted in a perhaps even more-than-the-usual Christian emphasis in this space; yet the question is nondenominational. Every religion shares this question, and all religions seek to help us to discover what it means to be human. To be a humanist — something one of my friends in the work, a brilliant and accomplished man, said he was during a conversation last week — is to seek our humanity.
And if we think we are already human, that this level of functioning we have is good enough, then I guess we need seek no further.
But what Meister Eckhart called us to was an effort to see that we do lack — that we are not truly human — and that we only discover our humanity through a relationship with a higher force. Now, it's true, he was not a devotee of Tantric explanations — and so he didn't talk about the energy at the top of the head, although I feel sure he was familiar with these things. (Speaking about such matters was the kind of thing that probably got one, in the worst circumstances, burned at the stake during the Middle Ages.) But the point that he makes over and over is that the higher energy of God must flow into us in order to inwardly form our relationship with the divine. He puts it in what Michel de Salzmann might have (mistakenly) called "narrow" Christian terms; but there is nothing narrow about his vision, or the expansive generosity of his heart practice, which leads us down a path filled with nothing but love.
If there is anything truly missing from this picture of what we are as humans, it's love. I've never seen a situation that couldn't have been improved if more love had been brought to it; and every tragedy that man encounters comes first because of a lack of love. Think about it: poverty, war, hatred, hunger, the destruction of the environment — nearly every single bad influence that flows into the daily affairs of mankind comes because of an insufficiency of love. And the insufficiency is there because man's love is not real love; it is, instead, desire, with its consequent minions of greed, acquisitiveness, jealousy, envy, avarice, breeding like lice in the sweaty environment of objects, events, circumstances, and conditions. Every single habitual (unmindful) inner impulse is, like a louse, there to suck everything little bit of blood it can out of a situation for its self.
Ah, yes. These negative descriptions sound so very grim. But here we are. And isn't it, in the end, exactly like that inside us?
If there is any meaning to the practice of mindfulness, doesn't it begin — after the inner relationship, which is where all true love and true mindfulness is born — with a mindfulness in this moment of a loving approach towards outer circumstances?
If one were attempting to remember oneself, and one simply saw the nearly infinite number of instances in which the impulses of desire create outward manifestation that is not loving, one would see almost everything, wouldn't one?
That, in any event, is my highly personal hypothesis, which I apply to myself, before I think about it in terms of anyone else.
To enter the body
Juvenile spider monkey, Yaxchilán, Mexico
I should wish for nothing more than to open at the top of the head, and let the Lord in to me; but this isn't always possible.
Indeed, the mystery of how the Lord enters the body, which is revealed and unfolded in so many ways, is hidden from me. It is as though I could see the hands of the Lord, and as if He embraced me with them, but yet His face is hidden, His body is hidden, and I know nothing of Him.
Much of this seems very far from all of the technical teachings of spiritual work. I grew up — as almost everyone does — in an atmosphere of spiritual disciplines, exercises, techniques, meditation methods, actions of sensing the body, and many skillful means, as the Buddhists would call them: mindfulness practices of one kind or another.
All of these were preparation; and yet, paradoxically, none of them prepare me for what I must eventually come into active relationship with in an inner sense. The energy that flows into the body — which, as I have mentioned many times, discovers its own perfection anywhere, and at any time — sometimes flows into the head and goes quite deeply down through the body into the other parts. It would be best to open to this as much as possible; for certainly, in these instances, a different level and quality of receiving becomes possible. But this does not minimize or in any way reduce the value of all of the tiny actions which equally inform the human body and its Being of the presence of the Lord.
Perhaps one could argue that all of this is too physical; but that would be a failure to understand, because the intellectual and emotional components in this action are also both inevitable and arise instantaneously in relationship to its manifestation. One comes into the realm of the ineffable cloud of unknowing and receives the nectar that flows outward from it, mindful only of the presence and the need to submit. And in any event, what other instrument is there to receive, than the body itself? The intellect and the emotions are, in their own right, also a part of the body; and so all of the centers must rightly receive this material as it arrives.
It is this inward relationship that becomes more important. I've emphasized many times the need for outward goodness; and this never goes away. But as one grows older, the work becomes more inner. This matter of the need for greater inwardness is, ultimately, a fact at any age; and although I ignore and fail to honor the outward at my own peril, I only succeed in attending to and honoring the outward to the extent that the inward relationship is successfully formed — formed in the first order of the business of Being.
Again, when the center of gravity is excessively anchored in the outward, this point is not well understood. When the center of gravity is excessively anchored in the inward, the outward is forgotten. This is why balance is important. I try to mark the point well in myself.
I may not think of Being as a business, but everything is a business. Christ himself said that he had to be about his father's business; and he did not use the word casually or inattentively. There are transactions, there are accounts, there are deposits and withdrawals. All of them take place in the currency of love and mercy, dispensed according to the accounting methods of wisdom and understanding. And all of them begin with a physical action, that is, a substantial receiving of Presence.
The Reality of Being, per Meister Eckhart
The noblest thing that God works in all creatures is Being. My father can give me my nature, but he does not give me my Being: God alone does that. That is why all things that exist take a rational delight in their Being. See, that is why, as I once said before and was not properly understood, Judas in hell would not want to be another in heaven. Why? Because if he were to become another, he would have to become nothing in his own Being. But that cannot be, for Being does not deny itself. The Being of the soul is receptive to the influence of the divine light, though not as limpid and pure as God can send it, but rather obscured.
(The Complete Mystical Works, Page 156)
Here I've taken the liberty of capitalizing the letter B in "Being," as I so often do, to indicate that we are speaking about that form of Being which is inwardly formed by a higher principle.
Being, which is inwardly formed by the emanation of the divine into the material, includes the Being of both the soul and the body, which are in close relationship. These two touch; one might say that the highest part of the body touches the lowest part of the soul, and the highest part of the soul touches the lowest part of heaven. This is why the path to the self which leads through sensation is the path towards the spiritual; yet this is rather poorly understood, because the form of sensation that we speak of here is not the conventional form, but the living form. It is like the difference between a lily plant and a sheet of cardboard; both have abundant cellulose which gives them shape and form, but oh! how the shape and form differ—and how very much sweeter the scent of the lily than the damp odor of cardboard.
We say the conventional form, not ordinary form, because both forms of sensation are ordinary; that is, ordinal, of an order. (and let us not devalue the ordinary!) But the path of sensation that leads to the spiritual senses is of a higher nature; and indeed, it is informed by that same sensation of God that allows Him to enter the little finger... which would be, by the way, an excellent place to meet God from time to time for conversation, should He deign to appear there.
In any event, this quality of Being is so essential to our nature—and so closely connected to what God has specifically given us that makes us ourselves, and not another (essence)—that even Judas in hell would rather be himself than anyone else.
This is remarkable indeed; yet in order to understand it, one must seek within for that part of one's life which one would never, ever give up—even if another should offer one billions of dollars, or all the power in the world. (Let us remember, this is the very same temptation Christ was offered by the devil, but He chose His Being over all riches.)
If one knows this part then one is quite close to that part which seeks God and knows God is real; and each of us has that part in us, no matter how thoroughly it may be obscured by our desire.
When Jeanne de Salzmann speaks of Being in The Reality of Being, she calls us into question to discover this part within ourselves: this connection to the miracle of Being, which is directly emanated by God. We've been created, you see, by the most extraordinarily loving force; and yet we've forgotten that.
If there is any self-remembering whatsoever to be had in this life, the truest form of it consists of remembering this sacred self, which is the only real self; and that mystery is well protected, though we are, through Grace and Mercy, allowed to touch it from time to time.
One single finger
Perhaps I have said before that God can be in the little finger; I don't remember. But in any event, today, I shall speak about this.
God is everywhere, and cannot be removed from anything, because His Presence is eternal and ubiquitous. If anything is removed, it is only because we remove ourselves, an action frequently called ego, although it is just as right to call it selfishness. In any event, there is no need to assign God or His Presence a specific location, because His manifestation is inevitable and eternal.
The body is a vessel meant to receive this truth, and the truth can be received in any part. To receive this truth in a single part is the same as receiving the truth in all parts, because all parts are whole and contain this single truth within them, even though there appear to be divisions and distinctions, and we rank them according to importance and classification.
In this way, when God brings His Presence to us, His Presence may be as much in our little finger as anywhere. In fact, it's best when His Presence is only in our little finger, because then He gently reminds us of His Being. His Presence is so great and mysterious and, in fact, intolerable to us as we are that to have any more of Him in us than in our little finger alone would be far too much. When He chooses to bless us with a greater level of His Presence, we are overwhelmed. In ancient times this was called a religious ecstasy; but it is rare today. One cannot say why; perhaps the Lord has grown more prudent as He sees mankind's inability; I don't know.
The Lord can be with us every day in any part of the soul. His Graces are sent according to His own will, not mine, and always as a reminder — for there is no other reason God might visit us. This reminder in the little finger, or a toe, or perhaps even some small place in the center of the body, is already enough so that one can actually remember oneself for a moment — and then one knows one's place.
Eckhart speaks thus:
Because of the close union that the soul has with the body, the soul is in the least member as perfect as in the entire body... It is a question difficult to answer, how the soul can endure it without perishing when God presses her into Himself. ( The Complete Mystical Works, page 157)
What comes first?
Pedestal, Ostia Antica, Italy
In contemplating the intersection of the horizontal and the vertical, one perhaps wonders where one ought to invest one's attention, one's energy.
In the same way that all of the material emanates from the spiritual, so all of the attention of the horizontal — everything that devotes itself to objects, events, circumstances, and conditions – ultimately emanates from the divine attention which descends into the material realm. This descent is taking place at all times; of it, Meister Eckhart quotes St. Dionysus, who says:
the divine light appears to five kinds of people. The first are not alive to it. They are like cattle, not capable of receiving it... (The complete Mystical works, Sermon 26), page 170.
So while the divine light, or the divine attention (which is a kind of light, but nothing like the light of the sun) is constantly flowing downward into the material — you are part of it even as you read this — we aren't capable of receiving it unless something changes quite deeply in us. Dionysus goes on to classify all five kinds of people (please refer to the sermon.) Yet the point here is that we are generally invested in the material, the horizontal, because we don't know anything else.
To say that we should first be invested in the spiritual does not mean that we throw the material out; but the material is the center of gravity for everything that we do now. And that must change. This is the reason that Jeanne de Salzmann so clearly and repeatedly emphasized the need to invest one's Being in a higher energy first.
Work does not begin apart from this question; work only begins when we form a relationship to a higher energy. Only then is there work. Before that, there is a great deal, and it is generally on the order of psychology; we must not ignore or discount this. But it is not work, because only what begins with the relationship to the higher, to the spiritual, can be called work. Everything else must be labeled as preparation and understood as such.
Yet we confuse these terms, and talk about how we are working, when all we are actually doing is preparing.
I hear this error made constantly when people speak about work. One knows when people are speaking about real work, because what they say is quite different than what we usually hear; this is because it is associated first with the energy, and all of what follows is aligned, to whatever degree possible, with that energy. To be sure, the alignment is rarely perfect; nonetheless, one knows from the inner taste of God and the sensation of being what is aligned and what is not.
This mixing of the inner and the outer and a failure to correctly discriminate between them is a cause of much consternation.
A new clarity must arrive, a clarity that is divorced from the psychological language which the forms offer us. And above all, I think, a very specific discrimination must be developed. This requires an acuity of observation and a presence of Mind that is, from the beginning, formed not by me, but by the inflow of a higher energy.
These matters are quite different than the things we can think of.
Remorse of conscience and humility
The author, with a Roman storage jar
Ostia Antica, Italy.
This morning, I'd like to take a little time to expound on the differences between remorse of conscience and humility.
The symbol of the cross is used to indicate the intersection of horizontal and vertical influences. The horizontal influences take place in this life, within the manifestation of the material world; they are natural, material, or, in alchemical terms, coarse substances. I commonly class these influences as objects, events, circumstances, and conditions.
These elements are distinct from the vertical influence, which is spiritual (fine). There is a rough correspondence between the spirituality of essence and the materiality of personality, which ought to be carefully studied and well understood in terms of inner work. As a friend pointed out to me on Sunday, we must be careful not to discard the coarse, which we need; but everything begins and ends with the fine, without which there would be no coarse. I shall try to discuss this in a future essay.
In any event, remorse of conscience belongs to horizontal influences. This does not render it less important or necessary to spiritual work, but it is important to understand that all of remorse of conscience takes place as a consequence of objects, events, circumstances and conditions. Having put it in those terms, I think readers can clearly see that remorse of conscience is an influence on this level, which acts horizontally. It is under the influence of Grace, which manifests according to all of the forces on the right side of the enneagram.
Humility, on the other hand, belongs to spiritual influences. It descends into man along a vertical axis and can only be attracted by remorse of conscience; it belongs to the influences on the left side of the enneagram, and is under the direct influence of mercy. When we pray, "Lord have mercy," we pray for humility, and in fact, this prayer must emanate not from a position of remorse, but a position of humility— that is, one must imagine oneself to be humble (even though one isn't) as one prays.
Humility is thus a higher order of feeling and remorse of conscience; but it can never come without the action of remorse of conscience. One needs to study both of these feeling influences within Being as they arise so that one can tell the difference; and one ought to understand that they are of a different order.
Meister Eckhart says, in sermon 23, "It is easy to make show of virtues, or to talk of them; but to have them in reality is extremely rare" (The Complete Mystical Works, P. 169) Humility is a virtue; and it is so rare because it must be earned, and is then sent through mercy. We feign and imagine a great deal of humility, but this belongs to us, and is not of the same order as that which is sent through Mercy.
It takes decades of inner work to begin to distinguish between that which is mine and that which is of the Lord; between the vertical and horizontal. In most of us, they are perpetually confused, and one is rarely touched by the vertical (see sermon 23 for more details on this question.)
Inescapable
I thought to myself yesterday that what currently impresses me the most about all of us, in our various religious and esoteric works, is how fastidiously we have learned to wipe ourselves after we poop on others. Admittedly, I’ve been reading George Eliot’s “Middlemarch;” and if there is any novel in the English language capable of exposing mankind’s collective foibles and conceits with surgical precision, it’s this one. So perhaps that’s coloring my cynicism; yet one knows the shade of it is far from a dated one.
One thing I cannot do, no matter how elegant my philosophies, is escape the inevitability of my own negativity.
I struggle with this because it is quite a force in me. It's interested me for years; and despite much study, I don't understand it well.
In attempting to understand this ongoing struggle, I’m reminded of the Episcopal confession, in particular the line there is no health in us. And this is, indeed, the manner in which I, personally, and speaking for myself alone, need to present myself to the Lord. This is my point of work today.
Last night, I was unable to sleep; and what troubled me the most —as it has for some time—in the three and a half hours I tossed in the dark is the contradiction in me, this inability to do. That doing being, as it happens, the banishment of negativity—for this seems to be the exact kind of doing that would be meaningful, if it could be done—the movement into an inherent goodness which does not exist in me, but which can come by Grace.
Gurdjieff insisted that only consciousness could bring us to such things; yet he himself admitted that he was unable to live up to the same high standards he set for his pupils (see series 3, “Life is only real then, when I am.”) So we are all in the same kettle of fish here; even those who imagine themselves different.
Polarity, negativity, is inescapable; yet there are ameliorations available, and those come through Grace, through a relationship with a higher energy. Some, humanists at heart (and I have a personal preference, if not outright weakness, for this end of the spectrum) would have it that this cannot be taken as a refuge, an abandonment of the need to engage; and I completely agree with them.
Yet the relationship to an inner energy, the divine inflow, must become primary and must become the motive force for life. And, as I put it recently, this raises questions about the nature of manifestation: which is, after all, exactly what we question as we attempt to observe ourselves.
What is the essential nature of my manifestation?
In my experience, as the inner landscape reconfigures itself, shifts in Being create new currents, eddies, and backwash, with elements of conscious and unconscious behavior rippling and swirling together in new and unexpected ways. One of the effects of this mixing of currents (mixing, mind you, as they ever-so-slowly sort themselves out) is an actual increase in negativity at times: a fact, an inescapable fact, that can’t be appreciated without tasting it.
A struggle ensues; and the deeper the inner action, the greater the struggle becomes. There are, I see, forces that actively oppose inner effort to receive the divine inflow.
And this is a puzzle, for the better parts of me know better; or, at least, ought to know better.
Eckhart, essence, and personality
Il Redentore Benedicente
Simone Martini
Today I should like to examine the relationship between some of the comments in Meister Eckhart’s sermon 23 and Gurdjieff’s teachings on essence and personality.
Eckhart says, “...all creatures testify to the divine nature from which they pour forth by their will to work according to the divine nature they have flowed from. Creatures proceed forth in two ways. The first way of coming forth is at the roots, as the roots produce the tree. The second way of coming forth is by way of connection.” (The complete mystical works, page 155.)
We should note at once that the first statement, whereby all things pour forth from the divine nature, is an interation of Swedenborg’s doctrine of divine inflow, whereby all things emanate from an influence, inward flowing, of the divine will. Let us further note that Being, by its very nature, is the “creature” (creation) that is under discussion: all creation is Being. So the discussion immediately folds (as, with Eckhart, it always must) inward upon the nature of man’s Being in its relationship to God.
Eckhart explains to us here that the inflow has a dual character: the first is of the roots, that is, it is essential, radical, and indeed this is exactly what the essence in man consists of, as described by Gurdjieff. This is furthermore the inner quality in man, and corresponds to the point at which the soul touches God at its root: the originating point of divine contact. It is also, in the scheme of cosmology described by the enneagram, the intial manifestation of the material as it flows forth from the divine. We shall see in a moment that this has further implications.
Eckhart explains now that “the second way of coming forth is by way of connection.” (Ibid) This 'way of connection' is a description of relationship, that is, association; and personality, with all of its variety, is formed by way of association. It is the outer or outward part of the divine emanation which, by the way, has an equally respectable and sacred role in the reciprocal relationship between the two forms of flowing forth.
The formulation is sophisticated, because of necessity the moment that a second form of flowing forth arises, it forms connection (relationship) not only with the outer (as personality is wont to do) but also with the inner, that is, the roots or essence. That is, by its very nature, the second flowing forth a priori forms a relationship by way of connection with the first flowing forth. We can understand by this that the radical form of personality’s relationship by association begins with and has its roots in its relationship to essence.
What this means is that the primary responsibility of personality- its radical, or original, responsibility-is to its relationship to essence, which explains quite exactly why Jeanne de Salzmann exhorts us to learn to stand between our two forces, or natures.
Let us continue.
“See, the emanation of divine nature is also by two ways. The first emanation is of the Son by the Father, which occurs in the way of birth.”
Here we see Eckhart elaborating on the nature of essence as the daily (or earthly) form of the Son. In this way essence is understood as the seat of Christ (original, or radical) consciousness.
“The second emanation is of the Holy Ghost by way of connection; this emanation is by the love of the Father and the Son. This is the Holy Ghost, for they love one another in Him.” (Ibid)
Here, Eckhart characterizes personality as an elemental entity, or form of Being, with an essential capacity for love which cannt be present or expressible except through relationship- that is, the association of the Father with the Son. We come here to a vitally important point about associative functions, since we see by this that love can only arise by and through associative functions- that is, relationship. It is, furthermore (in Eckhart’s view, though we are perhaps hard put to know what Gurdjieff might gave said about it) seen that the Holy Ghost expresses itself in this conjunction of Father and Son, that is, love.
We see from this a logically flowing conclusion which is, in many senses, inevitable, summarized in the understanding that the sacred function of the law (for such it is) of association is love. That is, all associations ought, at their root, to either discover or evoke love; in any other guise, association falls short of its intended and God-given functions. Given the arrangements, personality falls under the same order of things; and we are brought back once again to Swedenborg, whose principles of Divine Love and Wisdom state essentially the same principles. So in the essential and radical act of creation, Being enters the material world as an expression of love, and in order to materialize and expand on that expression of love.
Extrapolating, we can understand Gurdjieff’s premises of essence and personality as concepts that conceal, beneath their apparently facile psychological natures, a depth of compassion that can only be fully appreciated in an examination of their divine origins.
The Action of Prayer
"Seek there," I said yesterday.
It was distinct, in that moment; inner, and of one whole substance.
But where is "there?"
"There" is where we pray; and prayer is, as Jeanne de Salzmann says, The need to open. (The Reality of Being, P. 65)
It may seem difficult to cite prayer as the place to seek; yet where else can one go? In coming into relationship with a finer energy, all action naturally becomes prayer; or, rather, all action is naturally seen as prayer, and, if I have this insight... even the slightest touch of it... I can perhaps for the first time begin to understand what the word see truly means. It does not, for example, have much of anything to do with the myriad psychological insights and clever thoughts I have over the course of a day... or a lifetime. To see is a much higher action; and it involves this understanding of action as prayer.
All action is, after all, prayer; as all action is an unfolding of divine will that perpetually opens itself in submission to the action of divine Grace and Mercy. Each and every unfolding is a turning towards the Lord; we don't see this because the inner action that ought to reveal it is obscured. One can come up with many explanations for why; the chief culprit, as Gurdjieff and de Salzmann would have it, is tension, and yet when we peel off the skin of that orange we discover that nearly everything we do is tension, in the same way that Gurdjieff once told Ouspensky that for all practical purposes, everything we are is Chief Feature. It's all tension; our thought, our emoting, our physical habits.
Tension is a straining, a stress; it comes from forces opposing one another. There is an inner path past that territory, but it is hard won; or, that is, never won at all, but only bestowed, according to Graces we don't understand and have no power over. Technical ideas about inner work: exercises, positions, movements: we all want a magic ritual to prepare us, when in fact I think the preparation is only in suffering; only in that emotional territory that ruthlessly—yet so very gently—exposes what we really are.
I continually turn to prayer these days, because I don't know where else to go. An education is needed; but I'm no educator. Compassion is needed, but I'm not compassionate. And loving kindness—well, that, too, is necessary, but I don;'t know much about that either.
There is a point of work where prayer takes me past imagination and into the heart of the matter. It's there that I can perhaps catch an occasional glimpse of what I am.
Face to face with my own helplessness: that's opening.
And it's all I really have to offer.
Yesterday, I said that we lack a physical, substantial, and essential connection to the energy which inwardly forms an understanding of sensation.
This is an important point, because without this connection we always and forever lack the impetus, the force of movement created by what is called wish in inner work. If my connection to a higher energy is frustrated or in any way not present, there is no real wish; for the wish for God does not come from the taste of other things.
One has to taste God in order to wish for God.
No one who has never eaten ice cream can wish and yearn and long for the taste of ice cream; it's unknown. Yet if one tastes ice cream one may develop an insatiable craving for it.
God is something like ice cream, but not much. One may taste ice cream and yet still not develop a craving for it; but this is never the case with God. To a certainty, the man or woman who tastes the divine will forever crave God; and the inward flow of energy is like that. It is a taste of truth—perhaps just an intimation of it—but already it creates a wish that cannot be conquered by the ordinary things of the world.
This may all seem very frustrating. How the heck does one find such a thing? Readers have asked me this; I fully sympathize. For most of us, it is often so: I can't "locate" my wish; I don't seem to be able to find the motivation to "keep my inner work going," to find the energy to stay interested in inner work, and I forget all about it a lot of the time. This probably sounds familiar and is a common observation among those who make inner efforts.
What one doesn't perhaps understand is that this is entirely natural, and even inevitable, when there is no support of a finer energy. Only the finer energy which flows into Being at this radical, sacred point I am describing can help an individual to form what's called real wish. All wish that arises outside of this influence is a temporal, or temporary, wish and it is (as we know) a weak and basically helpless entity.
One might suppose we would already understand this: after all, everything that is formed from the temporal end of being, from what Gurdjieff often called false personality and what is otherwise referred to as ego, is inherently of this level and can have no effect on this level. This brings us to a cardinal rule:
Only that which is not of this level can assist in raising the inner state of Being from this level. Inertia is born of this level; impetus, which is an entirely different entity, must come from a higher level.
That which is not of this level can only arrive through the inner flow of a higher energy which we open to; and so the contact—which can only be cultivated through an intimate relationship with a finer vibration of sensation—must be sought inwardly, in the deepest recesses of the soul.
Only that deepest recess where the soul touches God is the place where an energy that can help us flows in.
Seek there.
Why sensation?
I've commented a number of times on why a living connection to one's sensation is essential.
Gurdjieff gave one explanation in the quote cited in this earlier post. But perhaps his comments could have been more specific; or at any event, translated better.
What is necessary is to have a living sensation, that is, an awakened sensation. The way Mr. Gurdjieff comments on it it sounds as though we could "have" this sensation by our own action, but any sensation we have by our own action is not a voluntary sensation: as I have, I think, pointed out before, what is demanded is never voluntary. And the sensation we seek (but cannot invoke on our own) is voluntary; that is, it is defined by its own agency.
Jeanne de Salzmann also tells us that sensation is essential in every way: I have access to myself only through Sensation. (The Reality of Being, P. 64)
This is not sensation the way I usually understand it; and there is a specific reason for that. Sensation, in is living form, arises at the point of the inward flow of Being. This is a sacred point within the soul that marks the limit of the soul as she is in this world, and the soul as the soul is in God. (See Meister Eckhart's sermon # 21.) This is a very subtle and important point that marks mysteries we cannot approach using words; yet we will continue to try as we work together on this point of understanding.
There's a special reason that this sensation of which I speak is defined by its own agency.
The inflow of the divine presence takes place within this inward flow that marks the origin of divine sensation, which is living sensation, as opposed to physical sensation, and this divine sensation— which is the very same inward flow of energy which Jeanne de Salzmann speaks of when she speaks of a finer energy—is what makes all other sacred (as opposed to secular) actions of the soul in its Being on this level possible.
Of course it is confusing to speak of this, because in the end—as Eckhart so delightfully informs us—our object is to lose the soul such as she is in this world; yet this loss is also a discovery:
...if the soul savors herself as soul, and if she savors God with the soul, that is wrong. She should savor God in Himself, for He is entirely above her. This is what Christ meant by saying, "Whoever loves his soul shall lose it." Whatever of the soul is in this world or looks into this world, whatever is attached to her and looks out, that she should hate. A master says that the soul at her highest and purest is above the world. (The Complete Mystical Works, sermon 21)
The inward flow of energy which begins at the root of Being, where sensation of the divine quite literally flows inward through sensation, is what makes all other work, including the unification of the centers, possible, and it is only in regard to this receiving of the initial and radical inflow of this sacred energy that anything further can happen.
We are wont, as we all know, to continually mistake the situation and believe that we ought to be doing something in order to organize our inner being; yet this simply isn't necessary. The inner being is absolutely and completely organized to the extent that the inward flow of sensation arrives, and I come into relationship with it. All that follows is quite natural, and requires no special effort on my own part; because once the energy arrives, Grace and Mercy at once rush in and entirely support its action—for, as many masters have indicated, it is lawfully so. All that is necessary is to submit; and this is what we do not do.
This is largely because of our confusion of the sacred with the secular; and we don't know the difference because we lack a physical, substantial, and essential connection to the energy which inwardly forms this understanding.
More on that subject tomorrow.
This morning, I read Meister Eckhart's sermon 19, which says many useful, interesting, and even magnificent things.
Roughly speaking, Eckhart divides the action of intellect — intelligence — into three levels, as follows:
... "a light from heaven shone about him." That means that everything pertaining to his soul was enveloped. A master says that in this light all the souls powers are lifted up and exalted: the outer senses we see and hear with and the inner senses we call thoughts." ( The complete mystical works of Meister Eckhart, page 138.)
We begin here, with the action of both the inner and the outer, from within the material context of our sensory Being. They have the opportunity to be elevated; but they do not do this in and of themselves; nor can they.
Above thoughts is the intellect which still seeks. (Ibid)
In other words, there is a level above the level of ordinary thought in which things search. There is a seeker, and a level of thought which seeks. What it seeks is to return to God.
Our masters say — and it is a knotty question — that even the angels know nothing about thoughts unless they break out and rise into the questing intellect, and this seeking intellect springs up into the intellect that does not seek, which is pure light in itself. This light embraces in itself all the powers of the soul. (Ibid)
At this third level, there is what Jeanne de Salzmann refers to as a passivity. Of course we find this confusing; how can anyone find anything when in a passive state? But this state is one that can receive; it has softened. And the reason it needs to soften is so that the inward flow of God into Being can take place:
A master says that all things that have an emanation received nothing from things below them. God flows into all creatures, and yet remains untouched by all of them. (Ibid)
So we see that the inward flow of the divine force, the energy, takes place throughout all of creation, in its action creating, yet at the same time paradoxically remaining separate from creation itself.
All of this is a work of love, that is, of the heart. The heart represents what is central, and love is always central. Yet the center of the universe and God is not, by itself, the universe or God. This leads us to an interesting understanding:
God gives nature the power to work, and her first work is the heart. And so some masters held that the soul is entirely in the heart and flows out thence, giving life to the other members.
That is not so. The soul is entire in every single member. It is true that her first work is in the heart. The heart lies in the middle, and needs protecting on all sides, just as heaven suffers no alien influence and receives nothing from anywhere else, for it possesses all things. (Ibid)
What I find particularly interesting in this passage is the comment, the soul is entire in every single member. Although Eckhart couldn't possibly have known the terms, it explains quite neatly that the soul is both holographic and fractal, that is, every fragment of an emanation of the divine constitutes the divine in its entirety. We cannot grasp this with the mind, but we can experience it through Being.
Because nature has the power to work, and because her first work is in the heart, the way to the truth is through the heart. Although we can discover the truth through any work, that is, any member, or limb — and I mean here, our organic body and its members, in which the divine energy can become manifest in many ways— the primary path to this truth is through the heart, because it is the first work. If we want to go to the root origin of Being, we must go to the heart. And by this I mean the mystical heart, not a physical location.
Just as the division of intellect into levels takes place starting in the material, progressing through a search, and moving into the unknown, so the search for the heart within takes place according to the same order.
The undivided inquiry
I'm thinking about—and trying to sense, in an inner way—the difference between what I encounter now, outwardly, and the inner contact with truth, which is of a different order.
Truth doesn't have a form, but its effects on Being are effused: truth pours out into Being and forms its inward aspects.
In this way Being, which is of the material, comes into alignment with a different quality. The material, when it is informed by truth, emanates its action from an originally divine impulse. The results of this are hardly predictable and don't follow expectations; this is because a different energy informs action, that is, the energy is quietly present within action and action conforms itself, without tension, to outwardness in proportion to the presence of the energy, and what is necessary. This conformity is intelligent; but not by way of intellect.
One could speak of this in terms of reciprocity, which would imply a dualism and exchange between levels; but I'm not at all sure it's like that. There is a one-ness, a unity, in the relationship which becomes an undivided question, or inquiry.
The undivided inquiry proceeds from premises other than the outer. It has the resilience of an inner gravity; it is not easily perturbed or disturbed, and it has a respect for itself and what is around it. But it doesn't have a thought process to it— at least not the way thought is generally understood. It's organic, that is, of the organism, and proceeds from its own entirety, not some fractional manifestation.
One might think this is some grand piece of territory, but it is in fact a small one. I can't swallow God whole; so I swallow God by degrees, and, in the process, delightfully discover that I am the one being swallowed.
It's not so bad, this thing.
In submission, in an effort to open, everything must be on the table; ah, this is difficult. Everything is exactly what I want, and yet none of this can align properly with the demand.
Perhaps the undivided inquiry rests there. In any event, it certainly rests, because it is not an agitated entity, in any sense.
One things is certain: it echoes through the day, and, at any moment, stands ready to remind me that one lives and breathes in territory marked by much greater things than can ever be seen.
A whole truth
There is a whole truth that I need to submit to.
This truth does not have any room in it for things of the world; all the things of the world exist, but this truth is not of them; it doesn't emerge from what they are or where I am within them. Rather, my Being needs to discover that it is within this truth; and in order to do that, a complete submission is necessary.
This truth isn't of the body, but dwells within it; it isn't of the mind, but mind dwells within it; and although one could say that feelings dwell within it as well, it might not be quite enough. This truth is composed entirely of Love and an understanding of Love, which is the force that creates all things in the world, but which the world is chronically unaware of.
Nothing can happen except through Love; and yet this force undergoes a wrong transformation through my Being. There are times when I sense that I have everything wrong, and these times become more tangible as I grow older. There are some few times when I understand for a moment that complete submission and absolute surrender are the most glorious things possible; and that glory does not have anything of me in it. But those times are rare enough; and every time I reach that threshold, I hope to give enough of myself up to make room for Love.
I truly don't know how to do that. At such moments, I see that all of the events I cling to, and all of the things I have done which I think are good, and bad, are meaningless. Truly, they are meaningless; the Lord is called incomparable because it is impossible to compare the Lord to any worldly things or to creation. I begin to see how this became a doctrine to the Sufi masters; because who can create comparatives of the worldly realm or creation itself and match the scale of Love?
Love does not have a scale, or admit to any measurement.
I had a dream last night in which I was at one church, and thought perhaps I would go to another one where I could develop a more specific and intimate relationship with the Lord, a personal one. But I got to that other church, I looked in, the service was almost over, and the people in there were the same as they are at other churches – not bad people, but somehow still devoted to the worldly. All of them had their noses poked into books.
I found myself trying to explain that I didn't belong there, either — that I was looking for a form that would allow both the form and the intimate relationship to the Lord.
This morning, what came to me helps me to see that these dilemmas aren't really meaningful. They are still attached to questions that lie within creation, and do not submit to Love — even though, in an exquisite irony, the dream is about trying to find a way to submit to love. So no matter what I do, I am always clinging.
The path towards the surrender is an intimate and organic one. I don't know how else to explain it. But it involves being present and trying to open.
The force that helps this is within, and I am forever on the threshold.
I don't know what comes next. So I wait.
The uncompromising Saints
How this life is
The Religious Impulse
That greater flame
Known and unknown forces
The consideration of my state
A baker's crumb
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St. Mary's Seminary and University
St. Mary's Seminary and University is a Roman Catholic seminary located within the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland; it was the first seminary founded in the United States of America after the Revolution.
Not to be confused with Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology.
Apostolica civilisque (Latin)
Motto in English
Apostolic and public
Roman Catholic seminary
1791 (228 years ago)
(Sulpician Fathers)
Edward Griswold (Vice Rector)
President-Rector
Phillip J. Brown
158 (Fall 2018)
39.3604°N 76.6400°W / 39.3604; -76.6400
40 acres (16 ha)
MSA, ATS, MICUA
www.stmarys.edu
In consequence of the threatening aspect of affairs in France, Rev. J. A. Emery, Superior-General of the Sulpicians, deemed it prudent to found a house of their institute in some foreign country, and at the suggestion of Cardinal Antonio Dugnani, nuncio at Paris, the United States was chosen. Negotiations were opened with the recently consecrated Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore, Maryland, and after some delay Rev. Francis C. Nagot, S.S., was named first director of the projected seminary. With him were associated Michael Levadoux as treasurer, MM. Tessier, Gamier, and Montdésir, together with several seminarians.[1]
The Sulpicians, fleeing the French Revolution, sailed from Saint Malo on 8 April 1791. Also on board was François-René de Chateaubriand. They arrived in Baltimore on 10 July. They purchased the One Mile Tavern on the edge of the city, dedicated the house to the Blessed Virgin, and in October opened classes with five students whom they had brought from France. This was the beginning of St. Mary's, the first American seminary.[2]
With the help of Bishop John Carroll and others, the Sulpicians were able to purchase additional property adjoining the One Mile Tavern and build St. Mary’s College and Seminary on North Paca Street at the developed northwest edge of the newly incorporated city. St. Mary's Seminary Chapel was built. St. Mary's was additionally chartered as a civil college by the State of Maryland in 1805 (1806?). It was operated until 1852 by the Sulpicians religious order and graduated hundreds of young men and formed an important educational role in the growing city during the first half of the 19th Century.
St. Mary's was established as a theological seminary in 1822 by Pope Pius VII, when it was authorized as the first ecclesiastical faculty in the United States with the right to grant degrees in the name of the Holy See.[3] The seminary continued to be operated by the Sulpicians. In addition, it maintains an ecclesiastical faculty today.
The under-graduate secular St. Mary's College closed in 1852 and Archbishop Kenrick asked the Jesuits to oversee the formation of a school. Construction of Loyola High School began on Charles Street in early 1852, and on September 15, 1852, the school enrolled its first students. That same year saw the opening of Loyola College in two small rented townhouses on Holliday Street, between East Lexington and East Fayette Streets.
The influence of the St. Mary's Seminary increased in the late 19th Century under the leadership of Alphonse Magnien, who served as superior of the school from 1878 to 1902.
St. Mary's Seminary and now University moved to a large 40-acre, park-like campus at the southwest intersection of Roland and Belvedere (later Northern Parkway) Avenues in the Roland Park section of northern Baltimore City in 1929, with the construction of its present Beaux ArtsClassical Revival style, central main building, designed by the firm of Maginnis & Walsh of Boston, which is set far back to the west from Roland Avenue across a great grass lawn. The lawn was used as a helicopter pad for leaving to the local airport following the several days of the 1995 Baltimore visit by Pope John Paul II.[3][4]
In 1968, reflecting a more ecumenical and outgoing spirit from the Second Vatican Council and with educational partnerships with neighboring Christian traditions/denominations of (Protestant and Eastern Orthodox) in the City and central Maryland region, plus having additional space and resources due to a decline in the number of priests in formation by the late 1960s, an "Ecumenical Institute of Theology" was established in 1968 with a separate board of trustees of lay and clergy members from the Catholic and other partnering faiths and a separate dean/director and began offering courses, programs, events with library resources and religious training on a graduate-level to the laity and clergy of the area, which has since greatly raised the academic levels and religious discourse in the following four decades.
In 1974, the institution's name was changed to "St. Mary's Seminary and University" to reflect its expanded departments and graduate degree programs.[4]
During his famous visit to the "Premier See" of Baltimore in 1995, the first by any Bishop of Rome, Pope John Paul II, visited briefly and prayed at the Seminary Chapel and used the spacious front lawn to lift off in his papal helicopter ending his tour of the Archdiocese and its City.
Father Robert F. Leavitt retired as long-time president/rector in spring 2007, having served at that position for 27 years—the longest tenure of any president/rector in the School's history. The Seminary's alumni have gone on to reach bishop's positions and form leading teaching roles in various theological seminaries of the Church in many cities and towns of the United States.
St. Mary's Seminary Chapel
St. Mary's Seminary Chapel, a Neo-Gothic style church designed by French architect J. Maximilian M. Godefroy was built in 1806.[5] The bricks were originally intended for the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but when Bishop Carroll decided to construct his cathedral in stone, the bricks were purchased by his cousin, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and donated to the Sulpicians.
Elizabeth Ann Seton, founder of the Sisters of Charity, pronounced vows of chastity and obedience to John Carroll for one year in the lower chapel on Paca Street on March 25, 1809.[6] The chapel's basement was used for services for members of the Afro-Haitian Catholic community who had left Santo Domingo because of the Haitian Revolution. The old Godefroy Chapel is now St. Mary’s Spiritual Center and Historic Site.
Mother Seton House
Mother Seton House is an historic home located on the grounds of St. Mary’s Seminary adjacent to the Seminary Chapel. Around 1806, Elizabeth Ann Seton met Abbé Louis William Valentine Dubourg when he was preaching in New York. Dubourg was at that time president of St. Mary's College, and was interested in establishing a small school for children. With the concurrence of Bishop Carroll, he invited Seton to Baltimore, where her sons were enrolled in the college. She arrived on June 16, 1808, and spent one year as a school mistress, before relocating to Emmitsburg.[6]
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, lived at the nearby house while she was briefly living in Baltimore during 1806 to 1809; it was later named for her and now contains some historical and biographical exhibits on her life and work.[3] It is the only part of the first group of original seminary/college buildings in Georgian/Federal red brick style from the 1810s which were later razed and a second set of Seminary buildings in a Victorian/French Second Empire style of architecture were erected on the same site facing east on North Paca Street in 1878 and surrounded the original Chapel that is remaining on Paca facing west, into the 21st Century.
Institutes and facilities
The Knott Library (endowed by industrialist, contractor/builder, and philanthropist Henry J. Knott) at St. Mary's Seminary and University houses the collected papers of Fr. Raymond E. Brown S.S. (S.T.B., 1951), an eminent Johannine scholar and St. Mary's graduate.[7]
The Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary's, founded in 1968, offers graduate degrees and certificates; it supports a diverse adult learning environment of different ethnicities and denominations. Dr. Brent Laytham, formerly of North Park University, is the E.I.'s dean, succeeding Dr. Michael J. Gorman.[8] Gorman remains on the faculty as the inaugural Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology.
In May 2012, N. T. Wright was the keynote speaker for the graduating class at the E.I. and was himself awarded an honorary degree.
William O. Brady, (1899–1961), Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, in St. Paul, Minnesota
Raymond E. Brown, (1928-1998), biblical/theological scholar of the Sulpician Fathers, served at the nominally Protestant-led, famous Union Theological Seminary in New York City
Edward Mann Butler, (1784–1855), first president of the University of Louisville, in Louisville, Kentucky
Patrick Joseph Byrne, (1888-1950), Maryknoll Missionary who served as Apostolic Delegate to the Republic of Korea, in Seoul
James Carroll, (1791–1873), U.S. Representative (Congressman) in the twenty-sixth United States Congress (relative of Bishop John Carroll of the Diocese and later Archdiocese of Baltimore), in Baltimore, Maryland
Samuel Eccleston, (1801–1851), fifth Archbishop of Baltimore, (1831-1854), Baltimore, Maryland
Terence P. Finnegan, (1904–1990), Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Air Force, at The Pentagon, U.S. Department of Defense, Washington, D.C.
John Samuel Foley, (1833–1918), Bishop of Detroit, in Detroit, Michigan
James Cardinal Gibbons, (1834–1921), ninth Cardinal Archbishop of Baltimore, (1877-1921) in Baltimore, Maryland
Benjamin Ignatius Hayes, (1815–1877), lawyer, resided in Los Angeles, elected first California District Court Judge of the newly established "First Judicial District of California" from 1852-1864 for the southern California Counties of Los Angeles, San Diego and San Bernardino Counties. Writer/Author about early California province, republic and state history plus legal practices, law and precedents.
Peter Leo Ireton, (1882–1958), Bishop of Richmond, in Richmond, Virginia
John Joseph Kain, (1841–1903), Archbishop of Saint Louis, in St. Louis, Missouri
Edward Kavanagh, (1795–1844), seventeenth Governor of Maine at the State Capitol, in Augusta, Maine
Cornelius Leary (1813-1893), U.S. Representative in the 37th U.S. Congress
William Francis Malooly, (born 1944), current Bishop of Wilmington in Wilmington, Delaware
Thomas Mardaga, (1913–1984), sixth Bishop of Wilmington in Wilmington, Delaware
William Matthews, (1770–1854), seventh President of Georgetown College and first British-American-born Catholic priest
Edward Mooney, (1882–1958), Cardinal Archbishop of Detroit, in Detroit, Michigan
Martin John O'Connor, (1900–1986), bishop and rector of the Pontifical North American College, at Vatican City, in Rome, Italy
Bernard O'Reilly, (1803–1856), Bishop of Hartford, in Hartford, Connecticut
Patrick Thomas O'Reilly, (1833–1892), first Bishop of Springfield in Springfield, Massachusetts
Richard Phelan (1828–1904), Bishop of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Edward Coote Pinkney, (1802–1828), poet, lawyer, sailor, professor, and editor
John Baptist Pitaval, (1858–1928), Archbishop of Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Joseph C. Plagens, (1880–1943), Bishop of Grand Rapids in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Michael Portier, (1795–1859), first Bishop of Mobile in Mobile, Alabama
Ignatius A. Reynolds, (1798–1855), Bishop of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina
John Joyce Russell, (1897–1993), Bishop of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia
William Thomas Russell, (1863–1927), Bishop of Charleston, in Charleston, South Carolina
Augustus John Schwertner, (1870–1939), Bishop of Wichita in Wichita, Kansas
Jerome Sebastian, (1895–1960), Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland
F. Richard Spencer, (born 1951), current auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services
Walter Francis Sullivan, (1928-2012), Bishop of Richmond, in Richmond, Virginia
John Payne Todd (1792–1852), step-son of fourth President James Madison, (1751-1836, served 1809-1817)[9]
Thomas Joseph Toolen, (1886–1976), Bishop of Mobile in Mobile, Alabama
Severn Teackle Wallis (1816–1894), noted lawyer, scholar, civic leader in Baltimore, Maryland (ancestor of Wallis Warfield Simpson of Baltimore, future Duchess of Windsor and wife of former King Edward VIII, later Duke of Windsor, who abdicated the British throne in 1937)
Vincent Stanislaus Waters, (1904–1974), Bishop of Raleigh in Raleigh, North Carolina
Joseph Clement Willging, (1884–1959), Bishop of Pueblo in Pueblo, Colorado
David Zubik, (born 1949), current Bishop of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Rev. Michael Joseph McGivney, (August 12, 1852 – August 14, 1890) was an American Catholic priest based in New Haven, Connecticut. He founded the Knights of Columbus at a local parish to serve as a mutual aid and fraternal insurance organization, particularly for immigrants and their families
National Catholic Educational Association
Jones, Arthur. "Michael Levadoux." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 15 January 2019 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Fenlon, John Francis. "Sulpicians in the United States." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 16 January 2019 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"America's First Seminary". St. Mary's Seminary and University. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
"St. Mary's Seminary & University". BrainTrack. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
"Tour of St. Mary’s Seminary and University", AIA Baltimore
"Elizabeth Ann Seton", Archdiocese of Baltimore
"Welcome to the Knott Library". St. Mary's Seminary and University. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
"The Ecumenical Institute of Theology: An Invitation". St. Mary's University and Seminary. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
"John Payne Todd". Find A Grave. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
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Wladimir Klitschko becomes Innovator of the Year in Germany
Klitschko was awarded in the nomination "German economy" for developing his own innovative program F.A.C.E. The Challenge
The legend of world boxing, ex-world champion Wladimir Klitschko, who is a successful entrepreneur, received the prestigious award and the title "Innovator of the Year 2019" at the annual ceremony in Dusseldorf.
Klitschko was awarded in the nomination "German economy" for developing his own innovative program F.A.C.E. The Challenge, which for several years he has been teaching to senior executives and top managers at the leading university in St. Gallen, Switzerland. “I’m excited because I’ve never received an award as an innovator! This award shows once again that my life philosophy of responding to challenges and my F.A.C.E. The Challenge method work well,” said Wladimir Klitschko in a short video post on Twitter.
The invaluable experience of many years that Wladimir Klitschko gained in professional sports helped him to create his own challenge management strategy. It describes how to respond to professional and personal problems through proactive changes in consciousness and behavior in an increasingly dynamic and complex world.
"Together with the Klitschko Ventures team we provide tools for turning life problems into challenges, vital changes in life. We are the driving force!" stressed Wladimir Klitschko.
Related: Wladimir Klitschko retires from boxing
Earlier boxer Wladimir Klitschko together with the actor Hugh Jackman became laureates of the prestigious Bambi award in Germany, according to Focus.
These awards are presented since 1948 to recognize excellence in media and TV, given to people in the media, arts, culture, sports and other fields. This is the oldest German award in media.
In particular, Jackman was awarded for work in the entertainment industry, and Klitschko - for achievements in sports.
Klitschko award challenge
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Tokyo Olympics Committee Chief Says putting off games is “impossible” despite public opinion to cancel games again
January 13, 2021 Sports Daypop
The chief of Tokyo’s Olympic organizing committee said Tuesday it would be “absolutely impossible” to postpone the Summer Games again due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, who serves as president on the committee, said putting off the Games again would be impossible because many of the organizing officials were already on loan from other organizations in the local government.
Mori’s comments come less than one week after Japan recorded its highest number of new cases in a day — more than 7,800 on Friday. The capital city of Tokyo is currently under a state of emergency through Feb. 8. Globally, coronavirus cases are among an all-time high, with more than 609,000 new cases reported and nearly 10,000 deaths reported Monday.
A Kyodo News survey released Sunday showed that about 80% of people in Japan support postponing or canceling the Summer Games, which were postponed from 2020. The events are scheduled to begin July 23 and will include about 15,000 athletes and tens of thousands more coaches, judges and other workers.
Tokyo Olympics: Over 80% of people surveyed in Japan reportedly believe games should be canceled, won’t happen
Via www.msn.com
However, according to the Associated Press, an overwhelming amount of people in the country…
Editorial credit: Chaay_Tee / Shutterstock.com
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EconomyTanzaniaTop story
Tanzania: Small-scale mining map reveals vast potential and pitfalls
By Hans Merket
Small-scale mining supports hundreds of thousands of relatively well-paid jobs, but with serious health and safety hazards.
In Tanzania, mining is often the subject of headline news. There are frequent reports in the papers regarding fresh multimillion deals, new tax plans for the sector, or allegations of malpractice. These stories tend to focus on large-scale mining, which is central to the country’s economy. But much less-talked about is artisanal and small-scale mining, even though it is just as critical to millions of Tanzanians.
Across the country, hundreds of thousands of people are directly engaged in extracting or processing minerals through methods that require low investment, technology or mechanisation. This ranges from farmers who operate pits on their land informally for a few months each year, to mining rushes that put thousands of people to work at a time. Most miners in Tanzania are searching for gold, but there is also gemstones, base metals and industrial minerals.
Artisanal and small-scale mining (or “ASM”) provides a livelihood for huge numbers of people in Tanzania and several developing countries. Yet due to its nature, data on the sector has rarely been structurally gathered and analysed. In Tanzania, statements about the sector’s nature, size and impact are often little more than back-of-the-envelope estimations. This lack of evidence has made any efforts to support or regulate the sector very difficult.
In light of these concerns, IPIS conducted a mobile data collection campaign in northwest Tanzania. The project surveyed 450 small-scale mining and processing sites on the nature and scope of operations; working conditions; distribution of wealth; and their health, safety and environmental impacts. By making the data publicly available – through an interactive webmap, open database and analytical report – IPIS hopes to contribute to a better understanding of both the harms and potential of small-scale mining in Tanzania.
Documenting the well-known harms
Many of the dangers of artisanal and small-scale mining are well-known, but surveying hundreds of sites revealed their extent.
The campaign found, for example, that over 75% of workers operate informally on unlicensed sites. It also discovered that nearly 1 in 5 sites had been struck by at least one accident in the preceding year, leading to at least 175 injuries and 90 deaths. Safety awareness in general is worryingly low; personal protective equipment is rarely used and miners often use risky digging techniques.
Health emerged as another major concern. One third of workers has no access to sanitary facilities on site, while for those that do, the amenities are often in a poor condition or insufficient in number. Combined with inadequate waste management systems, this poses serious health risks for workers and neighbouring communities.
Another key threat is the widespread use of mercury. Of those surveyed, 98% of gold processing sites use this highly toxic chemical to help extract the precious metal from its ore. The gold-mercury amalgamate is usually burned in the open air and in the proximity of residential areas. Children are especially vulnerable to mercury poisoning as it causes severe neurological and developmental problems. This makes it particularly worrisome that 18% of gold processing sites employ children below the age of 15.
Finally, the campaign revealed ASM to be a particularly patriarchal sector. Women make up just 20% of the total workforce and generally remain in lower-level positions with little job security. In three-quarters of the sites that engage women, their work is limited to crushing and panning, which earns one third of what an average miner gets.
The undervalued potential of the sector
The new research shows the extent of the harms of artisanal and small-scale mining, but it also reveals its important – and often overshadowed – contributions.
In just 4 of Tanzania’s 26 regions, IPIS estimates that up to 121,000 people are directly engaged in mining and processing. When auxiliary services in transport, restaurants, guesthouses, bars, commerce and construction are added, the number of jobs supported rises to over 485,000.
Mining jobs are relatively rewarding in the context of poor rural areas where ASM generally takes place. The average monthly income of gold miners and processors, for instance, lies between $82 and $110. This is more than double the common wage for agricultural labour in Tanzania.
As well as through employment and spill-overs, over half of all surveyed sites also directly contribute money to neighbouring communities. Like more prominent large-scale companies, most small-scale operations make “corporate social responsibility” contributions to support health, education, road-building and village infrastructure. This also explains why despite evident nuisances and occasional frictions, relations between mining sites and surrounding communities tend to be good. While community clashes with large-scale mining companies are common in Tanzania, only 3% of ASM sites are involved in an outspoken conflict with neighbouring villages.
Furthermore, contrary to the reputation of small-scale mining as a disorganised patchwork of rent-seekers, its governance is in fact highly sophisticated. Multi-tiered structures with extensive chains of command help spread investments, divide labour, and share production.
These systems are, among other things, enabling the gradual mechanisation of the sector. The stereotypical image of poor workers carving out and crushing rocks with nothing more than shovels, pickaxes and hammers now applies to less than 55% of mining and 20% of processing sites. Generators, compressors, water pumps, metal detectors, jackhammers, electric winches and ball mills are a common sight today.
The management of the sector does not work for everyone, however. As many miners are unable to access bank loans, they turn to powerful gold trader networks to informally finance operations in return for a monopoly on buying their production. This makes miners vulnerable to debt bondage and risks implicating them in iniquitous practices such as money laundering, smuggling and corruption.
ASM’s informality also complicates state oversight and regulation. At least ten different government institutions are tasked with visiting mining and processing sites to improve inspection, revenue collection, assistance, data collection, law enforcement and conflict mediation. While over 90% of workers receive state visits, most government oversight remains partial or occasional; coordination, information exchange, and task division are conducted in an ad hoc manner.
The collection and organisation of data on artisanal and small-scale mining can allow this oversight to be fine-tuned and help unveil where the best and worst practices lie. Through better knowledge, it is hoped that the dynamic sector’s harms can be minimised and its extensive contributions to Tanzanian employment and socio-economic advancement maximised.
IPIS mapping of ASM in northwest Tanzania is financed by the Belgian Development Cooperation.
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Hans Merket
Hans Merket is a researcher at the International Peace Information Service (IPIS). He works on natural resources, business & human rights and conflict mapping in East and Central Africa. Follow him on twitter at @hansmerket and IPIS at @IPISResearch. IPIS mapping of mining in northwest Tanzania is financed by the Belgian Development Cooperation.
inno 17 April, 2020 at 09:51
how can help small scale miner to change from the use of mercury in processing of gold to a new modern method
Are Diaspora Bonds Worth the Risk for Diaspora Africans? – By Dele Meiji Fatunla
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Step by inevitable step: Lungu’s strategic march to 2021 and beyond
What Barack Obama means to young Africans
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Site Name: Clinton, Chancy Park
Location: Clinton (El Tapatio), IA
Clinton (El Tapatio) IA, US: 41.823101, -90.211899
Jan. 19, 2021, 7 p.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.0 ppb (0) N/A N/A N/A 20.6 μg/m3 (69) 69.0
Jan. 19, 2021, noon N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.0 ppb (0) N/A N/A N/A 12.5 μg/m3 (52) 52.0
Jan. 19, 2021, 11 a.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.0 ppb (0) N/A N/A N/A 12.8 μg/m3 (53) 53.0
Jan. 19, 2021, 9 a.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.0 ppb (0) N/A N/A N/A 15.4 μg/m3 (58) 58.0
Jan. 19, 2021, 8 a.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.0 ppb (0) N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.0
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Jan. 14, 2021, midnight N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2.0 ppb (3) N/A N/A N/A 16.4 μg/m3 (61) 61.0
Jan. 13, 2021, 11 p.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 1.0 ppb (2) N/A N/A N/A 14.0 μg/m3 (55) 55.0
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Home » World Religions » The psychology behind religious belief | News Room – The Ohio State University
The psychology behind religious belief | News Room – The Ohio State University
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Throughout history, scholars and researchers have tried to identify the one key reason that people are attracted to religion.
Some have said people seek religion to cope with a fear of death, others call it the basis for morality, and various other theories abound.
But in a new book, a psychologist who has studied human motivation for more than 20 years suggests that all these theories are too narrow. Religion, he says, attracts followers because it satisfies all of the 16 basic desires that humans share.
“It’s not just about fear of death. Religion couldn’t achieve mass acceptance if it only fulfilled one or two basic desires,” said Steven Reiss, a professor emeritus of psychology at The Ohio State University and author of The 16 Strivings for God (Mercer University Press, 2016).
“People are attracted to religion because it provides believers the opportunity to satisfy all their basic desires over and over again. You can’t boil religion down to one essence.”
Reiss’s theory of what attracts people to religion is based on his research in the 1990s on motivation. He and his colleagues surveyed thousands of people and asked them to rate the degree to which they embraced hundreds of different possible goals.
In the end, the researchers identified 16 basic desires that we all share: acceptance, curiosity, eating, family, honor, idealism, independence, order, physical activity, power, romance, saving, social contact, status, tranquility and vengeance.
Reiss then developed a questionnaire, called the Reiss Motivation Profile, that measures how much people value each of these 16 goals. More than 100,000 people have now completed the questionnaire. The research is described in Reiss’s book Who Am I? The 16 Basic Desires that Motivate our Action and Define Our Personalities.
“We all share the same 16 goals, but what makes us different is how much we value each one,” Reiss said.
“How much an individual values each of those 16 desires corresponds closely to what he or she likes and dislikes about religion.”
A key point is that each of the 16 desires motivates personality opposites and those opposites all have to find a home in a successful religion, Reiss said.
For example, there is the desire for social contact. “Religion has to appeal to both introverts and extroverts,” Reiss said. For extroverts, religion offers festivals and teaches that God blesses fellowship. For introverts, religion encourages meditation and private retreats and teaches that God blesses solitude.
Religion even finds ways to deal with the desire for vengeance, Reiss said. While some religions preach of a God of peace and encourage followers to “turn the other cheek,” there is also the other side: the wrath of God and holy wars.
“Religion attracts all kinds, including peacemakers and those who want a vengeful God.”
All religious beliefs and practices are designed to meet one or more of these 16 desires, Reiss explained.
For example, religious rituals fulfill the desire for order. Religious teachings about salvation and forgiveness tap into the basic human need for acceptance. Promises of an afterlife are designed to help people achieve tranquility.
What about atheism? While all people need to fulfill the same basic desires, not everyone will turn to religion to satisfy them, Reiss said. Secular society offers alternatives to fulfill all of the basic desires.
“Religion competes with secular society to meet those 16 needs and can gain or lose popularity based on how well people believe it does compared to secular society,” Reiss said.
One of the basic desires – independence – may separate religious and non-religious people. In a study published in 2000, Reiss found that religious people (the study included mostly Christians) expressed a strong desire for interdependence with others. Those who were not religious, however, showed a stronger need to be self-reliant and independent.
Reiss said one advantage of his theory is that, unlike many other theories of religion, it can be scientifically tested.
“In 16 Strivings for God, I discuss a mystical personality type – the kind of person who would likely find value and meaning in mystical experiences and would be attracted to religion for that reason,” he said.
“We can test that and find out if there really is a mystical personality type.”
While the theory can tell us a lot about the types of people who are attracted to religion and different religious experiences, it cannot say anything about the truth of religious beliefs, Reiss said.
“I’m not trying to answer theological questions about the existence or nature of God,” Reiss said. “What I’m trying to answer is the nature of why people embrace religion and God.”
Source: The psychology behind religious belief | News Room – The Ohio State University
By broboinhawaii in World Religions on October 6, 2015 .
← The Origins of Religion: How Supernatural Beliefs Evolved Religion, Alcoholics Anonymous, and occupational licensing – The Washington Post →
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Fred Willard, Comedy Legend, Dies at 86
ABC via Getty Images
More sad news from the entertainment world today, as Fox News reports that Fred Willard, beloved comedian from film and television, has died. Willard passed away of natural causes on Friday. He was 86 years old.
His daughter, Hope Mulbarger, gave this statement to Fox:
My father passed away very peacefully last night at the fantastic age of 86 years old. He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end. We loved him so very much! We will miss him forever.
Willard’s career in comedy lasted over half a century. Born in Ohio in 1933, Willard moved to New York in the 1950s after getting out of the Army. He began doing theater and became a key member of several famous comedy troupes, including the Second City. In the late 1970s he became a fixture on television on shows like Real People; through the years he appeared on many popular TV shows, including The Love Boat, Roseanne, Mad About You, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Modern Family.
But Willard’s most acclaimed roles came during his appearances in the films of Christopher Guest. Guest’s films are largely improvised, and Willard’s background in live comedy made him an enormous asset — and a dependable scene stealer. In the first improvised film Guest directed, 1996’s Waiting For Guffman, Willard played Ron Albertson who, along with his wife Sheila (Catherine O’Hara), become the leads in a local theater production in Blaine, Missouri. Their audition scene for the show is incredible.
In 2000’s Best in Show, Willard played the clueless TV commentator Buck Laughlin, whose ramblings made the climactic dog show absolutely hilarious.
In A Mighty Wind, about the survivors of the 1960s folk scene, Willard even got a catchphrase: “Hey! Wha’ happened?”
Willard has been making appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in recent years, and later this month, viewers of Netflix’s new comedy Space Force will get to see him as the Secretary of Defense. Willard’s co-star on the show, Steve Carell, posted this lovely tribute on Twitter.
Clearly, Fred Willard will be missed, and not just by his fans.
Gallery — The Best TV Shows of the Year:
Source: Fred Willard, Comedy Legend, Dies at 86
Filed Under: Fred Willard, RIP
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Tag Archives: Mingus Ah um
Jazz, Music Calendar
April 22: The late Charles Mingus was born in 1922
April 22, 2015 Egil
Just because I’m playing jazz I don’t forget about me. I play or write me the way I feel through jazz, or whatever. Music is, or was, a language of the emotions.
~Charles Mingus
Irascible, demanding, bullying, and probably a genius, Charles Mingus cut himself a uniquely iconoclastic path through jazz in the middle of the 20th century, creating a legacy that became universally lauded only after he was no longer around to bug people.
~Richard S. Ginell (allmusic.com)
Charles Mingus Triumph of the Underdog (1998 documentary film)
Continue reading April 22: The late Charles Mingus was born in 1922 →
Charles MingusGoodbye Pork Pie HatJazzMingus Ah umOrange Was The Color Of Her Dress
Today: The late Charles Mingus was born in 1922 – 91 years ago
Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple.
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat – Live at Montreux 1975:
Charles Mingus Jr.
US Army Base in Nogales, Arizona, United States
January 5, 1979 (aged 56)
Jazz, hard bop, bebop, avant-garde jazz, post-bop, Third Stream, gospel, orchestral jazz, free jazz
Double bassist, composer, bandleader
Double bass, piano, cello, trombone
Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was a highly influential American jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader. Mingus’s compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third Stream, free jazz, and classical music. Yet Mingus avoided categorization, forging his own brand of music that fused tradition with unique and unexplored realms of jazz. He once cited Duke Ellington and church as his main influences.
Mingus focused on collective improvisation, similar to the old New Orleans jazz parades, paying particular attention to how each band member interacted with the group as a whole. In creating his bands, Mingus looked not only at the skills of the available musicians, but also their personalities. Many musicians passed through his bands and later went on to impressive careers. He recruited talented and sometimes little-known artists whom he assembled into unconventional and revealing configurations. As a performer, Mingus was a pioneer in double bass technique, widely recognized as one of the instrument’s most proficient players.
Charles Mingus Sextet featuring Eric Dolphy – Take The A Train (Live in Oslo – Norway 1964):
Nearly as well known as his ambitious music was Mingus’ often fearsome temperament, which earned him the nickname “The Angry Man of Jazz”. His refusal to compromise his musical integrity led to many on-stage eruptions, exhortations to musicians, and dismissals. Because of his brilliant writing for mid-size ensembles, and his catering to and emphasizing the strengths of the musicians in his groups, Mingus is often considered the heir of Duke Ellington, for whom he expressed great admiration. Indeed, Dizzy Gillespie had once claimed Mingus reminded him “of a young Duke”, citing their shared “organizational genius”.
Mingus’ music was once believed to be too difficult to play without Mingus’ leadership. However, many musicians play Mingus compositions today, from the repertory bands Mingus Big Band, Mingus Dynasty, and Mingus Orchestra, to the high school students who play the charts and compete in the Charles Mingus High School Competition.
Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk (Live in Oslo 1964):
Gunther Schuller has suggested that Mingus should be ranked among the most important American composers, jazz or otherwise. In 1988, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts made possible the cataloging of Mingus compositions, which were then donated to the Music Division of the New York Public Library for public use. In 1993, The Library of Congress acquired Mingus’s collected papers—including scores, sound recordings, correspondence and photos—in what they described as “the most important acquisition of a manuscript collection relating to jazz in the Library’s history”.
“Mingus: Charlie Mingus 1968” (Thomas Reichman documentary) – 58min:
Playlist of the day
Other APR-22:
Continue reading Today: The late Charles Mingus was born in 1922 – 91 years ago →
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Ankyrin-B Syndrome: Enhanced Cardiac Function Balanced by Risk of Cardiac Death and Premature Senescence
Peter J. Mohler, Jane A. Healy, Hui Xue, Annibale A. Puca, et al
http://www.mendeley.com/research/ankyrinb-syndrome-enhanced-cardiac-function-balance-risk-cardiac-death-premature-senescence
Mendeley 324 Apr 03:16 UTC
{"title"=>"Ankyrin-B syndrome: Enhanced cardiac function balance by risk of cardiac death and premature senescence", "type"=>"journal", "authors"=>[{"first_name"=>"Peter J.", "last_name"=>"Mohler", "scopus_author_id"=>"7004029119"}, {"first_name"=>"Jane A.", "last_name"=>"Healy", "scopus_author_id"=>"23049926100"}, {"first_name"=>"Hui", "last_name"=>"Xue", "scopus_author_id"=>"35082934000"}, {"first_name"=>"Annibale A.", "last_name"=>"Puca", "scopus_author_id"=>"7004234433"}, {"first_name"=>"Crystal F.", "last_name"=>"Kline", "scopus_author_id"=>"14323491500"}, {"first_name"=>"R. Rand", "last_name"=>"Allingham", "scopus_author_id"=>"7004193048"}, {"first_name"=>"Evangelia G.", "last_name"=>"Kranias", "scopus_author_id"=>"35479209700"}, {"first_name"=>"Howard A.", "last_name"=>"Rockman", "scopus_author_id"=>"35518621200"}, {"first_name"=>"Vann", "last_name"=>"Bennett", "scopus_author_id"=>"7101915268"}], "year"=>2007, "source"=>"PLoS ONE", "identifiers"=>{"pmid"=>"17940615", "doi"=>"10.1371/journal.pone.0001051", "sgr"=>"38049084008", "isbn"=>"1932-6203 (Electronic)\r1932-6203 (Linking)", "scopus"=>"2-s2.0-38049084008", "issn"=>"19326203", "pui"=>"351560117"}, "id"=>"43492286-1e43-35de-ad63-a54925bc7faa", "abstract"=>"Here we report the unexpected finding that specific human ANK2 variants represent a new example of balanced human variants. The prevalence of certain ANK2 (encodes ankyrin-B) variants range from 2 percent of European individuals to 8 percent in individuals from West Africa. Ankyrin-B variants associated with severe human arrhythmia phenotypes (eg E1425G, V1516D, R1788W) were rare in the general population. Variants associated with less severe clinical and in vitro phenotypes were unexpectedly common. Studies with the ankyrin-B +/- mouse reveal both benefits of enhanced cardiac contractility, as well as costs in earlier senescence and reduced lifespan. Together these findings suggest a constellation of traits that we term \"ankyrin-B syndrome\", which may contribute to both aging-related disorders and enhanced cardiac function. © 2007 Mohler et al.", "link"=>"http://www.mendeley.com/research/ankyrinb-syndrome-enhanced-cardiac-function-balance-risk-cardiac-death-premature-senescence", "reader_count"=>3, "reader_count_by_academic_status"=>{"Unspecified"=>1, "Professor"=>1, "Professor > Associate Professor"=>1}, "reader_count_by_user_role"=>{"Unspecified"=>1, "Professor"=>1, "Professor > Associate Professor"=>1}, "reader_count_by_subject_area"=>{"Unspecified"=>1, "Medicine and Dentistry"=>1, "Agricultural and Biological Sciences"=>1}, "reader_count_by_subdiscipline"=>{"Medicine and Dentistry"=>{"Medicine and Dentistry"=>1}, "Agricultural and Biological Sciences"=>{"Agricultural and Biological Sciences"=>1}, "Unspecified"=>{"Unspecified"=>1}}, "group_count"=>0}
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.yjmcc.2008.08.016
http://doi.org/10.1097/FJC.0b013e3181b2b6ed
http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0907138106
http://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00734.2012
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2012.08.026
http://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.116.001537
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2007.11.005
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.exer.2008.09.022
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.hlc.2016.09.013
http://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.023986
http://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2015.00034
http://doi.org/10.1139/bcb-2019-0082
http://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.110.224592
http://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M113.465328
http://doi.org/10.4045/tidsskr.11.1353
Europe PMC Database Citations 2917 May 19:44 UTC
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Wikipedia 128 Feb 18:24 UTC
Wikipedia | Further Information
{"title"=>"ANK2", "url"=>"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANK2", "timestamp"=>"2018-10-13T15:48:43Z"}
Wordpress.com28 Sep 00:20 UTC
{"month"=>"10", "year"=>"2007", "pdf_views"=>"35", "xml_views"=>"18", "html_views"=>"126"}
{"month"=>"12", "year"=>"2007", "pdf_views"=>"6", "xml_views"=>"9", "html_views"=>"134"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/464681", "https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/464696", "https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/464722"], "description"=>"<div><p>Here we report the unexpected finding that specific human <em>ANK2</em> variants represent a new example of balanced human variants. The prevalence of certain <em>ANK2</em> (encodes ankyrin-B) variants range from 2 percent of European individuals to 8 percent in individuals from West Africa. Ankyrin-B variants associated with severe human arrhythmia phenotypes (eg E1425G, V1516D, R1788W) were rare in the general population. Variants associated with less severe clinical and <em>in vitro</em> phenotypes were unexpectedly common. Studies with the ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mouse reveal both benefits of enhanced cardiac contractility, as well as costs in earlier senescence and reduced lifespan. Together these findings suggest a constellation of traits that we term “ankyrin-B syndrome”, which may contribute to both aging-related disorders and enhanced cardiac function.</p></div>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["ankyrin-b", "enhanced", "cardiac", "premature", "senescence"], "article_id"=>151590, "categories"=>["Biochemistry", "Medicine", "Genetics"], "users"=>["Peter J. Mohler", "Jane A. Healy", "Hui Xue", "Annibale A. Puca", "Crystal F. Kline", "R. Rand Allingham", "Evangelia G. Kranias", "Howard A. Rockman", "Vann Bennett"], "doi"=>["https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0001051.s001", "https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0001051.s002", "https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0001051.s003"], "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>0, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/Ankyrin_B_Syndrome_Enhanced_Cardiac_Function_Balanced_by_Risk_of_Cardiac_Death_and_Premature_Senescence/151590", "title"=>"Ankyrin-B Syndrome: Enhanced Cardiac Function Balanced by Risk of Cardiac Death and Premature Senescence", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>4, "published_date"=>"2007-10-17 00:26:30"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/943985"], "description"=>"<p>A. The domain structure of 220 kD ankyrin-B protein, showing the N-terminal membrane binding domain (red), spectrin-binding domain (green), death domain (yellow), and C-terminal domain (blue). Magnified insert shows the location of previously identified variants. Variants had range of functional severity in mouse cardiomyocytes, indicated with yellow (mild), gray (moderate) or red (severe) bars. B. Affected residues are highly conserved across species. Ankyrin-B alignment from human, monkey, rat, mouse, dog, chicken, and zebrafish. Residues affected by the nucleotide variants are shown in red. C. Allele frequency of the <i>ANK2</i> variants in 1152 Europeans (black bars) and 384 West Africans (red bars) as determined by PCR based allelic discrimination assay. Right, Allele frequency of pooled functional variants. D. Ankyrin-B variants are less frequent in Europeans that reach the age of 100. Allele frequency of the each variant in European non-centenarians (black bars) and centenarians (red bars). Asterisks indicate that no individuals were identified with the variant.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["ankyrin-b", "variants", "distributions", "populations"], "article_id"=>614367, "categories"=>["Biochemistry", "Medicine", "Genetics"], "users"=>["Peter J. Mohler", "Jane A. Healy", "Hui Xue", "Annibale A. Puca", "Crystal F. Kline", "R. Rand Allingham", "Evangelia G. Kranias", "Howard A. Rockman", "Vann Bennett"], "doi"=>["https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0001051.g001"], "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>0, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Human_ankyrin_B_gene_variants_have_unique_distributions_in_distinct_ethnic_populations_and_may_affect_longevity_/614367", "title"=>"Human ankyrin-B gene variants have unique distributions in distinct ethnic populations and may affect longevity.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2007-10-17 01:12:47"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/944039"], "description"=>"<p>(A) Isolated unloaded ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> ventricular cardiomyocytes display increased cellular shortening compared to unloaded WT cardiomyocytes, consistent with increased [Ca<sup>2+</sup>]<sub>i</sub> transients <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0001051#pone.0001051-Mohler3\" target=\"_blank\">[14]</a>. Asterisk represents p<0.01 between untreated WT and ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> cardiomyocytes (15–20 cardiomyocytes from 4–5 mice). WT and ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> cardiomyocytes treated with maximal doses of ouabain (100 µM) display significant elevations in cellular shortening compared with untreated WT and ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> cardiomyocytes (15–20 cardiomyocytes from 4–5 mice, p<0.01, asterisks). (B–C) Live, isolated ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> cardiomyocytes display reduced (∼20%) surface expression as measured by binding of [<sup>3</sup>H]-ouabain (n = 3, p<0.01). (D–E) Conscious echocardiograms of wild-type and ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mice before and after transverse aortic constriction. Black labels represent wild-type animals, white labels represent ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> data. Ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mice show preserved fractional shortening compared to wild-type mice over a wide range of hemodynamic stress (induced through transverse aortic constriction).</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["ankyrin-b-dependent", "sites", "mimics", "cellular"], "article_id"=>614424, "categories"=>["Biochemistry", "Medicine", "Genetics"], "users"=>["Peter J. Mohler", "Jane A. Healy", "Hui Xue", "Annibale A. Puca", "Crystal F. Kline", "R. Rand Allingham", "Evangelia G. Kranias", "Howard A. Rockman", "Vann Bennett"], "doi"=>["https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0001051.g002"], "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>0, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Loss_of_ankyrin_B_dependent_3_H_ouabain_binding_sites_mimics_the_cellular_action_of_digitalis_/614424", "title"=>"Loss of ankyrin-B-dependent [<sup>3</sup>H]-ouabain-binding sites mimics the cellular action of digitalis.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2007-10-17 01:13:44"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/944191"], "description"=>"<p>Wild-type (n = 8) and ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mice (n = 8), and wild-type (n = 10) and phospholamban-null mice (n = 10) were surgically-implanted with radiotelemetry ECG probes. Mice were injected with a high dose (10 mg/kg) of ouabain or 2 mg/kg epinephrine, and conscious ECGs were recorded. Unlike wild-type or phospholamban-null mice, ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mice display resistance to ouabain-induced ventricular arrhythmia (1/8) and death (0/8). Panel A represents ECG data from wild-type, ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup>, and PLN null mice treated with ouabain. Data in panels B–D represent summary syncope, death, and arrhythmia data for mice following exercise (panel B), exercise plus epinephrine injection (panel C), and ouabain injection (panel D).</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["mice", "resistant", "ouabain-induced", "ventricular", "arrhythmia"], "article_id"=>614570, "categories"=>["Biochemistry", "Medicine", "Genetics"], "users"=>["Peter J. Mohler", "Jane A. Healy", "Hui Xue", "Annibale A. Puca", "Crystal F. Kline", "R. Rand Allingham", "Evangelia G. Kranias", "Howard A. Rockman", "Vann Bennett"], "doi"=>["https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0001051.g003"], "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>0, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Ankyrin_B_8722_mice_are_resistant_to_ouabain_induced_ventricular_arrhythmia_and_death_/614570", "title"=>"Ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mice are resistant to ouabain-induced ventricular arrhythmia and death.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2007-10-17 01:16:10"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/944304"], "description"=>"<p>Gross phenotypes of wild-type and ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mice at (A) eight weeks, (B) six months, and C) two years. While we observe no major differences in phenotypes at eight weeks, we observe a slight decrease in size and the presence of lordokyphosis in ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mice at six months of age. At two years, unlike wild-type littermates, living ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mice display a significant decrease in adiposity and loss of soft tissues as well as prominent lordokyphosis. D, Dorsal hair regrowth phenotypes in 12 month C57Bl/6 wild-type and ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> littermates. We observed no difference in regrowth in 1 or 3 month mice. E, H&E stain of dorsal skin sections from age-matched (24 month) wild-type and ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> littermates. Note the decrease in adipose from the subdermis of ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mouse skin. F, Reduced longevity of ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mice compared with wild-type littermates.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["mice", "premature", "senescence", "reduced"], "article_id"=>614684, "categories"=>["Biochemistry", "Medicine", "Genetics"], "users"=>["Peter J. Mohler", "Jane A. Healy", "Hui Xue", "Annibale A. Puca", "Crystal F. Kline", "R. Rand Allingham", "Evangelia G. Kranias", "Howard A. Rockman", "Vann Bennett"], "doi"=>["https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0001051.g004"], "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>0, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Ankyrin_B_8722_mice_display_premature_senescence_and_reduced_longevity_/614684", "title"=>"Ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mice display premature senescence and reduced longevity.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2007-10-17 01:18:04"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/944450"], "description"=>"<p>A, Relative 220 kD ankyrin-B expression across mouse tissues. Right panel illustrates expression of 220 kD ankyrin-B in ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mouse tissues compared with wild-type littermate tissue (n>3, p<0.05). B, Quantitative immunoblot of 220 kD ankyrin-B expression in wild-type and ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mouse pancreas using ankyrin-B Ig. Protein levels were quantified by 125-labeled Protein A (n>3). C–D, Immunolocalization of glucagon (left) and ankyrin-B (right) in the Islet of wild-type mouse pancreas. Note that we observe no immunoreactivity of ankyrin-B in the exocrine pancreas. E, Immunolocalization of somatostatin and ankyrin-B in wild-type islets. We observe no co-expression of ankyrin-B and somatostatin in delta cells. F, Immunolocalization of glucagon and ankyrin-B in wild-type mouse islets. We observe no co-localization of glucagon and ankyrin-B in alpha cells. G, Immunolocalization of glucagon and ankyrin-B in Islets of ankyrin-B<sup>+/−</sup> mice. Note the significant decrease in ankyrin-B levels.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["biochemistry/cell signaling and trafficking structures", "genetics and genomics/disease models", "cardiovascular disorders/arrhythmias, electrophysiology, and pacing"], "article_id"=>614828, "categories"=>["Biochemistry", "Medicine", "Genetics"], "users"=>["Peter J. Mohler", "Jane A. Healy", "Hui Xue", "Annibale A. Puca", "Crystal F. Kline", "R. Rand Allingham", "Evangelia G. Kranias", "Howard A. Rockman", "Vann Bennett"], "doi"=>["https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0001051.g005"], "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>0, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Ankyrin_B_haploinsufficiency_in_multiple_cell_types_/614828", "title"=>"Ankyrin-B-haploinsufficiency in multiple cell types.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2007-10-17 01:20:28"}
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Relative Metric 118821419 Apr 16:30 UTC
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Antidepressants are a type of medicine used to treat clinical depression.
They can also be used to treat a number of other conditions, including:
Antidepressants are also sometimes used to treat people with long-term (chronic) pain.
Read more about when antidepressants are used.
How antidepressants work
It's not known exactly how antidepressants work.
It's thought they work by increasing levels of chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. Certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and noradrenaline, are linked to mood and emotion.
Neurotransmitters may also affect pain signals sent by nerves, which may explain why some antidepressants can help relieve long-term pain.
While antidepressants can treat the symptoms of depression, they do not always address its causes. This is why they're usually used in combination with therapy to treat more severe depression or other mental health conditions.
How effective are antidepressants?
Research suggests that antidepressants can be helpful for people with moderate or severe depression.
Studies have shown that they're better than placebo ("dummy medicine") for people with these conditions.
They're not usually recommended for mild depression, unless other treatments like therapy have not helped.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists estimates that 50 to 65% of people treated with an antidepressant for depression will see an improvement, compared to 25 to 30% of those taking a placebo.
Doses and duration of treatment
Antidepressants are usually taken in tablet form. When they're prescribed, you'll start on the lowest possible dose thought necessary to improve your symptoms.
Antidepressants usually need to be taken for 1 or 2 weeks (without missing a dose) before the benefit starts to be felt. It's important not to stop taking them if you get some mild side effects early on, as these effects usually wear off quickly.
If you take an antidepressant for 4 weeks without feeling any benefit, speak to your GP or mental health specialist. They may recommend increasing your dose or trying a different medicine.
A course of treatment usually lasts at least 6 months. Some people with recurrent depression may be advised to take them indefinitely.
Read more about antidepressant doses.
Different antidepressants can have a range of different side effects. Always check the information leaflet that comes with your medicine to see what the possible side effects are.
The most common side effects of antidepressants are usually mild. Side effects should improve within a few days or weeks of treatment, as the body gets used to the medicine.
possible side effects of antidepressants
cautions and interactions of antidepressants
Coming off antidepressants
Talk to your doctor before you stop taking antidepressants. It's important that you do not stop taking antidepressants suddenly.
Once you're ready to come off antidepressants, your doctor will probably recommend reducing your dose gradually over several weeks – or longer, if you have been taking them for a long time.
This is to help prevent any withdrawal symptoms you might get as a reaction to coming off the medicine.
Types of antidepressants
There are several different types of antidepressants.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs are the most widely prescribed type of antidepressants. They're usually preferred over other antidepressants, as they cause fewer side effects. An overdose is also less likely to be serious.
Fluoxetine is probably the best known SSRI (sold under the brand name Prozac). Other SSRIs include citalopram (Cipramil), paroxetine (Seroxat) and sertraline (Lustral).
Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
SNRIs are similar to SSRIs. They were designed to be a more effective antidepressant than SSRIs. However, the evidence that SNRIs are more effective in treating depression is uncertain. It seems that some people respond better to SSRIs, while others respond better to SNRIs.
Examples of SNRIs include duloxetine (Cymbalta and Yentreve) and venlafaxine (Efexor).
Noradrenaline and specific serotonergic antidepressants (NASSAs)
NASSAs may be effective for some people who are unable to take SSRIs. The side effects of NASSAs are similar to those of SSRIs, but they're thought to cause fewer sexual problems. However, they may also cause more drowsiness at first.
The main NASSA prescribed in the UK is mirtazapine (Zispin).
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
TCAs are an older type of antidepressant. They're no longer usually recommended as the first treatment for depression because they can be more dangerous if an overdose is taken. They also cause more unpleasant side effects than SSRIs and SNRIs.
Exceptions are sometimes made for people with severe depression that fail to respond to other treatments. TCAs may also be recommended for other mental health conditions, such as OCD and bipolar disorder.
Examples of TCAs include amitriptyline (Tryptizol), clomipramine (Anafranil), imipramine (Tofranil), lofepramine (Gamanil) and nortriptyline (Allegron).
Some types of TCAs, such as amitriptyline, can also be used to treat chronic nerve pain.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
MAOIs are an older type of antidepressant that are rarely used nowadays.
They can cause potentially serious side effects so should only be prescribed by a specialist doctor.
Examples of MAOIs include tranylcypromine, phenelzine and isocarboxazid.
Other treatments for depression include talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Increasingly, people with moderate to severe depression are treated using a combination of antidepressants and CBT. Antidepressants work quickly in reducing symptoms, whereas CBT takes time to deal with causes of depression and ways of overcoming it.
Regular exercise has also been shown to be useful for those with mild depression.
Read more about alternatives to antidepressants.
Yellow Card Scheme
The Yellow Card Scheme allows you to report suspected side effects from any type of medicine you're taking. It's run by a medicines safety watchdog called the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
See the Yellow Card Scheme website for more information.
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New Sefer Makes Tzemach Tzedek ‘Accessible’
ד׳ תשרי ה׳תשפ״א - September 21, 2020
A new sefer by a young Lubavitcher Maggid Shiur presents the Tzemach Tzedek’s chiddushim in Gemara and Halacha in a clear and accessible manner, allowing access to Torah that was previously reserved for scholars.
By Anash.org reporter
The sefer, “Chiddushei Tzemach Tzedek – Likkut Sugyos” was published in continuation to the other projects relating to the Tzemach Tzedek’s Torah in connection with his 150th yarzeit, and arrived in Crown Heights in time for 29 Elul, the birthday of the Tzemach Tzedek.
The sefer was compiled by Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Stern, maggid shiur of Shiur Hey in Oholei Torah. Although he is in his early thirties, he has already published hundreds of pages of Chiddushei Torah in various kovtzim. Even while this new sefer was being prepared for print, Rabbi Stern was already working on his upcoming sefer on the Alter Rebbe’s Hilchos Nidda.
Rabbi Stern told Anash.org that the goal of the sefer is make the Tzemach Tzedek’s chiddushim more accessible,
“The Rebbe had an incredible “koch” – enthusiasm for the seforim of the Tzemach Tzedek both in Nigleh and in Chassidus,” Rabbi Stern said. “What bigger proof do you need than the fact the the Rebbe himself spend an enourmous amount of time on redoing the responsa and chidushim of the Tzemach Tzedek in the year 5706.”
“At that time, the Rebbe wrote (Igros Kodesh vol. 3 pg. 17) that he was investing much work and effort in redoing the seforim. The Rebbe also complained that chassidim are not ‘koching’ enough in the Tzemach Tzedek’s seforim.
“In later years also, the Rebbe always pushed hanhala of various yeshivos and bochurim to learn and quote the Tzemach Tzedek whenever possible,” he said.
Notwithstanding the great ‘treasures’ contained in the Tzemach Tzedek’s seforim, their study can be a challenge for most people, especially to the layman.
“First of all, the Tzemach Tzedke’s style is one of hispashtus – a broad manner. This makes it difficult to ‘halt kop’ to follow what the point the Tzemach Tzedek is trying to bring out. In addition, many tshuvos were written about topics that are very complicated and not too relevant to today’s day and age,” Rabbi Stern said. “Thirdly, the responsa were written in response to questions posed by renowned rabbonim, who were intimately familiar with the subjects. To the average person, however, it becomes very hard to learn Tzemach Tzedek, and to appreciate the chiddushim contained within.”
In the new sefer, the responsa were compiled in a way that allows one to follow the subject from beginning to end, by removing the parts of the tshuva that are not directly relevant to the case being discussed, and by bringing additional sources where the Tzemach Tzedek discusses the same topic.
Furthermore, extensive footnotes and references were added, in order to make it easier to refer to other seforim discussing the topic and appreciate the Tzemach Tzedek’s chiddush. The topics chosen for the sefer were also more general topics that are easier to learn, and can also serve as a springboard to many other topics.
All this was done while sticking to the original wording of the Tzemach Tzedek, without adding anything to his original words.
“It is our hope that the sefer will make it easier to learn Tzemach Tzedek, and bring a bigger enthusiasm to its study, allowing many to taste the wonderful chiddushim. Hopefully, when there is a bigger focus in Lubavitch on the Tzemach Tzedek, this will automatically cause others from outside Lubavitch to begin ‘discovering’ it as well,” Rabbi Stern said.
“Chiddushei Tzemach Tzedek – Likkut Sugyos” is available in Crown Heights stores and on Kehot.com.
D Gold says:
Superb article. The Sefer is a masterpiece.
Any Lamdan could make good use of it.
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Home » Google and Apple kick Parler out of their stores and Parlor, which has nothing to do with it, sweeps the download lists
Google and Apple kick Parler out of their stores and Parlor, which has nothing to do with it, sweeps the download lists
anGadgets Editors
After the assault on the Capitol on January 7, big technology woke up from its slumber and began to take action. First, with temporary blocking of Donald Trump’s account, then with the indefinite suspension and also affecting related platforms such as Parler, which was removed from Google Play and the App Store Recently.
Parler is a relatively recent social network, launched in 2018 and which reached 8 million users. Last Friday, Google removed it from its store for the “publication continues inciting continuous violence” and Apple took the step the next day. In the absence of Parler, Parlor, a totally different app, has risen dramatically in the download charts.
What happened to parler
Parler falls, Parlor rises
Lets start by the beginning. Parler is a social network created by John Matze and Jared Thomson in August 2018, as an alternative to Twitter and Facebook. It came with freedom of expression as the flag, at a time when Twtiter had not yet taken action against the president, but had banned some like-minded profiles, such as Milo Yiannopoulos.
Two years later, after Twitter began including advertisements in some of Donald Trump’s tweets for being “potentially misleading,” Parler reached 8 million users in December, gaining popularity in part encouraged by statements of electoral fraud following the results of the November elections.
Then, at the beginning of January, the assault on the US Capitol took place and the technology companies found the courage to do what they had not dared in the previous months, banning the president of the United States: Twitter, Twitch, Shopify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Discord, Pinterest, and Stripe have removed or limited the president’s account or stopped offering services to their campaign.
With Parler out of stores, the only way to download it – on Android – was from its website, which is no longer available
As a result of the assault on the Capitol, Google removed Parler from its store last Friday for inciting violence on an ongoing basis, and Apple removed it from the App Store on Saturday after finding “direct threats of violence and calls for illegal action.” Outside the stores the only way to download Parler was from its website, which has been deactivated a few minutes ago after Amazon AWS suspended your account.
We have seen time and again how, when an application has problems or controversies, another application takes up the baton. For example, after the notice with the new WhatsApp privacy policy, Signal had trouble keeping up with verifications of new accounts a few days ago. As a consequence, WhatsApp alternatives, such as Telegram, have risen in the lists of most downloaded applications in the application stores.
In the absence of Parler, Parlor rose between 40 and 50 positions in the following days
The case of Parler, however, is somewhat different. The app that is benefiting from Parler removal is Parlor, a totally different application, and that it has nothing to do with Parler or his concept, beyond having a similar name and being a social app.
Well, it’s an exciting Sunday for the makers of Parlor — not Parler. #spellingishard pic.twitter.com/cvc0NgAA2q
– Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) January 10, 2021
According to SensorTower, Parler was ranked # 1 on the App Store on Saturday. The next day, Apple removed Parler from its store and Parlor came in at No. 2, climbing 53 spots in one day. Interestingly, on Google Play, Parler did not reach the top of the rankings since November, and was around position 40 before his elimination, but on January 10, Parlor rose 44 positions and was planted in the Top 3.
Above, Parler’s ranking before its removal from the App Store. Below, the Parlor ranking. SensorTower graph
We have frequently seen unscrupulous developers copy the name of applications or games that are not available in stores to win downloads, although this is not the case. Parlor came earlier, launching in 2014 or, what is the same, four years before Parler. You are simply a recipient of collateral damage.
And to all this, what is Parlor? It is also a social application, although far from being an alternative to Twitter. With a series of thematic “channels”, the application puts you in contact with another person who wants to talk about the same topic, opening a voice conversation. Is, something like chatroulette, but only with voice.
Parlor, not Parler
The application itself is normal, with a Average score of 2.9 on Google Play, quite a few ads and a somewhat outdated interface, although it can hardly be blamed for being receiving an avalanche of users in recent days as a result of the fall of another.
When searching for Parler on Google Play, a warning appears; when doing it in the App Store, the first result is Parlor
Currently, Google Play displays a notice that Parler is not available in its store, offering you instead a number of applications, among which, incidentally, Parlor is not found. In the App Store, if you search for Parler, the prominent result is Parlor, which explains the download boom in recent days.
Searching for Parler in Google Play, and in the App Store
Errata, inattention or sheer coincidence, whatever the reason, it is clear how important it is for app stores to display accurate information about what they have and what they don’t have, to avoid that the user ends up downloading something different from what he was looking for, with the security and privacy problems that this may entail.
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The Two Tech Titans Who Want to Help the Fed Distribute $2T
March 01, 2020 | Angel Investing 101
Late last week, President Trump officially signed off on the largest stimulus package in U.S. history. And we’re already seeing some of Silicon Valley’s biggest tech companies come forward with something to say about it.
The $2 trillion emergency package will include billions in aid to small businesses, airlines, and other industries that are struggling with the fallout from the coronavirus crisis.
But it’ll also include an unprecedented addition: $1,200 checks sent directly to more than 80% of American citizens.
We’ve never seen anything quite like this before – and many experts predict that this is just one of several stimulus packages we should expect to see before this is all over.
It goes without saying that we’re living through unusual times right now. But still… even I wasn’t prepared for the strange news I heard last night: not one but two prominent tech companies have reached out to the White House, offering to help distribute stimulus money to Americans.
The two titans battling it out are Cash App and Venmo – both of which are headed up by Silicon Valley legends.
You remember Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter? He’s also the CEO of Square, which owns Cash App. And Venmo is a subsidiary of PayPal, which was founded by, among others, Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX fame, and Peter Thiel of Palantir. (Are you still with me after all that?)
These guys are veritable icons around here; if Silicon Valley had its own Mount Rushmore, they’d probably all make the cut. And in times of crisis, there’s a lot of pressure on billionaire tech CEOs to step up and do something about it.
I’m guessing that’s part of why both money transfer companies made formal offers to help the White House dole out the $300 billion that’s been set aside for individuals. In theory, it could put that emergency aid cash in people’s pockets in a day or two – a big improvement over the estimated three weeks it’ll take using traditional means.
But it’d be a bit naïve to assume that altruism is the only motivator here. Landing a deal like this would be a bit like getting an endorsement from the President himself. It would probably be pretty good for business to be able to say that they helped the Feds move $300B in one fell swoop.
Here’s the thing, though: I’m not overly interested in finding out which of these giants lands the deal. I’m interested in finding out if anyone does – because regardless of who comes in first, a partnership like this would be a huge deal for the microcurrency market.
We first talked about the microcurrency market back in December. It’s part of a massive global market that’s five times bigger than the ETF, stock and bond markets combined – and its currencies are used to help power industries like real estate, energy, biotech, healthcare, travel, and more.
These currencies are revolutionizing the way businesses make large transactions. They’re taking the fintech world by storm; Cash App and Venmo both offer microcurrency-related services that could explode in popularity – and value – with a little exposure from Washington, D.C.
And if that happens, every day people could get really, really rich. I’m talking “invested in a unicorn” rich – only in this case, it could happen in months.
To be frank, even if the White House declines both offers, the microcurrency market is far from slowing down. People are starting to realize that trading these currencies can pay off in just a day or two – which makes them a perfect complement to our longer-term angel investing strategy.
Right now, more than ever, is an amazing time to learn more about this under-the-radar market. Why? For starters, the microcurrency market never closes – so, while it’s not immune from the turbulence of the stock market, it doesn’t have to experience those horrifying jolts and market-freezing lurches we’ve been seeing from Wall Street lately. And just like with many expensive blue-chip stocks… this is the perfect moment to “buy on the dip,” which effectively equates to a nice discount.
Just click here to learn more about the microcurrency market and how you could start trading in it – and potentially even pulling in profits – right away. These favorable conditions won’t last forever, though… so I wouldn’t recommend waiting too long.
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Neil Patel is a successful entrepreneur and investor who has been active in the startup scene for nearly two decades. Born in London, England, he moved with his family to Orange County, California when he was two years old, where he was surrounded by entrepreneurs and innovators from an early age. Neil is the founder of several companies, including Crazy Egg, Hello Bar, and Quicksprout – companies that established Neil as one of the world’s leading digital marketers. But Neil spends more time these days on the other side of the table – as an angel investor. He has made some unbelievable returns backing early-stage startups. Now, he’s here to teach you to do the same. Neil launched the Angels & Entrepreneurs Network to pull back the curtain on the world of “pre-IPO” investment, because he believes everyone should have access to the same playing field – not just society’s high and mighty.
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← A Little Night Music
Where Is The Rain, Mr. President? →
Another Shooting
Via NBC:
A police constable and a civilian were killed when a gunman opened fire Monday near the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. The gunman, who was injured in a gunbattle with police, later died as well, police said.
College Station police responded to a home near George Bush Drive along the southern boundary of the university after gunshots were reported, Assistant Police Chief Scott McCollum said. When officers arrived, they came under fire.
Officers found Brian Bachmann, 41, the elected constable for Precinct 1 in Brazos County, on the ground and began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. He was pronounced dead at an area hospital, McCollum said.
My thoughts are with the families of all the victims.
Posted: 9:22 pm
Categories: Domestic Terrorism
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You are at:Home»Posts Tagged "Costa Rica"
Browsing: Costa Rica
OMG! OMG! Thousands of Marines going to Costa Rica! Oh… wait… nevermind
By Dan Lamothe on July 13, 2010 Rumors
In a blockbuster exclusive, the Global Post reported on one of its blogs yesterday that 7,000 U.S. Marines were on the way to Costa Rica ready for land-based operations. The piece implies that Marines could take an active role in fighting drug trafficking. It’s a sensational story — if only it were true. Marine officials say that, no, they do not have 7,000 Marines on the way to Costa Rica. That’s hardly a surprise, considering the Corps had less than 10,000 Marines in Afghanistan as recently as last year, but it’s worth setting the record straight. What the Corps does…
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You are at:Home»Posts Tagged "Osama Bin Laden"
Browsing: Osama Bin Laden
Native American call signs used in Afghanistan by 1/5 Marines
By Dan Lamothe on May 16, 2011 Afghanistan, Sangin
Ever since a team of Navy SEALs busted into terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden’s secret Pakistan compound and put a bullet through his eye, a debate has raged: Was it disrespectful to use “Geronimo” as a code name in the operation? Geronimo, of course, is a famous Chiricahua Apache warrior. Native American leaders have decried that the military assigned his name to an infamous terrorist, particularly in light of the U.S. military service of several of Geronimo’s descendants. Update: The military later clarified that Geronimo was the name of the operation, and said bin Laden’s code name was “Jackpot.” This…
Osama bin Laden reportedly dead. Share your thoughts here
By Dan Lamothe on May 1, 2011 Pakistan
We have almost no context yet, but there’s big news tonight: Osama bin Laden is reportedly dead. I’ll be blogging for a while adding context, but please share your thoughts in the comments section below. 11:35 p.m.: President Obama just reported the death of bin Laden himself in an announcement at the White House. As you’d expect, he started by recalling the deaths of more than 3,000 Americans at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pa. 11:37 p.m.: Obama says he told CIA director Leon Panetta to make killing or capturing bin Laden his top priority. The White…
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Bavarian proudly owns and operates a 461-acre disposal facility in Walton, Kentucky, that includes a Subtitle D contained landfill. Our current permitted air-space in this landfill extends our site life to 2052. We also have the ability to expand the current permitted landfill area to extend our landfill site life into the 22nd Century!
Bavarian purchased our facility in 1973 under our then-President Bernie Brueggemann. An existing landfill on the site was closed by Bavarian before we began the journey to opening the landfill site which we operate today.
Bavarian’s Unit III landfill was one of the first landfills to open in Kentucky that met the new strict regulations imposed by the Commonwealth on July 1, 1995. In fact, we were one of only twenty-four landfills in the state to meet these newly-promulgated, stringent requirements. In 1992, there were 75 landfills in Kentucky. In 1995, there were 24. Now we are one of only 16 landfills in Kentucky. This sharp decline in the number of Kentucky landfills between 1992 and 1995 is a testament to the strictness of the environmental regulations imposed on landfills. The fact that we were able to keep Bavarian’s doors open under the new regulations is a testament to Bavarian’s commitment to good stewardship of our natural resources!
Unit IV, Bavarian’s current cell, is designed to be constructed in eight phases and has a total capacity of 17,000,000 cubic yards. Unit IV is a contained landfill that meets or exceeds all Subtitle D requirements for landfills.
We invite you to visit our How Landfills Work page to learn more about our facility!
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Last edited by Monris
Saturday, August 1, 2020 | History
1 edition of Case studies in African diplomacy found in the catalog.
Case studies in African diplomacy
University College, Dar es Salaam. Institute of Public Administration
by University College, Dar es Salaam. Institute of Public Administration
Published 1969 by Oxford University Press in Dar-es-Salaam .
LC Classifications DT31 .C355
Pagination no.
The book seeks to understand China's evolving political and economic role in Africa and assesses what impacts Chinese aid, trade and investment have on the politics of specific African countries, and the extent to which it excites geopolitical competition. The New Multilateralism in South African Diplomacy provides a detailed analysis of how post-apartheid South Africa has participated in multilateral diplomacy in a variety of sub-regional, regional and.
This essay examines this American-South African diplomacy primarily through the case study of African American missionaries, Herbert and Bessie Mae Payne and James and Lucinda East, who sought to proselytize in South Africa between and Making Diplomacy Work: Intelligent Innovation for the Modern World is a critical and comprehensive survey of how diplomacy most discussions of diplomatic reform stop short of proposing concrete ideas to make diplomacy work better, this text suggests doable initiatives that could make diplomacy more versatile, more attuned to modern realities, and more capable of confronting the.
South Africa in Africa: Part one», Journal of Contemporary African Studies, , pp. 12 Sagaren Naidoo, «Congo: From Bad to Worse», South African Yearbook of International Affairs, (Braamfontein: South African Institute for International Affairs, ), pp. The norms of diplomatic culture are an emerging field of study in International Relations among English School and Constructivist scholars. However, there exists a more neglected piece of IR scholarship dedicated to diplomacy. While Africa has always had trouble finding a home in the school of IR, the lack of research on African diplomats and.
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Case studies in African diplomacy by University College, Dar es Salaam. Institute of Public Administration Download PDF EPUB FB2
Focusing on three case studies in Africa, this book analyzes the utility of diplomacy in preventing election violence. After defining and identifying the key dimensions of preventive diplomacy to prevent or reduce election violence, it looks at presidential elections between and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Nigeria.
Diplomacy has its ancient roots firmly in Africa, the cradle of humanity. Yet the idea of “African diplomacy” is surprisingly new, because most African states are Author: Yolanda Spies. Case Studies in African Diplomacy: 2. The Ethiopia-Somali-Kenya Dispute – Ed. by Catherine Hoskyns.
Dar-es-Salaam: Oxford University Press for the Institute of Public Administration, University College, Dar-es-Salaam, Pp. vii + 91, bibl., map. - The Penal Code of the Somali Democratic Republic. By Martin R. Ganzglass. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, Books and publications Policy papers and briefs DiploNews Diplomacy hub The use of ICT in human rights promotion: A case study of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Towards more inclusive and effective diplomacy. topic: the 21st century diplomatic engagement in africa: a case of kenya presented by: naitore dorcas mirumbi reg no: r51// research project presented in partial fulfilment of the award of master of arts in diplomacy at the institute of diplomacy and international studies, university of nairobi november, The African Union and coercive diplomacy: the case of Burundi - Volume 56 Issue 4 - Nina Wilén, Paul D.
Williams Skip to main content Accessibility help We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. On the other hand, the medical diplomacy also faces some challenges. For instance, interference of political interests as a barricade to MD.
The case study of Cuba’s initiative to send health professional to the United States of America during Hurricane Katrina, is a typical example. Studies on African foreign policies, and the process involved with their formation, have received much less attention compared to other aspects of African studies.
Most have been in-depth case studies illustrating how foreign policy decisions are centered on common concerns for the region, such as decolonization, nation building, economic and political autonomy, and Cold War competition.
In the case of Africa, this refers to the struggles for independence from European colonial powers from the s throughout the s. In the case of China, it refers to British encroachment following the first Opium War (–) and the ‘century of national humiliation’, from which China is believed to have recovered only with.
Diplomacy is an evolving practice in terms of historical circumstance and changing national interests. History and interests do not always coincide.
This book explores in brief, pungent case examples, the challenges diplomacy faces today as actors seek to change history and. PEACEMAKING IN BURUNDI – A CASE STUDY OF REGIONAL DIPLOMACY BACKED BY INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING AND PEACEBUILDING AMBASSADOR ADONIA AYEBARE Director of the Africa Program, International Peace Institute 1.
Burundi at the brink of genocide () Burundi has been a land of prolonged political violence since her independence in 1 day ago Opinion - SOUTH AFRICAN president Cyril Ramaphosa's despacth of envoys to Zimbabwe in a bid to defuse the latest crisis, in which the government has engaged in.
The word diplomacy originated from the Greek word diploma, which was the letter of credence that certified an ambassador's power to negotiate and serve as the direct representative of the holders of political theories describe diplomacy as the art of negotiations between various countries.
Although it is the dialogue among nations and more precisely a dialogue among agents of. Search the world's most comprehensive index of full-text books. My library. This book provides a pivotal contribution and a generous baseline upon which further exploration of the disaster-diplomacy field can develop and expand.
Dr Jessica Mercer - Secure Futures. 'Ilan Kelman takes a hard look via theory and case studies at the diplomatic impact of disasters.
Studies in Diplomacy and International Relations Series Standing Order ISBN 0–––4 (outside North America only) You can receive future titles in this series as they are published by placing a standing order. Please contact your bookseller or, in case of difficulty, write to us.
For the purposes of this study, the adapted model that Gienow-Hecht and Donfried () propose for optimum cultural diplomacy effectiveness and durability, based on the twin propositions of distance and interactivity, is used as a framework for analysis to describe, explain and evaluate leading global practices and the South African case study.
African ruler engaged, or ensnared, in Eur-African diplomacy is King Lobengula of the Ndebele. This paper attempts to describe the diplomacy and diplomatic prac-tices of one precolonial African state, Asante, between and During this period of five years the Asante king and court were visited.
Public diplomacy and soft power is multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary academic and practice field. In a broad sense, public diplomacy and soft power is the engagement of actors in one country with publics in another country or region in furtherance of foreign policy goals.
The term “Public Diplomacy” to often conveniently used to denote [ ]. For more than years extraordinary men and women have represented the United States abroad. In the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST) and DACOR, an organization of foreign affairs professionals, created a book series to increase public knowledge and appreciation of American diplomats and their role in advancing our national interests.
This book is a comprehensive overview of the theory, history, law, institutional framework and culture of global diplomacy.
It reflects on the key existential challenges to the institution and addresses aspects that are often overlooked in diplomatic studies: inter alia diplomatic law, development-driven diplomacy and the bureaucracy of diplomatic practice. Brand South Africa: A Public Diplomacy Case Study.
by Alex Laverty. 19 Nov InBrand South Africa sought to increase familiarity and knowledge of South Africa as a viable business and tourism destination through advertising campaigns, broadcasts, print and online media, using the FIFA World Cup as an amplifier.
The COVID pandemic found the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa generally ill-prepared to contain the virus or to deal with its economic fallout. First, the capacity of the health-care system to contain the spread of infection, handle emergencies and provide care for the sick was very weak, due, partly, to many years of underinvestment in the health-care system.
blackfin-boats.com - Case studies in African diplomacy book © 2020
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Our Brand Process
Become A Personal Brand Strategist
Ep 26: Capturing a State with Lewis Howes
Today on the show we are thrilled to have Lewis Howes who is a New York Times bestselling author and host to one of the world’s top 100 podcasts! Lewis has been featured on Ellen, Good Morning America, and The Today Show, all just ten years after he was broke living on his sister’s couch.
Today Lewis talks about the six things that are key to building a personal brand, and how they are all related to capturing an energy, state, or feeling which one’s audience then internalizes. He talks about the centrality of photography in his brand, letting us in on the intense preparation that goes into the images he uses. From extensive styling and wardrobing rehearsals to flights to exotic locations with a dedicated team, Lewis believes in being extremely intentional with photography. The state you are photographed in orchestrates the image that gets burned into people’s minds of you, structuring how they connect to your brand from then on.
Lewis also highlights how to work backwards from brands outside one’s field to achieve that state, and what he does during shoots to capture it in terms of body language and mind frame. Other talking points are the value of association in building a reputation, networking as Lewis’s main superpower, and the best way to build relationships of meaning with people in a higher cache than oneself. Tune in with us today and hear it from the man himself who went from a nobody to a superstar in no time at all!
WATCH THE INTERVIEW
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE BELOW
Why Lewis often doesn’t appear on online summits.
The six most important things in building a personal brand.
How memorability and stylization are photography’s key benefits for building a brand.
The idea that photography captures a state of being that people then remember.
What Lewis does to optimize his photoshoots regarding body language and ‘state’.
Preparation techniques behind Lewis’s photoshoots.
The intentionality behind all the photographs that Lewis puts out on different channels.
Learn the connection between design, color, and feeling in building a personal brand.
Reverse engineering techniques for exuding a feeling through photography.
The attitude which people have toward brands and how to co-opt it through borrowing.
How central ‘big moments’ are in building Lewis’s personal brand.
That press is the fourth most important thing for building a brand.
The importance of choosing one’s medium of communication.
Why it is important to associate with successful people: they curate your image.
Getting past seeming like a social climber by adding value to people’s careers.
Balancing the energy required to network but also do other work.
What Lewis wishes he could have done earlier: build a good team, and learn to say no.
“I’m really intentional about the photographs that I post and that are portrayed on my website and branding.” — @LewisHowes [0:06:28]
“Whether looking empowering, inspirational, wealthy, attractive – whatever the branding is that you’re trying to portray, the more people see that of you the more they think, ‘This person is that.’” — @LewisHowes [0:07:06]
“I look at music, fashion, and sports brands, and bring that into my brand. I don’t try to look within the industry and copy people in my space.” — @LewisHowes [0:14:06]
“You stand out when you just add a lot of value, never ask for anything, and just try to be a good person” — @LewisHowes [0:23:03]
ABOUT LEWIS HOWES
Lewis Howes is the New York Times Best Selling author of the hit book, The School of Greatness and, The Mask of Masculinity. His podcast (School of Greatness) is one of the top 100 in the world and has over 100 million downloads and he has over 1 million Instagram followers. Lewis was recognized by The White House and President Obama as one of the top entrepreneurs in the country under 30. Lewis has been featured on Ellen and The Today Show and in People, Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Men’s Health and many other major media outlets.
Lewis Howes — https://lewishowes.com/
Lewis Howes on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewishowes/
The School of Greatness on Amazon — https://amzn.to/2VawziZ
School of Greatness Podcast — https://lewishowes.com/blog/
Nick Onken — https://photographsbynickonken.com/
The Summit of Greatness — https://www.summitofgreatness.com/
Air Jordan — https://www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/jordan
J Balvin — https://shop.jbalvinmerch.com/
Brand Builders Group Consultation Call — freecall.brandbuildersgroup.com
RV: Hey Brand Builder, Rory Vaden here. Thank you so much for taking the time to check out this interview. As always, it’s our honor to provide it to you for free and wanted to let you know there’s no big sales pitch or anything coming at the end. However, if you are someone who is looking to build and monetize your personal brand, we would love to talk to you and get to know you a little bit and hear about some of your dreams and visions and share with you a little bit about what we’re up to to see if we might be a fit. So if you’re interested in a free strategy call with someone from our team, we would love to hear from you. You can do that at brand builders, group.com/pod call brand builders group.com/pod call. We hope to talk to you soon. RV: I am honored today to introduce you to someone who’s become a really close friend of mine over the last couple of years. We’ve now known each other for several years, which is wild to say. And surely if you’re watching this, then you’ve heard of Lewis house. He is the New York times bestselling author of school of greatness, the host of one of the top 50 podcasts in the world for iTunes on many weeks, usually almost always in the top hundred recently crossed over a hundred million downloads. Lewis has been featured on Ellen, good morning America, the today show. And it was not that long ago when Lewis was broke living on his sister’s couch and he, you know, it’s something you should know is he almost never does interviews like this. He did this as a personal favor to me and I really wanted you all to get to hear this, the true behind the scenes story of how Louis got to be Louis. Because I know many of you, you know, dream of having to kind of influence some reach that he has. So Lewis, welcome brother. Thank you for making the time for us. LH: Oh man, I’m pumped to be here. You know, the reason why I never do online summit interviews is because you had me go through on our coaching day, which I’ve done many with you on my own brand and personal brand. You had me create a list of yeses and nos of what brings me joy, what supports my business and brand and what doesn’t bring me joy doesn’t support my business brand and online summits for me cause I got requests to do so many of them for summer to somebody years. I did so many of them. They just always stress me out and they never brought any benefits to my brand or business. Once I crossed through a certain threshold of my brand, this is always a know automatically sense. So I had to make an exception on my yes, no list for you. So happy to be here man. RV: Well thank you buddy. And, and you know, there’s a lot of surprising things about you. I think when people really get to know you that there’s a lot of like surprising things. And one of the things that always stuck out from me also is one of your students, not just your friend and not just an advisor to you at times, but as one of your students was, I remember hearing you speak one time and somebody asked you, I think there was an a Q and a and they said, you know, what’s the like, what’s the most important thing about your personal brand? And I was like, Oh, surely he’s going to say like networking or like consistency or advertising. And you said photography. And that freaking blew my mind. I had never, I had never thought about that. So I guess my question for you, that was like three years ago, is that still one of the things you would say is the top thing, you know, but even if it’s not, why did you say that at that time? Or what do you feel like is the role of photography has played in building your personal brand? Because that’s, that was something not on my radar at all. LH: Yeah. I’m just writing down the biggest things. And so yeah, so I would say photography is one I’m thinking of four or five key things that I think about all that. Just off the top of my head. Photography is always one of the top and it has, here’s the reason why when you’re in a store picking up groceries or at whole foods or CVS or wherever you’re going to, there’s always something you see right before you check out. And this is a long row of magazines or there’s always a row of magazines almost at every grocery store or place that you go for. Sure. And the image is on the cover of those magazines, whether it’s GQ, Cosmo or, or some of the type of magazine life that for men and women, you know, in the more high end type of magazines or more classy style magazines, the photography always makes the people on the cover like elevated, right? Their brand is elevated based on the photography. It’s not just like any random photo of them on the cover of a magazine. It’s always very intentional for the message they’re trying to put out there. Whether it’s this beauty and elegance or this passion and a lower, there’s always something or ministry. There’s always something that defines the human being on the cover of the magazine of these more well-known class years. Job magazines, same thing. True. The same thing is true for the magazines that are the, you know, gossip related magazines where that’s like the big belly of the person on the beach or somebody that looks bad or that’s got a frumpy face. It’s like we remember the images that we see the most and they impact us emotionally and we associate the images we see of other people on magazines or on social media or on their websites. LH: You know, it all kind of trickles down from there. We were member images at the highest level. We may not be able to recall like I remember this magazine seven years ago where so-and-so was on it, but the more you see the image of that person in that state, you think of them as that state. So for me, photography is always something that I just kind of felt like I needed to dive into. Probably like 70 years ago because I’d never had good photography. And I always see these other people that were more influential. Celebrities has great photography. So I started investing in that probably seven years ago and it’s something I do all the time. I’m really intentional about the photos that I post. And that is portrayed on my website and branding. RV: See that’s really even, even that word that you used state is interesting. It’s like a captured, it’s not just an image of you. What I hear you saying is it’s like it’s a captured state, like a state of being. LH: It’s an energy that reflects to the other person and you’re either attracted to it or you’re repelled to it by it or you’re neutral. You know it, whatever state it is, you, you’re putting that energy out in someone’s mind that is then a snapshot that they have and more. Yeah. The more of those, the more of those images, they get a view that is empowering, inspirational or wealthy or attractive or integrity, whatever it is, the branding you’re trying to portray. The more they see of that, that you, the more they just say this person is that I need to go, I need to send people that way if they want to learn that thing. And yeah. RV: So let me ask you this, I’m just done. I want to hear some of your others for sure. But so is there anything that you do during the photo shoot or in terms of the photographer you select? I mean I know you use Nick on can a lock isn’t, is amazing and that’s, you know, one, one easier solution is to find someone amazing, invest the money because it’s worth it and do it. But like is there anything you do during the shoot to like, LH: I mean it’s taken me a long time to get comfortable in front of a camera. The first three, four years I would say I was very awkward. It’s not like a natural thing for me to be like posing as a model or something or know what looks good. I would always just kind of stand with my like hands in my pockets in the first few years cause I had no clue what I was doing. So I actually study. I should probably go take like classes since I do more and more photography on just postures and poses that look inspiring and masculine and you know, trustworthy. RV: My care personality has really come through like you do jumping, are you with your arms wide or like you’re, you’re actually going after this phone call to Turkey for four days to do a photo. LH: Just going, I’m bringing a photographer, bring a videographer, flying them to Turkey. I’m renting a helicopter. I’m renting a driver all day to take us to the spots. We’ve been planning it for six weeks. I have outfits from a stylist for the last three weeks. I’ve been doing fittings once a week RV: And these are just photos for like social media and whatever LH: Book my, RV: I’m redesigning my website so I want to have the most inspirational photos for my website. It’s for my website redesign, but it’s also like you gotta be from my summit of greatness. A program’s going to be for social media for the next six months. It’s going to be, I’ll save some just for book covers. I mean just for magazine covers because magazines were asked to do interviews and I’ll say, I’ve got the same age that I haven’t used yet. It’s fricking Epic, you know, do you want to use this? So I’m trying to make it, I’m trying to portray the image that I want, that press and media are going to use for me as opposed to them taking photos of me. Here’s the image I want you to use. I want you to be intentional about it. So the state that I’ll think about is really now after many years of not being that good at it, it’s like passion and joy. RV: I just think of passion and joy. How can I be joyful? How can I be passionate? I’ll do some like just GQ, like normal non-smiling photos as well to try to mix it up. But it’s really like how can I bring the passion? How can I bring the joy and just have fun? So I just try to play music. I try to just like crack jokes so I’m not nervous or thinking too much about how I look because I don’t want it to be me obsessing over the way I look and making sure like everything is perfect in my face. Yes, I want to look good, but I want to be organic and I want to follow and I want to have fun because when we have fun, we know people can feel that when it’s forced, people feel that. So I really just try to like shake it out a lot. Just have fun. Just like dance, move and get. Yeah. And so this is less of, this is less of like, Oh, I want to post a bunch of pictures of me and myself. He’s on Instagram because of how cool I am. And it’s more of, I’m trying to portray an energy and a lifestyle and a state of being. That is how I want other people to feel. I’m just trying to portray that. LH: Yeah. What’s the energy you want people to feel [inaudible] feel attracted to, you know, without photography. How is someone to know who you are, you know they’re going to have, they’re going to make up their own image. So you might think of someone like some famous author, I’m trying to think of like a fiction writer that I don’t even know who they look like, but some big fiction writer. What’s like, RV: Like Stephen King? Yeah. A lot of people don’t know what Stephen King even looks like. LH: I don’t know. This guy looks like, so we are, his personal brand is like, okay, I don’t know, maybe like a professor looking or maybe some wild crazy artist or something. But yeah, unless we know an image of who it is, we make up our own image. And so I would rather just dictate the images. I want people to think about of me and make them positive. RV: So, other than other than photography, what else do you have? Like cars and just so y’all that you are watching. We did, we did not script this at all, which is I did not want it. I wanted to hear like Lewis unprepared. Random. Like when you think of taking your brand to the next level, what’s on your mind? LH: Yeah, I just wrote down five quick things. Photography has never won. I’ve got one more. Six. the second thing is branding and design. So design for me is huge and I’m very intentional about it. To where I’ll, this I kind of obsess over a little more because I think you can really study the science of design of what, and it’s just another layer of making you feel something. So what are the colors that make you feel that you want them to feel as well? Based on the photography you have, the colors, the style of the layout, all those things. How the images are placed, you know, the, where the font is out on your website, all these different things. The graphics, the, is it updated looking, is it 1990s or 1980s looking like you want to make sure you’re forward-thinking and innovative with your, your, your design and branding or at least just a clean aesthetic like medium.com is minimalist, but it’s almost, it’s so minimal that it’s like, okay, I appreciate the design intentionality of a minimal site as well. So I’m not saying you need to have all these flashy colors and swoosh marks on your website or on your graphics when you’re posting something out there, but being intentional about what your design says about you, your message and your personal brand. So RV: I’m always on that one. So for somebody, how do you know what is good design and what isn’t? Like, I think a lot of people are going, okay, I need to get a website, but, and I know you can spend 50 grand on a website, you can spend $50 on a website and I’ve seen people spend 20 grand and it looks like crap. And I’ve seen people spend five grand. It looks amazing. A lot of it is knowing and a lot of us don’t know. Like I think a lot of us underestimate the importance of this. But then even when we do it’s like, but I don’t, I don’t know what to look for. Or is there something that you LH: Yeah, it’s an a for me it’s it’s a feeling. It all comes back to a feeling for me. It’s, I’m not a designer. I’m not, I’m not been trained in this or studied this. I know what looks good and feels good for me based on other designs from brands, sides, personalities that I like. And then I’ll just reflect on why do I like this, why does it feel good? And I’ll talk to a designer and say, here are three different sites or three different products that I like to have amazing branding. I don’t know why I like it, but I like it. Can you help me reflect on this? What is it about this, I don’t know with the color make me feel a certain way. RV: When you, when you do that, is it like, cause other people do that too and they’re always like, okay, it’s, it’s Tesla and Virgin and Nike, right? Like everyone goes, you know, make me that. Is there, is it those same ones for you or is it like you go, no, there’s, there’s different ones that I have found. LH: I try to, I try to look at music, fashion and sports brands and bring into my brand. So I don’t try to look with in the industry and copy Gary Vaynerchuk or copy, I don’t know, Richard Brown, whatever it is. Some other person in my space, Tim Ferris. I try to look at other influences in sports, fashion and music that I think are innovative, that are that bring out an energy. Cause these are a lot of like the, these create feelings for people. Fashion, music, sports. They’re like this, it’s like a religion for people. And so what’s the feeling that these create that make me feel so connected to a community, our tribe or a message or a mission that I want to create in my business as well. And my personal brand so that people feel like they’re a part of a mission that they want to support. So I’m just trying to find things like I’m doing like for the branding from a, my event, I really liked this campaign more than an athlete like LeBron James had it. RV: This is the summit you’re talking about the summit of greatness for those people that don’t know you do once a year? LH: Yeah, some of the greatest and so I’m like focusing on rebranding every year we kind of update the design and so I was doing an hour-long call with my designer and I was like, I really liked this more than an athlete energy and feeling of the branding of this like one campaign that LeBron James did and I really like just like the innovation of like air Jordan, all these new shoes that air Jordan has been doing. I was like here, like three different shoes that I really like. I don’t know why I like it, but they just make me feel like fresh, innovative and clean and air Jordan is just like this timeless brand. It’s been around for 20 or 30 years. It just continues to grow. And you know, I was like, I really like what Jay Baldwin is doing. He’s a middle lad pop world reg a tone. Like he’s always innovating and pushing the boundaries on his fashion. And I was just like, like something around these three things. What can we do? RV: And so you don’t even know what it is. You just say there’s an energy about these. And do you just say do something with that? Like make me, LH: Yeah. I mean listen, I’m not a designer so I’m working with a designer and I’m trying to be the creative director with that person to be like, okay, RV: But you do all that. Yeah. Just have a creative, you don’t have a creative yeah, exactly. Yeah. I just don’t know how to execute it personally. So okay. What else that’s on your list? Cause I wanna make sure we at least hear him. LH: So I put big moments, I feel like big moments. Define your personal brand. So when I decided to launch a book, I wrote a whole, I did like a year and a half of research on how to be a New York time bestseller cause I was like this is a big moment opportunity and it could define a whole leveling up for my brand if I reached the New York Times bestseller list. RV: No, that’s what you and I met was I was on your podcast right after my first book hit New York times and we chatted after and I was like, well I’ll tell you everything I know and that I feel like is when you and I really bonded. LH: That’s it. Yeah. That was like two one was that, I don’t know, RV: Like 2014 or 13 yeah, while ago. LH: So I think big moment opportunities every year, I try to do at least one big moment that is like, here’s a big announcement, here’s a big thing. People do this with like a big merger or they’ll buy a company and it’s like a big boom. We just bought this company, boom, we just sold this. It elevates your personal brand and your kind of energy. And image in the world. So I did that with my first book. I feel like I did that with my second book, masking masculinity. I did that with a live event when everyone was getting away from advance. I was like, I want to innovate the space with events. I did that with the first talk show on Facebook watch last year. Also. First talk show is like a big moment for a number of months. I just fell my first documentary, it’s not out yet, but I feel like that’ll be a big a moment to be like, Whoa, okay, he’s doing a movie now. Like I have to pay attention. RV: It’s fricking awesome too. It’s free. I’ve seen it is freaking awesome. It’s so inspiring. Thank you. Thank you. Really well done. LH: I feel like it’s investing in big moment opportunities that differentiate you from everyone else. As you know, our friend saw Sally Hogshead said different is better than better. And so I just think of what’s going to be different for me this year than last year and what’s going to be different from everyone else in my kind of space. So big moments, you know, my book, my VAT, my talk show, my documentary, it’s just like, okay, what are the things that we can do? Big moment opportunities. If you could do one every year, I think that’d be powerful for your personal brand to level it up. The press. So it would be the next thing. This will be the fourth thing is be pressed. One, two, three, four. Yeah. So when you have big moment opportunities, leveraging the press to get that. So my bookyou know, today America and LLN all these things, you use these big moments to then leverage it with press, mainstream press to support more attention and attraction to your personal brand. LH: So press would be number four. I would say. The fifth one would probably be number three. Your messaging, you know, that would probably go to photography branding, design and messaging kind of in the first three. But the communication, how you communicate, whether you’re audio, video or written word, how are you communicating your message? What is the energy you’re going to share with your words no matter what format they’re in. So your messaging is important. And I think being intentional about your messaging and then one, two, three or four, five. So this would be the sixth thing would be your association with other people who you’re associated with, elevates your brand or brings it back. So, you know, I’ve been in the, for example, I’ve been in the internet marketing space for many, many years, but I, one of the reasons I said no to online marketing summits is that they’re all kind of like these internet marketing type of events typically. LH: And I just said, I don’t want to be associated as an internet marketer anymore. I want to be, be associated more as a mainstream individual that can attract mainstream press and opportunities. And every time you do something that is with your few past identity, you stay in a past identity more or it’s harder to grow into the next identity. And so I’m always trying to associate with people that are out of my reach at the time. That’s why I have a podcast where I interview people and I have a wall of people that I’ve associated with who, who have all these people to come to my show. And each person is a representation of my brand as well. So when I have someone on who’s maybe not credible or in a space that isn’t positive or was controversial, it also reflects to my personnel brand as well. Like I’ve had certain just individuals who are very controversial, people hate them or love them and then I get a lot of flack for that in a Hertz, my personal brand at times, if I did too much of that, people would be like, Oh, Louis just associates with all these people are controversial. So he’s controversial. But if I’m associating with billionaires and world-class athletes and leaders in the world, then it makes me more in association with that community. So RV: I would, and I would say, you know, like I believe this is one of your superpowers. Like truly like you know, photography. You don’t take the pictures design, you don’t do it messaging. I feel like it’s one of the things you’ve come to us like at brand builders group, that’s one of the things big moments you do a great job of. I think press you do, you do a great job of, but like if I had to, it was like one of your pals go, what is one Louis the supers powers. It is, it is, it is networking and it is building meaningful relationships quickly with a lot of people and then connecting people and then all these like, like you said, getting in touch with people that are out of your reach. Do you let me ask you an honest question about that. Because you’ve heard the phrase, social climber, like you know, some people will say that like, Oh well that, yeah, she’s a social primer. He just social climber and like, Oh well you’re too good to talk to. So and so. How do you reconcile like either a fear of, or do you not even put any value in that or like have you ever like, LH: Yeah, I just think, I think now I’ve thought about a time from time to time cause I’m on, sometimes it’d be like, am I just going to this event to meet someone that I could like help me in the future? You know what I mean? It’s crossed my mind momentarily a few moments in the last 10 years. But it’s not like something I think about too often. Cause all I do is add value to people. All I do is I never asked for anything and I just say, how can I support and how can I promote what you care about the most? So if I was always meeting someone and saying, Hey, by the way, can you invest in this? Hey can you do this for me? Hey, you don’t want to show, I want to pitch you something. I hate when people do that to me. So I never do that to other people. Especially when people who are very influential are busy and have a lot going on. I just feel like it’s the wrong way to build a relationship. RV: But, so that’s, that’s part of the difference as a social climber, as someone who’s trying to get, climb their way to the top so that they can take things from people versus someone who’s just giving to everybody. LH: I think you make a big impact. You make a big you stand out when you just add a lot of value and you never asked for anything and you just try to be a good person. And that’s all I’ve tried to do for the last 10 years is meet people, find how I can add as much dye to their life as quickly as possible and not ask for anything until there’s a big moment. Like once a year, I might have a big thing that I might ask some of them to support with if it makes sense because I know it’s in their kind of realm, but not ever, I’m not asking people for stuff all the time. So it’s just trying to build quality relationships with quality people and helping people because I know it’ll come back around eventually somehow. And it feels good to help people, you know, I get validated when I help someone or solve a big problem who’s you know, got a lot of influence. It’s like, okay. Yeah, it feels good. RV: Other things that I would share, you know, just from, for people that don’t know is, even though I do think you, you have a super power of like meeting new people that are, you know, at like a higher cache or profile or whatever you want to say in real life. When you meet, you’re one of the most approachable people in real life. Like, it’s never, Oh, he’s not good enough, or she’s not worth my time. Like you’re always like dishing out hugs and loving on people. And I’ve, I’ve, I’ve never gotten that sense at all about watching you with other people. LH: Yeah, I think you know, it’s cause I remember being a nobody 10 years ago that no one knew who I was. I was broke and there were people that were willing to give me 10, 20 minutes from time to time just to be able to ask questions to or, or support me in different ways. And I think I brought value to them through bringing passion and curiosity and taking action on whatever they said quickly. So they saw that I was getting results and it was good for them as well. So I didn’t feel like I wasted people’s time. I was like committed to getting results and adding value even then and I go, I go back and forth cause I take a lot of meetings sometimes and I feel like sometimes I’m just wasting so much time just meeting people, meeting people. So it’s part of the super power I guess. LH: But also it kind of holds me back when I’ll have six meetings in a day and I’m like, okay, I still have to start work at 7:00 PM cause I haven’t done anything today and the work needs to be done. So it’s a, it’s a constant battle of managing the energy of meeting people and making sure that when I’m with someone in PR present, I’d give them the time, but I don’t over commit on time later. So if I’m around someone in person, I will give them a moment. I will be present and I will, you know, be affectionate, loving, whatever it may be. But if they’re like, Oh, can you come on and do my podcast that I haven’t launched yet and I was zero following, I have to decline just to like save myself energy. Otherwise, if I said yes to everyone, I’d be suffocating as well. RV: I know that’s a struggle for everybody. Like, and it’s hard to, as you develop more notoriety, you can’t help. But you know, some people are going to say certain things, but he’s like, you can’t take, take them all. So anyway, I have one, one last question for you before I do that. Is there anywhere where do you want people to go to, to connect with you and follow up and like, you know, tune in? LH: Yeah. Lewis Howes.com or summitofgreatness podcast. RV: [Inaudible] Check it out. And beyond tune, he’s got big moments come in. The documentary is one I know that’s coming, coming at some point here soon. Last thing for you Lewis. This, I think it’s been inspiring to watch how quickly you have risen through the ranks of all of these different things. And then, you know, I remember when you got on Ellen, you know that like, I, I’ve, I’ve been kind of with you for some of these big moments and just like hitting the New York times list that first time. And then I remember the shot of you in times square when your second book was amazing. And then being on Ellen and then getting the Facebook watch. If, if there’s one thing that you wish you could have known when you first started and if you could tell yourself like go back and you say, if I, I wish I would’ve known this, it would have helped me get there faster. When you very first started out or if there’s just one thing that you feel like you did latch onto that you feel like this, this really has made all the difference, what do you think that would be? Speaker 3: I think building a team faster, you know, having the right people in my team to support me with things that were taking up too much time so that I can do the things that I did best early on in my career. That would have been probably more beneficial because I just spent a lot of time and energy doing everything as opposed to focusing on a few key things that I should be doing. So learning to say no to things that don’t need to do and hiring the people to do those things earlier would have been, would have been G I think. RV: Yeah. Well, I love it, buddy. I appreciate so much that, that hopefully people see the intention of the energy and the emotion that you’re trying to create and put out there in the world through photography, design, messaging, moments, the press, your association. It’s all about inspiring people and helping them feel this, this energy, which is everything that is Lewis house. So Speaker 3: People…what is the quote? People don’t remember what you say, but they’ll remember how you made them feel. RV: Maya Angelou, that’s right, she said, that’s all right. Well, thanks buddy. You keep inspiring and we’ll keep following. We appreciate you.
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Explaining the Sacred Heart to Protestants
Former U.S. Apostolic Nuncio: Our Lady is the ‘Real Frontline Fighter Against the Devil’
I Owe Kim Kardashian West an Apology
By Michelle Arnold, Catholic Answers, June 07, 2018
As the Easter season comes to a close and Ordinary Time opens, we encounter a slew of feast days during the liturgical “transition” period—Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi, and finally the feasts of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Church usually celebrates the feasts of the Two Hearts on the Friday (today) and Saturday following the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi).
Both feasts have theological roots and expressions of popular devotion that go back to the earliest centuries, but the feasts themselves were established more recently in Church history. The feast of the Sacred Heart was placed on the universal calendar of the Latin Church in 1856; the Immaculate Heart became a universal feast in 1944.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart focuses on God’s self-sacrificial love for humankind. For God the Son so loved the world that he allowed a spear to pierce his human heart, from which flowed blood and water for the salvation of the world (John 3:16, 19:34). The popular devotions to the Sacred Heart that are commonly practiced today were inspired by the visions of Christ reported by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a seventeenth-century nun. Among other things, Christ asked for reception of Communion on First Fridays and for holy hours before the Blessed Sacrament.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary devotion focuses on the love of the Blessed Virgin Mary for God, and on how our own imperfect love for God, though marred by sin, can become perfected when offered to God in union with Mary’s perfect human love for him. Popular devotions associated with the Immaculate Heart are the Miraculous Medal, which was inspired by visions of the Blessed Virgin given in the nineteenth century to St. Catherine Labouré, and the reparations made for sin on First Saturdays. Interestingly, the Church initially was reluctant to establish a feast day for the Immaculate Heart, rejecting early efforts by St. John Eudes in the seventeenth century to gain approval for the feast.
Protestants sometimes object to Catholic devotions like the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts, and not only out of discomfort with Marian veneration. They also tend to see such devotions as accretions that mar the original purity of the Christian faith. They not only ask where such observances can be found in the Bible—they ask why the early Christians didn’t seem to know anything about them. Given the later origins of the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts devotions, this objection might seem to have merit.
Sometimes Catholic apologists can get so caught up in trying to demonstrate that non-apostolic traditions—the lower-case “t” traditions that are not part of the deposit of the faith—are in harmony with Scripture and the practices of the early Church that we neglect to challenge the Protestant assumption that later developments in Christian piety are, by that fact, necessarily to be rejected.
One way to demonstrate to Protestants that the development of pious practices throughout Christian history can be acceptable, so long as those practices don’t contradict Christian dogma, is to point out modern Protestant pieties that were unknown in the early centuries of the Church (and that, we may note to ourselves, can appear to be improvised substitutions for lost sacraments). Let’s look at a few of them.
Infant baptism is one of the theological issues on which Fundamentalist Christians disagree with Catholics. They believe that baptism is only for adults, or at least for those who have reached the age of reason and are able to make “a decision for Christ.” But there seems to be a universal human need for ceremonies that welcome newborns into human society (especially spiritual society) , and thus many Fundamentalist churches offer dedication ceremoniesin which new parents present their baby to the Christian community and pledge to raise the child for Christ.
Altar calls are a staple in many Evangelical churches. At some point during Sunday services, the preacher will invite anyone present who hasn’t yet made a personal commitment to Jesus to come forward to the altar and accept Jesus into his life as his “personal Lord and Savior.” Evangelicals consider this commitment central to the Christian life, to the point that a person’s eternal salvation is in doubt if he does not experience this moment of conversion. For Catholics, the central action of Sunday services is the Mass, and the place for a declaration of a personal need for Christ’s saving power is in the confessional.
At a Catholic nuptial Mass, the Eucharist is a symbol not just of the congregation’s communion in Christ but also of the newly married couple’s union in Christ. Although many Protestant communities no longer consider marriage or the Eucharist to be sacraments—calling them instead “ordinances,” things that Christ ordained to be done but that don’t actually impart grace to believers—they still feel a need to insert a ritual into the ceremony that symbolizes the couple’s unity. That’s one reason why the unity candle, in which the newly-married couple lights a candle together, has become ubiquitous in Protestant weddings (and, unfortunately, has been imported into many Catholic weddings as well).
Perhaps one of the more difficult aspects of Catholicism for Protestants to appreciate is that it is a layered religion that has grown and developed over centuries. Protestant apologists argue that such growth obscures the original purity of Christianity, that the development of pious customs such as devotion to the hearts of our Lord and our Lady are like barnacles on the barque of Peter—something to be scraped away.
But these pious customs are natural growth, as healthy for Christ’s mystical body as height, weight, and new muscles are for a human being who is maturing from infancy to adulthood. Christ told his apostles that his Church would grow in this way, although he used the image of the mustard seed that grows from a seed to a tree, in which “the birds of the air made nests in its branches” (Luke 13:19).
The devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, at least in their modern forms, may not have begun during apostolic times, but they are a couple of the “nests” of piety in which Catholics have been spiritually nourished for centuries.
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/explaining-the-sacred-heart-to-protestants
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Fr. Lankeit’s Homily for Aug. 19, 2018, Diocese of Phoenix (Watch)
Fr. Mike Schmitz: The Pennsylvania Sex Abuse Scandal (Video)
Why Do Catholics Speak So Often of “the Church” Instead of “Christ”?
By Fr. Lankeit, The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, Aug 20, 2018
Today’s homily is from Fr. John Lankeit, rector of Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix. Read the Pastoral Letter from Bishop Olmsted and Bishop Nevares Regarding Recent Abuse Scandals: https://dphx.org/pastoral-letter-from… Anyone who has been a victim of abuse is encouraged to call a local law enforcement agency. The Diocese of Phoenix is committed to protecting all young people and will continue to work diligently to keep our young people safe. We are dedicated to providing a safe environment in which every individual is valued and honored as created in the image and likeness of God. We continue to pray for all those who have been harmed by childhood abuse and will remain vigilant to protect the dignity of every person. For additional information about support services for those who have been abused, please contact the Office of Child and Youth Protection at (602) 354-2396 or at https://dphx.org/youth-protection The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix is committed to helping the faithful encounter the living Christ through conversion, communion and solidarity. Led by the Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, more than 1.1 million Catholics make this diverse, vibrant, and faith-filled diocese their home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wztAjLwlLwo&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop
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Talking About First Principles Can Save Our Politics by Sam Angell
Msgr. Charles Pope: Is the Modern Interpretation of the Book of Revelation Flawed? A Consideration of a Different View
Terrence P. Jeffrey: Build a Moral Wall — and Gate
“The School of Athens”, Fresco by Raphael
By Sam Angell, American Conservative, November 28, 2018
In the famous radio show, book, and film The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by English author Douglas Adams, there features a weapon called the point of view gun. When fired, it causes its target to see the world from the point of view of its holder. It enables even your worst enemy to view the world exactly as you do, feeling your emotions, adopting your thoughts, and embracing your intuitions. It’s the ultimate weapon for diffusing confrontation.
Unfortunately, such a device does not exist and probably never will. But certainly our politics would be much better if we were able to understand each other perfectly all of the time. Our views would be more changeable, our debates less hostile, our candidates more earnest. Our current unwillingness to put ourselves in each other’s shoes might insulate us from the discomfort of cognitive dissonance but it inhibits our ability to communicate honestly with one another on issues that matter.
So while the point of view gun may not be real, we should look to imitate its powers when we carry on conversations. Differences in opinion are not nearly as destructive when one understands where the disagreement lies and why it exists. But this, of course, takes time and often a great degree of patience. After all, political views are not standalone beliefs, existing in isolation.
The recurring discussions that dominate mainstream politics are by no means new. They find their roots in political philosophy, a discipline that in turn springs from ethics and moral philosophy. This can be hard to believe when we consider how thoughtless our political debates have become but even buzz lines like “we should lower taxes” must emerge from an intricate web of moral principles. Whether their proponents are aware of it or not, all well thought out policy ideas are grounded in basic axioms from which subsequent principles can then be derived. Like the floors on a skyscraper, they build on one another until eventually policy is formed at the top.
To take a basic example, the close relationship between mainstream conservative thought and Christianity is not a product of sheer happenstance. Conservative principles are grounded in a distinctly Judeo-Christian ethic expressed by single verse in the Bible, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). The idea that we are created in the image of God accounts for the intrinsic value of the individual. It grounds that value in the first principle of a theistic creation.
Out of that philosophical groundwork came the United States’ founding document. Keeping the sanctity of the individual at its core, the enduring words were written: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
You can trace the propositions building on each other through each utterance of that sentence, from creation to the intrinsic value of man to the freedom of each individual. It’s just such a chain of principles that underpins mainstream conservatism, irrespective of whether one agrees with its policy prescriptions. One can’t understand modern conservative principles without understanding the intrinsic value they place on the individual. Further still, it’s hard to account for the intrinsic value of the individual without grounding it in a Judeo-Christian ethic. These antecedent beliefs, the middle levels of your skyscraper, are no less worthy of examination than the policy that resides at the top. Indeed, if one wishes to truly understand his political opponents, these floors are actually more worthy of examination than the policy.
By grasping the moral and intellectual rules that guide each other’s thinking, we can learn not only the reasoning behind one specific position but many. To return to the skyscraper analogy, it allows us to identify the floor on which our disagreement lies and how said disagreement accounts for differences in policy. It even enables us to approximate what each other’s views on new issues will be.
Too much time in modern politics is spent speaking from the top floor, even though in doing so we omit 90 percent of what intellectually goes into our ideas. No wonder we have trouble fully understanding each other! It is for this reason that arguments fail to establish a coherent point of contact and interlocutors a mutual understanding. Instead we talk past one another in perpetuity.
A fitting example of this is the age-old question of abortion in the United States, an excellent case study in the failure of human understanding. In the abortion debate, there has always been and remains a fundamental asymmetry in how each side is arguing. From the pro-choice side, we predominantly have arguments that originate in ideas of bodily autonomy. From the pro-life side, we have arguments derived from the sanctity of human life.
Neither side disagrees with the other in principle, only on presupposition. Pro-lifers believe an unborn fetus constitutes a human life. Pro-choicers do not. The outcome of this antecedent claim determines whose argument functions and whose does not. They need only take one step back, or go a few floors down, to recognize that their disagreement is really about when human life begins. But no. Blinded by their animosity for the other side, they instead serve up senseless caricatures about how conservatives wish to “control women’s bodies” or liberals want to “murder babies.”
Both accusations are absurd and yet the miscommunication at their core demonstrates what’s wrong with our politics at large. By all accounts, we are failing to understand each other and communicate effectively. Moreover, the longer we neglect this failure, the more hostile our politics will become. Cynical accusations of wicked motives dominate our political climate. It’s a testament to our inability to understand each other that so many now believe that the most likely explanation for political differences is malice.
The beliefs and policies that divide us can only be fully understood with reference to the worldviews that birthed them. An understanding of each other’s politics from the basis of first principles facilitates this understanding. It allows us to inhabit each other’s moral consciences and see more clearly beliefs different from our own. It’s the closest we’ve got to a Point of View Gun.
It is only in the absence of such an understanding that we resort to smears. Only when we find each other truly incomprehensible does malevolence appear to be the most likely explanation for our differences. In a time of grave political division, it’s bewildering that some seem to believe our problems can be solved by doubling down on the very attitudes that created this climate. What we need is understanding, patience, and a new holistic way of doing politics from the ground up.
Sam Angell is an undergraduate student at the University of Edinburgh, currently studying economic history.
Talking About First Principles Can Save Our Politics
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Archive for the ‘regulations’ Category
The Occupy ‘Movement,’ 2 Years Later
Filed under: activism, capitalism, corporations, economics, justice, media, regulations |
Tuesday (2 days ago) was the nominal anniversary of the Occupy Movement. Or maybe that should be the Occupy ‘Movement,’ with scare-quotes softening any suggestion that an actual social movement of any scope has arisen and persisted.
September 17 of 2011, protestors flowed into New York’s Zuccotti Park, a small private park just two blocks from Wall Street in the city’s financial district. Months of periodic mayhem in isolated pockets ensued, with Occupy sit-ins and marches happening in cities all over the US and to a lesser extent around the world. In theory, Occupy was a protest against economic inequality, a reaction not just to the gap between “the 1%” and “the 99%,” but to the widening of that gap in the years following the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009.
In practice, Occupy became a rallying cry for complaints of all kinds. One Occupy rally I stumbled across here in Toronto featured speakers from a big trade union, members of which enjoy jobs that pay relatively well, and a representative of one of Canada’s aboriginal groups, whose complaints are legitimate but have little to do with having been left behind by capitalism. This dilution of the main Occupy message was unfortunate, since it virtually guaranteed that the movement would suffer additional criticism while at the same time raising the probability that such criticism would be avoid the real issue.
Two years later, it’s hard to see Occupy as having achieved much of anything, other than a lot of overtime for police and a few weeks’ fodder for the nightly news. Certainly its economic impact has been negligible. A year ago, on the 1-year anniversary, I suggested that the main lasting effect of Occupy was more cultural than economic, and that’s still true. Politicians now must now acknowledge income inequality in speeches, for example, but action has been scarce.
So inequality is now ‘on the table,’ but it’s not clear yet that putting it on the table means much in practice. I wrote two years ago that “Wall Street needs to be fixed, not occupied. Even a die-hard capitalist has to admit that there are problems with the way Wall Street runs, but those problems won’t be fixed by sit-ins. They need to come from an understanding, on the part of Wall Street and its supporters, that there are changes that should be made because those changes stand to make capitalism work better. Any changes that can’t be made on that basis — changes for example that simply redistribute money — will have to be made through legislation, if and when there is political will to do so.
Of course, Occupy doesn’t necessarily need to have brought lasting change in order to have been significant. It may be enough for that word to mark a moment in time. It reminds us that there was a day when people rose up in peaceful opposition to fight for an ideal. Even those who think the movement misguided should in principle be happy about its idealism. But then, it’s much harder to inspire idealism about the painfully slow, methodical route to institutional change, even when the slow and methodical route is the more plausible one.
The Dark Side of the Tanning Business
Filed under: consumers, health, law, regulations, risk, safety |
Tanning beds are rapidly joining cigarettes in the “it’s only legal because no one has figured out how to outlaw it” category. Indeed, even their legality is slipping. Jurisdictions from Prince Edward Island to Texas, for example, are banning minors from tanning salons. Not surprisingly, dermatologists are pleased. Indeed, the Canadian Dermatology Association has issued a release, noting that indoor tanning “causes premature aging and… increases a person’s risk of developing skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.”
Is this a business that should exist at all? Sure, even a potentially-dangerous product can be used safely if used in suitable moderation. But the question here has to be whether moderation is the norm, and whether customers will know what moderation means.
Protecting minors is the regulatory low-hanging fruit. Protecting kids is an easy sell. Tanning beds pose a risk to anyone who uses them, but teens are in particular need of protection. Studies have suggested that younger people are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of ultra-violet radiation. And teens, in particular, tend to be both obsessed with appearance and under the sway of a general belief in their own invincibility. And According to the the dermatologists, “tanning before the age of 35 has been associated with a significant increase in the risk of melanoma.”
But beyond the case of minors, shouldn’t we all be free to tan at will? Well, yes and no. Freedom is a good thing, sure. But freedom in the marketplace is predicated on the idea that everyone involved is more or less rational and well-informed. This imposes an obligation on businesspeople to be honest and forthright about risks associated with their products. But tanning salons themselves may be promoting a number of myths that make artificial tanning seem safer than it is.
If you’re only still in business because no one has figured out how to make your product illegal, you should probably consider a new line of business.
The Food Industry: When Ethics Just Isn’t Enough
Filed under: children, consumers, corporate citizenship, food, freedom, regulations |
The issue of ethics in the food industry never really goes away, but there are times when it garners more than its usual share of headlines. About a month ago, the New York Times published a lengthy piece called “The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food,” by Michael Moss, author of “Salt Sugar Fat.” The piece is a riveting look at the often-cynical moves made within the food industry within recent decades to use our tastebuds against us, to use our love of salt and sugar and fat to persuade us to buy products that are making us more overweight and less healthy.
The next headline had to do with NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s attempt to push back by banning supersized sugary drinks. The move had many fans. Not among those fans: Starbucks, which said it simply would not comply, the American Beverage Association, and New York State Court Judge Milton Tingling, who accepted the ABA’s request to block Bloomberg’s plan.
Most recently, and related to all of the above, the New York Times recently ran an opinion piece on the need to impose stricter regulations on food companies in order to slow the industry’s otherwise seemingly inexorable march toward ever more addictive, and less healthy, prepared foods. The piece was written by a guy named Michael Mudd, a former executive VP at Kraft, no less.
Mudd’s key point is essentially that if the food industry is going to be reined in, government is going to have to do it, since the industry shows little interest in restraining itself. In other words, to borrow Mudd’s words, government is going to have to “force ethics” on the industry.
There are at least two significant problems with framing the issue this way.
The first problem has to do with chalking it all up to a lack of ethics. This is entirely the wrong diagnosis. Or, to be precise, even if the food industry suffers from an ethics deficit, that deficit is not necessarily the root cause of the problem. The unfortunate truth is that there are some problems for which “more ethics” simply is not a viable solution. Ethics is about finding rules that make social living better, but it assumes some overlap of interests. In particular, ethics only works where we have a shared sense that our lives—or our businesses—would go better if we followed a few rules. Ethics isn’t fundamentally about self-sacrifice; it’s about mutual restraint for mutual benefit. That’s why ethics is generally important in business: harmony is good for business. But it’s still a competitive game, and at the end of the day all the competitors want to win. Unless you can show the food industry that its interests will somehow be promoted by playing by a different set of rules, then an ethical solution just isn’t in the cards.
There’s a second reason why ethics isn’t enough. Ethics involves restraint on self-interested (or profit-seeking) behaviour. But the notion of restraint presumes some understanding of where to draw lines. But consider the dilemma faced by any company that sells a fundamentally sugary or fatty food, like Coke or Twinkies or Doritos. These products are delicious, and harmless if consumed as most of us consume them, namely in moderation. When the Coca Cola Company sells me a can of coke, it does absolutely nothing remotely unethical. I’m a grownup, well-informed about the nutritional characteristics of Coke, and besides this one coke is meaningless, health-wise.
But, yes yes, we all know that anyone drinking too much Coke is going to suffer ill effects, and a society that drinks too much Coke is going to suffer too. But how much is too much? No one can say. And simply imploring the Coca Cola Company to “be more ethical” is useless, here. True, we can implore them not to advertise in a way that targets kids, or not to promote ridiculously huge servings, but that leaves the fundamental paradox of their product untouched. Even a scrupulously ethical — indeed, saintly — Coca Cola Company would still find itself uncertain as to how to market its product. How would you sell a product that many people enjoy harmlessly, but that in the aggregate causes trouble?
Finally, the plea for “more ethics” in the food industry misses entirely the fact that that the food industry’s pattern of supplying us with excessive quantities of fat and sugar and salt constitutes a classic social dilemma, a situation in which each person’s (or company’s) behaviour is individually reasonable, but collectively disastrous. We’re poisoning ourselves with junk food for the same reason we’re burdening our atmosphere with giant quantities of carbon dioxide. Not because we’re stupid or unethical, but because my own efforts to reduce carbon emissions (or yours, or yours, or yours) are neither necessary nor sufficient to make a difference. Coke can’t solve the obesity problem. Nor can McDonalds. Nor Kraft. Nor… you get the picture.
So, yes, feel free to call for greater regulation of the food industry. But recognize that in doing so you’re not calling for more ethics. You’re admitting that even ethical companies can produce unwanted outcomes. A good understanding of the role of ethics in business must include some appreciation of the range of problems at hand, including the ones for which ethics is unnecessary, as well as the ones for which ethics simply is not enough.
Can Big Pharma Learn to Self-Regulate?
Filed under: pharma, regulations |
A new study suggests that the pharmaceutical industry’s attempt to regulate its own activities with regard to advertising erectile dysfunction drugs has fallen far short of the mark. According to the study, co-authored by US professors Denis Arnold and Jim Oakley, some of the industry’s biggest companies failed repeatedly, over a period of years, to live up to the standards they set for themselves. The companies studied had all committed to the 2005 PhRMA Guiding Principles, but didn’t come close to living up to that commitment.
I suspect few will be surprised by this result, though they may be surprised by the extent of of the violations documented by Arnold and Oakley. Eli Lily’s Cialis campaign, Pfizer’s Viagra campaign, and Bayer Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline, and Merck’s Levitra campaign violated more principles than they adhered to.
The notion of businesses regulating themselves raises plenty of eyebrows. Skepticism about business is high, and many people will find it hard to believe that profit-oriented businesses will respond to any rules that aren’t backed by the force of law. And the idea of the pharmaceutical industry — an industry not exactly famous for its ethics — self-regulating with regard to marketing a cash-cow category of drugs is sure to garner even more skepticism. Did anyone expect it to work in the first place?
But we shouldn’t let an example like this cast a pall over the notion of self-regulation more generally.
Self-regulation can mean lots of things. It can mean the tacit evolution of norms within an industry, a shared sense that “this is how things should be done.” It can mean efforts to establish industry-wide standards (such as GAAP) that end up being woven into legislated regulatory requirements, and enforced by courts. It can also refer to the simple fact that thousands of basic ethical issues are left up to individual businesses and individual employees. Some of those mechanisms can reasonably be expected to work reasonably well, for some issues. And others, unfortunately, probably cannot.
Self-regulation by means of industry-wide standard-setting is in some sense a best-case scenario for self-regulation. Companies within a single industry have a shared set of interests, including an interest in forestalling intrusive government regulation. They also in many cases form a true community, and are hence able to exert peer pressure on each other to promote compliance. Of course, as the Arnold and Oakley study demonstrates, it doesn’t always work.
And there’s a powerful argument in favour of making use of self-regulation where feasible. After all, government can’t be everywhere, and if it could be we couldn’t want it to be. Having government pass rules about every aspect of business operations and then monitor compliance with those rules would be both terribly expensive and brutally intrusive. The question isn’t whether self-regulation is a good idea. The question is for which issues will self-regulation work, and under what conditions? We need as a society to be able to rely on a good deal of self-regulation, and business needs to figure out how to do it.
Curbing Illicit Flows of Money
Filed under: accountability, bribery, capitalism, compliance, corporate citizenship, corruption, economics, international, profits, regulations, taxation, trade, transparency, white collar crime |
The development goals of many underdeveloped nations are seriously hampered by illicit flows of money. The money sent into those countries in the form of aid and foreign direct investment is, in many cases, dwarfed by the money that flows out as a result of money laundering, bribery, and dodgy transfer pricing. Some estimates put that outflow as high as a trillion dollars. And a lot of that money flows through, between, or within corporations.
I recently took part in a panel discussion on this topic, part of a larger event put on by a group called Academics Standing Against Poverty (ASAP).
Here are a few of what I take to be the key points, not necessarily in order of presentation, from my discussion of the topic:
Corporations have two different categories of responsibilities when it comes to curbing illicit financial flows. First, they are of course responsible for their own behaviour. Under this heading, corporations have three key obligations. First is not to game the system to avoid taxes. Minimizing taxes — even going to significant lengths to avoid taxes — may seem to be part and parcel of a manager’s obligation to maximize profits. But there is no general obligation to maximize profits, and certainly no such obligation to do so ‘at all costs.’ Even the weaker duty to ‘put shareholders first’ is a vague enough concept to be consistent with a principled stance against aggressive tax avoidance, even where taxes can be avoided legally.
A second direct obligation has to do with transparency about transfer pricing. When goods or services are being sold between branches of a multinational, the prices charged should be fair and should be rooted in a clear methodology. And total taxes paid internationally should be reported in a company’s audited annual reports. Even when gaming the system is legal, it is dishonourable.
Third, companies should have zero tolerance for bribery. Besides being corrosive to local economies, bribery is often just a lousy competitive strategy: it involves payments that cannot be guaranteed to work, and when they don’t work there is of course no recourse to the courts. Businesses generally know this, but sometimes see bribery as a necessary evil; they need to work to make it less necessary.
In addition to these direct obligations regarding their own behaviour, big companies arguably have some responsibility for the indirect effects of their operations. Major corporations support entire ecosystems of smaller businesses — suppliers, subcontractors, agents, and so on. And activities within that ecosystem can be a major source of illicit transfers. Corporations should assume some responsibility for illegal and unethical activities in their shadow. This should at least mean setting clear standards for the behaviour of the companies with which they interact, and sharing best practices. Companies are starting to do this with regard to bribery, but they should consider extending that to other areas.
Next, a point with regard to how businesses interact with governments. The least controversial, over-arching norm for business is to play by the rules of the game. Normally, governments set rules and as long as businesses play within those rules, they are at least coming close to meeting their obligations. But not all governments are equally capable of setting and enforcing the requisite rules. And the absence of clear rules doesn’t imply an absence of obligations. So, for example, the fact that the government of a small developing nation hasn’t passed regulations (as Canada and the US have done) that set standards for fairness in transfer pricing doesn’t mean that a company can be complacent.
Finally — and this bit of advice is aimed at development advocates — it is important to avoid thinking of transnational corporations as the enemy. My sense is that a significant subset of folks who are concerned with development are focused on the negative side-effects of corporate involvement in developing nations. What we need to do, though, is to harness the power of corporations rather than regretting it. Business corporations, in addition to being potent organizations, have a vested interest in reducing poverty worldwide. Anyone living on $1.25 a day makes a lousy customer and a lousy employee. Of course, corporations face a collective action problem when considering how to reduce poverty. No one corporation can do much on its own, and it’s a challenge to find ways to get long-term interests in poverty reduction to override short-term interests in profits. But still, the development community needs to see corporations as important partners. We can’t let a culture war over capitalism get in the way of helping the world’s poor.
The video of our panel discussion is now available, here:
The Ethics of Changing the Rules of the Game
Filed under: adversarial ethics, competition, entertainment, regulations, sports |
We all agree on the need to play by the rules of the game. But what do we do when the rules need changing? Under what circumstances should the rules be changed? What should the process be? What are the rules of the game with regard to changing the rules of the game?
These kinds of questions arise in any competitive, rule-governed domain, whether organized sport or politics or the world of business. In sport, the rules in question are the ones established by various leagues. In politics, the rules are legislative and sometimes constitutional. In business, the rules in question are the ones established by government regulators.
Last week, McGill philosopher Daniel Weinstock gave a talk on this topic, in a Business Ethics Speakers’ series that I host at the Ted Rogers School of Management. His talk was called, “Should business dictate the business of rule change in sport?” He was taking aim at the suspicion on the part of many sports fans that rule changes are sometimes effected by for-profit professional leagues for mere financial reasons that have nothing to do with the spirit of the game.
Along the way, Weinstock suggested that if you look at the patterns of rule changes in professional sport, you see that there are basically four kinds of reasons given to justify such changes. They are:
1) Increasing safety;
2) Closing loopholes in existing rules;
3) Increasing entertainment value of the game;
4) Improving the precision of adjudication by referees.
Sports fans will find it easy to think of examples of rules being changed by various professional leagues for just the reasons cited. But Weinstock’s framework can also be applied usefully to the broader question of how and when rules are changed in rule-governed domains more generally.
Weinstock’s first category is easy to apply to business: there are plenty of occupational health and safety regulations and consumer protection legislation that fall under this heading. Rule changes that fit the second category — loopholes — are also plentiful. The third category, entertainment, seems out of place at first glance. But think of it this way: Weinstock is basically referring to rule changes that are aimed at keeping the game productive, making sure it continues to produce the ‘good’ it is intended to produce. Seen this way, any regulatory change intended to promote efficiency or competition fits something akin to Weinstock’s third category.
Finally, there’s the fourth category, which has to do with improving the accuracy of referees. In regulatory terms, this includes rule changes that make it easier for regulators to do their jobs, including record-keeping and disclosure requirements of all kinds.
Are these the only valid reasons for effecting regulatory changes in the world of business? Probably not. But using something like Weinstock’s framework as a lens gives us a good start at making sense of the overall pattern of regulatory requirements to which business is subject. Not all rules are good ones, but neither are they arbitrary. Seeing the patterns is the first step towards sorting the good from the bad.
Will the UK Outlaw Ethical Investing?
Filed under: government, investing, regulations, values |
OK, so the answer to the question in the title is almost certainly “no,” but outlawing ethical investing is precisely what is being implied, no doubt inadvertently, by a new plan being attributed to the UK’s Labour Party.
Over the weekend, several UK news sources reported on a press release indicating that the Labour Party’s leader, Ed Miliband, was about to announce his intention (if elected) to impose tough new rules on the financial industry. The idea was to be put forward during a speech at the party’s annual conference this past weekend. According to the Daily Mail,
Mr Miliband is proposing a sweeping new legal duty on any financial service which manages savings, including pension funds and banks, to maximise the saver’s returns. Failure to do so would mean them breaking the law.
(While I haven’t seen the actual press release upon which this analysis is based, a very similar report appeared in The Guardian.)
On the face of it, this is just another promise by a politician to fight for the little guy by imposing constraints on big business.
But hold on a minute. As Tim Worstall at Forbes.com astutely points out, requiring a bank to maximise a saver’s financial returns implies a legal duty not to pay attention to any factor other than money. No more attention to sustainability. No more doing good deeds. No more avoiding investing in tobacco or arms dealers. It’s gotta be all about the money.
But focusing on something other than money is precisely what financial institutions promise to do when then offer various ‘ethical’ or values-based investment instruments. The promise made by such funds is that they’ll aim at a “solid” return on investment, while at the same time paying due attention to social and/or environmental concerns. Miliband’s proposal would make such funds illegal. Indeed, if taken seriously, Miliband’s proposal goes much farther than that: it would criminalize all attempts at corporate social responsibility by financial services companies.
Indeed, legally requiring banks to maximize return to savers is exactly parallel to the (fictional) requirement for corporations to maximize return to shareholders. (Why “fictional?” Because the directors of a corporation are only legally obligated to serve loyally, not to maximize profits per se.)
Now as Worstall points out, such announcements regarding what a politician is going to say sometimes don’t come true. And heaven knows that even if Mr. Miliband does or did make the promise out loud, there’s no guarantee that he will make good on it, even if he has the opportunity. Hopefully he or his advisors have seen the folly in such a law, and will find some subtler way to achieve their policy objectives.
POM Wonderful and Hearts vs Brains
Filed under: advertising, brands, food, health, honesty, labelling, regulations, science |
The makers of POM Wonderful want you to use your heart, not your brain.
At least, that’s the distinct impression we get from the company’s recent battle with the US Federal Trade Commission. Last week, an administrative law judge for the FTC found that at least some of POM’s ads made “false and misleading” claims about the health benefits of the trendy, branded pomegranate juice. And the company is fighting back with a series of ads that, by quoting the judge out of context, makes it look like he actually looked favourably upon their product.
The tagline for these ads: “FTC v. POM: You be the judge”.
So POM wants you to be the judge. On the surface, that sounds like they want you to think for yourself. And who could complain about that? But context matters. So when the company is pushing back against the FTC’s assertion (and the court’s finding) that the health claims made on behalf of its juice just don’t stand up to scientific scrutiny, the implied message is that yes, you the consumer should decide, but you shouldn’t use your head in doing so. After all, if you used your head and thought it through rationally, you would want to look at the evidence. And, well, the evidence doesn’t look so good for POM. But the makers of POM, it seems, would rather you look inward instead of looking at the evidence. C’mon, you’ve tasted it. It’s delicious. It must be good for you. And you, dear customer, are smart enough to know that, right? Forget what the science says.
This kind of thing is arguably part of a larger social trend. See this recent essay by Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter, on the way politicians, in particular over the last decade, have found new ways to play fast-and-loose with the truth. Heath and Potter point out the new popularity of the trick of using stubborn repetition as means of bullying your way past awkward facts. A lie can be convincing, in particular when it feels right, when the claim being made fits with your world view or how you want the world to be. And who wouldn’t like to believe that a tasty serving of fruit juice could prevent heart disease or cancer?
The makers of POM are certainly not unique among advertisers wanting you to use your heart, rather than your brain. But they are unusually bold about it, going on the offensive and thumbing their noses at the people whose job it is to do the fact-checking. So consumers beware: when a company wants you not to take a hard look at the facts, it’s usually time to do just that.
Will Facebook’s IPO Bring New Public Responsibilities?
Filed under: corporations, profits, regulations, shareholders, stakeholders |
Today, with the advent of its much-anticipated IPO, Facebook, Inc. will be “going public.” From a legal and regulatory point of view, that’s a significant change, bringing for example new requirements for financial transparency. But what does it imply from an ethical point of view? The phrase “going public” here is somewhat misleading. The event doesn’t do anything as dramatic as changing Facebook from a private to a public entity. It simply means that shares in the company will now be available to members of the public, and traded on the publicly-accessible stock markets.
Regardless, many people already do think of Facebook as a “public” institution in some sense. They think of corporations in general as public institutions, with public responsibilities beyond just keeping their noses clean. The very act of incorporation, after all, requires a framework of public laws to enable it, as do key aspects of modern incorporation such as limited liability. The view here is that if the public allows, and indeed enables, incorporation, it has the right to expect something in return.
Many people also point to history: once upon a time, corporations were chartered by the government as instruments of the public good — to sail in search of treasure, to build bridges, and so on. Of course, the way things used to be is typically a pretty poor argument for how they ought to be today. It is, in general, a good thing that corporations are not now thought of as creatures of the state. If you’re an entrepreneur with a good idea, you don’t need to bow to a prince or bureaucrat to be allowed the privilege of incorporating. That is a good thing. We allow incorporation, and the limited shareholder liability that goes with it, because of the socially-useful stuff this allows corporations to do en route to building wealth for their shareholders.
So I think it is generally misguided to think of corporations as public entities, at least as this applies to corporations in general. Corporations are private entities, ones that play a role in an overall system — namely, the Market — which arguably exists to promote the public good in some sense. But to infer, from the notion that the Market has a role in promoting the public good, the notion that each corporation exists for that purpose, amounts to committing the ‘Fallacy of Division,’ the fallacy of assuming that the parts of a system necessarily share the characteristics of the system as a whole.
So Facebook isn’t, just by being a corporation, an instrument of the public good in any grand sense, and it won’t become one when it “goes public.”
But Facebook is not, in my view, a corporation just like any other. As I’ve argued before, there’s reason to think that a company like Facebook — public or not — has special obligations due to its role as a piece of communications infrastructure. It is such an integral part of so many people’s social lives and patterns of communication, and it has so few real competitors, that I think it is in some ways more like a public utility than like a private company.
From that point of view, the idea of Facebook going public is slightly more interesting. Because this quasi-utility is about to face a new set of pressures. Its managers (including especially CEO Mark Zuckerberg) will now be beholden to a greatly expanded constituency of shareholders. Of course, Facebook has long had shareholders, but they were far fewer in number. And those early shareholders were also different in terms of expectations and levels of patience. People who get in on the ground floor of a tech company like Facebook are speculating in a very significant way. They may have big dreams for their stake in the company, but they are less likely to demand growth on a quarterly basis the way shareholders in a widely-held company are likely to do.
The new wave of shareholders are likely to insist on ever-growing profits — this at a time when many people are expressing doubts about the company’s room for growth. How well the company will treat its customers in the face of such pressures is yet to be seen. For example, there are surely lots of ways for the company to make money by selling the right bits of the vast trove of information it currently has about its roughly 900 million users. Will the company sacrifice your privacy in pursuit of profits?
For better or for worse, the company may well be able to resist such temptations, because of the way control of the company is structured. As has been widely noted, Zuckerberg will still exercise nearly unfettered control. He will retain over 50% of voting stock, making him the controlling shareholder in addition to being both CEO and Chair of the Board. Whether that’s good or bad depends on how he exercises that power, and the goals he chooses to aim for. He has, for instance, has publicly disavowed profit as a primary motive. He’s been quoted as saying that, at Facebook, “we don’t build services to make money; we make money to build better services.” This implies, for instance, that Zuckerberg wouldn’t sell your private information just to make a buck. But — who knows? — he might conceivably do it for other reasons. But if all goes well, Zuckerberg’s profits-be-damned approach will act as a check on what might be seen as the baser impulses of the investing public. And if his own ambitions stray too much from the public good, then hopefully the ‘discipline of the market’ will act as a check on the tech visionary himself.
Insider Trading and Market Integrity
Filed under: accountability, conflict of interest, consultants, insider trading, law, regulations, risk, white collar crime |
Cheng Yi Liang, a chemist for the US Food and Drug Administration, has been found guilty of Insider Trading and sentenced to 5 years in prison. (I first blogged about this case back in March, when Liang was arrested.)
As it happens, the Liang verdict dovetailed nicely with the topic covered yesterday in the Management Ethics class I teach at the Ted Rogers School of Management. The class was led by a terrific guest speaker, compliance consultant and retired RBC compliance officer Georges Dessaulles.
The Liang case serves as a great example of one of the points Georges emphasized in his presentation, namely that when it comes to Insider Trading, highly-placed executives are far from the only concern. In the Freeport McMoran case in the mid-90’s, for example, the central figure was a consulting geologist, not an employee of the mining company itself. In the 2001 case related to Nortel’s acquisition of Clarify, the central figure was an executive working at a public relations firm that had a contract with Clarify. And now, in the Liang case, the guilty party not only didn’t work for the company in question, he didn’t have any contractual or other financial relationship with the company. Instead, he was a scientist at a regulatory agency. Other cases have involved administrative assistants, or even employees at companies printing corporate reports.
This highlights an important point about the ethics of insider trading. The stereotypical cases of insider trading involve executives, making use of undisclosed knowledge to gain an unfair advantage over outsiders in buying or selling stock. In taking unfair advantage, executives not only perpetrate a basic injustice, but also violate their duties to shareholders. But the kinds of cases cited above point to a different reason for the wrongness of insider trading. In the Freeport and Nortel cases, and now in the FDA case, the central figure wasn’t someone with direct obligations to corporate shareholders. There was thus no breach of fiduciary duty (at least not in the usual sense). What’s really at stake, in such cases, is the undermining of the basic principle of free-and-voluntary exchange on which the a free-market economy is based.
The challenge for organizations is to make sure that employees and contractors with access to sensitive information understand the definition of — and penalties for — insider trading. But that’s a serious challenge, especially at big companies. Better still would be for more people to understand the moral underpinnings of free markets quite generally, and to have the moral reasoning skills to figure out the rest from there.
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MARKETS LIVE BLOG:
Stocks jump, tech shares outperform after Yellen calls on Congress to ‘act big’ with virus relief aid
The Latest: China reports results of mass testing
November 23, 2020, 10:56 p.m. ·15 min read
BEIJING — China has reported new coronavirus cases in the cities of Shanghai and Tianjin as it seeks to prevent small outbreaks from becoming larger ones.
The National Health Commission said Tuesday that there were two new locally spread cases in the previous 24-hour period, one in each city. It also reported 20 cases among people who had arrived from overseas.
In Shanghai, the mass testing of 17,719 workers at the city’s Pudong aiport found one infection, a Fedex employee. Everyone else tested negative.
Three UPS workers at the airport have also tested positive in recent days, along with the wife of one of them. In all, Shanghai has reported eight non-imported cases since Friday.
In Tianjin, where 2.3 million people had been tested as of Monday, the city reported one case in a person who developed symptoms after testing positive earlier. China does not include people without symptoms in its confirmed case count.
To date, the health commission has recorded 86,464 confirmed cases and 4,634 deaths.
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
— AstraZeneca says late-stage trials show it s vaccine with Oxford University is "highly effective,'' does not need the deep cold storage that rival vaccines do
— Cut off: School closings leave rural students isolated
— Jury duty? No thanks, say many, forcing trials to be delayed
— Inequality ‘baked into’ virus testing access as cases surge
— New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern offers virus know-how to Joe Biden
Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
LOS ANGELES — Restaurant owners in Los Angeles County were trying to pivot Monday to a model that would keep them afloat when an order goes into effect Wednesday closing all dining for three weeks.
Owners said they were upset that the county had taken the action, claiming infections are more likely coming from private gatherings where rules aren’t enforced.
“The same people desperate to go to bars are going to party in their houses,” said Brittney Valles, owner of Guerrilla Tacos in downtown Los Angeles.
County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said restaurants are part of the problem.
Outbreaks in the first two weeks of the month doubled at food facilities, including restaurants, processing plants, bottlers, grocery stores and related businesses, Ferrer said.
Valles was working Monday to develop a plan to keep as many of her workers employed as possible.
Greg Morena, who had to close one restaurant earlier in the year and has two at the Santa Monica Pier, said he was trying to figure out his next step but was mainly dreading having to notify employees.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Norwegian musher Thomas Waerner said Monday that he won’t defend his title at next year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race because of restrictions and uncertainty over travel during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I cannot find a way to get the dogs to Alaska,” Waerner said in an email to The Associated Press.
As he learned earlier this year, getting to Alaska is only half the battle: Waerner wasn’t able to return to his wife and five children in Torpa, Norway, for months after winning the world’s most famous sled dog race because travel was restricted as the pandemic took hold. The Iditarod was one of the few professional sports that wasn’t cancelled last March.
While the defending champion says he won’t participate in the 1,000-mile (1, 609-kilometre ) race across the rugged Alaska terrain, the Iditarod is still scheduled to start March 7.
That includes a fan-friendly ceremonial start a day earlier that usually attracts thousands of people in Anchorage.
Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach said organizers are planning normal events for the ceremonial and official starts but have considered restricting attendance.
Organizers have developed a robust testing program with help from Dr. Jodie Guest, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Emory University in Atlanta who has been an Iditarod race volunteer for years.
Urbach said Waerner hopes to return to the race in 2022.
LOS ANGELES — The largest county in the United States is on the brink of a stay-home order after a coronavirus surge surpassed a level set by Los Angeles County public health officials to trigger such an action.
A swell of new cases Monday put the county over an average of 4,500 cases per day.
Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said no action would be taken until county supervisors meet Tuesday.
A stay-home order would be the first such action since mid-March, when Gov. Gavin Newsom followed several counties and issued a statewide order that closed schools and most shops.
Cases and hospitalizations have been rapidly rising across California in November. The state recorded its highest day of positive test results Saturday with more than 15,000. It had more than 14,000 cases Sunday. Hospitalizations have increased 77% over the past two weeks.
In Los Angeles, the county of 10 million residents has had a disproportionately large share of the state’s cases and deaths. Although it accounts for a quarter of the state’s 40 million residents, it has about a third of the cases and more than a third of the deaths.
RENO, Nevada — The head of the Nevada agency promoting business growth has urged companies to embrace new restrictions as coronavirus cases soar.
Department of Business and Industry Director Terry Reynolds said Monday that the new rules are the best way to avoid future shutdowns.
The percentage of Nevadans testing positive for COVID-19 has doubled since mid-October.
Gov. Steve Sisolak has announced the state’s most expansive mask mandate to date and reduced the capacity at casinos, restaurants, bars and many other businesses from 50% to 25% effective Tuesday. Under Sisolak’s latest directive, masks will be required anytime a person is around someone not in their immediate household, including both indoor and outdoor private gatherings.
SEATTTLE — A four-week shutdown on indoor service at restaurants and bars in Washington state prompted by an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases is expected to cost the industry some $800 million.
Anthony Anton, chief executive of the Washington Hospitality Association, urged lawmakers from both parties Monday to begin figuring out ways to support restaurants as well as hotels and other hospitality businesses so they have a plan ready to go when the Legislature next meets.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced Friday an additional $70 million in grants for businesses, as well as $65 million for loans and other assistance.
Anton said that while anything helps, that would only cover about two days of losses.
HELENA, Mont. — The Montana governor’s office says more than 100 contracted medical staff have arrived in the state to assist hospitals in responding to the spike in COVID-19 cases.
The 110 health care workers are part of an anticipated total of 200 to be deployed in the state before Thanksgiving and who will remain until the end of the year.
The workers, including registered nurses and respiratory therapists, will aid hospitals that are at or near capacity as part of a contract between the state and NuWest, which provides travelling health care workers.
State health officials reported 677 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, bringing total confirmed cases to more than 56,000.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear warned Monday that the state's health care system could be at risk — and lives at stake — from rising pressures of new coronavirus hospitalizations if conditions do not improve.
He made the remarks while defending the new mandates he issued last week to fight the pandemic.
The Democratic governor’s new restrictions on in-person gatherings at restaurants, schools and event venues have drawn criticism from GOP lawmakers, local business owners and private schools throughout the state. Kentucky’s Republican attorney general, Daniel Cameron, joined a Christian school on Nov. 20 in filing a federal lawsuit that seeks a statewide temporary restraining order against a new rule that suspends in-person classes in private and public schools.
Under the new restrictions, middle and high schools are required to continue with remote instruction until January. Elementary schools may reopen on Dec. 7 if the county they are located in is not in the “red zone,” the highest category for COVID-19 incidence rates.
Kentucky continued setting records with 2,135 new confirmed coronavirus cases reported, the state’s highest daily number on a Monday since the pandemic again. The state also reported five virus-related deaths, raising the death toll to 1,792.
The state’s test positivity rate is 8.97%, down slightly from last Friday.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland will expand its pandemic-related compliance efforts ahead of Thanksgiving by sending additional state troopers to every county and Baltimore, Gov. Larry Hogan said Monday.
Hogan said state troopers will work with liquor boards, local law enforcement agencies and others starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday to ensure that businesses and residents follow directives meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus, including the mask-wearing mandate.
He said the Maryland State Police is also ramping up the hotline that the public can dial to report violations and is now operating a new phone line to assist local compliance officers.
SAN DIEGO — A California judge on Monday denied a request to temporarily restore indoor service at restaurants and gyms in San Diego County that were forced to move operations outside earlier this month to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Kenneth Medel said in his ruling that there is scientific evidence to support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s sweeping public health orders to restrict business activity during the pandemic. Business owners in California’s second most populous county sought to restore indoor operations at 25% capacity for restaurants and 10% for gyms, which were the rules before a surge in infections earlier this month.
Two San Diego restaurants and two gyms sued on behalf of their industries, asking that California’s four-tier system of pandemic restrictions be declared illegal. San Diego, like nearly all of the state’s counties, was moved into the most restrictive tier and forced to move many business operations and religious services outside.
The judge scheduled another hearing next month.
SALT LAKE CITY_— Utah Gov. Gary Herbert on Monday relaxed restrictions on social gatherings ahead of Thanksgiving weekend as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to surge.
State data shows there were 545 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Utah on Monday, and referral centre ICU beds reached 91.9% occupancy statewide. The increased number of hospitalizations has prompted doctors and public health officials to advise against attending large Thanksgiving gatherings.
Herbert, a Republican, said he will not extend his previous two-week order that required people to limit social gatherings to people in their immediate household but urged caution. He recommended masks, social distancing and smaller gatherings for the holiday.
Rich Saunders, the interim director of the state health department, recommended that people in high transmission areas, which include 26 of the state’s 29 counties, limit social gatherings to 10 or fewer.
The state’s mask mandate will remain in place.
TOPEKA, Kan. — Surging pandemic numbers are straining hospitals across Kansas just days before Thanksgiving gatherings that public health officials fear could worsen the outbreak.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported on Monday 95 new hospitalizations, bringing the total of hospitalizations to 4,777 since the start of the pandemic. The state’s COVID-19 dashboard showed 240 coronavirus patients were in ICU units, with 36% of ICU capacity remaining in Kansas.
State health officials added 7,526 cases to the state’s pandemic tally since Friday, bringing the total to 142,059. The data showed that Kansas averaged 2,760 new confirmed and probable coronavirus a day for the seven days ending Monday. That is just slightly below the record average of 2,766 cases.
The number of COVID-19 related deaths also rose by 46 to 1,456.
DENVER — As Colorado experiences its highest hospitalization rate of COVID-19 patients, Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order authorizing the state health department to order hospitals and emergency departments to transfer and cease admitting new patients in order to deal with the influx of coronavirus cases.
According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, as of Sunday the state had over 1,500 confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations. On Friday, Polis said full hospital capacity was reached in Mesa County on the state’s western slope and nearing the same fate in Weld County in northeast Colorado with only three intensive care beds available.
The order allows for those hospitals which have reached capacity to transfer patients to another facility without obtaining their consent. It also states that health care providers who comply with the order and transfer patients are “immune from civil or criminal liability for any action taken.”
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other officials urged residents Monday to download a free app for their smartphones that will notify them if someone who’s been near them later tests positive for the coronavirus and will allow them to warn others anonymously if they test positive themselves.
Tarek Tomes, the state’s information technology commissioner, stressed that using the COVIDaware MN app is voluntary, and that the system contains ample privacy safeguards for those who opt in.
It uses exposure notification technology developed by Google and Apple that is already being used under different names in around 20 other states and 35 countries around the world to try to slow the spread of COVID-19.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government on Tuesday will start distributing 30,000 doses of an experimental antibody drug to fight COVID-19, the one President Donald Trump received last month.
Over the weekend, the Food and Drug Administration agreed to allow emergency use of the drug, made by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., for people with mild to moderate symptoms who are at high risk of developing serious illness because of their age or other medical conditions. It’s not authorized for use in sicker, hospitalized patients or those who need extra oxygen.
The emergency authorization allows limited use of a drug while studies continue to test its safety and effectiveness. Early results suggest it may reduce COVID-19-related hospitalization or emergency room visits.
The drugs are given as a one-time treatment through an IV. Under federal contracts, the drugs for now will be supplied for free, although patients may have to pay part of the cost of the IV treatment.
MESA, Ariz. — An Arizona woman who drew widespread attention after opening her Thanksgiving table to a stranger she accidentally texted has kept the tradition going, despite losing her husband Lonnie to COVID-19.
Wanda Dench and 21-year-old Jamal Hinton met in 2016 after the grandmother from the Phoenix suburb of Mesa mistakenly texted her grandson about coming for Thanksgiving to Hinton’s number. Hinton jokingly replied he would like to come as well. Dench told him he was welcome.
Last week, they celebrated a mini Thanksgiving dinner with a photo of Lonnie Dench and an empty chair for him. The couple was infected in March and Lonnie Dench died the next month.
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s Roman Catholic Church announced the cancellation Monday of what’s considered the world’s largest Catholic pilgrimage, for the Virgin of Guadalupe, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mexico’s Episcopal Conference said in a statement that the basilica will be closed from December 10-13. The Virgin is celebrated on Dec. 12 and for weeks in advance, pilgrims travel from across Mexico to gather by the millions in Mexico City.
The church recommended that “the Guadalupe celebrations be held in churches or at home, avoiding gatherings and with the appropriate health measures.”
Bishop Salvador Martínez, rector at the basilica, said recently in a video circulated on social media that as many as 15 million pilgrims visit during the first two weeks of December.
The church recognized that 2020 has been a trying year and that many of the faithful want to seek consolation at basilica, but said that conditions don’t permit a pilgrimage that brings so many into close contact.
MADRID — Spanish King Felipe VI is self-isolating after being with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
The royal household said Monday the 52-year-old monarch was “in close contact” the previous day with someone infected by the new coronavirus.
Felipe will self-isolate for the mandatory 10 days and has cancelled his official duties for that period.
The royal household gave no information about the state of his health.
Also on Monday, Spain’s 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population — a key metric in measuring the pandemic’s spread — has continued to fall.
The Health Ministry said that number has fallen to 374 cases per 100,000. That’s down from 470 cases a week earlier and from the Nov. 9 peak of 529.
GENEVA — The head of emergencies at the World Health Organization says it’s “extremely important” for its international team to visit China to look into the origins of the coronavirus, saying the U.N. health agency has been reassured such a trip will happen “as soon as possible.”
Dr. Michael Ryan said such a visit is needed so that “the international community can be reassured of the quality of the science” that he lamented has been increasingly questioned for political ends — including pressure and threatening emails against scientists.
“We all need to understand where it has come from, not least to understand where it may re-emerge in the future,” Ryan told a news conference from Geneva. “I believe our Chinese colleagues are just as anxious to find those answers as we are.”
This Twitter Thread Explains How The Avengers Would Handle The Capitol Riots
Lloyd rebounds from knee injury to play a full 90 for US
'Act big' now to save economy, worry about debt later, Yellen says in Treasury testimony
Energy pushes S&P/TSX composite up as TC Energy shares rebound after Keystone worries
Donald Trump, In Farewell Video, Extends “Best Wishes” To New Administration, Says “The Movement We Started Is Only Just Beginning”
The Avengers are assembling, thanks to comedy writer Mike DiCenzo.
Far from deterred by a lengthy layoff after getting her left knee scoped, Carli Lloyd is back with a steadfast resolve as the United States pushes toward the Tokyo Olympics. Lloyd's recovery work was on display Monday night in Florida when she played the full 90 minutes in the team's 4-0 victory over Colombia. Lloyd last played in the 2020 SheBelieves Cup.
Dolly Parton asks fans to ‘get to unearthing love’ on her 75th birthday
As Dolly Parton blows out the candles on her birthday cake Tuesday, she’s asking for a gift that can’t be bought. “This year my wish is a call for kindness,” Parton captioned a throwback photo of herself. “We can’t just hope for a brighter day, we have to work for a brighter day. Love too often gets buried in a world of hurt and fear. We have to work to dig it out so we can share it with our family, our friends and our neighbors. So today, January 19th, let’s get to unearthing love.”
Janet Yellen, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Treasury Secretary, urged lawmakers on Tuesday to "act big" on coronavirus relief spending, arguing that the economic benefits far outweigh the risks of a higher debt burden. In more than three hours of confirmation hearing testimony, the former Federal Reserve chair laid out a vision of a more muscular Treasury that would act aggressively to reduce economic inequality, fight climate change and counter China's unfair trade and subsidy practices. Taxes on corporations and the wealthy will eventually need to rise to help finance Biden's ambitious plans for investing in infrastructure, research and development and worker training to improve the U.S. economy's competitiveness, she told lawmakers.
TORONTO — Canada's main stock index move higher on the strength of the energy sector, which recovered as TC Energy bounced back from a selloff over prospects for the Keystone XL pipeline. The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 12.49 points to 17,957.37. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 116.26 points at 30,930.52. The S&P 500 index was up 30.66 points at 3,798.91, while the Nasdaq composite was up 198.68 points at 13,197.18. The Canadian dollar traded for 78.52 cents US compared with 78.36 cents US on Monday. The March crude oil contract was up 56 cents at US$52.98 per barrel and the February natural gas contract was down 19.1 cents at nearly US$2.55 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was up US$10.30 at US$1,840.20 an ounce and the March copper contract was up 3.1 cents at US$3.63 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X) The Canadian Press
The White House released a farewell video from Donald Trump, in which he said that “we did what we came here to do, and so much more.” “As I prepare to hand power over to a new administration at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we started is only just […]
Mexico's attorney general escalates fight with U.S. over former minister
Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz said on Tuesday he was considering elevating to international courts a dispute with the United States over Mexico dropping an investigation into a former defense minister. Gertz said the U.S. Department of Justice had effectively declared ex-defense minister Salvador Cienfuegos innocent when it sent him back to Mexico and dropped U.S. charges against him after he was arrested in California last year. He defended his own decision to close a Mexican probe into whether Cienfuegos had colluded with a drug cartel, saying the U.S. evidence was inconsistent, included questionable physical descriptions of the retired general, and used testimony from two dead witnesses.
The Latest: Trump faces loss of Screen Actors Guild card
WASHINGTON — The Latest on Joe Biden's presidential inauguration (all times local): 4:30 p.m. After leaving the White House, President Donald Trump may lose his Screen Actors Guild card, too. The Screen Actors Guild said Tuesday that the SAG-AFTRA board voted “overwhelmingly” that there is probable cause that Trump violated its guidelines for membership. The charges, the guild said, are for Trump’s role in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, “and in sustaining a reckless campaign of misinformation aimed at discrediting and ultimately threatening the safety of journalists, many of whom are SAG-AFTRA members.” If found guilty by a disciplinary committee, Trump faces expulsion. Trump has been a SAG member since 1989. His credits include “The Apprentice,” “Saturday Night Live” and many cameos in films and TV series including “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Sex in the City.” Losing SAG membership doesn’t disqualify anyone from performing. But most major productions abide by union contracts and hire only union actors. A White House spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. ___ HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN’S INAUGURATION: President-elect Joe Biden arrives in Washington, D.C., from Delaware on Tuesday. He will appear at a memorial for COVID-19 victims at the Lincoln Memorial in the evening. Biden will spend the night at Blair House, the president's official guesthouse, and will be inaugurated as the nation's 46th president on Wednesday. Read more: — Biden arrives for inauguration with big plans, big problems — ‘Shameful’: US virus deaths top 400,000 as Trump leaves office — Plunged into virus ‘dark winter,’ Biden must lead US out — McConnell: Trump ‘provoked’ Capitol siege, mob ‘fed lies’ ___ HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON: 4:15 p.m. Outgoing Vice-President Mike Pence will be returning to his southern Indiana hometown after the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. The Indiana Republican Party says the former Indiana governor and his wife, Karen, are expected to attend Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday and then fly to Columbus Municipal Airport, where they will greeted by supporters. Barbara Hackman, the Bartholomew County Republican Party chairperson, says that group of about 50 people is expected to include Pence’s brother, U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, and some state lawmakers. Pence grew up in Columbus, and some family members still live there. But Pence hasn’t owned a home in Indiana for at least the past eight years. He lived in the Indiana governor’s residence before moving to the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington as vice-president. Pence hasn’t said where he plans to live when his vice-presidential term ends. ___ 4:05 p.m. Vice-President Mike Pence is among those who will not be attending President Donald Trump’s sendoff event at Joint Base Andrews. A person familiar with Pence’s schedule cited “logistical challenges” in getting from the air base to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremonies on Wednesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss scheduling decisions. Much of Washington, D.C., is under lockdown, with thousands of National Guard troops on patrol and other security precautions in place. The caution comes weeks after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to try to stop Congress from confirming Biden’s victory. Trump and Pence’s relationship has been strained since Trump tried to pressure Pence to stop the election certification and Trump supporters roaming the Capitol chanted, “Hang Mike Pence!” after the president tweeted disapprovingly of him. Trump will be only the fourth president in the nation’s history not to attend his successor’s inauguration. He is boycotting the event and will be flying to Florida on Wednesday morning. Aides have been organizing an elaborate sendoff, but it is unclear how many invitees plan to attend. Among them is Anthony Scaramucci, the former White House communications director who became a Trump critic. He quipped on Twitter that he couldn’t make it because he was “having my fingernails pulled out at that time.” — By AP writer Jill Colvin ___ 4 p.m. Joe Biden is making his return to the Washington area on the eve of his inauguration as the nation’s 46th president. Biden touched down at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday afternoon, taking a brief flight from his home state of Delaware down to the District of Columbia. In contrast to his predecessor, Biden flew on a chartered plane. President Donald Trump arrived at the base in 2017 on a government plane. Biden’s decision to fly came as a response to growing security concerns surrounding his inauguration. The Democrat had originally planned to travel to Washington by Amtrak, which he rode to and from Washington throughout his Senate career, but the option was scrapped amid threats of violence against the president-elect. Biden is slated to deliver remarks with Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris at a COVID-19 memorial later Tuesday, before spending the night at Blair House, the president’s official guesthouse. He will be inaugurated on Wednesday. ___ 3:30 p.m. In his farewell address, President Donald Trump says he will pray for the success of the next administration. The White House released excerpts of the video address ahead of its planned release Tuesday afternoon, a day ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. In the video, Trump will say, “This week, we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous.” Trump will also address the storming of the Capitol building by his supporters after he directed them to “fight” the election results showing he lost. He will say that “all Americans were horrified by the assault on our Capitol” and that “political violence is an attack on everything we cherish as Americans” and “can never be tolerated.” Trump will also trumpet what he sees as his top achievements in office, including efforts to normalize relations in the Middle East. He’ll say: “We did what we came here to do — and so much more.” ___ 3:15 p.m. Pentagon officials say 12 Army National Guard members have been removed from securing President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration after vetting by the FBI, including two who posted and texted extremist views about Wednesday’s event. There was no specific threat to Biden. Two U.S. officials told The Associated Press that all 12 were found to have ties to right-wing militia groups or posted extremist views online. The officials, a senior intelligence official and an Army official briefed on the matter, did not say which fringe group the Guard members belonged to or what unit they served in. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard, confirmed Tuesday that the Guard members had been removed and sent home but said only two were for inappropriate comments or texts related to the inauguration. The other 10 were for other potential issues that may involve previous criminal activity, but not directly related to the inaugural event. The officials told the AP they had all been removed because of “security liabilities.” It’s unclear whether they will face discipline when they return home. — By AP writers Lolita Baldor and James LaPorta ___ 2:05 p.m. In an emotional farewell, President-elect Joe Biden promised that even as he departs for Washington, D.C., to be sworn in, “I’ll always be a proud son of the state of Delaware.” Speaking Tuesday at an event at the National Guard headquarters in Delaware named for his late son, Beau, Biden’s voice became thick with emotion as he told the crowd that “when I die, I’ve got Delaware written on my heart.” He said that “it’s deeply personal that our next journey to Washington starts here — the place that defines the very best of who we are as Americans.” Biden gave farewell remarks to about 100 people, including numerous Delaware elected officials and members of Biden’s family. He’s leaving Wilmington via plane Tuesday afternoon and will appear at a memorial for COVID-19 victims at the Lincoln Memorial in the evening. Biden will spend the night at Blair House, the president’s official guesthouse, before moving into the White House after he is sworn in Wednesday. ___ 1:55 p.m. Ten additional U.S. Army National Guard members are being removed from the security mission for the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, according to a senior U.S. intelligence official and a U.S. Army official briefed on the matter. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity citing Pentagon regulations. Early Tuesday morning, the FBI sent a list of names to the National Guard Bureau who were identified as having ties to fringe right-wing groups or had posted extremist views. No active plots against Biden were found. The information was passed from the National Guard Bureau to the D.C. National Guard. Earlier, the AP reported that two other National Guard members had also been pulled from the security mission in Washington ahead of Wednesday’s presidential inauguration, bringing the total number so far to 12. — AP writer James LaPorta ___ 12:20 p.m. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is explicitly pointing his finger at President Donald Trump for helping to spur the attack on the Capitol by the outgoing president’s supporters. The Kentucky Republican said Tuesday on the Senate floor, “The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.” McConnell spoke six days after the Democratic-led House impeached Trump on charges of inciting the Jan. 6 attack. A Senate trial on whether to convict Trump and perhaps bar him from ever again holding federal office is expected to begin in coming days. After years of supporting Trump with little criticism of him, the influential McConnell has said he’s not decided whether he would vote to convict him. His decision may prove critical because in a Senate that will be divided 50-50 between the two parties, it would take 17 Republicans to join all Democrats for the two-thirds margin needed for conviction. Joe Biden replaces Trump as president at noon on Wednesday. ___ 10:45 a.m. Three new Democratic senators are set to be sworn into office after President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration Wednesday. The arrival of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of Georgia and Alex Padilla of California will give Democrats a working majority in the Senate — split 50-50, with the new vice-president, Kamala Harris, as the tie-breaking vote. A person granted anonymity to discuss the planning tells The Associated Press that Harris is set to deliver the oath of office to the three Democrats after she is sworn in during the inauguration as vice-president. Warnock and Ossoff defeated Republican senators earlier this month. The Georgia secretary of state is expected to certify those results Tuesday. Padilla has been tapped by California’s governor to fill Harris’ remaining term in the Senate. — By Lisa Mascaro. ___ 10:35 a.m. Two U.S. Army National Guard members are being removed from the security mission to secure Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration. A U.S. Army official and a senior U.S. intelligence official say the two National Guard members have been found to have ties to fringe right group militias. No plot against Biden was found. The Army official and the intelligence official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity due to Defence Department media regulations. They did not say what fringe group the Guard members belonged to or what unit they served in. Contacted by the AP on Tuesday, the National Guard Bureau referred questions to the U.S. Secret Service and said, “Due to operational security, we do not discuss the process nor the outcome of the vetting process for military members supporting the inauguration.” The Secret Service told the AP on Monday it would not comment on if any National Guard members had been pulled from securing the inauguration for operational security reasons. — By James LaPorta, reporting from Delray Beach, Florida. ___ 9:45 a.m. Joe Biden will strike a unity theme before his inauguration as president on Wednesday by worshipping with Congress’ top four Republican and Democratic leaders. The Democratic president-elect has talked throughout the campaign and the post-election period about his goal of uniting a sharply divided country. Biden’s incoming chief of staff, Ron Klain, on Tuesday retweeted a post that said Biden had quietly extended invitations to Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer and to Republicans Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy to accompany him to a Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral. Spokespeople for Pelosi, Schumer, McConnell and McCarthy confirm they are accompanying Biden. Sen. Chris Coons tells CNN the church service is “an important part of respecting tradition.” Coons is a Democrat from Biden’s home state of Delaware. He says the service is a “reminder of who Joe is and who we are as a nation that’s hopeful and optimistic.” The Associated Press
14 Heart-Shaped Foods That Prove The Way To Someone's Heart Is Through Their Stomach
Y'all consider this a date?
Fulton Financial Announces Fourth Quarter and 2020 Results
Fulton Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:FULT) ("Fulton" or the "Corporation") reported net income available to common shareholders of $49 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2020 and $176 million, or $1.08 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Dolly Parton calls for kindness as she marks 75th birthday
The beloved country music singer marked the milestone on Tuesday and reflected on a tumultuous 12 months marred by the pandemic. Parton, star of the film 9 to 5, said her birthday wish is for fans to do “something a little different today,” adding “let’s call it a call for kindness”.
This Unexpected Cleaning Gadget Only Needs Vinegar and Water to Keep Your Microwave Spotless
With a name like “Angry Mama,” you know it means business.
WRAPUP 1-"Act big" now to save economy, worry about debt later, Yellen says in Treasury testimony
L.A. Official Orders Covid-19 Vaccine Be Made Available To Residents Over 65, But Admits “There Isn’t Enough Vaccine”
Late Monday, Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis issued an order directing county health officials to make Covid-19 vaccine appointments available to anyone 65 and older starting Thursday — despite health officials’ concerns about the supply of doses. Indeed, there were an estimated 800,000+ healthcare workers and others qualified for the vaccine before the county […]
Market likely to push back after Yellen revives idea of 50-year bonds
Any proposal by the U.S. Treasury Department to sell 50-year bonds may face push-back from dealers and investors, who have not shown enthusiasm for suggestions that the United States sell ultra-long debt, analysts said. Janet Yellen, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for Treasury Secretary, on Tuesday said in answer to a question about issuing a 50-year bond that she would be pleased to look at the issue and the possible market for bonds of that maturity. Yellen said there are advantages to long-term debt issuance.
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 20 (ANI): The project to combat sea erosion will be implemented with the help of the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure fund board (KIIFB), informed Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday.
New Delhi [India], January 20 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested an absconding accused Narender Kumar Patel, the director of Jay Ambe Gowri Chem, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in a bank fraud case for cheating the State Bank of India (SBI) to the tune of Rs 65.39 crores.
YY ALERT: The Klein Law Firm Announces a Lead Plaintiff Deadline of January 19, 2021 in the Class Action Filed on Behalf of Joyy Inc. Limited Shareholders
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2021) - The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Joyy Inc. (NASDAQ: YY) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws.Class Period: April 28, 2016 and November 18, 2020Lead Plaintiff Deadline: January 19, 2021Learn more about your recoverable losses in YY:http://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/joyy-inc-loss-submission-form?id=12272&from=5The filed complaint alleges that Joyy Inc. made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or ...
Ones to Watch at Paris Men’s Fashion Week Fall 2021
BassCoutur, Valette Studio and Kidill are new to Paris Men's Fashion Week.
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Samsung Galaxy S21 series first look
Chris Velazco
·Senior Editor, Mobile
January 14, 2021, 10:00 a.m. ·12 min read
Despite trying times, Samsung never let up with its high-profile smartphone launches last year -- we got the Galaxy S20 series early on, followed by the Note 20 series over the summer, and then the fast-tracked S20 Fan Edition just after that. The market started to change rapidly around the company, but to its credit, Samsung managed to stay in high gear all the same.
And now? Well, it's starting to look like Samsung never eased up on the gas. After months of leaks and innuendo, Samsung's new, flagship Galaxy S21 phones are here -- and a few months earlier than usual, at that. So, what's it like to actually use them?
This story was updated on January 14th at 11:02AM.
Meet the Galaxy S21
Let's start with the foundation for all of these new devices: the Galaxy S21. It's obviously the smallest of the three, but it's also the most affordable -- far cheaper than last year's model, as a matter of fact. While the Galaxy S20 sold for $1,000 at launch, the S21 will cost $800 when it goes on sale at the end of the month. That’ll still a considerable chunk of change, but this feels like a really important price correction, especially considering how much more conscious people are of their spending right now.
Selling a high-end smartphone (especially one with the brand new Snapdragon 888 chipset) for less than $1,000 means Samsung had to make some compromises here and there. For one, this flat 6.2-inch screen only has a maximum resolution of 2400x1080, which means it's quite a bit less pixel-dense than last year's. To make up for it, the screen has an adaptive refresh rate that ranges from 120Hz down to 48Hz -- that’s not quite as impressive or as flexible as what the S21 Ultra’s screen offers, but this display is a looker all the same.
Samsung Galaxy S21 display
That said, I know not everyone will agree with Samsung's decision here -- after all, the Galaxy S line was always synonymous with the best mobile displays. Personally, I think it was the right way to go. When I was holding the phone a normal distance from my face, I couldn't notice the dip in resolution, and the general butteriness I saw when scrolling through webpages and cycling through apps more than made up for the (imperceptible) change. And beyond that, the overall quality of the screen -- its brightness, colors, and clarity -- left me with little to complain about. In other words: don’t sweat it too much.
There's another change we should talk about: the S21's design. I'm a big fan of the new look -- the contoured camera hump now sort of melts into the metal frame around the phone, which makes the whole thing look and feel a little more cohesive than the S20. Instead of using glass for the backplate here like it did with the S21 Plus and Ultra though, Samsung went with a sort of hazy plastic back. Again, I know some people aren't fans of that, and that's completely fair. Just know that I really don't think most people are going to notice -- I certainly didn't at first. Even though we’re looking at a trio of devices at markedly different price points, the consistency and uniformity of their build quality is pretty remarkable.
Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21+
The S21 also feels like an incredibly fast little machine, with its Snapdragon 888 and 8GB of RAM, though I obviously couldn't run benchmarks or anything -- we'll have to dig into that more later. And its trio of rear cameras -- a 12MP standard wide camera with an f/1.8 aperture, a 12MP ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view and a 64MP telephoto -- all seemed to take great photos, but again, we'll need some time to see how they stack up to the competition.
All told, the S21 is a slick little package, and one that doesn’t feel overly compromised by Samsung’s cost-cutting measures. I’ll need to spend more time with this thing before rendering any verdicts, but one thing already seems pretty clear: this is a competent phone, sure, but not exactly a thrilling one.
The middle child
When launching a new product, it's impossible not to have expectations. In the case of last year's Galaxy S20 series, Samsung expected the middle child of the line-up to be its most popular, but that was ultimately proven wrong. I suspect that might change this year. To me at least, that has less to do with the phone's technical merits than it does with Samsung's new price structure. Don't get me wrong: $1,000 for a Galaxy S21 Plus is still a lot, but it's much better than the $1200 the S20 Plus cost last year.
As for the phone itself, well -- I'll be candid. Going into this, I thought the S21 Plus would be the least interesting of the three because it is literally just a bigger S21. The only difference of note, apart from obvious changes like the screen size and battery, is that the Plus also has an Ultra-Wideband radio so you can more easily locate things you've attached one of Samsung's new SmartThings trackers to. (You'll also be able to use that UW radio to unlock your car this year, according to the company.)
Samsung Galaxy S21+ in use
To my surprise, I liked the S21 Plus a lot more than I thought I would. For one, I appreciate having this perfectly flat glass over the Plus's 6.7-inch screen. If you’ve read any of my past reviews, this will probably sound familiar, but I've really come to loathe screens with curved edges because the sides of palms always press up against them. I haven’t spent as much time with the S21 Plus as I would’ve liked, but believe me when I tell you this is the first big phone I've used in a long time where I didn't have to worry about tapping things I didn’t mean to. That might not sound like a huge deal, but it’s the little, day to day frustrations that tend to wear people down the most over time, and I appreciate the fix.
By now, it should be clear that the S21 and S21+ are full of obvious, iterative changes, and that their adjusted prices are among their most important features. With that in mind, if I had to buy one of these phones based on what I’ve experienced so far, the S21+ is probably where I’d land.
The Ultra experience
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is, as usual, the biggest, best, and most bombastic of what Samsung has to offer. The broad strokes feel very familiar: It still has a huge curved display, a 5,000mAh battery, and an enormous array of cameras around back, but this new design Samsung cooked up really does shine on bigger phones. The S21 Ultra is technically a little heavier than the S20 Ultra, but it feels a little easier to manage and more polished.
And the screen, well: there's a pretty good chance it'll be one of the best-looking displays in your home. Samsung went with a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display running at 3200 x 1400, and -- look, it's Samsung -- screens are their thing. Even better, it shares the same Adaptive Refresh rate as the Note 20 Ultra, which means you still get super-smooth 120Hz when things are in motion, but it dials things down to as low as 10Hz when you're just looking at photos.
That said, there's at least one change here I'm really not a fan of: Samsung ditched support for microSD cards here. I’ll grant you that probably won’t be a dealbreaker for most people, though. After all, the S21 Ultra comes in two variants: One with 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and another with 16GB of RAM and half a terabyte of storage. Samsung dropped the Ultra’s price down to $1,200 -- that’s $200 less than the base Ultra cost last year -- but isn’t this supposed to be the company’s best of the best, no-holds-barred phone?
Anyway, one of the Ultra's biggest selling points is its camera system: around back there's a 108MP wide camera with an f/1.8 that uses pixel binning to produce 12MP stills, a 12MP ultra-wide, and two 10MP telephoto cameras -- one has a 3x optical zoom range and the other has a 10x optical range. I only got to try the cameras indoors, which was less than ideal, but I'm cautiously optimistic about what they're capable of.
At the very least, the awful focusing problems we saw early on with last year's S20 Ultra are gone, thanks to the new laser autofocus; it had no trouble locking onto my subjects, even when I wandered over to darker corners of the testing room. If you really want to, you can still push in for those 100x Space Zoom shots and just like last time, they don't look particularly good. (At least, they didn’t in the closed space I could shoot some test photos.) That said, they're a little easier to shoot this time -- you can tap the screen to lock focus, but I'm not sold yet. The natural motion of your hands is dramatically reduced, yes, but it still takes a lot of effort to snap just the right photo, and the results haven’t impressed me much so far.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra with S Pen
And of course, there's the new S Pen, which for the first time works on a non-Note smartphone. Now, you can use existing S Pens with the S21 Ultra, but it can't do any of the cool gesture controls or camera remote stuff because those S Pens can't connect to the Ultra over Bluetooth. (For that, you’ll have to wait until Samsung releases an improved, standalone S Pen Pro later this year.) With that said, you still get the big parts of the Note experience here: the S Pen’s latency, or the delay between putting pen to screen and seeing your stroke, seems roughly on par with the Note 20. And more importantly, the S21 Ultra’s Wacom digitizer still recognizes when you press the S Pen’s barrel-mounted button, so you can access your app and note-taking shortcuts just as fast as you could on a Galaxy Note.
If you really want to write on the S21, you should probably splurge on Samsung’s $40 standalone S Pen. Sure, you could use a spare S Pen from an old Galaxy Note with no trouble, but the benefit of having an S Pen that doesn't go inside the phone is that the S Pen can be a lot bigger. The one I tried feels a lot like a slightly shortened pencil, and writing with it feels so much better than using the little stick that comes with a Galaxy Note. If you don’t want to worry about losing that big stylus, Samsung’s $70 case/S Pen combo is probably the way to go -- just know that the case makes the S21 Ultra feel absolutely enormous.
Shared features
While Samsung went with slightly different approaches for each S21 model, the experiences built into all of them are largely the same. Whichever version strikes your fancy, you'll be able to use new camera features like the ability to pull stills from an 8K video recording — something I’ve definitely come to appreciate now that I sometimes cover events alone. Director’s View is helpful too, in that it lets you see through each of the cameras while you're shooting video and switch between them as needed. After playing with it for a while, I wouldn’t exactly call it a game-changer, but it’s certainly nice to be able to know exactly what kind of shot you’ll get before toggling cameras.
Also new to the mix this year: Google's Discovery feed, which lives to the left of your home screen where all of Bixby's junk used to be. I've always preferred Google's customized news picks and reminders over, well, anything companies try to replace it with, so it's nice to be able to access it without having to switch to a third-party launcher. But like so many other choices Samsung made this year, this one raises some weighty questions. Samsung once insisted Bixby could "fundamentally change" how people use their technology — are those days over?
Unfortunately, my limited time with the S21s meant I couldn’t test out every feature I’ve been looking forward to. Since I don’t have a car to try unlocking with the S21+ and S21 Ultra’s ultra-wideband sorcery, the top of my “things to try” list is Samsung’s new PrivateShare tool. Think of it as a sort of Snapchat for file sharing: not only can you make sure your documents or images are seen by the right people, you can rescind access to sensitive info, control how long it’s accessible, and even strip metadata. If the litany of security breaches over the last few years isn’t enough to make you at least a little paranoid, well — enjoy, I guess?
Barring some early issues, Samsung's Galaxy S20 series were great smartphones. After testing their successors, it finally makes sense why Samsung didn't give these things more dramatic names like Galaxy S30-whatever. As I said, we're mostly looking at iterative changes, albeit pretty pleasant ones.
The sole exception here is perhaps the Galaxy S21 Ultra, which isn't just cheaper than its predecessor -- it's more polished and feature-packed, too. But should you actually buy this thing? Or any of the other S21 models? Well, you’ll have to stay tuned for our full review to find out.
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Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) meets with producers at Wurdack Research Center to hear their concerns about the drought
Written by Mike Burden · Photography by Mike Burden · August 16, 2012
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) visited Wurdack Research Center Tuesday as part of her statewide tour to 20 rural communities across Missouri.
The Center, which sits on 1200 acres in the heart of the Ozarks, is part of a network of research centers across Missouri, extending the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ (CAFNR) research to more than 14,000 acres to meet the regional research and demonstration needs of agricultural producers and natural resource managers.
Dusty Walter, superintendent of the Center and natural resource manager for the Missouri Agriculture Experiment Station, introduced McCaskill to
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) addresses a question from Fred Dahlberg, who asked how to improve cooperation between parties.
area producers and several members of the Wurdack advisory board who attended the discussion.
“Cattle are our main source of revenue for operating costs, so we’re facing the same stresses as other producers across the state,” Walter said.
McCaskill visited an auction barn in West Plains earlier in the day, and the effects of the drought gripping the Midwest were clear. “I don’t need to tell the people in the room that we’ve got a real crisis when it comes to water and feed,” McCaskill said. She noted they had 3,000 head of cattle go through the auction and last year at this time that number was closer to 500.
“Not only do we have to deal with the short term crisis of how we keep these herds in place, we’ve got to deal with the long term crisis of how we replenish these herds and that’s where a farm like this really comes in,” McCaskill said. “You all have done the research and you’re sharing with Missouri farmers the right way to replenish a herd, the right way to work through a crisis like this with the best possible outcomes.”
Wurdack Research Center was the first site in the state to demonstrate rotational grazing, starting in 1982. “It’s a great way to manage your forage through livestock grazing and keep your animals healthy,” Walter said.
The Center will host its annual Field Day October 5. Researchers will share strategies to deal with and recover from the drought, including the following presentations:
Supplementation Strategies for Poor Quality Forage
Herd Culling Strategies
Stretching Short Hay Supplies
Renovating Forages—What To Do After the Drought
Using Tree Leaves as Forage, or Not
Dung Beetles—Improving the Pasture
With the visit to Wurdack, McCaskill said she’s visited almost all of the research centers across the state—from T.E. “Jake” Fisher Delta Research Center in the Bootheel to the Graves-Chapple Research Center in the northwest corner of Missouri.
Producers explain their concerns about hay shortages to Sen. Claire McCaskill at Wurdack Research Center near Cook Station, Mo.
“The research that goes on at these farms is really important to get what we know at the University setting out to our practitioners. We’ve done that better in Missouri than any state in the country and I’m very proud of that and I think it’s important that we keep that support there,” she said. “When I look at FAPRI (MU’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute) I’m always so proud because whenever there’s an issue about our food supply, about food safety, about prices of commodities and how it relates to feeding the world, in Washington everybody goes to FAPRI to get the right information.”
Several producers wanted to know about how to acquire hay without breaking the bank. McCaskill said she would work to find a solution and encouraged attendees to pressure their legislators to bring the Farm Bill to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
CAFNR is changing the core components of society that impact what we eat, where we live and how we’ll face tomorrow. As the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, we are at the forefront of research and education, working toward global sustainability.
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Concert / Show
Las Vegas: Metallica at T-Mobile Arena #METinVegas
By callmemochelle on November 30, 2018
Metallica was playing in Las Vegas the Monday after Thanksgiving. I was able to get seats through Citibank, in section 19, Row H. On the night of the event, we arrived at 5:45pm so we could get in line early for merchandise. Apparently, hundreds of other fans thought the same, but it was still a good tactic as Stephen was able to purchase the shirt he wanted… and we also made new friends (have no clue what their names are) while waiting to get in.
T-Mobile Arena uses Flashtickets, which requires using a mobile app to get in. Show the Q-code that’s on your app, and then the venue staff person gives you a receipt that shows your seat location. T-Mobile Arena has a merchandise stand when we first walked in (there’s only one entrance, by the way) and escalators leading upstairs to another merch kiosk. The lines were insane, so we walked around the arena, and then to our section.
There was no opening band, but a DJ and a comedian. The band didn’t go on stage until almost 9:00 (the ticket said 7:30 pm) but Metallica did play well over 2 hours non stop. It wasn’t just a bunch of guys playing guitar and singing, they incorporated droids and 50 LED cubes that rotated and moved around the stage. The stage was in the middle of the arena, with Lars, the drummer, rotating at least 4 times during the show, so that his back wasn’t entirely to one section.
The fans were told to hang onto their ticket stub so we could download the concert for free at Scan.LiveMetallica.com. Pretty cool to give to their fans… and I can see why they keep coming back.
Categories: Concert / Show, Las Vegas
Happy 90th birthday, Mickey Mouse #Mickey90 #Disneyland
Las Vegas: Flamingo hotel’s renovated rooms @FlamingoVegas
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Larry Canning
Denis Dale
Chris Vogt
Veteran Golf
A Guide To Veteran Golf Around Australia
Veteran Golf News & Events
AVGU: A Proud History
AUSOOM
PGA Legends Tour
Golf Rules
Travel & Courses
Home Events 2012 Ryder Cup teams finalised
2012 Ryder Cup teams finalised
Brian O'Hare
TEAMS for the 2012 Ryder Cup have been finalised with US Captain Davis Love 111 selecting Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker to fill out his 12 member squad.
They will join automatic qualifiers Tiger Woods, Masters champion Bubba Watson, Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley, U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Phil Mickelson.
The European Team includes World No.1 Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Graeme McDowell, Paul Lawrie, Francesco Molinari, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Peter Hanson, Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer.
Jose Maria Olazabal used his two captain’s picks to select Ian Poulter and Nicolas Colsaerts.
The 2012 Ryder Cup takes place at the Medinah Country Club just outside of Chicago from September 28 to 30.
Though Europe has dominated the competition since 1995 – it has won six of the last eight events – it has won on U.S. soil only twice in the last 20 years.
Previous article2012 Australian Golf Development Forum
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https://australianseniorgolfer.com.au/
Brian is an award winning golf writer and is the founder and editor of Australian Senior Golfer. He is a former Sydney journalist who had little interest in golf till he hit his first ball at the age of 49 (and a half). Since then golf has just about overtaken his life. Brian founded ASG in April 2008 and has since covered every Australian Open, Presidents Cups, World Cups and numerous other big men’s and women’s tournaments, spending days inside the ropes with the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Tom Watson, Fred Couples, Greg Norman, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Karrie Webb, and many others. He has also played in, and reported on, numerous amateur tournaments, particularly senior and veteran events, around the country. Brian is a member of the Australian Golf Media Association and won the award for Best News Report for 2016 - 2017
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P.E.I. reports no new cases of COVID-19; four active cases remain
Allan April CTVNewsAtlantic.ca writer
@AllanAprilCTV Contact
Published Tuesday, December 1, 2020 11:42AM AST Last Updated Tuesday, December 1, 2020 1:35PM AST
HALIFAX -- Prince Edward Island reported no new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. Four active cases remain in the province.
“I am pleased that there are no new cases to report today,” said P.E.I.’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Heather Morrison, during a press conference on Tuesday.
Prior to Tuesday, P.E.I. last reported two new cases on Saturday, involving:
A male student at Charlottetown Rural High school
A male between the ages of 10 and 19, who travelled outside Atlantic Canada and was self-isolating
Morrison says the case involving the Charlottetown Rural High student is likely linked to contact with someone who travelled off P.E.I. The student is now isolating, and has mild symptoms.
Morrison says there are approximately 70 close contacts of the Charlottetown Rural High student who are currently in self-isolation and will be receiving repeat testing this week.
"There's no indication of wide-spread community transmission at this time. We have a large number of close contacts in self-isolation, being contacted on a daily basis and they will be re-tested later in the week," said Morrison. "I definitely encourage anyone with any symptoms to be tested, and not to wait."
To date, P.E.I. has had a total of 72 positive COVID-19 cases. Of those, 68 cases are considered resolved, leaving four active cases in the province.
As of Tuesday, P.E.I. has received 58,337 negative test results.
CLARIFICATION ON ATLANTIC BUBBLE RULES
One week after P.E.I. officially pulled out of the Atlantic bubble, Dr. Morrison spoke to the rules.
“This decision was made in order to balance the importation of COVID-19, and protect the health of Islanders while supporting our economy and minimizing societal disruption,” said Morrison on Tusday. “This means that travelers to P.E.I. must apply for pre-travel approval and self-isolate for 14 days. Island residents and workers also need to self-isolate for 14 days when returning to the island.”
Morrison says P.E.I. has received approximately 400 applications for travel under the family connections and holiday travel for Island residents category.
“We are urging P.E.I. residents who are temporarily living off Island, including students and all who are planning to return to P.E.I. for the holidays to apply for pre-travel approval and identify holiday travel for Island residents for the reason for travel," said Morrison. "Knowing how many islanders will be travelling home for the holidays allows us to plan for staffing and will expedite staffing at the point of entry."
Morrison says in the first week of the Atlantic bubble, P.E.I. has already seen a significant drop in traffic, as well as an increase in applications for rotational workers and work isolation.
Morrison says that from late October to Nov. 24, there was an average of 1,120 personal vehicles crossing the Confederation bridge per day. Since the bubble rules changed on Nov. 24, Morrison says that number has dropped to an average of 225 vehicles a day.
Morrison also says the weekly average of applications for rotational workers has doubled to 71 applications per week, and the weekly average of Islanders applying to work isolate has jumped from 16 to 177.
RULES AROUND SAME DAY TRAVEL
On Tuesday, Morrison clarified that P.E.I. residents who travel back and forth to P.E.I. in the same day for medical reasons, child custody, airport drop-off or picking up a student and do not stay overnight are exempt from 14-day self-isolation.
"This exemption is provide with the understanding that interactions are brief and physically distant and that travel does not involved shopping, visits with friends or family, or stops in public places," said Morrison.
UPDATE ON VACCINES
During Tuesday's update, Morrison also spoke to the prospects of a vaccine for COVID-19.
“The prospect of a vaccine for COVID-19 signals hope that there may be an end in sight for this pandemic. P.E.I. continues to participate in discussions with the federal government and other provinces and territories regarding details around vaccine allocation, distribution, procurement and logistics,” said Morrison.
"We are expecting to receive small amounts of the vaccine initially, likely within the next month,” said Morrison. “I am confident that P.E.I. will be ready to receive, administer, record and report on vaccines as soon as they arrive in the province.”
Morrison says P.E.I. will be following the national recommendations for priority groups to be immunized, but all Islanders who want the vaccine will receive it over time
“While it may take many months for all islanders to be immunized against COVID-19, I know we are all looking forward to immunizing Islanders," said Morrison.
Morrison says there will be initial information about the COVID-19 vaccine and its administration available on the P.E.I. public health website.
This is a developing story, more to come.
“I am pleased that there are no new cases to report today,” said P.E.I.’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Heather Morrison, during a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020.
P.E.I.’s top doctor says Santa Claus is protected from COVID-19, has permission to visit
P.E.I. reports 2 new COVID-19 cases, including student at Charlottetown Rural High
Licence plate case heard in N.S. court
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STATE TREASURER.
The whole number of votes given for the office of State Trea-
surer was....................
of which William B. Lewis received. ........
William Williams received................
Scattering..
CANAL COMMISSIONER.
The whole number of votes given for the office of Cannal Commis-
sioner was..............................
of which Franklin A. Alberger, full term, received.............
Jarvis Lord
" received............
William W. Wright, to fill vacancy, received.........
Frederick A. Tallmadge" received.........
Benjamin F. Bruce, “ received. .........
Scattering...........
111,726 36,370 19,329 29,836 13,177 12,872
INSPECTOR OF STATE PRISONS.
The whole number of votes given for the office of Inspector of
State Prisons was.......
....... of which Abraham B. Tappen received........... ...........
William C. Rhodes received....................
Scattering.......
JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS.
The whole number of votes given for the office of Judge of the
Court of Appeals was...........
of which George F. Comstock received......
William B. Wright received...
Scattering.....
JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT.
The whole number of votes given for the office of Justice of the
Supreme Court was................
........ 55,810 of which Thomas W. Clerke received...
.... 55,637 Scattering..........
JUSTICE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT.
Superior Court was..........
........ 111,589 of which Claudius L. Monell received..
30,501 John M. Barbour received......
30.144 Lewis B. Woodruff received......
25,631 Murray Hoffman received......
25,226 Scattering........
JUDGE OF THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.
Court of Common Pleas was....
of which John R. Brady received........
Scattering ........
JUSTICE OF THE MARINE COURT.
Marine Court was..........
of which Edmund L. Hearne received.........
Arba K. Maynard received.....
Hiram Ketchum received.....
Robert A. Adams received .........
Scattering ............ ...............................
SHERIFF. The whole number of votes given for the office of Sheriff was.... 59,669 of which James Lynch received. ........
22,495 Josiah W. Brown received........................... 17,954 William M. Tweed received.................
11,584 Frederick L. Vulté received............
7,527 Scattering.........
DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
The whole number of votes given for the office of District At-
torney was....................................... Of which A. Oakey Hall received............
Nelson J. Waterbury received............
Abraham R. Lawrence received.............
COUNTY CLERK.
The whole number of votes given for the office of County Clerk
was............
Of which Henry W. Genet received..........
Joseph Hoxie received.......
Scattering ..........................................
CORONERS. The whole number of votes given for the office of Coroners was..........................
228,008 Of which Louis Naumann received............................
.......... 23,524 John Wildey received............
James W. Ranney received......
Edward Collin received.......
Andrew R. Jackman received..
Anthony Eickoff received............
Edward C. McConnell received.......
Charles J. Dougherty received....
Thomas H. Ferris received.
Lucien B. Wright received......
John Galvin received. .........
Henry Hughes received. .......
George W. Matsell received.......
William Schirmer received.....
Cyrus Ramsey received.......
John H. Johnston received ...........
Henry B. Millard received.........
Scattering ......
SUPERVISORS.
The whole number of votes given for the office of Supervisors
was........................
Of which Elijah F. Purdy received...
Orison Blunt received................................
George Kuster received.............................
SENATORS.
Fourth Senatorial District.
The whole number of votes given for the office of Senator of the
Fourth Senatorial District was....
Of which Christian B. Woodruff received...
Francis R. Tillou received............................
Scattering ..........
Fifth Senatorial District.
Fifth Senatorial District was........
Of which Charles G. Cornell received..........................
Luke F. Cozans received.............................
Thomas Little received...
Sixth Senatorial District.
Sixth Senatorial District was........
.............. Of which John J. Bradley received...............
Benjamin F. Manierre received......
Washington Smith received..........
Scattering .......
Seventh Senatorial District.
Seventh Senatorial District was........
of which Richard B. Connolly received...........
Oliver Charlick received.....
John J. Phelps received......
16,807 9,304 4,230 3,255
MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY.
First Assembly District.
The whole number of votes given for Member of Assembly in
the First Assembly District was...... Of which John Callahan received.........
Cornelius Flynn received.....
Michael Quigley received ..........
Henry Van Glahn received....
Scattering ..
2,192 867 452 698 143 32
Second Assembly District. The whole number of votes given for Member of Assembly in the Second Assembly District was......
...... of which Daniel Leamy received..............................
Felix Murphy received...........
Constantine Donaho received..... ........
Dennis P. Sullivan received.............
Third Assembly District.
the Third Assembly District was....
of which George L. Loutrel received....
David D. Eagan received...........
Edward Kinnan received. ..........
Charles T. Polhamus received..........
Fourth Assembly District.
the Fourth Assembly District was......... of which William J. C. Kinney received.....
Michael Shandley, Jr., received......................
Francis S. Lambrecht received..........
Scattering ...........
Fifth Assembly District.
the Fifth Assembly District was..
Of which James W. Bush received...............................
James Sanford received. .............................
Scattering ...................
Sixth Assembly District.
The whole number of votes given for Member of Assembly for
the Sixth Assembly District was......
Of which William J. Coey received.........
....... George W. Anderson receivel....................... Scattering .......
Seventh Assembly District.
the Seventh Assembly District was. .....
or which Henry J. Raymond received.........................
Daniel Young received....
Scattering .........
Eighth Assembly District.
the Eighth Assembly District was..............
of which William J. Olvany received. ..........................
Epes E. Ellery received......
Francis Clark received. .........
Thos. J. Shandley received. ..........
Ninth Assembly District.
the Ninth Assembly District was......
of which Alexander McLeod received.........
Augustus Schell received..........
Tenth Assembly District.
the Tenth Assembly District was........ of which Daniel M. O'Brien received......
John H. Hellier received..
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Circular[s] of Information ..., Tema 1
Por United States. Bureau of Education
seminary of learning.” It was not until October 10, 1806, that the township of land falling within Vincennes Territory was located, according to law, by Albert Gallatin, the Secretary of the Treasury. The lands were chosen in Gibson County, and the university was located in the borough of Vincennes.
INCORPORATION OF VINCENNES UNIVERSITY.
The General Assembly at its first sitting (1806) passed an act incorporating the Vincennes University. A somewhat lengthy preamble sets forth the views of these early legislators on the importance of education.
The preamble commences as follows: “ Whereas, The independence, happiness, and energy of every republic depends (under the influence of the destinies of Heaven) upon the wisdom, virtue, talents, and energy of its citizens and rulers; and whereas, science, literature, and the liberal arts contribute in an eminent degree to improve those qualities and acquirements."3 Proceeding from this the article continues to advocate learning as the support of "liberty" and "rational” religion; and "philosophy, and literature” as the best means of furnishing "pleasant occupation;" and the diffusion of knowledge as “ requisite for a magistrate and elector. Then follows the body of the act, establishing a university, under the control of a board of trustees, who were given power to make laws for its control in accordance with the laws of the Territory and of the United States. The trustees were to appoint a president of the university, and not exceeding four professors, for the instruction of youth in Latin, Greek, French, and the English languages, mathematics, natural philosophy, logic, rhetoric, and the law of nature and of nations."
It was further enacted that the departments of theology, law, and physics might be established, and whenever the funds of the university permitted, all students were to be educated gratis in all or any of the branches they might require. “No particular tenets of religion” were to be taught in the university.
Among other things provided for in this act was the raising of funds, not exceeding two thousand dollars, by means of a lottery, "to be conducted by five discreet persons chosen by the trustees;" also, a clause was inserted providing for the teaching of the children of the Indians, who were to be instructed, clothed, and fed while in attendance.
It was further enacted “that the said trustees, as soon as in their opinion the funds of the said institution will admit, are hereby required to establish an institution for the education of females,” etc.
Thus was established the first university in the new Territory, but it
"U. S. Statutes, II, 277.
2 Woodburn's History of Higher Education in Indiana, MS. for circular of Information, Bureau of Education,
3 Woodburn, MS.
was only established by law; it was not yet built. Time must first see
the failure of the exalted plans of the founders, the doors of a struggling institution closed before a university could be developed. It was not until the year 1810 that the university was formally opened for instruction, and then it was only allowed to teach the elementary branches until the university should gain strength. Even then the university must start with the private school of Rev. Samuel Scott as a nucleus. In 1807 the trustees were legally authorized to sell a quantity of land, not exceeding four thousand acres, of the seminary township, and to rent the remainder “to the best advantages for the use of said university.” The trustees soon sold four thousand one hundred and thirtysix acres, and rented parts of the remainder. With the proceeds, about six thousand dollars, the first building was erected. Although the school was in existence from this date until 1825, neither the State nor Territory gave it aid. The trustees allowed their organization to become illegal through lack of attention, and the State withdrew its care. In 1822 the State passed an act virtually confiscating the lands of the university, and devoted them to the support of the State seminary established at Bloomington. In consequence of this act the institution was suspended in the following year, and afterward re-opened under the name of the Knox County Institute. In 1824 the Legislature declared that the Vincennes University “had expired through the negligence of its members.” “This act of 1822 recited the fact that the trustees of the Vincennes University “ had sold portions of such lands, and had negligently permitted the corporation to die without having executed deeds to purchasers,’ and the act provided for the sale of the seminary township, in Gibson County, and for the use of the money as a productive fund for the benefit of the State seminary previously established at Bloomington.” Proceeding upon the assumption that the lands granted to Vincennes University still belonged to the State, the Legislature passed acts in 1825 and 18274 which authorized the sale of the seminary townships in Gibson and Monroe Counties.” It was further provided “that it shall be the duty of the Treasurer of the State to pay quarter-yearly to the president of the board of trustees of the State seminary, to the order of said president, * * * any interest of money in his hands that may have heretofore accrued, or that may hereafter accrue, from the sales of the seminary townships aforesaid.” However, no greater sums should be paid in this manner than the amount of the yearly expenses for salaries in the seminary.
1. Cf. Knight, 124–5. *Three sections near the seminary * Knight, 126. - were reserved. 3Woodburn, MS. *Laws of 1827, chap. 100, p.98.
“Laws of 1827, chap. 100, p. 95.
VINCENNES UNIVERSITY.
LITIGATION BETWEEN THE VINCENNES UNIVERSITY AND THE STATE
OF INDIANA.
In the year 1828 the Legislature authorized a loan of the seminary funds and the payment of the interest to Indiana College.
From the above acts, under which seventeen thousand acres of Gibson County lands were sold and the proceeds placed to the credit of the State seminary fund, sprang the famous litigation between the trustees of Vincennes University and the State of Indiana. The history of this litigation is briefly stated in Woodburn's History of Higher Education in Indiana as follows:
“ The withdrawal of State care and attention from this early school is not fully explained. The removal of the capital of the Territory, and consequently of public influence from Vincennes to Corydon, in 1813, the carelessness and suspension of its own board of trustees, and the indifference of its friends, the rise of similar 6academies' and seminaries' in other portions of the State, the desire to have the State seminary near the center of population, which was moving rapidly toward the north, and perhaps political influence—all these worked adversely to the continuance of the school at Vincennes as a State institution.
“But after the school had continued for some years as the Knox County Seminary, the old corporation was resuscitated by an act of the Legislature in 1838 making provision for supplying vacancies in the board of trustees. A clause, however, was inserted in this act intended to prevent the renewal of any claim to the seminary township taken from it in 1822. But in 1845 the trustees of Vincennes University, thus revived, laid claim to the Gibson County lands and to the proceeds of previous sales made by the State, which had been transferred to the Indiana University, formerly the State seminary, and suit was brought to test the question of title.
“In January, 1846, in order to make legal a suit against the State and to relieve the occupants of the lands of responsibility and litigation, an act was passed by the State Legislature authorizing the trustees of Vincennes University to bring suit against the State of Indiana for other purposes. This suit in the Marion County circuit court resulted in a decree in favor of the trustees in the amount of $30,099.66.
“On an appeal to the supreme court of the State the decision was reversed, the court holding that the act of the Territorial Legislature of 1806 granting the lands of the Vincennes University was nugatory, because no such power was vested in it by act of Congress, and that they were not, at the time of sale and disposal, in existence as a corporation, having allowed their corporation to lapse.
“ The trustees of Vincennes University were not satisfied with this decision, and they sued out a writ of error from the Supreme Court of the United States, which at the December term, 1852, reversed the decis
Laws of 1828, chap. 87, p. 127.
ion of the supreme court of the State, holding that when the Territorial Legislature of 1806 incorporated a “board of trustees for the Vincennes University,' a grant of a township in the Vincennes district by the Congress of 1804, and which was located by the Secretary of the Treasury in 1806, attached to this board, although for the two preceding years there had been no grantee in existence; and holding further that if the board of trustees, by a failure to elect when vacancies occurred or through any other means, became reduced to a less number than was authorized to act by the charter, the corporation was not thereby dissolved, but its franchises only suspended until restored by legislative action.” * The Vincennes University obtained judgment in its favor to the amount of $66,585, but as one-fourth went for counsel fees 1 only about forty thousand dollars were realized.
CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS.
The attitude of the State of Indiana toward the promotion of education and the establishment of a system of schools including all grades from the elementary to the university is plainly indicated in the first State Constitution, adopted in 1816. As in its Territorial organization, so now legislators were ambitious for the advancement of learning. The statesmen provided for a system of education by a constitutional act, and the people voted for the same; but many years were to elapse before a respectable system of schools should be established. There was need of the schools, but the nascent state of the country would not admit of a full organization. Even the beginnings of colleges and universities, started under whatsoever auspices, were feeble institutions at best.
Section one of Article IX of the Constitution of 1816 treats of the necessity of a general diffusion of “knowledge and learning” for the “preservation of a free government,” enjoins upon the General Assembly the duty of protecting and improving the public lands granted for school purposes, and finally closes with the following clause: “The General Assembly shall, from time to time, pass such laws as shall be calculated to encourage intellectual, scientifical, and agricultural improvement by allowing rewards and immunities for the promotion and improvement of arts, sciences, commerce, manufactures, and natural history, and to countenance and encourage the principles of humanity, industry, and morality.”* This was followed by a more specific statement, which enacts that, “It shall be the duty of the General Assembly, as soon as circumstances will permit, to provide by law for a general System of education, ascending in a regular gradation from township schools to a State university, wherein tuition shall be gratis
* The trustees brought suit against their counsel, Mr. Judah, for retaining an exorbitant fee. Mr. Judah, after sustaining defeat in two lower courts, finally won the case in the Supreme Court of the United States.
* Constitution of Indiana (1816), Art. IX, sec. 1.
* INDIANA UNIVERSITY. 225
and equally open to all.” It was further provided that, “For the promotion of such salutary ends, the money which shall be paid as an equivalent by persons exempt from militia duty, except in times of
war, shall be exclusively and in equal proportions applied to the support of county seminaries; also all fines assessed for any breach of the penal laws shall be applied to said seminaries in the counties wherein they shall be assessed.”
THE NATURE OF THE school systEM.
Thus “the pioneer legislators of Indiana conceived an educational system that should meet the entire wants of the people. The common school was to be its base and the State university its apex. The county, seminary was to fill the space between and furnish a preparatory course for the university. The conception was good in theory, but did not suc
ceed well in practice. The failure was caused by a general want of suc
cessful educators at the head of the county seminaries who could draw support and build them up.”
But this plan has been approximated to after many years of partial success and failure. The undeveloped state of the country must be taken into account for the greater part of the failure. It is shown by the history of every State in the Union that where a territory is settled by individuals, and local interests have been first inaugurated, a complex school system can not exist until a comparatively highly developed state of society is reached. - t
Localism and sectionalism, which have brought into existence so many premature institutions, and have likewise caused their early death, have had their influence upon State systems of learning everywhere. Not until a new territory becomes sufficiently thickly settled, so that the interests of different sections touch each other and a common sentiment of justice flows, and a feeling of unity prevails throughout the State, will there be a successful system of education. Commonwealths grow into real being, and in nearly every case the first legislators anticipate the needs of a people by a long period of time.
The university was not organized for eighteen years after the adoption of the Constitution, although a seminary was soon started. There was provision in 1824 for the organization of county seminaries, while the common school system was not established until 1851, thirty-five years after the adoption of the Constitution, forty-seven after the Territorial organization, and one hundred and twenty-one after the settlement of the country (1730).
FOUNDING OF THE UNIVERSITY.
When Indiana was admitted to the Union in 1816, an additional town. ship of land was granted to the State for the support of an institution
!Constitution of Indiana (1816), Art. IX, sec. 2. *Smart: Schools of Indiana,26. *Ibid., sec. 3. 880–No. 1–15
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← To cull or not to Cull?
The Girl in Between – by Laekan Zea Kemp →
Valentino: The Unforgotten by Roger C Peterson and Tracy Terhune
Posted on May 27, 2016 by Andrea Pryke
In 1927 Roger C. Peterson obtained the position of custodian in the Cathedral Mausoleum, where silent star Rudolph Valentino lay buried. He soon realized he was witnessing something never seen before in Hollywood, and began to keep a diary of the endless parade of characters that found their way to the crypt of Valentino. The first two years after Valentino’s burial, 100,000 people had made a pilgrimage to his grave. Many confided in Peterson that Valentino had appeared to them in a dream, feeling he compelled them to visit his crypt. Some women were with child, claiming it to be Valentino’s 18 months after his death. Everyone had a story. Peterson parlayed his diary into a book called Valentino The Unforgotten which was published in 1938. After the first shipment of books was sent out, the warehouse caught on fire and all remaining copies were destroyed. It was never republished, and until now remained one of the most difficult books on Valentino to obtain. Valentino The Unforgotten is a historically significant first-hand account of the earliest days of the cult-like Valentino followers and the Lady In Black. It’s holds a truly unique place in Hollywood history in that it is the only book ever written about visitors to the grave of a Hollywood star. Tracy Ryan Terhune author of Valentino Forever – The History of the Valentino Memorial Service, has brought this rare book back into print. He added information to explain how Peterson came to get his position at the Cemetery, what transpired behind the scenes while he was there and what became of him after he left in 1940. Filled with rare photos not only of Valentino, but also beautiful vintage photographs of Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery as it looked when Roger Peterson worked here. Now 70 years after its original release, Valentino The Unforgotten returns as a joint tribute to Valentino, Peterson, and the numerous fans throughout the generations that keep Valentino truly the Unforgotten.
Published by Authorhouse
First published in 1937, Valentino: The Unforgotten quickly disappeared and became an extremely rare volume, because after the first shipment had left the warehouse a fire quickly destroyed all the remaining copies and it was never reprinted – until now.
Tracy Terhune, author of Valentino Forever, has released this beautiful volume, which contains the book as originally published, along with a new forward and afterword and lots of related photos.
Roger Peterson was the custodian of the Cathedral Mausoleum at what is now called Hollywood Forever, and during his tenure which lasted from 1927 to 1940 he kept a diary of the people who visited Valentino’s resting place. this book contains some of these fascinating stories. Although Peterson is not the greatest writer and the narrative jumps around a bit leaving me wanting more (some of the stories seemed unfinished to me), the subject matter more than makes up for it.
Who were the people who felt a strange calling to visit this man they had never met? Interestingly today a memorial service is still held at Hollywood Forever on the anniversary of Valentinos’ death showing that even 90 years later this man still fascinates and attracts fans from all over the glob. A great tribute to a man still loved by many and an interesting look at the nature of fame and life after death for the celebrated few.
I would personally love to have been able to read Mr Peterson’s full diary as I would imagine that it would by so niterexting, but this is a good enough set of excerpts.
A must for all fans of Hollywood, Valentino and those interested in why we are fascinated with those who have died too young.
I gave this 4 out of 5* on Goodreads.
This entry was posted in Cinema, Review and tagged Fame, Hollywood Forever, Rudolph Valentino, Valentino. Bookmark the permalink.
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Carter Gaddis
Essays and social commentary on parenting, travel, politics, history, sports and more.
Harry Potter and thrills galore set Universal apart
October 19, 2014 March 27, 2016 / Carter Gaddis / 3 Comments
The highlight of our visit to Universal Orlando Resort was walking into a masterful recreation of Diagon Alley, the crowning achievement of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Before I get into the amazing experience we had during our Facing Fears Together visit to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure earlier this month, I need to put this whole Harry Potter thing into perspective.
We are a family of readers. By that, I mean we enjoy sitting (or lying) down with a good book and getting lost in the pages (or, these days, the digital representation of pages on my iPad Kindle or Nook apps).
Beth and I bonded over the Harry Potter series. How obsessed were we?
In the summer of 2005, we knew the sixth book in the Harry Potter series would be released during our visit to Charleston, S.C., with my mom and dad. So, we pre-ordered the Half-Blood Prince for pick up at a little book store on Meeting Street around the corner from our hotel.
Oh, and we ordered two copies, because we knew that neither of us would want to wait while the other plowed through the pages. This was during a long weekend in one of the coolest walking cities in America.
We spent a good portion of that trip to Charleston imagining ourselves roaming the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Even as we took the ferry out to Fort Sumter, we itched to get back to the room and read.
That should give you a pretty good idea where things stand for us when it came time to step into Diagon Alley for the first time.
I was prepared to be mesmerized. Universal Studios did not disappoint.
First, though, there were other thrills to experience, other rides to ride.
I think my new favorite roller coaster in Florida just might be Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, a 17-story, 65-mph rocket that allows you to create a music video of your ride using music of your choice (I chose Camouflage by the Beastie Boys). It was one of the first things we did with the party of bloggers and their friends and/or family members put together by Toni and Mellisa from Two Traveling Moms.
We also had our insides pureed at Universal Studios on Transformers, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and Revenge of the Mummy. Later, at Islands of Adventure, we ate an incredible lunch at Mythos, acknowledged as the top theme park restaurant in the world by Theme Park Insider from 2003-09.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The castle looks so real, I half expect to see Harry come flying in on a broomstick.
At Islands of Adventure, we also rode the Incredible Hulk, the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Doctor Doom’s Fearfall, Jurassic Park River Adventure and the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride.
It was all great, the kinds of thrills and wonderful experiences that help put Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure on a world-class level. The proximity of Walt Disney World, Legoland Florida and Sea World demand that of Universal Orlando, anyway.
What takes the two Universal parks into a unique realm, at least in my view, is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Hogsmeade, the Dragon Challenge, Flight of the Hippogriff and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey came to Islands of Adventure in the summer of 2010. It gave J.K. Rowling fans the chance to experience what it’s like to move through real-life versions of the locations made famous in the books and movies.
Then, this year, Universal Studios’ Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express were added.
It’s a game changer on Florida’s theme park landscape. While Disney made great strides with the New Fantasy Land facelift last year, nothing I’ve seen in any theme park anywhere compared to the experience of walking into a place that brought to life a setting I’ve only imagined or seen represented on screen.
Once through the brick wall maze coming in from “muggle” London, the view is … well, magical.
Diagon Alley in the books and movies is one of the best-conceived settings in kid literature. In the Sorcerer’s Stone, it provided Harry’s first, true immersion into the world of magic. Everywhere he turned was something new and delightfully fascinating.
Later, it served as a setting for major plot elements. That new and amazing place of the first book eventually became a place of warmth and familiarity for Harry — and for us, the readers.
The detail of Diagon Alley is spectacular. Anyone who loves the books and movies like we do will feel transported.
A spectacular light fixture, part of the interior of Gringotts at Diagon Alley.
There were many highlights, but the Escape from Gringotts ride took the prize. Frankly, even though the ride itself is fantastic (it’s like you’re inside a wild, magical 3D movie), the re-creation of the interior of Gringotts was what put it over the top for me.
Small but important details, like the painted advertisements on the brick facades throughout Diagon Alley, gave the place a “street-level” feel not even the books or movies could provide. I’ve included a few of my favorites in the accompanying slide show, and I urge you to check out the information available about the Wizarding World on the Universal Orlando’s website.
Because Beth was not able to accompany me on this Facing Fears Together couples trip, she suggested I invite our neighbor, Ken. He had been to Universal with his kids and loved it, but he had not had the chance to see any of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. In fact, Ken — even though he has two kids that love to read and are Harry Potter fans — had never seen any of the movies or read even the first book.
He came into it as a Harry Potter newbie. While there, I repeatedly expressed my amazement with how real it all seemed. Ken was impressed at the time, too, but he lacked the perspective of a Harry Potter veteran.
That changed once we got back. He made a point of watching the Sorcerer’s Stone movie shortly after our return, and I got this text from him as he watched: “You weren’t kidding about Universal vs movie! Impressed!”
Disclosure: DadScribe was invited to the Facing Fears Together blogger event co-hosted by Two Traveling Moms and Universal Orlando Resort to review the theme parks, Halloween Horror Nights, Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Citywalk entertainment district. All opinions those of the author.
Thoughts about SeaWorld never stray far from Dawn
August 17, 2014 November 30, 2015 / Carter Gaddis / 9 Comments
A killer whale leaps from the pool as trainers look on from the deck during a performance last week at Shamu Stadium.
No matter where my family and I went Wednesday at SeaWorld Orlando, I thought about Dawn Brancheau.
In the morning, we stopped and gawked at a dozen or more dolphins swimming leisurely along in their open-air enclosure.
I thought of Dawn.
We watched a SeaWorld caretaker bottle feed a rescued baby manatee, who is destined to be released back into the wild.
We saw a 3D sea turtle film at the Turtle Trek exhibit, and we saw a rescued turtle with paralyzed rear flippers thriving in that environment, and we listened to (and approved of) SeaWorld Entertainment’s message to “be an everyday hero” when it comes to sharing the world with marine animals.
A SeaWorld trainer interacts with a killer whale at Shamu Stadium after the performance on Wednesday.
At Shark Encounter, I thought of her. At the Antarctica section of the park, even as we froze our toes in the penguin exhibit, Dawn was never far from my thoughts.
Occasionally, I checked my iPhone for updates on SeaWorld Entertainment’s tumbling stock, a result of a worse-than-expected second-quarter earnings report. I checked Twitter and other online channels and was not at all surprised to see anti-captivity activists revel in the apparent public rebuke of SeaWorld’s practices regarding the company’s trained killer whales and dolphins in Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego and other marine parks around the world.
I thought about Blackfish, the compelling documentary that attempts to indict SeaWorld’s treatment of orcas.
I thought about the passionate entreaties and the harsh vitriol I’ve read on Twitter and Facebook and at animal activist sites like the Dodo and PETA-backed SeaWorld of Hurt.
I thought about SeaWorld’s detailed online response to those claims, and I thought about how frustrating it must be to SeaWorld that its message of animal rescue and environmental conservation has been largely lost in the public discourse in the wake of Blackfish.
Shamu Stadium was packed for the Wednesday afternoon performance of One Ocean, SeaWorld Orlando’s killer whale show.
Then we watched the orca show at Shamu Stadium, where the killer whales jumped out of the water while trainers danced and gestured and tossed fish into open orca mouths. The performing killer whales also used their tails to splash spectators in the first few rows.
The stadium was packed.
I kept looking for Tilikum, the 12,000-pound killer whale that killed Dawn Brancheau on Feb. 24, 2010. I thought about Tilikum in his holding pen somewhere behind the main performing pool. I wondered if he was listening. I wondered if he was watching.
I thought about the three people whose deaths were attributed to interaction with Tilikum – Keltie Byrne, Daniel Dukes and Dawn Brancheau.
I mostly thought about Dawn, who died only yards away from the stadium where thousands of spectators cheered other killer whales jumping and splashing on Wednesday.
I thought about the arguments against keeping marine animals in captivity. I thought about how millions of people would never see these animals up close if not for SeaWorld, and how seeing these animals up close makes them real, and how proximity can engender empathy.
I thought about my sons, both of whom love animals.
After the show, a few handlers demonstrated to our group how the killer whales have been trained to respond to signals requesting that they provide urine and blood samples used to monitor their health. One trainer narrated, while a handful of others interacted with the orcas.
Later, I talked to Craig Thomas, a 28-year SeaWorld veteran who responded to the alarm the night Dawn died (click here for a transcript of my interview). He used to work with Tilikum. Now, Craig Thomas is the assistant curator of Shamu Stadium at SeaWorld Orlando.
The whole time I talked to Craig Thomas, I thought of Dawn.
I thought about how both sides in this controversy have interpreted Dawn’s legacy. SeaWorld Orlando named its education center after her and holds an annual 5K run/walk in her honor. The makers of Blackfish and the adherents to its message have turned Dawn’s death into a rallying point for the anti-captivity cause.
I thought about all the subpoenas and legislation and the political back and forth. The impassioned pleas and boycotts on one side. The defensive posturing by a corporate giant that has done what it does for 50 years, and only now has begun to acknowledge that things must change. Change means significantly larger killer whale enclosures in San Diego, San Antonio and Orlando, along with a $10 million matching donation for killer whale research.
I thought about all of that, and about Dawn, and about how parents can explain the issue to their kids.
Many might simply say SeaWorld is in the wrong, that it is morally reprehensible to use sentient creatures like dolphins and killer whales to make money by amusing the masses.
Others might say that the animal rescue efforts SeaWorld undertakes, and the message of conservation that SeaWorld advocates, are worth talking about, worth preserving. And that the way to bring attention to those efforts and that message is to expose as many people as possible to the beauty and intelligence of killer whales and dolphins – that the shows make it real for millions of people.
Opposing ideals, opposing ideologies. Both compelling, both important.
I prefer to think about Dawn, and to share the message of the Dawn Brancheau Foundation, which is “dedicated to improving the lives of children and animals in need.” I’ll think about Dawn’s family, which issued this statement about Blackfish. It reads, in part: “Dawn’s death is central to our story.”
I’ll share the facts with our children, who are not too young to start thinking about the welfare of these wonderful animals we are so fortunate to see up close. I’ll let them know some people think it’s wrong to put animals in cages, while others believe that as long as the animals are properly cared for and treated with dignity, there is a place for zoos and marine parks in our society.
I’ll tell them about Dawn. And I hope when they think about all of this, they think about her, too.
The memorial plaque at the Dawn Brancheau Education Center, SeaWorld Orlando.
Disclosure: I was invited to experience behind-the-scenes tours at SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa for purposes of learning about SeaWorld Entertainment’s conservation, rescue and veterinary care programs, as well as the entertainment component of the park’s marine mammals and other animals. Opinions are solely those of the author.
What do we tell the children?
July 25, 2014 November 18, 2015 / Carter Gaddis / 7 Comments
What do we tell them?
What do we tell the children of Gaza as the tears stream down their faces, leaving tracks in the layer of dust that settled on their cheeks after bombs turned their homes into craters?
What do we say to the terrified children of Syria, where the innocent years have been smothered in bombs and blood?
What words are there for the lost and desperate children of the American border, where they stream across in their thousands, running from death, hoping for a new life?
What do we tell them? What can we do?
We see the images on TV, hear the horror even in the refined, detached voices of the men and women assigned to cover it. How can we change the channel? How can we look away?
How can we not, though?
It is easier, safer, to turn away from the horror than to stand up to it. Chores and errands demand our attention. Games and movies beckon. The lawn needs mowing. The baseball team is heating up down the stretch. Football is starting. School is around the corner. Vacation, birthday parties, a trip to the zoo.
All of this is here, in front of us. This is our reality. All we have to do is change the channel. All we have to do is click over to BuzzFeed or Upworthy or Reddit or Facebook.
Get lost in the fun.
Forget the faces. Forget the agony. Forget the blood.
Forget those children.
Hey, sorry. We all have problems.
Besides, they aren’t my children.
But yes.
Yes, they are.
They are mine.
They’re yours, too.
These children? We can’t see their faces, hear their cries, and relegate it to that place in our minds where unpleasant thoughts go to hibernate, waiting to stir when poked and prodded by our demons and thrust into our nightmares.
We can’t do that. We can’t just ignore it. Can we?
But what do we tell them? What can we do?
If I was there, if I didn’t have my own concerns and problems and distractions, if I could drop it all and run to them on the Rio Grande and in Gaza City and Aleppo, I would tell them that there is more.
That this is not all there is in this world, that life is still beautiful. That there are flowers and toys and music. That somewhere on this planet, a kitten purrs and a toddler laughs and laughs.
That even though the world allows little boys to be blown to bits on the beach as they play soccer;
even though men with guns and foul faces force little children to trek across dangerous Central American fields and treacherous waters in a blind search for something better;
even though it is unspeakably awful now and sadness, despair and anger are their close companions … there is hope.
There is more.
I would tell them: Don’t give up.
You are precious.
And I would take them in my arms and hold them close, and cry with them until our mingled tears soaked the dry and fractured earth.
9 Things Han Solo Taught Me About Being a Dad
July 16, 2014 April 13, 2017 / Carter Gaddis / 76 Comments
As a child of the ’70s, I considered Han Solo the epitome of manhood.
Fiercely independent, yet secretly sentimental. Skeptical, but willing to believe in magic if he sees it with his own eyes.
Secure enough in his own skin to pursue a princess, but not above taking a wide-eyed farm boy under his wing. Best friends with a Wookiee.
A lovable scoundrel who poses as a mercenary, but who deep down recognizes the best things in life are free.
In short — the ideal dad.
I readily acknowledge that my exposure to Star Wars at a young age shaped the adult I have become. And while Obi Wan was a superb mentor and Vader achieved redemption in the end, it was Han Solo who taught me the most about how to be a good dad.
Here are just a few examples of why I believe General Solo, who had not fathered children with Leia Organa as of the end of Episode VI, still might be the finest father figure in the history of this or any other galaxy:
Nine things Han Solo taught me about fatherhood
1. When the kids get difficult, use redirection.
(And if you must leave a mess for someone else to clean up, tip well.)
2. Trust your instincts. Even in the face of utter uncertainty.
3. If you don’t like what is being said, change the conversation.
(To be fair, Don Draper also teaches us this.)
4. Give praise where it’s due — but don’t overdo it.
5. Make a smile your default expression.
6. Learn to work with your hands.
7. When all else fails — bluff.
(But if the bluff fails, know when it’s time to cut your losses.)
8. Give the kids room to succeed or fail — but a little help every now and then can’t hurt.
9. Never let them forget how much you love them.
Images/videos: giphy.com; imgur; YouTube
A slightly different version of this post appeared on the Huffington Post following publication here.
Swing, Fail, Swing Again
May 6, 2014 November 18, 2015 / Carter Gaddis / 10 Comments
Stay focused. Stay relaxed. See the ball, hit the ball. Failure is inevitable. How you respond is up to you, and it can make all the difference.
We played ball out back on a makeshift miniature diamond I mowed into the high, early summer St. Augustine grass. The 8-year-old stepped to the foam-rubber home plate, batting lefty, knees bent just so, arms high but relaxed, head cocked toward the pitcher — me.
I wound up and tossed the ball softly in his direction.
It occurs to me that I was 17 when I became a sportswriter. Nine years older than this boy at the plate. I stepped into that life before my life had really begun, and had no real reason to regret it for two decades. But at the end, when it was over, it could only be classified as a failure.
The boy swung and missed. The swing was handsy, too much upper body, but there was purpose to it and his head and eyes were where they were supposed to be. That’s more than half the battle when you’re learning to hit a baseball. Watch the ball hit the bat. See it, hit it. He retrieved the ball and tossed it back.
How could a career as rewarding as mine be considered a failure? Because it didn’t end on my terms. Where did the fault lie? With me alone? With a newspaper industry in its dying throes? A combination? No matter. When I began that career, I intended for it to end many years from now, many games later, when I was too old to carry my computer bag into the press box. Didn’t happen that way. I failed.
I reminded him to focus on the ball, to keep his arms relaxed, to step toward me, pivot and turn his hips, throw his hands at the ball and explode into the swing. I pitched, he swung — and missed again.
Failure of that sort — mammoth, life-altering, frightening — can derail a man. You think you’re moving along toward a certain destination, surely, confidently. And then … it stops. Even if you sensed it coming, knew failure was inevitable, it stung. Worse, for the first time in your life, you didn’t know what came next.
The ball sailed over the shrub and the external AC unit as he swung and missed a second time. It was a bad pitch, a ball in any league, but at age 8 he still swings at anything and everything. He has not yet developed a discerning eye, a well-defined hitting zone. Every pitch is a promise. Every swing and miss is that promise broken. He dropped the bat and hustled after the ball again.
You didn’t know what came next, but you understood for the first time in your life that nothing was promised. Really understood that fact, not merely the theory. That there were dead ends.
He found the ball in the high grass and tossed it back. Insects disturbed by the lawn mower began to crowd around us. He swatted at a bug in front of his face and stepped in for one last pitch from dad.
There are dead ends. Failure is inevitable. How you respond to that inevitability determines whether dead ends crack and split and branch off in promising new directions or stay dead ends. You choose your response. You choose to move forward. You choose. That’s what failure does for you, if you let it. If you let it.
This one came in under-handed, an acquiescence to physics and undeveloped, 8-year-old muscles. His eyes grew large as it arced toward the plate.
He stepped. He pivoted. He swung.
If Only Integrity, Sportsmanship and Character Did Not Count in Hall of Fame Voting
December 4, 2013 November 18, 2015 / Carter Gaddis / 10 Comments
A BBWAA Lifetime Honorary membership card, along with the envelopes for the 2013 Hall of Fame ballot.
I care about the Baseball Writers Association of America. I care deeply about the Hall of Fame vote I earned as an active member of that organization from 1999-2009. When my active membership lapsed after I was laid off from the newspaper where I worked for 16 years, I cared enough to pay the fee that ensured I would remain a lifetime honorary member.
The gold card that comes with honorary membership does more than allow me entry into any Major League ballpark in the country. It is my final tangible link to a 24-year sportswriting career that ended in 2010. It wasn’t entirely my choice to end that sportswriting career, but it’s over and I’ve moved on.
Every December I anticipate the arrival of the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot in the mail. Not in my e-mail inbox; in the mailbox that sits under a tree in my front yard next to my driveway. It comes in a distinctive manila envelope, stuffed in there along with a stamped return envelope, biographical information on each of the candidates, a letter from National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum President Jeff Idelson, and the BBWAA Rules for Election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
I’ll vote for the sixth time this year. Every December, I fax off my ballot to the BBWAA because I want to keep the actual paper it’s on. I sort of envision my kids’ kids holding it one day and talking about how their grandfather contributed, if only in a small way, to baseball history.
So, it means something to me. I covered the game long enough to earn that vote, and I actually got into sportswriting hoping to one day become a Hall of Fame voter. I consider it an honor and an important responsibility.
Now, I am aware that the system as it exists is flawed. It never was perfect, but the Steroid Era threw everything into disarray. The inherent subjectivity of the process practically guaranteed chaos as the list grew to include Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and others whose candidacies have been tainted by suspicion (or hard evidence, in Palmeiro’s case).
I wrote pretty extensively about my feelings on the process last year. I ended up voting for seven players, none of whom were elected (we are allowed to vote for as many as 10). In fact, as you might recall, no one was elected by the writers.
Here are the players I voted for last year:
Craig Biggio
Edgar Martinez
Fred McGriff
This year’s ballot includes Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas. I’m not saying that’s how I’ll vote, mind you. I’m simply pointing out that those three players are, frankly, Hall of Fame locks.
Where does that leave the likes of Bonds, Clemens, et al? Off my ballot, at least for now. As I’ve written before, it all comes down to Rule 5 of the BBWAA Rules for Election:
“Voting shall be based upon a player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”
I boldface the salient words – integrity, sportsmanship, character – because voting for the Hall of Fame would be a much different proposition without them. Those words transform an already subjective process into a guessing game. A game that I and 600 or so of my fellow voters are compelled to play every December.
The game reached a new level of absurdity this year when Deadspin announced that it would “buy” a BBWAA voter’s ballot and allow its readers to make the selections. I don’t blame Deadspin, which is just doing what it does. I honestly don’t even blame the anonymous voter who allegedly has sold his or her ballot to Deadspin. Just because I take the honor and responsibility seriously, it doesn’t mean the other 600 or so voters are obligated to do so. That person has his or her reasons, and I hope he or she spends the money well. (Might I suggest a donation to one of baseball’s most famous charities, the Jimmy Fund? Or the Children’s Cancer Center? Or anywhere else but the sell-out voter’s bank account? Because hey … it’s Christmas.)
That voter – or soon-to-be former voter, once his or her name becomes public – is no more absurd than the voters who decided Joe DiMaggio – Joe DiMaggio! – was not a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Or that Gaylord Perry, an admitted spit-ball pitcher, was somehow more worthy of election than others despite his transgressions.
Or the voters – like me – who take it upon themselves to act as gatekeepers in the face of rampant steroid use in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
There is a simple solution, you know.
Change the rules for election. To be precise, eliminate three words.
Sportsmanship.
Eliminate those stipulations, and we’re back to the numbers.
Then it would be like the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which explicitly prohibits the much smaller pool of voters from considering the off-field actions of players.
I can acknowledge right now that my ballot would look a lot different if not for the current wording of Rule 5. Bonds, Clemens and Palmeiro absolutely would have earned my vote. McGwire and Sosa might have, as well.
Those three words are there, though. And that means another year of hand-wringing, wondering, speculating. It means watching one of my fellow voters help push the whole thing to a new level of absurdity by selling it to a satirical sports website whose editors are in the business of exposing absurdity in sports – something they do quite well.
As for me, I will continue to take it as seriously as I always have. It means something, this signature honor bestowed only upon long-time baseball writers. It means I’m still part of the game in a small but meaningful way.
And it means I still have a voice in a complicated conversation that I care about a great deal, a conversation that I’m pretty sure is just getting started.
ESPN Wide World of Sports: Athletic Excellence, Disney Magic
July 19, 2013 April 26, 2016 / Carter Gaddis / 2 Comments
In 16 short years, ESPN Wide World of Sports has carved out a unique position in the world of participatory and spectator sports.
When the Braves and Reds inaugurated the beautiful baseball stadium at ESPN Wide World of Sports in 1998, I was there to cover it for a newspaper. I remember being impressed by the “Florida Picturesque” style, and the whimsical Mediterranean Revival details of a stadium that instantly became the premier spring training ballpark in Florida. (It still is that, by the way.)
Back then, I barely gave the rest of the complex a second thought. After all, this was about the partnership between Disney and the Braves. Once spring training was done, I figured the facility would — like many ballparks in Florida — merely transition into a sleepy, minor-league facility for the Double-A Orlando Rays.
These days, those minor-league Rays are long gone. So is any hint of anything remotely “minor league.” In 16 short years, ESPN Wide World of Sports (the four-letter network became part of the name in 2010) has emerged as a unique destination for participatory and spectator sports.
Disney’s Boardwalk Resort at sunrise, the morning of the Run Disney Fun Run at Epcot.
I and 18 other bloggers from around the country had the chance to immerse ourselves in the sports facilities and amenities — as well as the overall Disney World experience — earlier this week.
My bottom line takeaway from the very well-run and extremely informative media event: If you have a child who participates in organized sports, or you are a coach or team organizer (mom or dad) responsible for planning and executing trips for a youth sports team, I can’t imagine a better place on Earth to come than ESPN Wide World of Sports.
That’s a broad statement, I know, and it needs support. Here, then, are just a few things that stood out for me during the media event:
The 225-acre complex is the site of more than 350 events with 350,000 youth, college and professional athletes in more than 70 sports annually. That means the Disney Sports Solutions team is extraordinarily experienced when it comes to meeting the needs of athletes and their support crew (coaches, parents, relatives, etc.).
You, too, could own a WWOS DadScribe t-shirt. And you know you want one.
The ESPN brand is ubiquitous, and that’s on purpose. One of the most interesting aspects of the athlete experience at the complex is the opportunity to, as the marketing slogan says, “Play at the Next Level.” Part of that next-level experience is being on TV. There is an incredible ESPN control room located behind the scenes next to Champion Stadium, and the action on the many fields and courts is almost always framed by one of the 56 high-definition cameras that dot the complex. There also are high-def 40 screens, including three jumbo screens, carrying footage all over the complex. In fact, athletes can view their professionally edited highlights from that day on a dedicated channel in their Disney resort rooms. The goal is to dramatically increase the TV presence of these games. The Watch ESPN app and ESPN3 figure big in the broadcast future of the Wide World of Sports Complex, which also serves as a testing ground for breakthrough broadcast technology like 3D.
Yes. Yes, I was the MVP.
Memorabilia is big for kids, and they do those things very well at the WWOS complex. Customized shirts are available (mine is pictured above) and the visit can be commemorated with photos and a personalized ESPN the Magazine “cover” shoot (also pictured). I can imagine kids begging their parents for these items. I know I mine would.
Everything — and I mean, everything — logistical is handled for the teams and their organizers by the Disney Sports Solutions team. No matter what you need help with (the daily itinerary, fundraising for travel, safety and health issues, finding the right open tournament to match your team’s competitive level, housing for athletes and family members, transportation, nutritious food, entertainment between games, and so much more) the Disney Sports experts have it covered. In addition, the recently opened Office Max Business Center provides computer access, smart phone charging, and more.
The starting line of our personal Run Disney Fun Run through Epcot.
And here’s the clincher. There’s no reason another sports complex couldn’t one day compete on an equal footing with Disney in all of those qualities (yes, even the broadcast element, if another big network decided to commit 100 percent to the plan). But no organization can combine a first-class athletic experience with the magic of Walt Disney World theme parks. According to the Disney Sports team, an estimated 50-60 percent of the athletes and their supporters who come to ESPN Wide World of Sports to compete have never been to Disney World. Nothing can compete with using your down time before, during or after games to head on over to the Magic Kingdom for a ride on Pirates of the Caribbean and a viewing of the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular fireworks; or to Hollywood Studios for a stroll along Hollywood Boulevard at twilight and wild rides on the Rock-n-Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror; or to Downtown Disney for dinner and bowling at Splitsville. Sure beats cable TV or an outdated game room at some low-budget motel.
The Welcome Center at ESPN Wide World of Sports integrates the athletic experience and the Disney experience for participants and families.
To find out how to put your team on the Road to Disney, check out the Disney Sports website. Twitter is a great way to keep up with the many goings-on at the complex, and the official Disney Sports handle is @DisneySports. There also is a YouTube channel that is updated regularly with highlights from the complex.
Here are some bonus videos taken during the Disney Sports media event I was fortunate enough to attend. The highlight for me, in addition to learning so much about a place I thought I already knew, was meeting a lot of great writers and content producers from all over the country. I learned a great deal from interacting with them, too, and I think these videos provide wonderful insight into the work that goes into reporting for blogs.
The videos also expose you to detailed, behind-the-scenes looks at what goes on at ESPN Wide World of Sports. You’ll see what we saw. The first two are five-minute versions of our tours. The third includes highlights of a really cool Run Disney Fun Run we had the chance to do at Epcot on Tuesday morning.
Disclosure: I was invited to attend the Wide World of Sports media FAM and write about what I learned. I was provided a room and promotional materials, but all opinions and editorial decisions are my own.
Let’s Talk About God
July 10, 2013 March 3, 2016 / Carter Gaddis / 28 Comments
“Every mythology, every religion, is true in this sense: It is true as metaphorical of the human and cosmic mystery.” – Joseph Campbell, the Power of Myth
Detail of Michelangelo’s ceiling fresco at the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City. Source: Photo illustration by DadScribe.
Our first summer in Florida, I was 13 years old and wheelchair-bound after corrective surgery on both feet. My parents sent my brother and me to vacation Bible school at the Presbyterian church up the road from our Palm Beach Gardens apartment complex. There, in the Sunday school classroom, as I sat in my wheelchair with my feet in their twin casts sticking straight out in front of me, a young man with shaggy brown hair, bad acne and huge glasses asked me if I would accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior.
If so, he added, my soul would be saved and I would be guaranteed a place for all eternity in the Kingdom of the Lord.
That sounded OK to me. So I said, “Yes. Yes, I do.”
And he said, “Praise Jesus. You are saved today.”
So, I’ve got that going for me. Which is nice.
Sundays at our house have always been reserved for rest. If not rest, Disney World. If not Disney, Busch Gardens. Or laundry. Or yard work. Or the community pool. Or grocery shopping. Or anything except church.
Put simply, we don’t go. We are among the 20 percent of Americans who a Pew Research Center poll identified as having no religious affiliation. That’s not to say we are not religious. Beth certainly is. She prays regularly, and she believes in the traditional, organized-religion definition of the Christian God.
I don’t share her beliefs. I suppose I would have to be lumped in with the 33 million Americans who identify themselves as atheistic or agnostic. I don’t know what that means, though. What I do know is that I don’t know what happens when we die.
I also know this: Neither does anyone else know. But you know what else? That doesn’t matter.
Religion isn’t about that. Or it shouldn’t be.
Joseph Campbell, a scholar of comparative mythology whose work influenced George Lucas as he created the Star Wars universe, makes as much sense to me as anyone I’ve read or listened to when it comes to the purpose of religion. He said it exists not to reveal the meaning of life, but to help us find a way to live life with grace, to discover within ourselves an accord between what we experience and the questions and concepts that transcend our experience.
Campbell said God was, in fact, a metaphor for the things that transcend thought. I think what he meant was that because we exist in the field of time — we’re born, we live, we die — it is incredibly difficult, maybe even impossible, to grasp the concept of eternity.
And that’s about as deep as I want to go with that. As I say, I don’t know. I want to know, but I also am not arrogant enough to believe that I have the answers. That said, nor will I at this point in my life acknowledge that anyone else truly knows, either. That’s what I believe.
Which brings us to our sons.
Beth wants them to go to church. We have found one that might serve, at least for now.
I have qualms.
On one hand, I want our sons to learn about organized religion, about spirituality, about humanity’s attempts to make sense of it all.
On the other hand, I believe that much of humanity’s strife — today and throughout history — has been caused by organized religion. As Campbell said, practitioners of the individual religions get stuck in their own interpretations of their chosen metaphors. That is, they fail to read the sacred texts or hear the sacred stories as poetry. Instead, they read it and hear it as prose. It is, Campbell said, a purely literary problem.
I see people in the public eye espouse views in the name of their religion about topics such as homosexuality, and it is clearly a bigoted way of thinking. Here’s the problem, though: They don’t think of themselves as bigoted, because they simply are adhering to the things they learned from their religious leaders. They are wrong to think that. Hiding behind specious lessons does not excuse the ignorant. While I might not know the answers, I do know this: Any religious teaching that is used to objectify and dehumanize other people is deplorable. I hope our sons never think that way.
Some of my favorite people in the world are deeply religious, and so sure in their convictions that it sometimes makes me wish that I could give myself over to the rapture and let the joy wash over me like a baptismal font.
It’s tough, but our sons need a frame of reference. They need to be exposed to these ideas — and at 7, our older son is probably as impressionable as he’ll ever be when it comes to ideas about spirituality.
It’s tricky. I bought our older son a book the other day called The Kids Book of World Religions, and he sort of freaked out about the drawing of Jesus on the cross. He needs to know what that means, that the resurrection is emblematic of the “death” and “rebirth” we all must experience as we transition from one stage of life to another (I am aware there are those whose interpretation of the crucifixion differs from this one). I Googled [talking to children about religion] and found an entire blog dedicated to the subject, along with this Washington Post story about the author of that blog. This is not a problem unique to us.
It’s necessary. We want our sons to make informed decisions about how they choose to think about spirituality in the future. We’re going to expose them to different ways of thinking, to different paths. We’re going to let them make their own decisions when they’re ready. You’ve got to start somewhere. So … we’ll start by giving up our Sunday rest or recreation to explore the spiritual.
And we’re going to hope that when (if) they choose their paths, they find grace and peace and love. Above all else, we hope that.
Michelangelo’s Pieta, Vatican City. Source: Photo illustration by DadScribe.
April 17, 2013 November 29, 2015 / Carter Gaddis / 4 Comments
The Basin – San Francisco.
On a crisp, bright morning in San Francisco, as I stood apart from the semi-circular line of tourists who waited to board the cable car at the Powell/Mason turntable, I saw a young woman exit a black car that had stopped in the Market Street bicycle lane. She got out of the car and walked toward me.
I saw her piercings as she walked – black studs in her nose and lower lip, a small gold hoop in the corner of her left eye. Short, dark hair, black t-shirt, stained denim skirt, black Chuck Taylor high-tops. Pasty white skin, thick black eye shadow.
Staring straight into my eyes, she walked in my direction. She didn’t stop, though. As she passed – close enough to whisper – she looked me in the eyes and told me in a low, clear voice:
“You don’t love us.”
She broke eye contact and walked on. I stood there and watched her melt into the crowd of tourists, past the cable car turntable, up Powell Street, on toward Union Square and back into her Gothic oblivion.
It didn’t even occur to me to try to contradict her.
She was right, though. I didn’t love her.
Yet, over the years, a decade and more, I have replayed that scene in my mind so many times that even the memory flickers, like an old film exposed far too often to the projector’s hot light. It’s not my most vivid memory, or anywhere near my most relevant.
Those would be things like, you know, our wedding in Boston, the births of our two sons, waking up healthy after emergency angioplasty … life-altering or live-saving events. My Memories, with a capital M.
Yet, that moment in San Francisco has stayed with me. There was no reason for that particular young woman or her peculiar declaration to stand out in a four-decade-long swirl of memories. You don’t love us, she said. But …
I am her. And so are you. And so is everyone you know, and everyone you ever have known or ever will know. And she is you. She is my wife, my sons, my mother and father, everything I have ever loved or ever will love. She is every word I’ve ever written or will write or will read, every tear I’ve shed and every smile I’ve smiled. She is my everything and she is your everything, too. You don’t have to love someone, or even know their name – or even know they are alive a decade after a fleeting encounter on a bright cool morning – for all of that to be true.
This is empathy.
It is remembering every detail about the girl on the street who looked into your soul and walked right on past and disappeared forever into the crowd. It is four words – you don’t love us – carved into your cortex like a hieroglyph on a temple wall, taunting you with its complex simplicity.
Empathy.
It’s the visceral response we feel toward a grieving father when we see photographs of his smiling little boy, gone now, carefully holding up with just the tips of his fingers a hand-lettered sign that reads, “No more hurting people. Peace.” It’s the overwhelming urge to weep, the unavoidable shudder, the inexorable need to make physical contact with our small children after we read or hear accounts of a deadly day on the first-grade wing of an elementary school in Connecticut.
It’s running toward the bomb blast to see if there’s anything you can do to help those who were in it. It’s the physical inability to sit through a movie because some people you never met were gunned down during the midnight premier in a theater a thousand miles away.
It’s the spark and flutter of what I guess scientists these days are calling mirror neurons, which fire off signals that make us unconsciously reproduce emotions we witness – or imagine we witness – being expressed by someone else.
Evidently, some of us have more active mirror neurons than others.
Did you know that the word empathy didn’t enter the English language until the early 1900s? It was introduced by psychologist (and Oxford man) Edward B. Titchener as a translation of the German term einfühlung (“in” the “feeling”), which itself was a loose translation of the Greek term empatheia (“in” “pathos”), having to do with art appreciation. I didn’t know any of that, either, until I looked it up.
Empathy. It’s the unspoken recognition of the knowledge that we’re all going to die. It’s the shared, and the sharing. It’s the point in space and time where “we” intersect “they.”
It’s the truth behind you don’t love us.
And that truth is this …
Even now, so many years later, I want to run after that Goth girl in San Francisco and catch up to her in the crowd, and tell her that she’s right, that I don’t love her or anyone else in her life. But so what? I don’t have to love you. You still matter to me because the part of you inside that makes you human is inside me, too, and I love that part of both of us and all of us because that’s what life is. It’s what being alive is.
Empathy is life itself, acknowledging its presence and luminosity in the other.
Seconds to Check, a Lifetime of Moments to Savor
March 10, 2013 February 3, 2016 / Carter Gaddis / 13 Comments
I’m trying to remember how I thought about things when I was seven. I carry a few foggy memories from that age of an awakening awareness of gonads, girls and God. I was on the verge of knowing a few things, but I was still working out the details.
For instance: I knew older boys were terrified of being hit in the ‘nads. That’s what we called them: ‘nads. Or, I suppose I should say that’s what the older boys called them, and we first graders followed suit.
Because that’s what first graders do. They emulate. They’re mostly undifferentiated human templates, absorbing and assimilating the qualities of those around them. What they hear, see, smell, touch, do and dream at that age combines with nature to give them form and substance for life.
At seven, I don’t recall if I had the slightest idea that ‘nads were properly called testicles (and even more properly called testes, but we’re not really sticklers for propriety). I do remember that I didn’t know what purpose testicles served. I only knew they were my constant companions, and that it hurt like the dickens when I they got hit or kicked or smashed by the pointy tip of my bicycle seat, and older boys wore a cup during baseball practice and games, and I wanted to get a cup, too, because it would mean I was a big boy.
So, now, I’m the father of a seven-year-old first grader. In preparation for this piece about testicular cancer awareness, I thought it would be good to start with a lesson for my older son. I thought I’d begin with the generalities then move on to the specifics.
During the drive from Tampa to Walt Disney World Saturday, I asked the back seat the general question, “Hey. You guys know what testicles are?”
Silence. Then …
“They’re, like, well … um, no, not really.”
Turns out my older son knows approximately what I knew almost 40 years ago at that age. Only, instead of ‘nads, he and his buddies call them balls.
(A quick aside here. I envy the years of rich discovery ahead for my sons. The lessons they’ll learn. The colorful vocabulary they’ll acquire. Oh, to relive each and every moment when life served up a new testicular euphemism. It’s all ahead for them: nuts, eggs, huevos, danglers, scrotes, cojones, rocks, stones, the family jewels. And oh, so many more. Use them well, boys. Use them well.)
After our brief chat Saturday, my older son knows now that the proper name is testicles, but I’m still not sure he’s ready to process the concept of testicular cancer. I’ll save the specifics for later.
Not much later, though. One day soon, I’ll explain to my sons that testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer among boys and young men aged 15-35. I’ll explain that catching it early is vital, because 99 percent of those diagnosed with testicular cancer respond well to treatment and can lead normal, active lives. My wife and I will talk to their pediatrician about teaching self-examination, and then we’ll reinforce the importance of vigilance. We won’t be shy, because it’s too important for awkwardness.
All of those details are a bit much for a seven-year-old, I think. But what we can do now is instill the zest for life that will convince him that it’s well worth the few seconds it takes to check for signs of testicular cancer.
So we savor the moments. Saturday, with my wife laid out by a nasty head cold, I piled the boys into the car for the hour-long drive over to Epcot. The annual Flower and Garden Festival has begun, and that means topiary! You might be surprised at how fascinated young boys can be with wired shrubbery shaped like Mater and Lightning McQueen, or like a family of pandas.
We spent a couple of hours Saturday wandering the pavilions, chasing the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz, enjoying the mild weather, relishing each other’s company. It’s the Year of Disney for our family, and this was the first time it was just me and the boys. They’ll remember these days of Disney, I’m sure. I know I will. Perhaps one day they’ll look forward to days like these with their own kids.
With that hopeful thought in mind, we’ll remind them occasionally when they’re older to self-check for signs of testicular cancer. And then, if necessary, we’ll remind them of why. Hopefully, they’ll already know. Hopefully, they won’t need to be reminded that we check because those few seconds could buy them and everyone who loves them years, decades, a lifetime of moments to savor.
It’s Man UP Monday!
I’m proud to be a member of the Single Jingles Man UP Monday BLOGGING TEAM!
Today, I’m doing my part to spread an important message about Testicular Cancer.
Did you know that Testicular Cancer is the #1 cancer in young men ages 15 to 35?
Did you know that Testicular Cancer is highly survivable if detected early?
Did you know that young men should be doing a monthly self-exam?
Stop by the Single Jingles website for more information on Testicular Cancer.
Request a FREE shower card with self-exam instructions — it just might save a young man in your life!
And if you’re feeling just a little AWKWARD about this conversation, check out this video from some parents who feel the exact same way!
Thank you to Jim Higley of Bobblehead Dad for inviting me to participate in this great series. Here is the first installment, written by Whit Honea and published last Monday at his personal blog, Honea Express. Here’s another entry by Paul Easter, and another by Andy Hinds (aka Beta Dad).
Topiary panda family at the China pavilion, Epcot.
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Honored:
RT @BidenInaugural: History. Happens. Tomorrow. bideninaugural.org/watch https://t.co/cxGXk0zoiK 2 hours ago
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Contently Portfolio
Dad 2.0 Summit
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> Historic Cases
Puerto Rican Subversives List Historic Case
“Puerto Rican Subversives List” refers to the work CCR did with the Instituto Puertorriqueño de Derechos Civilies, an organization founded by José Antonio “Abi” Lugo, a former CCR attorney, and other groups, to help secure the release of the dossiers of 135,000 people who had been spied on by the Commonwealth's Police Intelligence Division and Justice Department.
Although the court had declared in a 1987 opinion that keeping surveillance filed was illegal, the Commonwealth government and the so-called “subversives” fought for the next four years over conditions of the release of the files. Records were kept primarily on the activities of independentistas but were also maintained on environmentalists, feminists, pacifists, union leaders, and clergy.
The court rejected the government contention that the files could not be released because they would endanger the lives of government spies. In fact, the court said that publishing the names of agents and informers would avoid a repeat of “this nefarious practice.” However, the court did exempt from its ruling such groups as the Macheteros, the Armed Commandos of Liberation, and the Socialist Revolutionary Party.
In June 1992, five years after the ruling, the Puerto Rican Supreme Court ordered the release of dossiers compiled by the Police Intelligence Division and the Justice Department, without excising the names of undercover agents and informers who had helped gather information on 135,000 people. The files then became the custody of San Juan Superior Court Judge Arnaldo Lopez, whose office sent notices to all persons who had files.
Also surveilled were Puerto Ricans and North Americans residing in the U.S. who were believed to support Puerto Rican independence. While the court had acknowledged the violation of rights of Puerto Rican residents who were listed, it virtually ignored the rights of those outside of Puerto Rico.
CCR played a lead role in seeking legal remedies for those victims of the surveillance who lived in the United States and not in Puerto Rico. Also, CCR, through the Movement Support Network, worked to inform such people that the files were being released, about violations of their civil and constitutional rights stemming from this illegal government surveillance, and procedures to follow to obtain files.
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Home/Culture and Society/Arts/Theatre Review (London’s West End): ‘Ian McKellen on Stage’
Credit: Frederic Aranda
Theatre Review (London’s West End): ‘Ian McKellen on Stage’
Pat Cuadros December 13, 2019 Comments Off on Theatre Review (London’s West End): ‘Ian McKellen on Stage’ 197 Views
Celebrated actor Sir Ian McKellen turned 80 earlier this year. To mark the occasion, he launched a one-man show, Ian McKellen On Stage, and took it on tour in the UK. Fortunately, a limited West End run is currently underway at the Harold Pinter Theatre through January 5.
McKellen’s set is very simple and welcoming: a red carpet and a box to start out. The box is covered with theatre stickers to indicate where his tour has been. It’s reminiscent of the old wicker boxes in which traveling actors would carry their props. As the performance continues, McKellen periodically pops back to the box for furniture, books, and other items.
The production, directed by Sean Mathias, consists of stories from McKellen’s life and recitations from selected plays and literature. McKellen devotes a lot of time to Shakespeare, but there’s also D.H. Lawrence, Tolkien, Gerard Manley Hopkins. In essence, it’s a brilliant lesson on acting from this great actor.
Speaking of Tolkien, the Gandalf versus Balrog scene is how McKellen opens the evening. He even calls up a young person from the back of the audience to come up and hold Glamdring, Gandalf’s sword. The Lord of the Rings segment continues with delightful moments, as he shares stories about the late Christopher Lee. “I always thought I should play Gandalf!” he exclaims in the deep voice of Lee.
Then McKellen delves into his early life. He recounts and reenacts how he was introduced to theatre in Wigan and Bolton, capturing the amazement and wonder of the first experiences remarkably. He reveals that he considered careers in hotel management, culinary arts, and even journalism before he decided to become a professional actor. I shudder to think what the theatre world would have missed had McKellen picked another profession. His narrative moves on to Cambridge and his early career, which included a nine-month stint in Sir Laurence Olivier’s company. Cue his Olivier voice.
McKellen dedicates substantial time to his gay rights activism and how he finally came out at age 47. “The closet is not a glamorous place,” he reflected solemnly at one point.
There’s ample opportunity for audience participation. McKellen reprises his old role of Widow Twankey from an Aladdin pantomime, throwing candies and fruit up into the audience.
In the second half of the show, he asks people to call out the names of Shakespeare plays. He stacks the books accordingly and offers his opinions on them. For example he quips, “I always thought Othello should really be called Iago.”
McKellen’s Shakespeare recitations included snippets from Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, Cymbeline, and much more. All of the performances were extraordinary because he commits himself entirely to the parts: voice, eyes, and the movements of his body. For each character, he assumes a different walk, posture, and gestures. In addition, McKellen takes great care in the pace of his monologues and particularly in how he enunciates the words. He rolls his Rs and is very crisp with other consonants so that one gets every word.
If I had to identify my favorite part of the show, it’s the reflections Ian McKellen offers about his own work. The backstory of various plays is insightful not only in that he outlines his approach to each role, but also because he identifies the lessons he learned. He goes so far as to criticize himself, demonstrating how a younger Ian McKellen delivered lines and portrayed men in their 80s. The insights are invaluable to both aspiring actors and arts enthusiasts alike.
If you are going to be in London soon, I highly encourage you to see Ian McKellen On Stage at the Harold Pinter Theatre on Panton Street. Visit the ATG site for more information on booking tickets.
Tags gandalf Ian McKellen Ian McKellen On Stage Lord of the Rings theater theatre
About Pat Cuadros
Pat Cuadros earned a B.A. in Art History at the University of Virginia on a full scholarship. Pat is a frequent reviewer of all things Washington, D.C., but she's also covered events in Canada and London. Highlights in her work include articles on Simon Callow, Ian McKellen, Mark Rylance, Derek Jacobi, and Ndaba Mandela.
@PCuad24
Theater Review: Molière in the Park Presents ‘pen/man/ship’ by Christina Anderson
This inventive online production of the company's first contemporary American play takes place in 1896 on a ship bound for Liberia on a mysterious mission.
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Documenting This American Family
Silva, Francisco[1, 2, 3]
Name Silva, Francisco
Born 5 Jan 1875 Arco da Calheta, Madeira, Portugal
Christened 14 Jan 1875 Arco da Calheta, Madeira, Portugal
Died 1955 Hawaii Island, Hawaii Territory USA
Buried 1955 Holualoa, Hawaii Island, Hawaii Territory USA
Person ID I889 A367
Father da Silva, Francisco, b. 23 Jul 1840, Arco da Calheta, Madeira, Portugal , d. 1926, Oahu, Hawaii Territory USA (Age 85 years)
Mother Rosa, b. Abt 1840, Arco da Calheta, Madeira, Portugal , d. 1927, Oahu, Hawaii Territory USA (Age ~ 87 years)
Married Abt 1865 Arco da Calheta, Madeira, Portugal
Family Pimento, Guilhermina, b. 22 Dec 1887, d. 27 Feb 1983 (Age 95 years)
Married Kona, Hawaii Island, Hawaii Territory USA
1. Silva, Mary, b. 20 Feb 1906, d. 3 Dec 1983 (Age 77 years)
2. Silva, Virginia, b. 16 Nov 1907, Maui, Hawaii Territory USA , d. 20 Feb 1997, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii USA (Age 89 years)
3. Silva, Manuel, b. 10 Feb 1910, d. 23 Aug 1932 (Age 22 years)
4. Silva, Isabela, b. 29 Jun 1912
5. Silva, Joseph, b. 22 Jul 1913, d. 11 Jan 1948 (Age 34 years)
6. Silva, Joanna, b. 26 Jan 1915, Kona, Hawaii Island, Hawaii Territory USA , d. 28 Apr 2015, K'au, Hawaii Island, Hawaii USA (Age 100 years)
7. Silva, Alfred, b. 6 Mar 1916, d. 19 Dec 1971 (Age 55 years)
8. Silva, Julian Frank, b. 21 Apr 1917, Kealakekua, Hawaii Island, Hawaii Territory USA , d. 16 Jul 2009, Kona, Hawaii Island, Hawaii USA (Age 92 years)
9. Silva, Janaria, b. 2 Apr 1918, Kealakekua, Hawaii Island, Hawaii Territory USA , d. 3 Aug 2000, Hawaii USA (Age 82 years)
10. Silva, John, b. 21 Aug 1919, Holualoa, Hawaii Island, Hawaii Territory USA , d. 1 Oct 2014, Milillani, Oahu, Hawaii USA (Age 95 years)
11. Silva, Caroline, b. 10 May 1921, North Kona, Hawaii Island, Hawaii Territory USA , d. 4 Nov 2018, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Island, Hawaii USA (Age 97 years)
12. Silva, Emilia, b. 1923, d. 1926 (Age 3 years)
13. Silva, Frank III
14. Silva, Amelia, b. 24 Jun 1925, North Kona, Hawaii Island, Hawaii Territory USA , d. 17 Mar 2007, Salisbury, North Carolina USA (Age 81 years)
15. Silva, Thomas, b. 14 Dec 1926, d. 1928 (Age 1 years)
16. Silva, Antone, b. 28 Jul 1928, Holualoa, Hawaii Island, Hawaii Territory USA , d. 2 Apr 2013, Kona, Hawaii Island, Hawaii USA (Age 84 years)
17. Silva, [Unidentified stillborn child]
Francisco DeSilva and Guilhermina Pimento DeSilva
Headstone, Frank DeSilva
[S29] Passport Application, Madeira, (Extraction from actual documents).
Francisco da Silva applied to emigrate to the Sandwich Islands on May 29, 1884 in Funchal, Madeira. The official file appears to be No. 484. He is recorded on the passport application with his parents, Francisco da Silva and Maria Roza, natives of the parish of Arco da Calheta and residents of Pinheiro, and his siblings Maria, João, Perpetua, and Ludovina. An extraction of Francisco's baptism record is included in the application file and attests that on the 14 January 1875 in the parish of São Brás of Arco da Calheta was baptized Francisco, legitimate son of Francisco da Silva das Fontes and Roza de Jesus, natives of this parish and residents of the village of Pinheiro. Grandson on his father's side of Francisco da Silva das Fontes and Isabel de Jesus, and on his mother's side of Antonio Fernandes and Anna de Jesus. Godparents were João Gonsalves and Carolina de Jesus. Extracted from the original 17 May 1884 by Vicar Ricardo Jose de Franca Doria.
Copy in possession of Donald Rodrigues, Alameda, California. 112103c
[S475] Census 1930, United States, Frank Silva, ("United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH18-CSH : accessed 22 February 2019), Emila Silva in household of Frank D Silva, North Kohala, Hawaii, Hawaii, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 59, sheet 2A, line 6, family 29, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2631; FHL microfilm 2,342,365. ), 21 Feb 2019.
[S477] Census 1940, United States, Frank Silva, ("United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VB98-PND : 14 March 2018), Emilia Silva in household of Frank Silva, Tract H-18, North Kona Judicial District, Representative District 2, Hawaii, Hawaii Territory, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1-69, sheet 11A, line 25, family 213, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 4583.), 22 Feb 2019.
Maintained by Donald Rodrigues.
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6th Annual Ulster County Executive’s Arts Awards
Arts Mid-Hudson is Now Accepting Nominations for the 6th Annual Ulster County Executive’s Arts Awards
Do you know someone in the Ulster County community who does good work in or for the Arts? Do you know an outstanding Ulster County arts organization or business that supports the arts?
Arts Mid-Hudson is requesting nominations from Ulster County residents and businesses for the 6th Annual Ulster County Executive’s Arts Awards.
There are 9 categories as follows:
Arts Organization Award: Rewards an Ulster based arts organization that has made an important contribution to the growth of Ulster County’s cultural life over a significant period of time.
Business/Corporation Award: Recognizes an Ulster County business or corporation that has demonstrated extraordinary support of the arts and/or vision and leadership in using the arts to enhance community life and enrich Ulster County’s cultural heritage.
Arts in Education Award: Acknowledges an Ulster based educator, teaching artist, arts or educational administrator, school, school district or organization that, through extraordinary vision and leadership, has expanded or enriched arts education opportunities to students in Ulster County.
Individual Artist Award: Recognizes an individual residing in Ulster County, whose achievements in his/her discipline are widely recognized and who has demonstrated a compelling or unique artistic vision.
Award for Art in Public Places: Awards an Ulster based individual artist, arts organization, school, or community group that has successfully designed and installed a public art project.
Special Citation Award: Recognizes an Ulster based individual, organization, business, or project for outstanding contributions to the cultural life of Ulster County that does not fit the criteria for the other categories.
Patron Award: Recognizes an individual or family residing in Ulster County, who has/have made a significant contribution to the arts through extraordinary leadership, personal financial commitment or philanthropic activities.
Volunteer Award: Recognizes an individual residing in Ulster County, who has/have made a significant contribution to the arts as a board member, volunteer or other service.
Student with Exceptional Promise in the Arts: Recognizes an Ulster County resident and either a high school or college student ages 16 through 22 as of June 2018, working or studying in all arts disciplines including visual, performing, literary, film/video, and computer, among others. Nominee must be available to attend the event on June 5, 2018. (*Note: supporting attachments are REQUIRED for nominations in this category.)
Nominations must be received by Sunday, March 4, 2018. Recipients will be selected by an awards panel comprised of professionals in the field.
Award winners will be recognized by Ulster County Executive Mike Hein and Ulster County’s arts, cultural, civic and business leaders, at a festive reception on June 5, 2018 at Saugerties Performing Arts Factory in Saugerties.
Nomination forms can be accessed here and will require (a) the nominee’s name, address, phone, artistic discipline and nomination category; (b) your name, address and phone; and (c) a narrative on why the nominee deserves the award. For additional information call (845) 454-3222; or e-mail artsawards@artsmidhudson.org.
Please note that past recipients are not eligible for this year’s awards.
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Chimay Tripel 8%
Craft Beer in Belgium
Belgium is a country with one of the strongest beer tradition in the world dating back to the 12th century, when local French and Flemish abbeys brewed as a way to raise funds. But it was not until 18th century that trappist tradition arrived in Belgium, as trappist monks had to abandon France due to the French revolution. It's worth noting that trappist is not a style of beer, but a origin and just 12 monasteries in the world can sell trappist beer, 6 of them in Belgium: Rochefort, Orval, Westmalle, Westvleteren, Chimay and Achel. St. Bernardus beer is also based in the Westvleteren recipe, but their license with them expired in the 90's, and they can't longer sell under the trappist name. Both the trappist and non-trappist traditions have given birth to styles as Abbey Dubbel, Abbey Tripel, both pioneered by Westmalle, Quadrupel, Belgian Ale or Belgian Strong Ale.
Another strong brewing tradition in Belgium comes from the Lambic area. This style of brewing is characteristic from the area around Brussels—Pajottenland, in the Senne Valley—and is endemic of that region, as it depends on the wild yeast present on the valley. The beers are spontaneously fermented, and then mixed between old and new blends—the Gueuze Lambic style—or with fruits—like the Fruity Lambics. Famous lambic producers include Boon, Cantillon, Lindemans or 3 Fonteinen.
Brewers from Belgium
Chimay is a trappist brewery founded in 1862 in Baileux (Belgium). They produce three different ales and a patersbier—a beer for their monks. It was the first brewery to use the Trappist seal in their labels. They use their own water from a well within the monastery walls, and the remains from the brewing process are used to feed their own livestock—that produces the famous Chimay blue cheese.
Go to Chimay
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The value of the CIO as anthropologist with Jason “JJ” James – CIOitk #14
This week I’m joined by Jason “JJ” James who is the CIO for Optima Healthcare Solutions. JJ is also the author of the upcoming book “Make IT work: Practical IT guide to mergers and acquisitions.”
In our conversation, JJ outlines how the CIO is similar to an anthropologist and must be a study of human tools, culture and development. We also discuss JJ’s perspective on how innovative technology is impacting the healthcare industry. During our conversation, JJ details his perspective on data including data toxicity and the value of data over time. Closing out our conversation, JJ talks about why hype is valuable and the role the CIO plays in the changing landscape.
Jason “JJ” James Twitter: https://twitter.com/itlinchpin
Jason “JJ” James LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itlinchpin/
Optima Healthcare Solutions: https://www.optimahcs.com
Tim Crawford: Hello, and welcome to the CIO In The Know podcast, where I take a provocative, but pragmatic look at the intersection between business and technology. I’m your host, Tim Crawford, a CIO and strategic advisor at AVOA.
Tim Crawford: This week I’m joined by Jason JJ James, who is the CIO for Optima Healthcare Solutions. JJ is also the author of the upcoming book, Make it Work: Practical IT Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions. In our conversation, JJ outlines how the CIO is similar to an anthropologist, and must be a study of human tools, culture, and development. We also discuss JJ’s perspective, on how innovative technology is impacting the healthcare industry. During our conversation, JJ details his perspective on data, including data toxicity, and the value of data over time. Closing out the conversation, JJ talks about why hype is valuable, and the role the CIO plays in the changing landscape.
Tim Crawford: JJ, welcome to the program.
Jason JJ James: Hi, Tim. Thanks for having me today.
Tim Crawford: JJ, you’re the CIO at Optima Healthcare Solutions, and in a space that’s really interesting, and going through a lot of change today.
Jason JJ James: Absolutely. So, when you think of healthcare in the space we operate in, which is post-acute care, which is everything outside of the hospital, there’s so much happening in that space. I think about my own mother who is in assisted living. That’s the space we operate in. She needs care, she needs additional care, but it’s not care that would come from a hospital. And it’s also not care that would come from perhaps myself. That ability to have physical therapy, that ability to be transported, and ensure her medicine is being given to her.
Jason JJ James: As we look at an aging populace, more and more care will brought into the post-acute care space. Being able to serve the elderly that’s outside of the hospital.
Tim Crawford: I love that. I’ve often said healthcare is probably the most ripe industry for disruption by technology than anything today.
Jason JJ James: Absolutely. It was also one of those areas that I hadn’t worked in previously, and when I was approached to work in healthcare I was reluctant. I believe I told the CEO, as well as the executive recruiter, “Why are you coming to me? My entire background’s been built on transformation. No offense, but healthcare’s where innovation goes to die.” And they laughed and they said, “Well why do you say that?” I said, “Well in my experience, and this is not derogatory for all the CIOs that work in healthcare, but one of the things I often see is compliance leading to complacency.”
Jason JJ James: I’ve supported data projects that were FISMA, and NIST, and PCI. Data is data. The compliance piece is important and obviously we focus on securing patient data above all else. But at the same time, I was not going to let complacency fit in with compliance. So when I gave that message and said, “Look innovation can be brought to bear. I would only be willing to do this if I could take all the transformation, all the enterprise experience and bring it to bear in healthcare in a way that could revolutionize the business.” They said, “Okay. That’s why we want to talk to you.”
Tim Crawford: No, that’s great.
Jason JJ James: And so here we are today.
Tim Crawford: So before we dive into technology fitting in healthcare, I want to set the stage first because you have a really interesting background and perspective on the modern CIO, and the concept of the modern CIO as an anthropologist, and how the role of storytelling fits in. So maybe we could start there and kind of delve in to your perspective.
Jason JJ James: Sure. So when you talk about anthropology, anthropology is the study of human culture, tools, and development. That fits perfectly in when we talk about the modern CIO, or the modern technologist. If you think about the tools that are empowering our lives, that become the daily aspect of our lives, they could be compared to, maybe not in a primal sense of hunting and gathering what ancient man did, but last night I used my smartphone as I held my four month old child and ordered DoorDash, and had food show up at my door. The idea is I still use those tools to empower my daily life.
Jason JJ James: Think about the first time you held a smartphone and how that felt. That convergence of technology with this personal adaptation and how it fit into your life. I mean, think about how it fits in our modern lives. Even as a guy, we go in the bathroom, we used to read the shampoo bottles. Now we don’t have to do that because of the smartphone. But the idea is, it is now a part of our lives. And if you are a CIO where you understand the tools that are being used, you’ve got to understand that they’re being consumed by humans.
Jason JJ James: So what does that cultural adaptation of that tool look like? How do you use it? When we talk about user experience, it’s about getting people excited. It’s about getting them passionate. It’s about getting them to adapt and adhere to the tool they’re using. So when we look at anthropology in a modern sense, we’re in this new dawn of anthropology where our tools are evolving at such a fast rate of human development. They’re affecting laws, and how cites are built, and how we collect data, and how we share data, and how we move from place to place.
Jason JJ James: How often … You travel quite a bit, I travel quite a bit. We book our travel through our smartphones, our tablets. I haven’t spoken to a travel agent in the last decade. But we’ve used our tools to adapt to that and it’s a really interesting aspect.
Jason JJ James: So as a CIO, you have to understand the human condition. How are humans going to use these tools? How is it going to fit in their lives? For us, from a healthcare perspective, how will it serve humans? How will it improve their overall healthcare plan?
Tim Crawford: And if I think beyond just the tools, it’s not just about the tools, but it’s about the people too.
Jason JJ James: First and foremost, it’s always about the people. Without that, we have nothing. This idea of, you know, humans thought of the tool that they would use, they refine the tools that we use, they adapt to the tools that they use. At the core of everything we do is a human element. We can’t forget that.
Jason JJ James: We talk about user acceptance. User acceptance is a fancy way of saying human acceptance. I want everyone from a CIO to understand let’s put aside the technology for a moment and focus on the human use of the tool.
Tim Crawford: What about the people that helped you get to this point? As you think about understanding the anthropology of IT, which is a concept that I as well have actually presented on for several years, but if you think about the concept of the people and you think about the people that have helped you get here, how has that impacted you?
Jason JJ James: I was just talking to a group the other day about that. I live and work in metro Atlanta, but I grew up a couple hours south of here, small town in Alabama called Opelika, so right around Auburn University area. I am the first generation never to work in a cotton mill. And so at 15 when people were mowing grass and working in a textile mill, and working in a grocery store, I was laying out LANtastic networks and doing PC upgrades.
Jason JJ James: I’ve always been drawn to technology, but early on when I started looking for people that could help me, and mentors in technology, they were far and few between. What I was finding at the time was that many of the technologists that I knew, they were holding on to that knowledge close to the vest, like it was some magical thing and they knew where the dragon was hiding the gold. And they knew the spell to let him release the gold. It was just one of these things they just didn’t want to share.
Jason JJ James: I got really disappointed at the time. So I turned to my father, who was not a technologist, he was an HR director, and I said, “Dad I want to learn more about this but I’m just not finding those opportunities.” And he said, “Well why don’t you go and find people who you trust, respect, and admire their career, regardless of industry and ask them for their insights.” So I did.
Jason JJ James: I continued that journey. I moved to Atlanta 19-1/2 years ago, when even then I was looking at people who were successful in their career, who were passionate about what they did, regardless of what they did. I have a lot of friends that work in the film industry. Atlanta’s a huge film market. In fact, the majority of the blockbusters filmed within the last couple of years here, were filmed here. I will speak to those friends and people successful in those industries.
Jason JJ James: As I ascended from director into VP, I started looking for more CIOs that were willing to really share insights. One of those CIOs that was really receptive of that is a person you’ve had on your show, and a person we both know mutually very well, and that’s Jay Ferro. Jay at the time …
Jason JJ James: By the way, little side story because I go off on these weird tangents. He and I just shared the stage earlier this week for a event where we sat down and had a fireside chat, and discussed technology and digital transformation. What was interesting about that, Jay reminded me as part of that, that he and I met four years ago this week at the Masters. We had both known each other and knew of each other, but didn’t know-know each other. Jay and I became friends during that event, and started hanging out and discussing ideas more. And Jay asked me to come work for him at EarthLink.
Jason JJ James: Jay has a great eye for talent. And I say that because apparently he’s found this great talent to really make him look good. I joke with him about that, but at the same time I’m like, “Holy hell, that is brilliant.”
Tim Crawford: To be clear, Jay’s not the talented one. It’s the people that he brings to work for him that are talented, that makes him look talented.
Jason JJ James: I can neither confirm nor deny, but I will say he does find people that make him look good and can his job. Maybe that is a talent, so I-
Tim Crawford: If you want to learn more, listen to episode five of the CIO In The Know podcast.
Jason JJ James: That’s right. I joke with Jay, but he’s been great. He’s been a great mentor, he’s been a great friend. When we were working together at EarthLink, there was so much I learned from him. He has an amazing track record. You can’t deny it. The last six lieutenants of his, their next role was CIO.
Tim Crawford: That’s awesome. That’s awesome.
Jason JJ James: When I got the opportunity to take this role, which was my next role after working with Jay, I called him. I said, “Hey bud. Just to let you know, you know that track record of five? It’s now six.”
Tim Crawford: That’s awesome.
Jason JJ James: And he was extremely supportive.
Tim Crawford: Let’s get into the meat and potatoes of the technology conversation a bit, and healthcare. I want to get your take on innovation and how it’s hitting healthcare because this is a hugely disruptive opportunity, in a good way. And that has to do with the IoT and edge. Where do you see these fitting in to helping both the industry, but also the patient?
Jason JJ James: Well, it’s long overdue, and it’s long coming. What you’ve got is a aging populace that there’s so much information that can be gathered on the patient and patient improvement. So when you look at edge and IoT, one of the things that you see happening is the disruption is coming by gathering more of that information. So whether it be blood sugar monitoring, fall detection, blood pressure monitoring, and being able to report on that in real time and analyze that, is providing massive patient improvements.
Jason JJ James: Let’s take the Apple watch, for instance. It was the first smartwatch to be approved by the FDA for echogardiogram. So people are noticing abnormalities in their heart just from a smartwatch and reporting it to their doctor.
Tim Crawford: Wow.
Jason JJ James: There’s a couple instances you can look at and people have, it saved their life. So what we’re seeing is that same kind of data being brought to bear within hospitals, within doctor’s office, and it will continue to occur. As we start to get the younger baby boomers and the older Generation X that are a lot more comfortable with technology, they want data that can be gathered from them in a way that is less painful.
Jason JJ James: If you think about collecting that data at home, there’s less needles involved, there’s less procedures involved, and it can be fed to healthcare environments. Edge is important because the ability to transmit that faster, be available, secure that information, and get it back and forth from patient to doctor, will continue to improve.
Jason JJ James: If you look at all these IoT ed end points, which the smart devices would be, it’s feeding data at an alarming rate. If you’re in a large, metropolitan area you could have thousands if not tens of thousands of patients’ data being collected and fed to you on an ongoing basis.
Tim Crawford: That’s actually something I wanted to ask you about. When we look beyond just the devices themselves, and IoT, and edge, and how that will provide a lot of new opportunities for patients, which from a personal standpoint, I love that concept because needles is actually one of my big fears.
Jason JJ James: Me too.
Tim Crawford: You know, everybody has fears, whether it’s spiders or whatnot. Needles are mine. So I like the idea of that, but I’m also concerned about data and privacy. We talk about this concept, I call it the buzz phrase, not the buzz word but the buzz phrase, of data is the new oil. Is it? Or is there a downside, especially when you think about things like healthcare data and patient data?
Jason JJ James: Absolutely. It’s both. We have to balance this idea of data being the new oil as in data being the new wealth. And the flip side of it, which is data toxicity. This idea of capturing too much data, data you don’t need, data you’re not going to use, retaining data than longer than you need, putting the patient at risk, putting just personal data at risk, and at the same time putting undue burdens on the infrastructure resources.
Jason JJ James: Most organizations … I’ve yet to go in an organization that didn’t contain multiple files. Meaning you’ve got the same database replicated a hundred times because someone made a copy, and another person made a copy, and another person made a copy. So that puts of course, and undue burden on the IT team. It puts and undue burden on the infrastructure. But at the same time, each one of those become a risk factor. It becomes a risk factor in the sense of each one of those could contain personal data that could be exploited. Each one of those could contain data possibly that’s not even necessary.
Jason JJ James: One thing if you look at, whether it be HIPAA or PCI, it’s you only gather data that should be relevant. Having too much of that can become, to my point, toxic.
Tim Crawford: If you think about toxicity is a concept for a moment, is this a matter of we then need just a new truck load of policies? Or is this more about governance? Or is there something else that helps kind of guide us through this? Because it seems like just having a black and white discussion about this is data you need, this is data you don’t need, this is how you protect it or don’t protect it, that seems a little draconian and challenging.
Jason JJ James: Right. It becomes challenging. I don’t know if the fact is it becomes draconian, because when you look at the flip side of it, which becomes risk to the patient, it becomes risk to your own organization should that data get breached, but it also becomes this idea of you’re retaining data as a legal risk. So anytime within any organization, data can fall under e-discovery. The long you contain data, the longer you serve data, the more it can be brought into scope. That’s not a reason to do it.
Jason JJ James: The reason to do it is just the sheer protection of personal data. So when we look at this, it takes more than just policy. And especially when we talk about the emergence of IoT. Because data’s going to be collected at such an alarming rate, policies perhaps won’t contain it all. It has to be automated in a fashion that you create a data lifecycle. How is data born? How does it live? How does it age out? And how does it die? Much like the patient, continuing this idea of it ages with the patient and eventually fades out. But this lifecycle has to be brought to bear from a responsibility standpoint.
Jason JJ James: When we talk about just the protection of data, containing too much, especially if an organization’s not using it, there’s always information that will be generated by IoT and other systems that companies analyzing big data, looking at analytics, can use. But even with that, it has to be brought into a scope that’s manageable and also serves the patient the best.
Jason JJ James: But the same is true and can be applied to the enterprise. How much data becomes too much data? And when does data become a liability instead of a potential source of income?
Tim Crawford: Yeah. I think this is a challenge, even for those outside of healthcare that might be listening.
Jason JJ James: Absolutely.
Tim Crawford: This is a challenge because you’ve got data policies in place, but they aren’t necessarily adhered to, which creates a liability in its own right. Because now you’ve got data that’s outside of the policy that starts to negate the value of the policy, from a data discovery standpoint, should you have to go down that path.
Tim Crawford: But then the other piece is, you get the proliferation of data just because people don’t know what the value is, or there’s a perceived belief that it’ll be more valuable in the future than it is today, so let’s hold on to it.
Jason JJ James: Right. But in doing so, obviously the longer you hold onto it, the greater the risk. Not only from the risk of losing or compromising personal data. I mean, let’s take off the healthcare hat. That data could be personally identifiable data, which could be a risk. And at the same time, the idea is it leads itself to a host of other exploits, not only within your own organization, but that personal data. And at the same time, a legal risk.
Jason JJ James: I encourage everybody at spring, it’s time for spring cleaning. Go back to your infrastructure team and say, “Hey look: what are we storing? How are long are we storing it?” Be aware of that. That might be one of those projects that you move into an organization and you just don’t think about. But it’s there and the risk is there.
Tim Crawford: Again, maybe from a personal standpoint, I talk about needles, but on a happier note, one of the things that I actually find liberating, and I don’t see this happening as much within enterprises, but when I personally go through and do a little bit of digital detox, a little bit of digital housekeeping to get rid of that old stuff that might be sitting around, kind of collecting dust, if you will. Collecting digital dust, if you will. And maybe that’s a cultural thing that we need to infuse more within the enterprise process.
Jason JJ James: The question is, do you equate it to the modern philosophy of, do you hold the data, does it bring you joy? If not, let it go, so to speak. I’m not that minimalistic, especially when it comes to data. But at the same time, start with … To your point, start with your own system. Start at home and do that digital housekeeping.
Tim Crawford: Yeah. So if we look a little further out and we think about the crystal ball of innovation, and I’m going to ask you to look at your crystal ball, we think about things like artificial intelligence, and there’s a lot of conversation about AI, and AI’s going to solve so many problems that we have today. And driverless cars are going to be the wave of the future. How much of this is reality? And how much of this is potential in terms of the impact, specifically to healthcare and patients?
Jason JJ James: Well I think what we’re seeing right now, some of it is hype. But hype is important. Hype makes us understand that the idea is possible. Whether it’s there yet or not. So let’s take the hype. There’s nothing wrong with that. The reality is, it’s coming. If you look at …
Jason JJ James: Let’s talk about driverless cars for a second. Every major automotive manufacturer is spending over half a billion dollars investing in driverless cars because it will change society. I think about my own daughter who’s four months old today, she may never own a car. It just may be a service, much like Lyft or Uber, or things we haven’t even foreseen, that she can call and demand.
Jason JJ James: Where I get excited about that is how it plays into healthcare. I think about my own mother. She’s in assisted living. I do a lot of the care in taking her to the doctor, and making sure she gets where she needs to go. Having driverless cars means it could pick her up, drop her off. Think about that from a patient, healthcare perspective. You have a lot of patients that live in areas where public transit is lacking. And I would say unless you live in New York City, every city in America has lacking public transit. The elderly have a hard time arranging, getting to the doctor. Some don’t drive anymore. Some can’t drive anymore. So bringing that to bear allows them to get there.
Jason JJ James: If you look at AI for example, that will touch every part of our lives. You’ve got people that are really scared about it because they can’t foresee what that means. If you look at a researcher at Showa University in Japan, he’s using AI to more accurately identify and early detect colorectal cancer than traditional physicians have been able to do in the last 10 years. You’re talking about months to a year earlier. That saves peoples’ lives.
Jason JJ James: But if you take the whole AI approach and people get really scared about what that means, it’s because they can’t foresee how it will change. Would it eliminate their job? It might. But if you go back to the 18th century in America, really early 18th century, 90% of Americans, their job supported the farming industry. If you move into today, that’s less than 2%. But if you’d go back in time and told the economists of the day, “Hey by the way, 88% of your jobs will be done in 200 years”, it would’ve scared the hell out of them.
Tim Crawford: Absolutely.
Jason JJ James: There would have been panic. They would have thought Armageddon is nigh. So the idea is, we don’t know what jobs it will create. We don’t know what services it will create. The hype that is today will become the reality of tomorrow.
Tim Crawford: I had this conversation on the previous episode where we talked about how innovation and technology over the years has disrupted the jobs and workforce. The examples of that, one was the automobile. Going from the industry of horses and drivers to automobiles. And then another was the assembly line. And then a third, and probably something that you directly think about, your family could apply to, is the tractor.
Jason JJ James: Right.
Tim Crawford: Think about the disruption that the tractor brought to farming, and how that changed things. But in the wake of all of these innovations, and all of these disruptions were an increase in jobs.
Tim Crawford: And an increase in opportunity. I feel like we just haven’t had that part of the conversation yet, but I think that would be a great piece to go with.
Jason JJ James: Yeah. I think it goes back to the idea, people are afraid of what they don’t know. I am very optimistic about-
Tim Crawford: Great point.
Jason JJ James: … the future. I don’t think AI is going to be this Thanos, so to speak, that comes and wipes out half the population. I think what it’s going to do is become this new, innovative driver in our economy and our culture from an anthropological perspective that enables us and frees us up to do things that we’ve never done before.
Jason JJ James: If you even look at the low hanging fruit with automation and orchestration when it comes to AI, even within the data center you talk about provisioning, and monitoring, and reporting. That will probably be done from an AI perspective, and empower capacity planning like we’ve never seen.
Tim Crawford: I love it. As we wrap on this episode, what excites you most about the role of the CIO and where technology is headed?
Jason JJ James: What excites me is this idea is it’s ever changing. This is what got me into technology. This is what keeps me in technology. But it’s changing at an alarming rate. One of the things I think of all the time, and I argue about with the old CIOs, much older than myself, is that I think the job is harder today than it ever has been, from the sense that it transforms an alarming rate.
Jason JJ James: I feel like if you were a CIO in the 80s, and the days of data processing, you didn’t have disruption coming every few months. All the best hardware, all the best computers were in the office. If you look at the consumerization of IT and how that’s changed the enterprise, and how it’s changing healthcare, this idea is: I’ve got a device and it’s collecting data. I want to use that data. I want to use that device.
Jason JJ James: It’s driving it at a faster pace than ever before. We have to adapt. We have to understand, again, back to the whole anthropology analogy, that the tools that we’re using are in a constant state. If you’re a CIO that is not embracing constant disruption, ongoing disruption, and disruption happening at a faster pace, then the role’s no longer for you.
Jason JJ James: It excites me that it is changing that fast. If you look at it, what we’re seeing right now is a convergence of science fiction into reality. How far off is our smartphone from a Star Trek communicator or recorder?
Tim Crawford: Yeah, no, you’re right. You’re right.
Jason JJ James: But it’s happening. Driverless cars. I think about that all the time. I live in Atlanta. It takes me over an hour to go 20 miles most days. So this idea of getting in a car, yeah, I could get more work done. But I also have a new born. I could sleep a little bit longer. That’d be great.
Tim Crawford: Yeah. Come to Los Angeles. Traffic’s bad here too.
Jason JJ James: Yeah, absolutely.
Tim Crawford: So before we do wrap, I want to bring up your book. I’m hoping you can give us just a quick teaser about it.
Jason JJ James: Sure.
Tim Crawford: It’s called Make It Work: … it being the play on IT … Practical IT Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions. I know you’re in the final stages, but just give us a quick teaser on it.
Jason JJ James: Sure. So hoping to debut by Q4 of this year. It is a practical guide for IT to identify a merger and acquisition that might be happening in their own organization. The data and due diligence needed. How to look for synergies. And how effectively to not only handle a merger and acquisition, but also how to survive one.
Tim Crawford: That’s great. JJ, we’re going to have to leave it right there. Thanks for joining the program today.
Jason JJ James: Thanks, Tim.
Tim Crawford: Looking forward to having you back and continuing the conversation. I always love the conversations that we’ve had since we’ve met just recently, and I’m looking forward to many more in the years to come.
Jason JJ James: Me too. Thank you, sir.
Tim Crawford: For more information on the CIO In The Know podcast series, visit us online at cioitk.com. Or you can find us on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, and SoundCloud. Don’t forget to subscribe and thank you for listening.
May 6, 2019 July 28, 2020 AI, Business, CIOitk, Data, DigitalTransformation, Edge, Healthcare, IoT, Technology
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Filed under: 20th century poets, 66 West Street, 9 Lupine Road, American poets, beat poetry, beat poets, Caroline Kerouac, Centralville, Chief Seattle, children, dead poets, death, Dr. Sax, Dracut, Gabrielle Kerouac, Gerard Kerouac, Jack Kerouac, Jean-Louis Kerouac, Leo Kerouac, Lowell, Merrimack River, Nin Kerouac, novelists, novels, On the Road, Pawtucketville, poetry, poets, religion, Route 66, social criticism, St. Louis School, The Beats, tragedy, Visions of Cody, Visions of Gerard — Clattery MacHinery @ 3:29 am
The collage shows Jack Kerouac with all six of his homes in the West Centralville section of Lowell Massachusetts, plus the St. Louis School, part of the parish. The photo of Kerouac is taken from an interview in French with English subtitles. That’s what he said in French, “The children, however, are important.”
Below, we will look at each of his early childhood homes, from the time he was born, until he was ten-years-old, when the Kirouacks moved just a little west of his birthplace on Lupine Road, into the Pawtucketville section of the city. The Merrimack River vees north in Lowell, and at the tip is the crossover from Centralville to Pawtucketville, just south of the town of Dracut. It is from that narrow tip of the V, that both of Kerouac’s sections of the city flower out, Centralville to the east and Pawtuckville to the west. They are the only two parts of Lowell north of the Merrimack River.
Jean-Louis Kerouac was born in the second-floor apartment at 9 Lupine Road on March 12, 1922. There are rumors that his mother Gabrielle (nee Gabrielle-Ange Lévesque) delivered Jack in a hospital 12 miles up river in Nashua, New Hampshire. The family had lived there before Jack was born. Nashua is where his father Leo (nee Léo-Alcide Kéroack) grew up, and where the family would bury his older brother Gerard, who died of rheumatic fever, when Jack was four-years-old. He also had an older sister Caroline, nicknamed Nin.
Kerouac’s second childhood home was at 35 Burnaby Street, just a few houses from the town of Dracut, and a golf shot from the Kirouack home at Lupine Road where Jack was born. This is a nice little pocket of a neighborhood in Lowell, but a longer walk to school. From here, the family would move to 34 Beaulieu Street, one street away from St. Louis Elementary.
His third of several homes growing up in the West Centralville section of Lowell, Jack Kerouac later referred to 34 Beaulieu Street as “sad Beaulieu”. The Kirouack family was living there in 1926 when Jack’s big brother Gerard died of rheumatic fever at the age of nine. Jack was four at the time, and would later say that Gerard followed him in life as a guardian angel. This is the Gerard of Kerouac’s novel Visions of Gerard.
Jack was too young for school when the Kirouacks were living on Beaulieu. His brother Gerard and sister Nin, would have gone to St. Louis from there.
This is a shot west down Orleans Street, to where you can see that it ends at Lupine Road. Jack birthplace is two houses after you take the left down there. Before you get to Lupine, you cannot tell from the photo, but Burnaby Street where his second childhood home is, is a right hand turn about a third of the way down. This is a back-to-back shot from the top of Orleans with the next photo that goes east down to Hildreth Street, where the next two, the fourth and fifth, of Kerouac’s childhood homes are.
This is a shot east down Orleans Street, which begins down there at Hildreth. The yellow building at the tip of the V perspective is a house facing from Hildreth. Taking a right there will lead you about a quarter then half a mile to two of Jack’s childhood homes, at 320 then 240 Hildreth Street. This is a back-to-back shot from the top of Orleans with the photo just above it. When Jack lived in West Centralville, he lived in the western most parts of West Centralville.
In 1927, the year after Jack’s brother Gerard died, the Kirouacks moved to an apartment at 320 Hildreth Street, Jack’s 4th childhood home. It is here that young Jack began school, which allowed his mother to start work at a shoe factory. The shot is from the street in front of the McKenna-Ouellette Funeral home, a place Lowellians will know. Looking down Hildreth on the left side of the photograph, you can see houses on the odd side of the street as Hildreth curves right. Those are about halfway to Kerouac’s next house, 240 Hildreth.
St. Louis School in the early afternoon, parents getting their kids. This is one street over from Beaulieu, where Jack’s third childhood home is. This and 34 Beaulieu are between 240 Hildreth, his fifth home, and 66 West Street, his sixth. These are the eastern most homes he would have in Lowell as a child, 9 Lupine and 35 Burnaby being the westernmost of his Centralville homes, 320 Hildreth being in the middle.
I understand that the particular school building that Jack went to has been replaced. The photo is of one of a complex of buildings that include the church. It says “L’Ecole St. Louis” above the door. Whatever that means, the neighbors now know it as St. Louis School.
In 1929, the year Jack Kerouac turned seven, about the time the Great Depression began, his family moved from 320 Hildreth to 240 Hildreth, Jack’s fifth home. Much of this moving apparently had to do with his father’s gambling debts. This summer of 2010, the owners of 240 Hildreth have put up a new retaining wall, steps, porch, and fence.
That’s 66 West Street on the left. But notice the two stop signs. This house is at a 5-way intersection with Stanley and West Sixth Streets.
That van at the rightmost stop sign, if it were to take a left onto West Sixth, would be heading to the St. Louis church complex, where a right would take it onto the short Beaulieu Street. To go further down West Sixth, it would merge onto Lakeview Avenue, which would take it to a street named Fred, a right there and a quick left would bring it to 9 Lupine two houses in. However, if the van were to cross the intersection and stay on West Street, West would merge with Coburn, which would end at Hildreth. A left there would bring it to 240 Hildreth, then to 320 Hildreth, then to Orleans, which as above, would take it to Burnaby Road, and down to Lupine. Jack’s houses circle St. Louis Church and School.
66 West Street is Jack’s 6th childhood home, and the last one in West Centralville. But don’t let the name fool you. This is the easternmost home he would have in Centralville, before moving west to the Pawtucketville. It was at this house that Jack lived for nearly three years, when he was seven to ten years of age, the longest span of time he would ever live anywhere. This was when he first started to speak English. He wrote of life on West Street in both Dr. Sax and Visions of Cody.
Notice the number of the house, a prescient 66, as in Route 66. And notice the name of the street, West, as in “go west”. What a short mental distance from “66 West Street” to “Route 66 West,” like going back home verbally, or literally. He never lived on any street that began with East, South, or North, although he once lived in North Carolina. But he lived on the following streets: West 119th, West 118th, and West 115th Streets in New York City; West Center Avenue in Denver; and West 20th Street in New York City; as well as in West Haven Connecticut.
I did a similar amount of moving until I was 9-years-old, from Belvidere across the river, to the town of Chelmsford, to the Christian Hill (or eastern) part of Centralville, to the town of Dracut, back to Christian Hill, and then to the sixth house when I was nine, also on Christian Hill. I would stay put there until eighteen. So the moving stopped for me. But for many of us from these parts, a lot of moving around would make the streets of Lowell, whole neighborhoods in Lowell, one’s home—regularly cutting through or even playing in old back yards, for instance—to the degree that even when I moved to 18th Street in Dracut with my first wife, where a rolling little cow pasture use to be, it was an odd politics that allowed a doctor from the town of Chelmsford, ten miles away, to own the rental property. I was living on my stomping ground. What kind of cock-eyed world would allow this type of Chelmsford-doctor imperialism on this sacred turf? This is a very anti-establishment and ingrained type of thinking, something along the lines of Chief Seattle.
Jack would move to Pawtucketville from here, where he would live in at least another three homes with is family, and from where he would go to high school. Just as Centralville would lay the concrete aspects of Jack’s development of the Beat movement, Pawtucketville is where the formal operational aspects of this jolt to Western and then World culture would formulate. Much of this thinking would begin with his high school connections, and take place in homes around the city, such as the Sampas’ in the Highlands across the river. The jump from Centralville to Pawtucketville would take him On the Road—his entire life, and ours.
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Promoting accessible and inclusive libraries
Student bursaries
History of CLAUD
The meaning of the name CLAUD has changed over time. In 2002, Project Claudine referred to the “Consortium of librarians in higher education networking to improve library access for users with disabilities in South and Southwest England”. This was later simplified to “Creating Libraries Accessible to Users with Disabilities” or “CLAUD”. The group’s focus later shifted to providing more accessible and inclusive libraries for everyone. In time, we dropped the acronym but kept the familiar name.
Development and challenges
CLAUD began informally in 1996 as a grassroots meeting of librarians with an interest in accessibility. The network included librarians from what would become its four founding members, Southampton, Exeter, Plymouth and Bristol. This led to the creation of the first assistive technology service at Southampton. CLAUD then grew to include over 20 higher education institutions. It now stretches from Falmouth in the West to Sussex in the East, and from Portsmouth in the South to Gloucester and Reading further North.
The initial intention was to keep the group regional, so that it would be easier for all the members to meet at one another’s libraries. Gradually the region expanded as more libraries wanted to join. Still others were inspired by the early residential conferences to create new groups in other regions.
A two-day conference soon became part of the calendar and these were open to all. They encouraged networking between libraries, while meetings were held each Winter and Spring exclusively for members of the consortium. The conference was residential, and early members still remember the work that went into them! The recession brought funding and staffing shortages. As a result, the model changed to a series of two study days each year. These have since gone from strength to strength, providing excellent training and networking opportunities.
Every member organisation can send up to three staff members to each study day, which comprise talks, workshops and library tours. Students and academics have offered professional and personal insights into the challenges disabled people face, while members have tried out assistive technologies, explored the impact of visual impairments and neurological diversity on perception, and learned basic sign language.
Research, publications and other contributions to the wider profession
CLAUD securedHEFCE funding to employ two people to work on Project Claudine. The project resulted in the 2002 publication of Recommendations to improve accessibility for disabled users in academic libraries by Sandra Jones.
CLAUD contributed to the Masters degree in librarianship in Bristol, at what is now at the University of Western England. We helped embed accessibility considerations into all aspects of their course.
CLAUD still provides bursaries to fund any student dissertation on a subject related to accessibility and inclusion. The funded student also gets to present their findings to our members – an excellent opportunity to impress prospective employers!
CLAUD members contributed to the revised SCONUL guidance on improving library accessibility, published in 2012 as Access for library users with disabilities.
CLAUD also contributes to government consultations and considers the implications of legislation. Members discuss common problems with communications, funding and service provision. We also consider the impact and opportunities of the increasing pace of technological innovation, disruptive change and innovation.
As libraries enter yet another time of great uncertainty, CLAUD is committed to helping our members make the most of scarce resources and find innovative ways to become more accessible and inclusive.
© 2018 CLAUD
Email: committee@claud.org.uk
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Latest UK Debt News & Personal Finance | ClearDebt Newsdesk Daily UK debt, personal finance, and IVA news.
Britain ‘set for further financial pressures’
03/07/2007 ClearDebt Newsdesk
A number of experts, including Global Insight’s chief UK and European economist Howard Archer, anticipate that when the bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) meets this week they will vote to raise the base rate of interest to 5.75 per cent.
Such an increase will see household incomes stretched for millions of consumers and could lead many people to consider ways of finding a debt solution.
“We assume that the four MPC members in favour of higher interest rates in June will maintain that view at the July meeting,” explained Mr Archer.
“This means that it will only need one of the five ‘no change’ MPC camp to switch sides to trigger an interest rate hike.”
Research carried out by Sainsbury’s Bank recently suggested that there are more than 2.8 million adults in the UK who are afraid of confronting their own financial situation.
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Bailiff companies should face stricter regulation according to consortium of charities
Identity fraud reaches highest levels since records began
Lost in translation: UK adults ignore important financial information as they don’t understand terminology
£1.5 billion wasted by auto-renewing car insurance
Inequality UK: Savings gap grows 25% between high and low income families
On this basis should we not be teaching kids how to invest now?! State pension age could be raised to 70 - BBC News https://t.co/SfdChvwxdS
Is it time to phase them out? #Finance #Banking #Cheques Bank cheques to be cleared within a day - BBC News https://t.co/V4Y3m7FOa6
Thames Water fined £20m for sewage spill - BBC News https://t.co/nlIULrG1lE
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Painted Desert Project grows with addition of Gray Mountain mural
MACKENZIE CHASE Arts & Culture Editor
A new mural on Highway 89 north of Flagstaff adds a splash of color to the desert landscape.
MacKenzie Chase, Arizona Daily Sun
Phoenix-based artist Thomas “Breeze” Marcus is known for his signature style, which draws inspiration from his heritage and the intricate basket weaving for which the Tohono O’odham and Akimel O’odham are known.
MacKenzie Chase
Apache artist Douglas Miles painted the north side of the Gray Mountain mural.
Highway 89 north of Flagstaff beckons travelers through the high desert, ponderosa pine making way for junipers and pastel mountains in the distance as inhabited buildings become few and far between. When Navajo Nation physician and artist Chip Thomas began wheat pasting some of his work onto the abandoned structures dispersed across the landscape in 2009, it was often without the consent of the building owners, he said.
“That changed after a few months when I met a group of men working to repair their dilapidated stand so they could start using it again. I asked why they decided to start using it again and they said so many people stopped to take photos of the art that they realized they were missing potential sales,” Thomas said.
He began inviting other artists to add their own pieces and spend time on the reservation in 2012. The ongoing accumulation of public art came to be called the Painted Desert Project, which has brought visiting artists from all over to schools and youth programs in Cameron, Shonto, the Chuska Mountains with Navajo Youth Empowerment Services and Navajo Mountain, inviting them to leave their marks behind on expanding minds and crumbling buildings.
This newest addition to the Painted Desert Project was completed this past November on the Gray Mountain Whiting Brothers motel, which has been abandoned since 2005. Thomas invited Phoenix-based Tohono O’odham artist Thomas “Breeze” Marcus, who also contributed to the Painted Desert Project in 2012, to come up with a design for the two-story building. Breeze in turn invited Los Angeles-based Zuni, Rarámuri and Chicano artist Jaime "Vyal One" Reyes to work alongside him and pretty soon they had more talent on board in the form of Diné painter Jerrel Singer, who grew up in the Gray Mountain area, Apache artist Douglas Miles and Diné artist LivA'ndrea Knoki.
“Of course, people driving along 89 are going to stop there anyway because it is an abandoned space and it’s interesting that way, but they have an additional reason to stop because of the artwork,” Breeze said. “But most importantly, the people who live in the vicinity that are practically neighbors with that abandoned space, they were very positive and receptive of it and so thankful.”
Breeze has been honing his skills for almost 30 years, contributing pieces to galleries in the Valley as well as more large-scale murals showcasing his signature weaving style, which draws inspiration from his heritage and the intricate basket weaving for which the Tohono O’odham and Akimel O’odham are known.
Complementing this abstract component, Vyal’s trademark eyes look out from the walls of the motel, entire worlds held within the irises. The self-taught artist has been contributing to the Los Angeles art scene with public murals, graffiti, museum contributions and brand collaborations for more than 20 years.
“It’s been getting a lot of good response which is what we were hoping for. We want to make people feel that they’re not forgotten about during this time,” Vyal said. “Art kind of helps people feel alive and it’s almost a welcome mat to that strip of road, just giving that whole building a facelift that it needed.”
And it was a fully improvised facelift. Already familiar with each other’s work through previous collaborations, Vyal and Breeze had a quick brainstorming session to discuss general ideas they wanted to incorporate before freestyling the entire two-story motel front.
“One of the things we wanted was for it to definitely be really colorful,” Breeze said. “Individually we work in really bright colors anyway and we knew we could add something that would be much better than what was typically there, just vulgar graffiti that doesn’t really add much.”
The single-level arm on the north end of the motel, where the front office would have been be located, was largely painted by Miles and Knoki who adorned the walls with depictions of Indigenous women on one side, the statement “AMERICAN RENT IS DUE” on the other.
“Stepping away and taking in the entire project from a distance was a pretty ethereal experience, especially as the sun set each day,” Knoki said.
As someone still developing her style, Knoki added she enjoyed the opportunity to paint alongside these accomplished artists and learn from them while contributing some beauty to the world.
“It can definitely be intimidating working alongside master artists, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity to increase one’s own skill set through keen observation,” she said.
The mural itself is open to interpretation, allowing passersby of all ages to find appreciation in the intricate ribbons of color brightening the desert landscape.
“We’re definitely trying to promote some healing and some life and light into that space, but there’s not really a definition, people take from it what they want,” Vyal said. “We wanted to show that there’s still a lot of natives out doing stuff. We’re still strong, we’re still here, we’re creative and artistic and we’ve always been that. It’s not going away anytime soon.”
The inclusion of public art along that long stretch of highway is an invitation to travelers to take a break from whatever journey they’re on and enjoy something beautiful in an informal, relaxed setting.
“I enjoy being able to leave behind these gifts of art,” Breeze said. “It becomes a part of the community and those that are able to witness it in person, they can take photos, they can recognize it as a landmark. It becomes a part of their world temporarily and they can have that sense of ownership over it, almost like having a piece of it with themselves, and I think that’s the selfless gift from people that paint public art because you’re putting so much energy into this art and these monumental pieces only for it to be let go in a way, like you’re releasing it into the wild.”
Thomas said he’s thought often about how creating and viewing art can provide comfort to people, especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic. He cites an informal survey taken this spring in which people were asked to rank jobs from most to least essential during this time.
“Not surprisingly, health care workers were at the top of the list and artists were at the bottom of the list,” he said. “I've not researched this but my instinct is that the time people most need to be reminded of our shared humanity, to be surprised by unexpected beauty and filled with a sense of hope and soulfulness is during times of great privation. Think of the band playing as the Titanic sank or musicians playing amongst bombed out ruins during World War II in the Warsaw ghetto as depicted in the film The Piano. Experiencing art in times of strife can be a sobering moment that instills hope, especially if it's public art created from a place of compassion.
“As you know, the Navajo Nation has suffered greatly during this time of hardship,” Thomas continued. “I can't speak to how others see the work during the pandemic but I know what it does for me both making it and seeing it. And that's coming from someone representing the most and least essential workers during the pandemic.”
MNA, Art in Action, The HeArt Box present poignant exhibits
Historically, art has helped people process emotions during times of strife, more important than ever now as each day seems to bring new traum…
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26 Years Ago: Garth Brooks Performs With KISS on ‘The Tonight Show’
The Boot Staff
Twenty-six years ago today (July 13, 1994) was an unforgettable day for Garth Brooks: It was the day that he performed "Hard Luck Woman" with KISS on The Tonight Show.
Brooks recorded "Hard Luck Woman" — which KISS originally recorded in 1976 for their Rock and Roll Over album — for a KISS tribute album, KISS My Ass: Classic KISS Regrooved. He was the only country artist to appear on the 12-track project; other acts who contributed to the record include Lenny Kravitz, Stevie Wonder, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Extreme. In an attempt to honor the tradition of KISS, the Oklahoma native asked the band to perform for the track, making his the only song on the album that actually includes members of KISS.
Brooks' appearance on The Tonight Show, which was hosted by Jay Leno at the time, came just as his award-winning career was soaring to new heights. His single "One Night a Day," from his multi-platinum In Pieces album, was climbing up the charts, and he had sold out stadiums and arenas all over Europe on his inaugural world tour. One night after Brooks' appearance on The Tonight Show, the superstar performed a charity show at the Hollywood Bowl, where he sold out 18,000 tickets in a record-setting 21 minutes.
Readers can press play on the video above to watch Brooks and KISS' performance. The KISS My Ass tribute album is available on Amazon.
This story was originally written by Gayle Thompson, and revised by Annie Zaleski.
WATCH: Test Your Garth Brooks Knowledge!
LOOK: Country Stars' Best Selfies
NEXT: Top 10 Garth Brooks Songs
Source: 26 Years Ago: Garth Brooks Performs With KISS on ‘The Tonight Show’
Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Garth Brooks
Categories: Offbeat
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Bakex Millers Ltd is a leading producer of wheat flour in Kenya including well
known brands such as Oboma, Vitafla and Phulka.
We are a family owned enterprise
located in Thika town.
Established in 1983, Bakex Millers is one of the oldest grain millers and is part of the Broadway Group of Companies. We are very proud of our place among Kenyan Grain Millers because we play an important role in ensuring the Kenyan market enjoys high quality wheat flour for local needs.
We produce the Bakex brand of wheat flour that includes well known brands such as Oboma, Vitafla and Phulka.
Our main production plant is located
three kilometers from the Thika
super-highway, just off Garissa Rd.
Our location makes it easy for us to serve customers in different parts of Kenya. In addition, we have well developed distribution lines that run deep into the Central region and the Rift Valley, and all the regions in between.
To adopt the highest standard of integrity, honesty and fairness so as to maximize the value of our enterprise to all our stakeholders.
To obtain optimal operational excellence by adopting a culture of continous improvement.
Our Principles and values are at the heart of everything we do.
Our leadership team is backed by extensive skills and experience gained spanning over 40 years. United by family values and supported by a growing team of highly qualified professionals, we are committed to continue providing superior products for our customers and assisting our communities.
OUR TEAM / MANAGEMENT
Bejul is the youngest of the three cousins involved in the family business. After completing ABE in the UK, he joined the family business in 1990. Bejul is extremely dedicated and committed to the family business, ensuring not a single day goes by without visiting the business.
He has taken after his father and manages the entire logistics and operations departments of both businesses, handling a combined fleet of over 120 vehicles.
A professional baker, Bimal joined the National Baking School in London graduating with a distinction. In 1979, he returned to Kenya and joined the family business. Working on the factory floor, Bimal quickly grasped the running of both businesses.
After 2000, Bimal, together with his cousins, took over the running of the businesses from the previous generation. With the wealth of experience and joint family values, Bimal has been able to successfully lead all the three families in the businesses after the passing away of his father and uncles.
Hiten is a professional miller and did his further education in Milling Technology and qualified as a Milling Technologist in Switzerland before doing a further milling course in India. He then joined the family business in 1984, focusing on the wheat flour side of the business.
When his father and uncles all retired in 2000, Hiten took over the running of Bakex Millers and has since overseen rapid growth and expansion in the company.
Rohin is the son of Hiten Ratilal Shah. He did his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance at the University of Kent before doing his Master’s degree in Finance and Investment at the University of Nottingham. He joined the family business in 2015 and is based at Bakex Millers, where he handles a number of departments including production, operations, sales and marketing.
Devan is the son of Bimal Sobhagchand Shah. He graduated from the University of Bristol and thereafter did a Master’s in Business Analytics and Consulting from the University of Warwick. He joined the family business in 2015 and is currently the Business Development Executive. Devan has been instrumental in the marketing campaigns that have been run by the Group over the last few years, as well as initiating the new convenience kiosk concept of Seven 2 Seven.
The Broadway Group Of Companies
Bakex Millers
© COPYRIGHT 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DEVELOPED BY: IGNITE
BAKEX MILLERS LIMITED
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Exploring Bad Liebenzell and its Surroundings.
Bad Liebenzell Castle (ca. 1 km)
The Castle was once the most important castle of the „Württembergischen“ Black Forest. It was built by the earl of Calw in the 12th century. The castle was further built from 1220 to 1230, in the 16th century and was destroyed in 1692. In1954 it was rebuilt. Walk or drive up to visit and enjoy the view overlooking the town. Climb up the tower and enjoy a snack or meal in the restaurant and cafe afterwards.
Monbach Gorge (ca. 3 km)
Enjoy a wonderful day in the Monbach Valley. Discover the flair of the Black Forest and one of its beautiful nature trails while you walk through this amazing gorge with its many small waterfalls. Along the way you'll see rare fauna, moss covered stones, small streams – untouched nature at its best. The full path of 7 km. is well posted.
Hirsau Monastery (ca. 5 km)
Between the densely wooded hills of the Black Forest, in the Nagold Valley, lie the ruins of Hirsau Monastery. Also known as the Monastery of St. Peter and Paul, the former Benedictine abbey is an architectural milestone. Upon completion, St. Peter and Paul was the largest monastery building in German-speaking Europe and one of the largest Romanesque structures in what is now southwestern Germany. Your konus card allows you free train travel to Hirsau.
Calw (ca. 7 km)
The succession of impressive half-timbered house on the Market Square, in Lederstrasse, Altburger Strasse and in the steep winding alleyways still conveys an impression of what the medieval town might have looked like. Almost the entire centre of Calw is under monument protection. More than 200 houses date back to the 17th century. Take a stroll, do some shopping or drink a cup of coffee while enjoying the special flair of this town. Your konus card brings you to Calw by train for free
Weil der Stadt (ca. 15 km)
The first glimpse of Weil der Stadt already takes one's breath away: with its picturesque location in the Wurm Valley, the medieval townscape is an impressive one, with city walls and fortified towers and the mighty Catholic parish church of Sts. Peter and Paul towering over it. Wherever you go in Weil der Stadt, the past is all around you: you'll come across traces of Weil's famous sons, Steinhöwel, Brenz and Kepler, imposing buildings, fascinating museums and lots more besides. Enjoy a walk through the town in the evening with a night watchman and see the town's past come to life.
Nagold (ca. 30 km)
Nagold is known for its ruined castle, Hohennagold Castle, and for its road viaduct. It takes its name from the river Nagold, which flows through the town. It has a beautiful and historic city centre with half-timbered houses , market places and lots of opportunities for shopping or dining. Your konus card will bring you here by train for free.
Treetop Walk Bad Wildbad (ca. 20 km)
Get on top of the Black Forest. With a total length of 1,250 meters ( including the ramp in the tower) and a height of up to 20 meters above the forest floor, the walkway winds through beech, firs and spruces to the top. Enjoy the Black Forest from an entirely new perspective. Use your konus card to travel here for free either by train or bus.
Ludwigsburg Residential Palace (ca. 50 km)
Ludwigsburg Residential Palace (Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg) is one of the few Baroque buildings to have survived the tumultuous history of the last centuries almost unscathed. This truly palatial complex stands out not just for its impressive size, but also for its sumptuous interiors. Another feature is the unique blend of three quite different architectural styles: Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassicism. Enjoy a feast for the senses, in the form of the park that surrounds the palace on three sides. The gardens were laid out for the 250th anniversary in 1954, partly following historical plans, but also with new elements based on Baroque designs. Since then, the gardens, known as Blühendes Barock, including the charming Märchengarten (fairy-tale garden), have become a popular destination for daytrippers.
Bebenhausen Monastery and Palace (ca. 50km)
The Medieval monastery complex of Bebenhausen is nestled in the gently rolling hills of the Schönbuch nature reserve.Some of its buildings were converted into a royal hunting palace in the 19th century.
Hohenzollern Castle (ca. 80 km)
The Hohenzollern Castle is situated at the edge of the Swabian Alb and offers a fantastic view over the surrounding area. It is its extraordinary location which prompted Emperor William II to proclaim “The panorama from the Hohenzollern Castle is truly worth a journey”. Discover this landmark of the Zollernalb region and discover the history of the Hohenzollerns.
Bad Wimpfen (ca. 100 km)
A fairytale skyline with Blue Tower, churches and historic buildings promises an exciting history of Celts, Romans and royalty. Visit the largest Staufer fortified imperial palace north of the Alps.
Heidelberg (ca. 100 km)
Heidelberg is a former Palatine residence city, especially known for its picturesque old town and the castle which towers over the town. The castle was once the residence of the Elector Palatine. Since the 19th century, the castle is the epitome of German romanticism for tourists from around the world. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Heidelberg was one of the most magnificent palaces in Europe. Various guides you through this magnificent palace complex. You can expect a very exciting day.
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Rugby was only a newly devised sport when it first arrived in Canterbury, but that did not stop it from becoming a prominent part of the cultural fabric of life in the region. Today, Canterbury is often associated with the iconic team, the Crusaders.
Sheep farming has played an important role in the development of Christchurch and the Canterbury province. Today, one still doesn't need to drive too far outside of the central city before encountering them!
Sign of the Kiwi
Designed by Samuel Hurst Seager, and built 1916-1917, the Sign of the Kiwi is one of the rest houses constructed as part of Harry Ell’s Summit Road vision. With views of the Canterbury Plains and Christchurch city, the building has remained a popular destination for both tourists and locals.
Sign of the Takahe
Built between 1918 and 1948 in the neo-Gothic style, the Sign of the Takahe is the largest of the rest houses constructed as part of Harry Ell's vision of a Summit Road. Explore a selection of photographs of this majestic building from our collection.
From city founders to explorers, Christchurch has a range of historic statutes, some carved locally, others internationally. Explore a selection of photographs depicting the statues that can be found throughout the city.
Following the devastation of the Canterbury earthquakes, we were left with a city of broken buildings and empty spaces. Artists, both local and international, came to Christchurch to turn these disheartening sights into vibrant murals. But street art in Christchurch isn't confined to the post-earthquake recovery period. Explore a selection of photographs from our collection depicting art that has been found throughout the city over the decades.
Student Life in Canterbury
With two universities and a polytechnic, Canterbury has always drawn students from around the country and across the world. Explore a selection of photographs that showcase the various elements of student life from enrollment to graduation ceremonies.
Christchurch Polytechnic students
Teachers College students
Barbecues, outdoor concerts, and days at the beach, these are just some of the activities you will find this selection of summertime photographs from our collection.
Summertime Antics
Some highlights from our collection showing summertime activities around Canterbury.
For many people in Christchurch, the seaside suburb of Sumner offers memories of summer days spent on the beach, climbing Cave Rock, and ice creams. For those who have made it their home, it is a retreat from the bustle of the city. Explore a selection of photographs from our collection that depict life in Sumner.
When the supermarket first opened in Christchurch in 1963 it was a novel concept. Now, they can be found in every suburb throughout the city. Explore a selection of photographs from our collection that depict staff, customers, and managers of supermarket stores, both past and present.
Although the beaches of Christchurch are a source of leisurely activity, a swim in the ocean can also turn deadly for those caught unawares. To prevent drownings, the New Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club, the first in New Zealand, was founded on 14 July 1910. Explore a selection of photographs from our collection that depict members of this club and the others in Christchurch that were subsequently founded to protect beach users.
Life Saving clubs
Te Reo Māori is one of the official languages of New Zealand. Explore a selection of photographs from our collection that depict the study and use of our national taonga.
Teddy Bears!
Do you remember the teddy bears' picnic in Hagley Park? Go on a bear hunt through our collection! How many Santa Bears do you recognise?
Carved by Chief Lelooska, the Totem Pole of Friendship was gifted to Christchurch in 1959 by the Oregon Centennial Commission and the Portland Zoological Society in appreciation of the hospitality given to personnel of Operation Deep Freeze. The totem pole originally stood at Little Hagley Park before being relocated to Christchurch International Airport in 1980.
Friendship Totem Pole
Trains and railway
The first railway to open in New Zealand was the line between Christchurch and Ferrymead when the locomotive, Pilgrim, made its initial journey in December 1863. From 1877 to 1990, the railway workshops in Addington were a source of industry and employment for the city. Take a journey through a selection of photographs from the age of steam to electrification.
With the establishment of the Canterbury Tramway Company Limited, from 1880 trams became a means of connecting the city with the outer suburbs. The Christchurch tramway system was discontinued in 1954, but today a tramway circuit, featuring restored trams, allows visitors to tour the centre of the city. Take your own tour through a selection of photographs from our collection.
Victoria Square / Market Square
Victoria Square, originally known as Market Square, was established on land which was once part of the Waitaha pā of Puari. Although it was superseded by the development of Cathedral Square, the square has remained a focal point of the central city. Explore a selection of photographs from our collection that showcase the changes Victoria Square has undergone over the decades.
Victoria Street Bridge
Victoria Street bridge, now known as the Hamish Hay bridge, has gone through many alterations during its time to fit the new requirements of it, from being widened and strengthened several times as transport in the city changed, to ultimately being pedestrianised as we know it now.
Hamish Hay Bridge
Views from the Destructor!
Views from the top of the destructor chimney prior to the chimney being demolished in 1939.
Municipal Electricity Department destructor chimney
Waimakariri River
With its head in the Southern Alps, the Waimakariri River meanders down from the mountains and across the plains north of Christchurch before meeting the Pacific Ocean. The river is a popular location for fishing and boating. Take a journey down the river through a selection of photographs from our collection.
Waitangi Day commemorates the signing on 6 February 1840 of the Treaty of Waitangi. Waitangi Day became a nationwide public holiday in 1974. Commemorations are often held at Okains Bay and Ōnuku Marae in Banks Peninsula.
Treaty of Waitangi
The rivers, beaches, harbours, and swimming pools of Canterbury allow for a variety of water sports. From swimming to yachting, explore a selection of photographs from our collection that showcase the many ways in which we take to the water.
Kite surfers
Winter in Canterbury, on a good day, offers clear, crisp mornings and views of the Southern Alps. At its worst, it can bring heavy snow and freezing temperatures. Wrap up warm and explore a selection of photographs from our collection that depict this time of the year.
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Catalogue Search for "loantype:"ADULT FICTION""
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Criminal innocence
By Ashford, Jeffrey
Published Sutton: Severn House, 2010
Steven Drury, a respectable barrister, is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Returning to his car in a deserted car park after a late night party,...
Secret brother
By Andrews, Virginia
Published London: Simon & Schuster, 2015
A young boy suffers amnesia from a trauma he suffered in what feels like must have been another life. He's adopted into a wealthy family - but what will...
By Holland, Tom
Published London: Little, Brown, 1997
A change of gravity
By Higgins, George V. (George Vincent), 1939-
By Box, C.J
Published London: Head of Zeus, 2014
Joe Pickett is asked to investigate rumours about a ranch, it's reclusive millionaire owner, the women who live there and the sudden disappearances -...
By Norman, Hilary
Liza Plain, a Boston-based journalist hoping for her big break, is dreading spending Christmas in Shiloh, Rhode Island, with her difficult grandfather...
Whiskey with a twist
By Wright, Nina, 1964-
Published Woodbury, Minn.: Midnight Ink, 2009
1st ed
Mariner's ark
By Tonkin, Peter
Published Sutton, Surrey, England: Severn House, 2015
Richard and Robin Mariner are in Long Beach, California, to oversee the arrival of their container ship, Sulu Queen, before joining their friend Nic Greenbaum...
By Essex, David, 1947- author
Albert Kemp is a lonely widower, whose only son was killed in the war. Now, in 1953, he is working in a pub under the railway arches. Downstairs is a...
Mayday!
By Cussler, Clive, 1931- author
Published London: Michael Joseph, 2013
A psychotic ex-Nazi, a vicious narcotics dealer, a bloodthirsty Greek strongman and a beautiful double agent set Pitt off on the trail of a warped mastermind...
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Cussler, Clive (62)
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Minter Browser
MintAccess
TSX-V: CUR $0.179
Latest Change +0.050
Volume 95, 396
View All Info
BlockMint Technologies Completes Reverse Takeover Acquisition
Vancouver, British Columbia – BlockMint Technologies Inc. (the “Company”, formerly SMC Ventures Inc.) (TSX-V: BKMT) is pleased to announce it has closed its reverse takeover acquisition of Blockmint (Canada) Technologies Inc. (“BMT”) (the “Acquisition”).
The Acquisition was carried out pursuant to a plan of arrangement involving a "three-cornered" amalgamation, whereby:
the Company consolidated its 18,708,678 outstanding common shares on a two-for-one basis to result in 9,354,339 post-consolidated shares being outstanding;
the Company changed its name from SMC Ventures Inc. to “BlockMint Technologies Inc.”; and BMT concurrently changed its name to “BlockMint (Canada) Technologies Inc.”;
the Company issued 34,914,681 post-consolidated shares to the shareholders of BMT (on the basis of 1.33 post-consolidated shares of the Company for each common share of BMT (the “Exchange Ratio”)) (the “RTO Shares”);
the Company issued 6,650,000 performance warrants in replacement of the 5,000,000 performance warrants outstanding in the capital of BMT and 152,498 finder’s fee warrants in replacement of the 114,660 finder’s fee warrant outstanding in the capital of BMT, with each share purchase warrant entitling the holder to acquire one post-consolidated share of the Company at the exercise price in the underlying BMT warrant (the “RTO Warrants”);
BMT became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company; and
the Company’s board of directors and management were replaced with representatives nominated by BMT.
The common shares of the Company are expected to begin trading as a Tier 2 Issuer on the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSXV”) under the symbol “BKMT” on Thursday, February 21, 2019.
The Acquisition constitutes a Reverse Takeover and Change of Business within the meaning of the TSXV policies. In connection with the Acquisition, the Company has filed a filing statement dated December 28, 2018 (the "Filing Statement"). More information about the Acquisition, as well as additional disclosure about BMT, can be obtained from the Company’s Filing Statement filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Board of Directors & New Management
The Company has also appointed a new board of directors, being Nelson Ijih, Jeffrey Lightfoot, David Patterson and Colin Watt. The officers of the Company are now Nelson Ijih (CEO and CTO), Daniel Beck (COO), Victor Hugo (CFO) and Erin Walmesley (Corporate Secretary). Select biographical details regarding the new directors and officers of the Company can be found in the Filing Statement.
Escrowed Securities
As required by TSXV Policy:
6,174,860 shares held by “principals” are subject to a Surplus Securities Escrow Agreement; and
15,737,890 RTO Shares held by persons with a deemed average cost base of less than C$0.05 per share, and any shares issued on exercise of the RTO Warrants held by the “principals”, are subject to a Value Securities Escrow Agreement.
All of the shares held under the Surplus Securities Escrow Agreement will be released from escrow on a timed released basis as to 5% on the date of the Final TSXV Bulletin; 5% six months thereafter; 10% on each of 12 and 18 months thereafter; 15% on each of 24 and 30 months thereafter; and 40% 36 months thereafter.
All of the securities held under the Value Securities Escrow Agreement will be released from escrow on a timed released basis as to 10% on the date of the Final TSXV Bulletin, and an additional 15% every six months thereafter over 36 months.
Background on BlockMint
BMT, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Blockmint (USA) Technologies Inc., develops distributed systems and networks that enable a more decentralized deployment of blockchain based applications such as cryptocurrency mining. BMT’s initial two products will be Minter and MintAccess, both of which are explained in further detail below.
BMT is developing software that allows owners of various connected devices (e.g. desktops, laptops, gaming consoles, smartphones, etc.) to download a browser app called “Minter” that allows BMT to utilize the owner’s spare computing power to mine various cryptocurrencies in exchange for BMT paying the user a fee in cryptocurrency. Users will be able to control the amount (if any) of computing power on his/her connected device used by BMT for mining via a dashboard built into the browser. Users bear all mining costs associated with the computing power on their device (electricity costs of operating the owner’s device) but benefit from a sharing of the income earned from any currency mined. The Minter browser will also provide a virtual private network (“VPN”), ad-blocker and cryptocurrency wallet. BMT will be unable to access a user’s spare computing power unless the VPN is turned on. Minter will initially be launched for use on desktops and laptops, with apps for smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles and other connected devices to follow. BMT has completed a “beta” version of the Minter browser, which is available for download to residents of Canada and the United States, and a commercial launch will follow in the first half of 2019.
BMT is also developing software that allows website owners to earn cryptocurrency from users when they visit the owner’s site. As with the Minter browser, the MintAccess application will utilize the site visitor’s spare computing power to mine cryptocurrency. Income earned from the mined cryptocurrencies will then be shared between the website owner and BMT. This will allow website owners to monetize the content on their site without having a site visitor pay a fee (no paywall) or view ads (ads will not display). A site visitor using any browser will be able to “opt-in” and allow his/her device to mine cryptocurrency in exchange for free content without ads. The application will only mine while the user is visiting the partner site and will disconnect once the user leaves the site. BMT is targeting a release date for MintAccess in the first half of 2019.
BLOCKMINT TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Nelson Ijih
Nelson Ijih, CEO
None of the securities of the Company or BMT have been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), or any state securities law, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or “U.S. persons” (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration or an exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy in the United States nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain “forward-looking statements” under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the business strategy and objectives of BMT and the release dates for Minter and MintAccess. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. There is further no assurance that the Company will be successful in developing, commercializing or profitably operating its new business in the manner described. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Copyright 2018 Blockmint Technologies | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
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During the 1660's.
In my rather uncompromising view of all art as uncommon object manipulation, I am sometimes asked how I would account for western art before the 19th century, as if there was a singular goal of artistic representation during that period, that we have retrospectively called photographic.
This notion is far removed from reality and in fact technique and method have been very important at any point in art, or at the very least in their consideration as art today.
This is a detail from a self portrait by Rembrandt from the first half of the 1660's. Rembrandt, naturally, may possibly the most famous artist in the entirety of history. When asked why, the man on the street will likely tell you that he painted 'the best', by which he means the most realistic, the most true to life. Which is not the case, at all. Rembrandt is one of the first painters to really use brushstrokes as their own expressive force, which merely suggest the other features they are meant to show. If Rembrandt's work was photo realistic, he would have had black holes in his face near his eyes, nose and mouth and his collar would be distinctively brushstroke-shaped. The strong emphasis on the quality of individual brushstrokes is something that has become a staple of late 19th century and early 20th century painting, something that has undoubtedly helped Rembrandts' reputation in our current time.
Here is a detail from a picture by Gabriel Metsu, also made during the early 1660's. The size of this detail is approximately the same size as the previous example. It should be immediately obvious that in contrast to Rembrandt's quick, thick and broad brushstrokes in a muted palette, Metsu's painting has been painted in a very fine technique, slowly applying layers of thin translucent paint, with small brushes and in a wide range of saturated colors. Within the confines of brush painting, these two artist's techniques could not be further apart and yet they were created during the same decade, in a similar geographical location and at least today their reputations are roughly equal, as is reflected in their inclusion in the room with 'masterpieces' from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Another artist working during that time is the equally highly regarded Johannes Vermeer. Again, in the photograph above there is a similar detail from his View on Delft, painted during the same decade as the works from Metsu and Rembrandt. Although Vermeer's painting style in this painting at first glance seems like a compromise between the technical illustrative work of Metsu and the emphasized dexterity of Rembrandt, it soon becomes clear that there is something else at work. The rather flatly, yet accurately, painted outlines of the buildings are everywhere highlighted by small dots of paint of which it can hardly be imagined that they were present in the actual scene.
These blots are less present in the immediate foreground of the work, but they possess the striking characteristic that in some places they lose nearly all direct reference when viewed up close.
The above picture is a detail of the upper left corner of the lower picture, where the three darker spots can be recognised as three individuals and a dog. Especially this dog has grabbed my attention, as it cannot be said that it is anything else than a shapeless little blob when seen up close, at a range where Vermeer must have been looking from when pressing his brush onto the canvas.
It could have been argued that the exact shape of the brushstrokes are an quasi-accident or a mere byproduct of the material available to him.
Yet it seems to be a clearly defined choice of technique, rather than a shortcoming of any available materials. In the detail below from Metsu's earlier painting, each ball on the dog's collar is about the size of the dog in Vermeer's painting, clearly demonstrating that smaller and more accurate details have been achieved by other painters with access to similar materials.
By comparing these three artists and seeing that although they worked during a similar time and in a similar place, they have very different and distinct approaches to how one creates a painting. It is thus clear that they did not all aim at the same singular outcome, but rather searched for innovative technical solutions and that their different outcomes were not limitations in achieving perfection, but rather deliberate choices that defined their respective approaches.
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Home > Analysis, media, News, Opinion > Western media’s gloating at America’s misfortune over the State Department’s cable leaks should stop
Western media’s gloating at America’s misfortune over the State Department’s cable leaks should stop
December 2nd, 2010 YinYang Leave a comment Go to comments
In my prior post, “Wikileaks.org: Secret US Embassy Cables“, I didn’t get a chance to say what I thought were wrong about this leak. I mean the leaking itself, not the content of it. Apparently, the Western media is still all over it, gloating at America’s misery and milking it for every penny of advertising dollar they can get their hands on. Here is an example, the Economist’s latest segment, “From soporific to sizzling; Plenty of gossip, some titillation—and also a few surprises.”
I couldn’t help but sympathize with the U.S. government over their desire to put an end to this leak. Whoever leaked it (took the original documents and sent to Wikileaks) is in clear violation of U.S. laws. The fact that Wikileaks is redistributing illegally obtained materials has a tinge of dishonor in it, despite their stated goals.
Lately, the U.S. media has been reporting that China is blocking access to Wikileaks. I am not sure. Certainly, China Daily’s articles has been mostly about Wikileaks’ founder Assange, and not much coverage of the leaked documents’ contents. As in the discussions in my prior post, I didn’t think the materials were that ‘incriminating’ of China.
As relates to the Chinese media, I think they are taking a principled approach. Censorship? I think so. But I think it is likely done to not condone leaking of state secrets.
This was a quick post, because I mainly wanted to get this idea out: the fact that their is a need for balance between national security and free press. Allen has insightful comments below, especially if you felt this post left you hanging.
Categories: Analysis, media, News, Opinion Tags: assange, censorship, U.S. embassy cables, Wikileaks
Comments (27) Trackbacks (0) Leave a comment Trackback
TonyP4
December 3rd, 2010 at 08:26 | #1
WikiChina: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/opinion/01friedman.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=general
Some are true or close while some are just satires. Be your own judge.
yinyang, I will nitpick a little.
Neither the leaking nor distribution in this case is illegal under U.S. laws. The leaking is not because it was done extra-territorially – i.e. outside the U.S. territory where U.S. law applies.
(Whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange violated other nations’ laws I am not sure. To be sure, I don’t really know which law applies – the place of his citizenship, residency, or where wikileaks is hosted. It is not trivial to figure out where Wikileaks is based. According to this page: “The organization itself has no offices or central location. Schmitt and Assange are originally from Germany and Australia, although Assange now lives mainly in Kenya. WikiLeaks hosts its main Web servers in Sweden with backup servers in other jurisdictions, according to WikiLeaks volunteer Jacob Appelbaum. Its hosting provider—the company that provides a network connection and physically manages its machines—PRQ was originally founded by one of the creators of the controversial file-sharing information site Pirate Bay as a free-speech friendly Internet service provider.”)
It is also not illegal (under present US law) to distribute (and report on) the contents of the leaked documents. Traditionally, U.S. journalists are prohibited to obtain state secrets or other sensitive information through illegal means. However, once state secrets or other sensitive information becomes available to the public, U.S. journalists are free to do whatever they want with it. Many in the U.S. are proud of that tradition – and point to it as a foundation of Western progressiveness.
I’ve always thought different. The journalists are free to do with such information because such information – traditionally – did not really harm the state. With Western regimes so strong over the last hundred or so years, there was no need to police such activities – and hence the West could afford free speech in this area.
Now we can see things may become different. If the wikileaks or other organizations like it is able to get to the public information that is truly harmful to U.S. interests without repercussion from U.S. law, the law will change to restrict the way jouranlists report.
As reported in Fresh Air of NPR yesterday:
Mr. LIPTAK: … it is quite possible that the WikiLeaks phenomenon will start to unravel what used to be an uneasy but many decades long accommodation that the government and the press had reached, which was basically that it’s the government’s job to try to keep its secrets. But if the press through ordinary reporting obtains those secrets, it’s free to publish them without fear of prior restraint or subsequent penalty.
And you have the sense that that was partly because the courts and even administrations believed that they were dealing with mature and responsible people on the other end with whom they could negotiate and try to persuade them that some things they may not like to be published but they could live with, but that others might have very serious consequences. And The Times has said that it takes very seriously pleas from the government to redact given materials and in this case and others it has. Without a responsible party on the other side that becomes harder.
It’s also hard because WikiLeaks may well be outside the reach of American law no matter what the courts might like to do. But it does seem to me that this phenomenon has the potential to put real pressure on what had until recently seemed like very settled First Amendment law unlikely to change.
GROSS: When you say pressure do you mean a change in the law or just more pressure on the press from the White House?
Mr. LIPTAK: No, I do mean a change in the law. And so you saw under the Bush administration the prosecution of some lobbyists who had basically been doing what reporters do which is, you know, get information wherever they can. You see the Obama administration going after people who had called themselves whistleblowers, but certainly sources, quite aggressively. You saw some saber rattling in the Bush administration that The Times’s publication of revelations about the warrantless wiretapping program violated the Espionage Act.
So I think there is the beginnings of some sentiment that could well reach the courts and might even find a sympathetic ear among some judges that this old understanding I was talking about, which is that if we obtain through ordinary reporting, truthful and newsworthy information, we’re free to do with it what we wish, that that might not be where we end up, you know, somewhere down the line.
GROSS: So this kind of experiment in making – in sneaking out and then widely making available all kinds of secret documents might end up having the opposite impact that it wanted to have. It wants to be about free information and you’re concerned it’s going to end up restricting the press’s ability to publish.
Mr. LIPTAK: I suppose I have that concern. I want to make clear that I, you know, like almost all journalists, I’m in favor of finding stuff out and I’m in favor of an informed citizenry being able to see what its government is up to and make decisions about how it should be governed based on as much information as can reasonably be shared with it that doesn’t endanger very vital interests.
The power of the state is already clamping down, as we see that (Western) governments and corporations are hacking hard to shut it down. British prosecutors seem to be on his tail over alleged sexual charges.
Aside: Allen rants – “So where are the trumped up charges of corporate and government hacking? Where is the Nobel prize for a gallant fighter against established governments and social order?”
The Chinese government has often been derided for invoking state security in limiting irresponsible speech. I’m not gleeful about wikileaks, but it’s interesting to see this turn of events. Perhaps more in the West will come to see: a right to free speech matters – but so does a right to security.
If you truly believe speech should be free, that the more information the merrier, that the market of ideas will alway ferret out truth and lead to justice, you should not be concerned about wikileaks at all…
@TonyP4
Thx for the Thomas Friedman article. I think he is right on when he said:
There is a willful self-destructiveness in the air here as if America has all the time and money in the world for petty politics.
@Allen
Great comments. And I agree with them.
I meant whoever took the documents in the first place and then submitted to Wikileaks has violated U.S. laws. I had bad choice of words. Edited now and hopefully is clearer.
If I understand you correctly, it means that the U.S. government now doesn’t have any legal means to block the materials?
The journalists are free to do with such information because such information – traditionally – did not really harm the state. With Western regimes so strong over the last hundred or so years, there was no need to police such activities – and hence the West could afford free speech in this area.
Well said, and I’ve always thought this way too.
Exactly. And the smarter the Americans are about this topic, the better it is for America.
Regarding your point about “trumped up charges,” I thought this guy, Daniel Ben-Ami, over at Spiked Online, explained the duplicity rather well:
“Why is the bible of capitalism cheering on Chinese workers?“
@YinYang,
I don’t understand what the difference is between “leaked” and “took the original documents and sent to Wikileaks.”
@Allen,
I meant the person who actually had access to the U.S. State Department’s cables. Whoever that is, taking the documents and then make them available to Wikileaks. That person has violated U.S. law.
Then there is Wikileaks, further making those documents available to the media and to the public around the world.
So I understand the latter is legal per your clarification. But I am pretty certain (okay, guessing) that the former case is a violation.
Ok – I suppose an American citizen working in a US embassy should be subject to US laws…
But short of that, I don’t know. What if a US embassy employee accidentally misplaced a USB memory stick and a foreign national found it outside the embassy and then turned it to wikileaks.
OK – that may be colorful fancying, but who knows.
The more interesting question is that when nationally sensitive information does become publicly available – should it be driven out of the public? How hard should Western government go after these information sitting on servers in their jurisdiction? How free should the press be on reporting information that’s out there?
The Chinese gov’t get a lot of bad rap for controlling information. But the same exact issues are raised here. If people sympathize with controlling wikileaks but not China’s censorship – I submit, we are not arguing about freedom of speech, but national security. When the West’s security is really threatened, they focus on illegality, security. When Chinese security is threatened – they focus on freedom of speech, with security not accounting at all. After all, if China fragments and fall into turmoil, that might even be a good thing… (at least for some people)
Just to follow up on comment #2, the attempt to shut down wikileaks appears to be multi-pronged, coordinated by multiple Western governments:
From Time:
WikiLeaks is coming under increasing pressure from forces that want to shut it up. This week two U.S. Internet providers pulled the plug on the website in the space of two days, and the French government tried to ban French servers from hosting its database. As a result, WikiLeaks announced Friday it moved its website to a Swiss domain: wikileaks.ch. This followed news earlier this week that Amazon stopped hosting WikiLeaks content in the U.S.
And of course, the British and Swiss are going after Assange for sex crimes.
December 4th, 2010 at 01:21 | #9
@Allen #7,
Precisely. This is the first time American security seems to be “threatened.” This Wikileaks controversy is indeed bringing the balance between “freedom of the press” vs. “national security” to the fore.
I just hope after this, America wise up more. But I expect the hypocritical media to remain the same.
Wukailong
December 5th, 2010 at 01:21 | #10
“the British and Swiss are going after Assange for sex crimes”
This is originally an arrest warrant from Sweden. The case was opened several months ago so I don’t think there’s any connection to the recent leakage. A lot of people believe Assange is innocent but from what I’ve gleaned after reading the news about the sex case, it involves a former girlfriend so either it’s some sort of revenge or he is actually guilty. Some believe in a CIA connection and I thought so early on, but I’ve dropped the idea.
Here’s an article about the case when it was more recent:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/7959227/Julian-Assanges-arrest-warrant-a-diversion-from-the-truth.html
Thanks Wukailong #10, #11 for clarifying that the case was opened long before the current leaks.
But it seems to me that the activity to really get Assange (or maybe it’s just my attention to this) picked up after the recent leaks.
By the way: paypal has just terminated Wikilaeak’s primary mode of fundraising – and wikileak’s swiss bank account is under investigation for what appears to be technicalities(?).
To be sure – wikileaks seem to have been the target of Western gov’ts for some time – though these activities do seem to have been ratched up since the most recent leaks.
Charles Liu
So this Bradly Manning is a lone dissenter towards his own country’s policy and took action? Doesn’t that make him a “dissident”? A lone dissident against America’s empiralistic foreign policy IMHO would contribute grately towards world peace and fellowship among nation.
So where’s his Nobel Peace Prize? Even if he got money from some foreign NGO it’s still a just cause right? Seems instead this poor sap’s photo was plastered all over the TV, like OJ Simpson. Instead we see well connected, retired government officials showing up on TV as paid consultants explaining that our spys stationed in embassy were only “political officers doing journalistic work”.
Where’s the independence and courage in our media now? If there’s a lesson here, what would the Chinese learn from us?
Rhan
Interesting view, perhaps we have to redefine dissident and state secret.
“So where’s his Nobel Peace Prize? Even if he got money from some foreign NGO it’s still a just cause right?”
Indeed, he would make a good candidate. I’m not an anti-war activist myself, but I agree with their stance, as does a large number of Europeans. And yeah, it doesn’t matter that you get money from foreign NGO:s per se, IMHO.
pug_ster
Tonyp4,
Don’t forget this article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/world/asia/05wikileaks-china.html?scp=1&sq=china%20wikileaks&st=cse
I think there are two issues here and we should be precise to not conflate them.
1. The moral issue behind the invasion of Iraq and the legitimate anti-war movement.
2. The obtaining of U.S. secret documents and making them available to organizations such as Wikileaks.
I think it is fair for the media to focus on concerns over U.S. secrets in the case of #2.
But, in the case of #1 – the anti-war movement in the U.S. has absolutely been ignored by the U.S. media.
I therefore agree with Charles – the U.S. media is hypocritical when it comes to real dissidents. They will make saints out of other countries’ criminals. That destroys their credibility outside U.S. borders. That completely undermines U.S. “activists” around the world too.
I think there’s value in civil disobedience, where you deliberately break laws you find immoral and take the legal consequences, as long as you don’t hurt others. The problem, of course, is where you draw the line.
I’m saying this because anyone breaking the law is a criminal. Nelson Mandela was a criminal in this sense, for example, but he was held out as an example, and justly so I think. (Of course he was at times chided by the US and the UK)
@Wukailong #18,
In my opinion, I don’t think it’s as clear as that.
Laws are supposed to protect the people – so whenever you break law, there is always the argument that you are placing people’s safety at risk.
Please note that I’m not saying that breaking the law must thus be per se wrong: I am just saying that framing the issue as breaking law – ok, hurting people – not ok does not make the issues clearer, the issues are equally merky under either frameworks…
@ #15
I’m not an anti-war activist myself, but I agree with their stance, as does a large number of Europeans.
I am making it one of my new year’s resolution to try to learn the difference between European and American perspectives. To me they are just shades of the same thing.
For example, Europeans may be against the Iraqi – or even Afghanistan – War. But they are not against the use of force to accomplish political goals throughout the world – or shy about creating norms that fit their interests / experiences. American perspectives of the world are usually pretty dumbed down, but European and American paradigms about how the world works / should work are consistent – as far as I can see.
“I am just saying that framing the issue as breaking law – ok, hurting people – not ok does not make the issues clearer, the issues are equally merky under either frameworks…”
Never said it was simple, the devil is in the details. As I said, the question is where you draw the line. I’m just saying this because there was a mention of “criminals,” which carries a negative perception with it without really taking into account what kind of laws broken.
@Wukailong,
My concern is this: oftentimes people discuss political freedom (including civil disobedience) as a basic right – a fundamental right that is separate from present day politics.
But I have a problem with this. The problem is that the fundamental issue is not of fundamental right, but as always is an issue of balance – a balance between preserving order, enabling governance, providing for public safety vs enabling change. Whenever we discuss where a line of fundamental right vs. politics is, it is this balance that should be discussed, not some abstract notion of evil government and oppression – or ideology. We may cloak discussion of real politics in terms of these high-sounding ideals – but that would still not change what it is.
The wikileaks incidents hopefully reveals this real dynamics. When people insist on discussing freedom in China – we are really discussing politics – except often in a disingenuous way.
@Allen, #21
@pug_ster, #16
In regards to the NYT propagandizing Chinese hacking, here is a comment left over at the NYT. I’ve been reading this same junk all over the U.S. media, and NOBODY has offered any facts in support of such claims. It’s all insinuation. They may eventually at the very end of the article saying so and so was then discredited by another report after some questioning. But the headlines, like this NYT article, “Vast Hacking by a China Fearful of the Web” and so on have been utter lies.
WildKid
I’m just not seeing the evidence of a vast conspiracy to hack into US computers that I would expect to see given the headline, and given that, I consider this article irresponsible journalism.
There is one anonymous source, quoted twice, whose claims have been ‘called into question’ – by the Times’s own account. There is one attack ‘tenuously linked to PLA’, according to the Times (we have no idea how ‘tenuously’ since the nature of the link is not reported).
That there are, as claimed in the article, “hackers using Chinese-language keyboards and physically located in China” is self-evident, given that there are more computer users in China than in any other country. That their activities are coordinated by the Government is completely unproved by anything in the article.
The statement in the article that “In most cases the intruders took great pains to conceal their identities, but occasionally they let their guard down. In one case described in the documents, investigators tracked one of the intruders who was surfing the Web in Taiwan “for personal use.”” in itself indicates how virtually non-existent the evidence is of any evidence of Chinese Government hacking (rather than control, which I think the Government would admit to).
@YinYang #23,
As we know, WikiLeaks has been forced to switch to a Swiss Domain because allegedly, its domain had been under attack.
There are several points to note.
First, if a DNS can shutdown a site simply because the site was under attack, why are the websites of the White House, Google, among others, still up? Should they not have been shutdown because – as presumptive targets of Chinese hackers – these sites constituted vulnerable points that could bring down the whole system – the way Wikileaks became a point of vulnerability?
Second, as the article noted, there is good circumstantial evidence that the attacks have come from the U.S. government… Why aren’t those evidence cited as basis for reports that the U.S. gov’t is a cyber hacker the way China was smeared on rumors alone?
Third, based on the information revealed in the article, even if the U.S. gov’t did not directly make the attacks, evidence suggests that the alleged attacks most probably all initated within the U.S. Why should not the U.S. as a nation be condemmed for those attacks the way China as a nation was presumptively held responsible for the alleged acts of a few?
SilentChinese
December 10th, 2010 at 10:41 | #25
What’s the difference between Cablegate and PentagonPaper, and between that of WaPo and Wikileak?
This Wikileaks controversy is finally getting its play as an issue of balance between free speech and national security.
Silencing WikiLeaks A Free Speech Challenge For U.S. over at NPR.org:
“This is the biggest free speech battle of our lifetimes,” says Marcia Hoffman, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “This is the moment when we will see whether publishers can continue to freely distribute truthful political information online.”
raventhorn2000
It looks like US and “Democratic” West are all going after Assange with corporate collusion in Amazon, Visa, Mastercard, Paypal.
Assange for Nobel Peace Prize!!
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希望工程 (Project Hope), bringing education to China’s rural poor The bully has been stabbed by the smaller kid, but now what?
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British Politics/Comparative Government/Political Science
Getting the House in Order: Brainstorming a novel approach to Lords reform
Tim Hicks / June 4, 2012 / 2 / 1.4k
Niels Goet 2012-06-04
Credit: Flickr
Lords reform is well and truly on the agenda. So much so that it seems plausible to say that it could split the coalition. Compromise seems desirable. But tensions between and within parties could see progress grind to a halt, a situation unwanted not least because all of the three major parties have actually expressed support for reform, at least in principle. In this context, here, I outline a proposal I developed in a recent paper that has, to my knowledge, not be aired in the Lords reform debate before.
I propose a reform that would reconstitute the House of ‘Lords’ with features that are commonly deemed desirable, but sometimes thought to be in conflict. Those features are that it should be:
directly elected;
representative (which implies electoral proportionality);
a deliberative body in which contributions are made by people of experience, expertise, and specialist knowledge;
subordinate to the House of Commons, both de jure and de facto.
In short, I propose that abstentions count as ‘votes’ for an Appointments Commission list. Read on to see why and how this would work.
At its core, the idea is that a statutory and independent commission creates a list of ‘expert’ legislators, and that this list receives a (share of a) vote for every abstention. The logic is to create a House that has a body of ‘experts’, but whilst doing so in a democratically-connected way.
More specifically, the chamber would be directly elected by a form of proportional representation. This would give (existing and new) parties an important role in candidate selection, albeit with the specifics of this depending on the electoral system put in place.*
In addition, an independent Appointments Commission would operate by creating a list of ‘experts’ much as it already does. The difference would be that the share of seats allocated to the Commission’s list would be democratically determined.
First, as the list would be published before the election, it would be open to the electorate to vote for it directly. To be clear, the performance of the Commission should not be evaluated on its share of the vote; only on its fulfillment of a mandate to produce a list of would-be legislators with expertise and experience that would be of value to the second chamber.
The second feature of the treatment of the Commission’s list is the more novel. Abstentions by voters would be treated as implicit votes for it. In this way, turnout becomes a key determinant of the composition of the second chamber. It remains an open question as to whether these ‘abstention votes’ should be weighted equally with ‘positive votes’, or whether they should count for less.
Ok, what sort of outcomes can we expect from such a reform? It is, obviously, difficult to predict how people would vote under this sort of system. However, I present two examples, below, that provide plausible illustrations of the composition of the new chamber. (I have also prepared a downloadable spreadsheet that allows for experiments with a whole range of assumptions.)
The first example takes the 2010 General Election result as a base line. Party vote shares are set to those for the 2010 result, as is turnout, and ‘abstention votes’ are weighted as the same as normal votes. The result looks like this.
Example vote share to seat share mapping with turnout at 65% and Commission ‘abstention votes’ weighted the same as normal votes. Rounding error means rows may not sum precisely to 100%.
Vote share
Seat share
While the previous example is based on observed election results, there are reasons to think that voting patterns may not be the same for a second chamber – especially if a more proportional system is used as smaller parties are likely to do better. The second example tries to take this into account. I allow the ‘Others’ share to rise at the expense of the three main parties. I also allow for ‘positive’ votes for the Commission list, which seems natural given the apparent importance people put on the presence of ‘experts’ in the second chamber. Finally, I also adjust the ‘abstention vote’ weight down so that they count for only one third of normal votes. The result looks like this.
Example vote share to seat share mapping with turnout at 65% and Commission ‘abstention votes’ weighted as one third of normal votes. Rounding error means rows may not sum precisely to 100%.
These two examples provide fairly similar outcomes. Obviously, other results are possible, but one feature of this scheme is that, for reasonable turnout assumptions, it is rather difficult for even the two largest parties to form a majority by themselves. The ‘expert’ bloc forms an extremely important component of the chamber in most cases, unless the ‘abstention vote’ weight is rather small.
Would it work?
The examples above demonstrate how it could. I believe that they also show that a second chamber elected in the way described above can broadly be seen to exhibit each of the desirable properties enumerated above. Proportionality of the (positively) elected portion of the chamber provides representativeness as well as the direct democratic connection.
Most importantly, the presence of ‘expert’ legislators is all but guaranteed – subject to turnout being less than 100%. This helps to ensure that the final two desirable properties of a reformed chamber are achieved. On the one hand, the presence of ‘expert’ legislators should foster practice of some of the deliberative democratic ideals that both the general public and more scholarly contributors deem to be of value. On the other hand, the presence of legislators in the chamber who have not received ‘positive’ votes provides a check on the popular democratic legitimacy of the reformed body. As such, it helps to ensure the de facto supremacy of the House of Commons.
Of course, these advantages of having ‘expert’ legislators in the second chamber could be achieved by simply having a fixed proportion – say 20% – of members appointed. However, ‘abstention voting’ has some advantages over the fixed percentage approach. First, tying the share of ‘expert’ members to election outcomes has the appealing feature of making the composition of the chamber more responsive to the wishes of the electorate.
Second, the degree of de facto subordination of the second chamber to the House of Commons is at least partly a function of electoral turnout. That is, if voters become more engaged with the second chamber and therefore turn out to vote for it in higher numbers, then it seems likely that the chamber will become more assertive in the face of the Commons. This seems desirable as the chamber will be representing a larger proportion of the population. There is a similarity here with turnout requirements for referendums – where higher turnout is often seen to create both de jure and de facto legitimacy for their results.
Third, under a fixed proportion of ‘expert’ members, parties are engaged in zero sum competition for votes, whilst under ‘abstention voting’ they are engaged in positive sum competition. Thus, the proposal maintains an incentive for all parties to campaign to raise turnout as doing so increases the total proportion of seats that are available for them to win.
Fourth, and perhaps more speculatively, it seems plausible that such a reform would be politically palatable to a larger share of parliamentarians than existing proposals. It could represent a compromise between those wishing to create a strong democratic mandate for the second chamber, those wishing to ensure Commons supremacy, and those wishing to maintain a deliberative and ‘expert’-influenced revising and scrutinising legislative body.
Finally, it may be argued that avoiding ‘abstention voting’ and simply having a Commission list available for people to vote for would be sufficient. Doing so would avoid the undue privileging of ‘experts’ in a democratic sense. However, I suggest that there are perils with this route. Most simply, by not counting abstentions, such a scheme does not build in a tendency towards the de facto supremacy of the Commons. However, there are other difficulties. Would the Commission (or those on its list) actively campaign in elections? Against other parties? If not, it would be disadvantaged in electoral terms by a lack publicity and information reaching the electorate, with the implication being an under-supply of ‘experts’ in the chamber. On the other hand, a Commission that did engage in campaigning would seem be taking a very dangerous road. Doing so would blur the line between the Commission as an independent statutory body and the Commission as political party. Political-cum-constitutional controversy would seem perilously likely in this situation. More pragmatically, it is not difficult to imagine that a campaigning requirement would put off potential legislators with valuable expertise but who are not enamoured of stump speeches and the like. Part of the value of the present chamber is that many of its members are the sort of people who have shunned the rigours of the campaign trail in favour of other careers.
Tim Hicks is an Ussher Assistant Professor of Political Economy at Trinity College, Dublin. He received a DPhil in Politics at Nuffield College, Oxford, in 2009. His web site is at http://tim.hicks.me.uk/ and he can be reached by email at tim.hicks@tcd.ie.
Tags:BritainHouse of Lords reform
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Tim Hicks is a Lecturer in Public Policy at UCL. He joined the Department in the summer of 2014 from Trinity College, Dublin, where he had worked as Ussher Assistant Professor of Political Economy. He has also been a visiting student at Yale (2009) and a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia (2014). He received a DPhil in Politics at Nuffield College, Oxford, in 2009.
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My Lords Reform Proposal: Abstention Voting for ‘Experts’ | Tim Hicks – Political Science
[…] Getting the House in Order: brainstorming a novel approach to Lords reform for more details. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. This […]
The Independent View: A compromise on Lords reform to unite the parties?
[…] For a more detailed discussion of the proposal, together with some examples of how vote shares and turnout would map onto seat shares, please see my post here. […]
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Terry goodkind confessor skype
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Confessor (novel) Confessor is the eleventh novel in Terry Goodkind 's epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth, and the last in the Chainfire trilogy bringing an end to the current story arc involving the Imperial Order. The book was announced on February 20, on the author's official website. The book was released November 13, Author: Terry Goodkind. Terry Goodkind (born May 1, ) is an American writer. He is known for the epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth as well as the contemporary suspense novel The Law of Nines (), which has ties to his fantasy china-week.info: Epic fantasy, sword and sorcery. Terry Goodkind is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sword of Truth series, THE FIRST CONFESSOR: The Legend of Magda Searus, and the recently released THE THIRD KINGDOM.
Terry Goodkind is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sword of Truth series, THE FIRST CONFESSOR: The Legend of Magda Searus, and the recently released THE THIRD KINGDOM. Terry Goodkind (born May 1, ) is an American writer. He is known for the epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth as well as the contemporary suspense novel The Law of Nines (), which has ties to his fantasy china-week.info: Epic fantasy, sword and sorcery. Aug 24, · Please consider becoming a Patreon of my channel: china-week.info We are on interiors now - loads of rooms left to decorate - . Confessor (novel) Confessor is the eleventh novel in Terry Goodkind 's epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth, and the last in the Chainfire trilogy bringing an end to the current story arc involving the Imperial Order. The book was announced on February 20, on the author's official website. The book was released November 13, Author: Terry Goodkind. Terry Goodkind is a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and creator of the critically acclaimed masterwork, ‘The Sword of Truth’. He has written 30+ major, bestselling novels, has been published in more than 20 languages world-wide, and has sold more than 26 Million books. Jan 10, · Terry Goodkind 9, followers Terry Goodkind is a contemporary American writer and author of the best-selling epic fantasy series, The Sword of Truth, creator of the television show The Legend of the Seeker, and writer of the self-published epic, The First Confessor: The Legend of Magda Searus (a prequel and origin story of the first Mother Confessor).4/5. Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth Series: Books The Omen Machine The First Confessor. From the beginning, with Wizard’s First Rule, Terry Goodkind set a new standard for epic storytelling. Now he returns with a powerful new tale from Richard and Kahlan’s world. Magda Searus discovers that she is the mother of salvation in this prequel novel /5(9). Terry Goodkind is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sword of Truth series, THE FIRST CONFESSOR: The Legend of Magda Searus, and the recently released THE . Publication Order of Standalone Novels. Goodkind was the writer of The Sword of Truth epic fantasy series and the suspense novel of entitled The Law of Nines which is tied into his fantasy series. Worldwide, there have been twenty-five million copies sold of The Sword of Truth and this became translated into twenty various languages.Confessor (Sword of Truth) [Terry Goodkind] on *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Descending into darkness, about to be overwhelmed by evil,. Confessor. We have Warheart (Sword of Truth Series) doc, txt, PDF, DjVu, ePub forms. warheart by terry goodkind | | nook - Warheart by Terry Goodkind. Terry Goodkind is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sword of Truth series, THE Contest #15 (eBook package including THE FIRST CONFESSOR): Contest #20 (Skype conversation with Terry Goodkind). Terry Goodkind brought readers into the world of the Sword of Truth in Over the series of 11 novels, the reader is taken on a journey of. on Pinterest. | See more ideas about Sword of truth, Terry goodkind and Book quotes. Read 'the omen machine' before that in just one week. Can't wait for Outlook, Office, Skype, Bing, Breaking News, and Latest Videos. Families Read. Confessor by Terry Goodkind is the eleventh book in the Sword of Truth series, and book three of the Chainfire Trilogy. Six breaks into the Wizard's Keep and steals the third box of Orden from Nicci and Zedd. Kahlan is attacked by Samuel but she touches the Sword of Truth and. Terry Goodkind, The Omen Machine, Chapter 70, page . Contest #20 ( private Skype chat): Severed Souls: The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind. Confessor (Sword of Truth) [Terry Goodkind] on china-week.info *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Descending into darkness, about to be overwhelmed by evil, . Confessor is the eleventh novel in Terry Goodkind's epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth, and the last in the Chainfire trilogy bringing an end to the current . Tribo da periferia aderem skype, caller tunes vodafone broadband, 200 pounds beauty srt subtitles, lost soundtrack moving on er
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Scale With Speed Podcast – “Growth Culture Is Key” Episode 08Ramsey Sanchez2020-10-01T16:04:58-05:00
Welcome to the Scale With Speed Podcast. I am Judge Graham. I’m here with my business partner Matt Manero. Got the cigar matching. I love the backdrop here. Two guys, right, right behind Matt is his what’s that called like a character chart? Correct? He’s got the cigar and it’s so perfect. Shout out to Billy Williams and his staff is knocking Kingdom content. Yeah, they did all these graphics. So 10 today is one that is near and dear to our hearts. Right? I mean, I would say this, this particular topic is how you build a real company, right? So let’s get clear on something. You don’t have a company unless you have people. Okay. People build companies in Matt. Nice view on that is you can’t just have a culture is nice, dude. You got to have a freaking growth culture, right?
You need this, this fierce, aggressive, whatever it takes to unify a team that wants to win every day. And that’s a growth culture. And that we’re going to get into the differences between culture and growth culture. Why it’s important. We’re going to give you some tips on how you can even execute it. Whether you’re a hundred million dollar company or you’re less than a million-dollar company, it doesn’t matter. You gotta do it and it’s cost-effective at the low end. And then, Hey, if you got money, you can do some really cool things at the bigger end. So just before you check out on today’s podcast and you’re like, Oh, this is about culture. I want to stop you real quick. And I wanna, I want to go back to what the judge just said. Everything starts with this topic in your business. This is not something that your eyes glaze over because so many people judge you like, Oh, culture means it’s touchy-feely.
It means it’s ping pong tables. It means it brings your dog to work. Cool. All that is important if that’s an element of your culture, but we want to overlay growth culture that the organization is moving forward, achieving results, getting bigger, scaling with speed. Yeah. And it takes a commitment from you, the leader to do it. I’m more seeing it in some other businesses that were involved in, where we’re not the operators in those businesses. And it’s those operators they’ve to be dialed in every single day because good people only want to work for great companies. Right? And you can’t be a great company unless you’re freaking committed and you’re dialed in as the leader to live. What we’re going to get into the core values to live the momentum, to live the speed, to live the accountability. Right? So if you’re frustrated and you own your business, or you’re the manager right now, this is a self-reflection time to go do to my dial. Then am I, am I leading by example? Because good people want to be like,
I would bet my life on this next statement. And I think the judge would, too, 90% of your problems will go away. When you get the culture and growth culture dialed in in your organization. Now let’s just say you’re one person or two people or three people you’re small and you haven’t spent the time on it all. The more reason, dude, what do you want out of this business? What does it stand for? What are you willing to tolerate? What does it look like? What is the coloring of it? What are your missions? What is the, what are the principle foundations that you will be relentless to? It’s almost equal or greater importance for a one-person show because, without it, you ain’t going to get two or three or four people to buy into what you’re doing. And without it, they are just everybody’s freaking loss. It is the foundation of great companies. Please don’t check out on us on this one. This is how it starts.
Give our definition, Matt, I’ve got it in front of us. I should have memorized this by now, but I don’t an empowered and aligned organization that is committed to the success of its customers, team members, and financial targets, everything. One more time and empowered, right? And empowered, allowing people to be successful, aligned organizations that are committed to the success of customers. It’s team members and money. The financial targets, right? Most organizations have none of this. They may have a little bit of it. Dude, when you have this level of clarity,
You win all of the operative words right there in there. And those words are the word empowered, the word-aligned, the word, committed to the success of customer success of teamwork, team members, and financial targets.
Listen, Hey, I want that new camera, dude. We gotta make money to support buying the camera. Right? I mean that I, you know, it would frustrate me. It’s like, why do you care so much for the money? Why do you care about your paycheck? Like we gotta make freaking money to pay people. Right? You understand that concept, right?
The reason your company isn’t growing is that you don’t have a clear financial target.
Yeah. Th that you’re empowering people, you’re holding them accountable. You’re measuring it and you’re optimizing it.
So vital, viable, so valuable.
So a couple of quick stats we’re going to give, um, I love stats. 87% of employees are unhappy and not motivated. These are real stats. Now, again, this is probably more at scale, right?
So, you know, if you’re going on, dude, I’ve got, you know, three people and everybody’s, then this is
Probably a little off, but did you get 15, 20 plus 3,100 people, 87% are unhappy and not motivated. It’s a real stat, 31 hours per week that people are not being productive. It’s 40 hours a week to debt. That goes back to the lack of alignment, commitment, and accountability. 63% not engaged. I don’t give a fuck that I’m here. Let me hide and get behind Facebook. I’m building my side business on the side. I’m doing whatever. It’s just a job. I need to work. My, what was it? Seven hours a week in the, you know, I’m just, I don’t care. Right? So the thing is Matt and I did this and it burned the ships. Dude. You’ve got freaking walking zombies. People just don’t care about the organization. And more importantly, it’s tux toxic there’s toxicity. That’s brewing because you haven’t built, not just culture, but this growth culture.
This is weird to be talking about this. Cause we have Ramsey and Z in the, in the studio with us. And you guys are, um, you know, you guys are saying one of two things in total transparency, you’re saying Matt and judge you’re full of shit. Or you’re saying, no, I actually see what they’re saying. So we have those Mike’s fired up. Oh, I don’t. Why don’t you guys tell the truth about whether or not you agree, whether it’s with the commercial fleet, this company, or other companies with the stars that we just threw out, that most people do, and most people are not engaged? And most people just look at their job, as a job for the paycheck. What do you guys think about that?
Is it just the job, is the question. So I would think some people may go through life. I mean, I’m not saying personally, I’m just saying maybe I’ve worked in the past with professional development companies and yes, there are companies where they send employees because Hey, these guys just aren’t great with people skills. They don’t know how to communicate. They don’t want to be there. So yes, I think it does exist a lot in businesses. I’m not saying it’s here. [inaudible], it’s so funny. Is that, that, that, I’m not the one that makes that decision for either of you guys. Right? You guys need to understand that. I mean, Troy is totally empowered to decide whether you’re engaged and productive and all that sort of stuff. It doesn’t make it to my desk anymore. Right. So you’re somewhat protected here because you’re your boss and hearing it.
But the most important part is that you know, you’re not going to listen to a podcast where we ask you guys whether or not what we’re telling is something that you believe in or not. So Ramsey, what you’re saying is that yes, you’ve worked in environments where what we’re talking about is true. The question is, what did it do for you? Like not the 67% who’s disconnected, but the 33% who are engaged, right? I mean, one bad apple spoils the bunch. Did it feel like that to you when you were empowered and wanting to do a good job, but then this coworker’s just sort of like, Hey, why are you working so hard, man? What are you doing? What do you have experience with? Well, um, there’s, there’s this statistic I learned about in my last job where, um, it’s like everyone in all your employees are in a boat and there’s 20%, they’re engaged.
They’re 80% that are somewhat engaged. And then there’s a last 20% that is disengaged. The 120% though, by the way, sorry, a 60%, 60, 20, 60, 20. Gotcha. All right. So I’m bad at math anyway. So it was a hundred percent right. Total and the 60% in the middle were disengaged, uh, somewhat engaged, not engaged all the time, but the last 20 you think, okay, well, those disengaged ones are the ones that affect my business the most. But the study found that the ones that really hurt your business are the ones that are kind of somewhat engaged in this, but not engaged all the way, because those are the ones that are like drunk drivers. Yeah.
Oh, they just have the drunk guy in the corner. You didn’t do anything. You got the problem with the guy that is drunk and gets behind the wheel.
Yeah, that’s true. There’s the cop. Oh, okay. I’m good. I can text and yeah, I can drive and drink and whatever. So it’s, that’s what I’ve learned that, uh, you want to be part of the ones who are always engaged. The ones who are rowing the boat and not the ones who are just rowing the boat. When the boss is looking,
You wouldn’t be in an environment. Listen to, I can’t, I can’t personally, I have to be excited. I’ve got to be fired up. I need to be stimulated. I need to walk in. I mean, that’s why you’ve seen my office. Like I need to walk in and be greeted by a 14 foot home. I need to hear music. I need to see vibrant colors. I need to hear energy. I need, I, I thrive on that. And I think people do too, right? I mean, people need to be stimulated and people need to win. Dude, when you freaking win and we’re pressing on a couple of our companies, you get those wins back to back to back. And your plate is so full of tasks that you have to complete. And you understand that by completing that, you’re helping the broader team. When dude, it changes everything, everything.
And what you’re saying though, judges that you built an environment that made you happy and then you amazingly found lots of other people that had the same alignment and desire for what makes them happy too.
It goes back to like your core values. I mean, here’s, what’s great about business and capitalism. It’s not for everybody. Okay. And that’s okay. And if you are the leader and you carry that cross, dude builds a freaking company. How you want it. Right. I mean, what behaviors in habits do you want? Because there are enough people out there that are aligned with you. Fucking be happy.
That’s what I was trying to say earlier. I didn’t get it out. Right. But dude, if you’re a one-person show, build it the way you want it to feel that dude. Right.
If you want it, you know, aggressive, loud, crazy speed. You know, I’m referencing to me. I mean, that’s building a freaking culture though.
Totally build it the way you want it to play out. And there are lots of people who come and join you.
Yeah, that’s great. I, I, I’m actually, uh, um, you know, working with a provider science, which is a client that is RP one and I’m helping them with culture and consulting and everything. And they sent vinyl, they’re doing the core values. Right. And, uh, the president had asked me today. She said you know, here’s the first pass. What do you think about them? And there, they’re very soft. Right? Very sophisticated, um, very clean. And I said it’s your office? Like what feeling do you want? Because that feeling if you’re going to walk in, it’s going to be very calm. It’s going to be very buttoned-up, not eclectic, very professional. All continuity looks great if that’s what you’re going for a home run. But if you’re going for, I want freaking killers to come in here and fucking hot and kill and blood then, and we’re not, we’re not there, but that’s a decision of what kind of environment do you want?
Yeah. Z you want to throw in any commentary. Your mic is hot. No, it’s not. He did that on purpose. See, you just have it there for lunch. [inaudible] you should get a picture today and a gold belt buckle. And he put the gold mic in front of him. Posey. That’s great. I’m excited. We got the sures though. The issue, they make a big deal.
There’s one thing I wanted to mention is that there are two things that I tell myself every day I walk into this company that always bring value and don’t wait for Minero’s ass. You gotta press him. You gotta press. No, that’s great, man. I mean, that’s, that’s what you want though, right? I mean that that’s, that’s what you want.
All right. That’s cool. Zee and Ramsey. Thank you guys for having the courage to jump on and jump in anytime you want. Y’all if you got some perspective, um, judge, when we’re talking about growth culture, which is an episode of, um, scale speed that we did on the seven deadly habits, you know, this is the people should go back and listen to the seven deadly habits of business so that you can give yourself a check on whether or not those seven things are happening in your organization. Cause they will, they will destroy it. But they are just part of our, our, the ship’s mantra. When we talk about creating a goal growth culture, the seven deadly habits is a big part of it. So let’s go through some, some, some other stuff, the big guy on, you know, what he made. Yes. Yeah.
I mean, so I mean, first and foremost, and I think we did an episode on core values. Right? Have we done that? Not yet. Okay. We’re going to, I’m assuming, but, but a part of that is, is his core values, right? What are the behaviors, the habits, the things that you want to build the organization around, and then how do you bring that to life? You know, visually. So, um, you know, if you’re here looking at CFF, I mean just an amazing facility, right? You’ve brought to life through vinyl and physical elements, your core values. Right? And so we did the same thing at [inaudible] like fearless was a core value. We had a 14 foot Hulk statue that brought that to life. Right. Um, I’ve, I’ve worked with smaller companies that said, Hey, innovation is a big thing for us. What did we go and buy, you know, for, you know, 70-inch monitors, the cheap ones, they were like a thousand bucks each? Right. And then connected all their software and their analytics to it, put some beanbags in a room, and made it the innovation room. Right? Like you’ve got to provide an environment that did exude what you’re trying to do. You can’t say you’re innovative if you don’t have any innovative shit.
Yeah. And it starts foundationally. Right. And then it’s a little bit, I ha I have no, uh, great example, cause this idea just sort of popped into my head. But if you were to layout, um, it’s maybe people think this is a bad example. Cause I’m, I’m referring to employees in the same thing like dogs. But if you laid out a smorgasbord of dog toys, right. The dog is going to test those toys and then they’re going to find, they’re not even gonna know that they were there. You didn’t bring them up. Right. You just laid them out sooner. The dog’s gonna test it. And they’re going to gravitate to the toys that they like, the same thing happens when you bring your culture to life. You like, for example, in RTVs here, amazingly, we didn’t make a big fanfare of what happens on the TVs and what that is being displayed. But guess what? They figured it out and you’ll walk around the office and there’ll be two guys pointing at the TV saying, I’m going to get you, man. Dude, you beat me yesterday in the rankings that show on the TVs. But my point is they begin it foundationally. They exist. They begin to come to life.
Yeah. Well it, it, it, it just changes everything. I mean, imagine, um, let’s, let’s loot. We’ll use a, uh, and I know your buddy has a gym. Let’s use a gym as an example. Okay. What kind of gym are you trying to provoke? Like I’ve got this Westside, Russian hardcore lifting shirt on. And uh, you know, dude, if you walked into that gym, I’ve never been there. I’m assuming if I owned that type of gym, dude it’d have a huge garage door. It would be clean. You’d have chains, I’d have a mural on there. I’d have industrial lights. I’d be jamming, death metal music as loud as possible to invoke that environment. Dude, you gotta watch that, that documentary on Westside gym on Netflix, because it’s very similar to what you’re talking about. And he doesn’t give a shit that’s the culture. But, but I mean, that’s what, you know, it, it, it blows me away.
When I walk into an office and it’s silent and you got outdated furniture, you got a shitty fucking company logo sign that you did at fast signs, you know, 10 years ago or a banner or a banner. Right. And you got broken chairs and you’ve got cubicles and you’ve got an old school model. Like, what are we doing here? Like, dude, do you want to fucking win? No dude, you don’t because you’re so handicapped with cash. You’re afraid. And all of those things become reflective moments of dude. If all you can afford is to put up a banner, you got fucking problems in your office, then we’re talking about, um, you know, some of the companies we’re invested in and we’re starting to move up the food chain, listen, your website is a reflection of your company in your culture. Yeah. If it’s a shitty website, dude, guess what?
You’re going to get shitty customers. Yeah. Okay. And if you get the opportunity to get a good customer and they come to the office and these people spend money and you’re handing them out, you know, dollar breakfast burritos from McDonald’s, you lost, that’s not the culture that you need to bill. So, uh, if anybody’s in Dallas, I’d love you to come by our office here, commercial fleet. But in our conference room, we have a, uh, old military motorcycle, right? Yeah. And so, I guarantee you some people around this, the officer’s like, why do we have that? Well, we have it because the room is called a think tank. Yeah. A military feel to it. The graphic in the room is camo colored motorcycles. But more importantly than any of that, when a client or a bank comes to our office, we sit their ass in the sidecar.
They shoot the little machine gun that’s in front of it. And they put the old school metal helmet on and we take a picture of them in it. And then we print the picture and we put it in a frame and we send it to them and they put it in their office. And everybody in their office who walks in is like, what the fuck is what? You’re not gonna believe it. I went to this company in Texas. It’s like a guy’s got a military motorcycle with a bucket. They’d put me in. I didn’t even have a chance to say no. And next thing I know they’re taking my picture, dude, you gotta bring the place to lie to life. So you may be thinking, I can’t afford a $20,000 motorcycle or whatever. Here are some ideas that are cost-effective, visually update your space to reflect the core values.
And Matt says this all the time. You’ve got three people in 800 square feet, threw a freaking pizza party with the employees, and went to Lowe’s to spin a hundred bucks on paint. Okay. Get creative, get some stencils, paint the place, but the core values on the wall, right? Uh, you know, deem clean the carpet, clean it. Yeah, dude, it frustrates the hell out of me going to an office that is not clean. It costs nothing to clean your office, clean the office, make it, make it inviting. Those team members spend more time there than they do at home.
Pay your kid eight bucks an hour to go up to your office on Sunday and scrub the damn toilets, clean it,
Create an environment that wants to keep people in the office right now, examples that I’ve done before. And I know Matt’s doing dude. We bought a treadmill desk. Those things were so we had, I don’t know, like eight of them, maybe at one time they were so used. It had its own calendar block that you had to block them, but they had a desk on it. People could work. Right? Uh, we had, we had a yoga room. We had, we provided meals every day. We had, we allowed dogs in. We wanted to create an environment. Um, you know, as, as we had more, uh, mothers, we had a maternity room. I mean, dude, you need to create an environment where people can win and that want to stay in the environment. Right. You know, we did a penalty. Did we use to bring in catered breakfast for lunch? And then depending on who was there at night dinners did almost every day. And we analyzed, okay, you got, you know, hundreds of people, they all leave and they go to Chili’s or whatever for an hour and a half lunch, have a beer or whatever, dude, the tea that hour and a half, if I could have them working, right. They take 30 minutes of lunch because they’re eating at their desk. And I get that hour back across 300 people, dude. It didn’t, the cost was insignificant.
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we do the Bootcamp here. It costs us $120 a week to do a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Bootcamp. We bring in a personal trainer. We work out in the parking lot for 30 minutes. Um, you know, it’s $480 a month. So it’s about 6,000 bucks a year. Do you think that it’s at a pretty good investment, $6,000 a year, people would get back in shape to feel good about themselves to break up there. Yeah.
Yeah. People see what’s not working in this amazing company every day. They bring in a trainer that, that, that allows me. That I don’t have to get up at four o’clock in the morning. Yeah. I’m in an environment of culture. I can take my kids to school, get to work, get my workout in. I don’t have to pack gym clothes to go to some shitty gym and you know, not get home till eight o’clock at night. Like, dude, it’s a huge, that piece right there that Matt did is a phenomenal added value to create a culture of great people that want to work at a great company
Because you solved a problem. Yeah. That’s, that’s something that drew me here a lot to CFF is because of my last I had to,
I used my own Macbook and I had to use everything. I didn’t have anything given to me. I had no amenities, you know, that was it. So, um, when my family, when I was like, all right, well, let’s make the move to Dallas. Um, Troy got in contact with me, brought me here. This was before this brand new office was opening up. It was, it was really nice. And uh, yeah, he just mentioned the small things to me. It was like, Oh, we get free park coffee in the morning. And I’m like, I don’t drink coffee, but I think I may start drinking coffee [inaudible] and I do. I started drinking coffee now and it’s like it helps me in my day. I look forward to it and I’m like, I want to get some coffee. I got some cream. There’s a water purifier machine.
I’m like, I love to drink tap all day. I mean, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m not picking up water tasted in your life. Isn’t it? Yes, it is. It’s good stuff. I mean, I can get stuff from the, um, from the fridge. It doesn’t matter, but it is so tasty. And then yeah, there’s, there’s just so many things. There’s a culture here. There’s the value of seeing that printed on the wall. As soon as I came in before it was bigger now. Yeah. It was just small right there on the wall. It was still very, very good to see that. And I remember thinking that like, this is, this is it. And in full disclosure, there was a company that was trying to recruit me as well. And uh, and it was like exactly what Joseph was saying. Carpets are dirty. There were old frames on the wall. I’m like, this is a mistake. What am I doing here? This is not, this is it. So easily fixed. Yes. Thanks for recognizing that
End on, on this and there, Matt, unless you want to, you have more, I mean, dude, it’s important. It’s, it’s critically important that you’re creating an environment that people want to win and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. Right? There’s a quote from the CEO of Zappos. That, that, that I know we both love our number one priority is company culture, right? Our whole belief is that if you get the culture right, most of the other stuff like delivering great customer service and building a long-term enduring brand will just happen naturally on its own. And it’s so true. If you build a culture of aligned belief, systems, habits, and behaviors, and create a real team that loves it. And then you empower them and you create a freaking environment that they want to be a part of and that they care. I mean, they need to care, dude. Like, dude, you need to clean your desk rye because that’s what we do here. You know? And guess what? You’ll be happier too because you don’t want, I mean, you want an environment where people say you should see
My office and you think it’s expensive, dude. It’s not expensive. Now it could be expensive. Don’t get me wrong. This one was expensive. Right? The most we ever spent on culture, I think it’s about 40 something thousand just in glass in this office. Didn’t have to do it, but totally wanted it to be done. So people could say, you gotta, I mean like, like I got a half-court basketball.
Yeah, no dude. It’s amazing.
So, but I stole that idea from you, dude. I’d never seen a basketball court in an office until I saw pinches of yours. So look, this is, by the way, at the Bootcamp burn the ships boot camp,
One of the biggest takeaways
We spent a lot of time. We do it. We spent hours, a couple of hours on this topic
For your core values, not only your core values, how do you bring them to life? What’s it relevant to your culture? I mean, that’s the amazing thing about burning the ships, right? It’s not this generic, it’s your plan, your culture, your
Right. So judge, I just want to, I want to finish up on one other thing when it comes to culture and the relentless newness of it, and we share this in the Bootcamp, we literally put up on the screen of a W2 from one of our employees, uh, ex-employees employees here at the commercial fleet, um, where the guy was making North in the W2 shows that we’ve whited out his social and his name and all that for privacy. But we show the actual W2 in which he was making North of $500,000 in personal income. So you can figure out how much that is to the company. And we parted ways because he just would not come on board with it.
Yeah, no, it was probably one of the best decisions you’ve ever done because then the other people that were aligned go, dude,
This is a whole,
Well, not only did they let that guy go, but this means something. This is for real like this isn’t shit on a wall. This is, this is how we do it here.
Because once you do it, you will be tested. Especially if you do it after the fact, that’s why, if we can help you in your startup phase, are you just getting going in your small before you’re scaling with speed, get this shit right? Cause it’s much harder to do afterward, right? Yeah. You will be tested, but you will be tested on your relentlessness to the culture sooner or later and maybe multiple times and you’re going to have to do it. And that’s one of the things that we, we try to give that ultimate layer of transparency at burned, the ships where, you know, we go so far as to show you this guy’s W2 privately, but we show you the actual numbers to say, this is an example of a half, a million-dollar decision that proves relentlessness to the value system and the culture of your company. So it’s amazing. It’s awesome. Um, we could go, we do, we could spend days on this topic, but we ain’t. We only spend at Z. What’s our timeline on this one? Where are we? 30 minutes in 30. So we’re 30 minutes in and we’re going to leave you with that today. Cause
I hope you’re coming away from today’s podcast. And you’re saying I gotta get a handle on this thing.
Paint the damn walls, clean the office,
Go steam, clean the carpet.
When you walk into your current environment, are you happy? Even if it’s your home office, does it motivate you? Does it inspire you? Does it make you better? Can you get better in your environment? The answer is no.
Fix it, fix it now. All right buddy. As you always say, make it happen. We’ll see y’all down the road. Take care and make it happen.
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Milo Chair
Milo Chaira2vannoy2017-12-27T16:27:59-05:00
The Milo Chair is a handsome, plush modern chair featuring a flatbar stainless steel frame. It perfectly represents its designer’s philosophy of enduring design and his characteristic style of square, minimalist, and timelessness.
DESIGNER | Milo Baughman, 1962
Furniture that is too obviously designed is very interesting, but too often belongs only in museums.
– Milo Baughman
D 32″
he Milo Chair is a handsome, plush modern chair featuring a flatbar stainless steel frame. It perfectly represents its designer’s philosophy of enduring design and his characteristic style of square, minimalist, and timelessness. It remains the signature chair of manufacturer Thayer Coggin, which has been in continuous production since it was introduced in 1962.
Milo Baughman (pronounced Boffman) (1923–2003) was born in Kansas but grew up in Long Beach, California, where at the age of 13, his parents allowed him to single-handedly design, inside and out, the house they were building. During World War II, Baughman served in the Army Air Forces, where he designed officers’ clubs. When he returned from the war, Baughman studied architectural design and, at the age of 24, launched Milo Baughman Design, Inc. Eventually, he was drawn to High Point, NC, where he met and began a 50-year friendship and collaboration with Thayer Coggin that came to define the mid-century modern era of American residential furniture.
Milo Chair | c.1962
Original: Thayer Coggin | USA
Current: Thayer Coggin | USA
Material: flatbar stainless steel frame with upholstered seat and back
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EVs in paradise: plug-ins and island markets
Posted July 11, 2013 by Charles Morris & filed under Features, Vehicle Features.
Islands make perfect EV habitats. Driving distances are generally short, and the need to ship supplies from the mainland keeps gas prices high. Also, islands around the world face a lot of environmental challenges, and many island economies depend on tourism, so the level of green consciousness tends to be high.
Island governments around the world are taking steps to encourage EV adoption, and many are finding that EVs make more sense in conjunction with renewable energy, an insight that will be no surprise to Charged readers. High-tech energy helps EVs to realize their full emissions-reducing potential, while EVs can help utilities manage the intermittent nature of most renewable energy sources.
On many islands the existing mix of energy supplies cries out for modernization. Grungy oil- or diesel-powered plants are usually a major (and sometimes the only) source of electricity, while renewable opportunities abound. All islands have wind and wave power available, and those in warmer climes have plenty of solar potential.
Aloha, EVs!
The top contender for the title of Island EV Paradise is currently Hawaii. Margaret Larson, Transportation Energy Specialist at the Hawaii State Energy Office, spoke with Charged about the Aloha State’s strategy to encourage EV adoption. Her office is coordinating efforts with partners at universities, utilities, local businesses and other state agencies, as well as the DOE, which has provided grant funding for various pilot programs.
Hawaii’s EV efforts date back to 1993, when the state government evaluated a fleet of Hyundai Santa Fe EVs as part of a DARPA-funded project. In 1998 the state installed some of the nation’s earliest rapid charging infrastructure.
As Ms Larson explained, Hawaii has a unique combination of energy challenges and opportunities that makes it an ideal place to showcase EVs. The state’s gas prices are the highest in the US (at this writing, the stuff is going for around $4.20 a gallon on Oahu, and on the neighbor islands prices can be over $5). The islands have a unique ecosystem that’s vulnerable to various environmental impacts, and the state’s dependence on imported fossil fuels makes its economy susceptible to supply shocks.
Like all islands, Hawaii has limited driving distances and an abundance of renewable energy – including geothermal, thanks to its famous volcanoes. The state has an enviably stable climate year-round, and the temperature range (68-95° F) happens to be ideal for EV batteries. There’s a constant influx of tourists who rent cars (and, incidentally, spread the green word when they get back home).
By no means least important, the state has the political will to encourage EV adoption. In partnership with the DOE, the state has instituted the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, which sets an official goal of a 70% clean energy by 2030. Electric mobility has an important role to play in reaching this objective.
Electricity prices are high in Paradise – currently around 34 cents/kWh on Oahu, and as high as 45 cents on some of the neighbor islands. Each island has its own isolated grid, and most power is generated from oil-fired plants, with a little bit from coal and renewables. The Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative sets a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) of 15% by 2015, 25% by 2020 and 40% by 2030.
The combination of high gas prices and high electricity costs means that Hawaii residents face about the same payback period calculation that mainlanders do. Larson estimates that driving a LEAF in Hawaii costs about 10 cents per mile, compared to 13 cents per mile for a gas-sipping Honda Civic.
The Hawaii EV Ready Program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the stimulus) provided $4.5 million for various EV-related goodies, including rebates of up to $4,500 for EVs and up to $500 for charging stations, as well as grants to Aerovironment, Better Place and others to install public chargers. It also funded the purchase EVs for fleet use and tools to stimulate Hawaii’s EV-market demand. Alas, those funds have been used up, and the program has concluded successfully.
EV drivers in Hawaii receive special license plates, entitling them to a generous amount of free parking (2.5 hours at most public parking, even more in some spots), as well as use of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Hawaiian Electric (HECO) offers net metering and time-of-use (TOU) rates for home and commercial charging. A state law prevents homeowners’ associations (including those at multi-unit dwellings) from prohibiting charging stations. All parking lots with at least 100 spaces available to the public are required to install a charging station, and clueless dinosaur drivers who ICE out EV drivers are subject to a fine.
The LEAF, Volt, Prius Plug-in, Ford Focus Electric and Mitubishi i-MiEV are all available in the state, and as of April, a total of 1,331 plug-ins were on the road. The state government has 10 EVs (Volts and LEAFs) in its motor pool, as well as a dozen Level 2 charging stations at state-owned parking lots. Car rental agencies are getting with the program, too. Enterprise has 20-30 EVs in its fleet, and a startup car sharing company called Green Car Hawaii offers EVs by the hour through hotels on Oahu and Kauai.
Hawaii has by far the most charging stations per capita of any state. There were about 343 public charging ports at last count, including six DC fast chargers, operated by Aerovironment. Better Place installed most of the Level 2 chargers, but has recently filed for liquidation, so its Hawaiian units will be swapped out with new hardware on different networks.
ChargePoint, ECOtality and several others are also part of the scene. The state wants to be a test bed for the charging business, and welcomes other companies to the party. One of these, a local group of young entrepreneurs called Volta Charging, has a unique advertising-based business model. It collects money for ads on the chargers, and so is able to offer free electricity to customers and incentives to site owners for installation.
The Hawaii State Energy Office sees the conjunction between EVs and renewables quite clearly. Its web site states that “the deployment of EVs in Hawaii is occurring concurrently with the expansion of renewable electricity on Hawaii’s electrical grid.” EVs are seen as a big help to fulfilling the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard.
The Energy Office calculates that, on average, the amount of fossil fuel used to power an EV in Hawaii is 31% less than the fossil fuel required to power a similar gasoline-fueled vehicle. This is expected to get even better as more renewable energy comes online.
EVs tend to be charged at night, which is when excess wind energy is likely to be available. If EV battery charging is controlled so that the rate of charging can be adjusted based on the grid’s supply, it could give electric utilities a powerful tool to make use of excess renewable energy and manage the challenges caused by intermittent power sources. Most vehicles sit idle over the course of a day, so they can become energy storage devices if they are plugged into the grid when not in use.
Of course, if all this is to work, EV drivers must have an incentive to charge at the desired times, and the main tool for this is TOU pricing. HECO began a pilot TOU program in 2010 to encourage drivers to charge EVs during off-peak times. EV TOU rates are currently available to 1,000 customers on Oahu, 300 on Maui, and 300 on the Big Island.
Charging during HECO’s off-peak times (9pm-7am every day, and anytime on weekends) costs about six cents per kWh below the standard rate on Oahu. Charging during peak hours (7am-9pm on weekdays) costs two to five cents above the standard rate. Residential customers can use the TOU rate under a single house meter or under a separate meter used only for charging. HECO reports that about a fourth of known EV drivers have enrolled in the TOU program.
Other islands of opportunity
Hawaii is the biggest “EVs in Paradise” case study to date, but similar stories are taking place on islands around the world (at least, affluent ones). In the Orkneys, a frigid and starkly beautiful island group off the north coast of Scotland, the local Council began promoting EVs in 2011, when it installed a charging point at a school and purchased two Peugeot IoNs (a rebadged version of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV).
Since then, more chargers have been installed, and several local businesses have leased IoNs. In May of this year, three development trusts in Orkney took delivery of four LEAFs, which will be used in a two-year pilot to test a “demand side management” approach that will address current constraints on the local grid.
While local governments are trying to create favorable conditions for EVs to thrive, the ultimate goal is always for private business to step into the driver’s seat. One entrepreneur who sees the potential of island EV ecosystems is David Soens, a co-founder and managing partner of Oak Energy Partners, which specializes in renewable energy projects, demand response and charging station infrastructure.
As he observed the efforts of ECOtality, ChargePoint and others to build EV charging networks on the US mainland, he saw that, as the EVSE ecosystem gets built out, there will be (hopefully lucrative) holes to be filled, so he formed a Philadelphia-based company called U-Go Stations.
Soens found a like-minded colleague in John Felder, a former Chrysler exec who owns EV dealerships in Bermuda and Grand Cayman, and the two formed a partnership to build an island-wide charging network on Grand Cayman. The Cayman Islands government is quite interested in clean tech, and is cooperating with U-Go in various ways.
The network is scheduled to be operational this summer. Phase I calls for four public charging stations, including one with a 4 kW solar array in the center of Georgetown, the capital. Other locations will be near the airport and at Rum Point, a popular tourist attraction near the harbor.
U-Go’s island chargers will be part of the SemaConnect network, and the initial plan is to charge customers a flat monthly subscription fee. For property owners, U-Go offers to install a charger for free and share the revenue.
Many island nations impose hefty tariffs on all imported goods – a break on those tariffs can amount to a strong purchase incentive. The Cayman government has reduced the tariff on EVs from over 40% to 10%. There are no auto dealers on Grand Cayman that carry EVs in inventory, but Felder’s dealership offers several brands for import, including the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Wheego city cars, Smith commercial vehicles, Polaris neighborhood EVs, and Zero electric motorcycles. The island’s utility director drives a Volt, and at least one island resident has ordered a Model S.
Electricity rates on Grand Cayman are over 40 cents/kWh – a powerful incentive to pursue renewable energy. The government offers a feed-in tariff, which will give U-Go some monthly income for the power generated by its solar installation.
Soens and his partners are also talking with governments in the Bahamas and elsewhere in the region, and will be inviting officials to come and see their network when it’s up and running.
Soens notes that, all over the Caribbean, electricity comes from expensive and dirty diesel, so the powerhouse combo of EVs and renewables could save tremendous amounts of money, while cleaning up the air – but it’s only the combination of the two that will really unlock the value. “To make this model work, we’ve got to get into renewables,” says Soens.
This article originally appeared in Charged Issue 8 – JUN 2013
Tags: ChargePoint, ECOtality
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New Jersey bans Tesla direct sales in last-minute move
Posted March 12, 2014 by Charles Morris & filed under Newswire, The Vehicles.
Tesla lost a battle in its ongoing war with the auto dealers this week, as the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission approved a new rule that will effectively block Tesla’s direct sales model in the state.
The new law, which will go into effect in April, requires new motor vehicles to be sold through middlemen in showrooms of at least 1,000 square feet, which must also have service facilities on site. Tesla’s two current New Jersey outlets, in Paramus and Short Hills, are smaller than that, and its service centers are in separate locations.
In a statement, Tesla characterized the move as a sneaky end run, saying in part:
Since 2013, Tesla Motors has been working constructively with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) and members of Governor Christie’s administration to defend against the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers’ (NJ CAR) attacks on Tesla’s business model and the rights of New Jersey consumers. Until yesterday, we were under the impression that all parties were working in good faith.
Unfortunately, Monday we received news that Governor Christie’s administration has gone back on its word to delay a proposed anti-Tesla regulation so that the matter could be handled through a fair process in the Legislature.
Having previously issued two dealer licenses to Tesla, this regulation [is] a complete reversal to the long standing position of NJMVC on Tesla’s stores. Indeed, the Administration and the NJMVC are thwarting the Legislature and going beyond their authority to implement the state’s laws at the behest of a special interest group looking to protect its monopoly at the expense of New Jersey consumers.
This move comes in spite of discussions with the Governor’s staff as recently as January, when it was agreed that Tesla and NJ CAR would address their issues in a more public forum: the New Jersey Legislature.
Neither Tesla nor the taxpayers of New Jersey have been able to participate in any of the analysis or been granted a hearing as requested last year when this was first proposed. Despite being the subject of the regulation, we were only able to obtain information about today’s meeting with less than 24 hours’ notice and in direct contravention of assurances by the Governor.
The anti-Tesla legislation was approved without allowing public comment, despite the fact that over 100 people showed up in support of Tesla (InsideEVs reported that the Commission allowed audience members to comment after the legislation had already been approved).
In December, a former strategic planning leader for Apple offered an interesting perspective on the conflict. As reported by Green Car Reports, Chris Riley, speaking at a panel on global trends sponsored by Ford, said that Tesla’s sales model could end up changing the way people buy cars. According to Riley, younger buyers find that dealing directly with a manufacturer makes their transactions more “meaningful.” That sounds like exactly what the auto dealers are afraid of.
The pithiest comment of all may have been one made by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at a gathering sponsored by the American Conservative Union, a Washington-based group that promotes smaller government, about a week before his administration approved the anti-Tesla rule: “We need to talk about the fact that we are for a free-market society that allows your effort and ingenuity to determine your success, not the cold, hard hand of the government.”
Sources: Green Car Reports, Bloomberg, Tesla, InsideEVs, re/code
Image: Isaac Z. Ortiz/Flickr
Tags: Tesla Model S
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by DavidB4-bot (Talk | contribs) at 19:28, 1 September 2017. It may differ significantly from current revision.
Revision as of 19:28, 1 September 2017 by DavidB4-bot (Talk | contribs)
A "greenhouse gas" traps heat in the atmosphere by absorbing radiated heat, in the form of infrared. Any gas which contributes to the greenhouse effect is called a greenhouse gas, although those produced by human activity have gotten more attention in the past few decades. The most abundant greenhouse gas is water vapor;[1] see cloud cover. Also important are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.[2]
The nature of a greenhouse gas is to pass visible light, i.e., incoming energy from the sun, but to be opaque to the infrared, i.e., heat energy being re-radiated outward from the earth's surface. Greenhouse gases, by definition, are good absorbers at these wavelengths. This functions not at all like the glass on a man-made greenhouse, and serves to trap warmth at the surface and in the lower atmosphere. Some extent of greenhouse gases are necessary to maintain life at a livable temperature on Earth. These greenhouse gas molecules (principally water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane) absorb and re-emit long-wave infrared rays emitted from the earth's surface into the atmosphere (see radiational cooling).
1 Solar radiation
1.1 Infrared radiation
2 Gas types
3 Greenhouse effect
4 Runaway greenhouse effect
A diagram illustrating the so-called "greenhouse effect."
Sunlight falling on the surface of a planet is primarily in the visible part of the spectrum. The surface absorbs some of the incident sunlight, and some is reflected, depending on the reflectivity of the surface (see albedo). The reflected light mostly passes through the atmosphere back to space. The absorbed light warms the surface. Anything with a temperature radiates according to Planck's law,[3] and the Earth is no exception. Due to its relatively low temperature, the emission from the ground is in the infrared (IR) part of the electromagnetic spectrum, emitted from the Earth's surface.
See also : Infrared radiation
The gas absorbs the IR radiation, and emits IR radiation, both up and down. Because these gases are above the surface, they are at a lower temperature than the surface, so they emit at a different frequency. The net effect is that energy is retained by the Earth system, warming it.[4] This is the natural greenhouse effect, which allows the Earth to be habitable. When the atmospheric composition is changed by human activity resulting in increases in greenhouse gases, the warming associated with this theory is called the anthropogenic greenhouse effect.
Richard Lindzen wrote (in 1992):
“ The main absorbers of infrared in the atmosphere are water vapor and clouds. Even if all other greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide and methane) were to disappear, we would still be left with over 98 percent of the current greenhouse effect.[5] ”
However, this figure has been disputed. The textbook Chemistry of Atmospheres puts the contribution of water vapor and clouds at less than 88 percent of the greenhouse effect, while carbon dioxide is at least 12 percent.[6] This insulating effect has been compared to a blanket or to the glass walls and roof of a greenhouse, but the process is not the same.
Gas types
The greenhouse effect is caused primarily by the following
Water vapor: 95.00% of effect[7]
Carbon dioxide: 3.61% of effect
Methane: 0.36% of effect
Nitrous Oxide: 0.07% of effect
The following is a breakdown of the sources for these greenhouse gasses.
% of effect
% natural
% man-made
Water Vapor 95.000% 94.999% 0.001%
Carbon Dioxide 3.618% 3.502% 0.117%
Methane 0.360% 0.294% 0.066%
Nitrous Oxide 0.950% 0.903% 0.047%
Other gases ( CFCs, etc.) 0.072% 0.025% 0.047%
Total 100.00% 99.72 0.28%
The greenhouse effect refers to the retention of heat by a planet's atmosphere. Although "greenhouse" is a handy analogy to a botanical greenhouse, which insulates an indoor space by regulating convection, the atmosphere retains heat in a different way. It happens because gas molecules absorb some of the heat radiating from the ground (see infrared radiation), so that it all doesn't escape into outer space. It was discovered in 1824 by Joseph Fourier. The effect has been compared to that of the glass roof and walls of a greenhouse, although the process is different. A gardener's greenhouse simply traps warm air inside the building.
Runaway greenhouse effect
A runaway greenhouse effect has been claimed by some climate scientists, many of whom are involved in Climategate, and have argued that slight increases in trace gases in the Earth's atmosphere would lead to higher air temperatures. These higher temperatures would in turn cause "greenhouse gases" such as carbon dioxide to have higher concentrations, which in turn would accelerate the warming trend. Alarming increases of 3 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit have been predicted, as modeled in Al Gore's hockey stick graph. Outside of the political sphere, few academics give any credence to this theory, and many scientists have been critical of the hockey stick reconstruction.
MIT professor Richard Lindzen wrote:
“ It is still of interest to ask what we would expect a doubling of carbon dioxide to do. A large number of calculations show that if this is all that happened, we might expect a warming of from .5 to 1.2 degrees centigrade. The general consensus is that such warming would present few, if any, problems. [...] current models depend heavily on undemonstrated positive feedback factors to predict high levels of warming.[9] ”
Another professor wrote:
“ Computer models suggest that a doubling of the concentration of the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, may raise the average global temperature between 1 and 3° Celsius. However, the numeric equations of computer models do not accurately simulate the effects of a number of possible negative feedbacks. For example, many of the models cannot properly simulate the negative effects that increased cloud cover would have on the radiation balance of a warmer Earth. Increasing the Earth's temperature would cause the oceans to evaporate greater amounts of water, causing the atmosphere to become cloudier. These extra clouds would then reflect a greater proportion of the Sun's energy back to space reducing the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the atmosphere and the Earth's surface. With less solar energy being absorbed at the surface, the effects of an enhanced greenhouse effect may be counteracted.[10] ”
Some scientists have noted a natural climate change on other planets; others have pointed to Venus as an example of a planet where a runaway greenhouse effect has already occurred. However, Venus has many differences with Earth, including a lack of plate tectonics which make the comparison faulty.
↑ Water vapor has the largest greenhouse effect, though since the quantity of water vapor in the atmosphere is determined primarily by the temperature it is not regarded as a climate forcing agent. (NASA)
↑ Thermodynamics says that any body with a temperature above absolute zero will radiate its energy away. [1]
↑ D. Hartmann, Global Physical Climatology
↑ Richard Lindzen quote
↑ Chemistry of Atmospheres
↑ Multiple references:
*S.M. Freidenreich and V. Ramaswamy, “Solar Radiation Absorption by Carbon Dioxide, Overlap with Water, and a Parameterization for General Circulation Models,” Journal of Geophysical Research 98 (1993):7255-7264
http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/Reference_Docs/PMichaels_Jun98.pdf
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/alternate/page/environment/appd_d.html
http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=010405M
http://www.ecoenquirer.com/EPA-water-vapor.htm
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/ci/31/special/may01_viewpoint.html
http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/Reference_Docs/sci_and_techn-glacial_expansion_03-04.pdf
↑ http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/greenhouse_data.html
↑ http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/regv15n2/reg15n2g.html
↑ http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7h.html
Sea surface temperature (SST) - anomalies throughout the global climate system
Retrieved from "https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Greenhouse_gas&oldid=1370716"
Gardening Glossary
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