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__label__cc	0.670936	0.329064	Tara Zahra F'13, F'09 Exodus from the East: Emigration from Eastern Europe and the Making of the "Free World," 1889-1989 Between 1889 and 1989, millions of people left Habsburg Central Europe. This book project traces how debates about and experiences of emigration shaped competing conceptions of freedom and mobility in Eastern Europe and “the West” over the course of 100 years. After the Second World War, the “captivity” of East Europeans behind the Iron Curtain came to be seen as a quintessential symbol of Communist oppression. In reality, however, the Iron Curtain was not built overnight in 1948 or 1961. It was rather the culmination of a century-long campaign to curtail emigration in the name of both demographic power and humanitarian protection. Charles A. Ryskamp Research Fellowships 2009 Lost Children: Displacement and the Family in Twentieth-Century Europe At the end of the Second World War, hundreds of thousands of children were missing. Whether through bombings, military service, evacuation, deportation, forced labor, ethnic cleansing, or murder, an unprecedented number of children were separated from their parents during the war. This project traces the efforts of international humanitarian and political activists to rescue, rehabilitate, and repatriate displaced children from 1918-1951. These children came to be the objects of bitter custody disputes, as psychologists, social workers, Communists, Catholics, Jewish agencies, military officials, relatives, and refugees themselves competed to determine their fate. The rehabilitation and reunification of displaced families was ultimately central to the process of postwar reconstruction in Europe, to the emergence of new psychological and psychoanalytic theories, and to the development of new ideals of nation, family, and human rights in post-fascist Europe.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line807
__label__wiki	0.617861	0.617861	Libya's Precious Historical Sites in Decay Since Gaddafi's Death Historical sites in Libya that once appealed to foreign tourists have lost their lustre because of damage caused by fighting, looting and lack of care. By Takudzwa Hillary Chiwanza. Popular ancient cultural areas are suffering from great damage and lack of care following the war and conflict which have ravaged Libya since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled and killed in 2011. One of the historic sites which once appealed to the tourists is Cyrene, an ancient city in eastern Libya. It was built by the Greeks more than 2 600 years ago. Today, it no longer resembles the fame that made it one of the five United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage sites in Libya. Some of the sites that have lost their glory include the ruins of the Roman city of Leptis Magna and Sabratha, well-known for its amphitheater. Other sites include the prehistoric rock cuttings in the Akakous mountains in the southern Sahara Desert, near Libya’s border with Algeria. These sites are now in a sorry state because of the looting, insecurity and lack of care that followed the overthrow of Gaddafi in 2011. Foreign tourists visiting Cyrene are now scarce, with the site only being occasioned by Libyan families. Some locals have decided to grab the land for themselves, because of the breakdown of the rule of law in Libya. Graffiti is now a familiar feature on the ancient city’s structures and walls. However the local officials are not just sitting by as they are trying all they can to save the situation. They are trying to stop the damage. "In Cyrene, instead of speaking to one owner, now we speak to 50…" said Ahmed Hussein, a local official. He said owners have built houses on the ancient sites. There is a rule that was passed down in 2013 which worsened the situation with the ancient cultural areas. A law permitting people to reclaim land that was taken from them under Gaddafi’s rule was passed. Some people took advantage of this and took land they felt they deserved. Hussein made it clear that he wants to hold these people responsible for their actions. The governance crisis in Libya makes it all the more difficult to manage sites like Cyrene. There are parallel governments in Libya; one that is in Tripoli backed by the United Nations and another in Eastern Libya, then a whole lot of rebel groups. Some success has been registered. Hussein said about 1,700 objects that were stolen from historic sites have been returned. The returned objects had been looted inside the country. Many other objects have been illegally taken out of the country. Sabratha has been repeatedly hit by fighting between warring groups, but Leptis Magna has not undergone a lot of damage because of the people there, who are avid fans of history. Without doubt, tourism in Libya was high before 2011. The crisis that followed Gaddafi's death has inflicted extensive damage on the country's tourism sector. Header image credit: Reuters Pro Tip: Become a Blogger Publish your own articles by creating your blog on The African Exponent. More info Cultural and Political Education From a professional point of view, these aspects u… Africa Betrayed Libya and Muammar Gaddaf… The Ugandan leader says the African Union should h… Muammar Gaddafi and His Prophesy of Pres… Gaddafi consistently said there was a rebel uprisi… Black People were Systematically Erased … In positioning itself as a white country of social… How Black Slaves Were Sold as "Specimens… Slave bodies were a readily available medical comm…	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line810
__label__wiki	0.709102	0.709102	Home Editorial Europe: Caring About Animals, Dehumanizing Refugees Europe: Caring About Animals, Dehumanizing Refugees The refugee crisis in the Mediterranean was caused by European wars in Libya and Western Asia AFRICANGLOBE – Isn’t it a strange paradox that the death of a lion in Zimbabwe galvanises global solidarity, whereas poor human beings fleeing misery and death are viewed with utter contempt? What is yet to enter the public discourse is the West’s complicity for the circumstances that generate refugees in the first place. Asylum quests have become toxic issues in just about every affluent country. Even saving lives along the Mediterranean worries some as a lure that will encourage and facilitate more migrant arrivals. An empathetic story in the NY Times by Suzanne Daley titled “Refugee Crisis on the Beach in Greece” drew a mere 10 comments as compared to 173 comments reacting to Ross Douthat’s opinion piece. Douthat’s sensationalised framing of the issue as “Africa’s Scramble for Europe” only serves to induce fear of refugees. It really is far-fetched to draw parallels between the European scramble for Africa and the current desperate effort by poor Africans fleeing to the shores of Europe. Most refugees arriving in Europe, far from scrambling for European resources as Europeans did in conquering Africa will, if successful, be engaged in hard work most lazy Europeans would not want to do such as cleaning toilets, performing arduous farm labour, the service industry and taking care of the elderly. What is more, in reality only a small fraction of asylum seekers is knocking on the gates of Europe with 86 percent languishing in camps in poor neighbouring states. Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch during an interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now, said: “And yes, 310 000, 320 000 people (in Europe) are a lot of people. But Europe’s population as a whole is about 500 million. So what we’re talking about, the number of people who have come this year is less than 0.1 percent of Europe’s population.” So, is this a real crisis or a fabricated one because the asylum seekers are of a darker complexion? An Op-Ed article by Goodwell Nzou, a Zimbabwean PhD student, titled “In Zimbabwe, We Don’t Cry for Lions” evoked 1 257 passionate comments about the late Cecil, the lion. Nzou quipped, “. . . we Zimbabweans are left shaking our heads, wondering why Americans care more about African animals than about African people.” Personally, I grieve for lions, elephants, rhinos and all the wonderful endangered animals in Africa just as I do for the humans drowning in the Mediterranean. I, however, do understand where Nzou is coming from. Reading through the comments in the NY Times about asylum seekers, I am distressed by the bigotry and total lack of understanding for the plight of refugees. Cecil galvanised a global movement and empathy. In contrast, refugees seem to elicit contempt! It is a paradox to witness a pairing of love for animals with disdain for humans as if the two are mutually exclusive. European media is engaging in a campaign of disinformation and scaremongering against the victims of their wars The responses are mostly intended to perpetuate a “Fortress Europe” mentality, ranging from threatening military action against traffickers, outsourcing of asylum seekers to poorer countries in exchange for money, to building walls and fences, surveillance, border protection, indifference to life saving measures in the Mediterranean by scraping the Italian rescue operation, Mare Nostrum, and warehousing refugees in detention centres. What is yet to enter the public discourse is Western complicity for the circumstances that generate refugees. The contributions of the US-British “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq and the US-British-French “Mission Accomplished” in Libya to the refugee exodus is rarely acknowledged. Moreover, there is little discussion regarding the obligations of European countries to their former colonial empires. Does Europe owe Africa anything for inflicting structural damage through exploitive practices, and the legacy of drawing arbitrary borders resulting in chronic conflicts and stolen riches? The typical Western response to this is that it is all “in the past”, and that this generation of Europeans cannot be held responsible. Get over it. Clearly, the West has failed to put structures in place for justice and is guilty of glossing over the events that shaped the reality of post-colonial states, further widening the gap between the developed and developing worlds. Another theme within the comments, including Douthat’s opinion piece, is that population growth drives asylum seekers to make these dangerous journeys. The solution presented is to help Africans with family planning (ethnic genocide). This solution and the perceptions that surround it is simplistic, at best. It is an excuse to curb the flow of refugees and asylum seekers to affluent countries that would appeal politically to some people who oppose asylum seekers but who don’t want to be accused of racism or xenophobia. Arguing that underdevelopment contributes to persecution, war and refugees is a stronger argument. However, how underdevelopment occurred would be a necessary inquiry for it would reveal the lopsided and unfavourable terms of trade and wholesale historical injustices perpetrated by European colonialism and slavery. In his seminal book, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Walter Rodney argues that both European power politics and European economic exploitation and oppression led to the impoverishment of African societies. In the contemporary era, war, civil strife in conjunction with political persecution (in Syria, Iraq, Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan), aggravated by the involvement of Western powers, are causing untold loss of life as well as economic dislocation. One would think that the affluent world has a moral responsibility to accept people as they flee violence. Nevertheless there are usually no more than occasional references to this obvious and glaring truth and moral exigencies. The refugee exodus is the result of many factors, one of the most common being war or fear of war. Overpopulation, while it may be a contributing factor, is not the main cause. Billions of poor people prefer to stay put in their homes and familiar surroundings unless threatened by war or persecution. In addition, a conversation about population growth that ignores unequal patterns of consumption and its effects is disingenuous: “the poorest three billion people on earth, short of half the world population accounted for about 7 percent of carbon emissions, while conversely, the richest 7 percent of people accounted for about half of all emissions.” Language is another potent weapon used to demonise asylum seekers and to frame the issue. Refugees are being described with words laden in negative meanings akin to propaganda – for manipulation of public opinion. Refugees are abused and ridiculed in ways that African American slaves were labelled as “chattels,” “property,” and “beasts” and Native Americans were labelled with dehumanising language defining them as “non-persons,” “savages,” and “Satan’s partisans.” Politicians make misleading generalisations for electoral gains while neglecting the main factor that triggers displacement and movement of people: war. British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond refers to asylum seekers in Calais in terms of “marauding,” whose presence will undermine the British “standard of living.” David Cameron described asylum seekers as “swarms.” An Israeli Member of the Knesset Miri Regev, referred to African asylum-seekers as “a cancer in our body,” and former Minister of Interior Eli Yishai, labelled asylum-seekers as “infiltrators,” “criminals,” and a “demographic threat.” Such incitement has led to a significant increase in hate crimes against Africans in Israel. However, it is simplistic to think this is just about race. Of course, race is the underlying factor with concerns about assimilation and integration of refugees. But asylum seekers and migrants have not fared better, even in Black ruled and relatively prosperous South Africa. South African mobs have doused other Africans with gasoline and burned them alive. South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma’s son, Edward, an African twin of Donald Trump, described foreigners (i.e, African migrants) as drug dealers and a “security threat” who must be deported. According to a SAMP survey, this entrenched view is “held by 55 percent of South Africans.” To be sure, South Africa maybe ANC ruled but economic power is still firmly in the hands of the white minority. The country has very high Black unemployment and economic inequality which pits refugees and asylum-seekers against Black South Africans. There is also the attempt to dismiss African refugees as mere migrants looking for economic opportunities. Somini Sengupta of the NY Times writes about how migrants are legally different from refugees. However, the vast majority of those crossing the Mediterranean are clearly refugees even by the definition of the 1951 UN convention. According to a UNHCR report, they are fleeing war, persecution and deteriorating conditions in countries hosting refugees. One can also make a case that even the so-called migrants are also refugees. While acknowledging that there are people who leave their homes for economic opportunities and to better themselves, the distinction between migrants and refugees is often quite arbitrary and made to suit those trying to justify exclusionary policies. In retrospect, the 1951 UN convention on refugees is mostly ignored when it comes to Africans and more recently Middle Easterners. When the convention was created, it is safe to conclude potential refugees from Africa were hardly even considered. The world then was a different kind of place with only two African countries as independent states. The rest were colonies. The convention was designed for European victims of Nazi Germany and for defectors from the Soviet bloc. Clearly, the goal behind the dehumanisation of African and Middle Eastern asylum seekers is to deny them the right to invoke the 1951 convention. By: Yohannes Woldemariam Previous articleIs 50 Cent Moving To Africa? Next articleWatch The 1991 Documentary Donald Trump Didn’t Want Anyone To See Editorial_Staff - Apr 28, 2020 0 AFRICANGLOBE - For decades, FW de Klerk was a committed supporter of apartheid. Elected as a member of Parliament in 1972, he held the ministerial portfolios of mines and energy affairs, internal affairs, and national education and planning. During his time as a cabinet minister, he was considered more conservative than many of his ministerial colleagues. AFRICANGLOBE - Africa was supposed to be China’s new stomping grounds. Instead, the Wuhan coronavirus has spawned a growing backlash that threatens to unwind the ties Beijing has carefully cultivated over decades. The trigger for the burgeoning diplomatic crisis: Anger over the treatment of African citizens living in China. AFRICANGLOBE - “Long before COVID-19, Black communities were experiencing deep health and economic inequities that are only intensified by a public health crisis of this magnitude.” The COVID-19 global pandemic is a nightmare unfolding before our eyes that could have devastating impacts that Black Americans could feel most acutely. With scarce testing, health care workers and ventilators there are signs that Black communities across the country are bearing the brunt of an inept federal response. Editorial_Staff - Apr 6, 2020 0 AFRICANGLOBE - Ethiopia has a proud history and is a very proud nation. It has successfully safeguarded its independence and sovereignty for thousands of years with the blood and bones of its forefathers and foremothers in spite of numerous challenges and ups and downs. It has never bowed to any external invader and no foreign force has ever conquered and occupied its land. It has repeatedly and successfully repelled all foreign aggressions and the battles of Adwa, Gundet , Gura, ets. are testimonial to its proud history. As our late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi recently stated, “nobody who has tried to invade Ethiopia has lived to tell the story”. Editorial_Staff - Aug 27, 2019 0 AFRICANGLOBE - It’s easy for so-called analysts and pundits on mainstream corporate media to tell us that Trump is a racist. He tells us this every day. They may as well be discussing whether water is wet. Calling Trump racist is not journalism, nor is it news. The challenge is to avoid the contrived distractions and deal with the real issues and solutions. How Slavery And White Supremacy Shaped America AFRICANGLOBE - Who would have thought the 400th anniversary of slavery in America was worth celebrating? But then “celebrating” may not be the right word for what is turning into a reexamination of America's original sin. One can argue over how different America might have been had the country never embraced white supremacy and race-based slavery, but one cannot argue, in any intellectually honest way, that this history has not fundamentally shaped who we are today. The nation’s first naturalization act — passed in 1790 — restricted eligibility to “free white persons.” Zimbabwe: Western Imperialists in a Quandary The Global War Against Black Men Sowing The Seeds Of Economic Freedom In South Africa	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line811
__label__cc	0.532233	0.467767	Home » EPA Administrator McCarthy addresses CWA and RFS concerns EPA Administrator McCarthy addresses CWA and RFS concerns 04/09/14 11:57 AM By Sarah Gonzalez WASHINGTON, April 8, 2014— Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy defended her agency’s Clean Water Act (CWA) and Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) proposals during the annual meeting of the North American Agricultural Journalists on Monday. “Part of the challenge we have is that EPA does not have a trusting relationship with the agriculture community,” McCarthy said in her address, adding that one of her priorities is to build communications between agriculture and the EPA. “I’m here today because I want to start that.” Early reaction to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule to define “waters of the U.S.” under the CWA included charges by many Republicans and some Senate Democrats that the proposal, released March 25, was another example of regulatory overreach. CropLife America and American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) were among the agricultural groups that criticized the proposal. McCarthy reiterated that current exemptions for CWA permits for “normal farming, ranching and agricultural practices” would not change under the proposal. “If a farmer was not legally required to have a permit before, this rule does not change that status,” she said. She added that EPA worked “arm in arm” with USDA in defining the “waters of the U.S.,’ adding that the proposal “does not add to or expand the scope of waters protected under the CWA.” She thinks one reason for the strong negative reaction toward the proposal is that “people thought it was the same thing they saw’’ in a leaked draft proposal. “It isn’t,” McCarthy said. She said EPA’s intent with the proposed rule was not to increase agriculture’s permitting burden, but “actually to try to reduce that.” In addition to preserving the CWA agriculture exemptions, the EPA coordinated with USDA to develop an “interpretive rule” to ensure that 56 specific conservation practices that protect or improve water quality will not be subject to dredged or fill permitting requirements set out in Section 404 of the CWA. For a list of those practices, click here. McCarthy said those 56 specific farming practices are known through USDA conservation programs. But, “the list does not limit exemptions to 56,” she said. “We are in no way minimizing the overall exemption for farming practices that currently exist.” The proposal includes a proposed interpretive rule that would allow EPA to recognize additional conservation practices without having to reopen the “waters of the U.S.” definition. McCarthy emphasized that the proposed rule is not final and discussions with the agricultural community will continue. “I urge people to read this in detail,” she said. “If we need to make any adjustments in this, we will certainly do that.” Regarding EPA’s changes to the RFS, McCarthy seemed confident that the final rule would be different than the one that has been proposed. That proposal calls for cutting total biofuel blending from 18.15 billion gallons specified for this year in the 2007 legislation that created RFS to 15.21 billion gallons. The measure also would drop the corn ethanol requirement from 14.4 billion gallons to a little more than 13 billion gallons, an amount less than the 13.8 billion gallons required in 2013. EPA's McCarthy defends WOTUS, RFS at Corn Congress Obama addresses ethanol, regulation and deficit concerns during last day of Midwest bus tour EPA chief calls some concerns on waters rule 'just ludicrous' Ethanol and biofuel advocates including the Renewable Fuels Association and National Corn Growers Association criticized the Obama administration’s for reducing the ethanol and biofuel production mandate. EPA is now reviewing more than 200,000 comments on the RFS proposal, after which the agency will issue a final rule in late spring or early summer, McCarthy said. Although the current RFS dictates that volumes of required ethanol and biofuel blends increase each year, “EPA has to make sure it is implementable,” she said. “And that means taking into realities of the fuel market. One of those realities is the fuel blend wall,” or the maximum amount of ethanol that is allowed to be blended into gasoline. EPA cited information in its proposal that U.S. demand for gasoline has dropped to the point that there is insufficient supply to meet the mandatory ethanol blending requirement, creating the blend wall that will force prices higher. McCarthy noted that the final rule will almost certainly be different than the one that’s been proposed. “Gasoline demand had an impact in the proposal and it will also be reflected in the final rule,” she said. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also addressed the RFS in his speech to the journalists. “It’s important for the public to understand that EPA started the RFS with an assumption that gas consumption would continue to increase,” he said. But consumption did not meet projections in recent years, so “EPA responded to a changing situation.” Now, gasoline consumption is rising again, and “one would assume there would be another response. We’ve certainly pointed that out,” Vilsack said. McCarthy also outlined on Monday the legal and practical challenges of implementing the RFS. The required levels in the law are “very aggressive,” she said, adding that EPA needs to address the lack of biofuel infrastructure needed to realize levels called for in the RFS. Additionally, EPA expects legal challenges to any RFS standards. “We need to be able to justify it in court,” McCarthy said. With current the current infrastructure, the industry this year would not be able to “get anywhere near” the levels required in the original RFS. “But we think that the industry is stepping up to that challenge,” she said. “We’re going to try to work toward these goals the best we can, but we need to be realistic.”	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line813
__label__wiki	0.886623	0.886623	Home » North Carolina DOT Awards Contract for Rockingham Bypass North Carolina DOT Awards Contract for Rockingham Bypass RALEIGH, NC — State transportation officials have awarded a contract to begin constructing an interstate bypass of Rockingham in Richmond County. Vecellio & Grogan Inc. of Beckley, West Virginia, was awarded the contract at $146.1 million. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) proposes to construct a 7.2-mile bypass on new location to connect U.S. 220 north of Rockingham to U.S. 74 Bypass on the west side of the city. The route will become a portion of Future Interstate 73/74. Work on the four-lane, median-divided freeway is scheduled for substantial completion by the fall of 2023. Existing U.S. 74 Bypass will be upgraded between the section west of Zion Church Road and the U.S. 74 Business interchange to include six 12-foot travel lanes and a 60-foot median. The new location highway section between the U.S. 74 Business interchange and U.S. 220 interchange will include four 12-foot travel lanes with a 70-foot median. New interchanges will be constructed at existing U.S. 74/U.S. 74 Business, Cartledge Creek Road and U.S. 220 near Sandy Ridge Church Road. Grade separations — where bridges separate intersecting roads and/or railroads — will be located at Old Charlotte Highway and Harrington Road. The interchange at U.S. 220 and grade separation at Harrington Road have already been constructed. The bypass is expected to remove interstate traffic from signalized intersections and local roads and highways that allow cross traffic in Rockingham, reducing local congestion. The project may also improve safety within the city by providing a main route for continuous through travel for passenger vehicles and trucks. NCDOT recognized the need for improvements along the existing U.S. 220 corridor many years ago. A feasibility study evaluating four initial alternatives for this interstate connector was published in May 1996 and a preliminary public hearing was held in July 1996. Two of those options were selected considering feedback from local citizens, government groups and resource agencies, and a public hearing on the two routes was held in July 1999. The preferred route was selected in 2002. Right of way acquisition began in 2009 and is substantially complete. Balfour Beatty Awarded $203M Contract by North Carolina DOT for U.S. 70 Improvement Project Nevada DOT Awards $99M Contract for I-15/215 Interchange in North Las Vegas Transportation Projects Honored in 2020 North Carolina DOT Mobi Awards	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line816
__label__wiki	0.664056	0.664056	Home » North Carolina DOT Secures BUILD Grant to Reconstruct Part of I-95 North Carolina DOT Secures BUILD Grant to Reconstruct Part of I-95 RALEIGH, NC — Because of a $22.5-million federal grant recently awarded, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) plans to widen and improve 27 miles of Interstate 95 in Robeson and Cumberland counties. It is the second major federal grant the NCDOT has received since the summer of 2018 to help fund major improvements along the I-95 corridor. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the department a $22.5-million grant through its Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program, which helps state and cities build and repair critical pieces of the transportation network. The BUILD grant will help NCDOT improve mobility, safety and the resiliency of a section of I-95 that has been plagued by flooding in recent hurricanes. It will help fund widening of the interstate between mile markers 13 and 40 — a 27-mile segment from Lumberton to near Hope Mills. “These grants are highly competitive, and they will help us modernize Interstate 95 in North Carolina,” said Grady Hunt, the N.C. Board of Transportation’s representative from Robeson County. “This is a vital route in our state, and many consider I-95 to be the Main Street of the East Coast.” In addition to the widening, NCDOT will raise portions of I-95 in several low-lying areas between mile markers 13 and 40 that are vulnerable to floods; build higher bridges over the Lumber River; and install flood monitoring technology to better monitor hurricane evacuation routes. Twice in the last three years, sections of I-95, including in Lumberton, were closed for several days after major hurricanes passed over North Carolina. The BUILD grant will allow the N.C. Board of Transportation to revise the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program schedule and begin construction sooner on the section of I-95. “We know from experience with recent Hurricanes Matthew and Florence that we have to make our highways and other transportation infrastructure more resilient and less susceptible to major flooding in the future,” said Greg Burns, the Division Engineer who oversees NCDOT work in Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Harnett and Robeson counties. The earlier grant received for I-95 improvements came in June 2018 when a $147-million Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant was awarded for I-95 and U.S. 70 improvements. The INFRA grant was earmarked for widening two sections of I-95 north of Fayetteville to eight lanes, improving six interchanges and upgrading sections of U.S. 70 to future Interstate 42 in eastern North Carolina. The grant also will pay for the installation of 300 miles of fiber optic cable along both highways. North Carolina DOT Widens I-26 for a Better Route Near Asheville Passage Virginia DOT Opens First of Three I-95 â€˜Safety Rest Areas' Targeted for Replacement	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line817
__label__cc	0.706891	0.293109	Leslie Nielsen Dies at 84 By Kyal Bender on November 28, 2010 • ( Leave a comment ) Longtime actor Leslie Nielsen, starring in films such as Airplane! and the Naked Gun movies, has passed away at 84. Nielsen’s career reaches back into the very early days of television and starred as the earnest starship captain in the 1956 sci-fi film, Forbidden Planet. The actor turned to more comedic performances in the 80’s and made a name for himself delivering classic lines like “I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley”. Reports say that Nielsen died due to complications of pneumonia in a hospital in Florida, surrounded by friends and family. The great actor will be sorely missed. Categories: Movie News, Movies Tagged as: airplane!, forbidden planet, leslie nielsen, leslie nielsen dead, naked gun Review: Unstoppable James Franco and Anne Hathaway to host Oscars	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line821
__label__wiki	0.645915	0.645915	Feminism: the new “F word” 30 April 2012 / writingquirky / Leave a comment Originally published in Emerge Magazine. There’s a new “f word” and it has more than four letters and doesn’t rhyme with duck. Feminism. When I was a kid growing up in the 90s, being interested in feminism wasn’t just cool – it was the norm for girls. Perhaps there was some leftover energy from the punk “riot grrl” movement or maybe it was the influence of the Spice Girls, but every girl I knew, from ages 5 to fifteen, was declaring that girls were just as good as boys and calling herself a feminist. “Girl power” indeed. A few years later, when I was in my early teens, my aunt, wanting to give me an inspirational book for Christmas and finding Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul a little on the bland side, bought me a copy of Rebel, Rogue, Mischievous Babe: Stories About Being a Powerful Girl. Edited by Sharlene Azam, the book features stories written by teenage girls from across Canada on topics ranging from body image to student jobs to sexuality to diversity. (The Chicken Soup series never ran any stories about growing up as a queer lady or about what it’s like to own your own summer business.) Thanks to my aunt, Rebel, Rogue, Mischievous Babe became the book I read at night under cover of a sheet, flashlight firmly in hand. Through the stories of young women not much older than I was, I learned what being a strong woman could be like. That a woman could be smart and independent as well as beautiful. That it was okay to want a career and a boyfriend (or girlfriend). That a girl can do anything a boy can do. And then, somewhere down the line, feminism dropped off my activist radar. I began to identify myself in new ways: as a student, an herbivore, an environmentalist, a supporter of LGBT rights. Feminism felt like an old issue – something my grandmother and aunts had championed in the 60s and 70s. Living in a town of 4,000, then in a college residence, the “take back the night” mantra didn’t resonate with me. I’d always felt safe outside, no matter the hour. The battles to vote, to gain access to the workforce and to education, to control our own bodies – these battles had already been fought, and won, by generations of women who’d come before me. And, while I valued their efforts, I couldn’t fathom the logic behind burning perfectly good undergarments. My perplexion with the “the f-word” became part of a larger status quo. Suffragettes and birth control activists became the butt of jokes on television while terms like “bitch” and “ho” became popular synonyms for “girl.” (talk about media imagery of women, feminist stereotypes) By my second year of university, I thought the siege on misogyny was long over. With the ice caps making a dramatic exit, animals eating themselves to death in CAFOs and earthquakes rocking nations into poverty, feminism didn’t seem like such a big deal anymore. Until one of my professors, after having heard me wax eloquent on the evils of factory farming and the dubiousness of California’s Proposition 8, asked if I was a feminist and I almost said “no.” Feminists were stern, man-hating, angry women. The picture I had in my head of a feminist had gone so far astray of my adolescent notions of feminism. With such a distorted perception of feminism, no wonder I was loath to call myself “one of them.” The opening scenes of CBC’s 2011 documentary The F Word: Who Wants to be a Feminist show streeter clips of young women who, like me, hesitated to declare their allegiance to the pro-womyn camp. In an interview on The Hour with George Strombolopoulos, F Word director Michael McNamara remarked that he found there were “a lot of young women who are reluctant to recognize that they’re standing on the shoulders of giants.” Despite being a man, he’s right. Estimates on how many young Western women consider themselves feminists range from 15 to 30 per cent. To flip this around, at least 70 per cent of young North American women shy away from the feminist label. Are these women all closeted patriarchy enthusiasts? In my experience, most women believe in gender equality – that women should have the same opportunities as men, should have equal access to jobs and education, should occupy positions of political and economic power and should enjoy the same basic freedoms as men. These are all aims of the feminist movement, and yet the feminist label serves to deter young women. And yet, despite being popularly denounced by so many young women, there is still a strong feminist movement at work. And the ranks aren’t filled with spinsters and octogenarians – young women are getting on board too. Browse through a magazine shop and titles like Bitch, Ms. and Herizons have staked out shelf space and a dedicated readership. This past Christmas, instead of buying clothes or DVDs as a gift for my 16 year-old sister, I signed her up for a two-year subscription to Shameless, a Toronto-based feminist magazine for young women. Initially, she grimaced and made fun of the magazine’s cover stories – which included a piece for trans women on how to bind your breasts. Hours later, I found her in her room, magazine spread belly up on her pillow, absorbed by its contents. The feminist movement still has ground to cover – in Canada, the double X chromosome crowd occupies a mere 21 per cent of the seats in Parliament, an estimated 11 per cent of corporate boardroom seats and earns about 20 per cent less for the same job than their male counterparts. On an international scale, women have a one per cent share of the global economy, yet make up 51 per cent of the population. Women can’t take on these challenges alone. In an International Women’s Day event I recently attended, Judy Rebick, former president of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, said “the past 100 years have been about changing women, making them stronger. In the next century, we need to change men.” In order for feminist goals to be achieved, women – and men – need to reclaim the f word. In a decade of earthquakes, environmental catastrophes and growing disparity between rich and poor, do we really need feminism? I think we need it more than ever.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line825
__label__wiki	0.631806	0.631806	Category: Latino We can spend a whole lifetime debating why some films connect with an audience while others remain left out in the cold. Yet, many titles endure as favorites, good or bad, and often for surprisingly personal reasons. That’s the focus of this edition of the Carreón Cinema Club: The “Films That Make You Go Hmm!” When I started mulling over this episode’s topic, it was hard not to focus on just flops with cult followings. Every movie fan has a list of guilty pleasures, including box office monsters or monster flops. I’m notorious for not being able to differentiate between either. My good may be your bad, and vice versa. Besides, anyone who’s been on a set knows that it takes the same amount of effort to make a good film as it does a bad one. What kickstarted my engines to hit overdrive was a simple question: What is it about certain movies that straddle both lines of success and failure, the ones you wonder, “Was that the best they could do?” Those are the films that make you go Hmm. Depending on your tastes, any list can be chock full of surprises, but I’m only going to offer up three titles for now. Ready? Here we go! FATAL ATTRACTION (1987) — Directed by Adrian Lyne I will never forget the eager audience at the Mann Bruin in Westwood, CA, the night Fatal Attraction opened in 1987. You could feel the anticipation growing as the lights went down, and the trailers started playing. Blood was in the air. We wanted to see a crazy Glenn Close in action. What makes this significant is that the group excitement was driven only by TV spots and word of mouth. Before reality shows, recap culture, and the vast network of trash-talking platforms overtook all media coverage. The audience took pleasure that night in ’87, gaping at director Adrian Lyne’s ability to present a chic, upper West Side veneer of gloss and privilege sullied by curly haired madness and one, crowd-pleasing gunshot at the bitter end. It was like the opera diva hit a high note; the applause was deafening. Fatal Attraction was a zeitgeist hit, its vision of infidelity gone wrong, becoming the topic of opinion pieces and talk shows for weeks. Audiences couldn’t get enough, turning the film into a major hit, becoming the highest-grossing film of that year worldwide. The title itself became synonymous with unhinged exes. It even earned six Academy Awards nominations , including Best Picture. But was it that good? More, does it hold up in the post-lions and Christians era of social media, reality TV, and the MeToo era? Not even close. Ha. Watching Fatal Attraction today is to be turned off by its carefully designed vision of white male privilege and entitlement. Nothing happens to Michael Douglas, the lawyer husband who cheats on his gorgeous and wholesome wife with a rather intense book editor played by Glenn Close. His so-called punishments effect his pride and ego. Okay, she boils the family’s rabbit, destroys his car, kidnaps his daughter from elementary school to ride a roller coaster, and sends him a cassette of a profane rant. He got laid twice and freaks over why the woman in question can’t take no for an answer for his being a selfish asshole. No, the dirty is done by and to the women, a showdown between the perfectly wavy-haired Madonna and the frizzy permed whore. Instead of nuance, they represent extremes, trading looks of betrayal or outrage. It was hailed as visionary to have wifey Anne Archer shoot Glenn Close in the final, come-back-from-the-dead-moment. But it wasn’t. It was just slasher film lite nonsense. Movie writers made much ado about the famed original ending, where Glenn Close commits suicide to the celebrated aria from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. The knife she used was one held by Douglas to threaten her in a previous scene. With his fingerprints still on the weapon, the police arrive at his home to arrest him, giving Close what appears to be the final word. Mama Archer is stupefied, with Douglas yells at her to call a lawyer. She runs into the house, goes into his artfully decorated man cave to make the call, only to stumble upon the cassette sent by Close. Archer plays it, rewinds one passage, hearing Close would just have to cut herself deeper, killing herself. With evidence of the suicide, not murder in hand, Archer bolts out of the room. We hear her saying to her daughter as she runs out, “Come on honey, we’re going to get Daddy.” Test audiences hated that Douglas was even punished a little, leading to a new ending, further underscoring the perils of a group vote in Hollywood. It did make a difference, though. Instead of earning a possible $15 million at the US box office, the film cashed out with nearly $160 million instead. Fatal Attraction does hold a special place in history for being one of the trashiest films ever to be validated by Oscar nominations. It makes you go “Hmm” as to why so many people venerated the movie in its time. Close is a complex actor of incredible skill and depth, and you have to admire what she tries to do with the character. The idea of someone turning the tables on an unfaithful, arrogant partner is a good one. With violence perpetrated against women a major problem worldwide, seeing it done for entertainment purposes with a false ending of so-called female empowerment diminishes and trivializes what could have been a fascinating study of an age-old question. Why do people cheat? Instead, we get a passionate male fantasy dressed in white jersey and black leather, set in some gorgeous looking spaces in New York City. It’s fatal, alright. Fatal Attraction is now streaming on Prime Video and Hulu. CATS (2019) — Directed by Tom Hooper Ah, what to say about Cats. The musical’s tag line was “Now and Forever.” The film version bears the legend, “What the Fuck Was That?” One of the most successful musicals ever produced, studios circled it for several decades. Besides its being a plotless show based on poems by T. S. Eliot, the underlying problem was how do you present it in a filmed medium. At one point, it looked like Cats would roam as an animated feature, which in hindsight, wouldn’t have been so terrible. With musical films still doing surprisingly well at the box office, fans cheered when Universal announced that Cats the movie would be helmed by Tom Hooper. The man who shepherded the Oscar-winning hit adaptation of Les Misérables would now herd the kitties for the big screen. Its glittering cast led by James Corden, Taylor Swift, Judi Dench, and Jennifer Hudson, who’d sing the legendary “Memory” on screen, felt like this years-in-the-making version of Cats was on the right track. Then we saw the first trailer. Oooof. Derided and dissed, hated and hissed, Cats looked like a dog. Once you saw it, design-wise, Eve Stewart’s Cats is a dream to look at on-screen, filling it in a way John Napier’s original stage production set could not. The choreography earned comparisons, too. Fans found themselves divided over Gillian Lynne’s original choreography, a landmark blend of acrobatics and modern dance enhanced by feline movement, versus Hamilton‘s Andy Blankenbuehler’s edgier take. Yet, even with such glittering trappings, most audiences either stayed away or failed to enjoy the experience if they did go. Whatever committee agreed to employ motion capture effects, projecting the cast’s faces onto feline bodies, doomed the film from the start. You can accept it in Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, but the sight of La Dench doing a leg extension stretch like a cat was too much to handle. That was a “Hmm” moment for the ages. Of course, it did trigger cheers from the “It’s so bad it’s good” crowd, who turned Cats into The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the 21st century. Leave it to some folks to pull the one thread from this ball of wool to play with good fun. Some magic does exist in Hooper’s super-sized production. The appearance of Taylor Swift, late as it is, is welcome. Her natural gifts as a performer found the right space. The same applies to Jennifer Hudson, whose delivery of the classic “Memory” is one to remember. Francesca Hayward and Robert Fairchild also make good on delivering the dance elements with grace and excitement. But it ends there, at least for me. In the end, Cats is for the curious only. However, I will never forget the sight of one little girl watching the film that Christmas week at a theater in Mexico City, where I saw the movie with my family. My siblings slept, but as I walked out to see why my mother hadn’t come back to her seat, I saw this child looking at the screen with a smile; you can see it was one of absolute wonder and joy. She loved the film. As for my mom, she was reading a magazine in the lobby. Cats is now streaming on HBO Max. THE BLACK HOLE (1979) — Directed by Gary Nelson The unexpected success of George Lucas’s Star Wars in 1977 paved the way for special effects-driven narratives that could transport audiences further than ever before. In 1978, Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie had droves of moviegoers believing a man could fly. And in 1979, Disney unveiled the dark space mysteries of The Black Hole. Young listeners, believe it or not, a time existed where Disney was floundering in leading the cinematic charge. Even its fabled animation division was struggling for relevancy. Tastes were changing, and audiences no longer sought the family films that were the studio’s hallmark. Disney had been developing a space-themed adventure for the better part of the 1970s, which eventually became The Black Hole. Instead of delving into the heart of darkness in space, the studio opted to rehash its famed 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with wildly uneven results. What makes you go “Hmm” over this film is when you ponder what could have been. The famed imaginations of Harrison and Peter Ellenshaw and their visual effects team dreamed up visceral images of the black hole phenomenon in space. Their matte paintings also added plenty of fire to some of the widescreen sequences. The entire enterprise should have broadened Disney’s reach outside of kid-centric fare to keep the brand alive. Instead, the film was an awkward blend of its former self and its future goals, with neither coming out ahead. For all its visual wonder in places, you could see how the marketing team wanted to commodify its leading robotic players. The tie-ins were plentiful, the robots were cute and menacing, but the film’s failure meant no one wanted The Black Hole merch for Christmas 1978. None of its accomplished ensemble cast led by Maximillian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Robert Forster, Yvette Mimieux, and Ernest Borgnine could do anything with the by-the-numbers script. And its lofty desire to visualize the descent into the Heaven and Hell of the black hole was laughable, along with some other less than effective sequences. What could have helped was having a director with vision, not Gary Nelson, the man who brought forth Freaky Friday and The Boy Who Talked to Badgers for the studio, as well as episodes of Gilligan’s Island and The Patty Duke Show. Science dictates that nothing can escape the pull of a black hole in space. Trust me. People avoided its force on Earth that Christmas season, bringing Disney a sizeable lump of coal. Despite its failure, Disney did not give up on creating more mature fare, as exemplified by the original Tron, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and the notorious Watcher in the Woods in the early 80s. Still, a cult following has developed for The Black Hole, one that continues to grow. So much so, Disney is looking to revive the movie again. Given the studio’s revamped fortunes courtesy of Lucasfilm and Marvel, a black hole may be swirling our way sooner than later. In the meantime, witness the humble origins of a powerhouse genre. The Black Hole is currently streaming on Disney+. We could go on for a while longer discussing the films that make you go Hmm, but rest assured it will be back to ponder again. David Lynch’s baroque take on Frank Herbert’s Dune and the hateful, franchise killing sequel to Sex and the City both come to mind. Until the Club meets again, stay safe and healthy out there, mi gente. By iamjorgecarreónin 2020, Blogs, CarreonCinemaClub, Celebrities, Cinema, Commentary, Diary, Directors, Drama, Entertainment, Essays, Filmmakers, Films, Gay, Hollywood, Latino, Latino Writers, Latinos, LGBTQ, Movies, Opinion, Reviews, Streaming, Videos, WordPress, Writers, Writing, YouTube December 6, 2020 2,110 Words1 Comment Celebrating 20+ years of The Jorge Show In 1998, the great Hilary Clark encouraged me to step into the role of content producer/interviewer. To be honest, it felt more like a dare. I thought our publicity content was rather dated at the time, colorless and flavorless. This was during my tenure as a studio publicist at 20th Century Fox under her invaluable guidance. I took her up on the challenge, hired a crew and went to the Virgin Megastore on Sunset Blvd. to interview composer Mark Snow and television icon Chris Carter about their collaboration for “The X-Files” movie soundtrack. I never looked back. By 1999, I was responsible for the writing, producing, and interviewing of all content created by Fox International Theatrical Publicity. It was an unusual role as most publicity departments didn’t handle this task. They’d hire an agency and that was it. No, this enterprise was the result of vision and it changed my life in the process. Much has changed over the last two decades, especially in this industry. I’ve changed, too. I used to be caught up in the false notion that I had to be a James Lipton-type. When I finally found my true voice, it was as natural as just saying, “Hi, I’m Jorge.” No adornment or overstating things, just simplicity and honesty. I gush, sure. I’m first and foremost a fanboy for all things motion picture. I was also raised on Regis Philbin, Merv Griffin, and Mike Douglas. I was also nurtured by Linda Ellerbee, Diane Sawyer, and especially, Charles Kuralt. It is a winning combination, where I end up getting hugs more often than annoyance or indifference from the people I interview. I take great pride in that ability. Sure, I still make the mistake of giving a person the answer in my question. It is true, I never really mean, “Last question.” And, I can’t do a 20-minute BTS interview, not really. It usually ends up going over 40 minutes or more. In fact, the fearless crew on my recent project in New York coined the phrase, “The Jorge 20.” (I’m not offended, I swear.) Even this posting was just supposed to be a “Happy Anniversary” Instagram moment! But nooooo, I had to write a novel about “What it all means!” I don’t always think I’m the best person for EPK because I have “big emotions” that fight against the rule of this job, which is not being visible. I’m not sitting at video village trying to butter up film producers for that next gig. Yet, I know I am visible when I sit in the chair and begin that next interview. As BTS producers, we have 30 seconds to let talent know we’re not going to be looking for a “gotcha” moment or engage in any of the other bad behaviors that have been unceremoniously attached to this role. No one likes facing someone who just reads questions off a page. It also enrages me how still others make this process about themselves and NOT the movie or television show. The flip side is no better, where it is obvious the client or studio executives could care less about nuance and humanity. Their only focus is making sure we hit what’s been listed on a marketing brief or remain oblivious to interview at and keep their eyes on the ticking of an iPhone stopwatch. Still, during these last 20 years, I’ve achieved more than even I imagined in this role. I continue to roam this country and world in search of stories that complement the profiles of some of the best and not-so-best films and TV series. The artists and cultural figures I’ve had the privilege to sit and interview over the years are as diverse and fascinating as I’d hoped, even surprising, too. My journeys have not just been about chatting with actors and filmmakers, either. Nobel Prize winners, best selling authors, pop stars, families seeking asylum, entrepreneurs, and public figures venturing into a different spotlight are all part of this story. Y ahora la narrativa también se cuenta en español. Red carpets, rooms built out of black duvetyne, junkets at five-star hotel suites on several continents, storerooms, warehouses, falling lights, hurricane-induced blackouts on set, museum offices, desert gateways, hutongs, a Mexican prison with Mel Gibson, legendary and still vital film festivals, jungle spa retreats, jazz festivals, screaming fans, stern publicists pointing at a watch, colleagues bitching over why I have more time, planes, train rides, bus rides, a police ride-along with an armed consultant, noisy soundmen, diva DoP’s, recording studios, snowy man-made villages, busy city streets, country backroads, and everything in between. It’s been the good, the bad, the ugly, and the redemptive. As for my collaborators? They’ve been or become great friends, war buddies, some frenemies, but the numbers of role models, muses, and mentors are greater. Oh, the madness of this town defies anything you think you know or read. You cannot be part of this circus without having some sort of tale to tell. I always wanted my own talk show and in many ways, this is like having one without people knowing who I am. (Although that dream still lingers.) What still excites me is knowing when I’ve connected with someone and they reveal more than just “the perfect soundbite.” It is when real emotion is present, whether laughter or tears, that I find the ability to want to keep doing this job. These moments of revealed humanity give me hope that we are all not living just for “the show.” These connections DO matter in this job, no matter how we continue to water down all the messages into a square box for 60 seconds or less. Being a storyteller has been my goal since childhood. I’ve been bouncing back and forth between writing and producing for most of my adult life. It is rather telling that I am now grappling with the effects of a changing media landscape, which has even impacted the entire BTS/EPK medium. In this era of influencers and similar constructs, I worry about my true fate. Ageism is rampant everywhere. I went from Young Turk to Establishment in the blink of an eye. Maturity and experience are viewed by too many people in this industry as being expensive and even irrelevant. It strikes real fear in my heart some days. I do take great pride in knowing what looks and sounds real, though, and I know how to make people not fear the question or the conversation. It doesn’t matter if it’s in English or Spanish, either. It all has to count for something, even in a world where people think “fake news” is a real construct. When I was recently sent the lead photo of this piece by Dave Nolte of Scratch Creative from a marketing shoot completed last June, I was at a low point. Losing Dad to Alzheimer’s in late February of this year left such a void in my life. I also found myself possessing a need for a second act. I felt so guilty and scared about this, which I’ve coupled with the tangible doubt as to whether I even want to continue this journey as a producer/interviewer. Then I saw the photo Dave sent me and I was instantly reminded of what I am capable of in this world. Stories need telling by people who truly give a shit about an impactful and engaging narrative. Spin is not enough for some of us, nor is passing off HDR images and excessive font overlays as the “story.” The cynicism of thinking the audience doesn’t care is bullshit. We are in part responsible for feeding them this steady diet of lowest common denominator content instead of elevating them with material that nurtures the ability to pay attention and think! I was taught and mentored by some amazing people to be a rebel in this town until the end, dammit. I am not the product of Affirmative Action or quotas. No one felt sorry for this gay Latino from Pico Rivera and said, “Aw, let’s give him a chance.” I didn’t complete my journalism degree, nor am I the most technically-savvy producer in the game. To be clear, I am here because I worked like hell to be in the room, even making some compromises that make me wince today. Dad always said the worst thing you can hear is “No.” I heard the negative and other choice words that did little to stop my trajectory. The people that were a major part of my Hollywood career are no longer part of this industry or are facing an uncertain future, too. “The Jorge Show,” as I call it, has been a shared adventure. Period. I didn’t achieve this life alone. I carry their influence and teachings with me on every project, every interview. As long as people are willing to sit with me without reservation or fear, they will discover that they are in good hands and in the presence of a good heart. And, yes, I’ll keep getting their attention first by sporting a great pair of shoes. Here’s to 20 more years of “The Jorge Show” and conversations to remember. One of my most treasured moments, meeting Mexican icon Verónica Castro and the incomparable director/writer Manolo Caro for the Netflix series, “La Casa de las Flores” (House of Flowers). This was a true full-circle moment to treasure, the bridging of my American and Mexican selves as a content producer. Gracias a Netflix y Hari Sinn y su equipo por realizar este sueño. By iamjorgecarreónin 2019, Blogs, California, Diary, Entertainment, Español, Essays, Filmmakers, Films, Hollywood, Interviews, Latino, Latino Writers, Latinos, Latinx, LGBTQ, Media, Mexicans, Mexico, Movies, Si Se Puede, Videos, WordPress, Writers, Writing, YouTube August 23, 2019 August 24, 2019 1,607 WordsLeave a comment The Armchair Tale “Too many people in this room,” he thought. “Again.” It was getting late. 6 pm to be exact, the hour where everything would shut down at the factory. “Closing time,” he’d like to say. The sun going down was the best alarm system ever devised for Dad. It meant quiet would be restored. It was the time when he felt most relaxed, when the world, his world, was in order. Dad sensed someone approaching. He prepared for impact. “Hi, Uncle George!” the Person said excitedly. Dad instinctually knew which of his smiles to engage. He had quite the array of smiles in his arsenal; some were broad, others were veiled politeness. They were never fake or insincere. This one smile was one of his most appreciated because it had genuine warmth, even if he didn’t quite know the source of its heat. Dad also learned a while ago that his speaking in Spanish was always the best way to keep contact with short. “If you gave them too much,” he’d reasoned to himself, “they’ll stay too long.” Communicating with people was never this hard, or maybe it was? How long had this been his “new normal?” Everything felt so hazy these days as if his mind was processing photocopies with very little ink. Some times, the images before him (memories?) were shockingly bright, with each color pushing its vibrancy to the limit. It was then he couldn’t help but smile. He could see his world so clearly, shapes and figures that felt so familiar and real. Most of the time, he was a witness to an expanse of grey that threatened to dominate everything. Not today, though. Dad used to miss the “beautiful noise,” as he’d called it before he got “sick.” It still happened from time to time, his recognizing it. That once beautiful din was often too loud now, and it scared him, something that never happened before. For Dad, this human tidal wave of sounds, letters, and languages pulled him under without a floatation device. He couldn’t begin to sort it all out, taking his breath away when a room full of people reached its audible peak. Dad was well aware something was wrong with his brain. He’d known for some time that things were off. Mom was still a mental constant, as was Sis. They offered him two of the few respites from the long days waiting for “quitting time” to arrive. “Oh my god! Uncle George looks so good!” said Another Figure. “This one was more excitable than the other,” Dad thought to himself. Still, something in her face made him feel the need to offer more than one of his pre-fab smiles. “Bien! Bien!” Dad offered as he excitedly patted this Person’s hand for extra measure. Of all his Old World manners and gestures, the hand pat was his most friendly, the one he only used with people that meant a great deal to him. Perhaps the criteria had slipped a bit of late, but the importance of it hadn’t waned. Not yet, anyway. More people arrived, breaking his repose. Suddenly, Dad’s leather lounge chair felt like a steel trap. He wanted to leave, but where? “I know I’m still me,” he thought. A surge of emotion was making its way to his brain, a lava-like substance that took very little time to heat and explode forth. “Dad’s eyes are looking tense,” Someone said. Hija? Hermana? “He’s going to start kicking people out!” Someone else added. Hijo? Hermano? “I’m not angry!” Dad wanted to shout. He didn’t feel sure about who everyone was in the room. His eyes darted furiously about the den, desperately trying to find the familiar faces of Mom and Sis, but they weren’t around. That made him panic ever so slightly, the color of his eyes shifting from their charming hazel shade to something foreboding and stormy. “Hace mucho ruido! Tanto ruido. Chingados!” Dad said to no one in particular. For the record, Dad NEVER swore. In any language. But a long-buried archive of Spanish language profanities had since been unearthed. All bets were off as to when Dad would decide to access it. “It’s so much better when it’s quiet. Don’t these people know?” he heard from within his fussy and uncooperative mind. It felt like these words were tumbling forth. Dad could feel his mouth moving, forming a declarative sentence that could restore order, but it was futile. Even if he did manage to say something, it would not have been discernable to anyone. All they would hear was a defeated sigh from the man they came to visit and love as he settled deeper into the isolating safety of his leather armchair. By iamjorgecarreónin 2019, Alzheimer's, Dad, Diary, Families, Fathers, Latino, Latino Writers, Latinos, Latinx, Mexicans, Story, WordPress, Writers, Writing July 11, 2019 July 12, 2019 786 WordsLeave a comment Eulogy for My Dad or #Poppadoodlesforever My sister Nancy coined the name “Poppadoodles” way back when. I instantly loved the sound of it, both frivolous and absurd, two words you’d never use when you wanted to describe Dad. He was Big George, Jorge Sr., Tío Jorge, but never Don Jorge, or Jefe. He represented many things to many people. Dad passed away the morning of Tuesday, February 26 at the age of 94 at our home in Pico Rivera. It didn’t rain that day. The sun was out. He was surrounded by family and our closest friends. Alzheimer’s was also his nefarious companion during the last 12 years of his life. It finally left us alone, but it never fully took Dad away. Jorge Sr. knew where he was and who was the source of the love in that living room space that day. Writing about him in the past tense makes me want to scream. Thinking about him in the past tense makes me want to cry. That is why I choose to focus my emotion on words these days. Words were my best friend as a chubby, eccentric kid. Words were what kept Dad entertained as he shuttled us all over Los Angeles to meet rock bands at record signings, shows, musicals, sports, everything. A carefully folded newspaper or magazine was also with him when he played chauffeur to the exciteable brood that was us. I never did ask what he read about or what he even thought about what he read. I just know that when it was time to take us home, he carefully folded the material back up and we’d begin the journey. That slice of peace and quiet was always obliterated by our breathless stories about who or what we saw. He’d smile and listen as we cut through the city with caution because his precious cargo was aboard. God, I wish I did ask him about those articles in the Herald-Examiner or Newsweek. One time, he even stood in line with my brother and me at Tower Records on Sunset Blvd. We wanted to meet the legendary child known as Boy George. Talk about your culture club. (Boom.) When we got up to meet George, we told him our Dad was a George, too. A huge smile stretched across the Brit crooner’s tastefully made-up face. Wouldn’t you know they launched into a nice little chat? Like neighbors stopping for tea. It was something George did not have time for with any of gallery of nightcrawlers and club kids that were desperate for a similar audience? Dad had no idea who Boy George even was, saying “That’s a nice young man” as we walked away. I wish Steve Jobs had already conquered the world for an iPhone! Imagine the photo, heck, the footage! Still, the memory remains a treasure, regardless, and unfiltered all these years later. It is fitting that Dad made his living as a textile engineer. The yarn spun on the daily at the factory was no less important and as strong as the family ties he weaved at home. It never frayed. Even when it was pulled to maximum tautness, we didn’t break. Sometimes the words I exchanged with Dad were in anger, punctuated by the slam of a door or the start of a car engine. Even our silences carried the weight and text of our thoughts. That wasn’t the case once he began his travels with Alzheimer’s. I’d be damned if I’d let that bastard of a disease rob me of my time with Dad. I fought against the ALZ hard with smiles, laughter, and talks, real talks. It started out in English and then transferred to Dad’s native Spanish when his mind placed me in that category of awareness. I have no regrets. I only possess this incredible want to have him here for a little while longer. I was able to say what I carried in my heart to him way before he left us. It is my most treasured moment with Dad. It happened at the Arboretum in Arcadia early last fall. Walking was tough for him, so I got him a wheelchair. We ventured around the gardens. It wasn’t a particularly beautiful day. In fact, it was grey and humid. The grounds were going through some pruning and renovations. The only added color that day was the famed peacocks, which were plentiful. I chose to tell Dad that I loved him and that he was right about so much. That I was sorry for all the hell I put him through. He was quiet for a moment, then, he asked if it was alright if he pushed me around the gardens, that I’d done enough. I said, “I don’t mind.” He answered, “Okay.” Then he started to comment on the peacocks, saying they don’t do anything. Just walk around and show off. I laughed. “Dad,” I said. I can’t believe you’re arguing with a peacock.” He just smiled and folded his hands on his lap. “I want to go home,” he said. So, we did. Dad’s burial services were on a sunny Tuesday morning in Pico Rivera. I had the task of speaking, along with my brother. Writing his eulogy wasn’t easy, but when I started to write it, the words didn’t fail me. As my dear friend Ann said to me as my grief was in its upswing: “He may be gone, but please know, as someone said to me when I lost my Dad, “The conversation continues.” And it does… A Eulogy for Dad by Jorge Carreón, Jr. When you’ve been blessed to live a life as long, rich and vivid as Dad’s, the brevity of a eulogy seems cruel and unfair. Six paragraphs and out. I couldn’t do that. You only have to stop, pause, take a breath and take a look around a room like this and see the emotion and extent of the impact one life can make. You take comfort in knowing that this speaks volumes to the character and respect generated by Jorge Ramirez Carreón. Words were his power, and words are the inherited power we wield today. I remember the day after my big performance in a high school play when I asked Dad what he thought of my “star” turn. He said, “Mijo, you’re a lot of things, but you’re not an actor. Write. It is what you do best.” He was “right,” for lack of a better word. He was pretty much always right about things. I’ve been staring at a blank screen for days, crafting this message of remembrance and goodbye for Dad. All I could hear in my head are messages like, “Is this going to be enough?” followed by “I can’t do this.” When I finally sat down to put these words up on a laptop screen, it was surrounded by his spirit at our family home in Pico Rivera. Flowers, his favorite slice of nature, were everywhere. Music, the songs inspired by his varied tastes, provided the underscore. It made sense to me here. He made sense to me here, the house that raised my siblings and me. My brother has composed a fitting testimony to his life, the details and achievements of a life less ordinary, but extraordinary. He ventured from the security of his home and living in Mexico to venture into the unknown territory of the US. He met Mom, married, had four children; he built the life of their dreams. The palm tree that graces the center of our home in Pico is that perfect symbol of our family history. It stands taller than ever before. It has bent with strong winds, never breaking, even when it felt like life was too much. It is the summation of who we are as his people, his family. You find a piece of who we are with each frond. Lil’s maturity and leadership as the firstborn. Nancy’s devotion and selfless protection of us all. Ernesto’s poetry and introspection. Mom’s love of life and strength. It is resilience incarnate. With Dad’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s 12 years ago, the first impulse was to think life was over, that he’d forget us all quickly, that the damage to his mind and body would be relentless. We were scared he’d never be able to partake in our lives most crucial moments as adults. We were cursed and doomed. Yet, in the end, it was a gift. My father getting lost in the haze of this infernal disease allowed me to find him again. It is a personal detail that I will never let go. My family mobilized upon the Doctor’s word. Nancy and Ernesto led the charge in researching every facet of treatment programs, medications, insurance allowances, anything, and everything to make sure Dad would live his best life with us beside him. That he was with us for as long as he was, glowing with color and filled with energy, is a testament to everyone’s role in keeping Dad healthy and alive. We involved him in all aspects of our lives. He wasn’t “sick” Dad. He was chingón Dad for us, for everyone he’d offer a smile. That’s the lesson of his life. Don’t fear the illness; make it fear YOU. Like many Latino men, we like to live in our memories, tasked with the preservation of our family lore. Being Jorge is not just sharing the same name. Being Jorge means living as the chief chronicler of my family. You should see the epic collection of slides that remain encased and boxed, dutifully scanned by my sister Nancy with Smithsonian-like care. That is why I was compelled to record all that is Us before Dad’s mental files were purged entirely of data. My family and I will never forget the outpouring of emotion felt by many of you who never had a chance to meet Dad in person but were witnesses to his life in other manners. My name now carries a stronger aura of poetry and romance. Yet, Dad is singular, the original creation. My task is never to let his memory fade, preserving that beautiful handprint in my heart, in all of our hearts. Back to the power of words. Dad era creyente, a devout believer. He was a voracious reader, informed, an elegant debater who loved a good match of wits. I ask you all to take a moment at some point today to think of a word that personifies what Dad means to you. Share it with us today, tomorrow, whenever inspiration strikes. As for us? Let me tell you: Dad is adventurous, sage, loyal, devoted, humorous, strict, careful, silly funny, lover of the song “Guantanamera,” classical music and Lerner & Lowe showtunes, Howard Stern-listener, admirer of Trini Lopez, Willie Nelson & Glen Campbell, damn good long haul driver, world-traveler, Christmas card address monitor, abstract pancake maker, mistaker of wasabi for guacamole, Nescafe drinker, eater of canned tuna fish in Italy, church leader, Eagle Scout motivator, industrious, a textile engineer, cultivated, Catholic, mustached, bald, native son of Celaya, Caballero, Mexicano, husband, father, tío, hero. He is forever our Poppadoodles. We love you, Dad. Te queremos mucho, Pa. This is a video produced by my brother Ernesto for his Mateo & 8th line of home decor. We played it during the rosary services in honor of Dad. Hearing his voice sound so confident was shocking for a moment, then, restorative and calming. I hope you give it a view. ***Please consider making a donation to one of the following charities: Alzheimer’s Los Angeles: https://www.alzheimersla.org Alzheimer’s Association: https://www.alz.org/ Hilarity for Charity: https://hilarityforcharity.org/ By iamjorgecarreónin 2019, Alzheimer's, Commentary, Dad, Death, Diary, Essays, Families, family, Fathers, Latino, Latino Writers, Latinos, Latinx, Loss, Memoir, Mexicans, Mexico, Parents, Sons, Videos, Writers, Writing March 18, 2019 March 22, 2019 1,986 Words3 Comments	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line826
__label__wiki	0.893179	0.893179	Jobs & Career Opportunities Track By Track: New Found Glory AltPress NEW FOUND GLORY drummer CYRUS BOLOOKI takes us track by track through the band’s new album, Radiosurgery. The first track on the album, this song is a nice summary—both musically and lyrically—of the record as a whole. The song is basically about someone starting to go crazy after experiencing a breakup. “Anthem For The Unwanted” This song literally sounds like an anthem, from the very first vocal “oohs” in the intro and the bridge to the ultra-hooky chorus. The lyrics deal with someone starting to go into denial after a relationship has ended. “Drill It In My Brain” Just as the name suggests, this song talks about that something or someone, and how you just can't seem to get it out of your head. This is a pretty rhythmic song with a nice steady beat from start to finish. “I'm Not The One” This song is continually referred to as “the most NFG-sounding song on the record,” probably due to all the different parts it contains, as well as a bridge that has a nice little breakdown. The lyrics are about someone finally being single, but feeling awkward about hooking up with anyone. “Ready, Aim, Fire!” This song has a little bit of an empowerment feel—which makes sense, because the lyrics deal with getting over someone and being at the point where you're ready to burn everything around you in order to erase that memory of a past relationship. This type of song will be perfect for crowd singalongs! This song is, quite literally, about getting dumped. But rather than just focus on the actual dumping, the song talks about being in a better place after the breakup. This was one of the last songs written for the album and was arranged on the spot while tracking the drums. “Summer Fling, Don't Mean A Thing” Wouldn't you love to get to the point in a breakup, [where you] have the ability to turn that person down, even if they want you back? Listen for the absurd amount of percussion going on in the background of the verses, and how it blends in perfectly with the flow of the music. Just as it's called, you've been “caught” and you're wrestling with the guilt associated with these actions. This song features guest vocals by Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast, meshing perfectly with Jordan [Pundik]'s main vocals, helping to drive the story home from both a male and female point of view. “Memories And Battle Scars” Now it's time to take a look back—and within—for this song. The lyrics here start to talk about trying to get things back to where they used to be before a breakup. A very straightforward song, this tune has a very heavy, “NFG-ish” bridge. This song is a culmination of all of the negative feelings toward relationships. No lovey-dovey stuff here, no nice way to put it: Love sucks, even for the “happy.” “Map Of Your Body” Like plenty of other songs on this album, in this tune the person has gone through a breakup. However, they have realized they cannot seem to shake the thoughts of this prior relationship, and now it's too late. This song has a bridge that has almost a “punk-rock prom” kind of vibe to it, and the song concludes with a heavy half-time beat that is in every way classic NFG. Every single one of the 36 songs you’ve heard in ‘Twilight’ ranked 10 Netflix movies to put at the top of your watch list in 2021 10 underrated Fall Out Boy songs that deserve way more attention Buy the Latest Issue! Trump supporters got compared to Juggalos, and the internet isn’t having it The first clip of Billie Eilish and Rosalía’s collab is in this ‘Euphoria’ trailer Iced Earth are missing from label site’s roster after Jon Schaffer’s arrest Fall Out Boy’s first reported Funko Pop! figures just surfaced—look BUY THE LATEST ISSUE AP 390 – ORVILLE PECK Despite planting his roots firmly in the country community, Orville Peck dances on the edge of the alternative world with his groundbreaking sound and aesthetic. AltPress Shop © Copyright 2019 Alternative Press, Inc.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line827
__label__wiki	0.72449	0.72449	Music and Identity in Postcolonial British South-Asian Literature Christin Hoene (Autor) This book examines the role of music in British-South Asian postcolonial literature, asking how music relates to the construction of postcolonial identity. It focuses on novels that explore the postcolonial condition in India, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom: Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy, Amit Chaudhuri's Afternoon Raag, Suhayl Saadi's Psychoraag, Hanif Kureishi's The Buddha of Suburbia and The Black Album, and Salman Rushdie's The Ground Beneath Her Feet, with reference to other texts, such as E.M. Forster's A Passage to India and Vikram Seth's An Equal Music. The analyzed novels feature different kinds of music, from Indian classical to non-classical traditions, and from Western classical music to pop music and rock 'n' roll. Music is depicted as a cultural artifact and as a purely aestheticized art form at the same time. As a cultural artifact, music derives meaning from its socio-cultural context of production and serves as a frame of reference to explore postcolonial identities on their own terms. As purely aesthetic art, music escapes its contextual meaning. The transgressive qualities of music render it capable of expressing identities irrespective of origin and politics of location. Thereby, music in the novels marks a very productive space to imagine the postcolonial nation and to rewrite imperial history, to express the cultural hybridity of characters in-between nations, to analyze the state of the nation and life in the multicultural diaspora of contemporary Great Britain, and to explore the ramifications of cultural globalization versus cultural imperialism. It will be a useful research and teaching tool for those interested in postcolonial literature, music studies, cultural studies, contemporary literature and South-Asian literature. Tarne: 2-4 nädalat Samast sarjast Autor: Christin Hoene Sari: Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Literature Kirjastus: Taylor & Francis Ltd Ilmumisaasta: 06.02.2018	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line831
__label__wiki	0.68363	0.68363	Beverly L. Greene and Norma Merrick Sklarek Fri, Jan 15 1pm Mary McLeod columbiauniversity.zoom.us/... Beverly L. Greene and Norma Merrick Sklarek: New Research in Black Women’s History in Architecture Patricia Morton (‘83 M.Arch), Associate Professor, Art History Department at the University of California, Riverside and Roberta Washington ('71 M.Arch) FAIA, NOMAC, Founder, Roberta Washington Architects who profiled Greene and Sklarek for the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation’s web resource Pioneering Women of American Architecture, are joined in conversation Pioneering Women editors Professor Mary McLeod, and Victoria Rosner, Dean of Academic Affairs, General Studies at Columbia University. Beverly L. Greene ('45 M.Arch, 1915-57) was the first African American women architect licensed to practice in the United States; Norma Merrick Sklarek ( '50 B.Arch, 1926-2012) was the first African American woman to be made a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Both graduates of Columbia’s University’s architecture program, they went on to have distinguished careers working in prominent architectural firms— in the case of Sklarek, she co-founded the largest women-owned firm at the time. This panel will explore Greene and Sklarek’s significant contributions to the architecture profession, made at a time when the profession was almost exclusively white and male. This event coincides with the launch a new full-tuition scholarship at GSAPP, The Norma Merrick Sklarek Scholars Fund, created to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity at the school. Free and open to the public. Virtual events hosted on Zoom Webinar do not require an account to attend, advanced registrations are encouraged. GSAPP is committed to providing universal access to all of our virtual events. Please contact Lyla Catellier via email at events@arch.columbia.edu to request accommodations. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs. Mary McLeod is a Professor of Architecture at Columbia GSAPP, where she teaches architecture history and theory. McLeod is co-editor of Architecture, Criticism, Ideology and Architecture Reproduction, and is the editor of and contributor to the book Charlotte Perriand: An Art of Living (Abrams, 2003). She also initiated and helped curate the exhibition Charlotte Perriand: Interior Equipment, held at the Urban Center in New York. Her articles have appeared in Assemblage, Oppositions, Art Journal, AA Files, JSAH, Casabella, Art Journal, Harvard Design Magazine and Lotus as well as other journals and anthologies, McLeod is also editor of the web-based archive Pioneering Women of American Architecture (with Victoria Rosner). Patricia A. Morton teaches in the Media and Cultural Studies Department, University of California, Riverside. She is author of Hybrid Modernities: Architecture and Representation at the 1931 International Colonial Exposition in Paris (MIT Press; Japanese edition, Brücke). She has lectured and published widely on architectural history and race, gender and identity, including an essay, “Decolonizing the ACHAC Collection,” in Visualizing Empire: Africa, France, and the Politics of Representation edited by Dominic Thomas, Steven Nelson and Rebecca Peabody (Getty Publications, 2020). Her current project, Paying for the Public Life, focuses on Charles W. Moore and the formation of 1960s publics and counter-publics. Victoria Rosner is Dean of Academic Affairs at Columbia University School of General Studies and teaches in the Columbia University Department of English and Comparative Literature. In addition to Machines for Living (Oxford University Press, 2020), she is the author of Modernism and the Architecture of Private Life (Columbia University Press, 2005), winner of the Modernist Studies Association Book Prize. Rosner is also editor of the web-based archive Pioneering Women of American Architecture (with Mary McLeod) and two books, The Cambridge Companion to the Bloomsbury Group (Cambridge UP, 2014) and The Global and the Intimate: Feminism in Our Time (Columbia UP, 2012; with Geraldine Pratt). With Nancy K. Miller, she edits the long-running Gender and Culture book series for Columbia University Press. She is also the founder and co-director, since 2018, of the Center for the Study of Social Difference Columbia faculty working group, “On the Frontlines: Nursing Leadership in Pandemics.” Roberta Washington is principal of Roberta Washington Architects, PC, she responsible for the design of new and rehabilitated housing, educational, medical and preservation projects. Since 2001, she has researched, written and lectured about the history of African American women in architecture. Her biographies appear in the Biographical Dictionary of African-American Architects, 1865-1945 and Henry Louis Gate’s African American National Biography (online). Washington is a fellow of the AIA, a past President of the National Organization of Minority Architects and a past Commissioner of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line833
__label__wiki	0.880382	0.880382	"I learned so much about arms control and disarmament at ACA! I learned more about arms control here in four months than I had in all three years at my college." – Alicia Sanders-Zakre Intern, Fall 2016 Progressives Debate Whether to Oppose Michèle Flournoy for Defense Secretary https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/12/progressives-debate-whether-to-oppo... December 3, 2020 -05:00 Read more about Progressives Debate Whether to Oppose Michèle Flournoy for Defense Secretary Why the Assassination of a Scientist Will Have No Impact on Iran’s Nuclear Program https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/why-the-assassination-of-a-scienti... November 30, 2020 -05:00 Read more about Why the Assassination of a Scientist Will Have No Impact on Iran’s Nuclear Program Biden urged to extend U.S.-Russia arms treaty for full 5 years without conditions https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-biden-armscontrol/biden-urged-to-extend-u-s-... Read more about Biden urged to extend U.S.-Russia arms treaty for full 5 years without conditions Trump is burning down everything he can on the way out https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/11/24/1998021/-Trump-continues-to-slash-an... Read more about Trump is burning down everything he can on the way out Missile Defense and the Arms Race Within weeks of taking office, President Joe Biden and his team will be confronted with dozens of pivotal choices. An under-the-radar but consequential decision facing the new administration will be whether and how to move forward with Trump-era plans to expand the U.S. national missile defense footprint with new sea-based missiles that can shoot down long-range ballistic missiles. Although the new interceptor, known as the Aegis Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA, may help mitigate the ballistic missile threat from North Korea in the near term, it will undoubtedly encourage Russia and China to believe they need to continue to enhance the capability and quantity of their offensive nuclear-armed missiles—and undoubtedly complicate progress on arms control. Nuclear strategists have long understood that the development and deployment of strategic missile interceptors are ineffective against determined nuclear-armed adversaries but could lead them nonetheless to build more numerous and sophisticated offensive missile systems to overwhelm and evade missile defenses. To prevent costly and destabilizing missile competition, Washington and Moscow agreed to cap strategic missile interceptors to no more than 100 each under the terms of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty. Those limits facilitated progress on arms control and steep reductions in U.S. and Soviet nuclear forces. Even after the U.S. withdrawal from the ABM Treaty in 2002, U.S. policymakers have focused for the most part on improving capabilities to address limited missile threats from rogue states. To date, the Pentagon has only managed to field 44 strategic interceptors as part of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system. This system would be ineffective against Russia’s arsenal of some 450 land- and sea-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and China’s arsenal of some 100 ICBMs. As North Korea has improved its ballistic missile capabilities in recent years, however, Congress has poured billions of dollars more into the Missile Defense Agency to develop, procure, and test additional missile defense capabilities and explore new technologies. In 2019, the Trump administration’s Missile Defense Review recommended a more robust approach “to further thicken defensive capabilities for the U.S. homeland” to defend against the rogue-state threat. But President Donald Trump declared that the goal is to “ensure we can detect and destroy any missile launched against the United States anywhere, anytime, anyplace.” Such an approach, if pursued, would represent a major departure from the traditional policy of defending against limited attacks from North Korea or possibly Iran. The Trump administration’s fiscal year 2021 defense budget request sought nearly $180 million to adapt the Aegis missile defense system and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system to intercept ICBMs. On Nov. 17, the Missile Defense Agency tested the SM-3 Block IIA against an ICBM-type target. Current Pentagon plans call for building hundreds of SM-3 Block IIA interceptors by 2030 and deploying them on land and at sea across the globe. James Miller, a former undersecretary of defense for policy and Biden campaign adviser, told Arms Control Today last year that if the SM-3 Block IIA missile becomes part of the U.S. national missile defense architecture, “we should expect the Chinese nuclear arsenal to grow substantially and Russia to resist reductions—and to prepare seriously to break out.” As a first step, the new administration should reiterate that U.S. homeland missile defense capabilities will be sized to defend against third-party offensive missile threats, not against more sophisticated Russian and Chinese capabilities. Such a clarification alone will not be sufficient. Moscow has conditioned further offensive nuclear cuts on future limits on U.S. missile defenses. Russia claims its efforts to develop new intercontinental-range nuclear delivery systems such as an undersea torpedo, hypersonic glide vehicle, and nuclear-powered cruise missile are designed to overcome U.S. missile defenses. China has already begun to respond to U.S. missile defense capabilities by diversifying its nuclear strike capabilities, including by increasing the number of silo-based ICBMs that are armed with multiple warheads. U.S. efforts to further limit Russian nuclear weapons and bring China into the arms control process are unlikely to gain traction unless Washington agrees to seriously discuss its long-range missile defense capabilities, including the SM-3 Block IIA. Fielding sufficient missile defenses to defend against limited ballistic attacks from North Korea or Iran and agreeing to binding limits on the quantity, location, and capability of such defenses should not be mutually exclusive. But doing so will require the Biden administration to move away from the simplistic notion that there should never be any limits on U.S. missile defenses. Twenty years ago, then-Senator Biden argued for the “development of a theater missile defense that enhances regional stability” and against a strategic missile defense system that “would be seen as threatening by both Russia and China.” Now, as president, Biden has a responsibility to adjust the U.S. missile defense strategy so that it strikes the right balance. Within weeks of taking office, President Joe Biden and his team will be confronted with dozens of pivotal choices. Read more about Missile Defense and the Arms Race Pandemic Delays CTBTO Leadership Vote Members of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) have been forced to postpone deliberations that were scheduled to take place Nov. 25–27 to select the next head of the organization due to another COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdown in Vienna. Two candidates are under consideration: current CTBTO Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo and Robert Floyd, director-general of the Australian Safeguards and Nonproliferation Office. States were to have chosen who would serve as the executive secretary of the $128 million organization as of July 31, 2021, when Zerbo will complete his second four-year term. A new date for the leadership selection meeting has not been chosen. —DARYL G. KIMBALL Read more about Pandemic Delays CTBTO Leadership Vote US's seven sins of threatening global security http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2020-11/02/content_9929228.htm November 2, 2020 -05:00 Read more about US's seven sins of threatening global security The Nuclear Ban Treaty: A Much-Needed Wake-Up Call The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which will enter into force Jan. 22, marks a new, hopeful phase in the long-running struggle to prevent nuclear war and eliminate nuclear weapons. It comes at a time when the risk of nuclear war is rising, the world’s major nuclear-armed states are failing to meet their nuclear disarmament obligations, and public attention is focused on other global threats. The TPNW has the potential to stimulate further action on disarmament and take us closer to a world without nuclear weapons. For the first time since the invention of the atomic bomb, nuclear weapons development, production, possession, use and threat of use, and the stationing of another country’s nuclear weapons on a state-party's national territory are all expressly prohibited in a global treaty. The TPNW also requires, for the first time, that states-parties provide victim assistance and environmental remediation to those affected by nuclear weapons use and testing. The TPNW complements other nonproliferation and disarmament instruments. The new treaty contributes to meeting the obligation of all states-parties to the 1968 nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) to “pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament.” The TPNW also strengthens the nonproliferation norm enshrined in the NPT by legally obliging states-parties to keep in place their safeguards obligations with the International Atomic Energy Agency at the time of entry into force. The TPNW also reinforces the ban against nuclear testing established by the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which prohibits “any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion.” The CTBT has been signed by 184 states. By strengthening the international legal structure and political norm against nuclear weapons possession and use, the TPNW further delegitimizes nuclear weapons as instruments of power. As the preamble of the treaty notes, “[A]ny use of nuclear weapons would be contrary to the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict, in particular the principles and rules of international humanitarian law.” The new treaty, which was negotiated in 2017 at the United Nations by a group of more than 120 non-nuclear-weapon states, reflects the fact that, for the majority of the world’s states, nuclear weapons and the policies that threaten their use for any reason are immoral, dangerous, and unsustainable. The TPNW is a powerful challenge to nuclear deterrence orthodoxy, which incorrectly and dangerously assumes that military postures that threaten use of nuclear weapons can be perfectly managed, even in a crisis, and will never fail to prevent the outbreak of nuclear war. Sadly but not surprisingly, leaders of the five largest and oldest nuclear-armed states, which cannot agree on how to meet their own disarmament obligations, are trying to undermine the growing global support for the TPNW even as they modernize their arsenals and arrogantly insist that their national defense requires threatening the mass annihilation of innocent people with nuclear attack and imperiling countless others not party to any conflict. Such tactics are counterproductive and divisive. Even though the current governments of these countries and of the four other nuclear-armed states (India, Israel, North Korea, and Pakistan) may not yet be ready join the TPNW, they would be better served to publicly recognize its arrival as a good faith effort by the majority of states to eliminate the nuclear danger and build up the legal framework for the elimination of nuclear weapons. The United States carries the greatest responsibility in this regard. It ushered in the nuclear age and is the only country to have used nuclear weapons in war. As a democracy, it also should respect public will. According to a U.S. poll conducted in July by the Chicago Council Survey, 66 percent believe that “no country should be allowed to have nuclear weapons,” which is exactly the vision outlined by the TPNW. Now that the treaty exists, all states, be they prohibition treaty opponents, supporters, skeptics, or undecided, must learn to live with it responsibly and find creative ways to move forward together on advancing new, effective disarmament measures. For example, Washington should bring home its tactical nuclear weapons from bases in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey as a step toward enabling these countries to join the TPNW and eliminating all battlefield nuclear weapons. Other measures to consider include freezing the size of nuclear arsenals and fissile material stockpiles; concluding a multilateral agreement on no first use of nuclear weapons; securing the ratifications needed to bring the CTBT into force; reviving the U.S.-Russian disarmament process, beginning with a five-year extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty; banning the introduction of new nuclear weapons; and concluding legally binding commitments not to target or threaten non-nuclear-weapon states. They can begin next year at the 10th NPT Review Conference, now delayed until 2021. No treaty is perfect, and no treaty can solve all our problems of global and national security, but the TPNW can be made a necessary part of preventing our worst nuclear nightmares from becoming a reality. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which will enter into force Jan. 22, marks a new, hopeful phase in the long-running struggle to prevent nuclear war and eliminate nuclear weapons. Read more about The Nuclear Ban Treaty: A Much-Needed Wake-Up Call Ban Treaty Set to Enter Into Force The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) will enter into force Jan. 22, a date set by the Oct. 24 ratification of the pact by Honduras. The treaty terms call for it to take effect 90 days after the 50th nation deposits its ratification or accession with the United Nations. For the first time since the invention of the atomic bomb, nuclear weapons development, production, possession, use, and threat of use and the stationing of another country’s nuclear weapons on a state-party's national territory are all expressly prohibited in a global treaty. Negotiations on the TPNW were concluded in July 2017 after a negotiating conference involving more than 120 states. The initiative emerged after a series of three international conferences on the humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons held in 2013–14. Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said in an Oct. 24 statement that the entry into force of the TPNW is “the culmination of a worldwide movement to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons. It represents a meaningful commitment towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons, which remains the highest disarmament priority of the United Nations.” The 50th ratification came on the 75th anniversary of the ratification of the UN Charter, which is celebrated annually as UN Day. Beatrice Fihn, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, said in a statement that “the 50 countries that ratify this treaty are showing true leadership in setting a new international norm that nuclear weapons are not just immoral but illegal.” U.S. officials, meanwhile, are actively lobbying states to withdraw their support for the treaty. A letter that accompanied a nonpaper listing U.S. concerns about the TPNW sent in October, stated that “[a]lthough we recognize your sovereign right to ratify or accede to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), we believe that you have made a strategic error and should withdraw your instrument of ratification or accession.” The U.S. letter, which was delivered to a large number of states and was first reported by the Associated Press, claims that the five original nuclear powers and all of member of NATO “stand unified” in their opposition to the “potential repercussions” of the treaty. The U.S. nonpaper claims that the TPNW is “dangerously counterproductive” to the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). One of those five powers, China, issued a more conciliatory view in a Twitter statement on Oct. 24: “China has always been advocating complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, which is fundamentally in line with purposes of [the treaty]. China will continuously make relentless efforts towards a nuclear-weapon-free world.” TPNW negotiators have repeatedly underscored that the new treaty seeks full complementarity between the NPT and the new agreement. They also note that the pact advances the existing NPT safeguards regime by legally obliging its states-parties to keep in place any additional safeguards arrangements they have voluntarily agreed to implement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. According to Thomas Hajnoczi, director for disarmament, arms control, and nonproliferation for the Austrian Foreign Ministry, “[T]he TPNW did not create a parallel universe to the traditional one founded on the NPT.” In an article published in The Nonproliferation Review earlier this year, Hajnoczi argues that, “on the contrary, it makes the existing universe of legal instruments around the NPT stronger.” The first global treaty to ban nuclear weapons will take effect in January 2021. Read more about Ban Treaty Set to Enter Into Force CTBTO Clears Path for Leadership Decision Following weeks of consultations, members of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) agreed in October to resolve a dispute over which states-parties that are in financial arrears to the organization are eligible to vote to select the organization’s executive secretary. The agreement clears the way for members to decide in late November who will lead the organization after July 31, 2021, when current agency leader Lassina Zerbo will have completed his second four-year term. The Vienna-based CTBTO is tasked with building up and operating the treaty’s global verification regime in preparation for the treaty’s entry into force, as well as promoting its entry into force. The organization has an annual budget of $128 million that comes from member state contributions assessed on the UN dues scale. More than 70 nations were behind in their dues in July, a larger number than usual, in part due to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic. According to the treaty, nations that have extensive arrears may not vote in CTBTO decisions. After failing to resolve the voting rights issue earlier this year, CTBTO members voted on Oct. 12 on three proposals to enable some nations to vote. (See ACT, September 2020.) Of the states that are behind in their financial contributions to the organization, 29 filed for exceptions due to exceptional circumstances in order to be granted voting rights for the executive secretary selection process. An African Group proposal that would have allowed all 29 state signatories to vote who applied to the CTBTO with relevant requests failed to secure the two-thirds majority necessary for adoption. The vote was 35–42, with 12 abstentions. Russia advanced a compromise proposal that would have restored voting rights to 15 of the 29 that are either in partial arrears; have negotiated a payment plan, such as Afghanistan, Gambia, Iran, Libya, and Sudan; or, in the case of Yemen, are engaged in a civil war. The United States voiced strong opposition to this proposal, apparently because it would have granted voting rights to Iran. The vote on the second proposal also did not reach the necessary two-thirds majority, with 43 in favor, 42 opposed, and 14 abstentions. France, Germany, and Switzerland, which had rejected the first proposal, split with the United States and voted in favor of Russia’s proposed formula. A Canadian proposal that aimed to restore voting rights for nine states dealing with exceptional circumstances was approved 52–20, with 16 abstentions. The nine countries include Afghanistan, Comoros, Ecuador, Libya, Panama, Peru, Sudan, and Yemen. The original proposed list included Botswana, but it settled its arrears by the time of the vote on the proposal, and its voting rights were automatically restored, according to an email from the CTBTO secretariat to Arms Control Today. The decision brings the number of countries with voting rights for the organization’s next executive secretary to 123. According to an Oct. 12 diplomatic note from the CTBTO chair, there are two candidates for the position of executive secretary: incumbent Lassina Zerbo and Robert Floyd, who was formally nominated by Australia ahead of an Oct. 9 deadline. Floyd is currently the director-general of the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office, which oversees operation of the 23 CTBTO International Monitoring System stations located on Australian territory. After resolving a voting rights issue, CTBTO members are now able to select the organization’s next leader. Read more about CTBTO Clears Path for Leadership Decision	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line836
__label__cc	0.610087	0.389913	Yash Aradhya set to race at the French Formula 4 Championship Bangalore boy Yash Aradhya, multiple time National Champion in Karting and Formula 4 is all set to race in the FIA FFSA French Formula 4 for 2020. Yash is also the first Indian motorsport talent to receive the prestigious “Pradhan Mantri Bal Shakthi Puraskar” in January 2020. The FIA Formula 4 French is organized by the French Federation of Motor Sport Auto Sport Academy known as "FFSA Academy" under the aegis of The Federation Internationale De’l Automabile known as “FIA”-the world Motorsports governing body. The only Indian in the series, Yash will be participating in the Open Category of the FIA Formula 4 French which is scheduled at the Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet, France. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the championship calendar was rescheduled multiple times and finally kickstarted in August 2020. While Yash hasn’t been able to compete in the first three rounds of the Championship due to Visa related delays, he is all set to participate in the remaining four rounds, thereby, gaining a strong footing for the next year in Europe. Looking forward to the weekend, Yash said, “Finally the wait is over, I am thankful to my sponsors who stood by me even at this time of adversity and made this a possibility. I am all excited to race in these tracks for the first time, I will focus and learn the tracks, adapt to the car as quickly as possible, I am confident that I will make them and my country proud.” Mr. Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre said, “Though the entire world is crippled with the pandemic, it is important to see opportunity even in this adversity, that’s how champions are made. However, as the world is slowly regaining feet and so are the sporting events, I’m happy that our boys from India are geared up to make an impression in the global arena. Yash has time and again proved his mettle both in domestic and international racing and we wish him luck for this outing.”	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line837
__label__cc	0.52888	0.47112	Italian Grammar “Babbel is one of the stalwarts of the online language-learning sphere.” “Babbel exceeds expectations, delivering high-quality, self-paced courses.” “Exceptionally good site” When you learn Italian, you’re going to spend a lot of time getting familiar with Italian grammar rules. For many people, the thought of learning grammar isn’t necessarily a pleasant one, and we can’t blame you if you think that way. But Italian grammar doesn’t have to be a chore to learn; in fact, with the right tools and teachers, it can be a low-friction endeavor and even a fun one! All languages have grammar, or rules that tell us how to use their individual elements (words) to build longer structures that convey meaning (sentences). Learning grammar is an essential part of learning any new language, and Italian is no exception! Luckily, once you start to learn how Italian grammar works, you’ll find out it’s not all that intimidating after all. Keep reading to learn more about Italian grammar rules! How Difficult Is Italian Grammar? Is Italian Grammar Easy? Many people choose to learn Italian over other languages because they’ve heard that Italian grammar is relatively easy to learn. While it’s true that Italian grammar rules aren’t necessarily hard, they do take patience and practice to master, just like with any new skill. Some elements of Italian grammar are known to be more difficult for learners than others are — especially those elements that are more unfamiliar to native English speakers, like complex verb conjugations, for example. They can be a tricky concept many Italian learners have trouble mastering if they don’t already speak a language that conjugates its verbs. You might struggle with some aspects of Italian grammar and breeze through others. A lot of what you’ll find easy depends on the language or languages you already speak and how similar they are to Italian. And you can’t forget that everyone learns differently, so the parts of Italian grammar that give you trouble might be a piece of cake for someone else, and vice versa. Is Italian Grammar Similar To English? Italian grammar is similar to English grammar in many ways that make it fairly easy to make connections between the two languages. Both Italian and English have the same parts of speech — like verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs and prepositions, for example — and the two languages often treat these parts of speech in the same ways. But there are certain ways Italian grammar rules differ from those of English. You might have heard that unlike English, Italian is a gendered language, meaning each noun — not just every person — has an associated gender classification that shows up in the language. (More on that below.) And gender in Italian affects Italian adjectives, which change their endings to match the gender and number of the nouns they refer to. As mentioned above, there’s also the topic of Italian verbs, which require a bit more manipulation to use correctly than English verbs do. Italian verb conjugation, or changing verb endings according to specific rules and patterns, can be a very dforeign concept to English speakers, making it a major point of difference between the two languages. If all of this sounds a little confusing, don’t fret! Part of getting better at Italian is practicing Italian grammar rules that might not make much sense at first. But you’ll soon get the hang of them with just a little effort. Introduction To Italian Grammar: What Are Italian Grammar Rules? Along with Italian vocabulary, you’ve got to know Italian grammar to be able to use the language. In order to express ideas and form sentences in Italian, you need to understand and follow Italian grammar rules. Basic Italian Sentence Structure The primary parts of the Italian sentence are the subject, the verb and the object(s). For the most part, Italian grammar follows the subject-verb-object word order as English does. For example, in a sentence like Io voglio il cibo, the pronoun io (“I”) is the subject, voglio (“want”) is the verb and il cibo (“the food’”) is the object of that verb. The order of other words in a Italian is generally the same as in an English sentence, with some exceptions. In Italian grammar, for example, adjectives usually follow the nouns they describe instead of coming before them, like they do in English. And object and reflexive pronouns like “him,” “herself” and “us” must come before the verb in many cases. But Italian can be a little more flexible, too, than English in the order of words in the sentence. In many cases you can even leave out the subject if the context and the ending of the verb make it clear who’s doing the action. And forming questions doesn’t often require moving around words and adding auxiliary words like “do” or “does” like English requires. Italian Verbs And Italian Verb Tenses Perhaps one of the most important parts of Italian grammar is knowing how to use Italian verbs — and that means knowing how to deal with Italian verb conjugations. While verb conjugations technically exist in English as well, there aren’t nearly as many, so learning them (and how and when to use them) takes time and discipline in Italian. For many students who are just learning about conjugations, this infamous system of changing Italian verb endings is the legend of ghost stories, the stuff of scary dreams. But don’t worry; every Italian student who’s ever been overwhelmed by the prospect of learning Italian verb conjugations has made it out alive! First, we start with an infinitive. Italian verbs exist in what’s known as the infinitive form, what English speakers would think of as a verb in the “to (verb)” form — like “to do,” “to eat” or “to sleep,” for example. All of these Italian infinitives end in one of three endings: -are (like the verb cantare, “to sing”), -ere (like vedere, “to see”) or -ir (like dormire, “to sleep”). Conjugating a verb in Italian means changing the ending of the verb to match the subject (so, who or what is doing the action of the verb) and the tense (when in time the action is happening). There are 6 different verb endings in the present tense alone! Here’s an example for a verb in the present tense: take a regular verb ending in -are, like mangiare (“to eat”). If the pronoun io (“I”) is the subject, or the one doing the speaking, you drop the -are ending from the verb and add the ending -o, giving io mangio, or “I eat.” For the pronoun tu (“you”), mangiare becomes tu mangi, or “you eat.” Each potential subject has its own special conjugation, or verb ending, associated with it, and this applies for all verbs, whether they end in -are, -ere, or -ire — though the conjugations are slightly different for each ending. Learning Italian verbs requires practicing verb conjugations for each possible combination of subject — including the pronouns just mentioned — and of the verb tense, which refers to when the action of the verb takes place, like the past, the present or the future (though there are several more Italian verb tenses than just these three). Add on to that that verbs can also have different “moods” that distinguish among subjective thoughts, objective facts and commands, and you’ve got dozens of potential verb endings for a single Italian verb, all depending on how you’re using it in a sentence. You’ll also get to know special “modal” verbs that turn a basic verb into a more complex verb phrase that expresses necessity or possibility, for example — verbs like "should" and "can." They are conjugated and come before an infinitive form of another verb. So, if we take the sentence Noi possiamo cantare, or “We can sing,” we see that the verb potere (“can” or “to be able to”) is conjugated (possiamo, for the subject noi) but the main verb cantare (“to sing”) remains an infinitive. Italian verbs seem daunting at first, but the patterns that govern them are pretty regular, and you’ll get the hang of them in time. Of course, there are persky irregular verbs, too, but learning them is just part of the process. Italian Nouns And Italian Articles (And Italian Gender) Just like in English, one of the key elements of Italian grammar is the Italian noun, which describes a thing, person, place, idea, quality or action. Italian nouns are important because in many cases they indicate who or what is doing the action of the verb (the subject) — or who or what is having that action done to it (the object). They are fundamental parts of a Italian sentence! According to Italian grammar, all Italian nouns have a number (singular or plural, a concept which also exists in English) and a gender (masculine or feminine). Talking about the number and gender of Italian nouns isn’t too complicated. To start, the fact that nouns in Italian grammar can be singular or plural is a familiar idea to English speakers. In many cases, to form a plural noun Italian speakers change the ending of a singular noun from -o to -i or from -a to -e, for example — sort of similar to how English speakers change a noun’s ending by adding an “-s” to the end of the noun. So the word meaning “book,” libro, becomes libri, and the word casa, meaning “house,” becomes case. There are, of course, plenty of Italian nouns that don’t end in -o or -a, and the rules for making them plural must be learned, too! When we say that Italian nouns have gender, it doesn’t mean that every person, place, object or idea is inherently male or female; it’s just a system of categorization that exists in Italian grammar (and in that of many other world languages). You can think of gender as a “type” or even “genre” of noun if that’s helpful. Often, Italian gender maps to words in ways that align with biological sex; la donna (“woman”) is a feminine noun, whereas l’uomo (“man”) is a masculine noun. But sometimes these gender assignments can be pretty arbitrary; why is il vestito (“dress”) masculine while la mascolinità (“masculinity”) is feminine? Why is la sedia (“chair”) feminine while il divano (“sofa”) is masculine? A major part of learning Italian nouns involves memorizing their gender classifications, so it’s important to practice this concept. There are patterns of certain word endings that can clue you in to which gender they might be assigned; for example, nouns that end in -o are often masculine (like il tavolo, or “the table”), while nouns that end in -a are often feminine (like la scuola, or “the school”). But be wary of words that defy this pattern, like the masculine word il programma (“the program”) or the feminine word la mano (“the hand”). Italian gender can be a tricky concept to master for this reason! A noun’s gender and number classifications help us understand which Italian articles — the words we’d call “the,” “a,” “an” and “some” in English — to use before that noun. The Italian definite articles (meaning “the”) are: il (singular, masculine) la (singular, feminine) lo (singular, for masculine nouns beginning with z, y, x, ps, pn, gn or s + consonant) l’ (singular, for nouns of either gender beginning with a vowel sound) i (plural, masculine) le (plural, feminine) gli (plural, for masculine nouns starting with a vowel or beginning with z, y, x, ps, pn, gn or s + consonant) That means if we’re talking about a feminine noun like ragazza (“girl”) or idea (“idea”), and we want to describe a specific woman or a particular idea, we’d say la ragazza (“the girl”) or l’idea (“the idea”). If we’re talking about more than one specific woman or idea, we’d get le ragazze (“the girls”) and le idee (“the ideas”). The same goes for masculine nouns; il ragazzo (“the boy”) and l’albero (“the tree”) become i ragazzi (“the boys”) and gli alberi (“the trees”) in the plural. If you’re referring to an unspecified noun, you’d use an indefinite article instead. The Italian indefinite articles (meaning “a” or “an”) are un (singular, masculine) uno (singular, for masculine nouns beginning with z, y, x, ps, pn, gn or s + consonant) una (singular, for feminine nouns that begin with a consonant) un’ (plural, for feminine nouns that begin with a vowel) So, for feminine nouns we’d say una donna to talk about “a woman” (not any one woman in particular) and un’arancia for “an orange .” And similarly for masculine nouns, un libro would mean “a book,” while un’albero would refer to “a tree” and uno zio would mean “an uncle,” for example. Figuring out how to use Italian nouns is vital to learning Italian grammar rules, so stick with it even the concept takes some getting used to. Italian Pronouns Just like in English, Italian pronouns stand in for Italian nouns. They come in handy when you’re talking about yourself (“I am happy!”) or about someone you’re talking to (“Who are you?”). They’re particularly useful when a speaker doesn’t want to keep repeating the same noun over and over. For example, assume you say a sentence like La donna è mia amica, or “The woman is my friend.” If you want to keep talking about the same woman, without reusing the noun la donna, you can use a Italian pronoun — in this case, lei, or “she.” Thus, you could say something like La donna è mia amica. Lei ha due sorelle. (“The woman is my friend. She has two sisters.”) Italian pronouns are extremely common in the Italian language, just as they are in English. They often exist as subjects of sentences — like in the sentence Lei ha due sorelle. The subject pronouns in Italian are: io (“I”) tu (“you”) (singular, informal) lui (“he”) lei (“she”) Lei (“you”) (singular, formal) noi (“we”) voi (“you all”) (plural, informal) loro (“they”) (informal) Loro (“you all”) (plural, formal) As mentioned above, each Italian pronoun or group of pronouns has its own associated verb conjugation for each Italian verb, so it’s important to learn them all. You might have noticed that there are multiple ways to say “you.” Italian grammar rules require you to make a distinction between the informal and formal and the singular and plural versions of the pronoun “you,” depending on whom and how many people you’re talking to. The informal tu is reserved for singular people you have a familiar, personal relationship with, like a friend, a sibling or someone younger than you. The more formal Lei is appropriate when speaking to a boss, an elder or someone in a position of authority, for example. The form voi is used to refer to a group of multiple people informally, and Loro is used to address a group of people formally. When Italian pronouns serve as the object of a sentence, they take different forms and in most cases come before the verb. In a sentence like Il ragazzo mi vede, or “The boy sees me,” the direct object pronoun mi (“me”) comes before the verb vede (“sees”). Italian pronouns in this pre-verb position sometimes even refer back to the subject and are called reflexive pronouns. In the sentence Lui si chiama Luigi, or “He calls himself Luigi,” the reflexive pronoun si refers to the same person as the subject lui and comes before the verb chiama, or “calls.” Pronouns can even be possessive, telling us who is the owner of a certain noun. Instead of saying il libro di noi (literally, “the book of us” or “the book of ours”), you can say il nostro libro (“our book”). If you’re talking about l’idea de Giovanni (“the idea of Giovanni”), you could opt for la sua idea (“his idea”), as long as the context makes clear whom you’re talking about. Italian Adjectives Though Italian verbs and Italian nouns and pronouns are perhaps the most important part of Italian grammar rules to get to know, you can’t forget about Italian adjectives! These are words that describe the properties and characteristics of nouns — properties like color (giallo, or “yellow”), size (piccolo, or “small”), shape (lungo, or “long”) or someone’s personality (onesto, or “honest”), to name just a few. Adjectives in Italian must “agree” with the nouns they modify. This means that Italian adjective endings must reflect the gender (so, masculine or feminine) and the number (singular or plural) of the noun to which they refer. Unlike in English, in all but a few cases a Italian adjective comes after the noun it is describing. For example, an adjective like rosso (“red”) can describe a singular, masculine noun like il libro (“the book”) to give us il libro rosso (“the red book”). But if the noun is feminine, like la mela (“the apple”), we get the expression la mela rossa (“the red apple”). If the nouns are plural, the adjective endings change to reflect that, and we get expressions like i libri rossi (“the red books”) and le mele rosse (“the red apples”). You'll soon get the hang of how to use Italian adjectives and Italian nouns with repeated exposure. It's one of the earliest skills you'll practice as you start learning Italian! Italian Adverbs Adverbs in Italian modify adjectives, verbs or other adverbs. They usually tell us how, in what way or by what means an action is completed or the degree of intensity of a given adjective. You can recognize Italian adverbs because they often end in the suffix -mente, sort of like the English ending “-ly.” For example, the adjective lento means “slow,” and lentamente means “slowly.” Similarly, facile means “easy,” and facilmente means “easily.” Some other common Italian adverbs and adverb phrases include: adesso (“now”) più tardi (“later”) mai (“never”) sempre (“always”) bene (“well”) male (“badly,” “poorly”) molto (“very”) anche (“also”) qui (“here”) là (“there”) Of course, there are many more Italian adverbs than these, and being able to use them will carry you a long way and add flavor to your language when you’re learning to speak Italian. Italian Prepositions Prepositions are words that describe relationships in time and space between two or more ideas, people, or things (so, nouns). It’s important to learn Italian prepositions when you’re getting the grasp on Italian grammar rules. Luckily, they have no gender or number, so you don’t have to learn many different forms! There are several common Italian prepositions you’ll want to know. Here are just a few examples: con (“with”) senza (“without”) di (“of”) da (“from,” “since”) *in” (“in”) a (“to” or “at”) su (“on”) secondo (“according to”) per (“for,” “through”) tra/fra (“between,” “among”) supra (“above,” “on top of”) sotto (“under,” “below”) When it comes to Italian prepositions, you’ll want to learn as many as possible to help you expand your language skills and capabilities. Their meanings can be slightly different from their English translations, so it’s important to practice using them in the right contexts. Practicing Italian Grammar With Babbel Learning Italian with Italian grammar exercises doesn’t have to be boring or anxiety-inducing at all. In fact, Babbel makes mastering Italian grammar interactive, engaging and much more fun! Babbel is designed to help guide you through all the elements of Italian grammar, from the simplest to the most complex. Our courses help you deepen your understanding of Italian grammar using in-depth lessons created by language experts and teachers. Babbel’s Italian grammar exercises are designed to strengthen your skills in the four areas of language learning — reading, writing, speaking and listening — and make sure the content you’re learning is committed to your long-term memory. Helpful tips along the way help you reinforce what you’re learning by making connections in new ways. And almost every lesson features a simulated real-life dialogue to help you put what you’re learning about Italian grammar into context in the sorts of conversations you’d be having with native speakers. Try getting a handle on Italian grammar with a free Babbel Italian lesson! Check out our other topics about learning Italian: Italian Vocabulary Italian Phrases Best Way To Learn Italian Learn Italian Free How To Speak Italian Choose a language course Browse our learning topics Learning Italian online Italian lessons Italian even for dummies Language Tools Comparison Discover all Babbel products About Babbel Babbel Affiliate Program	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line838
__label__wiki	0.922997	0.922997	Neymar Reaches UCL Scoring Landmark Neymar becomes the first player to score 20 Champions League goals for two different clubs Neymar became the first player to score 20 goals for two different clubs in the Champions League as he starred in Paris Saint-Germain's 5-1 rout of Istanbul Basaksehir. The 28-year-old scored a hat-trick, with Kylian Mbappe helping himself to a brace – at 21 years and 11 months, the France star is now the youngest player to reach 20 goals in the Champions League, taking that record off Lionel Messi. MBAPPE BREAKS MESSI'S UCL SCORING RECORD In a fixture pushed back a day due to allegations the initial fourth official Sebastian Coltescu had exposed Basaksehir assistant Pierre Webo to racist language, Neymar had a part in all five of PSG's goals and put six of his seven attempts on target. 20/20 - Neymar is the first player in the history of the European Cup/Champions League to score 20 goals for two different teams (Barcelona and PSG). Vision. pic.twitter.com/dV75pUE6jC — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 9, 2020 Neymar's opener was a sublime effort, curled into the top-right corner, with Brazil's poster boy doubling his tally when he squeezed a strike beyond Fehmi Mert Gunok. His third was a stunning shot from 20 yards out, and it brought up his 20th Champions League goal with PSG, one shy of the total he managed across his four seasons with Barcelona, where he won UEFA's elite club competition in 2014-15. Neymar is the fourth fastest player to reach 40 goals in the Champions League, having taken 65 games. He is behind Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski (both 61) and former Real Madrid and Manchester United star Ruud van Nistelrooy, who achieved the feat in a remarkable 45 matches. PSG's number 10 has netted three hat-tricks in the Champions League, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, with the pair having scored a trio of goals on eight occasions. Only Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have scored more times for PSG in the competition, while Neymar has been directly involved in 65 goals. With United having lost to RB Leipzig on Tuesday, PSG were already sure of their place in the last 16, and will now head into the knockout stage as Group H winners. UEFA Champions League PSG Soccer Barcelona Neymar	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line841
__label__wiki	0.926446	0.926446	I Would Be Angry Too! - Simeone Sympathizes With Suarez and Saul's Anger The Atletico Madrid coach understood Luis Suarez and Saul Niguez's frustration at being taken off during Wednesday's Champions League game. Diego Simeone understands the angry reaction of Luis Suarez and Saul Niguez to being substituted during Atletico Madrid's clash with Salzburg, saying he would have done the same. Both players were taken off a little over an hour into Wednesday's Champions League game with Atleti 1-0 ahead thanks to Mario Hermoso's first goal for the club. Yannick Carrasco went on to add a late second for the visitors as they sealed a place in the last 16 but the big talking point was the anger of Suarez and Saul. Suarez was making his second appearance for Atleti since recovering from coronavirus and had just one touch of the ball in the opposition box, failing to register a single shot. Central midfielder Saul, meanwhile, was unable to get too involved in a game that saw Salzburg constantly get at Atletico and register 18 attempts in total. Simeone would also have had Saturday's local derby with Real Madrid in mind but believes the pair were justified to react the way they did. "It is entirely logical," he told Movistar+. "I would have also been angry to leave the field. These are the games where you want to play the full 90 minutes. "When you are taken off the pitch for someone else, it is understandable they leave the field angry." A point was all Atletico needed to finish second to Bayern Munich in Group A and advance through to the last 16 for a seventh time in eight seasons under Simeone. Despite being regulars in the knockouts, and twice reaching the final in the past seven seasons, Simeone insists he does not take group-stage progression for granted. "I look back at the times we have made it out of the group stage and am joyful," he said. "It is important for us to be among the best year after year. "For many it is entirely normal that we qualify, but for me that is not the case." Salzburg required a victory to overtake Atletico in second place on the final matchday and twice hit the post, while Dominik Szoboszlai wasted a glorious chance at 1-0. The Austrian side bow out with four points from six matches but Simeone always knew his side would be given a run for their money at the Red Bull Arena. "At no time did we think this game would be simple," he said. "We've seen them play with a very high intensity in the past. "It was tough for us to find our rhythm in the first half because there were lots of fouls that broke up our play. "We had to look for space and in the second half we managed to play with a higher pace." Carrasco was the key man for Atletico, both scoring and assisting in a Champions League game for the first time in what was his 41st appearance. He delivered a flat inswinging free-kick for Hermoso's opener and then rounded off a swift counter with a back-post volley from Angel Correa's cross for the second. "His second-half performance was fantastic," Simeone said. "He must continue with this type of work rate and rhythm. He is clearly an important player for us." UEFA Champions League Atletico Madrid Diego Simeone Luis Suarez	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line842
__label__cc	0.576639	0.423361	Modern Healthcare Recognizes Women Leadership at Atlantic Health System February 18, 2019, Morristown, NJ – Atlantic Health System, one of Fortune Magazine’s Best Places to Work for Women, is proud to announce Amy Perry, CEO, Hospital Division & SVP, Integrated Care Delivery, Atlantic Health System, was recently named to Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women Leaders list. The list is compiled every two years and honors women from all health care industry sectors. In celebrating Perry’s accomplishments, Modern Healthcare recognized her for her contributions to improving access and affordability for patients and for supporting the professional advancement of women at Atlantic Health System. “I am proud to be part of a leadership team that includes so many accomplished and inspirational women” said Perry. “The female leaders at Atlantic Health System, along with my peers on this list, are changing the dynamic of boardrooms and C-suites across the industry. In this crucial time for the future of health care, we are innovating in exciting new ways to advance the delivery of care for all of our patients.” By earning a spot on the newest Top 25 Women Leaders list, Perry joins health care leaders from across the country, including members of the federal government, hospital system leaders, pharmaceutical industry executives and others. To see the entire list, click here. “Unfortunately, the gender gap plagues healthcare just as much as it does other industries. Women CEOs comprise an estimated 30 percent (at most) of the overall C-suite,” said Aurora Aguilar, editor for Modern Healthcare. “But the executives named to this year’s Top 25 Women Leaders list exemplify how diversity results in success, both clinically and financially. Congratulations to those leaders in the 2019 class.” This recognition is the latest achievement for Perry during her time at Atlantic Health System. She was named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s December 2017 list of 130 Women Hospital and Health System Leaders to Know and was named one of the top health care leaders in New Jersey for 2018 by NJBIZ. Learn more about Amy Perry > About Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women Leaders Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women Leaders program honors female executives from all sectors of the healthcare system. These high achievers are developing policy, leading change and guiding healthcare delivery improvement across the country. The biennial program recognizes women in a variety of leadership roles, spotlighting their administrative and professional accomplishments.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line845
__label__wiki	0.624661	0.624661	« Portugal won Euro 2016 Champions League 2016-2017: Schedule and fixtures » We summarize: The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil By Betbonus \| 24 August, 2016 - 20:18 \| 19 September, 2018 Sports The 2016 Summer Olympics are over and during two weeks we have enjoyed a great deal of sports in Rio de Janeiro. This was the first time the games was held in South America. Despite doping suspensions, economic troubles and sanitation problems, Brazil could deliver some great sports moment to us this summer. In this post, we summarize the highlights of the 2016 Summer Games: Peaceful selfie In the women’s gymnastics, Lee Eun-ju of South Korea and Hong Un-jong of North Korea took a selfie with each other. Their countries are still officially at war and the penalties in North Korea for contacts with South Koreans are harsh. Moments like this really catches the Olympic spirit and give the world hope. More gymnastics. The 19 year old US gymnast Biles impressed the world with a total of four gold medals and one bronze. 3x Usain Bolt Jamaican superstar dominated in the 100 and 200 meters distance, as well as in the 4 x 100 meters relay. Hats off! 2x Mo Farah Another athlete we have gotten used to during the years is British runner Mo Farah. He won 5000 and 10000 meters at the IAAF World Championship last year, and he repeated the procedure during the 2016 Olympics. Farah aims at participating (and winning) both distances at home in the 2017 World Championship in London. Brazil’s most important gold The games got a fairytale finish for the host nation thanks to football superstar Neymar. He scored one goal and the deciding penalty shot in the football final against Germany. A little comfort after the humiliating 1-7 loss at home in the 2014 World Cup semifinals. The soccer gold is of course Brazil’s most important medal since it is their national sport. In fact, the spectators of the Olympic games acted like every sport was football, booing inappropriate during the men’s pole jump for example. Immature and primitive. Chicken Swedes! The Swedish women’s soccer team went all the way to the final by playing a mediocre group stage, but acting disciplined in their offensive game, beating the 2012 Olympic and 2015 World Champions USA in the quarter final and Brazil in the semi final on penalties. USA’s goal keeper referred to the Swedes as cowards after the quarterfinal. Swedish coach Pia Sundhage answered “I don’t give a damn, they are going home and we are going to Rio!” Selected World Records Sarah Sjöström, Sweden, finally won her first Olympic gold medal and broke the world record in 100 meters butterfly. Sjöström also won a gold and a silver medal at freestyle swimming. Almaz Ayana got the first world record of the athletics at the Olympic Stadium. She slaughtered the old record in women’s 10 000 meters with over 14 seconds. Tagged Rio2016. Bookmark the permalink. Schedule, IIHF World Championship 2019 APCW – the Association of Players, Casinos, and Webmasters Ice Hockey World Juniors 2019 FIFA World Cup 2018: Semifinals! How Sweden DESTROYED the Swiss sportsyear 2018	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line848
__label__wiki	0.515572	0.515572	Cheap flight offers from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur from Friday, April 2, 2021 to Saturday, April 10, 2021 Malaysia flights Flights Amsterdam - Kuala Lumpur Cheap flights to Kuala Lumpur in February Amsterdam - Kuala Lumpur Airline tickets to Kuala Lumpur for next weekend Cost of living in Amsterdam compared with Kuala Lumpur Beer (0.5 liter) 1.25 € 2.01 € +61% Cheap flights from outside of United Kingdom to Kuala Lumpur Cheap flights Alexandria - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Sunday, February 14, 2021 and returning on Sunday, February 21, 2021 Cheap flights Alor Setar - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Monday, February 1, 2021 and returning on Friday, February 5, 2021 Cheap flights Bangkok - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Thursday, March 11, 2021 and returning on Friday, March 19, 2021 Cheap flights Berlin - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 and returning on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 Cheap flights Denpasar Bali - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Monday, March 15, 2021 and returning on Sunday, March 21, 2021 Cheap flights Johor Bharu - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 and returning on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 Cheap flights Koh Samui - Kuala Lumpur Cheap flights Kota Bharu - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Monday, March 22, 2021 and returning on Thursday, March 25, 2021 Cheap flights Kuala Terengganu - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Thursday, January 28, 2021 and returning on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 Cheap flights Langkawi - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 and returning on Saturday, February 6, 2021 Cheap flights Manila - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Sunday, April 18, 2021 and returning on Saturday, April 24, 2021 Cheap flights Medan - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Saturday, January 30, 2021 and returning on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 Cheap flights Melbourne - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Friday, April 9, 2021 and returning on Saturday, April 17, 2021 Cheap flights Penang - Kuala Lumpur Cheap flights Perth - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Sunday, March 14, 2021 and returning on Saturday, March 20, 2021 Cheap flights Phuket - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Friday, April 2, 2021 and returning on Thursday, April 8, 2021 Cheap flights Shanghai - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Monday, March 15, 2021 and returning on Saturday, March 20, 2021 Cheap flights Singapore - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Friday, March 5, 2021 and returning on Saturday, March 6, 2021 Cheap flights Sydney - Kuala Lumpur Cheap flights Tehran - Kuala Lumpur Departing on Friday, February 19, 2021 and returning on Friday, February 26, 2021 Amsterdam - Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Airlines Amsterdam - Kuala Lumpur KLM Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur Airasia Kuala Lumpur SZB FlyFirefly Kuala Lumpur AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur Silkair Kuala Lumpur Indonesia Air Asia Top flights in Netherlands Eindhoven - Barcelona Amsterdam - Istanbul Amsterdam - Berlin Amsterdam - Shanghai Eindhoven - Venice Amsterdam - Tehran Kuala Lumpur airports map Weather forecast for Kuala Lumpur Flights from Amsterdam to Malaysia Amsterdam - Kota Kinabalu Amsterdam - Kuching Amsterdam - Penang Amsterdam - Kuopio España - Vuelos Amsterdam Kuala Lumpur Sverige - Flyg Amsterdam Kuala Lumpur France - Vol Amsterdam Kuala Lumpur	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line852
__label__wiki	0.976044	0.976044	Album Review: Phillip Phillips, "Behind the Light" By Shirley Halperin When Phillip Phillips won American Idol in season 11, it wasn't due to his outgoing personality. In fact, on-air interviews with the Georgia native during the Fox show's 2012 run often felt more like an exercise in single-syllable vocabulary - as in, how many Scrabble no-brainers can you fit into one sentence? Luckily, the then-21-year-old's good looks more than made up for any challenges that come with being on national TV for the first time. But Phillips' victory helped him find his voice, even if the debut album that came as the prize, 2012's "The World From the Side of the Moon," was more of a major-label construct boosted by the success of his coronation single, "Home." Even so, the sound that Jimmy Iovine and crew came up with was spot-on: a hint of Mumford & Sons, a dash of Dave Matthews Band, all wrapped in a tidy bow that invited an enthusiastic hum-along. It worked so well that Phillips and the powers that be seem hesitant to rock the boat on the follow-up. Phillips' sophomore album, "Behind the Light," feels more like a collection of big singles as opposed to a coherent album, with ebbs and flows. He mostly adheres to a strict formula: acoustic-based melodies accented by strings, building up to a huge hook and back again. With Gregg Wattenberg - who has logged his fair share of hours recording Idol alums in addition to acts like Rascal Flatts and Five for Fighting - co-producing, there's a big-room sound throughout: Single "Raging Fire" is Coldplay-esque, and opener "Searchlight" features guitar strumming over a festival-ready four-on-the-floor kick drum. We live in the era of Avicii and his arena-folk music - even Phillips has to play ball. Tracks like "Midnight Sun," which sounds like a distant cousin of "Home," and "Alive Again Me" prove that Phillips isn't one to let a cliched lyric stand in the way of a good hook: "Say it loud/You know it's true/That I'm just a fool for you," he sings on "Fool for You." That confidence also shines through in his vocals and guitar playing, both of which Phillips has honed impressively in the two years since the confetti dropped on him at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre. Still, it's when Phillips tries to rock, on songs like "Fly" - perhaps emulating the headliners for whom he has opened (John Mayer, Matchbox 20) - that he falls short. At the same time, those harder-edged songs point to the direction in which he could grow. "Thicket," meanwhile, offers a glimpse of Phillip Phillips the songwriter. One of six tracks on "Behind the Light" he wrote himself, it strays from the album's recipe with more ambitious arrangements and a vocal style reminiscent of the late Jeff Buckley. The tune also shows that Phillips isn't always swinging for the fences - he can devise an incredibly pretty piece of music all on his own. Like most of the Idol finalists lucky enough to nab a record deal, those A&R'ing Phillips clearly believe that bigger is better: The album seems to spare no expense in hiring orchestra players and band members to fill out his sparse, acoustic, singer-songwriter sound. Still, it would've been nice to have a more intimate moment with Phillips, as so many Idol loyalists experienced on the air not that long ago.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line854
__label__wiki	0.960966	0.960966	The Game Sentenced for Punching Los Angeles Policeman The Game performs at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre on July 18, 2015 in Irvine, Calif. The Game has been sentenced to 120 hours of community service for assaulting an off-duty policeman during a pick-up basketball game in Hollywood. The 37-year-old rapper, whose real name is Jayceon Taylor, also received a six-month suspended jail term Monday and was ordered to attend anger management counseling. He may have to do the time if he gets into any more trouble. The Game Says 'Westside Story' Is 'Probably Gonna Be My Last Album' Prosecutors say during a game in 2015, Taylor threatened, intentionally fouled and sucker-punched the officer, who'd stolen the ball from him and made a basket. Taylor also pleaded no contest to stealing a camera from a paparazzi who filmed him being served with legal papers after the officer sued him. Taylor pleaded no contest to felony grand theft and misdemeanor counts of making criminal threats and battery. Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion & Doja Cat Release '34+35' Remix \| Billboard News	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line855
__label__wiki	0.586719	0.586719	Vancouver company launching vending machine serving salads, fresh food by Ria Renouf Last Updated Nov 25, 2020 at 2:32 pm PST Vancouver company UpMeals is aiming to make fresh food available to people through its vending machines. (Courtesy UpMeals/Youtube) Vancouver company UpMeals is aiming to make fresh food available to people through its vending machines When food can no longer be sold, it gets donated to the Vancouver Food Runners, a group serving meals to those in need The company says vending machine combines refrigeration and software to keep it fresh VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Imagine getting your next salad bowl or cold-pressed juice from a vending machine, and not from a cafeteria. One Vancouver-based company says it’s been able to make that a reality with its SmartVending solution, which uses refrigeration and software to keep products fresh, according to co-founder and CEO Drew Munro of UpMeals. “We’ve actually built a software platform that helps our partners track valuable insights, data, sales trends, and learn more about their customers or their employees, and be able to help them live happier and healthier lives.” Could you ever imagine getting a salad bowl from a vending machine instead of a cafeteria? @UpMeals says it’s managed to make that a reality. The #VancouverBC-based company has combined #tech and refrigeration to keep fresh food…well, fresh. https://t.co/cU2J2JpIwT — Ria Renouf (@riarenouf) November 25, 2020 The machine is billed as the first of its kind in B.C., and Munro says the meals can be customized for each space, based on people’s preferences. “We design custom products for each partner brand that are designed just for those customers or employees in mind. So there are things like healthy salad bowls, entree bowls, entrees, healthy treats and snacks, cold-pressed juices and more. Everything that is possible, usually that you would think of getting from a normal cafe or cafeteria or healthy salad bar is actually possible through our machines.” Munro says the company is inspired in part by his background in event catering. “I actually ran an event catering business here in Vancouver for more than a decade. I’ve been involved in doing corporate catering for a very long time, and I realized that there was a need to service these companies with a solution that didn’t necessarily fit into a traditional catering service, or into a meal delivery service. A lot of people were doing partial work from home and flex time, and nobody was working traditional 9 to 5 hours anymore.” I spoke w/@drewcooks, CEO of UpMeals who says the company has managed to create a software platform to track data and sales trends for preferences of fresh food. Meals are customized based on the preference of each office/space/location. The goal is to be able to access a healthy meal when a customer needs, while also generating as little waste as they can. “We really designed each solution to try to be zero food waste, meaning that we don’t want any food waste to end up into the waste stream. We’ve partnered locally with a great program called the Vancouver Food Runners, and what happens is that any products that have passed optimal freshness to be sold to a paying customer – but are still perfectly edible, safe and healthy products – are repurposed the same day through this partnership to charities and individuals that are in need of healthy food sources.” The machines also have an interesting connection to the man who created Pictionary: Robert Angel. “He was one of our first and earliest investors, so he’s actually the uncle of one of our co-founder [Ryan Angel], who is a registered holistic nutritionist and a Red Seal chef. So, [Robert] got involved, he saw what we were doing, he is an amazing entrepreneur who has obviously developed one of the most popular games in the entire world, and he joined us seeing the potential.” At this point, Munro says machines are in private offices, but the company is hoping to eventually branch out. “We do have some really exciting partnerships to announce in the coming weeks and months, and our goal is to have these machines available in some locations accessible to the public. Examples would be places like airports, fitness centres or transit centres, where there would be a need for people to access healthy food.” healthy food\|pictionary\|upmeals\|vancouver foodrunners\|vending machine	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line862
__label__cc	0.557989	0.442011	Sacred Space as Public Place (Part 1) by Augustin Ioan Humans never interact with their environment without metaphysical consequence. That is, the world becomes, or is discovered to be, a repository of meaning. Sometimes the meaning points beyond what at first seems to be there, as when we encounter the sacred. What is the sacred, and how does the numinous dwell in the physical world? Moreover, how does man dwell with it? These questions are perhaps best explored by asking to what extent the movement from Lichtung to Raum—key notions from Martin Heidegger’s Sein und Zeit—suggests a form of territory, neither locally fixed nor mobile, nor even evanescent, where the sacred can find shelter. Both terms derive from man’s primeval encounter, real or imagined, with a forest. The word Raum as used by Heidegger is most neatly rendered in English as “cleared space.” Something has been done to it to make it what it is. The nature of Lichtung, on the other hand—a “clearing,” or a lucus a non lucendo (as Leonardo Amoroso translates the term into Latin1Heidegger’s Lichtung appears as such in Amoroso’s “La Lichtung di Heidegger come lucus a (non) lucendo,” in Vattimo and Rovatti (ed.), Il pensiero deboloe (1998), 123–48. The persistence of German terms in Romanian-language discussions of Heidegger’s philosophy of art has often been criticized along with Constantin Noica’s philosophy. But whereas Noica’s philosophy deliberately and explicitly chooses to cast light exactly on the potential of the Romanian language to put various philosophy-laden concepts in inspired formulas, with Heidegger the problem is to test to what extent his concepts can preserve their validity, derived as they are from etymologies and word families that belong to German (and indeed often ancient forms of German) but not to other languages. In this case at least, Amoroso manages to find an equivalent for the Latinate world. )—does not necessarily presuppose any prior arrangement, only the potential to host or shelter something.2“At the core of being as a whole there is an open space…Being as being can be only if it is equally situated within and without the enlightened space created by this open space.” Heidegger, Originea operei de artă (The Origin of the Work of Art), Humanitas Press (1997), 78. “Clearing” can thus be considered one of the two modes of sacred space, where territory proper is defined by its limits and within which there is no significant space structuring. A “clearing,” as potential Raum, is a wooded sacred space, a sacred grove (lucus), defined by a physical difference from what is around it, a difference limited in degree but not in kind. The lucus is a different kind of thing than the silva, or forest. That which is entirely Other (namely the sacred, as theorized by Rudolf Otto and Mircea Eliade) is thus suggested by the very difference between the space where it is to manifest itself (lucus) and its surroundings. The entire discussion of public space as “clearing” in Sein und Zeit was in turn further developed in “Building, Dwelling, Thinking” and “The Origin of the Work of Art”.3In Heidegger (1995), 175–97, and 37–127 respectively. The place of human settlement—the territory of meetings which turn a given area into a public space—acquires with Heidegger a definition which also suggests origin. Settlements need a territory of location: Raum. The definition of the concept reveals two essential aspects of this type of place.4Heidegger (1995), 185. First, Lichtung is a place with a certain potential within a space of indeterminacy, such as a “wilderness” or simply an uncultivated wood. By its very features the clearing gives itself up to be “arranged, ceded, freed”.5Ibid. The most important of these is its “brightness,” which makes the clearing visible and therefore eligible for use as such. It is an open space, brighter than the rest of the space (forest) and thus in itself more “visible”: both for the man who wants to set up camp there and for the god watching from above. In other words, the clearing makes its quality felt (as potential) as being different from the obscure woods from which it is cut out. What is this clearing? Obviously, it (no longer) is the “silva diffusa et inculta” of Servius.6Servius, Commentary on Vergil, Aen., I, 310, quoted by Amoroso in Vattimo and Rovatti (1998), 127 Nor is it the “silva oscura” where Dante, in the Divine Comedy, found himself in the middle of his life. If the silva is “thick, tangled and wild” (Amoroso, 127), the clearing has entirely different qualities. In this case, it is a lucus, a sacred grove, probably the place of prior rituals, and thus by that very fact already consecrated as a public place. The lucus arises on a trajectory that will see it become a settlement and then undergo further topographic modulation. Second, in terms of physical contours, the clearing is sparsely vegetated. There are a few saplings and reeds, which suggest the proximity of water – an essential condition for the success of a settlement. The sparse vegetation implies that, though sunlit, the clearing is also shaded. Probably Amoroso’s most interesting conclusion is that, in order to preserve the qualities of lucus, a clearing must not be cleared completely, not even when—as suggested by Heidegger—“it is freed”.7Heideger (1995), 185. The shade of the clearing is the motivation for its preservation as a lucus, vacillating between clarus and silva in a manner redolent of Plato’s pharmakon, which could mean either remedy or poison, and of the concept’s revivification by Derrida (and here in Romania by Andrei Pleșu in his Minima Moralia). From smooth space to Raum The ambiguity of the lucus to which Amoroso8“[…] the relationship between lucus and light and clarity is relative,” just as the “thickness of the lucus is not an absolute concept but a relation with the far more considerable thickness of silva; lucus thus proves to be defined by relative thickness (in relation with that of the silva, that is),” in Amoroso, 127. draws our attention is first suggested by Heidegger himself, albeit most likely unwittingly. For it is not only the lucus which is ambiguous. The stability of Heidegger’s Raum is itself from the outset undermined by two of Heidegger’s own observations. First, Heidegger refers to the fact that having today “embarked upon our journey, we live now in one place, now in another.” This means that erecting a house on the spot we have chosen does not necessarily establish a final relationship with that place.9Heidegger (1995), 177. Second, Heidegger defines Raum as a place prepared “for the settlement of a colony or a camp”.10Ibid., 185. Commentators on this definition—especially those from an architectural background—are often fascinated by the notion of settlement, but fail to ask who exactly is settling in a place, and for how long. Given the very nature of migration, neither the colony nor the camp can evoke permanence. The colony presupposes a secondary settlement as related to a pre-existing “at home” left behind. Colonizing involves settling a potentially dangerous territory, one sparsely populated or else populated by Others (enemies and/or barbarians). The camp is temporary, born of the decision of a migrating group to settle for a while in a friendly space and to use for a time what the place offers, on the spot. Thus, to both the colonist and the migrant, Raum can suggest instability, uncertainty, a precarious existence that may result in either the dissipation or the magnification of the identity they bear to the place. For the colonist, “home” is somewhere else, most likely far away. “Home” will remain forever the centre of his world, even if “home” is only a memory of a place left behind. The colonist’s new domicile is actually a dipole: the physical place of his present settlement and the patronizing memory and reality of the original, to which the colony remains tied. Indra Kagis McEwen writes that: “Between the metropolis or the mother-city and the [completion of the] new foundation, the city existed like a ship.”11Kagis McEwen, “Architecture: Early Greek Aesthetics,” in Michael Kelly (ed.), The Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, 4 vols. (New York: Oxford University Press), Vol. I, pp. 81–84, illus. The Greeks had been sailors before they built fortresses, and when they did set about building cities, their new settlements were likely conceived of in terms of this cultural itinerancy: as destinations for those arriving, starting points for those returning or faring onward, or waystations for those doing both. The colonist baptizes claimed space as “home”. This is especially clear in the toponyms that turn the United States into a cartographic holograph of former homes whence colonists departed in search of the New World. Closer to home, toponyms in Dobruja reveal colonization by Transylvanian Romanians. Colonists often pit their lost “home” against their new hearth, and almost always find the latter lacking. The ordering, the arrangement of which Heidegger speaks, will therefore be a sort of “terraforming” of a foreign space—making it habitable—in the name of the old one. Within the new settlement, being “at home” (placement) and “alienation” (displacement) will be in perpetual tension, and even in outright conflict. Raum and the birthplace—terms which Heidegger uses practically interchangeably—actually designate different realities for the colonist: they coexist in a tense relation which alienation and subsequent accommodation someplace else will engender. The “colonist” can be seen and treated as a foreigner by the “local” even when the “colonist” has been resident in country for hundreds of years.12Alina Mungiu Pippidi’s 1999 Humanitas essay reports that in the 1990 conflict of Targu Mures the ethnic Romanian women in a nearby village said they wished that the ethnic Hungarians would go back to Asia, although the two ethnic groups had lived together for hundreds of years. In In contradistinction to the colonist, the migrant and his attitude towards his campsite seem better explained by Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of “smooth space”13The smooth space is precisely the space of the smallest deviation: consequently, it is not homogeneous, with the exception of that existing between infinitely close points, and the connection between proximities is achieved independently of any determined trajectory. It is a space of contacts, of small tactile and manual actions, rather than a visual space as strictly Euclidian space. The smooth space is a field without trajectories or parallel channels. A field, a heterogeneous smooth space pertains to a very special form of multiplicity: non-metrical multiplicities, centreless, rhizomatous, which take up space “not by numbers” and which can be “explored only on foot”. These do not fulfil the visual condition of being observable from a point in their external space; an example is the system of sounds or even of colours both being opposed to the Euclidian space. Deleuze and Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus, tr. of Mille plateaux (1980) by Brian Massumi, (1987), 371. than by that of Raum. Like a particle subject to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, according to which knowledge of a particle’s position and trajectory are mutually exclusive, the migrant exists as a field of probability in any given moment, rather than as a fixed address which can be located on a map. In a desert, the evening camp of a caravan is not so much a position as a relation to the route of the journey, which in turn gives an indication of “location on the move”. Routes, the open ends of these trajectories, the incapacity of fixing places as settlements marking a map, and the overture to a concept of uninhabited region: these and many other nuances separate the space of the migrant from that of the settler, Deleuze and Guattari’s “region” from Heidegger’s Raum. The “clearing” appears as a potential Raum by virtue of attributes that essentially differentiate it from the rest of the wood and which render it at least potentially habitable. It is an area that can be cut out of the rest of the territory: an island. As an island, it is an isolated realm and not like the rest of the space from which we extract it in order to better it. The features we improve upon become landmarks. We find our bearings in space with the help of these landmarks (hill fortifications, mountain churches, belfries, and the like). The space thus composed of islands of “clearings” and Räume—“clearings” improved and then inhabited—is one of local intensities and vectors of movement between these spaces. I leave landmark X and head to landmark Y. I move among the compulsory points along those alleys in the forest (which also preserve something of the orderly aspect of the Raum) and also along lines of force. I go farther, I draw near the fixed points which, in their essential stability, represent the grounds for my orientation and location in space. Given such a vectoral geography of intensities inherent in our encounter with our environs, we should not be surprised by our fear of the edges of the (known) world, the historic tendency to make maps with the centre in the cartographer’s birthplace, or indeed any cultural, municipal, or even domestic habit of ‘centring’ around a symbolic ‘navel’ (as highlighted by Eliade in The Myth of the Eternal Return). Phenomenological space is centered on the consciousness that experiences it. To an extent it fits Deleuze and Guattari’s description of streaked, sedentary space: “It is limited to its parts to which constant directions are attributed; they are oriented one towards the other, divisible by frontiers and they can be interconnected.” Such space is “streaked by walls, enclosures and roads between precincts.”14 Ibid., 381–2. The frontiers here are those of the state (a privileged example of streaked space) rather than the limits of organic, internal consistencies. The smooth space of the nomad In the interstices of the state, one can still identify escape routes for the migrant, the un-settled, the not-fixed-down. Even smooth space has no borders other than the ones imposed from outside by streaked space. Smooth space (the absolute local) is somehow to be found in the interstices of streaked space (the relative and global): “The streaked and the smooth are not opposed only as global and local. Because in one case the global is still relative, while in the other the local is already absolute.”15Translation of Milles Plateaux by Ioana Paul in Virtualia (http://virtualia.ong.ro/o2/ioanap_02_html). The desert, Deleuze’s favourite example of smooth space, is a space where visual orientation along trajectories of visual force seems impossible. The dynamics of the changed looks of these unformed territories, the moment-by-moment modification of the dunes, or of the surface of the ocean (another favourite metaphor for nomad space), or of the polar cap—in short, the absence of fixed landmarks—frustrates attempts at orientation. It seems only at the outer limits of the cosmos, among the distant stars and galaxies, that hapless, wayfaring man finally finds some clue as to his bearings in smooth, trackless space. And yet, there is orientation in the smooth, fluent space of migrations. Edward S. Casey, following Deleuze and Guattari,16See Deleuze and Guattari, Milles Plateaux, op. cit. tells us “how direction is observed, and felt just as it is seen.”17Casey, The Fate of Place (1997), 304. Orientation by topographic landmarks (that is, by sight) is quite impossible in smooth space. The other senses, especially hearing and touch, somehow take over orientation against sight. Under these circumstances, orientation is achieved “on an extraordinarily fine topology relying not on points or objects but rather on haecceities, on sets of relationships (winds, snow or sand waves, the song of the sand or the squeak of the breaking ice, the tactile attributes of both).”18Deleuze and Guattari (1987), 382. Deleuze and Guattari’s smooth space is not a limited space, cut up and therefore isolated, but rather in continuous flux. Another important difference between Heideggerian and Guattari-Deleuzian geospatiality is the accent on the way space is explored, on the role of the body talking, on the body undertaking the almost missionary crossing of this space. This is unlike Heidegger’s insistence upon place as a stop and topographic destination of gestures (rituals) of approach. Although Guattari and Deleuze19The smooth space is a matter that pertains to intense Spatium rather than to extensio (ibid., 479) where spatium seems associated with the archaic state, and extensio with the modern state with imperialistic and homogenizing tendencies (ibid., 388). as well as Heidegger20“But what is arranged by this diversity no longer is determined by distances, no longer is spatium but only extensio – a stretch (…) Yet the space thus conceived no longer contains spaces or areas (…) Spatium and extensio offer anytime the possibility of measuring and calculating the dimensions of things and the spaces arranged by them function of distances, segments, directions. But the measure-numbers and their dimensions by the mere fact they can be applied by and large to everything that stretches are in no way the foundation of the essence of spaces and places that can be measured with the help of mathematical paraphernalia.” Heidegger, (1995), 186–7. strongly object to seeing space as spatium (infinite, ubiquitous, and homogenous), for Guattari and Deleuze place and its connotations of stability are certainly not preconditioned for constructed dwelling. Casey also perceives a conflict between these two manners of interpreting spatium.21See Casey (1997), 464, note 112. This conflict arises from the claimed stability and permanence of Heidegger’s Raum, which I have tried to destabilize here. Smooth space is a composite of regions and crossing trajectories. By contrast, in Heidegger’s “patched” space the various places (clearings) and localities (clearings already arranged with a view to dwelling) have different intensities of “habitability” and “placeability”. They are united by Holzwege (“wood-ways”), trajectories cut in the wild woods in a manner somewhat akin to the clearing. In other words, smooth space is the space of nomads assuming and celebrating their instability and migratory condition, while Raum is the space of the tired migrant who would like to settle down at long last. Raum is the end of the road for the trajectories of smooth space, the final destination of a pilgrimage, the result of the decision to end a migration and live in one place. Nothing in the definition of Raum, except for Heidegger’s insistence on stability, persuades us that the campsite, despite a collective pledge to co-modify it, will not be abandoned sometime in the future. And indeed, as we shall see, our very transience both calls into question the stability of a given place and feeds our hunger for it. Even when man settles into a place, his transience is not ended, but rather redirected. He builds, not onwards, but upwards, atop. And in all of this, he does not, cannot, forget the origins of his dwelling. In the second part of this essay, we shall look more closely at how sacred space is transformed by man, but also transforms him in turn. Augustin Ioan is one of Romania’s leading architects and architectural theorists. A professor at the Ion Mincu Institute of Architecture in Bucharest, his work centers on the theory and history of modern and contemporary architecture, as well as the configuration of sacred space in traditional and post-Communist contexts. His architectural portfolio includes a number of churches, Romanian Orthodox and otherwise, that have been commissioned and built since 1989 as part of a wave of ecclesiastical construction projects on which he has also commented widely in national and international media. Architectural-autobiographical meditations on his Black Sea hometown can be found at “A Space of Forbearance: Ethnicity, Art and Architecture on the Danube River Delta”. Notes [ + ] ↑ 1. Heidegger’s Lichtung appears as such in Amoroso’s “La Lichtung di Heidegger come lucus a (non) lucendo,” in Vattimo and Rovatti (ed.), Il pensiero deboloe (1998), 123–48. The persistence of German terms in Romanian-language discussions of Heidegger’s philosophy of art has often been criticized along with Constantin Noica’s philosophy. But whereas Noica’s philosophy deliberately and explicitly chooses to cast light exactly on the potential of the Romanian language to put various philosophy-laden concepts in inspired formulas, with Heidegger the problem is to test to what extent his concepts can preserve their validity, derived as they are from etymologies and word families that belong to German (and indeed often ancient forms of German) but not to other languages. In this case at least, Amoroso manages to find an equivalent for the Latinate world. ↑ 2. “At the core of being as a whole there is an open space…Being as being can be only if it is equally situated within and without the enlightened space created by this open space.” Heidegger, Originea operei de artă (The Origin of the Work of Art), Humanitas Press (1997), 78. ↑ 3. In Heidegger (1995), 175–97, and 37–127 respectively. ↑ 4. Heidegger (1995), 185. ↑ 5. Ibid. ↑ 6. Servius, Commentary on Vergil, Aen., I, 310, quoted by Amoroso in Vattimo and Rovatti (1998), 127 ↑ 7. Heideger (1995), 185. ↑ 8. “[…] the relationship between lucus and light and clarity is relative,” just as the “thickness of the lucus is not an absolute concept but a relation with the far more considerable thickness of silva; lucus thus proves to be defined by relative thickness (in relation with that of the silva, that is),” in Amoroso, 127. ↑ 10. Ibid., 185. ↑ 11. Kagis McEwen, “Architecture: Early Greek Aesthetics,” in Michael Kelly (ed.), The Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, 4 vols. (New York: Oxford University Press), Vol. I, pp. 81–84, illus. ↑ 12. Alina Mungiu Pippidi’s 1999 Humanitas essay reports that in the 1990 conflict of Targu Mures the ethnic Romanian women in a nearby village said they wished that the ethnic Hungarians would go back to Asia, although the two ethnic groups had lived together for hundreds of years. ↑ 13. The smooth space is precisely the space of the smallest deviation: consequently, it is not homogeneous, with the exception of that existing between infinitely close points, and the connection between proximities is achieved independently of any determined trajectory. It is a space of contacts, of small tactile and manual actions, rather than a visual space as strictly Euclidian space. The smooth space is a field without trajectories or parallel channels. A field, a heterogeneous smooth space pertains to a very special form of multiplicity: non-metrical multiplicities, centreless, rhizomatous, which take up space “not by numbers” and which can be “explored only on foot”. These do not fulfil the visual condition of being observable from a point in their external space; an example is the system of sounds or even of colours both being opposed to the Euclidian space. Deleuze and Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus, tr. of Mille plateaux (1980) by Brian Massumi, (1987), 371. ↑ 14. Ibid., 381–2. ↑ 15. Translation of Milles Plateaux by Ioana Paul in Virtualia (http://virtualia.ong.ro/o2/ioanap_02_html). ↑ 16. See Deleuze and Guattari, Milles Plateaux, op. cit. ↑ 17. Casey, The Fate of Place (1997), 304. ↑ 18. Deleuze and Guattari (1987), 382. ↑ 19. The smooth space is a matter that pertains to intense Spatium rather than to extensio (ibid., 479) where spatium seems associated with the archaic state, and extensio with the modern state with imperialistic and homogenizing tendencies (ibid., 388). ↑ 20. “But what is arranged by this diversity no longer is determined by distances, no longer is spatium but only extensio – a stretch (…) Yet the space thus conceived no longer contains spaces or areas (…) Spatium and extensio offer anytime the possibility of measuring and calculating the dimensions of things and the spaces arranged by them function of distances, segments, directions. But the measure-numbers and their dimensions by the mere fact they can be applied by and large to everything that stretches are in no way the foundation of the essence of spaces and places that can be measured with the help of mathematical paraphernalia.” Heidegger, (1995), 186–7. ↑ 21. See Casey (1997), 464, note 112. Filed under Articles / Essays, Featured Essays, Uncategorized · Tagged with architectural theory, architecture, Augustin Ioan, Deleuze, Guatttari, Heidegger, Lichtung, migration, Mircea Eliade, public space, Raum, sacred space	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line863
__label__wiki	0.972735	0.972735	Man who died after Zante assault named as Matt Jeffery People have paid tribute to the father-of-two Thomas Cock A strip of bars in Laganas, Zante. The 35-year-old, believed to be from Somerset, was assaulted outside a bar and is in a critical condition (Image: John Alevroyiannis/Sunday People) A man who died after after allegedly being "punched" outside a bar in Zante has been named. Matt Jeffery of Yeovil was left in a critical condition following an incident outside a bar, but sadly died. It is believed the father-of-two was on the Greek island of Zakynthos - also known as Zante - for a stag do. Two men allegedly threatened and pushed the 35-year-old while he was drinking at a bar in Laganas on May 23. Greek news channels claim the attack continued on the street outside the venue where he was punched. M5 Updates: 16 miles of stop-start traffic and delays The father-of-two is said to have suffered a severe head injury and was airlifted to a hospital in Athens, where he remained in a critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit. Sadly he later died. Somerset Live reports Mr Jeffery has been named locally as numerous warm tributes were paid on social media. The father of two has been described as "one in a million" and "kind natured". Friends have also spoken of their pain and devastation following his death. The Greek island of Zante (Image: Getty) A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed the death on May 30, saying: "We are supporting the family of a British man following his death in Greece, and are in contact with the Greek authorities." Woman died after hitting her head when people 'surged' to board Ryanair flight home The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is also assisting Greek authorities with their enquiries. Greek media outlets are reporting that two men, aged 22 and 25, have been arrested in connection with the assault.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line865
__label__wiki	0.943236	0.943236	Boston University College of Fine Arts A Brief History of 855 Comm School of Theatre Find a Degree/Program Boston University Academic Bulletin Courses & Resources for the BU Community Undergraduate Minors & Graduate Certificates Come Visit CFA (Virtually!) Creative Research Learn and Experience Concert Archives Arts for the BU Community Boston University Art Galleries Wheelock Family Theatre CFA Magazine This SiteBU MedicalAll BUBU MapsBU DirectoryGoogle CFA Magazine Feature: Changing Minds Good cop, bad cop, superhero. Michael Chiklis discusses how he reinvented himself to stay on top in a fickle business and dishes on his new show, Coyote Originally published in the Fall 2020 issue of CFA magazine. By Mara Sassoon. Photos by Patrick Strattner In the 2002 pilot episode of the hit FX series The Shield, the show’s merciless and corrupt protagonist, Los Angeles Police Department detective Vic Mackey, played by Michael Chiklis, brutally beats a suspect and murders a fellow officer in cold blood—and it only gets worse from there. For the rest of the show’s seven seasons, Mackey displays increasingly disturbing and illegal behavior: torturing and killing suspects, stealing evidence, embezzling money. Not only did the events of that first episode make it onto Rolling Stone’s “The Shocking 16: TV’s Most Heart-stopping Moments,” but Entertainment Weekly also named Mackey one of its “16 Ultimate TV Antiheroes.” It’s a role Chiklis (CFA’85) played with compelling, can’t-look-away grit and one that earned him critical acclaim—he won a 2002 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and a 2003 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama. And he’s bringing a similar captivating performance to his starring role in the upcoming series Coyote. But before he got to the A-list, Chiklis had plenty of time out of the limelight, working in a host of small theaters, waiting a lot of tables, and even starring in a movie so controversial he thought he’d never act again. The Acting Bug “My parents used to tell me that I announced when I was five years old that I was going to be an actor,” Chiklis says. Growing up in Andover, Mass., he recalls watching The ABC Comedy Hour, which featured a group of comedic impressionists called The Kopykats that included the actors Frank Gorshin and Rich Little. Chiklis would walk around “imitating those two guys imitating other people” and make people laugh. “I think it was that response that made me feel like acting was my calling.” That calling became a little more real during the ninth grade, when Chiklis starred as Hawkeye Pierce in his school’s stage production of MAS*H. “It was pretty racy for a high school play,” he says. His turn as the chief surgeon caught the attention of a casting director from a local summer stock theater, landing him a spot in a production of Bye Bye Birdie. The production’s director, Mark Kaufman, would become Chiklis’ first theatrical mentor. When Kaufman cofounded the Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, he cast Chiklis in a production of Romeo and Juliet during its first season. “I gained incredible insight from watching Mark open a regional theater, from inception to fruition,” Chiklis says. “Seeing that process and getting to be onstage so much, it solidified my love for the theater and acting.” Kaufman also encouraged him to apply to Boston University’s theater program. It was the only school Chiklis applied to. “Now, I think to myself, ‘Oh my God, what if I didn’t get in?’ I don’t know what I was thinking.” Chiklis at a rehearsal for a 1984 BU mainstage production of The Hostage. Rehearsals, he says, “were where I learned the most.” BU Photography Chiklis attributes much of his success to the guidance he had as a young actor from people like Kaufman and—at CFA—the late Jim Spruill, who was an associate professor of theater. “Good mentorship can completely change the outcome in a person’s life,” Chiklis says. That kind of mentorship, he believes, extends far beyond acting advice. During his freshman year, he was blindsided by the news that his parents were divorcing. “My family broke. It really cracked my foundation and sent me into a kind of a spiral.” His grades and performances started to suffer and Spruill took notice. “He knew I was a good student, that I loved the craft. But all of a sudden, I was aimless and unfocused. He cared enough to say, ‘What’s up with you? What’s happening?’ He nurtured me through it. He cared enough to just ask a couple of questions.” While Chiklis fondly recalls performing in shows like On the Razzle at the Huntington Theatre Company, which BU had established during his freshman year, he loved the rehearsals more than anything. “They were where I learned the most. At rehearsals, we were exchanging ideas—students from all over the country, from every race, creed, and walk of life. The truth is, we would go at it. Everyone was super opinionated and we discussed and argued about the shows. “BU just opened my mind to so many things, so many people. It made me think, ‘Wow, there’s just so much to know.’” Read the full article in CFA ABOUT CFA MAGAZINE CFA is a publication for alumni and friends of the Boston University College of Fine Arts. We welcome your feedback on the magazine, this website, or anything else related to CFA. Send us your comments at cfaalum@bu.edu. Find current and past issues at bu.edu/cfa-magazine. Posted 2 months ago on Monday, November 23rd, 2020 · Permalink ← BU Alum Russell Hornsby (CFA’96) Reflects on Diverse Acting Career New York Times feature: The 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century → It all starts here. 617.353.3350 cfastu@bu.edu	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line869
__label__wiki	0.986935	0.986935	Why 'AHS: Apocalypse' Should Be The Final Installment Of The Anthology Series Kurt Iswarienko/FX By Jefferson Grubbs Fans will finally find out how the world ends — with a bang or with a whimper — when Season 8 of FX's anthology series wraps up on Nov. 14 with its final episode, "Apocalypse Then." But will American Horror Story return for Season 9? Or does Apocalypse signal the end of the long-running show in addition to the end of the world? The good news is, it doesn't seem to be the end of times just yet, as the show will return for a new season and a brand new theme. While AHS may indeed see its own apocalypse someday, fans don't have to worry about the end coming anytime soon. Not only will the anthology return for Season 9 — which was already announced as part of a two-season pickup for the show after Season 7's Cult — but FX actually renewed the horror show all the way through Season 10 back in August of this year. In addition to a new season coming in the fall of 2019, Murphy is working on projects outside of FX — his home for the past eight years, where he has launched shows like AHS, American Crime Story, Feud, and Pose — for Netflix. The streaming network which lured the showrunner away from the cable network with the largest deal in television history. All of this begs the question of what Season 9 will be about. Part of the fun of American Horror Story is discovering the theme and cast of each new installment... but if one particular fan theory is correct, next season could feel very familiar. With so much story left to tie up in only one episode, some viewers are predicting that Season 9 will continue the story of Apocalypse, working as a direct continuation of the season before it for the first time in AHS history. While AHS star Leslie Grossmann (who plays the calorie-counting witch Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt) promised Bustle that "Apocalypse Then" "is going to be a really satisfying ending for the fans," she also teased that, "there are surprises up until the very, very end." Could one of those surprises turn out to be a cliffhanger that promises more Apocalyp-tic action to come in Season 9? Fans will find out soon enough, when Cordelia and her Coven face off against Michael Langdon in attempt to save the world.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line871
__label__wiki	0.647223	0.647223	Clinical and Industry News Compiled by CathLab Digest ACIST Medical Systems Contrast Delivery System Facilitates Diagnosis of 10 Millionth Patient ACIST Medical Systems, Inc., a Bracco Group company, offering contrast injection system technology for cardiovascular angiography, announced that interventional cardiologists and staff have used the company’s contrast delivery system to help diagnose and treat 10 million patients. The ACIST system is an all-in-one, variable-flow technology that gives physicians control over the full range of injection volumes, from small vessels in the coronaries to large vessels in the ventricles and peripheral vasculature. The system’s widespread adoption in prestigious teaching institutions as well as mainstream community-based hospitals has demonstrated benefits in reducing costs and complexity and in enhancing patient care. “The ACIST contrast delivery system was developed to help doctors perform angiography more efficiently and, in turn, facilitate timely and appropriate treatment,” said Dr. Robert Wilson, inventor of the ACIST system and Professor of Interventional Cardiology at the University of Minnesota. “The system shortens procedures, decreases the amount of dye injected into patients and reduces radiation exposure for health care professionals and patients.” The ACIST system features include air column sensors, a hand controller and a monitor that tracks and displays contrast usage. The ACIST system has air column sensors that automatically stop the procedure when air is detected, helping prevent a potentially serious complication for the patient. The hand controller facilitates precise administration of contrast for more consistent imaging with lower contrast amounts, reducing radiation exposure. The hand controller also allows the clinicians to step back from the radiation source during imaging to reduce radiation exposure, as well as deliver contrast without the stress of manually injecting throughout the heart’s vessels — thereby reducing hand fatigue and the potential for carpal tunnel syndrome. “We are committed to providing best-in-class technology for angiographic imaging. Reaching 10 million procedures with our contrast delivery system is a testament to our product’s effectiveness and efficiency, as well as its ability to reduce radiation exposure for clinicians and patients,” said Thomas Morizio, president and chief operating officer, ACIST Medical Systems. “We are especially proud of the fact that our angiographic system can make a clinical difference while also reducing costs and complexity — essential factors in today’s health care environment. We look forward to continuing to help address the expanding needs of more complex and evolving interventional procedures.” Headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minn., with regional offices in Europe and Asia, ACIST employs more than 220 people worldwide. To learn more, visit www.acist.com. UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center Opens to Public With 4 New Cath Labs UC San Diego Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center (SCVC) officially opened its doors to the public on August 8 after the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) certified the SCVC for patient care. The region’s first cardiovascular center is now accessible to the tens of thousands of Californians who are at risk for or suffer from heart disease and stroke. The first cardiac inpatients transferred from UC San Diego’s medical centers on July 31. The cardiovascular hybrid operating rooms, catheterization labs and procedural treatment unit (PTU) are in full operation, as well as the ambulatory clinics. “The SCVC is at the forefront of modern efforts to combat heart and vascular diseases, the most common causes of disability and mortality within our population. As leaders and teachers in this field, we offer advanced diagnostics, novel treatments and access to a number of clinical trials not available anywhere else in the San Diego region,” said Kirk L. Peterson, MD, director, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center and Professor of Cardiology and Medicine at the UCSD School of Medicine. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease and stroke are the number one and number three causes of death, and a leading cause of disability, among Californians. Compared to the nation, California has slightly above average rates for coronary heart disease and stroke mortality. “The opening of the SCVC is a milestone development for UC San Diego Health System,” explained Tom Jackiewicz, CEO of UC San Diego Health System. “In the next five years, we will open Jacobs Medical Center, the Clinical and Translational Research Institute (CTRI), and the Center for the Future of Surgery. Our journey continues today, as we welcome patients, neighbors and supporters to the one place in San Diego where cardiovascular care is fully integrated.” With the SCVC open, patients now have access to a spectacular facility with 54 new inpatient beds, four new cardiovascular ORs, four new cardiac catheterization laboratories, a new non-invasive cardiovascular laboratory, and outpatient clinics. Nearly 100 new employees have been hired including nurses, telephone operators, technicians, security and a nutritionist. For more information, visit www.heartcenter.ucsd.edu. Newest Screen For Newborns Will Indicate Heart Problems About one in every 120 babies are born with congenital heart disease (CHD), of which about 25 percent are critical, requiring special care early in life. CHD is responsible for more deaths in the first year of life than any other birth defect, but often outcomes can be improved with early detection. Now a group of physicians and scientists has published an important paper that recommends strategies for national screening for critical CHD, using pulse oximetry. Low oxygen levels would trigger further investigation. The screening strategy report was published in the journal Pediatrics on August 22. “Screening for low-blood oxygen saturation can be an effective way to identify otherwise well-appearing babies who have undetected critical CHD,” said one of the report’s authors, Alex Kemper, MD, associate professor of Pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center. “One of the biggest challenges in implementing screening will be the follow up after a positive screen.” Many of the identified babies will require an evaluation by a pediatric cardiologist or an echocardiogram before they can go home. Because not all hospitals have these services, some babies may need to be transferred to other hospitals. “Therefore, it is very important to avoid false positive screening results,” Kemper said. “We believe that the strategy we have developed will identify most cases but also have a false positive rate of less than 1 percent.” The group’s recommendations are based on large studies conducted in the United States and Europe. However, there are still many unanswered questions about how to best screen, including timing and the standards for a positive screen. For example, the algorithm’s usual cutoff point for oxygen saturation may need to be adjusted for babies in high-altitude nurseries, where blood-oxygen levels may be normally slightly lower. “We expect that as screening is adopted, these recommendations will be improved, but there is good evidence that this screening can save lives,” Kemper said. The report was endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Cardiology Foundation, and the American Heart Association. Based on evidence that has already been gathered, the state of New Jersey will initiate CCHD screening on August 31 for all babies before discharge. “This will be a great opportunity for other states to learn how to begin screening on a wide scale,” Kemper said. As more information is learned about how to safely and effectively screen newborns, other states are likely to adopt similar rules. In addition, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is now developing a plan to assist states in the identification and treatment of newborns with congenital heart disease. For screening, testing should ideally occur after the baby is 24 hours old, because there are many changes in the circulatory system very early in life that can cause a false positive screen. Coronary Artery Stenting Viable Palliative Option for Infants and Toddlers Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not a generally accepted option for infants or toddlers with acute coronary syndrome. However, a new report published in the August issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), found coronary stent implantation to be a feasible and safe palliative option for children fifteen months and younger. Studies have shown that in adults with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) stent implantation significantly reduces mortality. While ACS is less common in children, there are congenital and acquired heart disease that may compromise coronary circulation in the pediatric population. Due to increased risk of coronary interventions and difficulty of cardiac catheterization techniques in pediatric patients, PCI is not a recommended treatment strategy in this age group. A research team led by Dr. András Bratincsák from Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, California, conducted a retrospective review of seven children who had PCI between June 2006 and June 2010. Of those included in the study all were under 18 years of age and four were 15 months or younger. PCI techniques included balloon coronary angioplasty and coronary stent implantation. Researchers analyzed patient data that included underlying diagnosis, comorbidites, catheterization technique, and outcomes. In all seven cases, successful stent placement in the proximal portion of the left or right coronary arteries with excellent revascularization was achieved. The average diameter of the heart arteries was 0.65 mm prior to the intervention. Balloon angioplasty did not completely resolve the stenosis and bare metal stents were then implanted to a mean internal diameter of 2.5 mm. The team determined that the average intervention-free period was 434 days after stent implantation. Restenosis and thrombosis did not occur in cases where the implanted stent diameter was greater than 2.5 mm and patients received dual anti-platelet therapy. “We provide evidence that stent implantation is a relatively safe option for pediatric patients with coronary stenosis, including those under the age of 15 months,” said Dr. Bratincsák. “PCI offers a viable strategy for bridging infants and toddlers with blocked arteries or poor ventricular function to surgical revascularization or transplantation when they are at an older age.” Source: Bratincsa A, Bratincsa A, El-Said HG. Percutaneous stent implantation into coronary arteries in infants. Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions 2011 Aug; (doi: 10.1002/ccd.23173). New Data Underscores Importance of Platelet Reactivity Testing to Aid in Risk Assessment Following Stent Placement, Low Platelet Reactivity at Time of Discharge and After 30 Days Leads to 50% Reduction in Cardiovascular Events Data announced August 29, 2011 at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Paris and simultaneously published in Circulation show that stent patients exhibited a 50% reduction in cardiovascular death, heart attack and stent thrombosis over 6 months when they achieved low platelet reactivity, as measured by the Accumetrics’ VerifyNow P2Y12 Test, at discharge and 30 days post-procedure. The VerifyNow P2Y12 Test is used to measure a patient’s platelet reactivity and the antiplatelet effect of medications such as clopidogrel or prasugrel (Plavix and Effient). “These new findings from GRAVITAS demonstrate that patients who achieve a low level of platelet reactivity do much better after a stent procedure with respect to subsequent cardiovascular events,” said Matthew J. Price, MD, of the Scripps Translational Science Institute and Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, CA. “These results further elucidate how platelet reactivity testing can help us, as physicians, assess the risk profile of our patients and guide us in determining the degree of the effect from the antiplatelet therapy that we prescribe.” Dr. Price, principal investigator of the GRAVITAS (Gauging Responsiveness with a VerifyNow Assay-Impact on Thrombosis and Safety) trial, presented the results from the new analysis during a State of the Art and Featured Research presentation entitled “Platelet reactivity on clopidogrel therapy and cardiovascular outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention: a time-dependent pharmacodynamic analysis of the GRAVITAS trial” at the ESC Congress. With this analysis, GRAVITAS is the largest multicenter randomized trial to demonstrate that reduced levels of platelet reactivity while receiving clopidogrel were independently associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events, even after elective stent procedures. Further, this marks the second recent published report highlighting the clinical significance of platelet reactivity measurements not only within the first 24-48 hours of a stent procedure, but also at 30 days after the procedure is completed. This demonstrates the importance of continuing to assess a patient’s platelet reactivity at follow up within the hospital or outpatient settings. The concept of variability in response to antiplatelet therapy has been well established. Also being demonstrated with increased frequency is that high residual platelet reactivity is associated with poor patient outcomes. The GRAVITAS study is a multi-center, placebo-controlled study to determine whether high maintenance dose of clopidogrel therapy based on the results of the VerifyNow P2Y12 Test reduces ischemic events post-PCI. The trial was coordinated by Scripps Advanced Clinical Trials. For more information, visit www.accumetrics.com. Price MJ et al. Circulation 2011;124:1132–1137. Campo G, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 2011;57(25):2474–2483. European Society of Cardiology: Fat Around the Heart Boosts Heart Attack Risk Pericardial thickness was significantly correlated with coronary arterial remodeling and non-calcified plaque, related to acute coronary syndrome (ACS), in a Japanese study presented at the ESC Congress 2011 by Dr. Riyo Ogura. Interest in the fat around the heart — so-called pericardial fat — is rapidly growing. Even a thin person can have pericardial fat. Several studies suggest that pericardial fat induces inflammation of the artery wall by secretion of pro-inflammatory proteins and plays a role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease. However, there is no information regarding the impact of pericardial fat on coronary arterial remodeling and plaque vulnerability, related to ACS. One hundred and eight consecutive patients with de novo lesions located in the native coronary artery were studied. The pericardial fat thickness on the right ventricle was measured using transthoracic echocardiography, and arterial remodeling of culprit lesion was assessed by pre-interventional intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). The remodeling index (RI) was calculated as lesion divided by the reference external elastic membrane cross-sectional area. Positive remodeling (PR) was defined as RI >1.05, intermediate remodeling (IR) as between 0.95 and 1.05, and negative remodeling (NR) as <0.95. IVUS findings included plaque eccentricity and morphology-lipid rich, fibrous and calcified. There was a significant relationship between pericardial fat thickness and RI. Patients with a higher pericardial fat thickness (>10mm, n=55) were significantly associated with high body mass index, high plasma triglyceride level, and high plasma urinary acid level. PR and noncalcified plaque were more common in patients with a higher pericardial thickness. There was no significant relationship between pericardial fat thickness and plaque eccentricity. Multivariate analysis showed that high pericardial fat thickness was an independent factor affecting coronary positive remodeling. Ultimately, pericardial fat thickness was significantly correlated with the coronary arterial remodeling and non-calcified plaque in ACS patients. Dual Transradial and Transpedal Approach for Treatment of Iliac, Superficial Femoral, and Tibial Arterial Diseases Program Spotlight: Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Disrupt CAD III: Lithotripsy for Vessel Preparation in Calcified Coronary Arteries Prior to Stenting OpSens OptoWire III: A Next-Generation Workhorse Pressure Guidewire New Rules, New Challenges Amidst an Already Complex Healthcare Environment	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line873
__label__cc	0.53605	0.46395	Jay Ellis Net Worth How much is Jay Ellis Worth? in Richest Celebrities › Actors Jay Ellis Net Worth: Jay Ellis net worth: Jay Ellis is an American actor who has a net worth of $3 million. Jay Ellis was born in Sumter, South Carolina in December 1981. He grew up in a military family and attended 12 schools in 13 years and then attended Concordia University on a basketball scholarship where he became a model in ads for Air Jordan Brand, Abercrombie & Fitch, Diesel, and The Gap. As an actor Ellis starred as Bryce "Blue" Westbrook in the television series The Game from 2013 to 2015. In 2016 he starred as Lawrence in the TV series Insecure. Ellis has starred in the films Movie 43, My Favorite Five, November Rule, Breaking Through, Like Cotton Twines, and Shortwave. He has also appeared in episodes of the TV series The Bold and the Beautiful, Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, How I Met Your Mother, Hart of Dixie, iCarly, NCIS: Los Angeles. Eduardo Yáñez Net Worth Jay R. Ferguson Net Worth Daniela Ruah Net Worth Jay Ellis Net Worth: $3 Million Date of Birth: Dec 27, 1981 (39 years old) Renée Felice Smith Net Worth Colby Covington Net Worth Jay O. Sanders Net Worth Linda Hunt Net Worth Matt L. Jones Net Worth Barrett Foa Net Worth	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line876
__label__wiki	0.636243	0.636243	Russia, 1762-1825: Military Power, the State, and the People, 1st Edition Janet M. Hartley DDC: 947.07 A study of the Russian Empire at the peak of its military power and success (1762-1825), this important book examines how a country with none of the obvious trappings of modernization was able to significantly expand its territory. Russia's military and naval victories culminated in the triumphal entrance of Russian forces into Paris in 1814 in celebration of the defeat of Napoleon. Hartley's treatment is wide-ranging and discusses many aspects of the nature of the Russian state and society, including such issues as: recruitment; institutional, legal, and fiscal structures of the state; the unique nature of Russian industrialization and social organization at the urban and village level; as well as the impact on cultural life. She covers the reign of two of Russia's most prominent rulers: Catherine II (1762-1796) and Alexander I (1801-25). How could a country lacking modernized structures — political, institutional, social, fiscal, economic, industrial, and cultural — sustain this level of military effort and support the largest standing army in Europe? What impact did the strain of this commitment of men and money, including the invasion of 1812, have on the state and society — particularly on those who were either conscripted or the dependents they left behind? Despite the success of the Russian state, by 1825 the strains would become almost unsustainable. Introduction: Russia at War, 1762–1825. 1: The Military Estate: Size and Deployment. 2: The Lower Ranks: Conscription and Community. 3: The Officer Corps: Service and Challenge to the State. 4: The Cost: Expenditure and Income. 5: The Cost: Agriculture, Industry, and Trade. 6: The Impact: Conflict with Civilians in Peace and War. 7: The State: Administration, Law, and Magic. 8: The Expansion of the State: Conflict, Assimilation, and Identity. 9: Rulers and Armies: Warfare, Image, Culture, and Identity. 10: The Military Colonies. 11: Conclusion: Militarization and Modernization?. Abbreviations. 12: Recent Titles in Studies in Military History and International Affairs Jeremy Black, Series Editor.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line877
__label__wiki	0.729722	0.729722	GlobalLogic Acquires AWS Partner ECS Group GlobalLogic has acquired AWS partner ECS to bolster digital engineering, data analytics, and customer experience expertise. by Ty Trumbull • Nov 30, 2020 GlobalLogic, a Silicon Valley-based digital product engineering firm, has acquired London-headquartered ECS Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. This is M&A deal number 491 that ChannelE2E has tracked so far in 2020. See the complete M&A deal list here ECS is a digital transformation and DevOps consultancy founded in 2008. The company is an AWS partner that uses cloud technologies, with a focus on digital engineering, data analytics, and customer experience to deliver digital solutions. ECS serves multiple industries, particularly the banking and financial services sector. The company has 650 employees around the globe. The acquisition strengthens GlobalLogic’s footprint and Europe as well as its financial services offering, according to the company. It also provides GlobalLogic with a host of complementary cloud-centric offerings for its portfolio, the company noted. GlobalLogic Acquires ECS Group: Experts in Complex Cloud Services Shashank Samant, president and CEO, GlobalLogic Mark Farrington, CEO, ECS Shashank Samant, president and CEO, GlobalLogic, commented: “We’re always in search of differentiated companies that enhance our capabilities and expand our reach. ECS’s expertise in complex cloud services, its strong position and presence in the UK, and the company’s heritage in regulated industries such as financial services are all valuable additions to GlobalLogic. We are very excited to have the talented ECS team on board to deliver outstanding digital outcomes for our clients.” Mark Farrington, chief executive officer, ECS, said: “The demand for digital engineering and cloud services continues to grow at an accelerated pace. Joining GlobalLogic is a game-changer for ECS. With access to a broader set of competencies and global scale, we can address a wider range of client opportunities. With its people-oriented culture, GlobalLogic is a fantastic match for ECS at every level. We are excited to embark on this journey together.” GlobalLogic Acquires ECS Group: “Clear Strategic Rationale” Alantra acted as lead adviser to ECS where, according to the firm, it “identified the clear strategic rationale for a deal with GlobalLogic, and played a key role managing the transaction process.” Alantra has been involved in at least 11 UK technology sector deals in 2020. It has also had a hand in a number of deals Stateside, including the August 2020 acquisition of Applied Cloud Systems by 3Cloud.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line880
__label__wiki	0.841414	0.841414	US Laws US Jurisprudence UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT DECISIONS ON-LINE US Supreme Court Decisions On-Line> Volume 396 > ROSS V. BERNHARD, 396 U. S. 531 (1970) ROSS V. BERNHARD, 396 U. S. 531 (1970) Subscribe to Cases that cite 396 U. S. 531 Ross v. Bernhard, 396 U.S. 531 (1970) Ross v. Bernhard Argued November 10, 1969 Decided February 2, 1970 CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT The right to trial by jury preserved by the Seventh Amendment extends to a stockholder's derivative suit with respect to those issue as to which the corporation, had it been suing in its own right, would have been entitled to a jury trial. 403 F.2d 909, reversed. MR. JUSTICE WHITE delivered the opinion of the Court. The Seventh Amendment to the Constitution provides that, in "[s]uits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved." Whether the Amendment guarantees the right to a jury trial in stockholders' derivative actions is the issue now before us. Petitioners brought this derivative suit in federal court against the directors of their closed-end investment company, the Lehman Corporation, and the corporation's brokers, Lehman Brothers. They contended that Lehman Brothers controlled the corporation through an illegally large representation on the corporation's board of directors, in violation of the Investment Company Act of 1940, 54 Stat. 789, 15 U.S.C. § 80a-1 et seq., and used this control to extract excessive brokerage fees from the corporation. The directors of the corporation were accused of converting corporate assets and of "gross abuse chanrobles.com-red Page 396 U. S. 532 of trust, gross misconduct, willful misfeasance, bad faith, [and] gross negligence." Both the individual defendants and Lehman Brothers were accused of breaches of fiduciary duty. It was alleged that the payments to Lehman Brothers constituted waste and spoliation, and that the contract between the corporation and Lehman Brothers had been violated. Petitioners requested that the defendants "account for and pay to the Corporation for their profits and gains and its losses." Petitioners also demanded a jury trial on the corporation's claims. On motion to strike petitioners' jury trial demand, the District Court held that a shareholder's right to a jury on his corporation's cause of action was to be judged as if the corporation were itself the plaintiff. Only the shareholder's initial claim to speak for the corporation had to be tried to the judge. 275 F.Supp. 569. Convinced that "there are substantial grounds for difference of opinion as to this question, and . . . an immediate appeal would materially advance the ultimate termination of this litigation," the District Court permitted an interlocutory appeal. 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b). The Court of Appeals reversed, holding that a derivative action was entirely equitable in nature, and no jury was available to try any part of it. 403 F.2d 909. It specifically disagreed with DePinto v. Provident Security Life Ins. Co., 323 F.2d 826 (C.A. 9th Cir.1963), cert. denied, 376 U.S. 950 (1964), on which the District Court had relied. Because of this conflict, we granted certiorari. 394 U.S. 917 (1969). We reverse the holding of the Court of Appeals that in no event does the right to a jury trial preserved by the Seventh Amendment extend to derivative actions brought by the stockholders of a corporation. We hold that the right to jury trial attaches to those issues in derivative actions as to which the corporation, if it had chanrobles.com-red been suing in its own right, would have been entitled to a jury. The Seventh Amendment preserves to litigants the right to jury trial in suits at common law -- "not merely suits, which the common law recognized among its old and settled proceedings, but suits in which legal rights were to be ascertained and determined, in contradistinction to those where equitable rights alone were recognized, and equitable remedies were administered. . . . In a just sense, the amendment then may well be construed to embrace all suits which are not of equity and admiralty jurisdiction, whatever may be the peculiar form which they may assume to settle legal rights." @ 28 U. S. 447 (1830). However difficult it may have been to define with precision the line between actions at law dealing with legal rights and suits in equity dealing with equitable matters, Whitehead v. Shattuck, 138 U. S. 146, 138 U. S. 151 (1891), some proceedings were unmistakably actions at law triable to a jury. The Seventh Amendment, for example, entitled the parties to a jury trial in actions for damages to a person or property, for libel and slander, for recovery of land, and for conversion of personal property. [Footnote 1] Just as clearly, a corporation, although an artificial being, was commonly entitled to sue and be sued in the usual forms of action, at least in its own State. See Paul v. Virginia, 8 Wall. 168 (1869). Whether the corporation was viewed as an entity separate from its stockholders or as a device permitting its stockholders to carry on their business and to sue and be sued, a corporation's suit to enforce a legal right was an action chanrobles.com-red at common law carrying the right to jury trial at the time the Seventh Amendment was adopted. [Footnote 2] The common law refused, however, to permit stockholders to call corporate managers to account in actions at law. The possibilities for abuse, thus presented, were not ignored by corporate officers and directors. Early in the 19th century, equity provided relief both in this country and in England. Without detailing these developments, [Footnote 3] it suffices to say that the remedy in this country, first dealt with by this Court in Dodge v. Woolsey, 18 How. 331 (1856), provided redress not only against faithless officers and directors, but also against third parties who had damaged or threatened the corporate properties and whom the corporation through its managers refused to pursue. The remedy made available in equity was the derivative suit, viewed in this country as a suit to enforce a corporate cause of action against officers, directors, and third parties. As elaborated in the cases, one precondition for the suit was a valid claim on which the corporation could have sued; another was that the corporation itself had refused to proceed after suitable demand, unless excused by extraordinary conditions. [Footnote 4] Thus the dual nature of the stockholder's action: first, chanrobles.com-red the plaintiff's right to sue on behalf of the corporation and, second, the merits of the corporation's claim itself. [Footnote 5] Derivative suits posed no Seventh Amendment problems where the action against the directors and third parties would have been by a bill in equity had the corporation brought the suit. Our concern is with cases based upon a legal claim of the corporation against directors or third parties. Does the trial of such claims at the suit of a stockholder and without a jury violate the Seventh Amendment? The question arose in this Court in the context of a derivative suit for treble damages under the antitrust laws. Fleitmann v. Welsbach Street Lighting Co., 240 U. S. 27 (1916). Noting that the bill in equity set up a claim of the corporation alone, Mr. Justice Holmes observed that, if the corporation were the plaintiff, "no one can doubt that its only remedy would be at law," and inquired "why the defendants' right to a jury trial should be taken away because the present plaintiff cannot persuade the only party having a cause of action to sue how the liability, which is the principal matter, can be converted into an incident of the plaintiff's domestic difficulties with the company that has been wronged?" Id. at 240 U. S. 28. His answer was that the bill did not state a good cause of action in equity. Agreeing that there were "cases in which the nature of the right asserted for the company, or the failure of the defendants concerned to insist upon their rights, or a different state system, has led to the whole matter being disposed of in equity," he concluded that, when the penalty of triple damages is sought, the antitrust statute plainly anticipated a jury trial, and should not be read as "attempting to authorize liability to be enforced otherwise than through the verdict of a jury in a court of common law." Id. at 240 U. S. 28-29. Although the decision had obvious Seventh Amendment overtones, its ultimate rationale was grounded in the antitrust laws. [Footnote 6] Where penal damages were not involved, however, there was no authoritative parallel to Fleitmann in the federal system squarely passing on the applicability of the Seventh Amendment to the trial of a legal claim presented in a pre-merger derivative suit. What can be gleaned from this Court's opinions [Footnote 7] is not inconsistent chanrobles.com-red with the general understanding, reflected by the state court decisions and secondary sources, that equity could properly resolve corporate claim of any kind without a jury when properly pleaded in derivative suits complying with the equity rules. [Footnote 8] Such was the prevailing opinion when the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were adopted in 1938. It continued until 1963, when the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, relying on the Federal Rules as construed and applied in Beacon Theatres, Inc. v. Westover, 359 U. S. 500 (195), and Dairy Queen, Inc. v. Wood, 369 U. S. 469 (1962), required the legal issues in a derivative suit to be tried to a jury. [Footnote 9] DePinto v. Provident Security Life Ins. Co., 323 F.2d 826. It was this decision that the District Court followed in the case before us, and that the Court of Appeals rejected. Beacon and Dairy Queen presaged DePinto. Under those cases, where equitable and legal claims are joined chanrobles.com-red in the same action, there is a right to jury trial on the legal claims which must not be infringed either by trying the legal issues as incidental to the equitable ones or by a court trial of a common issue existing between the claims. The Seventh Amendment question depends on the nature of the issue to be tried, rather than the character of the overall action. [Footnote 10] See Simler v. Conner, 372 U. S. 221 (1963). The principle of these cases bears heavily on derivative actions. We have noted that the derivative suit has dual aspects: first, the stockholder's right to sue on behalf of the corporation, historically an equitable matter; second, the claim of the corporation against directors or third parties on which, if the corporation had sued and the claim presented legal issues, the company could demand a jury trial. As implied by Mr. Justice Holmes in Fleitmann, legal claims are not magically converted into equitable issues by their presentation to a court of equity in a derivative suit. The claim pressed by the stockholder against directors or third parties "is not his own but the corporation's." Koster v. Lumbermens Mut. Cas. Co., 330 U. S. 518, 330 U. S. 522 (1947). The corporation is a necessary party to the action; without it, the case cannot proceed. Although named a defendant, it is the real party in interest, the stockholder being at best the nominal plaintiff. The proceeds of the action belong to the corporation and it is bound by the result of the suit. [Footnote 11] chanrobles.com-red The heart of the action is the corporate claim. If it presents a legal issue, one entitling the corporation to a jury trial under the Seventh Amendment, the right to a jury is not forfeited merely because the stockholder's right to sue must first be adjudicated as an equitable issue triable to the court. Beacon and Dairy Queen require no less. If, under older procedures, now discarded, a court of equity could properly try the legal claims of the corporation presented in a derivative suit, it was because irreparable injury was threatened and no remedy at law existed as long as the stockholder was without standing to sue and the corporation itself refused to pursue its own remedies. Indeed, from 1789 until 1938, the judicial code expressly forbade courts of equity from entertaining any suit for which there was an adequate remedy at law. [Footnote 12] This provision served "to guard the right of trial by jury preserved by the Seventh Amendment and to that end it should be liberally construed." Schoenthal v. Irving Trust Co., 287 U. S. 92, 287 U. S. 94 (1932). If, before 1938, the law had borrowed from equity, as it borrowed other things, the idea that stockholders could litigate for their recalcitrant corporation, the corporate claim, if legal, would undoubtedly have been tried to a jury. Of course, this did not occur, but the Federal Rules had a similar impact. Actions are no longer brought as actions at law or suits in equity. Under the Rules, there is only one action -- a "civil action" -- in which all claims may be joined and all remedies are available. Purely procedural impediments to the presentation of any issue by any party, based on the difference between law and chanrobles.com-red equity, were destroyed. In a civil action presenting a stockholder's derivative claim, the court, after passing upon the plaintiff's right to sue on behalf of the corporation, is now able to try the corporate claim for damages with the aid of a jury. [Footnote 13] Separable claims may be tried separately, Fed.Rule Civ.Proc. 42(b), or legal and equitable issues may be handled in the same trial. Fanchon & Marco, Inc. v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., 202 F.2d 731 (C.A.2d Cir.1953). The historical rule preventing a court of law from entertaining a shareholder's suit on behalf of the corporation is obsolete; it is no longer tenable for a district court, administering both law and equity in the same action, to deny legal remedies to a corporation merely because the corporation's spokesmen are its shareholders, rather than its directors. Under the rules, law and equity are procedurally combined; nothing turns now upon the form of the action or the procedural devices by which the parties happen to come before the court. The "expansion of adequate legal remedies provided by . . . the Federal Rules necessarily affects the scope of equity." Beacon Theatres, Inc. v. Westover, 359 U.S. at 359 U. S. 509. Thus, for example, before-merger class actions were largely a device of equity, and there was no right to a jury even on issues that might, under other circumstances, have been tried to a jury. 5 J. Moore, Federal chanrobles.com-red Practice ¦ 38.3 [2] (2d ed.1969); 3B id. ¦ 23.02 [1]. Although at least one post-merger court held that the device was not available to try legal issues, [Footnote 14] it now seems settled in the lower federal courts that class action plaintiffs may obtain a jury trial on any legal issues they present. Montgomery Ward & Co. v. Langer, 168 F.2d 182 (C.A. 8th Cir.1948); see Oskoian v. Canuel, 269 F.2d 311 (C.A. 1st Cir.1959), aff'g 23 F.R.D. 307; Syres v. Oil Workers Int'l Union, Local 2, 257 F.2d 479 (C.A. 5th Cir. 1958), cert. denied, 358 U.S. 929 (1959). 2 W. Baron & A. Holtzoff, Federal Practice and Procedure § 571 (Wright ed.1961). Derivative suits have been described as one kind of "true" class action. Id. § 562.1. We are inclined to agree with the description, at least to the extent it recognizes that the derivative suit and the class action were both ways of allowing parties to be heard in equity who could not speak at law. [Footnote 15] 3B J. Moore, Federal Practice chanrobles.com-red ¦¦ 23.02[1], 23.1.16[1] (2d ed.1960). After adoption of the rules there is no longer any procedural obstacle to the assertion of legal rights before juries, however the party may have acquired standing to assert those rights. Given the availability in a derivative action of both legal and equitable remedies, we think the Seventh Amendment preserves to the parties in a stockholder's suit the same right to a jury trial that historically belonged to the corporation and to those against whom the corporation pressed its legal claims. In the instant case, we have no doubt that the corporation's claim is, at least in part, a legal one. The relief sought is money damages. There are allegations in the complaint of a breach of fiduciary duty, but there are also allegations of ordinary breach of contract and gross negligence. The corporation, had it sued on its own behalf, would have been entitled to a jury's determination, at a minimum, of its damages against its broker under the brokerage contract and of its rights against its own directors because of their negligence. Under these circumstances, it is unnecessary to decide chanrobles.com-red whether the corporation's other claims are also properly triable to a jury. Dairy Queen, Inc. v. Wood, 369 U. S. 469 (1962). The decision of the Court of Appeals is reversed. [Footnote 1] See, e.g., Curriden v. Middleton, 232 U. S. 633 (1914); Whitehead v. Shattuck, 138 U. S. 146 (1891); 5 J. Moore, Federal Practice ¦ 38-11 [5] (2d ed.1969). 1 W. Blackstone, Commentaries *475; cf. 11 U. S. Patterson's Adm'r, 7 Cranch 299 (1813); Bank of Kentucky v. Wister, 2 Pet. 318 (1829). Prunty, The Shareholders' Derivative Suit: Note on Its Derivation, 32 N.Y.U.L.Rev. 980 (1957), treats the development of the equitable remedy. Delaware & Hudson Co. v. Albany & S. R. Co., 213 U. S. 435 (1909); Doctor v. Harrington, 196 U. S. 579 (1905); Quincy v. Steel, 120 U. S. 241 (1887); Hawes v. Oakland, 104 U. S. 450 (1882). Soon after Hawes v. Oakland, supra, the preconditions to a shareholder's suit were promulgated as Equity Rule 94, 104 U.S. IX, which became Equity Rule 27, 226 U.S. 656 (1912), then Fed.Rule Civ.Proc. 23(b), 308 U.S. 690 (1938), and is now Fed.Rule Civ.Proc. 23.1, 383 U.S. 1050 (1966). See Koster v. Lumbermens Mut. Cas. Co., 330 U. S. 518, 330 U. S. 522-523 (1947); Ashwander v. TVA, 297 U. S. 288 (1936). See also 13 W. Fletcher, Cyclopedia of the Law of Private Corporations § 5941.1 (1961 ed.); 2 G. Hornstein, Corporation Law and Practice § 716 (1959); 4 J. Pomeroy, Equity Jurisprudence § 1095, p. 278 (5th ed.1941). Insofar as the stockholders may have been asserting their own direct interest, they closely resemble other class action plaintiffs who could proceed, before merger, only in equity. The dilemma of the stockholder seeking treble damages for the corporation became real and complete in United Copper Co. v. Amalgamated Copper Co., 244 U. S. 261 (1917), where the stockholder-plaintiff sought treble damages in an action at law. The Court rejected the claim by reiterating the traditional view that a shareholder was without standing to sue at law on a corporate cause. The treble damage action was a legal proceeding, and only the corporation could bring it. The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has held that the federal rules have resolved the dilemma, and that derivative actions for treble damages under the antitrust laws are now proper. Fanchon & Marco, Inc. v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., 202 F.2d 731 (C.A.2d Cir.1953). Cf. Ramsburg v. American Inv. Co. of Ill., 231 F.2d 333 (C.A. 7th Cir.1956). See generally Comment, Federal Antitrust Law -- Stockholders' Remedies For Corporate Injury Resulting From Antitrust Violations: Derivative Antitrust Suit and Fiduciary Duty Action, 59 Mich.L.Rev. 904 (1961). For example, in Amalgamated Copper, the Court noted that, in Quincy v. Steel, 120 U. S. 241 (1887), a shareholder's bill in equity that sought to enforce "a purely legal claim of the corporation -- damages for breach of contract" was dismissed "not because the suit should have been at law, but because the bill failed to show that complainant had made sufficient effort to induce the directors to enter suit." 244 U.S. at 244 U. S. 264-265, n. 2. Delaware & Hudson Co. v. Albany & S. R. Co., supra, n 4, involved a derivative suit for money damages due under a lease. The stockholders' right to sue was sustained; no jury trial issue appears to have been raised. See, e.g., Goetz v. Manufacturers' & Traders' Trust Co., 154 Misc. 733, 277 N.Y.S. 802 (Sup.Ct.1935); Isaac v. Marcus, 258 N.Y. 257, 179 N.E. 487 (1932); Morton v. Morton Realty Co., 41 Idaho 729, 241 P. 1014 (1925); Neff v. Barber, 165 Wis. 503, 162 N.W. 667 (1917); Robinson v. Smith, 3 Paige Ch. 222, 231, 233 (N.Y. 1832); 4 W. Cook, Corporations § 734 (8th ed.1923); S. Thompson & J. Thompson, Law of Corporations § 4661 (Supp. 1931); 6 id., § 4653 (3d ed.1927). The possibility that the merged federal practice altered the procedures in derivative suits was early recognized, Fanchon & Marco, Inc. v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., supra, n 6, but, until the action of the District Court below, DePinto was alone in holding that a right to a jury trial existed in derivative actions. Cf. Richland v. Crandall, 259 F.Supp. 274 (D.C.S.D.N.Y.1966). See also Metcalf v. Shamel, 166 Cal.App.2d 789, 333 P.2d 857 (1959); Steinway v. Griffith Consol. Theatres, 273 P.2d 872 (Okla.1954). [Footnote 10] As our cases indicate, the "legal" nature of an issue is determined by considering, first, the pre-merger custom with reference to such questions; second, the remedy sought; and, third, the practical abilities and limitations of juries. Of these factors, the first, requiring extensive and possibly abstruse historical inquiry, is obviously the most difficult to apply. See James, Right to a Jury Trial in Civil Actions, 72 Yale L.J. 655 (1963). See Koster v. Lumbermens Mut. Cas. Co., 330 U. S. 518 (1947); Meyer v. Fleming, 327 U. S. 161, 327 U. S. 167 (1946); Davenport v. Dows, 18 Wall. 626 (1874). The Judicial Code of 1911, § 67, 36 Stat. 1163, reenacting the Act of Sept. 24, 1789, § 16, 1 Stat. 82, provided: "Suits in equity shall not be sustained in any court of the United States in any case where a plain, adequate, and complete remedy may be had at law." It would appear that the same conclusions could have been reached under Equity Rule 23 and the Law and Equity Act of 1915, Act of March 3, 1915, 38 Stat. 956. See Southern R. Co. v. City of Greenwood, 40 F.2d 679 (D.C.W.D. S.C.1928); 2 J. Moore, Federal Practice ¦ 2.05 (2d ed.1967). Rule 23 provided: "If in a suit in equity a matter ordinarily determinable at law arises, such matter shall be determined in that suit according to the principles applicable, without sending the case or question to the law side of the court." Farmers Co-operative Oil Co. v. Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., 43 F.Supp. 735 (D.C.N.D. Iowa 1942). Other equitable devices are used under the rules without depriving the parties employing them of the right to a jury trial on legal issues. For example, although the right to intervene may in some cases be limited, United States for the Use and Benefit of Browne & Bryan Lumber Co. v. Massachusetts Bonding Ins. Co., 303 F.2d 823 (C.A.2d Cir.1962); Dickinson v. Burnham, 197 F.2d 973 (C.A.2d Cir.), cert. denied, 344 U.S. 875 (1952), when intervention is permitted generally, the intervenor has a right to a jury trial on any legal issues he presents. See 3B J. Moore, Federal Practice ¦ 24.16[7] (2d ed.1969); 5 id. ¦ 38.38[3]. A similar development seems to be taking place in the lower courts in interpleader actions. Before merger interpleader actions lay only in equity, and there was no right to a jury even on issues that might, under other circumstances, have been tried to a jury. Liberty Oil Co. v. Condon Nat. Bank, 260 U. S. 235 (1922). This view continued for some time after merger, see Bynum v. Prudential Life Ins. Co., 7 F.R.D. 585 (D.C.E.D. S.C.1947), but numerous courts and commentators have now come to the conclusion that the right to a jury should not turn on how the parties happen to be brought into court. See Pan American Fire Cas. Co. v. Revere, 188 F.Supp. 474 (D.C.E.D.La.1960); Savannah Bank & Trust Co. v. Block, 175 F.Supp. 798 (D.C.S.D. Ga.1959); Westinghouse Elec. Corp. v. United Elec. Radio & Mach. Workers of America, 99 F.Supp. 597 (D.C.W.D.Pa.1951); John Hancock Mut. Life Ins. Co. v. Yarrow, 95 F.Supp. 185 (D.C.E.D.Pa.1951); 2 W. Barron & A. Holtzoff, Federal Practice and Procedure § 556 (Wright ed.1961); 3A J. Moore, Federal Practice 1122.14[4] (2d ed.1969). But see Pennsylvania Fire Ins. Co. v. American Airlines, Inc., 180 F.Supp. 239 (D.C.E.D.N.Y.1960); Liberty Nat. Life Ins. Co. v. Brown, 119 F.Supp. 920 (D.C.M.D.Ala.1954). MR. JUSTICE STEWART, with whom THE CHIEF JUSTICE and MR. JUSTICE HARLAN join, dissenting. In holding as it does that the plaintiff in a shareholder's derivative suit is constitutionally entitled to a jury trial, the Court today seems to rely upon some sort of ill-defined combination of the Seventh Amendment and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Somehow, the Amendment and the Rules magically interact to do what each separately was expressly intended not to do, namely, to enlarge the right to a jury trial in civil actions brought in the courts of the United States. The Seventh Amendment, by its terms, does not extend, but merely preserves the right to a jury trial "[i]n Suits at common law." All agree that this means the reach of the Amendment is limited to those actions that were tried to the jury in 1791 when the Amendment was adopted. [Footnote 2/1] Suits in equity, which were historically tried to the court, were therefore unaffected by it. Similarly, Rule 38 of the Federal Rules has no bearing on the right to a jury trial in suits in equity, for it simply preserves inviolate "[t]he right of trial by jury as declared by the Seventh Amendment." Thus, this Rule, like the Amendment itself, neither restricts nor enlarges the right to jury chanrobles.com-red trial. [Footnote 2/2] Indeed, nothing in the Federal Rules can rightly be construed to enlarge the right of jury trial, for in the legislation authorizing the Rule, Congress expressly provided that they "shall neither abridge, enlarge, nor modify the substantive rights of any litigant." 48 Stat. 1064. See 28 U.S.C. § 2072. I take this plain, simple, and straightforward language to mean that, after the promulgation of the Federal Rules, as before, the constitutional right to a jury trial attaches only to suit at common law. So, apparently, has every federal court that has discussed the issue. [Footnote 2/3] Since, as the Court concedes, a shareholder's derivative suit could be brought only in equity, it would seem to me to follow by the most elementary logic that, in such suits there is no constitutional right to a trial by jury. [Footnote 2/4] Today the Court tosses aside history, logic, and over 100 years of firm precedent to hold that the plaintiff in a shareholder's derivative chanrobles.com-red suit does indeed have a constitutional right to a trial by jury. This holding has a questionable basis in policy [Footnote 2/5] and no basis whatever in the Constitution. The Court begins by assuming the "dual nature" of the shareholder's action. While the plaintiff's right to get into court at all is conceded to be equitable, once he is there the Court says his claim is to be viewed as though it were the claim of the corporation itself. If the corporation would have been entitled to a jury trial on such a claim, then, it is said, so would the shareholder. This conceptualization is without any historical basis. For the fact is that a shareholder's suit was not originally viewed in this country, or in England, as a suit to enforce a corporate cause of action. Rather, the shareholder's suit was initially permitted only against the managers of the corporation -- not third parties -- and it was conceived of as an equitable action to enforce the right of a beneficiary against his trustee. [Footnote 2/6] The shareholder was not, therefore, in court to enforce indirectly the corporate right of action, but to enforce directly his own equitable right of action against an unfaithful fiduciary. Later the rights of the shareholder were enlarged to encompass suits against third parties harming the corporation, but "the postulated 'corporate cause of action' has never been thought to describe an actual historical class of suit which was recognized by courts of law. [Footnote 2/7]" Indeed, the commentators, including those cited by the Court as postulating the analytic duality of the shareholder's derivative suit, recognize that, historically, the suit has, in practice, always been treated as a single cause tried exclusively in equity. They agree that there is therefore no constitutional right to a jury trial even where there might have been one had the corporation itself brought the suit. [Footnote 2/8] This has been not simply the "general" or "prevailing" view in the federal courts, as the Court says, but the unanimous view with the single exception of the Ninth Circuit's 1963 decision in DePinto v. Provident Security Life Ins. Co., 323 F.2d 826, a decision that has since been followed by no court until the present case. The Court would have us discount all those decisions rendered before 1938, when the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were adopted, because it says that, before the promulgation of the Rules, "[p]urely procedural impediments" somehow blocked the exercise of a constitutional right. In itself, this would seem a rather shaky premise upon which to build an argument. But the Court's position is still further weakened by the fact that any "[p]urely procedural impediments" to a jury trial in a derivative suit were eliminated not in 1938, but at least as early as 1912. For Rule 23 of the Equity Rules of that year provided that, if a "matter ordinarily determinable at law" arose in an equity suit, it should "be determined in that suit according to the principles applicable, without sending the case or question to the law side of the court." 226 U.S. 654. These applicable principles included the right of jury trial. [Footnote 2/9] Consequently, when the Court said in United Copper Co. v. Amalgamated Copper Co., 244 U. S. 261, 244 U. S. 264, that "it is clear" that the remedy of a stockholder seeking to enforce the rights of a corporation -- whatever their nature -- is not in law, but in equity, it was not because there were "procedural impediments" to a jury trial on any "legal issues." Rather, it was because the suit itself was conceived of as a wholly equitable cause of action. This was also true in Fleitmann v. Welsbach Street Lighting Co., 240 U. S. 27, on which the Court so heavily relies even though it was a pre-Federal Rules case. In Fleitmann, the plaintiff sued derivatively to enforce a corporate right of action for treble damages under the antitrust laws. Treble damages were considered punitive, and the statute was read to imply a right in the defendant to a jury trial. In his opinion for the Court, Mr. Justice Holmes recognized the potential for abuse: derivative, rather than corporate actions could be brought in order to deprive the defendant of his right to a jury trial. The Court's solution was to dismiss the bill because the antitrust statute "should not be read as attempting to authorize liability to be enforced otherwise than through the verdict of a jury in a court of common law." Id. at 240 U. S. 29. I do not see how the Court today can draw sustenance from this decision. Rather, the Fleitmann case seems to me to stand for a proposition diametrically opposed to that which the Court seeks to establish, namely, the proposition that, because a derivative action is wholly equitable, there is no right to a jury trial. The Court in Fleitmann simply held that, since there was a statutory right to a jury in all actions for treble damages under the antitrust laws, a derivative chanrobles.com-red suit seeking such damages could not be maintained. Thus, the bill had to be dismissed. [Footnote 2/10] These pre-1938 cases, then, firmly establish the unitary, equitable basis of shareholders' derivative suits and in no way support the Court's holding here. But, the Court says, whatever the situation may have been before 1938, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure of that year, at least as construed in our decisions more than 20 years later in Beacon Theatres, Inc. v. Westover, 359 U. S. 500, and Dairy Queen, Inc. v. Wood, 369 U. S. 469, in any event, require the conclusion reached today. I can find nothing in either of these cases that leads to that conclusion. In Beacon Theatres, the plaintiff sought both an injunction preventing the defendant from instituting an antitrust action and a declaratory judgment that certain moving picture distribution contracts did not violate the antitrust laws. The defendant answered and counterclaimed for treble damages under the antitrust laws. He demanded a jury trial on the factual issues relating to his counterclaim. The district court held that, even though there were factual issues common to both the complaint and the counterclaim, it would first hear the plaintiff's suit for equitable relief before submitting the counterclaim to a jury. The Court of Appeals affirmed, and this Court reversed, upon the ground that, if the equitable claim were tried first, there might be an estoppel which would defeat the defendant's right to a full jury trial on all the factual issues raised in his counterclaim. Similarly in Dairy Queen, the Court simply held chanrobles.com-red that a plaintiff could not avoid a jury trial by joining legal and equitable causes of action in one complaint. It is true that, in Beacon Theatres, it was stated that the 1938 Rules did diminish the scope of federal equity jurisdiction in certain particulars. But the Court's effort to force the facts of this case into the mold of Beacon Theatres and Dairy Queen simply does not succeed. Those cases involved a combination of historically separable suits, one in law and one in equity. Their facts fit the pattern of cases where, before the Rules, the equity court would have disposed of the equitable claim and would then have either retained jurisdiction over the suit, despite the availability of adequate legal remedies, or enjoined a subsequent legal action between the same parties involving the same controversy. [Footnote 2/11] But the present case is not one involving traditionally equitable claims by one party and traditionally legal claims by the other. Nor is it a suit in which the plaintiff is asserting a combination of legal and equitable claims. For, as we have seen, a derivative suit has always been conceived of as a single, unitary, equitable cause of action. It is for this reason, and not because of "procedural impediments," that the courts of equity did not transfer derivative suits to the law side. In short, the cause of action is wholly a creature of equity. And whatever else can be said of Beacon Theatres and Dairy Queen, they did not cast aside altogether the historic division between equity and law. If history is to be so cavalierly dismissed, the derivative suit can, of course, be artificially broken down into separable elements. But so then can any traditionally equitable cause of action, and the logic of the Court's position would lead to the virtual elimination of all equity jurisdiction. An equitable suit for an injunction, for chanrobles.com-red instance, often involves issues of fact which, if damages had been sought, would have been triable to a jury. Does this mean that, in a suit asking only for injunctive relief, these factual issues must be tried to the jury, with the judge left to decide only whether, given the jury's findings, an injunction is the appropriate remedy? Certainly the Federal Rules make it possible to try a suit for an injunction in that way, but, even more certainly, they were not intended to have any such effect. Yet the Court's approach, it seems, would require that, if any "legal issue" procedurally could be tried to a jury, it constitutionally must be tried to a jury. The fact is, of course, that there are, for the most part, no such things as inherently "legal issues" or inherently "equitable issues." There are only factual issues, and, "like chameleons, [they] take their color from surrounding circumstances." [Footnote 2/12] Thus, the Court's "nature of the issue" approach is hardly meaningful. As a final ground for its conclusion, the Court points to a supposed analogy to suits involving class actions. It says that, before the Federal Rules, such suits were considered equitable, and not triable to a jury, but that, since promulgation of the Rules, the federal courts have found that "plaintiffs may obtain a jury trial on any legal issues they present." Of course, the plaintiff any obtain such a trial even in a derivative suit. Nothing in the Constitution or the Rules precludes the judge from granting a jury trial as a matter of discretion. chanrobles.com-red But even if the Court means that some federal courts have ruled that the class action plaintiff in some situations has a constitutional right to a jury trial, the analogy to derivative suits is wholly unpersuasive. For it is clear that the draftsmen of the Federal Rules intended that Rule 23, as it pertained to class actions, should be applicable, like other rules governing joinder of claims and parties, "to all actions, whether formerly denominated legal or equitable." [Footnote 2/13] This does not mean that a formerly equitable action is triable to a jury simply because it is brought on behalf of a class, but only that a historically legal cause of action can be tried to a jury even if it is brought as a class action. Since a derivative suit is historically wholly a creation of equity, the class action "analogy" is, in truth, no analogy at all. The Court's decision today can perhaps be explained as a reflection of an unarticulated but apparently overpowering bias in favor of jury trials in civil actions. It certainly cannot be explained in terms of either the Federal Rules or the Constitution. [Footnote 2/1] Where a new cause of action is created by Congress, and nothing is said about how it is to be tried, the jury trial issue is determined by fitting the cause into its nearest historical analogy. Luria v. United States, 231 U. S. 9; see James, Right to a Jury Trial in Civil Actions, 72 Yale L.J. 655. See, e.g., Ettelson v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 137 F.2d 62, 65; 5 J. Moore, Federal Practice ¦ 38.07[1] and cases cited therein. The principle that the Rules effected no enlargement or restriction of the right of jury trial has "received complete judicial approbation." 5 J. Moore, Federal Practice ¦ 38.07[1] and cases cited therein. Virtually every state and federal court that has faced this issue has similarly reasoned to the same conclusion. See, e.g., Goetz v. Manufacturers' & Traders' Trust Co., 154 Misc. 733, 277 N.Y.S. 802 (Sup.Ct.); Metcalf v. Shamel, 166 Cal.App.2d 789, 333 P.2d 857; Liken v. Shaffer, 64 F.Supp. 432; Miller v. Weiant, 42 F.Supp. 760. The equitable nature of the derivative suit has been recognized in several decisions of this Court. See, e.g., Cohen v. Beneficial Industrial Loan. Corp., 337 U. S. 541, 337 U. S. 547-548. It was also reflected in the adoption of Equity Rule 94 in 1882, and Rule 27 of the Equity Rules of 1912 which established the preconditions to bringing shareholders' derivative suits in the federal courts. These rules are the forerunners of Rule 23(b) of Fed.Rule Civ.Proc. of 1938, and of Fed.Rule Civ.Proc. 23.1 (1966), which now controls the initiation of such suits. See 3B J. Moore, Federal Practice ¦ 23.1.15[1]. See, e.g., J. Frank, Courts on Trial 110-111 (1949). Certainly there is no consensus among commentators on the desirability of jury trials in civil actions generally. Particularly where the issues in the case are complex -- as they are likely to be in a derivative suit -- much can be said for allowing the court discretion to try the case itself. See discussion in 5 J. Moore, Federal Practice ¦ 38.02[1] . Robinson v. Smith, 3 Paige Ch. 222 (N.Y.); Attorney General v. Utica Ins. Co., 2 Johns.Ch. 371 (N.Y.), discussed in Prunty, The Shareholders' Derivative Suit: Notes on its Derivation, 32 N.Y.U.L.Rev. 980. Note, The Right to a Jury Trial in a Stockholder's Derivative Action, 74 Yale L.J. 725, 730. See, e.g., N. Lattin, The Law of Corporations, c. 8, § 3; 2 G. Hornstein, Corporation Law and Practice § 730; 13 W. Fletcher, Cyclopedia of the Law of Private Corporations § 5931 (1961 ed.); 5 J. Moore, Federal Practice ¦38.38[4]. See Southern R. Co. v. City of Greenwood, 40 F.2d 679. [Footnote 2/10] Moreover, since the suit was brought after the promulgation of Equity Rule 23 it seems evident that here, too, it was not merely "procedural impediments" that prevented the antitrust claim from being tried to a jury, but presumably the fact that no matter arising in a derivative suit -- whatever its "inherent nature" -- was considered to be one "ordinarily determinable at law." See discussion in 74 Yale L.J. at 736-737. James, supra, 396 U. S. 1, at 692. As Professor Moore has put it, "Whether issues are legal or equitable may, of course, depend upon the manner in which they are presented. . . ." 5 J. Moore, Federal Practice ¦ 38.04[1], n. 40. And he, along with virtually every other commentator, concludes that, if the issues are presented in a shareholder's derivative suit, they are equitable, and the plaintiff has no constitutional right to have them tried by a jury. 5 J. Moore, Federal Practice ¦ 38.38[4]. Original Committee Note of 1937 to Rule 23. Moreover, as Professor Moore points out, certain class actions could be maintained at law in the federal courts even before the Federal Rules. 5 J. Moore, Federal Practice ¦ 38.38[2]. ChanRobles Professional Review, Inc. ChanRobles On-Line Bar Review ChanRobles CPA Review Online ChanRobles Special Lecture Series Copyright © ReDiaz	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line881
__label__cc	0.631511	0.368489	Sometimes, a girl needs her Dad kthompson Updated July 16, 2010 There are many things I like about the military. Then again, it certainly has its fair share of cons. But by far, one of the best things that the Canadian Forces offers is an environment that is just like a family who understands you. From day one, basic training puts you in an environment in which it is vital that you make bonds in order to survive. I say survive jokingly, although sometimes I still wonder if I made it out intact (my knee often begs to differ). However, my harrowing basic training stories will have to wait until another post! Ha. Regardless, you form connections because you have experienced these intense three months with the same people 24 hours a day. I had just finished high school and for the first time, went to a civilian school instead of one on the base. This meant that I actually had the same friends for a whole four years. No one moved and I did not move away from them. But once I finished my training, I came home to a bunch of people who no longer understood me. I mean come on! I had just spent the summer learning to be an A-type personality, bossing people around, giving orders, and I was going to travel the world! I felt like no one back home could comprehend my new life and my new motivations. I’ve lost touch with a lot of people from high school but still get together with plenty of those basic training buds! Since Ben left for Afghanistan, I’ve realized that now, more than ever, I need friends and family around me. I have a bunch of friends who check in regularly to make sure I’m still kickin’ and even Ben’s unit calls to check in once in a while. Immediately after he left, my parents came up to visit for a few days, and then again, during the whole basement fiasco, my dad came up for a week. All in all, I’ve been extremely lucky to have wonderful, caring people in my life who understand. But no one quite understands like my Dad, Bill, who served in the Army (we won’t hold that against him, ha) for an impressive and distinguished 35 years. We are a family of military service, going back about 4 generations on my dad’s side and an equally impressive line on my mother’s side of the family. My grandfather was a machine gunner in the Korean war, my other grandfather was a sailor in WWII, and my Dad served in the Golan during what was a very scary time to be there. But Dad was the officer I continually strive to model myself after…smart, caring, hardworking, and always willing to listen to the opinions of others. I’m teary as I write this (not a shocker for me lately) because Dad spent a LOT of time away when we were growing up in CFB Borden ON and often, it was hard for us to understand why he couldn’t be with us all the time. One day, at approximately the ripe old age of eight, I asked him. He said, “Moo,” (an interesting nickname I’ve acquired from my family over the years…I have no idea how) “Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for those who aren’t able to fight for themselves.” I remember this clearly because at age eight, I kept a journal and I scribbled this down, rereading it for the first time last month. At the time, I was satisfied with the answer and never complained about it again. Now, more than ever, I understand my Dad’s words. During his visit immediately after Ben’s departure, he provided me with some more insight. “Moo,” he said, in the most lovely familiar way. “I know it’s tough right now, but remember the big picture. Remember why it’s happening. Always remember the big picture.” It was simple, followed by an awkward pat on my back as he got up to fix my drain (I love your handy-man skills too Dad) but he needed to say no more. Dad is right. There is always a big picture and lately, in my own misery, I find I forgot it. I forget the reason so many of our troops have been sent to Afghanistan. Regardless of your opinion on the war, and it has been my experience that everyone has an opinion, I like to think we’re there because there are people who need our help. And it makes me proud of Ben to know he’s there, along with the rest of our troops, showing the world that Canada wants to protect those who need protecting. I’m also proud of the troops at home because they are working just as hard as those overseas, ensuring Canada is safe. I also admire the wives and the husbands and the families. Because when you marry or are born into a service family, you too are signing up for the life, whether you like it or not. Yes, today I am less sad because I’ve been reminded of the big picture and how ultimately, the sacrifice will make a difference. Thanks for the reminder Dad. You’re still the officer I want to be. Kelly FILED UNDER: under-fire	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line882
__label__wiki	0.655465	0.655465	How is it for you? September 19, 2005 in Community Care Mandy Burnett Mandy Burnett has always lived in London. She was born in Camberwell, and spent her early childhood in Tulse Hill near Brixton, moving to Worcester Park with her family when she was five. Unlike Tulse Hill, there were few black families in the area and Mandy and her brother were the only black children at their “Growing up in that area I had a good insight into what it’s like to be in a minority and to sometimes feel marginalised.” Burnett didn’t want this for her own children – now aged 19, 17 and nine – and so chose to live in the more multi-cultural area of Mitcham. Her mother and friends live nearby and the office is just a 10-minute drive to Carshalton, past its picturesque ponds, where she works for the London Borough of Sutton as a social worker in the referral and assessment service for children and families. She has worked for the council for 10 years and has been in her current job for two years. “The industry we work in is very stressful and if you are able to have a life outside of that, London has something for everybody whether they want a place of peace or somewhere to socialise.” Her place of peace is the gym which provides her with time to collate her thoughts. Burnett describes herself as “a real liver of life”. “I work with a lot of sadness and it makes me see that I’m one of the lucky ones. So I make the effort to get out there and see people I care about and what is in my environment.” She feels her children have benefited by living in London and having easy access to all it offers, from museums and cultural attractions, to cinemas, theatres and parks. Burnett feels her salary as a qualified social worker is adequate for life in London, but as a lone parent she has had to learn to budget. “This is no bad thing because it sets a good example for my children and my Jessica Gahan Canadian Jessica Gahan has been living and working in London for a year. Before coming to the UK she had just qualified as a social worker in Canada. “I came over here because of the job opportunities. It was a learning experience that I wouldn’t get at home, and it gave me the opportunity to travel.” She works for the London Borough of Brent’s referral and assessment team which is her first social work post since qualifying. Based in Wembley, she works in a multi-cultural environment – something she wouldn’t have experienced back home in Edmonton, Alberta. “I have my moments of being homesick, when I’m ready to go home and continue my education, and then I have other moments when I think: what better hands-on education could I get?” Gahan is a locum worker, and although she has been asked to become a permanent member of the team, that would mean less money. She says the team tries not to talk about money, but acknowledges that: “If I had been in the job for 10 years and a locum who had just qualified came in and was earning more money than me, I would be upset by that.” As it is, although she doesn’t know her salary (“I have an hourly wage and haven’t been bothered to work it out”), she earns enough to sustain a comfortable life in London. Gahan is making the most of London living and is a frequent visitor to the theatre, restaurants, bars and pubs. She’s also determined to see as much of mainland Europe as she can with several weekend trips abroad under her belt and a two-week trip to Croatia and Hungary on the blocks. She admits that there was a culture shock to overcome when she arrived. Although Edmonton is a city, it is quieter, cleaner, smaller, and with far less traffic than However, the job opportunities aren’t as good, she says, so the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Gahan lives in west Hampstead and has an easy half hour train and bus ride to work. The London bombings were a shock though and have made her think twice: “It was initially disheartening when you heard people saying we should just get on with our lives and they were diminishing the fear factor we have. I feel a bit safer, perhaps misguidedly, not traveling into central London. But I am more aware of who is around me.” Moving to another country is a daunting prospect, especially to a city where you could feel isolated, but Gahan hasn’t had any problems making friends. Her colleagues are mainly Americans or South Africans in a similar position so they all socialise. One thing she hasn’t got used to is the renowned reticence of Londoners. “In Canada we make eye contact and smile. The first day I was here people stopped me, saying: ‘what are you smiling for?’ I don’t do it as much now.” Laura Baker was born near the Old Kent Road and has spent most of her 14 years as a social worker working in London. For the past five years, she has worked as a social worker at the renal unit at St George’s Hospital in Tooting where she is employed by the London Borough of Wandsworth and funded by the unit. The job is demanding – she is the only social worker on the unit dealing with 16 in-patient beds, 300 people who have had transplants, 200 patients on dialysis, plus those waiting to go Baker lives in south west London and has a half hour drive to work. After commuting by train to Victoria for previous jobs, she feels her current shorter journey contributes significantly to quality of life. When she’s feeling particularly energetic she has been known to cycle – or even run – to work. “I used the run as training for the London marathon. It takes about an hour to work this She thinks her salary “just about” reflects the cost of living in London. “There are a lot of single women in social work, especially in hospitals and it’s hard work to keep everything going like mortgage and bills.” As a result, she finds she is not quite able to afford to make the most of living in the capital and trips to the theatre, comedy clubs and eating out don’t happen as often as she would like. To get the right work/life balance, Baker likes to do things that are nothing to do with social work so “goes out with friends and laughs a lot”, runs and goes walking. She recently walked across northern Spain. She previously worked in Nottingham and says, although London is comparable to living there, “the cultural diversity in London is amazing, it makes my job far more interesting and challenges you more as a social worker”. Although a Londoner, if Baker had children she would probably move away: “I’d want a house with a garden and I couldn’t afford that in London; I’m living in a tiny flat.” The power of three Lib Dems call for tax credits to be written off	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line887
__label__wiki	0.5465	0.5465	An erupting Indonesian volcano may alter global climate Over the weekend, Indonesia raised the alert on Mount Agung to level IV — its highest level — as a huge plume of ash and steam began to pour from the volcano’s summit in eastern Bali. One U.S. geologist already labeled it a “full eruption.” About 100,000 people have been asked to evacuate the area nearest the volcano, where more than 1,000 people were killed during an explosive eruption in 1963. Local aid organizations have begun distributing gas masks and goggles to residents, reports the BBC, as well as solar-powered televisions for emergency announcements. The island’s airport has shut down and hundreds of flights have been cancelled. https://grist.org/briefly/an-erupting-indonesian-volcano-may-alter-global-climate/ photo credit: Fakhri Anindita	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line889
__label__wiki	0.992796	0.992796	NYT: For-profit college fraud investigations scaled back under Betsy DeVos By Maegan Vazquez, CNN Updated 6:41 AM EDT, Mon May 14, 2018 A Department of Education team that had looked into fraud and abuse by for-profit colleges has been dismantled to the point that it has “effectively killed investigations” into institutions where top hires of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos once worked, The New York Times reported Sunday, citing current and former employees. The team has gone from about a dozen lawyers and investigators looking into advertising, recruitment, and graduate employment claims of several institutions at the end of the Obama administration to just three team members today, the Times reported. Current and former employees, including former team members, said the team’s mission has been reduced to processing student loan forgiveness applications and examining smaller compliance cases, the newspaper said. An investigation into DeVry University, now known as Adtalem Global Education, “ground to a halt early last year,” and later, over the summer, DeVos picked Julian Schmoke, a former dean at the school, to be the team’s supervisor, the Times reported. Meanwhile, probes into for-profit education companies Bridgepoint Education and Career Education Corp. also “went dark,” the newspaper said. The Times reported that former employees of those institutions are working for DeVos as well, including Robert S. Eitel, a former Bridgepoint attorney who is now her senior counselor, and Diane Auer Jones, a former Career Education employee who is now a senior postsecondary education adviser at the department. The department’s recently confirmed general counsel, Carlos G. Muñiz, provided consulting services to Career Education, the newspaper said. Eitel recused himself last year from matters involving Bridgepoint and Career Education, where he was previously a top lawyer. Jones has not recused herself from issues involving Career Education, according to a list of recusals the department provided the newspaper. The department did not say whether Muñiz had recused himself from issues involving Career Education, the Times reported. Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Hill told the Times that the team had lost members due to attrition and that investigations are just one way the team helps the department provide oversight. Hill also said the new employees who had worked in the for-profit education sector did not influence the team’s work. The department’s deputy press secretary, Evelyn Stauffer, did not immediately return CNN’s request for comment Sunday. DeVry, which agreed to a $100 million settlement in 2016 in a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit that alleged its ads about employment and salaries after graduation misled prospective students, did not respond to the Times’ requests for comment. Schmoke, who the department said recused himself from matters involving DeVry, declined to be interviewed by the newspaper. The Education Department reached a limited settlement with the for-profit college in 2016 after finding it couldn’t back up claims that 90 percent of its alumni since 1975 were employed in their field of study within six months of graduating, according to the Times, which added that investigations into its other practices continued afterward. Although Hill told the newspaper that the probe was suspended early last year, before President Donald Trump took office, former and current employees disputed her account, saying the team’s work became a contentious issue in meetings with Trump’s transition team, the newspaper reported. Regarding the team’s investigations into recruiting and advertising issues at the other companies, Bridgepoint said in a statement to the Times that it was aware of a review of certain issues beginning in 2015, but not of the involvement of the enforcement unit. Career Education did not respond to the newspaper’s requests for comment. CNN’s Juana Summers contributed to this report.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line890
__label__wiki	0.89507	0.89507	Represented, by CNN Woman in low-cut dress denied entry to Musee d'Orsay • Published 11th September 2020 (CNN) — A woman barred from entering one of France's most prestigious art galleries apparently because she was wearing a low-cut dress has received an apology after sharing details of the incident on social media. The Musee d'Orsay in Paris tweeted its regrets after the woman, identified only as "Jeanne," also took to Twitter to accuse the museum -- home to some of the world's most famous nude paintings -- of "double standards." Jeanne, who shared an image of herself taken on the same day, says she was initially denied entry while visiting Musee d'Orsay with a friend during a warm day in the French capital. After questioning why she wasn't allowed inside, the museum's staff apparently pointed to her cleavage, leaving her "excruciatingly embarrassed." "Arriving at the entrance of the museum, I don't have time to take out my ticket before the sight of my breasts and my appearance shocks an officer in charge of reservations," Jeanne writes of the female officer's reaction. "At this moment, I am still unaware of the fact that my cleavage has become the subject of this controversy." Another officer, this time from security, eventually told her that she had broken the museum's rules. A new way to travel to Paris Double standards? Jeanne says staff told her that "rules were rules" and she would need to cover herself up before going inside. While the guidelines on the museum's website state that a visitor "wearing an outfit susceptible to disturbing the peace," can be denied entry, it doesn't specify what type of clothing would warrant this. "I do not want to put on my jacket because I feel beaten, obliged, I am ashamed, I have the impression that everyone is looking at my breasts," she says. At this point, the friend accompanying her pointed out that her midriff was on display and questioned why Jeanne was being singled out. Jeanne says she eventually agreed to put her jacket on, and she and her friend were permitted to enter. "Inside: paintings of naked women, sculptures of naked women, artists advocating as well as engaging," she continued, pointing out that many of the other visitors were also wearing skimpy clothing. Jeanne went on to criticize the museum's staff for "discriminating on the basis of cleavage." "I question the coherence with which the representatives of a national museum can prohibit access to knowledge and culture on the basis of an arbitrary judgment determining if the appearance of someone is decent," she says. "I am not just my breasts, I am not just a body, your double standards will not be an obstacle to my access to culture and knowledge." In its apology, posted on Twitter, Musee d'Orsay said it had reached out to Jeanne. "We have taken note of an incident that occurred with a visitor during her visit to the Musée d'Orsay," it reads, before stating that the museum "profoundly regrets" what happened and has contacted the "concerned person" to apologize. Edouard Manet's "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe" and Gustave Courbet's "The Origin of the World" are among the many famous works depicting nudity that are on display at the museum. CNN has contacted the Musee d'Orsay and Jeanne for comment. CNN's Niamh Kennedy and Marnie Hunter also contributed to this report.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line891
__label__cc	0.516706	0.483294	University of St Francis AVG: 57.2 AVG: 71.6 College Consensus AVERAGE: 65.2 Publisher Consensus Student Consensus Publisher Ratings Wallethub U.S. News - National Universities Washington Monthly National Cappex Scores last updated on April 1, 2020 Percent Admitted 4-year Graduation Rate Student-to-Faculty Ratio Average Undergraduate Students Aid In-State Tuition and Fees Out-of-State Tuition and Fees = Average Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above Doctoral/Professional Universities https://www.stfrancis.edu Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Founded in 1920, the University of St. Francis was originally intended to educate young women who were joining the Congregation of the Third Order of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate, an order of nuns who taught in parish schools and cared for orphans in the Chicago metropolitan area. Within five years the school had opened to women outside the convent, then became coeducational in 1971, during a period when single-gender schools became less popular. Today the University of St. Francis is one of the most trusted and respected small liberal arts colleges in the region, ranked in the U.S. News & World Report top Midwestern colleges for over a decade, and frequently noted as a top online educator as well. While USF’s curriculum is based in the tradition of the liberal arts, the University of St. Francis is a comprehensive university, with undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees offered. USF offers dozens of undergraduate majors in conventional areas covered by the classical liberal arts, from the humanities to the sciences, but the university is best known for its professional programs, adult education, and, in recent years, online offerings. Small class sizes, a low student:faculty ratio, and strong student support give St. Francis students the kind of experience typically associated with the small liberal arts college, but with the resources of a major research university. Today, off-campus enrollment – including adult education programs and online programs – far outnumbers the small on-campus enrollment (2100 to 1700). Besides extension programs, USF offers online bachelor’s degree completion programs for adult students in business, healthcare leadership, and nursing, all acclaimed by ranking agencies as being among the best online bachelor’s degrees. A slew of graduate programs (on campus and online) in business, education, and nursing have made USF an important provider of key professional graduates in Illinois and beyond. Founded in Franciscan ideals of peace, justice, and wisdom, the University of St. Francis puts Catholic faith at the center of its curriculum and its student life. All faiths are welcome at USF, and while half the student body is Catholic, a quarter claims non-Christian or no religious affiliation. In keeping with Catholic values, USF is highly diverse, with nearly a third of the student body belonging to a minority group. Thought USF has been coed for more than 40 years, over 60% of the student body is made up of women. With the student body split between traditional on-campus students and non-traditional commuting and online students, conventional student life is a little different. On-campus students have a multitude of clubs and organizations to join, from honor societies and Greek life to a number of musical ensembles, but USF makes sure that commuting and adult students are not left out of student events either. The Fighting Saints – with a St. Bernard as their mascot – compete in 20 NAIA varsity sports, but the integration of physical competition, intellectual development, and spiritual growth is still emphasized in every aspect of USF athletics. University of St. Francis Rankings that feature University of St Francis Best Online Colleges in Illinois 2019 Top Consensus Ranked Schools for Distance Learning Best Online RN to BSN Programs 2020 Online Nursing Degree Program Rankings Best Online Master's in Management 2020 Online Degree Rankings Top 50 Consensus Ranked Catholic Schools 2020 Best Regional Universities - Midwest Top Consensus Ranked Schools 2019 50 Best Campus Recreation Centers Top Consensus Ranked Schools with Great Wellness Facilities Top Consensus Ranked Schools with Amazing Aquatic Centers 25 Best Mountain Colleges Top Consensus Ranked Colleges for Outdoor Enthusiasts 15 Most Unusual College Degrees (You've Probably Never Heard of)	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line894
__label__wiki	0.77474	0.77474	Home/News Headlines/Ferguson to hive off Wolseley UK News HeadlinesUK News Ferguson to hive off Wolseley UK USA/UK: US plumbing group Ferguson has announced the intention to spin off its Wolseley UK business as an independent listed company. In a statement, Ferguson says that the separation will further simplify the group and will enable Wolseley UK to focus exclusively on customers in the UK market. “The demerger will enable both Wolseley UK and Ferguson to focus on accelerating the execution of their independent plans, providing clear investment propositions for each business,” said Ferguson CEO John Martin. “Wolseley UK has a strong market position, leading customer propositions and an experienced management team with significant opportunities for development in the large and fragmented plumbing, heating and infrastructure markets.” Wolseley will operate as a new company on the FTSE 250 with an estimated value of £600m. It will continue to be led by current managing director Mark Higson. Wolseley plc changed its name to Ferguson plc in 2017 to reflect the primacy of its US operations, but continued to trade as Wolseley in the UK and Canada. Wolseley UK operates two businesses under the Wolseley brand serving the trade market. Blended is the largest business within the UK, generating 84% of the revenue and provides plumbing and heating products, air conditioning and refrigeration products. In the year ended 31 July 2018 the business generated revenue of $2,568m and trading profit of $73m employing 5,617 associates and a national network of over 550 branches. Panasonic air conditioner inhibits coronavirus in lab tests Walmart trials temperature-controlled smart box Daikin buys Mitsubishi’s US distributor ABCO	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line896
__label__wiki	0.547463	0.547463	Home/World News/Portugal signs Kigali Amendment Portugal signs Kigali Amendment PORTUGAL: The number of countries to have ratified the Kigali Amendment to phase down HFC refrigerants has risen to 40 with the agreement of Portugal. Following the signature of Uganda in June, Portugal becomes the 40th country to sign and the 12th amongst EU member states. The global agreement to phase down HFCs will enter into force on January 1, 2019. The countries to sign in date order are: 1. Mali 31/3/17 2. Micronesia 12/5/17 3. Marshall Islands 15/5/17 4. Rwanda 23/5/17 5. Palau 29/8/17 6. Norway 6/9/17 7. Comoros 16/9/17 8. Chile 19/9/17 9. Tuvalu 21/9/17 10. North Korea 21/9/17 11. Australia 27/10/17 12. Canada 3/11/17 13. Maldives 13/11/17 14. UK 14/11/17 15. Finland 14/11/17 16. Germany 14/11/17 17. Laos 16/11/17 18. Luxembourg 16/11/17 19. Slovakia 16/11/17 20. Sweden 17/11/17 21. Trinidad and Tobago 17/11/17 22. Malawi 21/11/17 23. Côte d’Ivoire 29/11/17 24. Ecuador 22/1/18 25. Netherlands 8/2/18 26. Gabon 28/2/18 27. Togo 8/3/18 28. Ireland 12/3/18 29. Benin 19/3/18 30. Samoa 23/3/18 31. France 29/3/18 32. Barbados 19/4/18 33. Vanuatu 20/4/18 34. Niue 24/4/18 35. Bulgaria 1/5/2018 36. Costa Rica 23/5/18 37. Grenada 29/5/18 38. Belgium 4/6/2018 39. Uganda 21/6/18 40. Portugal 17/7/18 Koura strikes Carrier supplier deal	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line897
__label__cc	0.743445	0.256555	Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWP) are a types of 'plant', or equipment that facilitate working at height. They consist of a working platform on an extending structure and chassis, with controls for operation. There are two basic types of MEWPs – 'booms', such as cherry pickers, which have both static and mobile forms; and 'verticals', such as scissor lifts, that can also be static or mobile. Some of the variations include: 1 Push around vertical (PAV) 2 Mast lift 3 Scissor lift 4 Cherry picker 5 Stick boom lift 6 Track mount 7 Truck mount 8 Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki [edit] Push around vertical (PAV) This is a small type of mobile vertical lift with scissor operation. It is compact and lightweight which means it is often used for low-level access in warehouses, factories, and so on. It can be easily moved from place to place, including between floors. [edit] Mast lift A mast lift is a small type of cherry picker with a boom lift operation. It is compact, and so can be used in restricted spaces and busy environments, and has a caged platform that keeps users safe. [edit] Scissor lift This can be used in indoor and outdoor spaces where a straight vertical lift is required for access. The caged platform is elevated by linked, folding supports in an ‘X’ pattern, known as a pantograph. Pressure is applied to the external side of the lowest set of supports, which elongates the criss-crossing supports and raises the platform. For more information, see Scissor lift. [edit] Cherry picker A cherry picker is mobile and versatile and has a boom able to extend forwards and upwards. Different attachments can be fitted to the end of the boom, such as a cradle, bucket, pallet forks, muck grab, winch, and so on. It is flexible and multi-purpose, ideal for jobs that require the user to work at height in awkward of locations. For more information, see Cherry picker. [edit] Stick boom lift Also known as a telescopic boom, a stick boom lift offers an extensive range of movement similar to the cherry picker. The platform is capable of extending sideways as well as vertically, and is often used for moving around and above obstacles, machinery or buildings. [edit] Track mount Also known as a spider lift, a track mount is often used when ground is uneven or has a steep incline. The tracked chassis helps to spread weight more evenly, reducing the pressure on the ground, and making it suitable for use on soft ground or delicate floors. [edit] Truck mount Also known as a lorry-mounted platform, a truck mount is often used for installing signage and telecoms systems, high-level maintenance, pest control, and so on. It can be moved between sites quickly and is ready to use straight away. Cherry picker. Construction plant. Forklift truck. How to use a ladder. Lift table. Lifting device. Scaffolding. Scissor lift. Types of crane. Winch. Work at height. Working platform. Retrieved from "https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Mobile_elevating_work_platforms_(MEWPs)"	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line898
__label__wiki	0.510522	0.510522	RFQ versus RFP Determine which type of request is best to find the most qualified firm for your next project see more If you were Noah, and you received orders from above to build the ark, you’d probably have a lot of questions: How big does it have to be? How long will we be afloat? How many cages will we need? What about provisions and storage? What about navigation and propulsion? Noah had the benefit of divine inspiration to build his ark. Most of us, particularly in the public sector, would start by forming a committee, then developing a Request for Proposals, then interviewing several ship designers, picking one of the low bids, then crossing our fingers that what is designed will actually meet all our needs. If Noah had gone through this arduous process, chances are the rain would have started falling before the first plank was attached to the hull. As Noah watched the waters rise, working in panic-mode, he would have wondered why he hadn’t issued a simpler Request for Qualifications, cut to the chase, hired the best he could find, and had the boat designed. All of his questions would have been answered in the process. THEN he would have issued a Request for Proposals for construction of the ark, based on a solid set of plans. When you want something built to certain standards and pre-defined instructions, then issuing a Request for Proposals is the best way to get the best bang for your buck, both in terms of cost and expertise. But in the wild world of consulting or design where there are no absolute parameters, and the first step is getting those specifics written up, then issuing a Request for Qualifications is the obvious thing to do.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line899
__label__cc	0.642742	0.357258	News Sports Business Entertainment Opinion Lifestyle Obituaries E-Edition Legals San Juan College class open to aspiring singers The Daily Times staff FARMINGTON — The San Juan College Concert Choir is offering vocalists the opportunity to advance their musical skills during the fall semester. The class Musi 172-Concert Choir is designed to be both a learning opportunity and a fun experience, according to the college's website. It meets from 1 to 2:20 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and is available for one to three credits. The class is open to anyone who loves to sing, ages 16 and older — students, as well as adults. The class is also available to students as a dual-credit class. There are no auditions for the class. Choir members are welcome to audition for the college’s vocal ensemble group, Company, a showcase performance group, however. In the fall, the choir will perform two concerts, Masterworks and the Christmas Concert. Registration is open now. Classes begin Monday. For information about the Concert Choir or to find out how to register for the class, contact Linda Edwards at 505-566-3273, 505-325-7232 or edwardsl@sanjuancollege.edu. Jobs Homes Classifieds Education Reviewed 10Best Reach Local © 2021 www.daily-times.com. All rights reserved.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line900
__label__wiki	0.822676	0.822676	Kaskade closes out 2020 with dance music at… Kaskade closes out 2020 with dance music at SilverLakes in Norco A cameraman focuses on Kaskade, who headlines a New Year’s Eve bash at SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park in Norco on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) By Alex Groves \| agroves@scng.com \| The Press-Enterprise PUBLISHED: January 1, 2021 at 11:15 a.m. \| UPDATED: January 1, 2021 at 11:16 a.m. Kaskade and other electronic dance music artists celebrated the end of 2020 with a sold-out drive-in show that brought fans to SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park in Norco on Thursday, Dec. 31. The New Year’s Eve show also featured artists Ravell and J Worra before Kaskade took the stage. Streamers fall as Kaskade headlines a New Year’s Eve show at SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park in Norco on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) The sun sets over Norco’s SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park, where Kaskade performed a New Year’s Eve celebration Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Guests watch Kaskade from the roof of their car during a New Year’s Eve show at SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park in Norco on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Kaskade, an electronic dance music artist, headlines a New Year’s Eve concert at SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park in Norco on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Corona residents, from left, Tanner Diaz, girlfriend Allison Gonzalez, Damian James and girlfriend Andrea Gonzalez groove to electronic dance tunes on a truck bed during a New Year’s Eve show at SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park in Norco on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Los Angeles resident Kristal Lemus says goodbye to 2020 in a light-up jacket during a New Year’s Eve bash at SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park in Norco on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) A couple dances to the electronic dance sounds of Kaskade at a New Year’s Eve show held at SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park in Norco on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Phu Styles of San Francisco, foreground, and friends enjoy a New Year’s Eve show at SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park in Norco on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Kaskade brings electronic dance beats to SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park during a New Year’s Eve show in Norco on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Kaskade headlines a sold-out New Year’s Eve show at SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park in Norco on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) The moon rises over a New Year’s Eve show at SilverLakes Equestrian and Sports Park in Norco on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Kaskade announced the drive-in show on his social media accounts Dec. 18 and within a matter of hours announced that the show had been sold out, adding, “See you on this last 2020 dance floor and all the ones coming up in 2021.” Drive-in shows have been one of the ways that entertainers have still been able to perform amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Venues such as City National Grove of Anaheim, the Rubidoux Drive-In Theatre in Jurupa Valley and the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino are among the venues that have hosted drive-in performances while traditional concerts and music festivals have not been doable. Get up close with dinosaurs at the Jurassic Quest Drive-Thru Experience Drive-In OC announces first 2021 headliners coming to City National Grove of Anaheim We went inside Insomniac’s Electric Mile drive-thru experience at Santa Anita Park How to see dinosaurs in Pasadena, Costa Mesa and Pomona Drive-in concerts became a thing in 2020: Here’s how they’ll evolve in 2021 Kaskade himself has done multiple drive-in shows, performing multiple times at City National Grove of Anaheim in October and also at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in November. Part of the New Year’s Eve performance was also livestreamed as part of Abracadabra, an online streaming event. Alex Groves \| Entertainment Reporter Alex Groves writes about casinos for the entertainment team at the Southern California News Group. Alex graduated in 2015 with his bachelor's degree from Cal State Fullerton, where he majored in print journalism and minored in radio-tv-film. He started his first full-time gig later that year as a breaking news reporter for The Press-Enterprise but has also written stories on arts programs at local high schools, dining and events. In his free time, Alex enjoys hiking and traveling. A craft beer enthusiast, Alex likes to bring back an IPA as a souvenir from every new place he travels. agroves@scng.com Follow Alex Groves @alexdgroves	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line901
__label__cc	0.700825	0.299175	Electricity storage could be the next technology that changes life on earth That's because electricity storage is a bridge technology that can take Texas from a system of large, centralized, fossil fuel and renewable power plants, to a future of cleaner, decentralized renewable energy. And it is a crucial bridge, as Texas attempts to keep the lights on amid this technology transition. By Tom Rose\|Contributor 2:00 AM on Jun 30, 2019 CDT Remember the transformation cellphones made to the communications industry? For the telecom industry — and for all of us customers — life before cellphones was entirely different from life after. Electric storage technology, that is, batteries, could have a comparable effect on the electric industry. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, manages the flow of electric wholesale power to 90% of consumers in the state. The ERCOT market is undergoing a challenging transition from large centralized and controllable power plants to ever-increasing levels of variable renewable energy. Just like any new technology, there are some downsides. The increase in renewable energy and the premature shutdown of traditional power plants is certainly resulting in less air pollution, yet at the same time creating grid reliability concerns. This transition has caused a very tight supply-demand situation in ERCOT where anything unexpected, such as an extended cold snap, extremely hot weather or excessive problems at centralized power plants, could result in rolling outages. These controlled outages are ERCOT's way of keeping the grid in balance in an emergency and avoiding a complete systemwide blackout. Electric energy storage can address this reliability concern, allowing the integration of more renewable energy. Storage provides another tool for ERCOT and utilities to balance energy flows, especially during peak use periods. A device that stores energy during low use times, and then discharges electricity during peak use, will make the grid more reliable, economical and cleaner. Some background on electricity generation and delivery will help explain why storage is the next best bridge technology. Electricity is one of the few commodities or services that doesn't depend on storage to sell and deliver its product to consumers. Food, oil, natural gas, beverages, clothes, gasoline and most other goods are shipped from the manufacturer to the consumer and stored at various points along the way. In contrast, electric energy is produced at the same time consumers demand it. When you flip on a light switch, a generator must immediately produce additional electricity flowing into the grid to maintain system reliability, so the lights stay on for all of us. Over the last 100 years, the electric industry has built a complex network of generators, transformers and wires to deliver this power on demand, an amazing engineering accomplishment by any measure. And, we rely on it 24/7, 365 days a year, to support our very quality of life. To clarify, electricity networks are strong and delicate at the same time. Strong because there are many generators, transmission lines, substations and distribution systems creating defense in depth (many redundant systems) and width (many wires pathways to serve customers). At the same time, maintaining stable voltage and frequency across the grid is a delicate balance of electric energy supply and demand using computer and human operating systems. Since renewable energy is subsidized by the government and the cost to build has dropped dramatically over the last decade, the competitive market prices in ERCOT have become very low during normal grid operation. This benefits consumers in the short run but is also forcing older plants out of service sooner than expected. Therefore, we are facing a transition of several years when electricity production becomes cleaner, but the risk of power outages increases. To help correct this imbalance, storage devices can be installed within the existing wires system in a relatively short time frame, helping balance power supply and demand, and reducing the risk of system outages. Evidently others agree with me. ERCOT reported at an April 23 meeting that requests for interconnection of new storage systems to the grid had grown to 500 megawatts in 2020 (equivalent to a medium-sized traditional power plant), increasing by another 2,500 megawatts in 2021, and adding another 3,500 megawatts of storage in 2022. Increasingly efficient and economical storage technologies have the potential to substantially change the way we produce and deliver electricity in the future. These technologies could eliminate the need to build new central power plants and delay the need for new investment in power lines and electricity distribution systems to consumers. Electricity storage has the potential to change our existing electric industry business, regulatory and financial models essential to attract investors to build out this infrastructure. There is no question storage is coming to the ERCOT market. We must embrace its use as a bridge to a more reliable, affordable and cleaner electricity demanded by consumers. Tom Rose is a principal and senior consultant with CMG Consulting and the former head of governmental policy at TXU Corp. He wrote this column for The Dallas Morning News. Tom Rose\|Contributor	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line903
__label__cc	0.609442	0.390558	Dentist - Upper Marlboro 9450 Marlboro Pike Abfractions Impacted/Wisdom Teeth If in dental pain, please call the office at 301-599-1810 and not by e-mail. If you have a true dental emergency and it is after office hours, please go to your nearest emergency room. Frequently asked questions: dental fillings Are dental amalgams safe? Is it possible to have an allergic reaction to amalgam? Is it true that dental amalgams have been banned in other countries? Is there a filling material that matches tooth color? If my tooth doesn't hurt and my filling is still in place, why would the filling need to be replaced? Read this interesting and informative discussion from the American Dental Association. FDA consumer update: dental amalgams The Food and Drug Administration and other organizations of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) continue to investigate the safety of amalgams used in dental restorations (fillings). However, no valid scientific evidence has shown that amalgams cause harm to patients with dental restorations, except in rare cases of allergic reactions. ATSDR - public health statements: mercury The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers some scientific background on mercury (contained within silver-colored fillings), and whether it believes the substance presents any health hazards. Analysis reveals significant drop in children's tooth decay Children have significantly less tooth decay in their primary (baby) and permanent teeth today than they did in the early 1970s, according to the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA). The analysis reveals that among children between the ages of six and 18 years, the percentage of decayed permanent teeth decreased by 57.2 percent over a 20-year period. In addition, children between the ages of two and 10 years experienced a drop of nearly 40 percent in diseased or decayed primary teeth. Advances in modern dental materials and techniques increasingly offer new ways to create more pleasing, natural-looking smiles. Researchers are continuing their often decades-long work developing esthetic materials, such as ceramic and plastic compounds that mimic the appearance of natural teeth. As a result, dentists and patients today have several choices when it comes to selecting materials used to repair missing, worn, damaged or decayed teeth. The advent of these new materials has not eliminated the usefulness of more traditional dental restoratives, which include gold, base metal alloys and dental amalgam. The strength and durability of traditional dental materials continue to make them useful for situations where restored teeth must withstand extreme forces that result from chewing, such as in the back of the mouth. Alternatives to amalgam, such as cast gold restorations, porcelain, and composite resins are more expensive. Gold and porcelain restorations take longer to make and can require two appointments. Composite resins, or white fillings, are esthetically appealing, but require a longer time to place. Here's a look at some of the more common kinds of alternatives to silver amalgam: Composite fillings - Composite fillings are a mixture of acrylic resin and finely ground glasslike particles that produce a tooth-colored restoration. Composite fillings provide good durability and resistance to fracture in small-to-mid size restorations that need to withstand moderate chewing pressure. Less tooth structure is removed when the dentist prepares the tooth, and this may result in a smaller filling than that of an amalgam. Composites can also be "bonded" or adhesively held in a cavity, often allowing the dentist to make a more conservative repair to the tooth. In teeth where chewing loads are high, composite fillings are less resistant to wear than silver amalgams. It also takes longer to place a composite filling. Ionomers - Glass ionomers are tooth-colored materials made of a mixture of acrylic acids and fine glass powders that are used to fill cavities, particularly those on the root surfaces of teeth. Glass ionomers can release a small amount of fluoride that help patients who are at high risk for decay. Glass ionomers are primarily used as small fillings in areas that need not withstand heavy chewing pressure. Because they have a low resistance to fracture, glass ionomers are mostly used in small non-load bearing fillings (those between the teeth) or on the roots of teeth. Resin ionomers also are made from glass filler with acrylic acids and acrylic resin. They also are used for non-load bearing fillings (between the teeth) and they have low to moderate resistance to fracture. Ionomers experience high wear when placed on chewing surfaces. Both glass and resin ionomers mimic natural tooth color but lack the natural translucency of enamel. Both types are well tolerated by patients with only rare occurrences of allergic response. Porcelain (ceramic) dental materials - All-porcelain (ceramic) dental materials include porcelain, ceramic or glasslike fillings and crowns. They are used as inlays, onlays, crowns and aesthetic veneers. A veneer is a very thin shell of porcelain that can replace or cover part of the enamel of the tooth. All-porcelain (ceramic) restorations are particularly desirable because their color and translucency mimic natural tooth enamel. All-porcelain restorations require a minimum of two visits and possibly more. The restorations are prone to fracture when placed under tension or on impact. Their strength depends on an adequate thickness of porcelain and the ability to be bonded to the underlying tooth. They are highly resistant to wear but the porcelain can quickly wear opposing teeth if the porcelain surface becomes rough. Research has shown that almost everybody has a 95 percent chance of eventually experiencing cavities in the pits and grooves of their teeth. Sealants were developed in the 1950s and first became available commercially in the early 1970s. The first sealant was accepted by the American Dental Association Council on Dental Therapeutics in 1972. Sealants work by filling in the crevasses on the chewing surfaces of the teeth. This shuts out food particles that could get caught in the teeth, causing cavities. The application is fast and comfortable and can effectively protect teeth for many years. In fact, research has shown that sealants actually stop cavities when placed on top of a slightly decayed tooth by sealing off the supply of nutrients to the bacteria that causes a cavity. Sealants act as a barrier to prevent bacteria and food from collecting and sitting on the grooves and pits of teeth. Sealants are best suited for permanent first molars, which erupt around the age of 6, and second molars, which erupt around the age of 12. Sealants are most effective when applied as soon as the tooth has fully come in. Because of this, children derive the greatest benefit from sealants because of the newness of their teeth. Research has shown that more than 65% of all cavities occur in the narrow pits and grooves of a child`s newly erupted teeth because of trapped food particles and bacteria. Sealant application involves cleaning the surface of the tooth and rinsing the surface to remove all traces of the cleaning agent. An etching solution or gel is applied to the enamel surface of the tooth, including the pits and grooves. After 15 seconds, the solution is thoroughly rinsed away with water. After the site is dried, the sealant material is applied and allowed to harden by using a special curing light. Sealants normally last about five years. Sealants should always be examined at the child`s regular checkup. Sealants are extremely effective in preventing decay in the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. Insurance coverage for sealant procedures is increasing, but still minimal. Many dentists expect this trend to change as insurers become more convinced that sealants can help reduce future dental expenses and protect the teeth from more aggressive forms of treatment. Dentist - Upper Marlboro, David W Stover D.D.S., 9450 Marlboro Pike, Suite #17, Upper Marlboro MD, 20772 301-599-1810	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line907
__label__cc	0.66769	0.33231	Justin Trudeau supported 2008 Liberal-NDP Coalition Justin Trudeau signed letter endorsing a Liberal-NDP coalition in 2008, just months after first being elected as a Member of Parliament Justin Trudeau will pay any price to hold onto power. He was willing to do it in 2008 and he is willing to do it now. As a newly elected Member of Parliament in 2008, one of Justin Trudeau’s first orders of business was to sign a letter to the Governor General announcing his support and participation in a Liberal-Bloc-NDP coalition. https://cpcassets.conservative.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/15120538/0d1734dbea4f1b5.pdf In fact, according to Brian Topp, one of the chief negotiators of the coalition was Trudeau’s most trusted advisor, Katie Telford. The 2008 coalition, like the coalition Trudeau refuses to rule out with Jagmeet Singh, would have led to economic disaster in Canada with skyrocketing taxes and mass unemployment. Canadians cannot trust Justin Trudeau. If he won’t rule out a coalition with the NDP, it’s because he has a secret plan to do it when he is defeated. If Trudeau has no plan to join a coalition, why won’t he simply say it? Trudeau is already promising higher taxes and bigger deficits if he’s re-elected. Imagine how much more you will pay with Trudeau held hostage by the NDP. The NDP’s price for propping up Trudeau will be even higher taxes, more reckless spending, fewer jobs, bigger deficits, and more debt. The choice is clear. A Liberal-NDP coalition that will cost you thousands of dollars more, or a Conservative government that will live within its means and put more money in your pockets so you can get ahead. https://cpcassets.conservative.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/15120522/52d50634b52b00b.jpg	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line913
__label__wiki	0.886412	0.886412	Egypt Features/Interviews Path to women’s equality passes through Constitution Valentina Cattane Countless women actively participated in the 25 January revolution, which seemed to signal a major shift in women’s role in Egyptian society. But activists say there is still a long way to go toward eradicating gender inequality, starting with Egypt's Constitution. The 1971 Egyptian Constitution, currently suspended, includes articles that ostensibly ensure equality and outlaw discrimination based on gender, ethnic origin, language, religion or belief. But according to Egyptian gender experts, the situation is far more complicated — and discriminatory — than a quick reading of the old constitution suggests. And if women’s rights are to be guaranteed in post-Mubarak Egypt, the new version, written by a committee selected by the parliament elected in September 2011, will require substantial changes on laws regulating gender. Article 2 of the 1971 Constitution — included in the 62-article interim constitution issued by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces in March — establishes that Islamic jurisprudence (sharia) is “the principle source of the legislation.” The primary sources of the sharia are the Quran and the example of the Prophet Mohamed. According to Douaa Hussein, a human rights and gender consultant, the misinterpretation of sharia law is the main factor leading to discrimination against women and minority groups, specifically when it comes to personal status law, which determines women's rights to ownership, inheritance, education, employment and criminal law. Hussein and some other rights advocates support the abolition of Article 2 in the forthcoming constitution. Not all rights advocates do, however. Marwa Sharafeldin, co-founder of the Network for Women's Rights Organizations in Egypt, would prefer to see religion as a force supporting equality by adopting Islamic jurisprudence that promotes equality, as family law does in Morocco. “We need to do the same, to build on already existing egalitarian Islamic jurisprudence and develop it ourselves too,” said Sharafeldin. “Doing otherwise is like using Islam to justify inequality and discrimination, which is far from reality and does not do justice to Islam.” Maha Al Aswad, a program officer with the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, worries that the principles of Islamic law are subject to the interpretation of conservative judges and sheikhs, and this is what limits women’s rights. As women’s issues related to marriage, divorce, inheritance, alimony and the penalization of adultery are regulated by a combination of sharia and patriarchal law, Egyptian women are still subject to polygamy. Sharia is sometimes used to justify polygamy despite disputes over its Quranic legitimacy. Women in Upper Egypt and rural areas do not share the same rights to inheritance and law as men due to tradition and culture. Some argue that this form of inequality is protected by Article 2. Article 11 faces similar problems. It guarantees women's right to reconcile careers with family duties by respecting the principles of Islamic law. Hussein said that despite proclaiming equality it supports the stereotype that women’s role is to take care of the family — while disregarding men’s role entirely. This kind of discrimination affects other legal frameworks beyond the constitution, as well. Women are not allowed to occupy positions in State Council. “Last year, on 15 February, 334 male judges voted against the appointment of females to judicial posts during a State Council General Assembly meeting,” Al Aswad said. There are currently 30 female judges in Egypt, all appointed by presidential decree in 2007. But Al Aswad argues that the informal law does not allow women to apply normally nor be promoted to become judges, as their male colleagues are. Women are also prohibited from working in public prosecution. Another controversial issue is the female quota system, which reserved 64 parliamentary seats for female candidates. Some experts are currently asking that this system be abolished. Others see it as a step toward more equal participation of women in politics. The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights (ECWR) initially welcomed the quota system as “a good initiative” that could give women the opportunity to prove their ability, but later the organization said it must be a temporary solution and it is not sufficient to integrate women into politics. Al Aswad strongly believes that it only reinforces gender roles and that in Egypt, the issue must be tackled with a different approach. “Call for equality by taking to the streets and having a voice, by building grassroots women leaders, not by imposing it on society by law,” Al Aswad said. Hussein, on the contrary, explains that the presence of the female quota system is of high importance in the current transitional phase, especially in the context of what seems to be rising power of Islamist factions. Women’s advocates hope that the new Constitution will better ensure equality for women, but the early signs aren’t strong. Last month’s constitutional referendum ratified an amendment to Article 75, which established that Egypt’s president cannot be married to a non-Egyptian woman. The sentence’s formulation suggests that candidates will be male, although in Arabic the masculine gender is used to refer to both sexes. This is an “expression of misogyny” and should be avoided in the future, Al Aswad said. The key to creating a more equitable Egyptian constitution, experts say, will be including different segments of Egyptian society in the committee — women as well as representatives from minority groups. The authors of the constitution must include those who have not had access to Parliament. They say that only these terms can guarantee the rights of all those who helped make the revolution possible. Tags 1971 constitution 25 January revolution Egypt Islamic law misogyny new constitution women women's rights	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line914
__label__wiki	0.752307	0.752307	Teen 'Jeopardy!' champ donates $10,000 to cancer charity in honor of host Alex Trebek By Gary Dinges gdinges@gatehousemedia.com Nov 7, 2019 at 1:24 PM A teen who won $100,000 on "Jeopardy!" has donated a chunk of cash to cancer research in honor of host Alex Trebek. Trebek has stage 4 pancreatic cancer and said in a recent interview that he didn't expect to live much longer. He recently resumed chemotherapy. Avi Gupta, 18, says he's looked up to Trebek his entire life, according to CNN. The $10,314 donation went to the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, where it will be used to promote early detection of pancreatic cancer. If you're wondering where the $314 comes from, it's the first three digits in pi. “To me, it represents my lifelong love of learning and mathematics that eventually led me to appear on ‘Jeopardy!’ and has propelled what I’ve been doing ever since,” Gupta told Portland TV station KATU. Trebek has hosted "Jeopardy!" for 35 years.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line917
__label__cc	0.681353	0.318647	Home » Our Services » IQ Testing IQ Testing Services Medicaid, Medicare & Commercial/Private Insurances! What is IQ? An IQ, or intelligence quotient, is a score you receive on a test that assesses intelligence. When you take an IQ test, you are compared to people who have taken the test before. Prior to the release of the test, the writers of the IQ test had several hundred, sometimes more than a thousand, people assessed. Calculating the IQ Score IQ is a comparison of your test results to the results of people your own age. The average IQ is 100. If you gave 1,000 people a really hard test, your results would look like this: The higher the graph goes, the more people who have achieved that score. As you can see from the graph, there is a bell-shaped distribution. Most people are in the center, but some people score really well, and some people score really poorly. By having the IQ average at 100, scores can go high or low and still make sense because of their relationship to 100. The different colors of this graph are standard deviations. Standard deviation is a mathematical way of grouping people together. If you look at the red line on 100, the blue group to the right is considered one positive standard deviation. In that blue group is 34.1% of the population. If you combine it with the green group just to the left of the red line, you have everything within one standard deviation of the average (average is 100), or 68.2% of the population. Remember, one standard deviation= 34.1%, by combining both above and below the standard deviation you get 68.2%. Standard deviations allow for easy groupings and predictions. What does all this mean? A standard deviation in IQ points is 15, so 68.2% of the population will have scores between 85 and 115. This is labeled an average IQ, which is just a name for a group of people scoring around the average score. This name for a group helps make it easier to group test takers together. About 95.4% of the population will have an IQ score between 70 and 130, which is everyone within two standard deviations. Scores that are between 70 and 85 may be labeled below average, while scores between 115 and 130 could be labeled above average. Types of IQ Tests Multiple tests have been created to test for IQ, and there is general agreement on the scores provided by each one. However, on some tests, certain people will do better and on other tests, certain people will do worse. Here are some common tests, as listed by Indiana University. The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition, for ages 2-90+: Is a full-scale test that also covers fluid reasoning, quantitative reasoning, knowledge, visual-spatial processing, and working. In addition, the test compares verbal to nonverbal abilities. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition, for ages 6-16: Provides a full- scale assessment and also assesses working memory, verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, and processing speed. It is extremely similar to the WAIS but is made for children. The Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities, for ages 2-90+: Measures a large age group's general intellectual ability in addition to working memory and execution function. The Cognitive Assessment System for ages, 5-17: Takes a more theoretical approach, measuring planning abilities, attention span, and simultaneous and successive cognitive processes. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), for ages 16-89: Is an IQ test designed for those using adult thinking, which provides a full-scale score and scores for verbal, processing speed, perceptual, and working memory. The Comprehensive Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, for ages 6-18. Uses a nonverbal method to assess children without traditional biases found with language barriers. Six subtests assess various nonverbal intellectual skills. The Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test, for ages 5-17. Uses a similar tactic as the previous test in that it does not use verbal commands or answers, instead using an entirely nonverbal administration and response method. The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, for ages 2-6 to 12-5: Looks primarily at simultaneous and sequential processing skills in addition to academic achievement. Learning disability is an umbrella term used to describe many different neurological disorders. How an individual becomes learning disabled is still a mystery. However, it is theorized that learning disabilities are caused by a glitch in the nervous system. Theses glitches affect each person differently. For example, some individuals have difficulty concentrating while others have difficulty with motor skills. Children with learning disabilities have a glitch in how their brains are wired so that they might have difficulty with reasoning, spelling, writing and reading There are many different types of learning disabilities, and as such, the term learning disability should be thought of as an umbrella term used to describe a student who doesn't learn in the mainstream way. Specifically, a learning disability is defined as an impairment that interferes with the student's academic performance. The key point here is that the disability is explicit towards a particular area of learning. For example, a student may be able to read but not be able to write (What is IQ? - Tests & Definition, 2015) Identifying Children with Learning Disabilities Identifying children with a learning disability can be tricky because it can be confused with a lack of interest in a school subject. We must be able to identify the three most common learning disabilities: dyscalculia, dysgraphia and dyslexia. The disorders are often described as disabilities because they may interfere with the student's ability to learn. Many students with a learning disability have average or above-average intelligence. However, many students with a learning disability also struggle with other disorders, such as Autism and ADHD. Common Types of Learning Disabilities The three most common learning disabilities are dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and dyslexia. The prefix 'dys-' is Greek meaning 'an impairment of,' so the three most common disabilities are an impairment of doing math, writing or reading. Dyscalculia is a learning disability involving math. There is no single type of math disability, and individuals with dyscalculia have a lifelong learning disability. Dyscalculia can also affect people differently at different stages of their lives. Having trouble understanding math does not indicate dyscalculia. Symptoms of dyscalculia vary greatly; however, some common symptoms are the inability to recognize sequences and inability to recall math facts. In order to be successful in math, you have to have a good memory, be able to recognize sequences and have good organizational skills. A student with dyscalculia may have these skills in other areas, but in math, these skills are not present. For example, a student may be able to recall facts like football statistics but may not be able to recall their multiplication tables. Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing, which requires a complex set of motor skills. Dysgraphia covers the physical act of writing, comprehension and synthesizing information. Just having sloppy handwriting doesn't indicate dysgraphia. Symptoms of dysgraphia include difficulty with writing letters and words, organization of thoughts and consistency in neatness. Dyslexia is a learning disability that impairs a person's language ability. Students with this disability may have difficulty with reading, writing or spelling. Just being a slow reader or poor speller does not indicate dyslexia. Symptoms include difficulties with reading comprehension and inability to understand the meaning of words. (Learning Disabilities: How to Identify Children with a Learning Disability, 2013) Students with special needs were not always allowed in the mainstream classroom. In fact, just a few decades ago, students with learning disabilities were routinely segregated away from their classmates. However, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that all students with learning disabilities be taught in the least restrictive environment. The essence of this requirement is to ensure that students are not unnecessarily removed from the mainstream classroom or isolated away from their peers (Educating Students with Special Needs, 2012) Educating Students with Special Needs. (2012, December 11). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/educating-students-with-special-needs.html. Learning Disabilities: How to Identify Children with a Learning Disability. (2013, January 8). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/learning-disabilities-how-to-identify-children- with-a-learning-disability.html. What is IQ? - Tests & Definition. (2015, June 7). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-iq-tests-definition-quiz.html. “A multidisciplinary team brought together to provide personalized care”	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line922
__label__wiki	0.516694	0.516694	Introduction: The Responsibility to Protect and the Refugee Protection Regime Jason Ralph and James Souter \| March 2017 In 2005 the UN member states unanimously agreed that they bear a responsibility to protect (RtoP) populations from the crimes of genocide, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. While there remains debate, some believe that over the course of the last decade this agreement has developed into an important international norm.1 Since its inception, however, RtoP has continued to be closely associated with military intervention and other in situ measures, with much of the recent discussion focused on the implications of the 211 military intervention in Libya and Western inaction in Syria. As Jennifer Welsh, the former UN Special Adviser on RtoP, has put it, RtoP “is framed still very much as a foreign policy issue: i.e., as something we do ‘outside’ our borders.” However, the “spirit behind RtoP,” she suggests, could mean turning the conversation inward.2 This raises the question of what RtoP demands when military intervention and other in situ measures are inappropriate or inadequate. If populations are seeking protection by fleeing atrocity crimes, does RtoP require states to open their borders to receive them? And if such action is indeed implied by this norm, are states currently failing in their responsibility to protect? As the RtoP framework has consolidated over the last decade, atrocity crimes have continued to generate large numbers of refugees. The existing refugee protection regime—consisting of the 1951 Refugee Convention, its 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, and a variety of other regional instruments— has led to some of these refugees gaining protection in other states. Yet as the numbers forced to flee their homes have dramatically risen as a result of the Syrian civil war, some states have demonstrated a marked reluctance to open their borders. Quarrels among European states center on the correct distribution of the responsibility to receive these refugees (despite the lion’s share being received by states in the Middle East), and refugees have been securitized and associated with terrorism. This raises further questions: Would these states be moved to take in more refugees if the problem was framed more explicitly as an RtoP issue? If that possibility exists, then why would RtoP advocates resist expanding its meaning by turning the conversation inward? Is RtoP simply about protecting populations as long as they remain offshore? In January 2016 we hosted a one-day workshop at the University of Leeds to discuss these issues. Here we present two of the papers that were originally delivered at that workshop. In the first, Dan Bulley argues that there is little to be gained by invoking the RtoP norm in the context of the refugee crisis. He argues that RtoP “as currently formulated” is somewhat conservative, to the extent that it contains no requirement to grant asylum. RtoP norm entrepreneurs and diffusers have only sparingly referenced the interface between asylum and the RtoP agenda, and Bulley suggests that RtoP can function as a way of outsourcing protection. Indeed, for Bulley, who focuses his attention on the European response, RtoP is part of the problem. “Rather than bettering the EU’s protection mechanisms,” he writes, “RtoP effectively authorizes its current treatment of refugees.” This is a telling critique. It is, however, contingent on one meaning of RtoP that is most currently in use. Recent work in constructivist international relations theory tells us that a norm’s meaning is never fixed.3 It may be “settled,” but it is inherently always contestable. If RtoP as it is currently formulated is failing to protect populations, then that is surely a good reason to contest the formulation. Indeed, if one defines the norm simply as a responsibility to protect vulnerable populations, and if one delinks it from foreign policy discourses such as intervention, then it is possible that the RtoP norm can be used to change attitudes on refugee protection. Of course, Bulley is right: framing RtoP in this way may not have been envisaged by the original norm entrepreneurs. Reimagining the norm would be a forward-looking approach to the current problems, rather than an attempt to reinterpret what the original norm entrepreneurs intended. In contrast to Bulley, Alise Coen’s article argues that “in the wake of mass atrocity situations, facilitating access to asylum, granting temporary protection, and upholding the principle of non-refoulement represent essential steps toward fulfilling the international norm of RtoP.” The more pressing problem for Coen is how to specify that responsibility so that the task of protecting refugees is shared fairly throughout international society. Drawing on the idea of a special responsibility, which we have applied explicitly to RtoP elsewhere,4 Coen explores the potential role that foreign policy culpability might have as a criterion for distributing responsibilities to protect refugees. Coen argues that the United States can be seen as culpably responsible for failures associated with the Iraq war, the Syrian conflict, and its double standards in its dealings with authoritarian regimes in the Middle East, and that this is highly relevant when deciding on its responsibilities to protect refugees. Acknowledging that states may be reluctant to accept a distribution of responsibilities based on their culpability, Coen identifies ways in which the fulfillment of RtoP through refugee protection can potentially help the United States to address its problems of legitimacy in the Middle East, present refugee responsibility-sharing as a public good, and counter the narratives of extremist groups such as the Islamic State. Whether one is ultimately convinced that a stronger linkage between RtoP and the refugee protection regime would be of value in international efforts to protect populations vulnerable to atrocity crimes, our hope is that these two articles will foster a broader and more prominent discussion on the potential of this linkage. As refugee-producing atrocities sadly show little sign of abating, the relationship between the RtoP and refugee protection regimes will continue to be an urgent question for academics and practitioners alike, as both continue to grapple with the question of how best to respond to these crimes. A PDF version of this text is available to subscribers. Click here for access. Jason Ralph is professor of international relations, University of Leeds, and Honorary Professor, University of Queensland. James Souter is lecturer in international relations, University of Leeds. Funding for this research was provided by the European Union Framework 7 Marie Curie Actions, and by the Research Councils UK’s “Rights and Ethics in a Security Context” program (grant number ES/L013355/1). Alex J. Bellamy, “The Responsibility to Protect Turns Ten,” Ethics & International Affairs 29, no. 2 (2015), pp. 161–85. ↩ Jennifer Welsh, “Fortress Europe and the Responsibility to Protect: Framing the Issue,” EUI Forum, European University Institute, Florence, November 2014, www.eui.eu/Documents/RSCAS/PapersLampedusa/FORUM-Welshfinal.pdf. There has been a relative dearth of work exploring the links between RtoP and the refugee protection regime. For recent contributions, see E. Tendayi Achiume, “Syria, Cost-Sharing and the Responsibility to Protect Refugees,” University of Minnesota Law Review 100, no. 2 (2015), pp. 687–761; Brian Barbour and Brian Gorlick, “Embracing the ‘Responsibility to Protect’: A Repertoire of Measures Including Asylum for Potential Victims,” International Journal of Refugee Law 20, no. 4 (2008), pp. 533–66; Alise Coen, “R2P, Global Governance, and the Syrian Refugee Crisis,” International Journal of Human Rights 19, no. 8 (2015), pp. 1044–1058; Angus Francis, “The Responsibility to Protect and the International Refugee Regime,” in Angus Francis, Vesselin Popovski, and Charles Sampford, eds., Norms of Protection: Responsibility to Protect, Protection of Civilians and Their Interaction (Tokyo: United Nations University Press, 2012); William Maley, “Humanitarian Law, Refugee Protection and the Responsibility to Protect,” in Ramesh Thakur and William Maley, eds., Theorising the Responsibility to Protect (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015); Susan Martin, “Forced Migration, the Refugee Regime and the Responsibility to Protect,” Global Responsibility to Protect 2, no. 1 (2010), pp. 38–59; and James Souter, “Good International Citizenship and Special Responsibilities to Protect Refugees,” British Journal of Politics and International Relations 18, no. 4 (2016), pp. 795–811. ↩ Antje Wiener, “Contested Compliance: Interventions on the Normative Structure of World Politics,” European Journal of International Relations 10, no. 2 (2004), pp. 189–234. ↩ Jason Ralph and James Souter, “A Special Responsibility to Protect: The UK, Australia, and the Rise of Islamic State,” International Affairs 91, no. 4 (2015), pp. 709–23. ↩ Category: Issue 31.1, Migration « Shame on EU? Europe, RtoP, and the Politics of Refugee Protection Rethinking the Concept of a “Durable Solution”: Sahrawi Refugee Camps Four Decades On »	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line926
__label__wiki	0.981111	0.981111	Selena Gomez Cancels Russia Shows amid Controversy By Robert Pace 6:53 PM PDT, September 19, 2013 In the middle of her tour for her debut album, Stars Dance, Selena Gomez has hit a bump in the road. The Russian media report that Gomez was denied a visa to enter Russia by Russian authorities, allegedly due to her support of gay rights. PICS: Selena Gomez, Katy Perry Heat Up Holidays at Snowflake Ball Russia recently passed a bill in June that prohibits gay propaganda, banning "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" to minors. According to Russian news agency RIA Novosti, a conflict had been anticipated last week concerning Gomez's acquisition of a visa but show organizers insisted that her eastern European shows would continue nonetheless. VIDEO: Selena Gomez Reveals Her Celeb Crush RIA Novosti also notes that there has been a recent pinch on foreign artists obtaining short-term work visas in Russia due to reported improper behavior from Lady Gaga, Madonna, and the Bloodhound Gang during their tour stops in Russia. The 21-year-old pop singer was geared up to perform in Minsk, Belarus tonight, but that show, along with shows in Kiev, Ukraine on Sept. 21 and Russian shows in St. Petersburg (Sept. 23) and Moscow (Sept. 25), have been axed from her itinerary. VIDEO: Selena Gomez's Return to 'Wizards' Gomez last performed in Vienna Austria on Tuesday, Sept. 17 and will next perform in Dubai on Sept. 27. The "Come & Get It" singer began her tour in mid-August in Canada before passing through western Europe this month. After performing in Dubai, the singer/actress will return to the U.S. for 33 shows in 49 days, beginning in Washington D.C. on Oct. 10 and wrapping up in St. Louis on Nov. 27.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line927
__label__wiki	0.986312	0.986312	FLASHBACK: How Jon Stewart Became the Political Voice of a Generation By Raphael Chestang 5:09 PM PDT, August 6, 2015 As Jon Stewart calls it quits on Thursday after 16 years as host of The Daily Show, ET looks back at his transformation from fringe comic to trusted newsman. Stewart occupied a late-night desk at Comedy Central when it was still called the Comedy Channel. In 1991, ET interviewed the 28-year-old comedian for the first time. It was in that same year that he would release his first HBO comedy special. WATCH: Jon Stewart Reveals Why He Quit The Daily Show -- 'I'm Not Getting the Same Satisfaction' "I guess this is the make or break that everyone sees," Stewart said as we recorded him rehearsing for the big night. Despite his anxiety, Stewart had nothing to worry about, but you couldn't convince him of that two years later when he was a nervous wreck before the first taping of The Jon Stewart Show for MTV. "I'm a neurotic bastard," Stewart said. "I stay up till 3 a.m. thinking about going to the dentist." While his first two talk shows didn't last, his talent was evident. Bill Carter, author of The Late Shift and The War for Late Night, tells ET that Late Show With David Letterman "put him under contract as a potential host" in the '90s. NEWS: Jon Stewart Is Leaving The Daily Show His moment finally came in 1999 when The Daily Show needed a new host to take over for Craig Kilborn. "When the show was conceived, it was supposed to be like a mock newscast and they would do silly news basically," Carter tells ET. "Jon turned it into political satire. It turned into an elevated talk show. It was much smarter than the average talk show." Stewart transformed The Daily Show into one of the most trusted news sources in America when a younger generation thought he explained the news better than the news. VIDEO: Watch Anne Hathaway Laugh Uncontrollably With Jon Stewart And his show wasn't just funny. It was also poignant. Perhaps Stewart's most heartfelt moment was his monologue during his first show back following 9/11. "We've had an unendurable pain," Stewart said during the emotional broadcast. "I wanted to tell you why I grieve but why I don't despair. One of my first memories is of Martin Luther King being shot. I was five ... Here's what I remember about it. I was in a school in Trenton, New Jersey and they shut the lights off and we got to sit under our desks and we thought that was really cool and they gave us cottage cheese, which was a cold lunch because there was rioting, but we didn't know that. We just thought, 'My God! We get to sit under our desks and eat cottage cheese!' And that's what I remember about it, and that was a tremendous test of this country's fabric. This country's had many tests before that and after that and the reason I don't despair is because this attack happened. It's not a dream. But the aftermath of it -- the recovery -- is a dream realized. And that is Martin Luther King's dream." NEWS: 8 Reasons Trevor Noah Is a Worthy Successor to Take Over The Daily Show The Daily Show has long been considered Comedy Central's crown jewel, winning 10 Emmys in a row for Outstanding Variety Series from 2003 to 2012, which is more than any other show. Stewart announced his departure from the show in February, subsequently naming South African comedian Trevor Noah as his successor. Trevor Noah to Replace Jon Stewart on 'The Daily Show'	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line928
__label__cc	0.519924	0.480076	New Era for Indonesia’s Timber Governance Launch of Timber Legality Verification Information System to Reform Timber Governance and Bureaucracy and to Stop the Trade of Illegal Timber. The Timber Legality Verification Information System (LIU-License Information Unit) is launched today, August 1, 2012, in the Auditorium of the Manggala Wanabakti Building. This launch marks the government's further efforts to improve the country's timber governance and bureaucratic reform and ensure that the system is credible, transparent, accountable and businessfriendly. Minister of Forestry Zulkifli Hasan and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Radjasa are scheduled to attend this event. The brainchild of six ministries (Ministry of Forestry, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs), this Timber Legality Verification Information System (or SVLK for short) also affirms the seriousness of the Government of Indonesia to combat illegal logging practices and promote the country's legal timber to the world. Diah Raharjo, Director of the Multi-Stakeholder Forestry Programme (MFP-Kehati), explains, "For export purposes, industries that have already obtained SVLK certificates will need verified legal (VLegal) documents stating that the timber products they are exporting have already met timber legality verification standards compliant with the provisions of the relevant laws and regulations, as well as ensuring that their timber and timber products come from raw materials sources of legal origin. "The V-Legal documents and SVLK certificates are an important instrument in restructuring the country's forests governance including the governance of forests "encumbered with rights" (hutan hak) and those under the control of small and medium enterprises," she added. To start with the government (Ministry of Forestry) established the Standards and Guidelines for Assessing the Sustainable Production Forest Management and Timber Legality Verification Performance of License Holders and Owners of Forests Encumbered with Rights, as stated under the Regulation of Minister of Forestry No. P.38/ Menhut-II/ 2009 jo. No. P.68/ Menhut-II/ 2011 and its implementing guidelines. In response to the Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK), the Ministry of Trade is also amending the Regulation of the Minister of Trade No 20/ 2008 which regulates the country's timber export licensing policies. The revision process is entering the final stages of consultation and the amendment to the regulation will soon be adopted to provide certainty to the government's policies on the export of legal timber. As with Timber Legality Certificates, V-Legal Documents shall also be published by Verification Bodies that have been accredited by the National Accreditation Committee (KAN). Timber product exporters will need to make an application for V-Legal documents to the Timber Legality Verification Bodies (LVLK) which will, after carrying out a verification and inspection process, issue V-Legal documents to exporters that meet standard. The V-Legal documents contain information about the type and volume of timber products to be exported, the country of destination and additional information. With the assistance of MFP-KEHATI and support by UKAID, the Ministry of Forestry is developing an online management information system for the issuance of V-Legal documents that will be ready for operation in late 2012. This system will be run by the Timber Legality Verification Information Management Unit or the License Information Unit (LIU) which is based at the Directorate General for the Development of Forestry Businesses of the Ministry of Forestry. This online system will replace the timber products endorsement mechanism run by the Forestry Industry Revitalization Body (BRIK). This Timber Legality Verification Information System is also directly connected to INATRADE, a system at the Directorate General of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Trade that connects, for export registration to the portal of the Indonesian National Single Window (INSW) System at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance for export registration. This system would also allow the customs departments of export destination countries to obtain certainty or clarification of the legality of timber from Indonesia. "The existence of LIU proves the seriousness of the Government of Indonesia to reform the country's timber governance, to reduce illegal logging and to facilitate the industry including small industries," says MS. Sembiring, Executive Director of the KEHATI Foundation. He added, "we will continue to support the efforts of the Government of Indonesia through our future programmes." As part of the launch of the Timber Legality Verification Information System, there will be a variety of related events under the theme of the Governance of Indonesian Timber and Timber Products through the implementation of SVLK, including a photo exhibition on the sequence of events leading to the preparation and eventual implementation of SVLK, negotiation for cooperation on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) and Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union, and the introduction of SVLK to businesses, sub-national forest services and local governments. news asia indonesia timber legality assurance system vpa negotiation	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line929
__label__wiki	0.515467	0.515467	Eurasia Review A Journal of Analysis and News East Asia Pacific GDKP About Eurasia Review Eurasia Review’s Editorial Staff Authors and Partners Buzz Future FBI badge and gun. Source: Wikipedia Commons. The FBI Is An Enemy Of Freedom – OpEd December 20, 2017 MISES 0 Comments By MISES By Scott McPherson* Former FBI special agent Clint Watts has responded to tweets from President Trump critical of the FBI by branding the president an “enemy of the state.” Watts claims Trump’s tweets will “sow doubt” and “hurt” the abilities of the FBI, “so he is an enemy of the state whenever he is pushing against the FBI in that way,” he concluded. With the possible exception of the BATFE, it would be hard to imagine an entity within the federal government more out of control and in need of — dare I say it? — abolition. Getting rid of the FBI would be a giant boon for the freedom of the American people. As President Harry S. Truman put it, “We want no Gestapo or secret police. The FBI is tending in that direction.” For its entire existence the FBI has served as the strong arm of the federal government. Beginning in 1909 as the Bureau of Investigation, no one’s life, liberty, or property has been safe since. Ostensibly created to investigate anarchists, bootleggers, kidnappers, bank robbers, crimes on federal property, and later, the KKK, the FBI would soon find its true calling: political repression, personal destruction, and terror. Communists, real and imagined, were the first to find themselves under the FBI’s ominous glare. World War II provided an opportunity for the FBI to serve a legitimate role, by investigating acts of espionage, but that would take a backseat to mass arrests of innocent Japanese Americans and warrant-less searches of their property. J. Edgar Hoover, the first FBI director and its longest serving, then began compiling a list of “sexual deviants” in April 1950 so that homosexuals could be purged from the federal workforce. Hoover disliked civil rights leaders as well, and the FBI’s COINTELPRO — for “counter intelligence program” — targeted Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The FBI was also linked to political assassinations in the 1960s, including that of Illinois Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton in Chicago, and the wiretapping of congressional offices. To protect its Mafia informants, the FBI allowed four innocent men to be imprisoned for life in 1965 (two would die there); forty years later a congressional committee called it “one of the greatest failures in the history of federal law enforcement.” The Bureau’s record of failure would only continue, and grow more tragic. In the early 1970s the FBI sought to undermine the American Indian Movement (AIM) by supporting a corrupt tribal leader at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, Richard Wilson, who formed a private militia to intimidate his political opponents. In the case of Leonard Peltier, an AIM activist and outspoken critic of Wilson’s, allegations were raised that FBI agents threatened a witness in order to secure Peltier’s murder conviction in 1977. In September 1992, an FBI sniper killed the wife of Randy Weaver as she stood at the door of her family’s cabin in Idaho, unarmed and holding her ten-month-old baby. In April 1993, the FBI used a tank to attack the Davidian complex outside Waco, Texas, after a fifty-one day standoff. All seventy-six people inside died in the resulting fire. The FBI claimed for years that no incendiary devices were used in the assault, but an investigation by William Gazecki proved this to be false. In 1996 the FBI leaked the name of Richard Jewell in connection with the Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta. He was hounded mercilessly by the media. Ultimately he was completely exonerated. The FBI’s shady deals and shoddy work would ooze into the next century. An internal report in 2003 called into question thirty years of bullet sample evidence collected and analyzed by the Bureau. Yet a full year would pass before the FBI ended its corrupted practice, and not until 2007 would the agency identify the three decades of cases (!) affected and notify prosecutors that potentially flawed testimony was used. In the war on terror, the FBI has become associated with highly questionable tactics, providing encouragement and resources, even bribes, to manufacture “terrorist” suspects who later provide glowing headlines and boost budgets for the FBI. What place does a FBI have in a free society? No place. Reprinted from the Future of Freedom Foundation. *Scott McPherson is a policy adviser at the Future of Freedom Foundation, and author of Freedom and Security: The Second Amendment and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. An advocate of the Free State Project, he lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This article was published by the MISES Institute FacebookTweetPinLinkedInPrint Home » The FBI Is An Enemy Of Freedom – OpEd ← New Facebook Facial Recognition IDs You Even If Not Tagged Preventing Religious Conflict In Sierra Leone: Careful Balancing Act → The Mises Institute, founded in 1982, teaches the scholarship of Austrian economics, freedom, and peace. The liberal intellectual tradition of Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) and Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995) guides us. Accordingly, the Mises Institute seeks a profound and radical shift in the intellectual climate: away from statism and toward a private property order. 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__label__cc	0.659493	0.340507	Free Initial Consultation: (904) 551-4120 Tap Here To Call Us Law Offices of Ellis and Bryant, P.A. Home Contact Law Offices of Ellis and Bryant, P.A. EXPERIENCED. TRUSTED. RELIABLE. Over 18 Years Combined Legal Experience Divorce Attorneys Guiding Residents of the Jacksonville Area The divorce lawyers at Ellis and Bryant, P.A. represent clients in a wide range of family law matters. We understand how stressful divorce proceedings can be for everyone involved, and we work diligently to resolve these issues favorably for each client. Our Jacksonville spousal support lawyers have a strong track record of getting optimal results for many clients through negotiation and settlement when possible or via traditional litigation when needed. We are happy to guide clients through the legal process with experience and understanding, and we are committed to standing by the people whom we represent at every step of the way. The divorce process can be a strange and uncertain time for spouses preparing to go their own separate ways. Spousal support – or alimony – is designed to provide some financial stability for the spouse who receives the support. It allows the person to enjoy something similar to the standard of living that the spouses had during their marriage. The support can be ordered on a temporary or permanent basis, depending on the circumstances. A judge can also eliminate or change the amount of the support if there is a sufficient change in circumstances to justify the alteration, similar to the child custody modification process. Calculating Support The good news for divorcing spouses in Florida is that state law allows you to resolve a number of issues, like spousal support, custody arrangements, and property division, between yourselves without needing to leave the decision up to a judge. As long as the judge finds that the agreement is generally reasonable, it will be adopted by the court as part of the divorce judgment. If the divorcing spouses cannot resolve the issues on their own, however, the judge will typically hold a hearing, review evidence, and issue an order detailing the support to be paid, if any. Judges consider a number of factors in deciding whether to award support and how much support to award. These include the marital standard of living, the spouses’ financial resources, and the spouses’ educational levels and earning capacities. Courts also often consider the spouses’ health and health care needs, as well as their respective roles in the family during the course of the marriage. If a court is asked to reconsider the support award down the road, it looks at whether there has been a substantial change to the circumstances since the time of the order. A spousal support attorney in Jacksonville can advise you on how each of these factors may apply to your case. Types of Spousal Support There are four different types of spousal support under Florida law, each of which varies by duration. Temporary support is designed to be a patch for a divorcing spouse who needs short-term assistance. It covers the time from the separation until the court orders the divorce. Durational alimony is also short-term support. It covers a certain defined period after the divorce. Rehabilitative spousal support is also temporary, but it is specifically designed to help the receiving spouse get to a point at which the spouse can fend for him or herself financially. This support, for instance, may cover any time that the spouse needs to pursue a degree or get new job training. Finally, courts may order permanent spousal support in the case of a long-term marriage in which one divorcing spouse has little chance of becoming self-supporting. Each of the different types of alimony may be paid in a lump sum or monthly installments, depending on the circumstances. Discuss Your Needs and Goals with a Spousal Support Lawyer in Jacksonville At Ellis and Bryant, we are dedicated to resolving spousal or child support and other family matters efficiently and effectively. We make every effort to help our clients reach agreements with their former spouses when possible so that it is not left to a judge to decide the important issues that are often at stake in these cases. We take the time to understand the individual situation of each and every client. Our office is conveniently located at 2057N. Washington St. in Jacksonville. Call us at (904) 551-4120 or contact us online to speak with a Jacksonville spousal support attorney about your case today. We also represent people in Jacksonville Beach, Orange Park, Middleburg, and other communities in Duval and Clay Counties. Free Initial Consultation (904) 551-4120 Available 24/7 Enforcement and Contempt 207 N Washington St We serve clients throughout North Florida including those in the following localities: Duval County including Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville, and Jacksonville Beach; Clay County including Green Cove Springs, Keystone Heights, Lakeside, Middleburg, and Orange Park; Nassau County including Callahan, Fernandina Beach, and Yulee; and St. Johns County including Fruit Cove, Palm Valley, Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Augustine, and St. Johns. Spousal Support \| Jacksonville Alimony Lawyers Law Offices of Ellis and Bryant, P.A. Copyright © 2021, Law Offices of Ellis and Bryant, P.A.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line933
__label__cc	0.533063	0.466937	Public Release: 20-May-1999 'Energy Density' -- Not Fat -- Is Key To Feeling Full While Managing Weight University Park, Pa. - Eating your usual amount but selecting low energy density meals, which have fewer calories per ounce and contain lots of fruits, vegetables or grains, offers a way to cut back on calories and still leave the table feeling full and satisfied, a Penn State study suggests. Dr. Barbara Rolls, who holds the Guthrie Chair in Nutrition, directed the study. She says, "You need to eat a satisfying amount of food to control hunger. Fat can make food taste good but it doesn't necessarily make you feel satiated." The study is detailed in the May issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in a paper, "Energy density but not fat content of foods affected energy intake in lean and obese women." The authors are Rolls, Elizabeth A. Bell, doctoral candidate in nutrition; Victoria H. Castellanos, former postdoctoral student; Mosuk Chow, assistant professor of biostatistics; Christine L. Pelkman, doctoral candidate in biobehavioral health; and Michelle L. Thorwart, research technologist. "When we first started this study, we thought that fat played an important role in satiety. We found that, when you keep the calories and volume of food that a person eats fairly constant, you don't see any special effects for fat in terms of reducing hunger." Rolls, a faculty member in The College of Health and Human Development, added, "This experimental design closely resembles real-life situations in which a person who is concerned about his or her food intake may select some foods that are reduced in fat or calories but may also consume high-fat or high-calorie foods." The women who participated in the study ate breakfast, lunch and dinner in Penn State's nutrition laboratories four days a week for five weeks. The study included both lean and obese individuals between 18 and 45 years of age. While the obese individuals ate more overall than the lean ones, each of the women tended to eat the same amount of food every day even though they could have as much as they wanted of everything that was served. During two weeks of the five-week study, the women ate anything they wanted from the foods served so that the researchers could determine their usual caloric and food volume intake. However, during three of the study weeks, at each meal, each woman was served one compulsory entrée that contained about half her usual calorie intake. The calories, fat and energy density of the compulsory entrees were controlled so that the numbers of calories remained the same, but one week the entrée was low-fat, low-energy density; another week it was low-fat, high-energy density; and a third week high-fat, high-energy density. For example, if the entrée was pita pizza, to make a low-fat, low energy density version, the nutritionists added more tomatoes. In fact, the low-fat, low-energy density versions of the dishes contained on average nearly a third more food, in the form of fruits, vegetables, water or fiber, than the low-fat, high-energy density dishes even though both versions contained the same number of calories. After finishing the compulsory dish, the women could also eat as much as they wanted of a variety of side dishes to finish the meal. However, when the women ate the larger low-fat, low-energy density versions of the entrees, they ate less of the side dishes and snacks. In fact, they consumed 16 percent fewer calories during that study week. Nevertheless, they reported feeling as full and satisfied as when they consumed high-energy dense foods and more total calories. Whether the compulsory entrees were 16 percent fat or 36 percent fat didn't affect the participants' level of hunger or how much they ate. The only change that affected the women's eating habits was the variation in energy density. Rolls says that following your usual eating habits but modifying some favorite recipes to reduce the energy density would be a sensible way of applying these research findings in a home kitchen. For example, you could reduce energy density by adding more water to turn a casserole into soup, or add leaner meat, celery, extra tomatoes and mushrooms to chili to increase bulk but not calorie content. "People on diets often substitute pretzels for high-fat, high-calorie snacks. But pretzels have a low-water content and don't fill you up, so you eat more of them. A snack with higher water and fiber content, for example, an apple, would be a better choice," Rolls says. The research shows you don't need high fat food to feel full. In fact, your body's natural satiety sensors probably won't even notice if you reduce the amount of calories and fat in meals by adding more water and fiber - and eat larger portions. The research program was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the International Life Sciences Institute Foundation. EDITORS: Dr. Rolls is at 814-863-8481 or at bjr4@psu.edu by email. bah@psu.edu American Journal of Clinical Nutrition National Institutes of Health, International Life Sciences Institute Foundation DIET/BODY WEIGHT METABOLISM/METABOLIC DISEASES	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line934
__label__wiki	0.533957	0.533957	Innovaatio sells to Ishukone for surprising sum Innovaatio Varustukset, the military development corporation that was last week at the centre of a heated bidding war, has sold to Ishukone for a price of 680 billion ISK. The highest bid exceeded almost everyone’s expectations on the final sale price. Following an intense bidding war between almost all of the Caldari State MegaCorps, last week only three serious contenders remained: Ishukone, Lai Dai and Nugoeihuvi. After a tense round of final bids from the three corporations, it was revealed that Ishukone was the successful buyer. “It was natural that it ended up as high as it did,” remarked Sindri Hinrik, head of the Economics department at Science and Trade Institute, and one of the few who accurately predicted the final price. “It is a rarity; a small, independent, driven, and most importantly, successful corporation turning good figures in a period of predominantly poor ones. It was inevitable that it would be the focus of much demand.” The surprisingly high final price has generated speculation that a company’s ability to turn a profit in a period of widespread recession makes it a hot commodity, regardless of size. The successful bid for the minor independent development company exceeded many analysts’ expectations by roughly 200 billion ISK, representing a substantial increase in value far above most estimates. Others have argued, however, that given the final price, the particular nature of the research being carried out by Innovaatio may have also been an influential factor. One of the many rumours surrounding the company’s research programmes centres around a particularly valuable cloaking device prototype that allows for warp movement during operation. If these rumours prove true, then the final price surrounding the company’s sale is more easily understandable. In the current market climate, where a pod pilot’s only option for cloaked movement is the highly expensive covert operations device, a second, alternative module would be tremendously popular. The rumours of the cloaking device are just one of the most well known, and have never been officially confirmed or denied by the company. As the owner of many thousands of patents, and responsible for the successful claims on many hundreds more each year, Innovaatio is no stranger to speculation. The highly-secretive nature of it’s research programmes, coupled with it’s financial successes and key contracts with the Caldari Navy, and now the staggering final sale price of the company as well, these have all been factors that fuel current speculation that Innovaatio is not only capable of a technological breakthrough, but possibly on the verge of one right now. CEO of Innovaatio Markku Samuli, spoke briefly after the announcement of Ishukone’s successful bid, saying he was “tremendously pleased” with the final sum. Samuli plans to sign the company over officially to Ishukone shortly, at a public ceremony in New Caldari on April 7th, 20:00 Eve time. It is understood that representatives of the other MegaCorps involved in the bidding will be present there as well.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line936
__label__wiki	0.726442	0.726442	WHY THE EVENTS INDUSTRY NEEDS TO STOP TALKING ABOUT THAT POSTER You might have seen that poster regarding the events industry. It’s sparked a lot of controversies online. There are even rumours that Amazon’s Christmas advert is a direct response. The poster that I’m referring to is the government’s ‘Rethink. Reskill. Reboot’ advert. The poster features Fatima, a young ballerina, lacing her shoes in a traditional dance studio. Sounds good so far, right? I would forgive you for thinking that the government are celebrating the arts. The image sits alongside the words: ‘Fatima’s next job could be in cyber. (She just doesn’t know it yet)’. And it’s that short passage that is causing all the drama. The events industry have been campaigning for additional government support since they were forced to close back in March. As other industries, such as hospitality and tourism, began to reopen, vents were still waiting for a restart date. They are still waiting and with the second national lockdown looming, businesses in this sector aren’t expecting in-person shows to be back until late 2021. Problems started to arise when the government launched schemes like ‘Eat Out to Help Out’. It felt like they were supporting other industries by helping them recover from the loss of business from the first lockdown. The events industry still had no restart date and no support to keep them going. My company, Quadrant2Design, designs and builds exhibition stands. We have not raised an invoice since March. A study by Feast It found almost two-thirds of events businesses expect to be closed within six months. The furlough scheme was utilised but as that comes to an end the industry is preparing for 400,000 job losses. To survive, they are asking for a specific job support scheme for the live events supply chain and grants to be available for businesses affected. Their plight was ignored. The Survival Tour saw five music industry stalwarts cycle 1,500 km across the country to the UK’s iconic venues. Survival in the Square gathered industry professionals from all areas of events for a week of creative activations in parliament square. Thousands of letters have gone to MP’s and leading industry bodies are in talks with Oliver Dowden. All of this was to raise awareness of the plight facing the events industry and urge the government to save these businesses. But all of these activities have been overlooked. Then, in an interview with LBC, Edwina Currie said it made no ‘fiscal or political sense’ to offer financial support to the events industry. She acknowledged many companies would go out of business but declared you ‘cannot save all the puppies’. Rishi Sunak was then reported to have said those working in the arts would have to retrain. He never said those exact words and, after complaining to ITV, the editorial was changed to better reflect the interview. However, when Sunak announced his job support scheme which would offer payroll assistance to employees working 20% of their hours. The events industry is closed. Employees are unable to work 20% of their hours. Their jobs have been deemed unviable. As if being excluded wasn’t enough, Currie and Sunak had made the events industry feel rejected. And then someone found that poster. The poster looked like another attempt to point out how unviable the events industry is. Understandably, people weren’t happy. They took to social media to vent which led to more and more people witnessing the 18-month old advert for the first time. The poster went viral. The majority of individuals believed that the government was telling the arts to go and retrain. That is not the case. Fatima was part of a campaign that launched in 2019, before Covid-19 even had a name. The ‘Rethink. Reskill. Reboot.’ campaign was designed to encourage more young people into cybersecurity. Fatima wasn’t alone. Sophia, Dan, Justin and Will star in their own posters, displaying work environments such as retail, mechanics and hospitality. The idea was to encourage people from all walks of life to think about a career in cybersecurity. This campaign was run by QA, an online company that delivers training, tech and apprenticeships. The government were happy to support it because the UK currently has a shortage of cyber talent and an abundance of jobs in that industry. With women making up less than 20% of the global cybersecurity field, the government used a ballerina to appeal to that market. Is this not something we are supporting now? Women in STEM. The intention was never to single out the arts. I’m convinced that one year ago we would have commended Fatima’s poster. It appeals to an audience segment that not only wouldn’t have considered a career in cyber but also would have felt excluded from it. Now, for all you event profs that jumped on the bandwagon, let this be your lesson. Perspective is a funny thing. It’s hard to give the full picture when you have a character limit of 280 characters. Yes, the events industry is in desperate need for support. But this poster was not an attack. As an industry that already struggles with a gender divide, this is something that we should unite to support. More women in tech mean more female lighting designers and sound engineers. That’s a very small tip of a very small iceberg. Let’s change the meaning of #Fatima. Our industry has created a community spirit like never before and we have a voice. Let’s put it to good use while we wait for a restart date.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line937
__label__wiki	0.95608	0.95608	Coca-Cola, China's Mengniu Dairy sign Olympics sponsorship deal worth record $3B: Report By Thomas BarrabiFOXBusiness Coca-Cola 1Q earnings top estimates FBN's Ashley Webster breaks down Coca-Cola's first-quarter results. Coca-Cola and Chinese firm Mengniu Dairy on Monday announced a joint agreement to sponsor the Olympics through 2032 in a deal that is said to be worth a record $3 billion. The agreement extends Coca-Cola’s long-term sponsorship ties with the International Olympic Committee, which were set to expire after the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Coca-Cola’s partnership with Mengniu on a top-line sponsorship also marks the first time that the IOC has combined non-alcoholic beverages and dairy products into a joint sponsorship category. FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP: PRIZE MONEY AND OTHER KEY NUMBERS TO KNOW REDSKINS DENY OWNER DAN SNYDER SAILED YACHT TO CANNES TO FIND STADIUM SPONSOR “This long-term agreement is another demonstration of the relevance and stability of the Olympic Games in these times of uncertainty,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement. “Having our longest-standing partner, Coca-Cola, an iconic American brand, together with a young Chinese company, Mengniu, joining hands under the roof of our Worldwide TOP Programme is a great example of the unifying power of the Olympic spirit.” Coca-Cola and Mengniu have jointly committed as much as $3 billion in the deal in terms of sponsorship rights and spending on media and advertising, the Financial Times reported, citing a source with knowledge of the negotiations. The sponsorship itself is reportedly worth $1.5 billion. KO COCA-COLA COMPANY 48.52 -0.18 -0.38% Coca-Cola declined to say whether the report about the deal’s value was accurate. A joint press release said that the agreement, which spans six Olympic Games cycles and concludes in 2032, included “unprecedented investment and traditional and digital media to promote the Olympic values globally.” “We do not discuss the financial aspects of our sponsorship,” a company spokesperson said. Coca-Cola is the longest-running active sponsorship partner for the Olympics, with a relationship that dates back more than a century. “We are honored and privileged to be a part of the Olympic Movement that makes it possible for athletes from all over the world to come together to represent their nations, pursue their dreams and be a part of history,” Coca-Cola CEO and Chairman James Quincey said in a statement. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP Mengniu is one of China’s top producers of dairy products. The company’s CEO, Jeffrey Lu, said the Olympics sponsorship deal is a “vital step in our international strategy.” “Membership of the TOP Programme will act as a catalyst for Mengniu to grow around the world,” Lu said. Biden, Yellen not planning to weaponize US dollar for trade power Chicago nursing home network offers cash bonuses to employees who get COVID-19 vaccine	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line938
__label__wiki	0.919674	0.919674	Lee Dong Wook On 'Goblin' Success: 'It was Gong Yoo's drama' 'I've never thought something like, 'This result is my own.'' by Jacinda Lopez for Cosmo.ph \| May 21, 2020 We're loving the off-screen bromance! IMAGE Screenshot from tvN's "Goblin" via VIU In the latest issue of W Korea, Lee Dong Wook gave quite an honest interview which tackled the highs and lows of his decades-long career. According to Soompi, the 38-year-old South Korean actor, who's currently filming his latest drama The Tale Of Gumiho, spoke about the challenges he faces in breaking free from a character, his self-esteem issues, and whether or not he should continue playing cutesy roles in rom-coms (he believes he can still do it!). But the interview put a spotlight on the mega-success on his 2016 drama Goblin. In case you didn't know, Goblin held the title of the highest-rated tvN drama of all time for several years. Speaking of Goblin, Dong Wook shared, "At the time, honestly, I wasn't able to really feel how popular Goblin was. While the show was on, I was just so busy filming. It wasn't just me that was like that, many other actors would have been the same way." Although it was when he started getting more projects and offers that he realized how big the drama really was: "That's when I thought, 'It seems like I'm going to be busy now' and 'Things are going well because the drama was a success.'" Dong Wook was quick to note though that the success of Goblin isn't of his own doing—and he credits it to Goblin's lead star and real-life bestie Gong Yoo and the show's screenwriter Kim Eun Sook. "However, on one hand, I was cautious about not getting intoxicated by the happiness. I still say to other people and to Gong Yoo. 'Goblin is Gong Yoo's drama and writer Kim Eun Sook's drama.' It's important to create a good atmosphere, but I've never thought something like, 'This result is my own.'" He added, "The fact that people still talk a lot about Goblin shows that it was an interesting and great drama. It's my duty and my assignment to quickly break away from that." "At any rate, it's something that's over now, it's a past honor, and even more than that, it was Gong Yoo's drama." He spoke again of his best friend Gong Yoo when he opened up about a low point in his life after filming his 2018 drama Life. Dong Wook connected being strict on himself (in terms of being satisfied with his work) to his own self-esteem. "There was a time when I went through a severe slump and didn't leave my home for two to three months. It was after the end of the JTBC drama Life," he said. "I felt scared too about leaving the house. I felt like people would just point at me when they saw me, and I felt like no one was on my side. I got so deep into that feeling that I was at rock bottom. I didn't meet up with anyone and I just stayed at home or worked out." He then said that having supportive people around him, including Gong Yoo, eventually helped him heal, "When I was lost in thoughts about what was wrong with me, I was helped a lot by people who encouraged me by telling me I'm a good person. Gong Yoo was one of those people. I once again realized that even when going through a crisis and having a hard time, people are the important thing." Dong Wook and Gong Yoo were last seen on the small screen in December 2019 for Dong Wook's talk show Because I Want To Talk. The two also recently gave a sweet gesture to their Goblin co-star Kim Go Eun (whom they consider as their little sister!) when they sent a coffee truck to the set of her ongoing drama The King: Eternal Monarch. This story originally appeared on Cosmo.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Femalenetwork.com editors. More From FemaleNetwork.com Syn-00189 Goblin Lee Dong Wook Gong Yoo K-drama Fnhallyu K-drama Newbie Ultimate Hallyu Fan Oppas From Classic K-Dramas Who Still Make Your Heart Flutter Angel Locsin Is Raising Funds to Help With Mass Testing in the PH	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line939
__label__cc	0.739105	0.260895	Gain Capital Restates Financials Shifting Across Quarterly Results from 2015 The company's bottom line has not been affected in any way, as the shifts are entirely due to accounting Victor Golovtchenko \| Brokers ( Retail FX ) \| Tuesday, 03/05/2016 \| 13:21 GMT+2 2016-05-03T11:21:36+00:00 2016-05-08T09:03:36+00:00 Photo: Bloomberg, GAIN Capital's CEO Glenn Stevens [May 4th correction: The original version of this post has been updated with corrections reflecting that the restated net income had no material impact to the company’s 2015 full year results] GAIN Capital has reshuffled its quarterly results for 2015 according to a regulatory filing made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The brokerage has restated some of the key metrics within its quarterly reports, but the annual bottom line remained unchanged. For the full year of 2015 the company has reported that its net income totaled $10.27 million. The figures in unchanged when compared to the full year results reported by GAIN Capital quarter by quarter. The firm’s bottom line in Q1 2015 and in Q3 2015 has been revised lower, while Q2 2015 and Q4 2015 have been revised higher. GAIN Capital’s 2015 bottom line remains unaffected, Data Source: GAIN Capital Holdings Looking at the revenue figures reported by the company, the revisions have been negligent. Net income numbers for the first quarter have been restated to $5.45 million from $8.33 million. For the second three months of 2015 GAIN Capital revised its loss from $8.83 million to $7.11 million. The adjustments for the second half of the year include a restatement in net income for the third quarter from $8.3 million when reported to $0.97 million, while for the final quarter of the year the company restated its net income from $2.46 million to $10.95 million.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line942
__label__wiki	0.807482	0.807482	Home › The Cross and the Switchblade/Run Baby Run Special Edition DVD The Cross and the Switchblade/Run Baby Run Special Edition DVD Dove Approved: Dove Approved Ages 12+ The Cross and the Switchblade/Run Baby Run DVD is a double-feature containing two incredible films about David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz, and Cruz's incredible journey out of drug abuse and gang violence to a fulfilling life in Christ. Both movies based on books, these two films complement each other perfectly, giving incredible insights into Nicky's past in the first film, and an encouraging look at what became of his future in the second movie. While produced at different times and featuring different cast members, the two movies work well together to provide a complete and fleshed-out narrative. Learn about Nicky Cruz's incredible experience and see how the transformative power of Christ changed his life forever and sent him on a new and exciting journey. Produced in 1970, The Cross and the Switchblade is a drama starring Erik Estrada about Pastor David Wilkerson's ministry into the drug and gang culture. It's a story of hope and redemption and shows the incredible true story of how Wilkerson was able to change the hearts of the men on the streets including a young man by the name of Nicky Cruz. And later produced in 1998, Run Baby Run is a thrilling retelling of Nicky Cruz's life, and features the incredible true story of his conversion from vicious gang leader to a renewed man in Christ. It chronicles his journey from anger to finding peace in salvation and even shows the incredible things he was able to do with his life going forward. The Cross and the Switchblade The Cross and the Switchblade is based on the book by David Wilkerson, which chronicles his first 5 years of his ministry. Wilkerson felt his call was to travel to New York City and spend several years there going out onto the streets and preaching to those caught up in gang violence and drugs. While he knew it would be a difficult job and even dangerous at times, he knew this is what he needed to be doing with his life. He felt a call from God to evangelize to these poor, unreached youth and show them that there is a better way to live life. It's a story not only of Wilkerson's amazing experiences, but of redemption, grace, and forgiveness. In the film and in the book, Wilkerson explains the attitudes of these young boys, how they're broken and defeated and simply can't see a way out of their current situation. He explains that they feel hopeless, that their lives are ruined and that they must learn to accept their difficult lives on the streets. That's why Wilkerson felt the call to reach out to them, and to tell them that there is hope; there is a way out! So, Wilkerson did what he felt called to do. He left his comfort zone, travelled to New York and spent many, many nights wandering the streets doing everything he could to reach out to the lost and distraught youth. One of the men he met on his travels was Nicky Cruz, a young man who was completely caught up in drugs, gangs, and all of the horrors of the city night life. Cruz, played by Erik Estrada in this film, is depicted as being down and distraught and ready to give up on his life. Until he meets Pastor David Wilkerson. When Wilkerson began to explain the message of salvation and God's plan for Nicky, he was deeply touched and chose to give his life over to God. This was a remarkable experience that forever changed Nicky Cruz's life. And the most encouraging thing about the story was what Nicky went on to do afterwards. Rather than reverting back to his old life after a time, he continued to press on in his faith, even reaching out and evangelizing to other people that were in his situation. The Cross and the Switchblade is a powerful story about the impact one man had on a New York City night life and how he was able to help men and pull them out of their world of drugs and gangs. The story is an encouraging one of forgiveness and hope, and how we all have a God-given plan for a better and newly restored life. Run Baby Run Run Baby Run is the incredible true story of Nicky Cruz, told from his perspective. We learn about his vicious gang leading in the 1950's and see him as the head of one of the most brutal gangs, the Mau Maus. Nicky was a young man who hated everyone and everything, and this powerful movie begins his story by spotlighting his difficult childhood in Puerto Rico, and then his horrific life shortly after when he became teenager and began his vicious rebellion. The only family Nicky had at this point in his life was his gang family, and this was most certainly not a good group for him to be hanging around. This movie is based on Cruz's autobiography, also titled Run Baby Run, and follows a similar structure, explaining his story. Cruz's story is a dramatic one and it features his dramatic battle fighting against drugs, violence, and even alcoholism. Although his story is incredible and dramatic, it's also sadly not unique. There are countless numbers of young men today that are experiencing the same things as Nicky. This is why Cruz has dedicated his life to evangelizing to these men as well, hoping to pull as may people out of this dark situation as he can. Cruz understands that he doesn't want these men to go through the same thing he went through. The Cross and the Switchblade/Run Baby Run DVD Set is a special two-disc collection that released in 2012, hoping to spread the message of David Wilkerson's incredible ministry and Nicky Cruz's powerful battle against his addictions and struggles. This is a message for all to see, as it contains stories of hope, redemption and ultimate forgiveness. No matter where you are at in your life, God can still pull you out of your situation. This DVD is a reminder that there will always be hope.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line947
__label__cc	0.532546	0.467454	The King of R&B Gets Even More Real with a Memoir By Flavorwire Staff R.Kelly never really struck us as one to hold back. With 10 studio albums (most recently last week’s warmly received Untitled), a 22 chapter hip-hopera, and more sexcapades than we care to count, he’s taken us from the bedroom to the courtroom, from the basketball court to the barber shop, and from depths of the jungles to the far reaches of outer space. It’s hard to imagine that he has left much territory uncovered, and with his patented style of real talk, no less. And yet, yesterday’s announcement of a memoir has us on the edge of our seats once more. To be released sometime in 2011, and co-written by David Ritz (who’s worked with Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, and Aretha Franklin in the past), the book will detail the loss of his mother and his lengthy legal battle against child pornography charges, as well as offer insight on his consistent and consistently creative musical impulses. “I am writing this book as Robert, not R.Kelly,” he announces in a press release, “I’m tired of being misunderstood. I will show you the tears, fears and sweat. I will open my heart and reveal the good in my life as well as all the drama.” Real talk, for sure, this can’t be anything but interesting. For an artist of such impressive consistency, Kells has continued to attract attention throughout his near two decade career. His sexed up, slow grinding style hasn’t really changed a whole lot between 1993’s “Bump and Grind” and this year’s “Pregnant” — and that isn’t a bad thing. A living icon, he’s safely earned his self-anointed King of R&B title, carving a place for himself in musical history with his slow-grinding R&B, and opening the door for a line of successful proteges (Usher and The-Dream, most obviously). His bold speak-croon lyricism and unusual lifestyle choices (his eye for design, being a more, uh, innocent one) however, seem to have kept things fresh and kept us listening. What surprises might this latest creative endeavor hold? One can really only imagine. Perhaps he could comment on Tiger Woods’ latest fiasco, lend a word of more experienced wisdom. A six-degrees of separation type web could be fun, as might a running count of panties he’s received on stage. And for interested parties, it could be helpful to know what kind of qualities a girl might need to end his lifetime of adolescent-like bachelorhood — you know, just in case. Basically, there is no way this memoir will be less than (with all that Kells-esque hyperbolic charm) the greatest.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line949
__label__cc	0.583119	0.416881	MINISTRY & OUTREACH Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Venice, FL is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God's grace. Liberated by our faith, we embrace you as a whole person--questions, complexities and all. Join us as we do God's work in Christ's name for the life of the world. 790 S Tamiami Trail Temporary office hours: M-Th 8:30am-12noon info@emmanuel-elca.org © 2023 Proudly created by Kimberly Duke	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line950
__label__cc	0.542635	0.457365	Guest Commentary: State legislation impacts OUSD By Brenda Lebsack Every year, school board members are invited to attend a statewide conference, which the Orange Unified Board attended in December 2017 in San Diego. The workshops offered pertain to public education. They talk about laws and trends impacting curriculum, governance, budgets and the gamut. I believe parents may want to know about some of the more recent laws that may impact their children’s instructional day. AB-329, Calif. Healthy Youth Act: Passed in October 2015, it is a revision to the state’s Comprehensive Sexual Health Education legislation. The main change is an added component that says: “sexual orientation/gender identity instruction taught in grades 7-12. Parents may opt their child out of the sexual reproduction or HIV prevention instruction, but may NOT opt out of the sexual orientation/gender identity instruction.” The rational for not allowing an opt-out is that “instruction prevents bullying and harassment.” OUSD is piloting an online health/sex-ed course called APEX for ninth graders. Approximately 1,700 students have taken it. Brea Olinda Unified School District and Fullerton Joint Union High School District are also using APEX. The board will make a decision about adoption in March or April. Calif. Family Code Section 6925: Minors of any age can leave school with an excused absence to receive contraceptives or an abortion without parental consent. Calif. Healthy Youth Act: For grades seven to 12 ... information about local resources (such as Planned Parenthood), how to access local resources, and pupils’ legal rights to access local resources for sexual and reproductive health care must be given. OUSD is currently looking into a curriculum called Teen Talk that helps meet these new state requirements. Irvine also uses Teen Talk. If you have questions about the curriculum fulfilling these laws, go to casafeschools.org under the tab “about the law.” SB-48: This bill, passed in July 2011, requires instruction in social sciences to include a study of the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other cultural groups to the development of California and the United States. It applies to grades K-5, 8, 9, 11, and 12. It is up to school districts to decide how SB-48 is implemented. According to the law, parents do not have to be notified about when this instruction is given. This has been on hold because the California Department of Education just adopted 10 new textbooks in compliance wtih SB-48. Individual district budgets will determine when these new social studies textbooks can be purchased, but districts can stay compliant through supplemental resources available online. SB-677: Data collection questions about sexual orientation and gender orientation can no longer be omitted in the California Healthy Kids Survey when collecting other demographic information. The law requires state departments to collect data also on teacher credential applicants about their sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill was passed in October of last year. OUSD does not use the Calif. Healthy Kids Survey, so it does not apply to us. AB-119: Districts are mandated to give teacher and classified local unions all personal contact information of all employees and new hires (cell number, address, email address). This update is to be done every three months. Unions must be given the right to participate in the new-hire orientation. (Passed, June 2017.) According to our district bylaws “...the Board of Education believes that its primary responsibility is to act in the best interests of every student in the District. The Board also has major commitments to parents/guardians, all members of the community, employees, the state of California, laws pertaining to public education, and established policies of the District.” As mentioned in the workshops and discussions, school board trustees are learning how to navigate these new waters in order to comply with state mandates, while also striving to reflect the sensibilities of the community. Brenda Lebsack is a trustee, representing Area 6 on the OUSD Board of Education.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line952
__label__cc	0.639488	0.360512	info@gammabeyond.com #007 – Autism and the Untapped Potential /w Rebecca Beam & Chad Hahn  Kategorie Podcast Episode Contents In this episode we will answer some of the following questions: What misconceptions there are surrounding autism and what misconception’s Rebecca had when she took on the role as the CEO of auticon US Where autists outpreform neurologically typical employees and what types of challenges they face How auticon employs autistic individuals to solve some of the most complex problems for their clients and how they provide them with cutting-edge solutions What auticon‘s training process for people on the spectrum looks like What accommodations need to be made for people on the spectrum and how companies need to change their interview and hiring process to employ a more neurodivese workforce What intelligence agencies and large corporations around the world already have neurodiverse programs and how they are leveraging people with disabilities for their purpose Why not more companies are hiring people on the spectrum How companies need to stop focusing solely on social skills and experience during their hiring process Why people on the spectrum produce better managers and in some cases are better managers themselves Why every company should employ neurodiverse talents and what recommendations my guests have for companies wanting to employ a more neurodiverse workforce And finally, why this area will be the next big wave of innovation. In order to tackle some of the most complex challenge we face as a human species, we need all people with vastly different talents, background and skillets involved - it doesn't matter if these talents have disabilities or disorders. The time where we could be picky on who to include has definitely passed. Sure, we humans are hard-wired to like people who are similar to us. But in today‘s world that is becoming ever more complex, we need people from all walks of life that are not only different, but also think and yes, might even act very different from ourselves. There is no shortage of talent - only a lack of imagination to include those people who currently don‘t fit nicely into companies’ standardized interview process so they can tick off those boxes that lie to them in reaffirming their candidate is the right fit for the company. There‘s a famous aphorism that says „Beggars can‘t be choosers!“ If companies are complaining about a shortage of talent and they’re not willing to adapt their hiring, let alone their interview process, but on the other side there are so many untapped talent pools out there, companies have absolutely no right complaining. What about older professionals that are above 50 years of age, which German companies in particular love to discriminate against. And why are companies still expecting the date of birth on CVs? What possible insights do you expect from that information other than to discriminate against older professionals. Why not just substitute the DOB with the candidate shoes size? Or think of mothers in maturity leave. Most companies are pretty slow in allowing employees to work from home. Why not let employees take care of their children and work from home. Shouldn‘t the result by itself matter and not where and how employees achieve these results? Remember, the time before there was online banking? Does it really matter from where you do your banking nowadays? Of course it doesn't. So why don‘t you apply the same thinking with your most valuable asset companies have? Rebecca & Chad dismantled almost every possible excuse companies like yourself could have to avoid hiring neurodiverse people. If companies are not quite ready yet to hire such people, they can outsource their projects to companies such as auticon, Passwerk and other and have these talents solve your complex problems or have these talents work along side their current teams and gain some experience with working with neurodiverse people. For companies to be able to hire people of all walks of life, not just autism or any other disability, they need to stop solely relying on social skills when it comes to hiring. Companies need to stop the compulsive behaviour of forcing or retraining people on the spectrum to behave more like non-autistic people and change your interview process. Remember, the list of things you are not supposed to do in a job interview is practically a definition of autism, as Steve Silberman, the author of Neurotribes, a book which looks at the evolution of autism, said so eloquently. Companies don’t need to say they require X no. years of this or that, or the other, or these degrees and certifications, because, sorry to break it to HR people, at the end of the day those things have very little correlation with on-the-job performance for anyone. Especially in a more volatile and uncertain world. The Florida State University reviewed 81 studies to look for a link between an employee’s prior work experience and his/her performance in a new organization. They found no significant correlation between the two. Even when people had completed tasks, held roles, or worked in functions or industries relevant to their current ones, it did not translate into better performance. The conclusion? Experience doesn’t predict a new hire’s success. Chad is another good example of this. Remember at the beginning of the interview, he mentioned, he didn't have any experience in social work, but was able to solve a pressing problem his wife had, that actually had extensive experience and formal training in social work? But yet, Chad with his very different background and his personal experience with autism, he was able to solve this problem. Often it takes people from a very different backgrounds to solve a very big problem. Even the inventor of the digital camera, Steven Sasson once famously said: Innovation best comes from people who really know nothing about the topic. Companies need to focus on strengths not deficits! And look for two things during and interview process: 1. Coachability: give someone feedback and see how they do. 2. Learning agility: Throw a bunch of new tools at someone and see how well they can learn it. And as a result companies can take someone, who has never done the thing that a company is hiring for, they have very high degree of confidence that they’ve found someone that will not only be good at their job but great at it. Large companies such as SAP and Microsoft are leading the pack with their neurodiversity programs. In 2013 SAP launched a program where they currently employ 160 autists, across 13 countries. And SAP’s Autism at Work program has a 90% retention rate of hires on the autism spectrum because it creates a system of support around those employees. Similar results can be found at Microsoft. And, it even makes better managers - as these companies have proven. If governmental agencies such as the GCHQ and the Israeli army have neurodivese programs, why can‘t private companies? To address those out there listening that feel out of place, see under appreciated, different, have a disorder or a disability, be encouraged by the following: You should look at yourself as a color. You may not be everybody‘s favourite, but one day you will meet someone or a company who needs YOU to complete their picture (or their team). There‘s also a famous quote that says: The razor blade is sharp but can’t cut a tree; the axe is strong but can’t cut the hair. Essentially meaning that everyone is important according to his or her own unique purpose. So no one should ever look down on anyone unless they’re admiring their shoes as the old adage goes. You’re perfect just the way you are, you shouldn’t feel the need for any blending or social camouflaging. Links & Resources Mentioned MindSpark auticon Germany (HQ) auticon US (Twitter \| Instagram \| Facebook \| LinkedIn) SAP’s Autism at Work: Encouraging Neurodiversity in the Workplace Microsoft’s Autism Hiring Program Articles Mentioned The Guardian: How do you solve the trickiest problems in the workplace? Employ more autistic people BBC: The firm whose staff are all autistic The New York Times: Open Office - What happens when people who have trouble fitting into a traditional workplace get one designed just for them? BBC (Radio Interview): The Firm Where Everyone Has Autism Fortune: As Workers Become Harder to Find, Microsoft and Goldman Sachs Hope Neurodiverse Talent Can Be the Missing Piece WIRED: CEOs finally get it. Staff on the autism spectrum are a huge asset Fast Company: 75% of staff at this successful IT company are on the autism spectrum The Guardian: The Danish beermakers brewing up work for autistic people Los Angeles Daily News: These training programs steer adults on the autism spectrum into high-tech jobs in coding and computer animation The Atlantic: The Israeli Army Unit That Recruits Teens With Autism Inc.: This Company Invented a Genius HR Tactic for Remote Workers - or Anyone Books Mentioned Neuroscience of Personality: Brain Savvy Insights for All Types of People from Dario Nardi The Cathedral & the Bazaar: Musings On Linux And Open Source By An Accidental Revolutionary, from Eric S. Raymond NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently Videos Mentioned The Guardian: The Party: a virtual experience of autism – 360 video Stereotypes about autism in the workplace SAP Autism at Work Overview Video Studies Mentioned The power of autism, Nature (November 2011, Vol. 479) Diagnosed autism is more common in an IT-rich region - Research provides important insight into “systemizing” theory of autism, University of Cambridge Experience Doesn’t Predict a New Hire’s Success, The Harvard Business Review auticon Passwerk Max Masius Rod Collins (Innovation Director at Salt Flats) Dario Nardi (Owner and CEO of Radiance House) Steve Silberman (author of NeuroTribes) Steven Sasson (Inventor of the first self-contained digital camera) Follow/Add the Podcast Host/Guest on: David C. Luna: LinkedIn \| XING \| Rebecca Beam (President at auticon US) LinkedIn \| Twitter Chad Hahn (Founder of MindSpark Inc.) E-Mail LinkedIn \| Twitter Episode Transcript - Click to Expand Note: This transcript of the episode was machine-generated and has not been edited for correctness. It’s provided for your convenience when searching. Please excuse any errors. [00:00:00] Guest (Chad Hahn): I really think the next wave of innovation is going to be around human capital, the management, not necessarily technology advancement, which we know will continue and likely accelerate, but it's how do we as individuals? How do we, as humans capitalize on that and how do we allocate our human capital in the right way? [00:00:18] And in many respects, it's the notion of what our director of innovation, a gentlemen named rod Collins terms as. Collective intelligence, right? Getting the greatest ideas from the greatest group of people. And I think that's why you see so much interest in neurodiversity. [00:00:38] Host (David C. Luna): Welcome to innovation, no correctness, a podcast, all about innovation and transformation hosted by David Luna, author [00:00:46] Guest (Rebecca Beam): keynote speaker and founder [00:00:48] Host (David C. Luna): of gamma digital [00:00:49] Guest (Rebecca Beam): and beyond [00:00:50] Host (David C. Luna): David and his guests discuss [00:00:51] Guest (Rebecca Beam): real world practical advice. On how to best harness the creativity of your employees and go from idea to product, giving you unique [00:01:00] perspectives and insights into their success [00:01:02] Host (David C. Luna): all while [00:01:02] Guest (Rebecca Beam): separating, hype from reality [00:01:04] Host (David C. Luna): and replacing bullshit. [00:01:05] Bingo. With common sense, let's jump right into the show. Welcome back to another episode of the innovation correctness podcast. I'm not going to lie. I've been looking forward for quite some time and making this episode. So in this episode, we'll cover some of the following questions, what misconceptions there are surrounding autism and what misconceptions Rebecca had when she took over on the role as CEO of Otter con us. [00:01:31] Where artists outperform neurological typical employees, and what types of challenges they face, how auto and employees, autistic individuals to solve some of the most complex problems for their clients and how they provide them with cutting edge solutions. What are the cons training process for people on the spectrum looks like, and what types of accommodations need to be made for people on the spectrum and how companies need to change their interviewing. [00:01:55] Hiring process to employ a more neuro diverse workforce. What [00:02:00] intelligence agencies and large corporations around in the world already have no diverse programs and how they are leveraging people with disabilities for their purpose. Why not more companies are hiring people on the spectrum? How companies need to stop focusing solely on social skills and experience during their hiring process and why people on the spectrum produce. [00:02:18] Better than managers. And in some case are even better managers themselves. Why every company should employ neurodiverse talents and what recommendations my guests have for companies wanting to employ a more NuOrder diverse workforce. And finally, why this area will be the next big wave of innovation. [00:02:35] My guests today are Rebecca beam and Chad Hahn, who are involved in the founding of mind spark, which now belongs to other con auto Kahn is an international technology consulting company that exclusively employees. Adults on the autism spectrum. As it consultants, they provide services such as quality managements, including transformation, migration, data analytics, data now security and deep web analysis, as well [00:03:00] as compliance out of condoms based in Berlin it's headquarters. [00:03:03] And yeah, currently employs more than 200 people around 150 of whom are on the autism spectrum. Our account also has offices in. The UK United States, Germany, France what's land and Italy, DOK Musk, who has a son on the autism spectrum launched out of Khan back in 2011. The launch was actually inspired by the Belgian company called Pacific other kinds concept to employ people on the autism spectrum. [00:03:28] As technology consultants has since been acknowledged internationally, and they have received numerous awards, which include the IQ award sitcoms innovation of pitch award. New work award, social enterprise, UK word, just to name a few. And even sir, Richard Branson himself has invested into AutoCAD. And then in 2018, Oticon acquired mind spark. [00:03:50] So to introduce my two guests briefly, Rebecca beam is president of auto con U S. She oversees the operations for the company and is responsible for the [00:04:00] domestic growth of the company. She is not only a tech veteran of Silicon Valley's tech sector since 1998, but her career also included senior leadership roles, sourcing and developing human capital for some of the leading tech firms, including fortune 500 companies as one of the shareholders and advisory board members of mine spark in 2014, she became very passionate about improving the 80% unemployment rate amongst people on the autism spectrum and the need for these talented individuals to be employed. [00:04:30] Chad Han is a partner overseeing the digital and technology practice or intimidate advisors. He's also a serial entrepreneur with 20 years of experience having sold two successful businesses. And he's also founded mind spark now, auto con, which unlocks the talents of people with development disabilities by teaching them software QA testing and employing them on enterprise projects. [00:04:54] And just a quick reminder, I want to make this podcast much more interactive. So what does that mean? You can either [00:05:00] suggest a guest or topic or send your feedback via email, or even better as a voice message. This allows me to add your feedback to the podcast where all listeners can profit from your feedback and my response. [00:05:12] Just go to innovational correctness.com and click on either suggest guests or topic or leave voice message. Or if you prefer just send an email to info@gammabeyond.com. Also stay tuned until the end where I as always tried to reflect on the interview and extract the key takeaways for you without further ado, let's jump right into the interview. [00:05:36] Welcome to the podcast, Rebecca and Chad [00:05:39] Guest (Chad Hahn): are very happy to be here. [00:05:40] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Thank you, David. [00:05:41] Host (David C. Luna): Thank you for having us glad to have you, before we start, would you mind introducing yourselves to listeners? [00:05:46] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Sure. I'll start. so I am the U S president of audit econ. I started with mine spark, which was acquired by audit in June of 2018. [00:05:58] My background is in [00:06:00] staffing and helping people start their careers and build their careers in technology. And I do personally believe that there's a job out there for everybody. To take their talents and skills and apply them in the workplace and meaningful jobs. And so when Chad introduced me into mind spark, when he had founded it and asked me to come and help, I saw this overlooked population that we're so smart and so capable and not able to get jobs. [00:06:33] It hit my heart heavily. And I, it became a passion of mine to work with individuals on the autism spectrum and help them start their careers in tech and build their career. [00:06:43] Guest (Chad Hahn): My background's in technology consulting. I've been heavily involved in the technology space for over 20 years. I started in. [00:06:51] Technology straight out of college. I'm also a bit of a serial entrepreneur. And one of the ventures that I co founded was mine [00:07:00] spark. And it was this notion of certainly we'll be talking a lot about it, of creating job opportunities for autism spectrum disorder. And that's how rec Rebecca and I got involved in this particular space. [00:07:12] And she and I have known each other for many years. Like I'd say Rebecca, we've probably known each other for 20 years. [00:07:17] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Probably more. [00:07:21] Host (David C. Luna): So made you start mind spark in the first place. Did you have someone in the family with autism or what led to that decision? [00:07:29] Guest (Chad Hahn): It was actually my wife, she's a social worker. [00:07:32] She runs a nonprofit that provides independent living support services for people with developmental disabilities. And, I started to get introduced to a lot of people that she was working with. who are diagnosed with autism and I was very naive about it, autism spectrum disorder at the time. [00:07:49] And I just remember thinking how intelligent everybody I met was and how it seemed odd to me that my wife would express frustration [00:08:00] about how hard it was for these individuals to get jobs and thinking that it just doesn't jive with the experience I have with them. And in learning more about the, about autism and about the capabilities of people I was meeting, I translated that in yeah. [00:08:15] To STEM fields and the technology world that I live in and thought, I wonder if there's a way that we can train and improve boy, these individuals to perform software testing. Which is part of technology that requires the very skill set. Did it look like these individuals had, pattern recognition, attention to detail and that sort of thing. [00:08:33] And that's really how the idea started [00:08:35] Host (David C. Luna): basically saw potential in people with this condition and tried to apply it in a practice. [00:08:43] Guest (Chad Hahn): Yes. And there's a, an interesting anecdote that I often talk about when I talk about how mine sparks started, one of the individuals that. my wife introduced me to was gentlemen named max Matius. [00:08:55] And when I first met him and shook his hand, he asked [00:09:00] me a question. He said, what's your birthday. He didn't say hello or anything else, you just say, what's your birthday? And so I gave him my birthday and he told me the day of the week I was born on, I just calculated it. This had, and it turns out that he's a calender and we don't want to perpetuate any stereotypes about, individuals with autism being savant and the whole rain man concept. [00:09:19] But that really stuck with me. And I thought to myself, if there was any way to harness the capabilities of these people, it certainly was demonstrated through that anecdote. [00:09:29] Host (David C. Luna): We mentioned autism quite a few times, and before we continue, it would probably help the listeners to know what autism exactly is and how that say differs from Aspbergers. [00:09:40] Many people can maybe put a. A finger on it, but can't really explain what autism is. So would you mind explaining those terms and if autism is even the correct term to use, [00:09:51]Guest (Rebecca Beam): autism is a developmental condition that affects information processing, it's diagnosed through a qualitative differences in social [00:10:00] interaction, communication, repetitive behaviors, and our interests. [00:10:04]it's a spectrum condition. So that means that. there are different traits and people can have a combination of those traits. Asperger's is no longer recognized diagnosis here in the U S it's been brought into the DSM. So autism spectrum disorder can be with, or without speech or language delay. [00:10:24] And when Asperger's was a diagnosis, it was without speech or language delay. but now it's part of the full spectrum, at audit con We believe and really listening to our employees and how they would like to be referred to as a whole. And we found that most individuals on the spectrum want to have be for PR referred to identity first, meaning autistic, rather than someone with autism and our employees here. [00:10:54] Prefer to be referred to, as someone on the spectrum are autistic. [00:10:58] Host (David C. Luna): So someone on the spectrum is [00:11:00] the correct or more acceptable form of addressing somebody with autism, [00:11:05] Guest (Rebecca Beam): correct. That are autistic, rather than someone with autism. [00:11:09] Host (David C. Luna): Maybe someone can also explain to the listeners what it's like being on the spectrum. [00:11:14] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Neither chatter. I are on the spectrum. So me personally, I could not answer that people that I've worked with, I do see that many, maybe have social anxiety, our anxiety of some sort, when you've met one person on the spectrum, you've met one person. So just like us, everybody's different and everybody experiences things differently. [00:11:37] I. Can see some commonality in some of our employees, for example, light sensitivity to sound and Jen overall, anxiety and in some situations. [00:11:50] Guest (Chad Hahn): And I think it's also worth mentioning that we shouldn't think of a spectrum as linear it's fairly multi-dimensional. So each trait represents a dimension [00:12:00] where autistic individuals. [00:12:01] Can fall on some end of that spectrum for that trait, whether it's audio sensitivity to light social anxieties, what have you. So it's fairly multi-dimensional and people shouldn't think of it as you're either on one end of the spectrum or the other. [00:12:18] Host (David C. Luna): Now, some of the listeners might come across the term high functioning artists. [00:12:21] Can you explain what that exactly is? [00:12:24] Guest (Chad Hahn): Sure. In my time, with mine spark and working with auto ICAN and just learning more about the autism community is that there's a general rejection of. Functional labels. So the label, high functioning versus low functioning and rather, focusing on the individual and their identity. [00:12:42] However, I will say that the general, I guess the general definition of a high functioning, autistic is somebody that has strong verbal language and can generally pass as non autistic might also think of. These individuals as, not having any cognitive or behavior [00:13:00] issues, but maybe more social anxieties that are actually quite prevalent, amongst the general population. [00:13:05] Host (David C. Luna): So Jen, you just mentioned the movie, the rain man. How accurate are Hollywood movies such as the rain man, the accountant in portraying people on the spectrum? What do they get? And where do they completely missed the Mark? [00:13:17] Guest (Chad Hahn): The stereotype perpetuated by those movies is that an autistic individual is a savant of some sort. [00:13:25] And that's why I often hesitate to, talk about that anecdote because I don't want to perpetuate the stereotype. The one about max Matius and being a calendars savant. Having said that, savant syndrome, I think that's what it's called is, a completely separate thing from autism in general. [00:13:42] I think Hollywood is getting better, through new TV shows and movies that. At creating a more accurate portrayal of autistic individuals. I would say the vast majority, that of autistic individuals that we've worked with, that we've gotten to know. they're not savant. If they [00:14:00] are of some sort, it's really amazing. [00:14:02]it's just, a wonder to behold, but that's more the exception than the rule. It's probably a vast exception. [00:14:08] Host (David C. Luna): Yeah. And I think it comes back to us humans, having the desire in the natural process, wanting to categorize things in people, essentially simplifying the world around us. So this categorization is a natural cognitive process. [00:14:23] If you will, where we place individuals into social groups, be it man, versus woman black person versus an Asian or a white person. And just as we categorize. Different objects. We categorize people into social groups or memberships, and when we do so we start to begin to respond to those peoples as members of a social group, rather than individuals. [00:14:45] And that's sometimes a quite hard thing to not forget, [00:14:48]Guest (Chad Hahn): Hollywood's job is to sell the notion of a hero, And the hero has super powers. And if you're going to portray somebody as a savant, they've got a mind superpower. And we know [00:15:00] in reality it's quite different. Of course, Hollywood movies are meant to suspend our disbelief, so they just have a different job. [00:15:07] Host (David C. Luna): What are some other misconceptions? The general public has about people on the spectrum. [00:15:12] Guest (Rebecca Beam): So we recently did a video on stereotypes, and we asked this question of our autistic staff and. The answers came back, that maybe we're perceived as lazy or that we don't want to work, or that we can't do well in the workplace that we're either intellectually disabled our geniuses. [00:15:34] So these are some of the feedback that we got from our own staff. I think some of the other misconceptions that only boys or men can be autistic. And there are many women who are diagnosed less than boys, but we're finding that. It could be because of the diagnosing criteria. Some people believe it's something that they'll grow out of, or that it's a disease that can be cured and all of these are misconceptions. [00:15:58] Host (David C. Luna): So I'll be sure to link [00:16:00] that video in the show notes below. So Rebecca, when you took over Oticon U S I assume not all things went smoothly and maybe you had some misconceptions of yourself about people on the spectrum, not having. Worked with them before. So what were some of these mistakes or misconceptions you had and what did you learn from them? [00:16:17] Maybe you can share some of them with the listeners. [00:16:19] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Sure. one of the first mistakes I made was when I joined the company, I decided to do some house cleaning and redecorate and paint walls. And I did that over a weekend. So the employees came into a new environment on, on Monday. And what I didn't realize. [00:16:37] Is that change can be quite challenging for some individuals on the autism spectrum. And that change was very radical. So many didn't like the color or many, expressed, their dislike of. The change in general. So I learned that you're going to make changes like that. You need to prepare your staff in [00:17:00] advance so that they can expect it and they know what's coming. [00:17:03] I also learned that it's an incredibly important to treat. Each person as an individual and to get to understand them as a person, and that relates to accommodations. So if you, if one person needs something that doesn't mean the other person needs the same thing. So learning how to manage from a compassionate and individualized. [00:17:26] Perspective was very important. And I think that in itself is what has made this environment so very special for our staff. [00:17:36] Host (David C. Luna): So there's also been a lot of research that shows that artists aren't perform neurological, typical children and adults in a wide range of perceptional tasks, such as spotting patterns in distracting environments. [00:17:49] And according to an article on nature, which I'll also link in the show notes below. They also aren't performed in auditory tasks, such as discriminating sound pitches, detecting visual structures and [00:18:00] dimensionally manipulating complex, three D shapes. Where else do artists generally outperform people that are not on the spectrum? [00:18:07] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Yeah. So here, pattern spot bring in just general attention to detail. Male is, you know what ha I found that's making our analysts so great at quality assurance. I like to say they are wired to be better. We see our employees. They're extremely goal oriented. They can be perfectionist. they will put a lot of focus on a singular task so that it's completed perfectly. [00:18:35] They also tend to be very honest. And so when you get feedback, the feedback is a real answer. these are the things that we noticed. However, again, I always like. To tell people when you've met one person on the spectrum, you've met one person. So although attention to detail and pattern recognition is a common trait. [00:18:56] It's not a trait in all. [00:18:58] Host (David C. Luna): Has there been any [00:19:00] research or has anyone tried to extract the different way of how. People on the spectrum process information and come up with these unique and unconventional solutions and how they are able to do these extraordinary feats so that people that are not on the spectrum, like myself can also profit. [00:19:20] So I'm thinking something along the lines of many math savant, for instance, when they do complex calculations and they explain how they do it, they. Basically use colors to represent numbers, and that could be applied for people that are not in the spectrum. Has anyone tried to do that or has there been some research in that direction? [00:19:40] Guest (Chad Hahn): Not aware of any studies or research in this area? I'm sure some research is being done, but my understanding is that. when MRI studies have been done, it's showing that I'm autistic, individual's brains just light up differently, or a different place he says than, it neurotypicals for particular [00:20:00] tasks or thought process. [00:20:01]if if a lot of it, this is genetic, then I'm not sure how much can be extracted to teach an individual whose brain might just be wired differently to think the same way. But there may be some studies out there. [00:20:13] Host (David C. Luna): Some people may argue that autism is advantageous and shouldn't be classified as a disorder at all. [00:20:20] Similar to what we see with HSPs or highly sensitive people, which now is considered an inborn trait and has been found in over 100 species with clear survival advantages. Would you generally agree with that sentiment? [00:20:35]Guest (Chad Hahn): I would say that it's not a, it's not a disorder. It's a different operating system. [00:20:40] The notion here is that disorder is probably not the right word. It's certainly a difference, but I think it's also important to be clear that autism is a disability and that while many aspects of autism. Can be advantageous. There are also aspects that can be very difficult. And [00:21:00] if you think about it, individuals again on that multi-dimensional spectrum that are on a far end of the spectrum. [00:21:06] So maybe their sensory sensitivity is very acute. maybe their ability to process language is very acute. maybe they don't speak. it's certainly a disability and, I don't think we can discount that. [00:21:18] Host (David C. Luna): Yeah. I really like the slogan. Autism is not a processing area. It's a different operating system. [00:21:23] Guest (Rebecca Beam): And that slogan actually came from one of our employees in Europe. And one day he just said autism is not a processing error. It's another operating system. And, we thought that was really neat. [00:21:36] Host (David C. Luna): You mentioned something interesting, which reminded me of the award winning UCLA professor and author [00:21:43] And he tried with an EEG to map brain patterns or distinctive cognitive processes to Corey Young's work and Myers Briggs personality types. And to see if there's any validity behind the personality types. And indeed he did find very distinctive [00:22:00] cognitive processes among these 16 personality types, and that can massively help people to get into flow more often and how low threshold activities can actually help people engage more creatively and improve their workflow or learning. [00:22:17] So I found that very interesting. So even though some people may seem very similar, they could exhibit very different brain patterns and their brain could light up very differently. From someone that might seem on the outside very similar. and I'll be sure to link that book as well. It's called the neuroscience of personality and is actually backed up by real science. [00:22:37] So how does outcome and especially employ people on the spectrum and what types of work do they do in these client projects? Can you give us some concrete examples of some of their works and some of their maybe extraordinary feats that they deliver to their clients? Sure. [00:22:55]Guest (Rebecca Beam): at oughta con 80% of our staff is on the spectrum. [00:23:00] [00:22:59] And in here in the U S most of those individuals are acting as QA analyst or QA automation, engineers, but across, Europe and we're in Australia and Canada, our staff works in a myriad of technology areas. Whether it's data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity compliance reporting. [00:23:24] So we do all kinds of different projects here in the U S we are focused on software testing and software testing automation. We structured our program around teaching software testing. We felt that it. Is a very trainable skill and a good entree into technology. And we're giving opportunity to individuals with a high school diploma. [00:23:52] Many of our analysts do have college degrees are advanced degrees as well. we have many [00:24:00] stories of success and how we have made a difference in projects and have been able to find. Anomalies and data that have then saved companies, tremendous amount of money. All of our people are working predominantly in technology related roles. [00:24:17] However, we do try to hire individuals on the spectrum for other roles within the company. For example, our finance person is on the spectrum as well as my assistant. So we have found that they perform extremely well in software testing. [00:24:33] Host (David C. Luna): So it seems that they're mainly involved in very technical and cutting edge fields solving very complex problems. [00:24:41] Would that be an accurate description? [00:24:43] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Absolutely. we have. Story after story, especially in Europe of our analysts, being able to solve extremely complex problems. And I would also, just like to mention that, we've been asked before, isn't it [00:25:00] disruptive? And the answer isn't that what you want. [00:25:02]many companies are talking about how they need disruption and. Way of thinking, and it's no better way than to have somebody on your staff that has a different way of thinking about a problem and a different way to solve the problem. So he had found the advantages of having an individual on the spectrum within a team to be quite beneficial to the team. [00:25:30] And problem solving. [00:25:31] Host (David C. Luna): Yeah. And I can confirm this in my innovation consultancy, and I see this on an almost daily basis in innovation projects. So when companies are trying to solve very complex problems, they have a tendency to use convergence thinking. So include people that are related to the project in the workshop. [00:25:49] And I always focus and tell the CEO that always looks at me and was like, you really want to include people from controlling accounting, admin. And these other departments [00:26:00] into the project, into the workshop and always, yes, the more diverse we can create the group, the more divergent the ideas will become, and the results will be much better, but it's quite funny that the companies are not really utilizing. [00:26:14] And realizing the potential of a group of the population that can solve very complex problems in a very unorthodox and different manner. And we need more people that are different and think different. So I find that quite astonishing and sad sometimes really that very different people don't get included into the process. [00:26:35] Yeah. That's [00:26:36] Guest (Chad Hahn): an interesting point. [00:26:37] Guest (Rebecca Beam): One thing that's worth mentioning is that here at ATA con traditionally, we had a non-autistic staff member conducting our training and our training is four weeks and it's in software testing and automation. And when we lost just our trainer, we tapped. one of our autistic resources on the shoulder and said, would you like to try [00:27:00] to train and fence? [00:27:01] He has become our trainer. Our success rate of graduation has increased tenfold. [00:27:09] Host (David C. Luna): Wow. That's extraordinary [00:27:10] Guest (Chad Hahn): point. I wanted to make follow on what you were saying. David is I really think the next wave of innovation. Is going to be around human capital management, not necessarily technology advancement, which we know will continue and likely accelerate, but it's how do we as individuals? [00:27:27] How do we use humans capitalize on that and how do we allocate our human capital? And the right way. And in many respects, it's the notion of what our director of innovation, a gentlemen named rod Collins terms as collective intelligence, right? Getting the greatest ideas from the greatest group of people. [00:27:44] And I think that's why you see so much interest in neurodiversity. And how you starting to see that permeate within enterprise prices, because people are starting to catch onto the fact that if you've got a diverse group of ideas and you can have, I have that divergence, you can convert [00:28:00] a better solution. [00:28:01] So I agree with you in that regard. [00:28:04] Host (David C. Luna): Yeah, absolutely agree. And there's so much untapped potential. There's no question about it. So there's also government intelligence agency, which I'm not a big fan of most of them. Anyway, the British GCHQ, which have a neural diversity program, which recruits people with conditions such as autism got Lexia and dyspraxia and. [00:28:23] Built on the idea and I'm quoting the former director, Robert Hannigan. He says, we need all talents and we need people who dare to think differently and be different. And there's also a Israeli army unit called right. I believe it's nine nine zero zero. Where according, at least to the Atlantic. Yeah. [00:28:41] Testing people act as the eyes. Yeah. The ground for very highly sensitive operations, analyzing very complex images that come from the satellites and essentially help save lights. And what I found most striking about that is. These are government agencies and companies should [00:29:00] be at the forefront. [00:29:01] They should be much faster in adopting innovative ideas. And yet they're not even hardly tapping that potential. It companies are solely focusing on technology to become, say 10% more efficient. Why, if there's so much potential elsewhere. So Rebecca, you mentioned the training process. What does that entail? [00:29:21] And maybe we can start at the interview process. Have you found someone on the spectrum that could be potentially a good fit? How does that whole thing take place? Can you give us some insights? [00:29:31] Guest (Rebecca Beam): So David, we have. Two tracks here at odd con one is through our training and the other one is if an individual has a background in technology, we can hire them straight away and bring them onto our staff. [00:29:47] So I'll start with our training program. Our training program is four weeks and the criteria to be accepted is a high school diploma and really desire. When we do our [00:30:00] assessment, we start with an informal chat. We prefer to refer to it as an informal chat because the term interview can be quite daunting for individuals. [00:30:10] So we, we start with an informal chat and then we'll welcome them in for an assessment. We do some cognitive type test and we're really looking for not whether they get the right answer or not. It's how. Coachable. they are, will they interact with us because as they're training, there's gonna need to be a level of interaction. [00:30:34] And so once they get through the assessment and they're accepted into the training, they go through the four week course. If they pass, they can qualify as a paid intern. And from there through the internship, they become an analyst and there's a whole career trajectory for individuals who already have a skill in technology. [00:30:55] We'll hire them straight away. We do a workshop and the [00:31:00] workshop is a workplace readiness workshop within this workshop where again for their ability to work in a team for their, Ability to communicate and problem solve. And, but we do focus a lot on workplace readiness. One of the other things that we do here is we have a job coach internally, and this individual works with, our staff around career goals are perhaps things that they might want to. [00:31:29] Work on to, be able to work better in a team environment, that type of thing. [00:31:35] Host (David C. Luna): There was actually a concept I came across not too long ago, which had two components to the interview process or how to evaluate an interviewee. And the one was culpability. Give someone feedback and see how well they do. [00:31:49] And the other one was learning agility. So throw a bunch of new tools at someone and see how well they can learn it. So that seems very similar to what you're trying to do. [00:32:00] Is that correct? [00:32:00] Guest (Rebecca Beam): That's yeah, that, yeah, absolutely. And I would say the coachability piece is the biggest piece because as we're teaching someone a new skill. [00:32:09]you have to be willing to be coached and interact and work with another individual to learn that skill. and we do this through independent study and group set, in a group setting study and also one-on-one. And we want to look for the capability of an individual to perform well in all three scenarios. [00:32:32] Host (David C. Luna): Companies seem to be solely focused on social skills when it comes to hiring. And I'm not saying that's wrong per se, but it excludes a lot of potential. Shouldn't more companies change or adapt their whole interview process instead of forcing a retraining people on the spectrum to behave more like neuro-typical people or shouldn't we just get rid of, or stop on relying on credentials experience that actually have very little. [00:32:59] Correlation with [00:33:00] on the job performance. What's your opinion on that? [00:33:03] Guest (Rebecca Beam): No, I agree. Absolutely. And we do see companies starting to change the way that they do their interview process. There are quite a few, autism in the workplace, program starting up. You've. Probably heard about Microsoft's program SAP program and they are specifically adjusting the, that they interview and, get to know the individual. [00:33:29] And I do agree that we need to stop looking at. certain criteria for employment, for example, college education, many individuals that are on the spectrum are not able to go to college. Not because they can't pass a course or get through a course, but it can be. the anxiety of the social aspect fact that can prevent them from being able to attend college. [00:33:58] And this criteria of [00:34:00] having a college education, I think should be set aside because we have many individuals here on our staff that are incredibly, they're high performers and they do not have a college degree. things like in an interview having. Having to have somebody look you in the eye to be able to hire them. [00:34:20]many individuals on the autism spectrum will not look you in the eye, but that doesn't mean they're not going to be a great employee and perform well. [00:34:28] Host (David C. Luna): Yeah. And there's also something I would like to add, which I find very strange. On the one hand side, you have companies complaining about the war on talent or the lack. [00:34:37] Of qualified employees here, Germany, especially almost every company complains about that issue. And I always tell companies there's only a shortage of talent in politics, but the other hand you have a huge potential, especially since the European commission, It says that in the EU, they could face a shortage for up to, I think it was 900,000 [00:35:00] skilled it workers by next year. [00:35:01] And the global unemployment rate for people on the spectrum remains around 80%. So you have a huge pool full of untapped potential yet. The companies are complaining that they have a lack of talent. Now, is that just a lack of imagination? Are they lazy? Is it a lack of awareness? So if there are some many advantages in hiring neuro local employees, and there's a shortage of qualified people where almost every company has a complaint about this issue, why aren't there more companies he's hiring more neurodiverse people. [00:35:33] Is it really just lack of awareness, fear, a fear of costs of hiring these people. What is it? What do you believe is the, [00:35:41]Guest (Chad Hahn): I would say that there's definitely a lack of awareness at play and in many respects, we started in mind spark to tackle this very problem. This problem of tremendous it demand. [00:35:52] Demand for skilled it workers and a supply, a talent pool that, in the autism [00:36:00] community that was particularly untapped. Now we know not everybody in the autism community is going to be right for particular it job, but that's no different than the population in general. Some people are not right for certain jobs. [00:36:13] But the idea behind Mon mine spark was really to see if there was a way to unlock the talent or help unlock the talent of this untapped pool of resources that can help meet the demand. And, we were able to show that there is a way to train individuals who maybe don't have the it background needed. [00:36:33] To start a job, get them trained so that they can work on that job and then hire people who do have an it background, but it happened to be on the spectrum and help them find a career path as well. Now I will say this, I think the world has changed, right? the notion of neurodiversity, I think worldwide, but particular brilliant. [00:36:51] The U S is a big, hot topic amongst large enterprises. And it's not just the Microsofts of the world or the SAP of the world. [00:37:00] Germany, a T and T a lot. And other large enterprises are very interested in increasing neurodiversity in the workplace because it is something that will help propel the company forward. [00:37:11] It goes back to what we were talking about before David, the notion of people thinking about problems in a different way. Generates a greater solution. So I think we're getting over the awareness issue and the next issue is going to be more around training, right? And that's another area where audit con and companies similar to audit con can help, companies who've had some experience. [00:37:34]training individuals on the spectrum, autistic individuals to move in Thai jobs, helping disseminate that training so that we can get more people employed. I think you're going to start seeing a lot of movement in that area as well. [00:37:46] Host (David C. Luna): Yeah. That seems like a very encouraging trend. And let's hope that more and more companies, especially in Germany will continue to realize this untapped potential. [00:37:54] Guest (Rebecca Beam): I do find though that some companies are afraid, of making a mistake. [00:38:00] And when they hear the term accommodation, they, I away. So I think it's, the education process of these companies and corporations of what needs to be done and how to support the individual. And I. I do agree with Chad that companies are opening their doors more or to individuals on the spectrum. [00:38:22] But I think there's a lot of work to be done to, educate the corporations on the benefits and how to support the individual. [00:38:31] Host (David C. Luna): Rebecca, you mentioned accommodations. So what are some of the basic accommodations or requirements employer you need to have in order to better cater towards, be more on the spectrum friendly environment or to basically attract more neuro atypical people? [00:38:47]I would assume for instance, in open office, be the exact opposite of what. Someone with autism, for example, would want, does that assumption even correct? And what are some of the basic requirements [00:39:00] I would need to have as an employer to attract this type of talent? [00:39:03] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Interestingly enough, David, the open office concept. [00:39:07]we thought that would. Be something that our staff members would not like. And it was quite the opposite. When we were building out our new office in Culver city, we were looking to put cubicles and for everybody to have their own private space and the team, said, no, They wanted to have an open workspace so that they could work together. [00:39:29] And so that concept definitely is false. But one of the things that, I do find very important is not to have bright overhead lights. many individuals on the autism spectrum do have a sensitivity to light. So in our offices, we do not turn on fluorescent lights. We have lamps and low lighting for our staff. [00:39:52]also, allowing staff members to wear noise, canceling headphones so that they can concentrate noise [00:40:00] sensitivity, can often distract our staff from being able to accomplish their tasks. So we give them the option to where the noise canceling headphones are listened to music. other things, healthy snacks. [00:40:13]that's something that's very important, making sure that our staff is, provided good nutrition and, frequent breaks the opportunity to get up from your desk frequently and go take a walk, at those are the things that. That we find help our staff [00:40:30] Host (David C. Luna): that was surprising. I would have thought that open offices as the exact opposite of what they would want, but, there you go. [00:40:36] There's a misconception that I had. I personally, don't like open offices, but there you go. [00:40:42] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Or I do find it's really important to have a quiet space, have a space where they can get away and be alone if they feel the need to. [00:40:51] Host (David C. Luna): Companies that are on board with hiring more neurodiverse, diverse people and people from all walks of life, how would they need to accommodate and [00:41:00] change their interview process to make it much more inclusive and attract these types of talents? [00:41:05] So if there's a HR person out there that's listening, what would they need to do? Ideally? [00:41:11]Guest (Rebecca Beam): we find that, starting with a phone discussion is always best. We feel the interview should be, more focused on testing the skills and the knowledge that is needed for the job, rather than testing their soft skills and their ability to engage. [00:41:29]Asking for answers and writing our over email can also help an individual, express themselves, for the job, but not necessarily be put in the position of having to be in front of an individual. As they're answering. There are so many different ways that you can adjust your interview process. [00:41:48] That is autism friendly. [00:41:50] Host (David C. Luna): So at the beginning of the interview process, it seems to be more focused on the actual skills and the actual job that will be done. Correct. So what are some of the concrete challenges an employer would [00:42:00] have when hiring someone on the spectrum? [00:42:02] Guest (Rebecca Beam): It's an in person interview. I think, it can sometimes be uncomfortable when a person doesn't make eye contact with you or fidgets are, you can visibly see that they're uncomfortable, but to still accept that and to just listen to the answers. [00:42:21] And listen to what they're saying instead of how they're behaving, because that's really important. You're looking for the skill you're not looking for, unless it's, a job that requires incredible soft skills. That's probably not the right job for that individual, but if it's a tech job and you're looking for somebody who's proficient in development, you should be looking at that skill. [00:42:44] Not necessarily. The way they interact with you. [00:42:47] Host (David C. Luna): My follow up question would be then how do you determine when and how to modify your interview process? If you're completely inclusive, you have a job description and someone applies and that person [00:43:00] might not be aware that he's on a spectrum or has some other condition. [00:43:04] How do you determine when to modify your interview and how? I would assume that's not quite easy. [00:43:10] Guest (Rebecca Beam): I would agree. companies have a certain way, typically have going through their hiring processes. a lot of organizations now are having autism at work programs and specifically hiring individuals on the spectrum for searching jobs. [00:43:28] And in those instances, they are changing the way they go about interviewing. I believe that if that's not the case and you are not aware that the individual is on the spectrum, but you're interviewing the person and that they're uncomfortable to perhaps in the moment modify the way that you go about interacting with the person and create a more skills based assessment. [00:43:56] Host (David C. Luna): Okay. So let's say a company is basically on board with the [00:44:00] idea of hiring people on the spectrum, for instance, for a project, which they have. Yeah. They want to solve a complex problem, but they're not quite ready to hire people on the spectrum themselves because the black, the skills, or are just not ready yet and are still maybe afraid of doing it. [00:44:16]and they want someone like other con to hold their hand or try out this concept of including. These types of people on projects, where they need to solve very complex problems and see some of the results that they can achieve for themselves. How would that whole process work if I, as a company would approach other con? [00:44:38] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Sure. So the. when we work with our clients and we understand the requirement, we will find the individual and our staff that is best suited to work in that environment. We do firmly believe that integrating individuals with autism onto projects and the workplace has many benefits for our clients, not only in [00:45:00] the way of solving complex problems, but also, in a way that. [00:45:05] Individuals will understand and be educated that yes, I can work with somebody on the autism spectrum. So at audit con the secret to our success is we place the individual in the project and we provide a support mechanism through a job coach and a project manager. And the job coaches respond ability is to identify the accommodation that are necessary to help this arc staff member. [00:45:34] Be successful in the workplace, ensure that those accommodations are being met by the client. Also educate them, Oh, how to work with somebody on the autism spectrum and just be there as a general support mechanism for both our employee and the client. And then our project manager deals more with support from the technical side. [00:45:57] So if our employee, [00:46:00] needs help on a. Particular technology than our project manager is there to support that person. So that support piece is key to our success at the clients. [00:46:12] Host (David C. Luna): At first thought, it seems very logical to include a support person that ensures that all the accommodations are met for someone on the autism spectrum. [00:46:21] But if I were to. Hire someone on the spectrum. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have thought of that to include someone that makes sure that all the accommodations are met for someone on the spectrum. [00:46:32]Guest (Rebecca Beam): And David, it can be as simple as Bob does not like his hand shook and we have had employees that have done major presentations in front of sea level. [00:46:44] However, They have anxiety around being touched. So our job coach will just go in and make sure that the individuals who are going to be in the meeting, know the accommodation [00:47:00] and don't shake Bob's hand and eliminates the anxiety. And lends itself for successful meeting [00:47:08] Host (David C. Luna): at this point. I think I, and probably a lot of listeners are wondering how do the customers act, especially if it's someone say from sea level, has there been any pushback from say a CEO that is confronted with maybe some foreign accommodations with, okay. [00:47:25] I'm not allowed to shake his hand, but he's presenting to me and he lacks basic social skills. Why is he even here? has there been any pushback on what are the reactions of some of the customers that might view these very stranger peculiar accommodations as, as foreign to them, as there been any feedback in that direction? [00:47:46]what's been your experience so far? [00:47:48] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Overall, our customers have welcomed us with open arms, because again, there is a tech talent gap. And they need the talent. They're trying to [00:48:00] solve more and more complex problems. And they do know that a diverse way of things can help them do that. It's so easy through our support with the job coach and the project manager. [00:48:12]it's pretty seamless. And, we do find that. That our clients have open arms for us and our staff. [00:48:19] Guest (Chad Hahn): And also David point I wanted to make is, every company that's interested in neuro diversity is going to be a along a different maturity level scale, right? People are companies that are more mature from a neuro diversity standpoint are likely to want to stand up their own, neurodiversity department, where they're going to do direct hiring of a neurodiverse, of neurodiverse individuals. [00:48:43] Including autistic individuals. Then you're going to have companies that are not far enough along on the maturity scale. Not because they don't have the desire, but again, it comes back to maybe a lack of awareness or fear. if you're a VP or an executive at a company and you're interested in neuro diversity, [00:49:00] but you're worried about how to make it successful or what the cost might be for accommodations or whether it's just going to be too hard, then you have fallback options, Options. Like Oticon. Where you can either hire into or hire a vendor like Omnicon to have their employees work at your location, at the client's location, with the necessary accommodations and support, like job coaches and, and project managers. But then you can also simply outsource the work you need. [00:49:30] To a company like OD where the work can be done in their office, where the accommodations are already well set up. And they are already far along on the maturity scale when it comes to neurodiversity and in all three models, you're helping to move the movement forward. So there's a lot of options for companies depending on where they are on the scale and what their comfort level is. [00:49:52] And one of the things that Rebecca and I often talk about is how any company. That moves into this space [00:50:00] either by hiring directly neurodiverse talent or autistic individuals, or by simply working with companies like OD ICAN. And there are other companies out there in the space, they are pushing forward a social movement through value creation, not through, not just through philanthropy. [00:50:18] And that's really where we see the movement pushing forward more quickly. And that's, what's most exciting to us. [00:50:25] Host (David C. Luna): Yeah. And Chad, just dismantle about every possible excuse companies could come up with to avoid having to hire neurodiverse people. And yes, it should be just about the result. If your employees do their best work at night or in a coffee shop, and that produces the best results. [00:50:41] Then that's all employers should care about and companies have multiple options. They can either outsource the work to Oticon. So their talents can solve the issue that the client is having. Or they can hire people from audit con hire these talents and work alongside the client. And learn [00:51:00] from that experience to maybe hire more neurodiverse or people on the spectrum later on themselves. [00:51:05] So there's actually no excuse anymore for companies to not try that. Or as Nelson Mandela famously said, he never loses either he wins or he learns. So a follow up question I would have to, that would be. There might be some companies and people out there that are still skeptical and are quick to judge and say things like, these types of companies only hire people on the spectrum out of sympathy or out of charity. [00:51:34] What would you tell these people? [00:51:35]Guest (Chad Hahn): I would say that the models, like the one mind spar CAD, the one audit Khan has the one that several companies around the world have. Really nullify that argument and the notion here again is let's drive society forward through value creation instead of philanthropy, the company that wants to help hire a neurodiverse population to check off a box, [00:52:00] or to meet. [00:52:00] Some federal mandate, but they don't really care about them movement. they may be doing it from sympathy standpoint, but honestly, David, we've seen very little of that. If any, in our instance, variance with this movement, what we've seen overwhelmingly. Is that companies, people we're all humans. [00:52:19] We all want to help, create opportunities for all people, including, autistic individuals or individuals on the spectrum. And if there's a way to do that through, through the free market system, through value creation, where. Nobody's getting a handout, but rather the individuals that are performing a task are doing it just as well as anybody else, regardless of, whether or not they have a condition. [00:52:45]Dan you've created a model where society can move forward into neurodiversity because it's a. A better, it's a better way to make progress as opposed to, because, maybe it's something you want to do from a sympathetic part [00:53:00] of your humanity. And so their entire companies like OD ICAN that you whose whole existence is employing individuals with autism because they do a good job. [00:53:09] Not because, maybe it's something people want to do from a philanthropic standpoint. [00:53:14] Host (David C. Luna): Yeah. I couldn't agree anymore. I'm not a big fan of, federal handouts. And I think in my view, it's better to give people a longterm perspective or opportunities and giving them a job and making them work for money as that not only gives them responsibility, but also a purpose and meaning in life. [00:53:32] And that might not be the most popular way of thinking, but my view it's the most sustainable instead of giving them handouts where they don't have to do anything. So I absolutely, and wholeheartedly agree. [00:53:44] Guest (Chad Hahn): Yeah. And companies are happy to pay for it. if they're asking for service and that service is provided by a team of individuals, Who just happened to have autism and a work product is good. [00:53:56] The companies are happy. They're happy on two levels. They're happy [00:54:00] because they got the job done and they were able to help support a cause. [00:54:04] Host (David C. Luna): Yeah. And it brings us back to what you mentioned, Rebecca and Chad is, raising the awareness with companies that they have. Such untapped potential that they could be using, but aren't using yet. [00:54:15] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Absolutely. It's all about education and breaking down those barriers and the fear of getting it wrong. And I think the more we educate society and the better we'll be and opening our doors to higher individuals on the autism spectrum are individuals with disabilities. In general. [00:54:35] Host (David C. Luna): So there might still be some companies that are still hesitant saying, why should I change my hiring and interview process and invest all this time and effort for accommodations, et cetera, essentially being worried about the increased turnover or what is even the turnover with people. [00:54:54] On the spectrum? [00:54:55]Guest (Chad Hahn): our experience empirically is that the, turnover rate and [00:55:00] attrition rate, with, our autistic employees is extremely low and I don't have exact figures, but Rebecca, you might, but it, in our experience, it was extremely low. and that's certainly going to be attractive to any company because turnover's always a problem for every company. [00:55:16] And, for all the reasons you mentioned, right? It's the retraining costs of a loss of productivity costs and that sort of thing. And if we were to ask the question, why is the attrition rate. So much lower for autistic individuals. I don't know that it has anything to do with autism, to be honest with you. [00:55:34]if, you're an employee and you're at a company where you feel valued and you believe in the company's mission. And you enjoy the people you work with. Yeah. Things feel good. You're going to stay there. and so in many respects, a attrition has to do with how aligned the individual and the company, the individuals in the company are with each other, as opposed to, what sort of, neuro neurodiversity condition that they might [00:56:00] have. [00:56:00]it's just in our experience, one of the things that I used to love about the employees at mind spark was just the look of satisfaction on their faces when they did it. Good job. And you just can't replace that feeling. We're, we're humans, we're hardwired to have a sense of belonging. [00:56:15] And if you're somebody who's dealt with a lot of adversity in your life, because you're on the autism spectrum and, societal norms, don't jive with the way that you look at the world and think about things. And that's, you felt outcasted because of that. And you come into an environment, that's got the right kind of accommodations for you. [00:56:36]that gives you interesting work, that helps to train you. And you feel aligned with the company's mission, you're going to have that sense of satisfaction. And as a result, you're going to be very loyal to the company. And I'm sure that has something to do with the lower attrition rate. [00:56:53]but I also think that companies can't sit on their laurels, mind spark, before it was absorbed by Oticon OD ICAN [00:57:00] other companies in their space, any company, The world's changing. People are changing. Their values are changing and companies have to change with it so that they can continue to attract and retain talent, regardless of whether they have autism or not. [00:57:14] Guest (Rebecca Beam): I would agree with that. And, often say to the company from speaking with you have to invest in your staff. to keep them happy and that investment can come in the form of accommodation, or it can come in the form of training. But I do find that our staff is very loyal to us because we care about them as an individual and they feel very supported. [00:57:40] And I think any person in a workplace that feels supported by their employer will remain loyal. And stay at the company. [00:57:47] Host (David C. Luna): Yeah. And I think that's a challenge that every company has, is how do they retain their employees and how do they retain their best talent? So the question I would have as well is wouldn't that [00:58:00] fact of managing very untypical employees or non-typical employees make better managers because they're forced to adapt their managing style, their skills, their way of interacting with employees. [00:58:14] Wouldn't that fact in itself make better managers. [00:58:17] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Yeah. I have found that, by working with my staff, I've not only become a better manager, but I've become a better parent. I have two children learning how to have a more factual communication style has been incredibly beneficial in my life. And many individuals on the autism spectrum are quite factual and they prefer to have. [00:58:41] Factual communication. And, this has helped me, and I know as a manager also having the compassion for each individual has made me more compassionate. Overall in my life, why [00:58:57] Host (David C. Luna): aren't more companies [00:59:00] hiring these types of talents that are willing and able to solve very complex problems in the face of talent shortages, as they always say. [00:59:09] So is it just a matter of educating these companies, raising awareness, why aren't more companies hiring these towns? [00:59:17] Guest (Rebecca Beam): And I think it just boils down to education of the corporations and the individuals and the managers. and we're going to get there. at AWDA con we have a goal by 2023 to have a thousand employees working for us who are on the autism spectrum. [00:59:33]and these employees will be both in our offices, but also integrated into other workforces. And that's. Going to raise awareness. [00:59:42] Host (David C. Luna): That's a nice segue to one of my last questions, which is what are your top recommendations for companies wanting to employ more neurodiverse employees on a longterm basis? [00:59:53] Guest (Rebecca Beam): Yeah, I think being willing to listen, being willing to learn, being willing to adjust your. Your [01:00:00] practices flexibility. And so to get involved, I recommend, I talked to many companies, I do a lot of lunch and learns and it's not always around what oughta Khan can provide. It's around the benefits of neurodiversity in the workplace. [01:00:17]starting there just a willingness to listen and learn. And they can reach out to me at any time and I will speak to them. I will speak to their teams and begin the education process. [01:00:30] Guest (Chad Hahn): And I think it's also important, for any listeners of this podcast who work at a company where you think the company might want to get involved in. [01:00:39] And this movement is to think about it this way. Rebecca and I talk about this, I think we're on a building wave of the next social movement. we've had social movement around, all sorts of human rights. Women's rights. racial rights, rights for individuals in the LGBTQ community, right? [01:00:58] We see these [01:01:00] movements happen to push society forward. And I think the next great movement is to neurodiversity and companies like OD ICAN and others who work in this space are starting to break down the. The barriers that make it very easy to get involved in the movement in the ways that we had talked about before. [01:01:16] And so I really think something special is going to be happening over the next five to 10 years, in 10 years from now, we may think about it neurodiversity and its benefits. the way that we think about LGBTQ rights today versus, 20 years ago. And so it's very exciting time, because of that. [01:01:34] And there are very easy ways to get involved in the movement. If you're interested at all in this space, start doing a little research or have a phone call or two, I guarantee you, all it takes is one phone call. With, people like Rebecca and I, or other people in this space or companies in this space, to be able to head down the road of increasing neuro diversity in your workplace. [01:01:57] And it's not even just a workplace thing, it's just [01:02:00] increasing your exposure to neurodiversity in general, because it will achieve better outcomes. It's simply because when you have a divergence of opinion and a diversity of ideas, better outcomes are produced. It's the whole reason I read a book about six months ago, the famous book, the cathedral, and the bizarre, and it was about, it's about to open source movement and the late nineties and early two thousands. [01:02:26] And this ability of individuals working on a part time basis to create software that rivaled. The software that was created by, companies like Microsoft in a more traditional sense. It worked because there was a diversity of ideas coming into a particular problem domain. and, if you translate that into neurodiversity, if you have people who think about problems in a different way, you're going to get a better outcome. [01:02:51] And that the key to getting involved is a simple, it was a phone call or simple as Googling. and you'll be able to move down this path. [01:03:00] [01:02:59] Host (David C. Luna): Yeah. An open software was considered a very crazy idea back in the time. So you have a bunch of people working together that are very diverse and they're developing software that is supposed to be better than very well funded homogeneous companies like Microsoft. [01:03:15] And look at where we are today with open software. And that just shows what the power of diversity can achieve. So my last question would be how do listeners that want more of you or wants to engage in a conversation with you too? How do you want them to contact you or what is the best way to contact you? [01:03:33] Guest (Rebecca Beam): I think for me the best way would just to be, an email to our info at dot us. And so I N F O at a U. T I C O N dot U S. [01:03:47] Guest (Chad Hahn): Yeah. And for me, follow me on Twitter. chatty Han, can also email me directly, hello@chadhan.me just first name, last name.me. and I love to speak with people about this topic. [01:04:00] [01:04:00] Host (David C. Luna): Yeah, I'll be sure to include all that in the show notes. If listeners want to get into contact with you. So is there something I didn't touch on or forgot to ask you during the interview that I should have asked? [01:04:11] Guest (Rebecca Beam): I think one of the things that's really important to note about audit con is that we have such tremendous investors. [01:04:19] People who invest not only their money, but their also their time in seeing us succeed. Probably the most recognized name of our investment team is, serve Richard Branson. And he's really focused on helping us build a more inclusive society T to include neuro diverse employees. So we appreciate our investment team and our advisors tremendously because that's. [01:04:49] Allowed us to succeed [01:04:50] Host (David C. Luna): now that we reached the end of the interview. I want to not only give you my thoughts on the interview and some additional insights, but I also want to address those companies that [01:05:00] remain reluctant to hire very different people or still believe in the myth that there is a shortage of talent, especially in Germany. [01:05:06] And remember what Chad said, the next wave of innovation will come from human capital. I believe in order to tackle some of the most complex challenges. We as a. Human species face. We need our people with vastly different talents, backgrounds, and skillsets. It doesn't matter if these talents disabilities or disorders at the time could be choosy and picky on who to include has definitely passed. [01:05:30] Sure. we, humans are here wired to like people who are similar to us, but in today's world that is becoming ever more complex. We need people from all walks of life that not only. Are different, but also think, and yes might even act different from ourselves. It's on the following. I really want to encourage more companies. [01:05:49] It needs to change their thinking and to take it the roads less traveled to uncover these untapped resources and talents. There companies, you know who you are, why do you [01:06:00] reluctantly still want to believe in the mess that there is still a shortage of talent in the marketplace. Quit making up excuses. [01:06:06] There's no shortage, right? Talent, only a lack of imagination to include those people who currently they don't fit nicely into your standardized any of your process. So you can tick off those boxes that lie to you. In reaffirming, your candidate is the right fit for your company. There's a famous aphorism that says beggars, can't be choosers. [01:06:26] And if your company is complaining about the shortage of talents and you're not willing to adapt your hiring, let alone your interview process. But on the other side, there are so many untapped talent pools out there. You have absolutely no right in complaining. That's like me saying, Oh, I can't find a job. [01:06:43] There's a lack of jobs out there because I'm not willing to learn new skills or work more than five hours a week for anything less than say $200,000 per year. Of course, there's going to be a shortage of jobs for me. What about older professionals that are above 50 years of age, [01:07:00] which German companies in particular love to discriminate against. [01:07:03] And why are you still expecting the date of birth on CVS? What possible insights do you expect from that information? Other than to discriminate against older professionals? Why not just substitute the date of birth with the candidate shoe size? Or think of mothers in maternity leave. Most companies are pretty slow in allowing employees to work from home. [01:07:21] Why not let your employees take care of their children and work from home? Shouldn't the result by itself matter and not where and how your employee achieved these results. And funny enough with the current Rhona virus jobs that were not possible remotely are all of a sudden possible because they are forced to do isn't that convenient. Remember the time before there was online banking, does it really matter from where you do your banking nowadays? Of course it doesn't. So why not apply the same thinking with your most valuable asset you have in your company? I get it. We humans and companies too, can get very creative in making up excuses on why not to do [01:08:00] something or try, but during our interview, Rebecca dismantle almost every possible excuse companies like yourself have to avoid hiring neurodiverse people. [01:08:10] For company is not quite ready yet to hire such people. You can outsource your project to companies such as or others, and have these talents solve your complex problems or have these talents work alongside your current team and gain some experience with working with neurodiverse people. Now, is it going to be an easy fix? [01:08:30] No. you make mistakes along the way helped you while you learn and become a better and more inclusive company. And he, because of it, absolutely. And for you to be able to hire people from all walks of life, not just autism or any other disability, you need to stop relying on social skills. When it comes to height, your companies need to stop the compulsive behavior of forcing or. [01:08:51] Retraining people on the spectrum to behave more like non-autistic people and change your interview process. Remember the list of things that you are [01:09:00] not supposed to do. And an it job interview is practically the definition of autism as the Silverman. The author of NeuroTribes a book, which looks at the evolution of autism. [01:09:10] So eloquently said, you don't need to say you require X number of years of this or that or the other. Or these degrees and certificates, because sorry to break it to your HR people at the end of the day, those things, very little correlation with on the job performance for anyone, especially in a more volatile and uncertain world here, I'll cite one of the many studies for you. [01:09:32] The Florida state university reviewed 81 studies to look for a link between employees work experience and his, or her performance in a new organization. Guess what they found. They found no significant correlation between the two, even when people had complete tasks, held roles or worked in functions or industries relevant to their current ones, it did not translate into better performance. [01:09:55] So the conclusion experienced does not predict a new hire success [01:10:00] and share does a really good example of this. Remember at the beginning of the interview where he mentioned he didn't have any experience in social work, but was able to solve a pressing problem. His wife had. That actually had expense, extensive experience and formal training in social work, but yet Chad, with his very different, tech background and has personal experience with ah, fantastic people, he was able to solve this problem. [01:10:23] And it often takes people from very different backgrounds to solve a very. Big or complex problem. Even the inventor of the digital camera, Steve Sasson wants seamlessly, said innovation best comes from people who really know nothing about the topic. And that's something we tend to forget. So you need to focus on strengths and not deficits. [01:10:44] And look for two things during the interview process one coachability. So giving someone feedback and see how well they do. And secondly, learning agility. Throw a bunch of new tools at someone and see how well they can learn it. So that concept really stuck with me. And as a result, [01:11:00] you can take someone who has never done the thing that your company is hiring for, and still have a very high degree of confidence that you've found someone that will not only be good at their job, but really great at it. [01:11:11] Large companies, such as SAP and Microsoft are already leading the pack with their neurodiversity programs in 2013 SAP launch there. Program where they employ currently 160 artists across 13 different countries. And as a PS autism at work program has a 90% retention rate of hires on the autism space from because it creates a system of support around those employees. [01:11:37] So something that Rebecca and Chad mentioned in regards to audit cons, very high retention rate and similar results can be found at Microsoft program. And it even makes better managers. As these companies have proven, I would even argue it's better than any expenses. So seminar for your managers. And if governmental agencies such as the GCA que and the Israeli army have neuro device [01:12:00] programs, Kent, your private company. [01:12:02] And finally, also want to address those out there, listening that feel out of place under appreciated different, have a disorder or disability, and want to encourage you by saying. You should look at yourself as a color. You may not be everyone's favorite, but one day you'll meet that someone or that company who needs you to complete their picture or their team. [01:12:24] And there's also a famous quote is sums us up quite nicely as well. The razor blade is sharp, but it can't cut a tree. The ax is strong, but can't cut a hair. And essentially that means that everyone is important according to his or her own unique purpose. And that's why you should never, ever look down on someone unless you're admiring their shoes as the old adage girls. [01:12:46] You're perfect. Just the way you are, and you shouldn't feel the need for any blending or social camouflage. So I hope I could at least encourage some of these are very reluctant companies to do different things, to hire different people, [01:13:00] even if they act completely different, even if they lack basic social skills they might also have, and that you just have not discovered yet, or that's completely untapped. [01:13:09] So don't be afraid to hire very good from people. And yes, it's going to be uncomfortable. People that are different will challenge your. Current views that you have the current processes, the current culture, but that's a good thing. Have feedback or recommendations for topics or guests? Let us know, by filling out this short form here. Follow GAMMA Digital & Beyond on This podcast looks at innovators and companies that are changing the game and how they took their initial idea and created a game-changing product or service, while giving you unique perspectives and insights you’ve probably haven’t heard elsewhere. David and his guests discuss real-world practical advice on how to best harness the creativity of your employees and go from idea to product or service that has the potential to radically transform your business. They also share lessons they’ve learned along the way to effectively accelerate, incubate and scale innovations within small, medium and large enterprises, all while separating hype from reality and replacing bullshit bingo with common sense. The show is hosted by David C. Luna, author, keynote speaker and founder of GAMMA Digital & Beyond. The Innovational Correctness Podcast by GAMMA Digital & Beyond, David C. Luna is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Based on a work at gammabeyond.com/en/podcast/. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting us here. von:David C. Luna  Tags Englisch, Innovation, Podcast #016 – How Microsoft Felt Threatened by a Small Innovative Browser Company /w Jón S. von Tetzchner David C. Luna In this episode, I talk to industry legend Jon von Tetzchner about what it takes to compete in crowded markets. And we also explore how Microsoft felt threatened in its market dominance by his browser company and ultimately resorted to unethical business practices.  Tags Englisch, Innovation, Podcast #015 – CRISPR: One of the Biggest Science Breakthroughs of the Decade /w Joram Schwartzmann CRISPR is considered one of the biggest and most important scientific breakthroughs of the past decade and will probably remain the biggest science story for the foreseeable future. CRISPR could revolutionize everything from medicine to agriculture - and it has worked on every organism it’s been tried on. And with COVID-19 at our doorsteps, this is a perfect time to get acquainted with the powerful new gene editing technology called CRISPR. I also explain how cocaine is produced and what makes it so profitable. Then I show you how to setup your own drug empire, what skills and mentality you need to succeed in this industry, how to scale your business and what offshoring options you can use. #014 – How Drug Cartels Operate & Innovate Like Silicon Valley Startups /w Rodrigo Nieto-Gomez In this episode I caught up with Rodrigo Nieto-Gomez to talk about the criminal entrepreneurial and innovation skills of Mexican drug cartels, how they operate and what we can learn from them. I also explain how cocaine is produced and what makes it so profitable. Then I show you how to setup your own drug empire, what skills and mentality you need to succeed in this industry, how to scale your business and what offshoring options you can use. #013 – How Vacuum Panels Are Already the Best Insulator for the Next Century /w Dr. Joachim Kuhn In today‘s episode I talk to Dr. Joachim Kuhn who is the CEO and founder of va-Q-tec - a very innovative company that produces highly efficient and space saving vacuum panels that insulate 10 times better than traditional insulators and will remain the best insulation material for the century. va-Q-tec has won the TOP 100 innovator award, has been the National Champion at the "European Business Awards" multiple times, made it into the TOP 10 of the GreenTec awards, along with so many other awards and recognitions that it would seriously take a half an hour to name them all. #012 – Scamming the Scammers – How Scammers Innovate /w Jim Browning This episode takes a deeper look at the much hated scamming industry, by exploring what types of scams there are, how the business model behind these scamming organizations work and how scamming has evolved over the years. My guest is Jim Browning, an IT professional who, in his spare time, investigates and fights scammers. He has been featured in the famous BBC documentary series “Panorama”, where he managed to infiltrate a large-scale technical support scamming operation, leading to world-wide press coverage along with arrests of the scammers involved. #011 – Why a CEO Stepped Down so an Intern Could Take Over /w Hermann Arnold In 2013 Herrmann Arnold (at that time CEO and shareholder of Haufe-umantis AG) voluntarily stepped down as a CEO and appointed a former intern for the CEO position, because he was convinced that he wasn‘t the right person to continue the next growth stage of his company. Many would view this as a colossal failure. Why the exact opposite is true, is something we discuss at length in this episode. #010 – How Gallium Nitride (GaN) is Changing the World /w Award-winning Prof. Martin Kuball This episode explores a special material called gallium nitride (GaN) that is not only a super efficient semiconductor, but is also changing the tech industry and is destined to disrupt the established silicon industry. GaN tech could save 10% of the electricity consumption in the US alone. And consumers can already purchase products using this high-tech material. To further explore this fascinating material, I interview the multi-award-winning professor Martin Kuball. #009 – Biomimicry: Inspired by the Best Innovator on the Planet Nature w/ Jamie Dwyer In this episode we talk about the best innovator on the planet - nature and how we can learn and apply its ingenious solutions to solve some of the most challenging problems we humans face. We also explore some fascinating examples from the animal and insect kingdom and see how successful companies have applied these nature-inspired designs into their products. #008 – The Groundbreaking Approach to Language Acquisition /w Award-winning Prof. Stephen Krashen I talk to award-winning Prof. Stephen Krashen, one of the most prolific and most cited scholars in the language education about his groundbreaking theory of language acquisition. #006: Die 25-Stunden-Arbeitswoche, bei gleichem Gehalt & Urlaub mit Lasse Rheingans Lasse Rheingans hat die 25-Stunden-Arbeitswoche bei sich im Unternehmen eingeführt - bei gleichem Gehalts- und Urlaubsanspruch. Mehr dazu in der Episode!  Tags Digitale Transformation, Innovation, Podcast GAMMA Digital & Beyond hilft Unternehmen, Innovationen schnell und nachhaltig zu nutzen, um ihren Wettbewerbsvorteil weiter auszubauen. Unser Ziel: Kunden zu befähigen, diese Herausforderungen selbst zu meistern. Und das auf den schnellsten und wirksamsten Weg statt einer endlosen Abrechnung von Beratertagen. Für uns zählt das Ergebnis und eine Partnerschaft auf Augenhöhe. © 2020 GAMMA Digital & Beyond® Interview: Die 25 Stunden Arbeitswoche, bei gleichem Gehalt und Urlaub mit Lasse RheingansHow and Why the COVID-19 Killer Works!	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line953
__label__wiki	0.961976	0.961976	Sex attackers flocked to Cologne as it's a 'magnet for migrants', say German police GERMAN investigations have revealed that young Arab men see Cologne as “the only true metropolis in Central Europe" and are attracted to the city. PUBLISHED: 22:32, Wed, Jan 25, 2017 \| UPDATED: 22:39, Wed, Jan 25, 2017 Police think that Cologne is a 'magnet for migrants' The authorities wanted to find out why so many migrants from countries such as Iraq, Syria and Tunisia travelled to Cologne on New Year’s Eve. Head of Cologne police station, Carsten Dubbers, said: “Cologne has a reputation of being a centre for celebration and events, and enjoys the highest appeal in this respect.” A confidential report of the Federal Criminal Police Office described Cologne as a “magnet for North Africans”. Cologne: Sex Attacks and Robberies Thirty-one suspects, including 18 asylum seekers, are under investigation over offences including sexual assault and theft in Cologne on New Year's Eve. Far right protestors in Lepzig have rallied against refugees and German chancellor Angela Merkel. Reuters•Getty Protestors in Lepzig rally after over 100 women were sexually assualted on New Year's Eve There were 3,000 police officers on New Year's Eve in Cologne Migrant suspected of multiple New Year's Eve sex attacks Cologne admits hiring TERRORIST SYMPATHISER as New Year security guard Some 1,310 individuals said they were victims of crime in Cologne city centre on New Year Eve's - with 662 claiming they had been sexually assaulted and 28 saying they had been raped. The incident during in the Germany city at the beginning of 2016 sparked outrage in Germany and a U-turn in Angela Merkel's stance towards migrants. People flock to Cologne for the carnival According to police, 25 cases of sexual assault were reported in Germany on New Year’s Eve this year, seven of them in Cologne. More than 3,000 police officers were deployed across the city to ensure people were safe. Cologne police tweeted during the evening to say controls of so-called “Nafris” - a phrase they controversially coined for North African men - were underway at the city’s main train stations. The police were slammed for alleged racial profiling after there was a mass migrant screening over the course of New Year’s Eve. However, the Cologne police chief, Jurgen Mathies, rejected accusations of racial profiling. He said: “There were by no means only North Africans who were checked.” Afghan refugee who raped sleeping woman in her own home jailed Majority of Germans support 'racial profiling' after Cologne attacks Bomb threat on Europe-bound passenger plane Bayern Munich view Tottenham transfer target as Dayot Upamecano alternative	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line954
__label__wiki	0.885023	0.885023	Celebrities Who Are Parents To Twins Telisa Carter Photo By: Michael Germana/Everett Collection Ranked: Best Female Soap Opera Stars Of 2020 There seems to have been a recent baby boom in Hollywood, and it also seems more and more celebrity parents are welcoming multiples. With George Clooney and Beyonce both announcing within weeks of each other they are expecting twins, it feels like celebrity babies are taking over Hollywood, but this is nothing new in the industry. Over the years some of our favorite stars have become parents to multiples, so here are 16 of the most popular stars who are parents to twins! 16. Julia Roberts and Danny Moder Julia Roberts and her husband Danny Moder met on the set of her 2000 film The Mexican and following the finalization of his divorce, the pair wed two years later in July 2002. Two years after their wedding in May 2004 the A-list actress revealed that she and Moder were expecting twins! Her rep confirmed that Roberts was pregnant with a boy and a girl after having previously been implanted with the embryos via in vitro fertilization. On November 28, 2004, they welcomed daughter Hazel Patricia and son Phinnaeus “Finn” Walter Moder. Photo by Magi Haroun/REX/Shutterstock random facts 8 Celebrities With Unconventional Parents Celebrities Who Announced They Were Expecting In 2020 Babies Before Bars: Celebs Who Had Kids Before 21 12 Celebrities Explain Their Children's Unique Names Popular Soap Opera Actresses Who Don't Act Anymore 15. Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony Jennifer Lopez has always been one to go big, so it isn’t surprising she also became a parent to twins. After breaking up with Ben Affleck in January 2004, Lopez began dating singer Marc Anthony and only a few months of dating, they wed in June. In November 2007 the pair revealed they were expecting their first child together, and before long her father spilled the news that the famous duo was actually having twins. “My sister also had twins, so it’s a hereditary thing,” Lopez said and has also stated that her Roman Catholic faith discouraged her from seeking in vitro fertilization even though many assumed that is why she became pregnant with twins. On February 22, 2008 Lopez and Anthony welcomed son Maximillian David and daughter Emme Maribel. After her split from Anthony in 2011 and divorce in 2014, Lopez retained primary custody of the twins. Photo by Eric Charbonneau/REX Reality Steve’s Bachelorette Spoilers 2020: Tayshia Adams’ Final 4 Revealed 14. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie went from being a mother of none to a mother of six very quickly and it was made even quicker by welcoming twins with ex-husband Brad Pitt! Following the adoption of son Maddox, and daughter Zahara, Jolie and Pitt welcomed their first biological child, daughter Shiloh in 2006. The famous pair then adopted son Pax in 2007, and one year later after much speculation, in May 2008 Jolie confirmed she and Pitt were expecting twins! On July 12, 2008 the pair welcomed son Knox and daughter Vivienne. A month before their birth, Jolie admitted that the twins was a shock for her. “We weren’t expecting twins. So it did shock us, and we jumped to six [children] quickly. But we like a challenge.” EPA/EVERETT KENNEDY BROWN Soap Opera Storylines That Need To End In 2021 13. Ricky Martin In August 2008, two years before publicly announcing he is gay, Ricky Martin became a dad to twin sons. In August 2008, Martin welcomed Matteo and Valentino via a surrogate mother and said he has had to clear up with his sons where they came from. His sons asked him if they had been in his belly, and he told them, “There was a woman that I adore with all my heart that helped me bring you into this world. She lent me her belly so you could come and when you were born she put you in my arms.” In 2016, he also gave a heartwarming interview where his sons finally realized he was famous. “One day, when I thought that they were big enough, I said, ‘Go to the front of the house,’ and they see the lights and the whole spectacle,” he recalled. “When the show was over, they came to me and said, ‘Papi, you’re Ricky Martin.’ I said ‘I’m not Ricky Martin, I’m your father.’ They said, ‘No, no, no, you’re Ricky Martin,’ and so it changed.” Photo by Stephen Cooper/Newspix / Rex Features Soap Opera’s Hottest Off-Screen Hook Ups 12. Kym Johnson and Robert Herjavec A lot of real-life couples have come out of Dancing With the Stars, but Kym Johnson-Herjavec and Robert Herjavec’s is one of the sweetest. After the stunning pro dancer was paired with the Shark Tank businessman for season 20 of the show, love quickly followed and the two were married the following year. In December 2017, the dancer excitedly confirmed she was pregnant with twins and was ecstatic to be becoming a mom because it was something she always wanted. On April 23, 2018, they welcomed a son and a daughter named Hudson Robert Herjavec and Haven Mae Herjavec. It’s a @tipsyelves kind of night! Comfy + Cute A post shared by Kym Herjavec (@kymherjavec5678) on Dec 5, 2018 at 6:05pm PST Soap Opera Guest Stars Who Stole The Show 11. Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell are yet another famous couple who has welcomed twins! In the summer of 2008, one year after their wedding, it was confirmed that Romijn and O’Connell were expecting twin girls and had conceived them without in vitro or fertility drugs. On December 28, 2008, the pair welcomed daughters Dolly Rebecca-Rose and Charlie Tamara-Tulip, named after singer Dolly Parton and O’Connell’s brother Charlie. On having twins, Romijn said, “It’s hard with twins because it prevents you from being too much of a helicopter mom. You’ve got two at the same time to take care of, and the one who needs you the most is the one who gets you.” A post shared by Rebecca Romijn (@rebeccaromijn) on Nov 23, 2016 at 6:24am PST The Richest Soap Opera Stars Of 2020 10. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick For two big stars, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick live a very low-key family life. The famous duo married in May 1997 and welcomed their son James in 2002. Seven years later they became parents to twins when they welcomed twin daughters Marion Loretta Elwell and Tabitha Hodge in June 2009 via a surrogate mother. Parker explained in May 2009 before the twins arrival that she had troubles having a successful pregnancy since having her son, so she and Broderick opted for a surrogate but twins were a surprise. “We didn’t expect it. I think after a certain amount of time, you tend to hold your hopes at bay a bit so as not to be disappointed. One really would have been thrilling and we would’ve felt incredibly lucky. And two was a comedy!” John Barrett/PHOTOlink/Everett Collection Soap Opera Couples Who Should Never Get Back Together 9. Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka Anyone who follows Neil Patrick Harris on social media is quite aware that he and husband David Burtka are parents to twins. The charming actor has one of the best celebrity social media feeds and that is in large part due to his absolutely adorable family. Harris and Burtka announced they were expecting twins by a surrogate mother in August 2010 and then on October 12, 2010 they welcomed their children, daughter Harper Grace, and son Gideon Scott. Harris later revealed that he and Burtka had one egg each injected with their sperm because they “both wanted to be dads biologically.” Luckily, both took but they have “no interest” in finding out which twin is whose biologically. “We are their parents and I love them implicitly,” he said. A post shared by Neil Patrick Harris (@nph) on Dec 31, 2016 at 5:31pm PST Celebrity Hookups We Didn't See Coming In 2020 8. Celine Dion and Rene Angelil Singer Celine Dion has been very open about her difficulties in conceiving and fertility treatments eventually led to Dion and her now late husband Rene Angelil welcoming their twins. In 2001, the pair welcomed their first son Rene-Charles Angelil and, nine years later, after six in vitro fertilization treatments, Dion announced that she was 14 weeks pregnant with twins in May 2010. On October 23, 2010 Dion had fraternal twin sons Eddy and Nelson via cesarean section. The pair named their sons after Dion’s favorite French songwriter, Eddy Marnay, and South African President Nelson Mandela. A post shared by Céline Dion (@celinedion) on Jan 12, 2017 at 1:02pm PST Soap Opera Characters Fans Are Desperate To See Make A Comeback 7. Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon Almost everything about Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon’s relationship was surprising, including the two having twins together! The iconic singer and the actor welcomed fraternal twins, son Moroccan and daughter Monroe, on April 30, 2011. The two had previously met while filming Carey’s music video for “Bye Bye” and married in 2008 before splitting in August 2014. Carey and Cannon have remained friends in order to best co-parent their twins and, despite the public’s assumptions about her, Carey says she is not a “stage mom.” “I wanted to make sure … that they were comfortable at all times. I never wanna be a stage mom. Like, that’s not me,” she said of having her kids in her new docu-series. A post shared by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey) on Oct 24, 2016 at 11:32pm PDT Popular But Forgotten Soap Opera Actors 6. Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer As an on-screen romance blossomed between Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer’s characters on True Blood, it began off-screen as well. The two dated from the time they started filming together in 2007 and in the summer of 2009 announced their engagement. Two years after their private wedding, they became parents to fraternal twins, son Charlie and daughter Poppy, who were born in September 2012 a few weeks early. “It’s all so amazing and [they] had a tough start,” Moyer explained upon their first birthday. “They were early and it was touch and go there for a while, and so anything is amazing. I was just saying they are spitting up their first solid food. It’s fantastic.” The proud dad added, “There’s still things every now and then, but they’re pretty great. Dee Cercone/Everett Collection Popular Celebrities We Lost In 2020 5. Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky It would take a superhero to be able to handle twins, and there is no doubt Chris Hemsworth is an incredible father to his children. The handsome Thor actor and his gorgeous wife Elsa Pataky confirmed in November 2013 that they were expecting twins after previously welcoming daughter India Rose in May 2012. On March 18, 2014, the couple welcomed twin sons Tristan and Sasha, and Hemsworth often shares sweet photos of his sons on Instagram. A post shared by Elsa Pataky (@elsapatakyconfidential) on Dec 29, 2016 at 5:48pm PST Netflix December 2020: What's Coming & Going 4. Zoe Saldana and Marco Perego Zoe Saldana’s relationship with Marco Perego seemed to move at record speeds, and things only became more hectic when the pair welcomed twins. The stunning actress began dating the Italian artist in March 2013 and by June 2013 they had secretly married. In late 2014 it was revealed that Saldana was expecting, and although she kept quiet about the rumors it was quickly discovered she was actually expecting twins. On December 8, 2014 Perego and Saldana welcomed twin sons Bowie and Cy, and both took three months off and away from the spotlight in order to spend time with their newborns. In early 2017 it was revealed they are raising their children to be bilingual which has had interesting results so far. “One is more into talking in Spanish. The other is expressing himself more in English. One is like, ‘No quiero! No quiero!’ And the other is like, ‘I don’t wanna!’ You’re like, ‘It’s time to go to sleep,’ and they’re both yelling at you all these things.” A post shared by Zoe Saldana (@zoesaldana) on Apr 22, 2016 at 8:35am PDT Soap Opera Stars Who Made Huge Comebacks 3. Jensen and Danneel Ackles Supernatural star Jensen Ackles may be one of TV’s most popular actors, but he and wife Danneel have been very quiet about their personal life. The Supernatural star and former One Tree Hill actress married in 2010 and in 2013 welcomed their first daughter, Justice Jay. Then, in the summer of 2016, the pair revealed on social media they were expanding their family by two! Both posted photos of five sets of cowboy boots representing each member of the family as well as the two new additions, writing, “Adding a couple of pairs of boots to the family later this year. #crazytimesahead,” while also revealing they were expecting a boy and a girl. On December 2, 2016, the adorable couple welcomed daughter Arrow Rhodes and son Zeppelin Bram! A post shared by Jensen Ackles (@jensenackles) on Jan 9, 2017 at 12:58pm PST Soap Opera Characters Who Need To Be Written Off In 2021 2. Beyoncè and Jay-Z Beyoncè and husband Jay-Z are one of the most talked about celebrity couples on the planet, and over the years the superstar singer has opened up about her struggles with pregnancy including a heartbreaking pregnancy before they welcomed daughter Blue Ivy in 2012. After five years, many rumors swirled about the famous duo’s marriage ranging from the two splitting up to adding to their family and in February 2017, she shocked everyone by revealing she was pregnant with twins. On June 13, 2017, the pair welcomed daughter Rumi and son Sir. Photo by Broadimage/REX Soap Opera Stars Who Should Retire 1. George and Amal Clooney Last but certainly not least is the pregnancy that no one saw coming! For years George Clooney was labeled as Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor and it seemed unlikely he was ever going to settle down, that is until he met gorgeous human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin. In September 2014 the pair were married and then shocked the world on February 9, 2017 with the announcement that they are expecting twins! Following the reveal, Clooney’s mother Nina Clooney announced that the pair were, in fact, expecting fraternal twins: a boy and a girl. The couple welcomed son Alexander and daughter Ella into the world on June 6, 2017. Photo by Alban Wyters/ABACAPRESS.COM Telisa enjoys learning and writing about all things entertainment in the world of Hollywood. When she isn't catching up on her favorite TV shows, she likes to read, and obsess over all things football. Ranked: Best Soap Opera Couples Of 2020 Ranked: Least-Liked Soap Opera Couples Of 2020 Things To Know About Bridgerton Star Regé-Jean Page Soap Opera 2021 Forecast: Plotline Predictions Shortest Soap Opera Marriages Soap Opera Characters We Wish Never Left Soap Opera Villains Ranked Soap Opera's Most Iconic Moments Soap Opera Characters We Wish Would Come Back To Life Netflix November 2020: What's Coming & Going Popular Soap Opera Couples Ranked Soap Opera's Most Mismatched Couples	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line956
__label__cc	0.659121	0.340879	The American Black Male as Endangered Species The fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman has brought to the surface the precariousness of black maleness in America. The black male has been stereotyped as inexorably criminal, violent, and incompetent. As a result, he inspires both terror and derision. President Obama captured this with uncharacteristic candor when he said, "There are very few African-American men in this country who have not had the experience of being followed when they are shopping at a department store. That includes me…. "There are probably very few African-American men who have not had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me - at least before I was a senator…. "There are very few African-American [men] who have not had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had the chance to get off. That happens often." Eric Holder, America’s chief law enforcement officer, who is black, also narrated his experience of being stopped by a police officer “while simply running to a catch a movie, at night in Georgetown, in Washington, D.C. I was at the time of that last incident a federal prosecutor.” Like most black dads in America, he said regularly sits with his 15-year-old son and teaches him how to stay out of trouble with the police because blackness and maleness are often assumed to be guilty of criminality until proven innocent. Although African Americans as a whole constitute only about 13 percent of America’s population, black males make up more than 40 percent of the country’s prison population. In fact, many studies say that there are more black males in America’s prisons than there are black males in America’s colleges and universities. (Recent findings have shown that this isn't exactly accurate, but the fact that such a comparison is even within the realm of possibility says a lot.) It’s not a pleasant fate to be born black and male in America. Not being a native-born American black male, I am sometimes insulated from the negative stereotypes associated with American black males, but it’s difficult to escape the stereotypes all the time. For instance, in 2005 in Louisiana, I was stopped by menacing, gun-toting police officers—in three police cars!—because I was merely suspected to be up to no good. I was told to drop my weapons even though I was barehanded. It was my Nigerian accent that saved me. Last year in Mississippi, on an elevator at a hotel, an old white lady asked me and another Nigerian if we worked as cleaners in the hotel. She was probably frightened that she was alone on the elevator with two black males whom she thought couldn’t afford to be guests at such a pricey hotel. She wanted to be sure that we worked there. If we weren’t workers, we were probably criminals who would rob her. I have had many more mild versions of the odious discrimination that African-American males encounter all their life. I frankly don’t know if I would have been what I am now if I had been born here. The odds against the black male are steep. It takes an uncommon determination and self-confidence to surmount them. More than 80 percent of all local news here is always about crimes committed by “black males.” Newscasters never fail to emphasize the race and gender of criminals, which has the effect of reinforcing stereotypes and of inadvertently compelling young black men to not only internalize the stereotypes but to live up to them. Psychologists call the tendency for people to behave according the dominant stereotypes that society holds of them “the stereotype threat.” But an even worse danger to the black male than media stereotyping is the perniciousness of contemporary black youth culture. It glamorizes violence, crime, thuggery, pimping, drug use, etc. Young black males who are fed on the staples of this self-destructive culture from an impressionable age think it’s “cool” to commit a crime, do drugs, etc. and go to jail. It’s a source of “street cred.” You can’t succeed in your music career, for instance, if you’ve never been to jail. Similarly, in black America, petty squabbles over inanities are “settled” with guns. An African-American woman told me a story last week of black-on-black gun violence that exemplifies this. She said she overheard a black male teenager boast to his girlfriend that he would kill his friend over some frivolous disagreement that they had had. The girlfriend pleaded with him not to make good his threat but he was unmoved. My friend called the police and reported what she heard. The police didn’t do anything. The following day, it was on the local news that a young black male had shot his friend dead. This is a frequent occurrence in the black community here. More black males kill each other than police or white racists kill them. All this conspire to construct an image of the black male as an invariably violent criminal. It’s getting so bad that many black parents now openly say they don’t want to have male children. A black American female TV host by the name of Melissa Harris-Perry recently shocked her viewers when she said "I will never forget... the relief I felt at my 20 week ultrasound when they told me it was a girl…. I live in a country that makes me wish my sons away, wish that they don't exist, because it's not safe." Are we about to enter an era in America when black women abort their babies when they discover they are boys? That would give a whole new meaning to black male endangerment in America. Posted by Farooq A. Kperogi at 11:40 PM Labels: America, Black America, black male stereotype, Blacks, Farooq Kperogi, Trayvon Martin, Weekly Trust, Zimmerman The African Origins of Common English Words (II)	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line959
__label__wiki	0.978246	0.978246	Home \| Israel News WATCH: Shimon Peres Writes a Song to Celebrate Chinese New Year Former Israeli President Shimon Peres released a song applauding the friendship between Chinese and Israeli peoples, and said that he wrote the song to extend his greetings to Chinese people. Leaders around the world sent out their best wishes to the Chinese people upon the arrival of the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 8 this year. "I want to send my best wishes to everyone around the world celebrating Chinese New Year," said British Prime Minister David Cameron. Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome offered his Lunar New Year greetings in Chinese. "May you be happy and prosperous. I wish everybody happy Spring Festival," said Teshome. Japan military on alert ahead of North Korea's planned rocket launch Israeli artists decry 'self-censorship' at Tel Aviv Museum after Weiwei show nixed Chinese president calls for East Jerusalem as capital of Palestinian state "I wish you all the best in the Year of Monkey, living a happier life and having a better career," said Chairman of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) presidency Dragan Covic after attending an activity on Jan. 28 to celebrate the traditional Chinese holiday with those of local Chinese descent in Sarajevo. Former Israeli President Shimon Peres on Wednesday released a song applauding the friendship between Chinese and Israeli peoples, and said that he wrote the song to extend his greetings to Chinese people. "Happy New Year. Earlier happy New Year to the people of China, all of them," said Peres. St. Petersburg City Governor Georgy Poltavchenko expresses his greetings: "Dear friends, I wish your family safe and sound, and all the best." Indonesia Tourism Minister Arief Yahya also sent his greetings to Chinese people for the Chinese New Year. "Happy Chinese New Year. May you be happy and prosperous. This is greeting from Wonderful Indonesia," said Yahya. Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates has sent his greetings to the Chinese people earlier while attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. The Chinese New Year is the most important festival in China, marking the end of winter and the start of spring.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line961
__label__wiki	0.818956	0.818956	Home \| Opinion Netanyahu’s Iran Proposals Deserve Serious Discussion After Election, Even if He Loses Netanyahu failed not as a result of his ideas, but rather as a result of the way he went about things. Get email notification for articles from Haaretz Editorial Follow Benjamin Netanyahu delivers his speech before Congress, March 3, 2015.Credit: AFP Benjamin Netanyahu began his career in government as a diplomat, and as prime minister he has shown a preference for dealing with Iran through diplomacy. His address to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday did not diverge from this approach. After peeling away the warnings of another Holocaust, the childish comparison of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with Haman, the wicked schemer from the Book of Esther and the stereotype of the Persian bazaar merchant, you find that Netanyahu proposed a broad deal between Iran and the world powers, under which the restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program would be lifted if Iran changes its foreign policy. The day the prime minister of Israel was booed at AIPAC In possible U.S.-Iran conflict, Netanyahu leaves the Jews with no alibi Netanyahu: Congress speech 'well worth the cost of confrontation' with Obama Netanyahu demands that Iran stop its “aggression against its neighbors,” its support for international terrorism and its threats to annihilate Israel. He sees these not as conditions for signing an agreement, but rather as a multiyear process whose core is a detente between Iran and the international community. As far as he is concerned, a moderate Iran that is not hostile toward Israel could be a nuclear threshold state, without the prohibitions placed on it today. One could dismiss Netanyahu’s proposals as being impractical, or argue, like U.S. President Barack Obama, that his speech contained nothing new. But in fact they are much more considered than his previous suggestions on the matter, and they are certainly preferable to those of his challengers in the Zionist Union party, who taunt Netanyahu for failing to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities. Netanyahu’s proposals deserve serious discussion after the election, even if Netanyahu loses. The question of Israel’s part in bringing about a change in the regional balance of powers will inevitably arise from this discussion. Netanyahu failed not as a result of his ideas, but rather as a result of the way he went about things. Instead of conducting a quiet dialogue with Obama and the other world leaders over how to curb Iran’s hostility and over Israel’s contribution to this important goal, the politician in him overpowered the diplomat, dragging him into a damaging public wrestling match with the president of the United States and the Democratic Party, in an attempt to save his own sinking Likud party in Israel’s upcoming election. As a result, his proposals did not fall on sympathetic ears in Washington, and the next government in Jerusalem will be forced to put its energy into restoring its relations with America, rather than into leading the vital effort to reduce the threats and dangers of war in the region.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line962
__label__wiki	0.942387	0.942387	Olly: wild cards must be earned European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal made two things clear on Tuesday. He announced that unlike Colin Montgomerie, who used six vice-captains when winning the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in 2010, he will appoint only two this year for Europe’s away battle against the USA at Medinah. The Spanish two-time Masters winner also warned that he would like to see his 12-man European team made up of Europe’s highest ranked players at the time of the qualifying deadline. “The ideal situation for me would be to have all the top players in my 12. So for players like Padraig Harrington the ball is still in his court. “They have to show form,” Olazabal insisted, clearly hoping to avoid a situation like the one in 2010 when Harrington made Montgomerie’s team ahead of some higher ranked players thanks to being the recipient of a somewhat controversial captain’s wild card pick On the vice-captain issue, Olazabal, one of Montgomerie’s assistants at Celtic Manor, said he believed he would need only two and no more to defend the trophy. “I know Davis Love will have four assistants but I am having just two,” Olazabal said. “It’s a lot of headaches if you have more than two. “I have spoken with Davis and he said to me he will be picking his assistants about 60 days from now, about the beginning of July. But I’m not in any rush, so we’ll just wait and see.” European Tour Home	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line964
__label__wiki	0.807636	0.807636	Stenson stuns with winning playoff eagle Tournament: BMW International Open Venue: Golfclub Munchen Nord-Eichenried, Munich, Germany Winner Henrik Stenson Swede Henrik Stenson claimed a stunning victory at the BMW International Open in Munich on Sunday, firing a sensational eagle at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off to edge out two of the game’s biggest names, Retief Goosen and Padraig Harrington. And this just 19 days before he is set to tee-off in his first-ever Ryder Cup at the K Club. On a final day when five members of the European team for the K Club finished in the top seven, the big-hitting 30-year-old from Gothenburg closed with a birdie to snatch a three-way tie with Harrington and Goosen with a 15-under 273 tournament total and force his way into the play-off. On the eventful day when fellow Dubliner Paul McGinley hung on to his Ryder Cup place along with Jose Maria Olazabal, Harrington missed a 12-foot birdie chance to win on the par five 18th. And although he did birdie the hole on his return to it, as did Goosen, he was left with the 29th runners-up finish of his career because of Stenson’s brilliant eagle-making five-iron approach to four feet when it mattered most. The £225,356 victory did owe a little to luck, though. Stenson’s play-off approach landing in the left-hand rough, but instead of staying out there, it kicked on to the green and rolled close to the flag at a hole he also eagled in his third round on Saturday. “I tugged it a little bit, but sometimes you need the right bounces,” he said. “It feels great and I’m very happy – it’s been a while since I was up in contention.” Overnight leader and defending champion David Howell finished joint fourth with another Swede, Martin Erlandsson, after missing a three-footer on the final green that would have put him into sudden death as well. Order of Merit leader Howell will want to forget that as quickly as possible – certainly before the Americans arrive. Luke Donald and Colin Montgomerie were joint sixth, Montgomerie after taking a private jet on Saturday night for a stage appearance with the Ryder Cup at the Robbie Williams concert in Glasgow. McGinley and Olazabal had been in danger of dropping out of the team, McGinley because he missed the cut and Olazabal because he controversially chose to take the week off. But, one by one, the players who could have displaced them failed to achieve their goals. Come the final round in Germany only Paul Broadhurst and Thomas Bjorn had a chance. They needed third and first place respectively, but finished 59th and 13th. Broadhurst knew he had no chance of a wild card, but although Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood were the favourites for them the Dane remained hopeful. So McGinley and Olazabal became the ninth and 10th qualifiers, with European captain Ian Woosnam then adding his two picks 90 minutes later. McGinley, who has slipped from fourth to 10th in the table this year before finishing just above Olazabal, said from his home: “It’s a huge relief. I’ve been under a great deal of pressure and I feel a great weight has been lifted. “Now I can get ready for one of the biggest weeks in my life without worrying or having to look over my shoulder. “It’s going to be a fantastic week and I would have hated not to be part of it.” With Olazabal unavailable for comment it was left to his manager Sergio Gomez to give the 40-year-old’s reaction. “He is delighted to be in the team – and much more delighted than if he had been a pick,” he stated. “I spoke to him an hour ago and he said he will do his best to be a very positive element in the team. He does not forget that in the singles in 1993 he was beaten by Raymond Floyd when he was 51. “Jose still loves the game and keeps himself as fit as possible.” Montgomerie said on Thursday he was “very surprised” by Olazabal’s decision not to play the final counting event when he was not sure of his place. The Scot was not alone in that and the conversation between them might be interesting when next they meet. ALL THE FINAL ROUND SCORES (Gbr and Irl unless stated, par 72): 273 Henrik Stenson (Swe) 71 68 66 68 273 Retief Goosen (RSA) 73 66 67 67, Padraig Harrington 70 70 64 69 274 Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 67 68 69 70, David Howell 67 69 66 72 275 Luke Donald 68 69 71 67, Colin Montgomerie 70 68 66 71 277 Markus Brier (Aut) 71 69 70 67, Alexandre Rocha (Bra) 73 67 70 67, Robert-Jan Derksen (Ned) 69 68 70 70, Peter Gustafsson (Swe) 72 71 64 70, Simon Wakefield 69 69 68 71 278 Thomas Bjorn (Den) 71 69 71 67, Bernhard Langer (Ger) 70 69 71 68, Paul Casey 70 67 71 70, Marcel Siem (Ger) 68 70 70 70, David Lynn 69 70 67 72 279 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 73 69 68 69, Anthony Wall 72 71 67 69, Garry Houston 67 70 72 70, Marc Cayeux (Zim) 71 66 72 70, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 69 69 70 71, Soren Hansen (Den) 70 66 71 72, Bradley Dredge 68 70 69 72 280 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 72 71 66 71, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 71 65 71 73, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 68 72 66 74 281 Marc Warren 73 68 72 68, Graeme Storm 70 72 70 69, Andres Romero (Arg) 69 74 69 69, Fredrik Widmark (Swe) 69 69 73 70, Ian Garbutt 70 72 69 70, Stephen Gallacher 72 68 69 72, Peter Hanson (Swe) 71 70 67 73, Lee Westwood 68 71 68 74, Peter O’Malley (Aus) 71 68 67 75 282 David Drysdale 68 71 73 70, Sam Little 71 69 71 71, Jarrod Moseley (Aus) 71 71 69 71, Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 68 72 70 72, Damien McGrane 69 68 69 76 283 David Bransdon (Aus) 70 69 77 67, Gary Evans 67 73 75 68, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 70 70 72 71, James Kingston (Rsa) 70 71 71 71, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 70 70 68 75 284 Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 69 72 71 72, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 71 70 71 72, David Carter 73 69 70 72, Simon Khan 70 69 66 79 285 Leif Westerberg (Swe) 70 73 73 69, Phillip Archer 71 71 73 70, Gregory Havret (Fra) 73 70 72 70, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 72 71 72 70, Mattias Eliasson (Swe) 70 66 78 71, Massimo Scarpa (Ita) 72 70 72 71, Jean Van de Velde (Fra) 73 68 72 72, Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 70 71 67 77 286 Brett Rumford (Aus) 72 68 76 70, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 70 68 75 73, Richard Finch 74 69 68 75, Matthew Millar (Aus) 68 70 72 76, Miles Tunnicliff 70 70 70 76, Paul Broadhurst 72 71 67 76 287 Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 73 70 70 74, Joakim Backstrom (Swe) 73 68 71 75 288 Andrew Marshall 72 71 73 72 289 Scott Drummond 74 69 74 72, Joakim Haeggman (Swe) 70 71 73 75, Johan Edfors (Swe) 72 69 72 76 291 Wolfgang Huget (Ger) 72 70 73 76, Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 70 73 71 77 292 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 71 70 74 77 295 Jorge Benedetti (Col) 71 72 70 82	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line965
__label__wiki	0.975488	0.975488	Haas hoping to fly under the radar While his name will hardly put any fear in the minds of Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson, Bill Haas hopes he can use that to his advantage. The American is a surprise inclusion in Saturday's penultimate group at Royal Troon after shooting a solid 69 on Saturday and getting it to six under – though admittedly he is less of a surprise than the man who will play alongside him, Andrew "Beef" Johnston. While Haas has won six times on the PGA Tour, he's never come close to a major victory, failing to achieve a top 10 in 27 major appearances. “I’ve played it enough where I think I could have done better than I have in these tournaments,” he said after his third round on Saturday. “I typically don’t feel like I put pressure on myself. It’s just it’s the toughest test of golf that we play, and it’s beaten me more than I’ve beat it.” Haas is a full six shots behind leader Stenson, but Royal Troon could still offer up a few surprises, and Haas hopes he can fly under the radar and use that to his advantage. “I certainly don’t think Phil (Mickelson) and Henrik Stenson are feeling the pressure tonight sleeping knowing that Beef and Bill Haas are behind them,” he said. “So we’ve got to use that to our advantage and just to try to surprise some people.” Haas admits he's looking for a lot more than a top-10 finish on Sunday. “I don’t think a ninth-place finish is going to change my career,” he said. “It certainly isn’t going to make me feel more competitive in majors. The only way to do that is to knock on the door coming down the stretch tomorrow. “So if I go backward, I’ll be very disappointed. But I also think I could not do that. I think I can hang in there and hopefully I’ll shoot a good round.” Tiger Woods and son Charlie create media storm in Florida Woods Jnr’s swing looks an awful lot like his famous father’s. Fitzpatrick secured the first prize of £2.2million thanks to a closing 68 which left him 15 under par and a shot clear of Westwood. There was a dramatic finish in Dubai.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line966
__label__wiki	0.90666	0.90666	Mourinho wants more cash available for January signings November 24, 2016 Editor EPL, Transfer Reports 0 The likes of Pogba, Bailly, Mkhitaryan and Ibrahimovic were all purchased for big money in the summer and it seems Jose Mourinho still wants to splash the cash in the winter transfer window in January. He wants assurances that money will be made available for him to purchase the players he feels will take the Red Devils to the next level. The Daily Mirror reports that Jose is ready to sign two new defenders in January, as he is currently unhappy with the state of his defence. The likes of Bayern Munich’s David Alaba valued at £40m and £30m Virgil Van Dijk are rumoured to be top of his targets. Executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward is reportedly locked in talks with Mourinho over the signing of new players, but has told the former Chelsea manager that he has to offload some players of his team, to make funds available for the signing of new players. The likes of Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Memphis Depay, Chris Smalling and surprisingly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan have all been deemed surplus to requirements at the club and will be offered to other clubs, so as to generate funds. The likes of Smalling, Blind and Shaw have been generally below par, and Mourinho is actively looking to replace them, as he is on a mission to compete for the title come the turn of the year. After spending over £140m during the summer, United have been beset by poor results after a good start to the season. They are currently sixth on the Premier League table and are third in their Europa League, though, they are in the quarter finals of the League Cup, where they have a very winnable tie against West Ham next week. World record signing, Paul Pogba has played well in spurts this season and has not justified his huge transfer fee. United have also been linked to Alexander Dragovic. The Bayer Leverkusen centre back has struggled for playing time at the BayArena this season, and could be a cheaper alternative to Van Dijk, as he is valued at £20m. Where it went wrong for Van Gaal at Manchester United – Ryan Giggs We are in good shape ahead of Feyenoord clash – Ibrahimovic	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line968
__label__cc	0.700348	0.299652	Opening Dates For Hamptons And East End Farmers’ Markets \| 1 Comment · Print Article The first of the East End farmers markets to open is Amber Waves Farm's in Amagansett. (Photo: www.facebook.com) Now that the winter chill has finally thawed out for good and spring-like weather is here to stay, local farmstands and farmers markets will be opening soon. In anticipation of the delightful occasion, here's when you can start supporting local farmers, purveyors, and vendors at Hamptons and East End farmers markets. The Ambers Waves Farm Farmers' Market (367 Main Street, Amagansett, www.amberwavesfarm.org), which took over the Amagansett Farmers' Market, will launch on Tuesday, May 15 and remain open daily, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., until Thanksgiving. The only exception is Wednesdays when the Market is closed. However, after July 4th the Market will be open seven days a week. Shoppers will find Amber Waves Farm's produce, flowers and herbs, as well as cheese from Mecox Bay Dairy, mushrooms from Open Minded Organics and Carissa's breads and many others locally sourced drinks, snacks, and market made sandwiches. Additionally, locally sourced handmade gifts, and housewares will be available, as will an expansive book collection - with features on farming, cooking, kids educational, and more. The East Hampton Farmers' Market (136 North Main Street, East Hampton, www.facebook.com) opens on Friday, May 18. The "curated farmers market" will bring together a plethora of the "best and happiest" East End-based farmer/producers every Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., through September 7. The Westhampton Beach Farmers' Market (85 Mill Road, Westhampton Beach, www.westhamptonchamber.org) will run from Saturday, May 19 through Saturday, October 27. The Market will be open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The majority of farmers' markets will relaunch over Memorial Day weekend. The Havens Farmers Market at Shelter Island Historical Society (16 South Ferry Road, Shelter Island, shelterislandhistorical.org) begins on Saturday, May 26 and will remain open through Saturday, September 2. The Farmers' Market, which will include offerings from Alice's Fish Market, Blue Duck Bakery, Chocology Unlimited, Consider Bardwell Farm, Gianni's Chicken Burgers, Gimme Shelter, Goodale Farms, Greenport Jerky Co., K Gallery Boutique, KK's The Farm, Island End Farms, Island Time Farm, Organic Olive Juice Co., Sarah Shepherd, Simply Nicki, Stars Cafe, The Perfect Pickle, Wesnofske's Farm, and more, will take place on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. St. Mary's Episcopal Church (165 Ponquogue Avenue, Hampton Bays, 631-728-1104, www.stmaryshb.org) will open over Memorial Day weekend (May 26) and remain open through Labor Day weekend. The Farmers' Market will take place on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Springs Farmers' Market at Ashawagh Hall (780 Springs Fireplace Road, East Hampton, www.facebook.com) will also open for the season on Saturday, May 26. The Market will be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Sag Harbor Farmers' Market (Intersection of Bay Street and Burke Street, Sag Harbor, sagharborfarmersmarket.org) is among the Hamptons markets that will debut over Memorial Day weekend. It'll be open on Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., through October 27. The Southampton Village Farmers' Market (25 Jobs Lane, Southampton, www.southamptonchamber.com) will debut on Sunday, May 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and return every Sunday through October 7. The last of the Hamptons markets to launch is the Montauk Farmers' Market (On the Village Green, Montauk, www.montaukchamber.com) - whose motto is "If they can 'Bake it, Catch it, Grow it' you can purchase it." It'll debut on Thursday, June 7 and run every Thursday through September 13. After that, it will return on Fridays through September 28 and pop back up for the Fall Festival Weekend (October 6 and October 7). The market will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Montauk Food Pantry. On the North Fork, the Greenport Farmers Market (1405 Moores Lane, Greenport, greenportfarmersmarket.com) - whose motto is "From the North Fork to Your Fork" - will debut on Saturday, June 23 and remain open through Saturday, October 27. You can stop by on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Unfortunately, after a great nearly ten year run, the Hayground School Farmers Market will not reopen. Tripoli Gallery's "Love Isabela: A Puerto Rico Fundraiser" Continues With Part 2 - A Send-off Event And Clothing Drive Artists Alliance Of East Hampton's 2018 Season Launching With "Spring Members Show" Cinco de Mayo "Live From SAC" To Feature Special Tango Performance Featuring Sandra Antognazzi And Walter Perez Art Meets Design At Annual Hamptons Earth Day Festival Guest (June Bindrim-Bennett) from East Hampton says:: There is also an Evening Farmers Market on Thursdays from 5pm-8:30pm at 60 Spinner Lane, East Hampton; on the grounds of the Cavalry Baptist Church. Produce, goods, food court and music. Start date 5/31/18	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line969
__label__cc	0.697274	0.302726	Our Approach to Treatment Outpatient Detox Partial Hospitalization / PHP Intensive Outpatient Program / IOP Harmony Recovery Center Sober Living / Housing Addiction Rehab Free Insurance Review Alcohol and Anxiety Disorders Posted on May 13, 2019 at 12:13 pm. Written by Michael Smith What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder? Other Anxiety Disorders Associated with Addiction Signs and Symptoms of PTSD Phobia-Related Disorders Anxiety Disorders and Substance Abuse Treatment Alcohol and Anxiety Disorders – Anxiety is a normal human reaction that is related to the brain’s “fight or flight” response mechanism. For some, however, anxiety is not merely a temporary concern—it tends to be pervasive and may increase in intensity over time. As a result, symptoms may begin to interfere with a person’s functioning and everyday activities and responsibilities, such as academics, work, and relationships. There are many different types of anxiety disorders, but generalized anxiety disorder is the most common among them. Other disorders include obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and phobia-related disorders. Alcohol and other drugs are sometimes abused by those who suffer from anxiety disorders as a misguided means to self-medicate. One or two drinks may help the average person relieve stress and inhibitions, but chronic excessive drinking has not been shown to reduce anxiety and, in fact, may worsen it or, in some cases, be a direct cause of it. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), is a mental health condition characterized by chronic anxiety and excessive worry and stress, even in circumstances where there appears to be minimal provocation. People who are diagnosed with GAD have experienced undue anxiety or distress on a daily basis for at least six months. These worries can be associated with any number of issues, including health, work, social interactions, and normal life situations. This anxiety can then result in additional significant problems in many of these same areas of life. GAD symptoms may include the following: Feeling restless or on edge Being easily fatigued Being agitated or irritable Feelings of tension Uncontrollable anxious feelings Insomnia or sleep disturbances According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 20% of Americans with a mood or anxiety disorder also suffer from a substance use disorder. Panic disorder can be a very debilitating condition and is hallmarked by sudden, repeated episodes of extreme dread and feelings of impending doom or being out of control. These feelings are often by physical, terror-fueled symptoms, such as accelerated heartbeat and palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, crying, sweating, crying, and trembling. Panic attacks can be entirely spontaneous but are most often instigated by some particular fear of a thing or situation, such as a centipede or flying in an airplane during extreme turbulence. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by chronic, unwanted thoughts and obsessions and compulsive, repetitive behaviors. These behaviors include activities such as excessive hand-washing, cleaning, counting, and neatly organizing everything in one’s environment. The strict performance of these routines is required in order to temporarily repress compulsive thoughts. People who live with OCD only get a short respite from these anxious feelings through the act of these rituals, and performing them can further worsen anxiety. Common symptoms of OCD include the following: Germophobia, a fear of germs or contamination leading to excessive washing Undesired or forbidden thoughts and feelings involving religion, sex or self-harm Aggressive thoughts toward oneself or others Having things placed symmetrically or in a specific order, arranging things in a precise way Repeated checking on things, such as frequently reassuring oneself that the door is locked Compulsive counting Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a potentially devastating mental health condition that can onset after a person has experienced a psychologically catastrophic event in which physical and/or intense emotional harm occurred in some manner. Such events include physical and sexual assault, childhood abuse or neglect, natural disasters, and military combat. Having feelings of anxiety and fear both during and after a traumatic event is natural and serves the purpose of protecting us from future harm. However, individuals with PTSD continue to experience these feelings during circumstances that are, in reality, not at all threatening. Not every person who encounters a traumatic event or events will experience PTSD, and not everyone who suffers from PTSD has been exposed to an event that threatens their physical well-being directly. For example, some people can develop PTSD after a severe illness or the death of a family member or other loved one. Symptoms usually manifest within three months of a precipitating event, but sometimes stay dormant until years later. In any case, to be diagnosed as having PTSD, the following symptoms must continue for more than thirty days and be severe enough to adversely impact relationships, academics, or career. These include the following: One or more reexperiencing symptoms, such as flashbacks or nightmares One or more avoidance symptoms, such as avoiding places or events that remind the person of the experience Two or more reactivity or arousal symptoms, such as being easily startled or having explosive outbursts Two or more mood or cognition symptoms, such as having negative thoughts about oneself or having feelings of self-blame Once people experience traumatic circumstances, they may also develop feelings of guilt and shame that can manifest in alcoholism or drug addiction. Alcohol dependency can worsen PTSD symptoms and induce very uncomfortable side effects. A phobia is hallmarked by the intense fear of a specific object (e.g., needles), a living thing (e.g., spider), or situation (e.g., being in confined in a small space). Anxiety may be considered to be a natural reaction in many of these circumstances, but people who suffer from phobias experience terror and sometimes panic that is dramatically out of proportion to a situation’s actual potential for danger. People with a phobia may present the following signs: Having an irrational or unrealistic worry about being exposed to the object or circumstance that terrifies them Making an effort to avoid the object or situation Experiencing sudden and intense anxiety/panic when encountering the object or situation Enduring contact with unavoidable objects or conditions while experiencing severe anxiety and fear Other anxiety disorders include separation anxiety disorder (a fear of being apart from a person to whom one is emotionally attached) and social anxiety disorder. The latter, which is also sometimes referred to as social phobia, is hallmarked by an intense fear of social situations or situations in which the person has to perform or speak in front of others. Because alcohol lowers inhibition and is therefore known as a “social lubricant” it’s not uncommon for people with social anxiety to be heavy drinkers. Substance use disorders (SUDs) are found much more often among people who suffer from anxiety disorders than the general population. Anxiety disorders, when left untreated, often lead people to experiment with drugs or alcohol as a means to self-medicate. Emotional symptoms caused by the use of these substances, such as depression, irritability, and general malaise, often exacerbate anxiety disorders and can perpetuate a never-ending cycle of substance abuse and mental health problems. Alcoholism does not usually exist in a vacuum, and instead, tends to co-exist with another mental health disorder such as anxiety or depression. For this reason, a comorbid mental illness must be treated simultaneously with substance abuse, and not addressed as a separate entity. Both anxiety and substance abuse are very treatable and should be addressed as soon as possible. Harmony Recovery Center offers comprehensive, evidence-based addiction treatment that includes behavioral therapy, counseling, group support, and aftercare planning for long-term sobriety. Recovery from addiction and mental illness is a lifelong process, but it can begin now with our help! Contact us today to discover how we help people free themselves from the chains of addiction and begin to enjoy the healthy and satisfying lives they deserve! Related: Am I an Alcoholic? Contact us for help today Ready to start? We’re here for you. About Addiction Recovery Crack Addiction Opioid and Opiate Addiction Sober Activities Sober Holidays Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction Signs You Need Treatment for Meth Addiction Long-term Side Effects of Benzodiazepines Morphine vs. Heroin – What is the Difference? Adventure Therapy for Substance Abuse 5 Warning Signs of Addiction The Importance of Family Support During Rehab What to Expect From an Outpatient Alcohol Detox Understanding Codependency and its Role in Addiction Cameron Dallas Shares His Addiction Story We Accept Most Insurance Plans! Nationally Accredited: Copyright © 2020 Harmony Recovery Center \| (704) 970-4106 \| All rights reserved. Privacy Policy \| Terms of Service \| Site Map	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line971
__label__wiki	0.898809	0.898809	Art & Culture / A portrait of UK life on the edges of gentrification A portrait of UK life on the edges of gentrification Posted Friday 27th November 2020 / Text By Huck HQ Photography © Stephen Burridge Photographer Stephen Burridge talks preserving the memory of places on the margins of capitalism and celebrating the UK's vibrant communities. Photographer Stephen Burridge talks preserving the memory of places on the margins of capitalism and celebrating the UK's vibrant patchwork of communities. When photographer Stephen Burridge was young, his father, then a London taxi driver, would often take him driving through the capital’s winding roads. Burridge remembers gazing out of the cab’s window with endless curiosity: “I just had this affinity with watching people on the streets and looking at their mannerisms,” he recalls. These journeys would grow into Burridge’s love of photographing the streets. “I continued but in a different aspect, with the camera instead of a taxi,” he says. Burridge has since spent much of his career capturing the UK’s diverse, primarily working-class neighbourhoods, among them Deptford in South London, Roman Road and Bethnal Green in East London, and the UK’s coastal regions of Blackpool and South Bay. These photographs now form a series entitled Homegrown – a reference, Burridge says, to the “authentic, real approach” of being a Londoner photographing his own streets and integrating with the communities that comprise the project. It was through photography that Burridge first became acquainted with Britain’s class system, and in this sense, his work has always had a political dimension. “It’s become a personal challenge of mine to break-down facades, to get close to the people in these communities and to show the individual characteristics of an area.” Burridge speaks about his role as a photographer with a sense of duty – that being to preserve the memory of areas from the slow creep of gentrification. “The very purpose of gentrification is to take away the soul and life of an area, to commercialise it, and use it as a commodity,” he says. “To show the beauty of these misaligned areas – which are becoming few and far between – is an art form in itself.” For this reason, he avoids shooting wealthier suburbs, which he describes as homogenised in their appearance. Instead, he chooses to document the “unconventional eloquence” of those existing on the margins of capitalism, whether it’s London’s bustling street markets or takeaways on the beachfront. His photographs, he says, are a mixture of “semi-arranged” pictures, where he asks to shoot his subject, and “serendipity”, which involves waiting for the right moment to photograph a person without them knowing. It is these chance encounters, Burridge says, that allow for the “nuanced and brutal imagery” that has become a trademark of his work. In the past, British documentary photography depicting the working classes has attracted criticism for its voyeurism and distance from the lived reality of its subjects. But Burridge’s work offers nuance, something he owes to his own background and compassion for the people behind his lens. “I have close ties with these groups and I have a natural connection with them,” he says. “Instead of looking down on, I photograph in an intrinsically appreciative way.” See more of Stephen Burridge’s work on his official website, and follow him on Instagram. Posted Friday 27th November, 2020 Halcyon days at an ’80s Summer Solstice Festival A vibrant ode to Liverpool in the ’80s and ’90s Mersey Paradise Meet the running community reclaiming the great outdoors In partnership with Squarespace People of colour get little representation in outdoor culture. But Black Trail Runners aims to change that. Introducing the Huck List 20 for 2020 This year, we spotlight the inspiring individuals and activist groups who have been on the frontlines of the fight for a better future. Outdoor > Skate Skater Scott Hobbs Bourne on why he wrote a children’s book An Act Of Imagination SHB’s life is best defined by boundless possibility. So it feels fitting that his new book, written for kids, is a celebration of just that. The great American road trip, from a Black perspective A Parallel Road Photographer Amani Willett discusses his new book exploring the Black experience of driving in America, and how adventure has long been underpinned by fear.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line976
__label__cc	0.503695	0.496305	Hit to search or ESC to close "Chronic cough is not social" campaign Campaign "Chronic cough is not social" Creation of direction and media board contents Media board organization and management Concept creation of the awareness campaign Communication strategy definition Realization of scientific contents Direction and speech preparation for the press conference Chronic cough is not social Heritage House has devised an awareness campaign on chronic cough, starting from listening to stakeholders, patients and the association that represents them, FederAsma, and involving a selection of scientific journalists in the dialogue. The campaign was launched with a press conference, which also marked the online launch of the linked website and the launch of the campaign on social media. The digital agency that created the site and the social media activity was coordinated by Heritage House for the content. The results of the studies on the molecule under development for the treatment of chronic cough were also announced during the press conference. via Pearson Education, Inc., 3 T. + 39 02 22198652 This site uses cookies to give you the best experience on our website. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or how to disable them in settings. EU Regulation 679/2016 on the processing of personal data - Art. 13 Heritage House Srl based in Milan in Via Ulrico Hoepli n.3, 20121 Milan - CF and VAT number 13046741008 later, "Holder"), As the data controller, informs you pursuant to Legislative Decree 196/2003 as amended by Legislative Decree 101/2018 (hereinafter,"Privacy Code") And art. 13 EU Regulation no. 2016/679 (hereinafter, "GDPR") And the provisions of Directive 2002/58 / EC that your data will be processed in the manner and for the following purposes: 1. 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Analytics _gid 24 hours Google Analytics used to store and update a unique value for each page visited Analytics Learn more about cookies: For more information on the cookies installed through this Site, you can contact the following e-mail address: privacy@heritage-house.eu Policy update: The possible entry into force of new sector regulations, as well as the constant examination and updating of services to the user, could lead to the need to change the methods of processing personal data. It is therefore possible that this policy may undergo changes over time so the user is invited to periodically consult this page. For this purpose, the policy document highlights the update date. Drafting Date: 23 / 5 / 2018 Last update: 06 / 11 / 2020 Activate everyone	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line978
__label__wiki	0.799196	0.799196	A year after horrifying fire, Notre Dame Cathedral restoration is on pause amid coronavirus lockdown in France Jessica Flores / USA TODAY The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris went up in flames one year ago Wednesday, devastating one of the world's most remarkable places of worship. The restoration process hasn't gone according to plan. While French President Emmanuel Macron almost immediately promised to reopen by 2024, promising to make the cathedral "even more beautiful" in the process, the rehabilitation effort has been stunted by one challenge after another — even before the coronavirus pandemic, The Guardian reported. Macron issued a nationwide stay-at-home order on March 16 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The artisan builders who were part of the rebuilding operation were sent home the next day. Still, French army general Jean-Louis Georgelin, who is in charge of returning Notre Dame to its glory, hasn't lost faith. “If everyone rolls up their sleeves and the work is well planned, it is conceivable that returning the cathedral to a place of worship within five years will not be an impossible feat,” he told The Guardian. “Obviously, the area around the cathedral will be far from finished, and perhaps the spire will not be completed, but the cathedral will once again be a place of worship and this is our aim." This isn't the first time that the cathedral's restoration has come to a halt. A toxic lead contamination forced delays last summer, then work was stopped again because of high winds during the fall, The Guardian reported. It's unlikely restoration will resume any time soon: Macron extended the country's lockdown until May 11 during a national address on Monday, saying that the coronavirus outbreak was "not under control." The violent fire that engulfed the cathedral on the night of April 15, 2019, burned for hours. Videos surfaced on social media of passersby crying as they watched the church's iconic wood and lead spire burning in flames, then collapsing on one of its rectangular towers. There was some good news: Firefighters prevented flames from reaching the northern belfry, saving historically significant artifacts and sacred items. It took more than 100 years to build the predominantly French Gothic cathedral. Days after the fire, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe launched an international competition to design the cathedral's new spire. "Should we rebuild the spire envisaged and built by Viollet-le-Duc under the same conditions … (or) give Notre Dame a new spire adapted to the technologies and the challenges of our times?" Philippe said. The country's president suggested a "contemporary gesture." Georgelin, however, believes that the back-and-forth about the spire's new look could slow the reconstruction process. “We have to be left to get on with the work and not caught up in the controversies,” Georgelin told L’Express magazine, adding that the quicker the decision is made, the quicker he and his team can focus on the reconstruction. Notre Dame didn't host Christmas services last year for the first time in more than 200 years amid fears that the cathedral may never recover from the historic fire. But, last week, a group of seven worshipers gathered for a 40-minute Good Friday service inside the cathedral, which is closed to the public.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line980
__label__wiki	0.696467	0.696467	The Scientific World Journal The Scientific World Journal / 2012 / Article AbstractIntroductionMaterials and MethodsResultsDiscussionConclusionsAcknowledgmentsReferencesCopyright Adrian Zaragoza Bastida, Marivel Hernández Tellez, Lilia P. Bustamante Montes, Imelda Medina Torres, Jaime Nicolás Jaramillo Paniagua, Germán David Mendoza Martínez, Ninfa Ramírez Durán, "Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Tuberculosis in the State of Mexico, Mexico", The Scientific World Journal, vol. 2012, Article ID 570278, 7 pages, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1100/2012/570278 Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Tuberculosis in the State of Mexico, Mexico Adrian Zaragoza Bastida,1 Marivel Hernández Tellez,2 Lilia P. Bustamante Montes,1 Imelda Medina Torres,3 Jaime Nicolás Jaramillo Paniagua,3 Germán David Mendoza Martínez,4 and Ninfa Ramírez Durán1 1Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, 50180, Toluca, MEX, Mexico 2Centro Interamericano de Recursos del Agua, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, 50200, Toluca, MEX, Mexico 3Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria Zootécnia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, 50200, Toluca, MEX, Mexico 4Departamento de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, 04960, México, DF, Mexico Academic Editor: Q. He Accepted29 May 2012 Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the oldest human diseases that still affects large population groups. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were approximately 9.4 million new cases worldwide in the year 2010. In Mexico, there were 18,848 new cases of TB of all clinical variants in 2010. The identification of clusters in space-time is of great interest in epidemiological studies. The objective of this research was to identify the spatial and temporal distribution of TB during the period 2006–2010 in the State of Mexico, using geographic information system (GIS) and SCAN statistics program. Nine significant clusters ( 𝑃 < 0 . 0 5 ) were identified using spatial and space-time analysis. The conclusion is that TB in the State of Mexico is not randomly distributed but is concentrated in areas close to Mexico City. Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease, generally chronic, and caused by a group of bacteria: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. africanum, M. bovis, M. microti and M. canettii [1]. The main transmission is from person to person by microdrops generated by coughing or sneezing of a person with active TB [1, 2]. TB is one of the oldest human diseases that still affects large population groups, mainly in marginal areas and comprising vulnerable groups impacted by extreme poverty, malnutrition, and crowded housing. These groups are prone to infection by the tuberculosis bacilli and to acquiring active TB [2, 3]. In Mexico, the National Population Commission (CONAPO) considers a marginal index based on a census of localities according to the global impact of several total measurements or items, such as lack of education (illiteracy, incomplete grade school) and inadequate housing conditions (without water, drainage, bathrooms, electricity, refrigerator [4], and other basic household equipment, houses with earth floors and crowded living conditions). These items can be used to identify geographic areas with greater marginalization (socioeconomic development) and a greater risk from TB infection. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in 2010 that there were an estimated 9.4 million incident cases (range 8.9 million–9.9 million) of TB globally, equivalent to 137 cases per 100,000 population, and that 1.1 million of those cases also tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The mortality of HIV-negative patients with TB was estimated at 1.3 million, this being equivalent to 20 deaths per 100,000 people. The incidence of TB patients in Asia was 55% and 30% in Africa; smaller proportions of cases occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (7%), the European Region (4%), and the Americas Regions (3%) [5]. In Mexico, 18,848 TB cases (in all clinical forms) were reported in 2010, which is a rate of 16.77 per 100,000 habitants. Of all the cases reported, 15,384 or 13.7 per 100,000 corresponded to lung TB, the mortality rate was 2.14 per 100,000 (in all clinical forms) [6], and the incidence rate was higher in the 60-year-old or 60+-year-old groups of patients, and males had a 1.5 times higher rate than females [3]. In the federal entities, TB presents a well-defined concentration pattern. High incidence rates are present in the western states and the Gulf of Mexico, and lower rates are found in the central states. Tamaulipas and Baja California have double the national rate (13.5 per 100,000 inhabitants). In these states, together with the Veracruz, Chiapas, Nuevo León, Jalisco, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Guerrero, Sonora, Oaxaca, and Chihuahua states, are concentrated 70% of all the identified cases of TB in the country [3]. At present, geographic information systems (GISs) are among the most useful tools in epidemiology, as they can be used to identify geographical areas and population groups with a higher risk of sickness or premature mortality and which therefore require higher preventive care or health information and monitoring of diseases in time and space [7, 8]. Spatial cluster of a disease grouping is one of the most important techniques in epidemiology. In 1995, Kuldorff and Negarwalla developed a new space statistics method called SCAN for the detection and cluster inference in time-space under the likelihood ratio (LLR) hypothesis [8]. SCAN statistics is a spatial-temporal analysis defined by a large number of transposed cylinders; the circular base defines the geographic area with a radius that can vary from zero to a larger distance influenced by the percentage of the population at risk, while the height of the cylinder represents the temporal parameter. The LLR was calculated for each cylinder. The cylinder with the highest LLR was considered to constitute the most probable cluster. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to calculate the 𝑃 value [9]. In the case of TB, various researchers have used GIS to study this infectious disease. Moonan et al. [10] used GIS to identify the geographic locations of TB transmission and incidence in the United States of America during 1993 to 2000. In India, Tiwarin et al. [11] carried out a geospatial investigation of TB occurrence in the Almora district using GIS and the SCAN statistics program. Nunes [12] in Portugal detected spatial and temporal clusters during 2000–2004 by using SCAN. The above-mentioned authors agree that GIS and SCAN are useful tools for vigilance against TB. The SCAN statistics program has been used worldwide by various researchers with different lengths of search windows: the most frequently used are 25% and 50% of the population [11]. Sabel et al. [13] added some health determinants in their model, such as age, gender, and margination, as covariants as a form of correction or data adjustment. The objective of this research was to use the spatial statistics program SCAN and GIS to identify the spatial and temporal distribution of TB during 2006 to 2010 and to determine the geographic locations of higher transmission and incidence of TB in the State of Mexico, Mexico. 2.1. Study Location This study used as its research area the State of Mexico, located in the centre of Mexico at 98°35′30′′–100°37′00′′ west longitude and 18°21′15′′–20°17′00′′ north latitude, and occupying 22,499.95 km2, which represents 1.1% of the national territory. It is divided into 125 municipalities that include 4, 341 localities (Figure 1). Location and geographic distribution of tuberculosis cases during 2006–2010 in the State of Mexico. According to the II Conteo de Población and Vivienda 2005 (II Population and Housing Census 2005), the State of Mexico had 14,007,495 inhabitants, representing 13.6% of the entire Mexican population and making it the most populated state. 2.2. Data Collection 2.2.1. Population Data In accordance with the Sistema Nacional de Vigilancia Epidemiológica (Epidemiology Vigilance National Surveillance), tuberculosis cases were reported from 499 localities during the period 2006–2010. Cases in each locality were categorized using a marginalization index [14]: Category 1: very low; Category 2: low; Category 3: medium; Category 4: high; Category 5: very high. The number, age and gender of the inhabitants in each locality were obtained from the II Population and Housing Census 2005 by the “Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía” (INEGI) (National Institute of Statistics and Geography) [15]. Age was classified into five categories: Category 1: 0–4 years old; Category 2: 5–14 years old; Category 3: 15–17 years old; Category 4: 18–59 years old; Category 5: 60 and 60+ years of age. The data for gender was combined with the age categories, and therefore 10 groups of age-gender were created to describe the population of each locality. 2.2.2. Tuberculosis Case Data The collected cases were diagnosed at several hospitals and healthcare centres and their demographic characteristics were reported to the TB National Registry during 2006–2010. Marginality was obtained from the 2005 marginality index [14] for the locality where each TB case was found. For the statistical strategy, the covariables were age-gender and margination. 2.2.3. Geographic Localization Data For data analysis, locality with the TB case was used as a geographic unit. The georeference came from the latitude-longitude projection system obtained from the Instituto de Geografía Estadística y Catastral del Estado de México (IGECEM) (Institute of Statistical Geography and Tax Revenue of the State of Mexico) [16]. 2.3. Statistical and Geographic Analysis 2.3.1. TB Cluster Detection and Identification Determination and identification of TB clusters were carried out with the statistics spatial SCAN program and calculated with the SaTScan (V8.0) computer package that obtains statistical significance and the approximate cluster localization. The SaTScan program requires three files for initiation: cases, population, and geography localization files. A Poisson probability model was used with a 25% and 50% search window for high rates: age, gender and, margination index were the covariables. 2.3.2. Geographic Analysis For the graphic cluster representation, a map was drawn based on the information obtained with the SCAN and the IDRISI Taiga software. A factorial format map of the State of Mexico obtained from the IGECEM and a Lansat 7 satellite medium infrared colour image at bands 2, 4, and 7 were used [17]. There were 2,164 human TB cases detected from 2006 to 2010, distributed in 499 localities and in 125 municipalities. The municipalities with more than 100 TB cases are Ecatepec de Morelos with 365 (16.9%) cases; Netzahualcóyotl with 172 (7.9%); Naucalpan de Juárez with 153 (7%); Tlalnepantla de Baz with 123 (5.7%); Toluca county with 109 cases (5%). The distribution of the 2,164 cases is shown in Figure 2 with an increment from 405 cases in 2006 up to 449 in 2010. Frequency of TB cases in the State of Mexico during the years 2006 to 2010. As mentioned in the methodology section, the 10 “age-gender-margination” groups or categories were found in 499 locations with TB cases. A database with 4990 groups was created. Two analyses were performed using the collected information: the first analysis was spatial and the second was a space-time analysis. 3.1. Spatial Analysis A search window with a maximum length of ≤50% population with high TB rates was used. A primary cluster and five secondary clusters were identified. The centre of the primary cluster was located in the municipality of Valle de Chalco Solidaridad in the locality of Santa Cruz. The relative risk (RR) was 337.68 with 14 TB cases versus the 0.04 expected cases. The second cluster was formed of the municipalities of Acolman, Atenco, Chiautla, Chiconcuac, Ecatepec de Morelos, Papalotla, Tecámac, Teotihuacán, Tepetlaoxtoc, Texcoco, and Tezoyuca. The RR was 1.68 with 423 TB cases and the expected RR was 282.2 cases. The third cluster, in the Atizapán de Zaragoza, Villa Nicolás Romero, and Cuautitlán Izcalli municipalities, had a 215.58 RR with seven TB cases compared to 0.03 expected cases. The 10.75 RR for the fourth cluster with 20 TB cases, located in Huixquilucan and Lerma municipalities, had an expected number of cases of 1.88. Cluster 5, located in the municipalities of Tlalnepantla de Baz, Tultitlán, Apizapán de Zaragoza, and Cuahutitlán Izcalli, was found to have a 4.39 RR with 38 TB cases compared with the 8.77 expected cases. The last identified secondary cluster, located in the Tlalnepantla de Baz, Jilotzingo, Atizapán de Zaragoza, and Naucalpan de Juaréz, showed a 10.24 RR with eight TB cases against the 0.78 expected cases. A maximum length of ≤25% search window was used for a population with high TB rates and the results of the analysis were similar to those obtained with a ≤50% search window. General information about the identified clusters is shown in Table 1, and their geography is shown in Figure 3. Cluster Loc.a Centre coordinates Radius (km) Obsb Expc RRd LLRe 𝑃 Primary cluster 1 1 19.287 N, 98.933 W 0 14 0.04 337.68 67.5 0.001 Secondary clusters 2 23 19.585 N, −98.945 W 13.11 423 282.20 1.62 35.8 0.001 3 3 19.596 N, −99.269 W 4.48 7 0.03 215.58 30.6 0.001 4 3 19.306 N, −99.386 W 6.88 20 1.88 10.75 29.3 0.001 5 5 19.610 N, −99.191 W 5.08 38 8.77 4.39 26.7 0.001 6 4 19.501 N, −99.284 W 5.57 8 0.78 10.24 11.4 0.001 aLocations with TB cases, bObserved number of cases in cluster, cExpected number of cases in cluster, dRelative risk of the cluster, eLog likelihood ratio. TB clusters with a high RR identified in the State of Mexico using a space analysis and a search window maximum length of ≤50% and ≤25% population, adjusted for age-gender-margination. Geography of the identified high TB rate clusters in the State of Mexico detected with a spatial analysis and a search window maximum length of ≤50% and ≤25% population, adjusted for age-gender-margination. 3.2. Space-Time Analysis A primary cluster was identified using a search window maximum of ≤50% population with high TB rates. The cluster centre was located in the Tultitlan, a municipality formed of the Tlalnepantla de Baz, Cuautitlán, Cuautitlán Izcalli, and Atizapán de Zaragoza municipalities. The relative risk (RR) during the 2007–2009 period was 6.22 with 27 TB cases and 4.39 expected cases. Secondary clusters were not identified. A search window maximum length of ≤25% population was used to identify three significant clusters. The primary cluster was located in the Valle de Chalco Solidaridad, Ixtapaluca, and a small part of Chalco. The RR was 81.08, with 16 TB cases during the period 2008–2006, compared with 0.2 expected cases. Two secondary clusters were identified. One was similar to that described above using the ≤50% population search window. The other was formed by 11 municipalities: Acolman, Atenco, Chicuautla, Chiconcuac, Ecatepec de Morelos, Papalotla, Tecamac, Teotihuacan, Tepetlaoxtoc, Texcoco, and Tezoyuca. The RR was 2.03 with 267 cases of TB during the years 2006–2008 against expected cases of 140.50. General information about the identified clusters is shown in Table 2 and their geography in Figure 4. Cluster Loc.a Centre coordinates Radius (km) Year Obsb Expc RRd LLRe 𝑃 1 6 19.315 N, −98.928 W 3.49 2006–2008 16 0.2 81.08 54.467248 0.001 2 19 19.585 N, −98.945 W 11.93 2006–2008 267 140.59 2.03 48.880307 0.001 ∗ 3 5 19.610 N, −99.191 W 5.08 2007–2009 27 4.39 6.22 26.578700 0.001 *Cluster detected with a search window maximum length of ≤ 50% risk population. A cluster with high rates of tuberculosis in the State of Mexico was detected with a spatial-temporal analysis and a search window maximum length of ≤50% and ≤25% risk population, adjusted for age-gender-margination. Geographic locations of the identified clusters with high rates using a space-time analysis and a search window maximum length of ≤50% and ≤25% population, adjusted for age-gender-margination. In the field of epidemiology one of the most important analyses is the detection in space-time of a disease cluster, since a non-control-spreading of the disease takes place and a social or economic factor favours cluster formation. The use of GIS plus spatial statistics has been used to determine spatial distribution patterns of various infectious and noninfectious diseases [18–22]. SCAN, available in the SaTScan V8 software, has been used worldwide to detect various disease clusters, including TB. GISs plus molecular diagnosis techniques have been used to locate TB clusters and to identify the Mycobacterium responsible for the outbreak [10]. Frequently, however, it is not possible to obtain a detailed and complete analysis since the information is mainly based on a positive bacilloscopy. However, this study obtained data on TB according to age, gender, and marginality index, representing valuable information since the highest rate of this disease occurs in adults of 60 and 60+ years of age [3], in males 1.5 to 1 rate and in marginal groups [2]. With the SCAN statistical results and a 25% and 50% search window population and a spatial analysis ( 𝑃 ≤ 0 . 0 5 ), six clusters were identified, showing that TB is not randomly distributed in the State of Mexico but in clusters in a spatial pattern. In similar studies by Navaet al. [23] in Acapulco, Mexico, using a different spatial method, clusters were not found. We used two search windows (50% and 25%) in order to find small clusters but identification differences were not seen in cluster identification. These results were in agreement with those reported by Tiwarin et al. [11]. The six identified clusters are located close to and around Mexico City (Federal District), the largest city in the Mexico. The highest incidence rates of TB are found in urban zones [24] in comparison with rural areas. Our results agreed with those reported by Moonan et al. [10]. They found a strong association between the strains of TB clusters and the distance to the centre of urban zones. Three TB clusters were identified with spatial and temporal analysis using the same search windows; two of these clusters grouped the TB cases from the 2006 to 2008 period, and the cases from 2007 to 2009 were in the third cluster. The three clusters all contained the 2008 TB cases, making it the year with the highest incidence. Of the three identified clusters, only one is in agreement with those identified with the spatial-only analysis, but the others are located in areas close to the spatial clusters. The results of the present study are of great importance in TB epidemiological surveys in the State of Mexico. The presence of clusters is valuable to the healthcare system since strategy can be revised accordingly in those areas containing TB clusters. TB is spatially clustered in the State of Mexico, Mexico. Nine clusters were identified using two types of analysis: spatial and spatial-temporal. Such clusters were mainly found in Valle de Chalco Solidaridad, Atenco, Ecatepec de Morelos, Tlalnepantla de Baz, Acolma, Tultitlan, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Atizapán de Zaragoza, Huixquilucan, and Naucalpan de Juárez, all municipalities that are very close to Mexico City (Federal District). The authors extend their thanks to The Health Institute of the State of Mexico for providing the necessary help and support for the study. This work is derived from the thesis for the degree of Doctorate in Sciences of Health, registered in the PNPC-CONACYT, and benefited from the economic contribution of Project SIEA-UAEM 2742/2008U. S. D. Lawn and A. I. 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Castillo, “SIG-Epi uso de sistemas de información geográfica en epidemiología y Salud Pública,” Boletín Epidemiológico, Organización Panamericana de la Salud, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 1–8, 2001. View at: Google Scholar M. Kulldorff and N. Nagarwalla, “Spatial disease clusters: detection and inference,” Statistics in Medicine, vol. 14, no. 8, pp. 799–810, 1995. View at: Google Scholar M. Kulldorff, F. Mostashari, L. Duczmal, W. K. Yih, K. Kleinman, and R. Platt, “Multivariate scan statistics for disease surveillance,” Statistics in Medicine, vol. 26, no. 8, pp. 1824–1833, 2007. View at: Publisher Site \| Google Scholar P. K. Moonan, M. Bayona, T. N. Quitugua et al., “Using GIS technology to identify areas of tuberculosis transmission and incidence,” International Journal of Health Geographics, vol. 3, article 23, 2004. View at: Publisher Site \| Google Scholar N. Tiwari, C. M. S. Adhikari, A. Tewari, and V. 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Harris et al., “Clustering of mycobacterium tuberculosis cases in Acapulco: spoligotyping and risk factors,” Clinical and Developmental Immunology, vol. 2011, Article ID 408375, 12 pages, 2011. View at: Publisher Site \| Google Scholar R. Graham Barr, A. V. Diez-Roux, C. A. Knirsch, and A. Pablos-Méndez, “Neighborhood poverty and the resurgence of tuberculosis in New York City, 1984–1992,” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 91, no. 9, pp. 1487–1493, 2001. View at: Google Scholar Copyright © 2012 Adrian Zaragoza Bastida et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line981
__label__wiki	0.632354	0.632354	Deputy Director Position Opening at CHLP The Center for HIV Law and Policy to hire Deputy Director. CHLP_Logo small.png The Center for HIV Law and Policy challenges barriers to the rights and health of people affected by HIV through legal advocacy, high-impact policy initiatives, and creation of cross-issue partnerships, networks and resources. We support movement building that amplifies the power of individuals and communities to mobilize for change that is rooted in racial, gender and economic justice. Two of our current major initiatives focus on discriminatory policies in the U.S. legal system. The Positive Justice Project is a national coalition coordinated by CHLP and organized to end criminal laws targeting people living with HIV and viral hepatitis. Teen SENSE and the Sexual Health Youth Advocacy Coalition advocate for written policies guaranteeing LGBT-inclusive/affirming sexual health care and sexual health literacy programming in juvenile detention, foster care and other state-operated youth facilities. Summary of Position The Deputy Director works closely and collaboratively with the Executive Director and other staff on strategic planning and organizational management and development, oversees the supervision of staff, and helps to ensure that CHLP’s legal and policy programs and strategies serve its mission, goals, and high standards of service, accuracy, and excellence. The Deputy Director is responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of all legal, policy, and advocacy work, and oversees the professional development of staff. The Deputy Director also supports the Executive Director on development/fundraising work and ensuring organizational sustainability. Play a leadership role in the organization’s long-term strategic planning process and promote CHLP’s role as a leading and visionary organization. Relationship-build and explore collaborations with legal, civil rights, human rights, and immigrants’ rights organizations to strengthen connections with people of color, low-income individuals, immigrants, and other marginalized communities at risk for HIV. Work with the Executive Director and staff to advance, promote, execute, and ensure high-quality results for strategic case and advocacy work. Identify, select, develop, implement, and monitor the progress of new strategic legal and policy initiatives, ensuring that work priorities and commitments are developed and implemented on a reasonable timeframe. Oversee the review and completion of CHLP publications, resources, and materials. Assist legal staff and consultants as requested by the Executive Director. Develop a progressive system for staff performance evaluation and feedback. Maintain ongoing literacy on major developments in HIV law and policy issues. Conduct and contribute to trainings and presentations across diverse audiences and settings. In collaboration with the Executive Director, build and engage CHLP’s Advisory Board. Represent CHLP at meetings, conferences, presentations, networking and fundraising events, and other engagements that will bring more visibility and resources to CHLP and the communities we serve. Commitment to CHLP’s values, mission, and the needs of the communities we serve. Ability to articulate, clarify, and uphold high standards for the quality, vision, and soundness of CHLP’s work. Consistently strong work ethic and passion for honest, direct communication. A minimum of 3 years supervisory experience, with the ability to supervise a range of positions, work, and personalities. Law degree or legal experience a plus. Talent for performing, recognizing and encouraging excellent legal work and policy analysis. Commitment to a work culture of mutual respect among employees and supervisors, to regular, clear and direct communication, and to developing future leaders for CHLP and for movement work more generally. Ability to navigate complex relationships with partners across diverse communities and social justice movements. Self-confidence demonstrated in a willingness to take risks, make mistakes, acknowledge and learn from them, and keep on task. Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Well-developed sense of humor and compassion. On occasion, travel and/or evening and weekend work may be required. Commensurate with experience, and with the pay scale of a small not-for-profit, social justice organization. Compensation includes health insurance (including dental and vision), liberal vacation and personal time allowances, and generous employer contribution to retirement account. Send a cover letter, resume, recent writing sample, and salary needs to Catherine Hanssens, Executive Director, at chanssens@hivlawandpolicy.org. Please put “DEPUTY DIRECTOR POSITION” in the subject line. Deadline for Applications/Interviews Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The Center for HIV Law and Policy is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to advancing fairness, equality, and diversity in both its work and its workplace. We strongly encourage applications from all communities, particularly people of color; people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds; individuals living with disabilities, including those living with HIV; formerly-incarcerated individuals; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons. The Center for HIV Law and Policy is a project of the National Center for Civic Innovation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded by the Fund for the City of New York. Deputy Director job description Final November 2018.pdf 140.7 KB	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line982
__label__wiki	0.955377	0.955377	News Sports Orange and White Life Opinion Obituaries E-Edition Legals Clemson Jazz Ensemble injects some mashup fun to their Brooks Center show Vincent Harris Special to the Independent Mail The Clemson University Jazz Ensemble might look like the typical big band with the standard horn-heavy instrumentation, but their performance at the University's Brooks Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday will be anything but typical, according to the Ensemble's director, Timothy Hurlburt. 'I think it's pretty eclectic approach to the program this year,' Hurlburt says. 'There's a little something for everybody.' A deeper look into the Ensemble's plans for the show bears Hurlburt out. They're planning to perform a couple of New Orleans second-line jazz tunes, a selection of straight ahead swing charts of Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton, a brief set by the University's Faculty Jazz Quintet about halfway through the performance and a selection of material by the brilliant post-bop trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. And that's just the mainstream stuff. 'We've even got a mashup between a swing chart and a German folk tune with a clarinet choir joining us,' Hurlburt says. 'It's going to be a high-energy, fun night of music to be sure.' One of the director's goals for the Ensemble when assembling the program this year was to dig deep into the vast back catalogue of American jazz and try to come up with some surprises for their audience. 'I like to play a lot of new music,' Hurlburt says. 'Most of the tunes that people are going to hear, except for maybe the Benny Goodman chart, are new composers, and even the big jazz aficionados are going to hear some music that they've probably never heard before. 'The only recognizable melody for people is probably going to be 'Tiger Rag' at the end.' That sense of changing things up throughout the evening even applies to the Ensemble itself. 'The core of the group, the big band, is going to stay the same for most of the night,' Hurlburt says. 'But we're going to have some special guests. We're going to add a guest vibraphonist, the clarinet choir, and different guests throughout the night. Our main featured soloist in the band is a named Evan Jacobi, a graduate student who plays alto sax. He's really talented guy. But a lot of students in the band will also be taking solos throughout the night, including the faculty.' The planning that goes into this once-per-semester performance is a year-round effort, and Hurlburt says he already knows what he's going to be doing after this performance is over. 'As soon is this show is done, I'll probably think about what we're going to be playing next fall,' he says. One of the reasons Hurlburt says that he puts so much effort into planning the Jazz Ensemble shows is that many of the players involved don't have many chances to display their skills. 'We have a performance major but we don't really have a traditional music major,' he says. 'But we still have some great musicians on campus. Most of the band is made up of engineers and scientists and architects and all people who just like to play this music. 'They play at a really high level and they've been working very hard, and it's a chance for them to show off a bit to be sure.'	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line986
__label__wiki	0.877888	0.877888	Digital Audiobook (3/6/2017) Paperback (1/2/2018) CD-Audio (3/7/2017) Library Binding, Large Print (5/1/2017) “There should be an excused absence from life when a new Peter Heller novel is released to the world. There is a pace and a quality to his writing that will make you want to drink it down in one gulp. Heller's strong narrative voice and complex plotting have always stood out to me and Celine is another example of this. Loosely based on Heller's mother, Celine is a hard-nosed - if a bit worn down - private investigator living in post-9/11 Brooklyn. She has a stellar reputation, but when she is sent on a case to locate a young woman's missing father, it's clear that her age (and lifestyle) has caught up with her. You will fall in love with Celine and connect with everyone who populates this book. I would give just about anything to follow her on more adventures.” — Katelyn Phillips (E), WORD, Brooklyn, NY From the best-selling author of The Dog Stars and The Painter, a luminous, masterful novel of suspense--the story of Celine, an elegant, aristocratic private eye who specializes in reuniting families, trying to make amends for a loss in her own past. Working out of her jewel box of an apartment at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge, Celine has made a career of tracking down missing persons, and she has a better record at it than the FBI. But when a young woman, Gabriela, asks for her help, a world of mystery and sorrow opens up. Gabriela's father was a photographer who went missing on the border of Montana and Wyoming. He was assumed to have died from a grizzly mauling, but his body was never found. Now, as Celine and her partner head to Yellowstone National Park, investigating a trail gone cold, it becomes clear that they are being followed--that this is a case someone desperately wants to keep closed. Inspired by the life of Heller’s own remarkable mother, a chic and iconoclastic private eye, Celine is a deeply personal novel, a wildly engrossing story of family, privilege, and childhood loss. Combining the exquisite plotting and gorgeous evocation of nature that have become his hallmarks, Peter Heller gives us his finest work to date. Praise For Celine: A novel… "Heller impresses in this fine novel about parents and children and the secrets we try to keep from one another… The novel glows." —Marc Bojanowski, The New York Times Book Review "In this gorgeously wrought story—equal parts character study and mystery—a young woman asks Celine, a badass Brooklyn private eye, to investigate the death of her father, a nature photographer who may or may not have been mauled and eaten by bears in Yellowstone… Captivating." —Entertainment Weekly’s "The Must List: Top 10 Things We Love This Week" Grade: A- "Terrific... Celine is tough, tired, and very funny—exactly the sort of person you want to spend 300 pages with... It’s a pulpy, twisty plot... Heller stuffs it with tingling mysteries and thrilling solutions. He keeps everything moving thanks to an increasingly tense plot... Still, the best thing about Celine is that it’s a terrific piece of fiction." —Craig Fehrman, Outside Magazine "Ingenious... Like Mark Twain and Toni Morrison, Heller is a rare talent... Irresistible suspense... Masterful, emotional and action-packed... One of this year's most unforgettable characters. It's as if Heller took the tender yet tough-as-nails personality of writer Annie Proulx and cast her on the page, in all her plainspoken, intellectually impeccable, deeply wise—and wise-ass—glory." —Lisa Shea, Elle "Celine and Pete... launch a deceptively leisurely investigation showcasing Celine’s appreciation for public libraries and passion for firearms, venturing into international cover-ups, and culminating in hilarious showdowns in which wit is the mightiest weapon... This captivating, tender, brainy, and funny tale of the mysterious powers of beauty and grief, nature and family will leave readers hoping that Heller is planning a National Park series featuring this stealthy, irrepressible duo." —Donna Seaman, Booklist (Starred Review) "Celine is a paradox, a Sarah Lawrence blue blood who is also a licensed PI, living near the Brooklyn Bridge... Heller blends suspense with beautiful descriptive writing of both nature and civilization to create a winner." —Robert E. Brown, Library Journal (Starred Review) Knopf, 9780451493897, 352pp. PETER HELLER is the best-selling author of The Painter and The Dog Stars. He holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop in both fiction and poetry. An award-winning adventure writer and a longtime contributor to NPR, Heller is a contributing editor at Outside magazine, Men's Journal, and National Geographic Adventure, and a regular contributor to Bloomberg Businessweek. He is also the author of several nonfiction books, including Kook,The Whale Warriors, and Hell or High Water: Surviving Tibet's Tsangpo River. He lives in Denver, Colorado. Not Currently Available for Direct Purchase	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line990
__label__cc	0.671733	0.328267	Location: Unspecified Transit 2A Rocket - All Passes Home \| Info. \| Orbit \| Close encounters Search period start: 19 January 2021 00:00 Search period end: 29 January 2021 00:00 Orbit: 592 x 911 km, 66.7° (Epoch: 18 January) Passes to include: visible only all Click on the date to see the ground track during the pass. Date Brightness Start Highest point End Pass type (mag) Time Alt. Az. Time Alt. Az. Time Alt. Az. 19 Jan - 12:48:26 10° S 12:53:22 35° ESE 12:57:57 10° NE daylight 19 Jan - 14:30:43 10° WSW 14:35:53 46° NW 14:40:38 10° NNE daylight 19 Jan - 16:16:47 10° WNW 16:19:36 15° NNW 16:22:18 10° N daylight 19 Jan - 19:46:00 10° NNW 19:48:58 17° NNE 19:51:50 10° ENE visible 19 Jan - 21:27:55 10° NNW 21:32:25 69° NE 21:36:41 10° SE visible 19 Jan - 23:11:39 10° WNW 23:14:21 16° WSW 23:17:00 10° SSW night (unlit) 20 Jan - 12:06:53 10° SSE 12:10:59 22° ESE 12:14:50 10° ENE daylight 20 Jan - 13:47:46 10° SW 13:53:11 70° NW 13:58:07 10° NNE daylight 20 Jan - 15:32:54 10° WNW 15:36:32 19° NNW 15:39:59 10° NNE daylight 20 Jan - 19:03:44 10° N 19:05:52 13° NNE 19:07:57 10° NE visible 20 Jan - 20:45:24 10° NNW 20:49:42 42° NE 20:53:48 10° ESE visible 20 Jan - 22:28:17 10° NW 22:32:03 28° WSW 22:35:43 10° S night (unlit) 21 Jan - 11:26:15 10° SE 11:28:40 13° ESE 11:31:02 10° E daylight 21 Jan - 13:05:07 10° SSW 13:10:34 76° ESE 13:15:32 10° NE daylight 21 Jan - 14:49:16 10° W 14:53:35 25° NW 14:57:38 10° NNE daylight 21 Jan - 16:36:55 10° NNW 16:37:51 10° NNW 16:38:46 10° N daylight 21 Jan - 18:21:41 10° N 18:22:42 11° NNE 18:23:43 10° NNE visible 21 Jan - 20:02:57 10° NNW 20:06:53 28° NE 20:10:38 10° E visible 21 Jan - 21:45:22 10° NW 21:49:38 49° WSW 21:53:46 10° SSE night (unlit) 22 Jan - 15:52:33 10° NW 15:54:40 13° NNW 15:56:44 10° N daylight 22 Jan - 19:20:35 10° NNW 19:23:56 20° NNE 19:27:12 10° E visible 22 Jan - 21:02:39 10° NW 21:07:07 85° SW 21:11:25 10° SSE visible 22 Jan - 22:47:41 10° W 22:48:49 11° WSW 22:49:56 10° WSW night (unlit) 23 Jan - 18:38:17 10° N 18:40:55 15° NNE 18:43:29 10° ENE visible 24 Jan - 12:39:54 10° SW 12:45:18 82° NW 12:50:15 10° NE daylight 24 Jan - 14:24:42 10° W 14:28:32 21° NNW 14:32:10 10° NNE daylight 24 Jan - 21:20:16 10° NW 21:24:14 34° WSW 21:28:06 10° S visible 25 Jan - 10:19:56 10° ESE 10:20:57 10° ESE 10:21:56 10° E daylight 25 Jan - 20:37:26 10° NW 20:41:48 60° WSW 20:46:00 10° SSE visible 26 Jan - 19:54:46 10° NW 19:59:13 80° NE 20:03:31 10° SE visible 26 Jan - 21:38:55 10° WNW 21:41:04 14° WSW 21:43:12 10° SW visible 27 Jan - 20:55:17 10° WNW 20:58:47 24° WSW 21:02:13 10° SSW visible 28 Jan - 09:52:30 10° SE 09:55:27 15° ESE 09:58:17 10° ENE daylight 28 Jan - 11:32:03 10° SSW 11:37:26 86° SE 11:42:20 10° NE daylight 28 Jan - 16:48:28 10° N 16:49:43 11° NNE 16:50:57 10° NNE daylight	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line993
__label__cc	0.581757	0.418243	HC at McGill Scams and Tribulations: An InStyle Magazine Job Offer Scam By Claire Butler • McGill Contributor December 5, 2017 at 11:19am Just this past week I woke up to a slurry of excited texts from my younger sister, exclaiming that she had been scouted by InStyle Magazine and invited to be a makeup artist for an editorial shoot. My first reaction (as was hers) was of excitement. I was so genuinely happy for her as this represented an opportunity that could be so impactful for the career she is working towards. The e-mail read: At first glance, this seemed like an offer too good to be true. And of course, you have to come at things like this with a bit of scepticism. But my sister, like many others working towards a career in the beauty and fashion industry, puts a lot of her life as well as her work on social media. She has an entire Instagram page dedicated to makeup looks she’s created on herself and others, as well as a YouTube channel full of tutorials on how to create her looks. We are in a new age, where portfolios can be accessed and shared so simply, and where businesses have transformed their entire marketing strategies to utilize this online community, which makes it somewhat believable that someone of that calibre could be offering her a job in this manner. What emerging beauty gurus share on their social media platforms, is no far cry from the amount of personal information others put on the internet; there are no phone numbers or addresses, which are classically thought to be the dangerous tidbits for online predators to latch on to. The only stark contrast is their openness with their career goals. This seemingly innocent detail, which in today’s day and age is so necessary for their success at freelance work, has made them a unique target for this specific scam. In all of the excitement, I googled the name of this editor Marianne Mychaskiw, and when it popped up in my google search bar before I had even finished typing it, I almost didn't even think to continue. When I scrolled through and all of the links, there was nothing mentioning a scam. Everything I found only made me even more excited for her, as they were credible links confirming Marianne was indeed an Associate Beauty Editor for the magazine. After the novelty was a little less fresh I opened the screenshot my sister had sent once again, but this time I honed in on some details I hadn’t caught before. The e-mail did not address her by name, it simply said Hi. It also came from a Gmail address rather than a professional Instyle domain. I wanted to believe it was legit, especially after the results of my first google search, but as an older sister, I felt the need to dig a little deeper, because I knew my sister wanted to believe it more than I did and likely wouldn’t do the same. I started with searching for the email address and was unsuccessful at finding any form of direct contact for Marianne. Then I searched “Marianne Mychaskiw job offer” and sure enough the first but only link that was remotely related, was a blog post by Scotia Kauppi of Sweet Cherry Spa entitled “Watch Out for Job Offer Scams”. This woman detailed the exact same e-mail only signed off by a different InStyle Editor and scouted from Model Mayhem rather than Facebook. Kauppi originally posted this article in November of 2016, and detailed how she contacted security at the Rockefeller Building (where InStyle is located), and even got in touch with the editor whose identity had been co-opted to confirm the e-mail was a scam. I must commend her for all her efforts and especially for taking the time to write about her experience as her blog post really was the only thing I could find out there on this topic. It wasn’t until after countless search combinations that I found she later did an interview with CBC about the incident where she shared: “I got worried for other people who are freelance makeup artists. This is how you get jobs and it's hard to tell what's a dangerous job offer and what's a scam, and what's a legitimate job offer." What makes this so scary is what the scam intends to achieve, unlike a scheme to nab a credit card number or Social Security information, this presents an opportunity for a face to face encounter with the scammers, opening up a whole range of dangerous possibilities from assault to abduction. My sister, like Kauppi, went on to email back expressing interest (out of curiosity more than anything), and again the emails they received were almost identical: She was actually given a date and location to meet this person. With no certainty can I say the scam’s ultimate goal, but this seems to be a scheme to lure young women. Kauppi in her article even suggests the possibility this is a lure into sex trafficking, citing multiple news reports of missing women, rape and human trafficking in connection to Model Mayhem, the website InStyle supposedly used to scout her. After further prodding on Kauppi’s part, a third correspondence revealed a financial element to the scam in which she was required to purchase supplies from Nancy Rand of Touch Cosmetics (whose name also checked out). All this to say, please be wary of who you are in contact with on the internet. Always look at things you are sent with a careful sceptical eye, watching out for: Unprofessional email addresses Messages that can have easily been sent to masses of people – not addressed specifically to you Inconsistencies in information given Offers that seem too good to be true Requests for credit card numbers, e-transfers or personal banking/identifying information (SIN numbers, passport numbers, driver’s license numbers etc.) This incident has been reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Stay safe, and for more information on spotting or reporting an internet scam feel free to consult the following links: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca) RCMP Scams page (http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/index-eng.htm) Competition Bureau (http://competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/h_00122.html) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/online-scam-modelling-1.3856005 https://sweetcherryspa.com/2016/11/16/watch-out-for-job-offer-scams/ Cover Image obtained from: http://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/news/12370435/how-to-avoid-new-equifax-scams Article images by Claire and Olivia Butler Internet Scam An Open Letter To Starbucks Customers 10 Tips to Know for Safe Holiday Shopping Fact or Fiction: COVID-19 Vaccine Edition	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line995
__label__cc	0.735947	0.264053	Indian Creeck French Bulldogs Indian Creek French Bulldogs Star Breeder Qualifications Indian Creek French Bulldogs dog breeder kennels has a perfect record of over four (4) years of excellent inspection reports. Indian Creek French Bulldogs have met all of the high requirements of the American Canine Associations Star Breeder "Achievement of Excellence Program." USDA APHID inspection requirements for professional dog breeders: For nearly 50 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has enforced the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) to protect certain animals from inhumane treatment and neglect. Congress passed the AWA in 1966 and strengthened the law through amendments in 1970, 1976, 1985, 1990, 2002, 2007, and 2008. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) administers the AWA, its standards, and its regulations. The AWA requires that basic standards of care and treatment be provided for certain animals bred and sold for use as pets, used in biomedical research, transported commercially, or exhibited to the public. Individuals who operate facilities in these categories must provide their animals with adequate care and treatment in the areas of housing, handling, sanitation, nutrition, water, veterinary care, and protection from extreme weather and temperatures. Although Federal requirements establish basic standards, regulated businesses are encouraged to exceed these standards. The AWA regulates the care and treatment of warm-blooded animals, except those (such as farm animals) that are used for food, fiber, or other agricultural purposes. Currently, coldblooded animals, such as snakes and alligators, are exempt from coverage under the Act. Animal shelters and pounds are regulated if they sell dogs or cats to dealers or research facilities. Pets owned by private citizens are not regulated. The AWA regulates the care and treatment of warmblooded animals, except those (such as farm animals) that are used for food, fiber, or other agricultural purposes. Currently, coldblooded animals, such as snakes and alligators, are exempt from coverage under the Act. Animal shelters and pounds are regulated if they sell dogs or cats to dealers or research facilities. Pets owned by private citizens are not regulated. The AWA requires that all individuals or businesses dealing with animals covered under the law must be licensed or registered with APHIS. Regulated research facilities include hospitals, colleges and universities, diagnostic laboratories, and many private firms in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. In addition to providing basic standards of veterinary care and animal husbandry, regulated research facilities must provide dogs with the opportunity for exercise and promote the psychological well-being of nonhuman primates used in laboratories. Researchers must use methods to avoid or minimize discomfort, distress, and pain to the regulated animals unless withholding such methods is scientifically justified. The AWA also forbids the unnecessary duplication of previous experiments using regulated animals. Research facilities must establish an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee to oversee the use of animals in experiments. This committee is responsible for ensuring that the facility remains in compliance with the AWA and for providing documentation of all areas of compliance to APHIS. The committee must be composed of at least three members, including one veterinarian and one person who is not affiliated with the facility in any way Attending veterinarians play a crucial role in ensuring the humane treatment of animals under the Animal Welfare Act. Dealers, exhibitors, and research facilities employ attending veterinarians to provide adequate veterinary care to their animals and to oversee other aspects of animal care and use. In this role, veterinarians have the opportunity to expand their practice, provide veterinary care to a large number of diverse kinds of animals, and work alongside their clients and Animal Care to ensure the humane treatment of more than two million regulated animals. The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) was passed to assure that humane care is provided to animals sold as pets or used in research, experimentation, or exhibition. As an attending veterinarian working with the licensee or registrant of a facility regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), you will play a crucial role in ensuring the provision of adequate veterinary care and overseeing the adequacy of other aspects of animal care and use. This module explains the role of the part-time attending veterinarian, their relationship with a USDA-regulated facility and USDA inspectors, and general knowledge of the Animal Welfare Act. Full-time attending veterinarians for USDA-regulated facilities will also find this presentation helpful. After completing this module, you will: Know some of the benefits of becoming an attending veterinarian Understand the Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare regulations for facilities with a part-time attending veterinarian Be able to explain the regulatory requirements of licensees and registrants to provide veterinary care Be able to explain the role of the part-time attending veterinarian Be able to describe the elements of programs of adequate veterinary care Understand why a USDA inspector may contact you to ask about veterinary care at a regulated facility for which you are serving as an attending veterinarian Completion of this module is estimated to take 50 minutes, but will vary depending on your familiarity with the information presented. Links to documents and resources that explain in detail the role of the part-time attending veterinarian are provided throughout the module. https://www.indiancreekfrenchbulldogs.org/ https://www.indiancreekfrenchbulldogs.org/default.aspx https://www.indiancreekfrenchbulldogs.org/indian-creek-french-bulldogs-about.aspx https://www.indiancreekfrenchbulldogs.org/available_pups.aspx https://www.indiancreekfrenchbulldogs.org/indian-creek-french-bulldogs-contact.aspx https://www.starbreeder.org/certificate/indian-creek-french-bulldogs-star-dog-breeder-certificate-1148.aspx https://www.starbreeder.org/Uploads/certificate_image/Indian_Creek_French_Bulldogs_Star_cert.jpg https://www.starbreeder.org/Uploads/certificate_PDF/Indian_Creek_French_Bulldogs_Star_Breeder.pdf U,S, Library of Congress U.S. National Archives Smithsonian Inst. US Govt. Branches U.S. House of Rep. US. Supreme Court U.S. Administration U.S. Homeland Security U.S. Dept. of Agriculture U.S. Dept. of Transportation © 2021 govt-records.org - -	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line997
__label__wiki	0.934719	0.934719	Posted in Album Cover of the Week, Music Music from the Worst Album Covers — Ken, By Request Only While opinions vary as to what the worst album covers of all-time are, By Request Only invariably shows up on just about every top 10 list. To be honest I don’t really see why. Sure, it’s kind of cheesy and good for a cheap laugh — but is it really bad? I don’t think so, but I’m just one man. Regardless, I made it my mission to track down this album — issued only under the mysterious name “Ken” — and check it out. So here’s what you need to know. Ken is actually Ken Snyder, and By Request Only is a fairly typical contemporary Christian music album from the mid ’70s. That is to say it’s basically traditional gospel infused with contemporary country and even a little bit of rhythm and blues. The first track, “He Loves Me So,” gives you a good idea of what you’re in for on the rest of the album. It’s pretty, bland, and completely harmless — kind of like the album cover itself, no? The arrangements on most of By Request Only‘s 10 songs are fairly standard — Snyder — who very faintly evokes the sound of Glen Campbell — is the lone vocalist and is backed by a rhythm section of drums, bass guitar, and piano/organ. On a handful of songs we get treated to the surprise inclusion of a string section (on songs like “I Heard Footsteps” and “Walk With Me”). It adds a level or maudlin professionalism I wasn’t expecting, and it sounds nice enough. Only once does Ken try to get a little down and dirty, and that’s on “Modern Religion.” It’s a halfway decent song that, much like the other nine, are largely undercut by Snyder’s mediocre singing. A lot of the songs on the album clock in at or under three minutes, but despite their brevity it’s really easy to get distracted while you’re listening. More than once a song ended and I hadn’t even realized it. For that reason, I’m not sure there would be a point to including every song from the album here. But if you really, really have to hear the whole thing then it’s all up on YouTube. Halfway through this record we’re treated to a medley of sorts, “Holy Spirit Flow Through Me / Come Holy Spirit.” It sounds like a typical vocal solo you’d hear in a Sunday service at your local Protestant church, but I point it out here because of Ken’s rather interesting pronunciations — “holy spiri”t as “holy spiruuuut” and “weakness” as “weaknuuuus” for example. It would be really easy to take potshots at the lyrical content of this album, and I’m sure others already have. The fact that “Ha ha, he believes in Jesus!” jokes are incredibly lazy certainly doesn’t stop people from using them. But really, this all strikes me as a pretty earnest and sincere expression of religious faith, so who am I to knock that? Especially when there are those barely adequate vocals I think I mentioned before. So what about the man behind the music? Well, years ago a group of internet sleuths attempted to track Ken down, using the Sheldon, Iowa address printed on the back of the album cover as a starting point. Turns out there is a Ken Snyder still living in Sheldon, and he’s a member of a church called the Parkview Assembly of God. Check the Church Directory link and you’ll find him. If you’re a devotee of good old-fashioned country gospel, you may find something of value in By Request Only. Otherwise, this is an utterly unremarkable record that just so happens to have a ton of kitsch value. Let’s end things with the final track from Ken’s album, a mildly — and I do mean mildly — rousing number called “I Want to Live My Life for Jesus.” Ken, if you are in fact still out there — keep on believing’ and keep on singing! People found this post by searching for: "ken by request only" « Sunday Jazz: Let’s Talk About the PolCat Album Vintage VHS Commercial Bonanza, Part 3 (Kal Kan, Diners Club, Miller Lite, Ashford & Simpson) »	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line999
__label__wiki	0.956662	0.956662	From Doctor to Drug Dealer Rafael Beier was living two lives. One of them consumed the other By Jake Thomas Young Kwak A reproduction of one of the prescriptions that investigators filed as evidence against Beier. How does one person become two? Or more to the point: How does a generous, give-you-the-shirt-off-his-back country doctor become a pill-pushing drug dealer with a Hummer and cadre of strippers? In his 62 years, Rafael Beier has been the good guy, and the bad. On Sunday mornings, his neighbors in the pine-covered hills of North Idaho's Silver Valley would watch as the doctor, in a tidy, button-down shirt and tie, led his children off to church. "I never had a clue what was going on," says George Watson, Beier's former neighbor, pausing in disbelief. "The whole thing is crazy. ... I just saw a regular guy." Beier was a highly trained physician who opted to work in economically depressed areas and most recently ran a no-frills clinic in Pinehurst, a small town about 6 miles west of Kellogg. At some point, authorities say, another Beier developed — one who spent his nights as a regular at Stateline Showgirls in Post Falls, where a dancer says he was known among employees as "Dr. Psycho," flush with cash and pills to push. He started dating a dancer in her 20s named Destiney Blaski, and through her, the doctor "ended up being introduced to a number of people he probably wishes he never met, because he felt sorry for them, badly for them," Beier's attorney would later say. In the end, it would all fall apart. And Beier, facing decades in prison, would go on the run, fleeing from his house in Kingston, Idaho, in a Dodge pickup mere moments ahead of the feds. Beier, it turned out, wasn't ready to give up. As a doctor, Rafael Beier preferred to work in economically depressed areas and, his family says, he was concerned with the less fortunate — to a fault. COULDN'T HURT A FLY Rafael Beier was born in East Berlin, Germany, in 1953. His second wife, Yanhua Gao, says that when Beier's parents split up, he spent some time in an orphanage before his mother married an American soldier and relocated to the U.S. when he was 6. "People laughed at him because he didn't speak English," she says of Beier. After growing up in Kansas and Colorado, she says he attended the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, where he graduated in 1991 with a doctorate of osteopathic medicine, a degree that meant he could practice various aspects of medicine, from writing prescriptions to performing surgery. He completed his residency at the University of Kansas and took a job in 1996 with the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, a quasi-military federal agency that provides health services to disadvantaged communities. In that role, Gao says, he worked in Lapwai, a small town in central Idaho where the Nez Perce tribal government is located. According to a 2004 Lewiston Morning Tribune article, Beier called the job a "dream come true," saying he enjoyed working with the tribal members. He wore his hair long and resisted wearing the corps' uniforms. The article states that although he was a good doctor, a report from the agency concluded that his "anti-authority" views made him "not suited" for the position. Beier lost the job in 1997 after a confrontation with police outside of a Mormon church in Lewiston. According to court documents, his marriage at the time to Susan Beier was crumbling, and he started seeing Yanhua Gao, with whom he had a child. Susan Beier (who declined to comment) got a restraining order against her estranged husband after she alleged that he became aggressive at her home, court records show. Rafael Beier had been excommunicated from the Mormon church in Lewiston, but attended a service with his infant son in hopes of becoming a member again. Susan Beier was in attendance, and the police were called. When officers arrived, Beier insisted that the restraining order didn't apply at church. After a confrontation, Beier was taken to the ground, pepper sprayed, handcuffed and placed in the back seat of a police cruiser. "I started yelling for help, they're killing me," recalled Beier in an account in the Lewiston Morning Tribune. He kicked out the window, claiming he couldn't breathe. In 1999, he sued the city of Lewiston. He was offered a settlement, but took his case to trial. Although he won, he was awarded only $1. "He always said, 'I know that the government will always win and I can't trust the government,'" says his 18-year-old daughter, Rachel Beier. He later worked as a physician on poverty-stricken Indian reservations near the Grand Canyon in Arizona, where Gao says he'd sometimes ride into the canyon on horseback to rescue hikers. Rachel Beier says that her father always had an affinity for Native Americans and developed deep connections with the Nez Perce Tribe, members of which invited him to tribal events and gave her the nickname "Lulu." He displayed portraits of Sitting Bull and Chief Joseph in his office. She also says he displayed a quote from Chief Joseph's surrender speech: "From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever." Her father, she says, always felt that Native American tribes were treated unfairly by the U.S. government. Both Gao and Rachel Beier say that he was always concerned about the less fortunate — to a fault. Rachel Beier says her father was soft-spoken, patient and never abusive. She recalls how he would stop for stray dogs and see if they had tags, and he'd dig into his pocket for change for homeless people and pick up hitchhikers — even if it made his family uncomfortable. "I don't think my dad could hurt a fly," says Rachel Beier. Before his legal problems, he operated a clinic in Pinehurst in the economically depressed Silver Valley. In court it was described as a "blue-collar" and "rural" practice, where his small staff kept records by hand. Gao says they took Medicaid and Medicare clients and cut breaks for clients who had trouble paying. She says Beier met patients after hours and even made house calls to bedridden people. "All I'm gonna say is he helped me when I was homeless [and] provided food for me," says Jesse Thompson, who lives in Wallace, of Beier. Thompson adds that when his 2-year-old son was sick, Beier came to his house and took him to the emergency room and stayed with him until his fever was down. "I have nothing but respect for him," says Thompson. But Gao says that his generosity got him involved with the wrong people. "They used his goodness and took advantage of him," she says. Jake Thomas After being raided by federal agents, Rafael Beier's clinic in Pinehurst was shuttered. The interior of the building is now empty and a note is posted on the door directing patients to other doctors. 'YOU CAN TRUST ME, SWEETIE' Rachel Beier says that around 2010, her parents started having bad fights. He told her he felt alone. Around 2012, she says she saw a change in her dad. He started hanging out with "sketchy people," she says. She remembers him staying up late, listening to pop music, wearing cologne and jewelry and buying expensive, brand-name clothes from Buckle. She remembers her father spending more time with Destiney Blaski, who did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Rachel Beier says her father even paid for her to accompany them on a trip to Hawaii, one of his favorite vacation destinations. During the trip, Rachel Beier describes Blaski as being cold to her father. Blaski, who was in a troubled marriage that would end in divorce, became romantically involved with Beier, and the two referred to each other as their respective "fiancé." During the trial, prosecutors stated that while Beier was living in the furnace room at his house, he signed a lease on a condo for Blaski, provided her money, paid for breast augmentation and put her on the registration for a Hummer. According to the prosecution, Beier was using his prescription pad to help pay for it all. During opening arguments at Beier's federal trial in Coeur d'Alene, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Mitchell told the jury that doctors "are entrusted with the key that opens the door to medicine cabinets of controlled substances." These substances, he said, can be sold for cash on the streets. "Dr. Beier misused his key and opened the medicine cabinet to highly addictive prescription drugs, releasing them into this community," he stated. According to court documents, as early as 2011, Beier started writing fake prescriptions for drugs like Adderall, a stimulant that's used to treat ADHD, as well as hydrocodone and oxycodone, opioid painkillers that millions of people across the country have become addicted to. Traci Whelan, an assistant U.S. attorney, tells the Inlander that when federal agents raided the clinic in Pinehurst, they found drawers full of thin patient files. The files, says Whelan, contained no patient background, no X-rays, no doctor's notes. Instead, she says, they contained basic or incorrect information about patients, some of whom she says never stepped foot in the clinic. The files, says Whelan, claimed that nearly every patient had suffered an ATV or snowboarding accident, and Beier had prescribed them narcotics. Amidst the country's opioid epidemic, "pill mills," run by doctors who overprescribe addictive painkillers, have come under scrutiny. "This was different," FBI special agent Edward Jacobson tells the Inlander. "In this case he was exchanging prescriptions for cash in a parking lot." Despite Beier's generosity to Blaski, prosecutors described her as "not overly kind to him." There were times when Beier was not overly kind, either. Several police reports describe incidents of Beier angrily confronting Blaski over her other romantic partners. In June of 2012, Beier pulled up in a white Cadillac Escalade in Coeur d'Alene at a place where Blaski and her boyfriend were located, according to a police report. Beier stormed out of his car and struck the man, who fought back and knocked Beier to the ground. The police were called, and Blaski told an officer what was going on. "She was recently fired from her job as a dancer at Stateline Showgirls," reads the report. "For the last 4 years she has known Dr. Beier as a frequent customer. She has been leading him on for the past few months to increase her revenue. She explained she would let him take her on dinner dates, but would not have sexual relations with him. ... After she got fired, he allegedly started to offer to write prescriptions to other dancers for information on Destiney and her family." Although Blaski wanted to file stalking charges against Beier, she didn't follow through, and the two would keep in contact, records show. He continued to frequent Stateline Showgirls, where employees at the club used words such as "weird" and "rude" to describe Beier, who seemed intensely focused on particular girls at the club. Some took to calling him "Dr. Psycho," one employee says. Beier would sell prescriptions of Adderall for up to $300, according to Whelan and Jacobson. But the real money, they say, was in painkillers. Beier, they say, would sell prescriptions of 90 pills of oxycodone for $800 to dancers at Stateline Showgirls, who would be flush with cash after selling them for $20 to $40 each on the black market. According to the feds, Beier sold pills in parking lots, private homes, hotel rooms and at the strip club. Beier communicated with the girls with "burner phones," prepaid cellphones used by drug dealers because their numbers are hard to trace. According to prosecutors, he commonly referred to the strippers as "Sweetie." "It is okay, sweetie." "You can trust me, sweetie." "Sweetie, you just don't understand." They would text back with messages like "Let me keep putting 800 in your pocket" or "I can flip it and have more money for you by tonight." Rafael Beier, a rural physician and father of nine, reclines in a chair during happier times. Amy Tosh, a Wallace resident, says that the influx of prescription pills had a severe impact on the Silver Valley. She says that Beier developed a reputation as a doctor who wrote unscrupulous prescriptions. Tosh says she watched one of her oldest friends completely change after becoming addicted to prescription pills. "She was, in my opinion, in pharmaceutical-induced mania," Tosh says. "She was nuts." Tosh says she heard people brag about their endless supply of meds, and she's seen more crime that she suspects is related to addiction to prescription pills. Before 2012, Beier's only contact with law enforcement in Kootenai County was for traffic infractions. But now Beier's name was appearing in reports from the Coeur d'Alene Police Department (which wouldn't comment for this story) in connection to prescription pills or altercations with Blaski. When Eric Blaski, Destiney Blaski's husband at the time, was pulled over, he told an officer that Beier was his doctor and had prescribed him some "hydros" that he had taken that day. Later that fall, a concerned Walgreens pharmacist in Coeur d'Alene called the police after a man wearing a white do-rag tried to fill a Oxycontin prescription for someone who was in jail. The pharmacist told the responding officer that the prescription had been written by Rafael Beier. "[He] has seen a lot of scripts come from this doctor with a lot of strange situations, different people picking up the scripts and large amounts of medications are prescribed every time," reads the police report from the incident. The report also states that police interviewed Fawnie Bracamonte, a former Stateline Showgirls dancer, who admitted she purchased the prescription that had caught the pharmacist's attention from Beier for $700. Throughout 2011 and into 2013, Destiney Blaski kept getting busted for drug possession, with police finding prescription pills listing Beier as the prescribing doctor. She also reconnected with Beier, who continued to let her use his black Chevy Avalanche truck. Then two incidents caught the attention of the feds. In December of 2012, Coeur d'Alene police received a call from the staff at the LaQuinta Inn about a white Hummer registered to Beier and Blaski. "The clerk said the Hummer had been coming and going for short intervals at all hours of the day and night for several days," reads the police report. When police knocked on the door, they heard a toilet flush. Inside was Bracamonte, along with Beier and Blaski. Police searched the room and found "sooty smudges on the toilet lid" in the bathroom. In the garbage, they found a blue plastic tube from a ballpoint pen that had been slightly melted on each end and had a burnt residue inside — a device, the report states, that's used to inhale vapors from ignited pills. Police used pliers to pry open a can of Mike's Hard Lemonade, where they found a metal pipe. They also found bottles of pills, with the prescriptions written by Beier. Bracamonte spilled her guts, according to the report. She admitted crushing and smoking the pills. "Dr. Beier will write any of the dancers a prescription for any drugs they want, whenever they want," she said. That night, only Bracamonte was arrested. But that would change. Residents of the Silver Valley had heard rumors surrounding Rafael Beier. In May, the rumors came to life when federal agents surrounded his home in the unincorporated community of Kingston. 'PSYCHO ENOUGH' On a warm summer night in July 2013, the relationship between Rafael Beier and Destiney Blaski collapsed for good and would give the feds enough room to finally move. Chelsea Piper recalls it was the type of summer night when you leave your windows open. At the time, she was living in an apartment complex in north Coeur d'Alene. She never met Blaski, but says Blaski and her friends were "super flashy," drove newer cars and were the talk of the complex's other residents. That particular night she heard angry yelling from Blaski's apartment. "He sounded like a grizzly bear," recalls Piper. Beier drove up to the apartment complex and loaded eight rounds into a Desert Eagle .44 Magnum, according to a police report. He popped one into the chamber and barged into Blaski's apartment. The report states she was there watching TV with another man. Blaski said that Beier pointed the gun at him (which Beier denied doing), according to the report. When police arrived, Blaski admitted that she "used to sell pills for Rafael," who she said was "psycho enough" to shoot her. Beier was arrested, and the officer found Staxyn, a prescription pill for erectile dysfunction, and two cellphones, one of which appeared to be a burner. The officer searched Beier's iPhone and found texts regarding a drug deal. Beier was initially charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, which was dropped after Blaski refused to cooperate. After the incident, according to court records, Blaski and her attorney met with investigators and provided an account of how Beier sold drugs. Around the same time, Beier appeared to have misgivings about his second life. Rachel Beier says her father became more religious, reading the Bible and going to church. But strippers showed up at his clinic in Pinehurst, court records indicate. The clinic also was broken into and prescription pads were stolen. In December 2013, Beier contacted Coeur d'Alene police to report that Blaski was "still involved with drugs" and she had taken his truck without his permission. He also became less willing to give out prescriptions. "I am going to cut you off," records show he told Bracamonte. "I am concerned about you having a problem. I'm not going to give you any more prescriptions." Bracamonte, who was sentenced in 2015 for selling pills, responded by threatening to blackmail him, records state. She would later serve as a government witness in Beier's trial. The last prescription Beier ever sold was in a bathroom stall in Coeur d'Alene in 2014. He knew the feds were onto him when they sent a confidential informant to buy drugs. "They're about to indict me," he whispered to the informant. "I don't need to give them any more ammo." "I never should have done this in the first place," he added. The informant told him she needed money and it would be the last time. Beier, suspicious, demanded that the informant strip in the bathroom at an Albertson's before selling her a prescription, written for an elderly Spokane Valley woman, for 90 pills of oxycodone. However, he didn't notice the wire the informant hid in her bra. After selling the prescription for $1,000, Beier was pulled over in his Chevy Avalanche. Police found the cash and prescription pad and arrested him for selling a controlled substance. Beier didn't give up easy. He rejected a plea offer, instead opting for a jury trial. In court, his defense lawyer, James Siebe, argued that Beier was set up by young women who took advantage of him and sold him out when they were facing serious drug charges. "[If] they got caught with their finger in the pie, they'd be able to pull out a plum and say, 'Hey, I got this plum from Dr. Beier, and he gave it to me. It wasn't me that was doing any of this dishonest work on the side,'" Seibe argued in court, saying the government's case was based on "snitches." Beier had been released on his own recognizance during the trial, and on May 17 of this year — the day a jury was to decide his fate — he skipped town. Nevertheless, as federal agents began a manhunt, the jury found Beier guilty of conspiracy to dispense a controlled substance, 66 counts of distribution of a controlled substance and four counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a person under 21. (Destiney Blaski, meanwhile, underwent drug treatment and has been on probation since January of 2015.) After her father went on the run, Rachel Beier says his family worried that he'd be killed. She says that the 62-year-old fell sick while hiding in the woods. When he came home, she says, he left camouflage fatigues stained with diarrhea on the porch. When federal agents returned to his property on May 23, Beier was buried under a pile of blankets in a motor home parked in the barn behind his house. Agents searched the barn, leaving only the motor home, doors unlocked. Jacobson, the FBI agent, received no response from Beier after he yelled into the barn. But after Jacobson announced he would send a German Shepherd after him, Beier emerged from the motor home, his hair frazzled, a light beard growing on his face, refusing to talk on the way to Bonner County Jail. Sentencing originally was scheduled for later this month, but Beier's lawyer successfully argued to push it to January, so Beier could undergo an evaluation of his "mental condition," which will be taken into account. The government recently received an order to seize at least $732,800 of his assets, proceeds from selling drugs, and Beier, who is still in the Bonner County Jail, could face 20 years in prison. While his family is hoping for a lighter sentence, they are left with one small comfort at the end of it all. "At least we know he won't wind up dead," says Rachel Beier. "He's still alive." ♦ Speaking of Long Read Is insider Brian Standow pulling the curtain back on the local GOP — or burning it down? By Daniel Walters Power and the Pupil By Wilson Criscione Latest in Local News By Samantha Wohlfeil Washington puts moratorium on evictions, expands unemployment, hiring for Spokane Valley call center Spokane jail inmate population analysis finds racial disparities, high number of bookings for misdemeanors and nonviolent offenses EPA grants strict air protection over Kalispel Tribe's reservation despite counties' economic development concerns More Local News » Heating Up: The Ethics of Climate Change Thu., Jan. 21, 6 p.m. -All Categories- American Asian Bakery Barbecue Buffet Burgers Cafe Catering Coffee Shops Diner Donuts Eclectic European Fine Dining Food Trucks General Restaurants Gluten-Free Options Hawaiian Ice cream Indian Italian Mediterranean Mexican/Latin Modern Pizza Pub Grub Sandwiches Seafood Small Plates Steakhouse Sushi Veggie-Friendly -All Neighborhoods- Spokane - Downtown Spokane - South Spokane - North Spokane - West Spokane Valley Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls Sandpoint Airway Heights Cheney Moscow/Pullman Rural Eastern WA Rural Idaho Spokane - East Liberty Lake Montana Canada	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line1002
__label__cc	0.716176	0.283824	Overcoming The Challenges Of Satellite News Gathering (SNG) By Juan Martinez, Technical Area Director, Integrasys With the rise of Over The Top Content (OTT) delivery and an ever-more competitive landscape, satellite broadcasters are under increasing pressure to deliver the targeted content at the correct time to the right platforms. Consumers expectations in terms of content, choice, and quality have drastically increased over recent years with the advent of new technology—they also expect the news and latest, unfolding sporting action to be delivered directly to them, wherever they may be located. This places extra pressure on Satellite News Gathering (SNG) operators to capture live content from across the globe, from anywhere in the world, is not an insignificant achievement. The recent Brexit vote in the UK is a prime example of broadcasting stretched to the limits. Over a matter of days, the UK political scene was awash with breaking news and unexpected twists and turns. More than that, the Brexit vote and everything that followed (and is continuing to follow) has massive implications for the rest of the European Union and, indeed, many other countries across the globe. For news teams, this has meant a constant rush to ensure they are at the correct place at the right time to capture the latest developments in order to broadcast live and, in many cases, to multiple countries and regions across the world. Not only were viewers demanding “instant” news, they also wanted the highest quality viewing resolution possible. This is also true for other live events, such as major sporting events, where viewers want to watch the action unfold, not hear from another source who won a race before watching that event. The Challenge Of Satellite Satellite technology unquestionably offers many advantages as the technology can work in every corner of the globe, even if other communication infrastructure may be lacking. This is particularly important for newsgathering as teams are often having to travel to remote areas. If those teams are also filming in the midst of a disaster, any existing infrastructure that may have been in place may have already been disrupted. Satellite technology means these teams have an instant infrastructure ready to connect for broadcast at any time. However, at the same time, satellite broadcasting has a variety of challenges. By their very nature, SNG trucks are constantly having to move to a new location to capture the latest footage. When a news story is breaking, this move has to be done extremely quickly to ensure the feed is captured and delivered as soon as possible during, or immediately after, the event. At each location, the antenna has to be repointed and making a satellite pointing error mistake is easy to accomplish, especially with the extreme time pressures faced by the teams. This is especially true as the SNG teams are often not specifically trained in satellite technology, despite being required to handle and manage specialist equipment. A lack of space also means that the monitoring of those signals is generally left to the team at the broadcast headquarters location. This means the SNG team is often in the dark, not knowing until too late whether the signal has arrived in good quality. That lack of training incurs errors all to easily. Satellite works well but simple mistakes can have drastic consequences. If the antenna is mispointed for example, the broadcaster can suffer a serious impact in service quality as well as potentially causing satellite interference for other users. Equally, satellite broadcasters can be victim to other factors beyond their control—for example, severe weather, such as extremely heavy rain, can cause rain degradation. When there is a degradation of any description, contacting the appropriate specialists to fix the problem at the satellite operator Network Operations Center (NOC) can be problematic. This is especially true in the case of a major breaking news or sporting event where many broadcasters may be experiencing the identical problem, especially if such is weather related, and therefore causing a bit of a bottle neck in “fix” requests that must be dealt with by the satellite operators. For many broadcasters, there may also be language barriers present when the satellite operator must be contacted directly to resolve issues—this makes resolution that much harder to correct. The Correct Tools Prevention is the key in the satellite world to ensure the best performance and quality of any broadcast experience. As often stated by the Satellite Interference Reduction Group (iRG), one of the most effective ways to reduce errors is through better, more intelligent tools. If broadcasters have more tools in the toolbox and are able to automate more processes, the risk of human error is vastly reduced, which is by far and away the most common cause of degradation. Through the addition of tools that alert users as soon as there is a problem, or how to take measures to automatically resolve issues with the signal, the result will be a much smoother process with a greatly reduced risk of signal loss. This is particularly significant for those events outside beyond local control. By adding in tools and processes to battle such happenings, the broadcaster can take possession of some of that control once again. Ultimately the team in the OB truck needs as much information and support as possible to enable them to ensure that any signal leaving the site is of the best possible quality—the last element needed is further complication. Satmotion SNG The particular and unique challenges for SNG led Integrasys to develop a special tool to assist satellite broadcasters in this environment. Satmotion SNG enables the SNG operators to regain some of that control and also simplifies the setup process for them. The antenna can be either manually or automatically aligned and the tool makes it possible for them to check the alignment is correct, whichever method is used. Satmotion SNG also takes measurements of cross polar isolation, as well as giving the SNG operators access to measurements from the NOC. This means that the team has the appropriate tools at hand to spot if there are any problems that are likely to affect the signal. Satmotion SNG is simple to use. As mentioned above, SNG truck operators are often not satellite specialists, nor do they have the time to deal with complicated procedures and data. Therefore, Satmotion SNG is a simple app that can be downloaded on a laptop, tablet, iPhone, or google glass. The product has a simple, easy-to-use interface and displays the required information in such a way that little training is required for use of this technology. Raining In France This year’s Tour de France was hit with some pretty horrendous weather. At the time of this writing, stage 12 was reached—this cut the race to 6 km due to high winds. Heavy rain also plagued the event—this meant a lot of soggy cyclists as well as a number of challenges broadcasters attempting to capture live event coverage. Not surprisingly, the severe rainfall led to a certain amount of rain degradation for a number of satellite broadcasters. This meant loss of transmission and some pretty frustrated teams working hard to get their feeds back on air. Some of the broadcasters were using Satmotion SNG and that meant they were able to meet the QoS and even repoint during transmission if that was needed to keep the link up throughout the coverage with minimal effects on the actual broadcast. Satellite Back On Top Satellite can sometimes receive bad press. Most consumers consider satellite the poor relation for broadband provision and many also have an identical view in regard to broadcast, as well. However, with more and more tools being made available to enable users and operators to overcome some of the more interruptive challenges, that percept can be countered with seamless, good quality coverage—wherever and whenever. www.integrasys-sa.com/ Juan Martínez is Technical Area Director for complex software systems at Integrasys. He leads the software engineering in the area of satellite innovation solutions. He possesses more than 20 years’ experience working on Test and Measurement, Embedded Solutions, Network Management Applications and Quality Assurance Methodologies.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line1006
__label__cc	0.548703	0.451297	The False Promise of an 'Ultramillionare' Tax By Dylan Pahman Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is running for president in 2020, and she has gained attention for proposing an “ultramillionare” tax: a 2 percent tax on households with a net worth over $50 million and an additional 1 percent on households worth over $1 billion. Warren’s proposal has more popular support than Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) proposal to raise the marginal income tax rate on top earners to 70 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight. Indeed, Warren’s proposal has support among a majority of Americans across the political spectrum according to recent polling. In practice, however, both proposals may turn out to be better at raising poll numbers for their advocates than revenue for the federal budget. Regarding Warren’s wealth tax in particular, economist Timothy Taylor notes, when countries impose a wealth tax, they often typically create a lot of exemptions for certain kind of wealth that aren’t covered by the tax. Each of these exemptions has a reasonable-sounding basis. But every exception also creates a potential loophole. “Back in 1990,” according to Taylor, “12 high-income countries had wealth taxes. By 2017, that had dropped to four: France, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland.” Why? Because despite including a broader base of wealthy households (i.e. starting at less than Warren’s proposed $50 million), they raised little revenue. The taxes were effectively pointless. The wealthy, it turns out, know how to keep their wealth. They are good at finding loopholes, and they are good at relocating their wealth or themselves if necessary. If one simply wants to raise tax revenue, the better demographic to tax is the middle class. They generally aren’t good at finding loopholes, nor are they as good as the rich at relocating their wealth or themselves. Taxing the middle class at a higher rate is what they do in the Nordic countries, whose not-really-socialist-anymore economies are supposedly so inspiring for radicals among the American left today. I understand why no one advocates raising middle class taxes, though. It’s also an effective way to lose elections in the US. The US has had historic deficits in recent years — just as bad during the last two years of the Trump administration and with a GOP-controlled Congress than previous years. Jordan Ballor has recently reflected on the intergenerational moral implications of public debt and deficits. Christians should not be indifferent because “budgets are moral documents.” And balancing the budget may likely require increasing revenue in addition to decreasing spending. But Ocasio-Cortez, at least, hopes increased revenue (which, again, wouldn’t actually increase much if at all with an “ultramillionare” tax) would fund a proposed “Green New Deal,” rather than balance the budget. She has also proposed increasing deficits in coming years and debasing the dollar as well, which would mean increasingly shifting the burden for today’s spending onto our creditors (through inflation) and, even more so, on our children (through increased debt and interest payments due to increased deficits). That is a morally dubious means of financing new spending that ought to be avoided, despite any current or past precedent. Sacrificing our future to the present is not an effective way to be an activist for the youth. Eventually, the bills will come due, and paying them will be painful. For Christians, ideas like these “ultramillionare” taxes should not be as popular as they are with the general public (though I doubt there is any difference). Christians should care about budgets and the environment as a matter of good stewardship, of course, but we should also care about the virtue of prudence. Prudent policies can’t ignore economic realities that call into question their effectiveness. Whether their advocates realize it or not, “ultramillionare” taxes are false promises for whatever they propose to finance, whether that new spending would truly serve the common good or not. This article was republished with permission from the Acton Institute. [Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0] Dylan Pahman Dylan Pahman is a research fellow at the Acton Institute, where he serves as managing editor of the Journal of Markets & Morality. Bloomberg and Sanders Are Both Wrong About Money in Politics Cronyism vs. Free Markets in ‘Stranger Things’	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line1007
__label__wiki	0.967396	0.967396	Four Things to Expect as the Trump Impeachment Inquiry Goes Public By Fred Lucas 11 ¾ min After a month of closed hearings, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is slated to hold public impeachment hearings Wednesday and Friday. The committee, under Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., will hear testimony from three witnesses regarding President Donald Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Democrats seek to find out whether the Trump administration’s hold on more than $300 million in congressionally authorized aid to Ukraine was tied to pushing the country to investigate a Ukrainian energy company’s employment of the son of former Vice President Joe Biden. In their phone conversation, Trump and Zelenskyy refer to Hunter Biden’s work on the board of Burisma, the energy company. After the hearings, the House Intelligence Committee will issue a report to the House Judiciary Committee, which ultimately will decide whether to recommend articles of impeachment to the full House. Here are four things to expect this week and as the public impeachment proceedings move forward. 1. Who Is Testifying and About What? Ambassador William Taylor, who served as the chargé d’affaires – or top U.S. diplomat – for Ukraine, is scheduled to testify in public Wednesday. According to a transcript, Taylor said during closed-door testimony that Trump wanted to withhold military aid to Ukraine, and that Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani as well as European Union Ambassador Gordon Sondland placed pressure on Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. He also said the Trump administration wanted to put Zelenskyy “in a public box” by having him announce a probe of Burisma and Hunter Biden, according to the transcript. Taylor, however, was not on the July 25 call between Trump and the Ukrainian president. Taylor told the committee, according to the transcript of the testimony last month, that he didn’t interact with Trump, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, or Giuliani. Taylor responded, “That’s my understanding” to the suggestion that Ukraine was not aware that military aid was on hold at the time of the phone call. Addressing corruption has “been a constant theme of U.S. policy towards Ukraine,” he said. Taylor, a West Point graduate and Vietnam veteran, also told the committee that there was a “connection between the meeting and investigations,” referring to a proposed Oval Office meeting between Trump and the Ukrainian leader. “The delegation returned to Washington enthusiastic about the new Ukrainian president and urged President Trump to meet with him early on to cement the U.S.-Ukraine relationship. But from what I understood, President Trump did not share their enthusiasm for a meeting with Mr. Zelenskyy,” he said. “ … President Trump, I think I mentioned in my [opening] statement, was skeptical of Ukraine in general, but—of the new Ukrainian administration.” Taylor took the top post in Ukraine after Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, set to testify publicly Friday, was recalled back to the United States. In a text message to Sondland, the European Union ambassador, Taylor wrote: “As I said on the phone, I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign.” Sondland responded in a text to Taylor that his characterization was “incorrect.” George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, also is scheduled to testify publicly Wednesday. In closed-door testimony last month, Kent told lawmakers about his concerns in 2015 regarding Hunter Biden’s membership on the board of Burisma. “When I was on a call with somebody on the vice president’s staff—and I cannot recall who it was, just briefing on what was happening [in] Ukraine—I raised my concerns that I had heard that Hunter Biden was on the board of a company owned by somebody that the U.S. government had spent money trying to get tens of millions of dollars back, and that could create the perception of a conflict of interest,” Kent told the House Intelligence Committee, according to the transcript. Kent added: “The message that I recall hearing back was that the vice president’s [other] son Beau was dying of cancer and that there was no further bandwidth to deal with the family-related issues at that time.” To a question that characterized as a “quid pro quo” Biden’s threat in 2016 as vice president to withhold $1 billion in aid unless the Ukraine government fired state prosecutor Viktor Shokin, Kent replied: “That is—sounds more or less like what he said on that stage.” He was referring to on-camera remarks the former vice president made in a January 2018 speech to the Council on Foreign Relations. However, Kent also said that Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, told him to to defer to Energy Secretary Rick Perry, EU Ambassador Sondland, and then-special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker. Kent wrote a memorandum about his “concerns that there was an effort to initiate politically motivated prosecutions that were injurious to the rule of law, both in Ukraine and the U.S.” Yovanovitch, the recalled ambassador to Ukraine, is slated to testify Friday. President Barack Obama named Yovanovitch to the post in August 2016. Giuliani pushed for her removal, and Trump eventually recalled her. She clashed with Yuriy Lutsenko, the Ukrainian state prosecutor who took Shokin’s place after Shokin was ousted as a result of the Biden threat to withhold U.S. aid. In closed-door testimony, Yovanovitch said she was warned that Giuliani’s business associates viewed her as an obstacle. “One of the senior Ukrainian officials was very concerned, and told me I really needed to watch my back,” she told the committee in the closed session. 2. Who Else Could Testify in Future Hearings? Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., ranking member of the Intelligence Committee, requested in a letter to Schiff that he call Hunter Biden and the anonymous whistleblower who first drew attention to the July 25 phone conversation between Trump and Zelenskyy. In previous impeachment inquiries, the House minority was able to call witnesses. However, Schiff rejected the request to call either witness. House Republicans requested that several others publicly testify, including Volker, Morrison, and Nellie Ohr, who worked for opposition research firm Fusion GPS, which was responsible for the “dossier” compiled against Trump by former British spy Christopher Steele. Nellie Ohr is the wife of former Justice Department official Bruce Ohr. Republicans have requested a list of witnesses for the impeachment hearings (alphabetical order): -Devon Archer -Hunter Biden -Alexandra Chalupa -David Hale -Tim Morrison -Nellie Ohr -Amb. Volker -The “Whistleblower” & their sources Will @RepAdamSchiff permit them to testify? — Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) November 9, 2019 Schiff has complained that Trump is blocking certain current and former administration officials from testifying, such as Perry, the outgoing energy secretary. Far from transparent, Trump has engaged in unprecedented obstruction. He‘s blocking more than a dozen witnesses from testifying. His White House, State Dept, DOD, OMB, and Energy Dept are defying subpoenas for thousands of documents. The American people see through this. https://t.co/VbyP5gRBIR — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 12, 2019 Others testified before the House Intelligence Committee behind closed doors, and they may be called to do so publicly. They include Sondland, the EU ambassador; Volker, the former U.S. envoy to Ukraine; Michael Atkinson, the intelligence community inspector general; Michael McKinley, a former senior adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia; and Phillip Reeker, acting assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs. Also possible: Fiona Hill, a former Russia expert with the National Security Council who testified that Bolton, when he was national security adviser, strongly objected to the Trump administration’s policy toward Ukraine. Perhaps the most damaging testimony behind closed doors came from Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, director of European affairs for the National Security Council, who was among the national security officials who listened in on the call between Trump and the Ukraine president. “There was no doubt,” Vindman said, that Trump was pressuring the Ukraine president for an investigation. Christopher Anderson, a former Volker adviser, and Tim Morrison, senior director for Europe and Russia at the National Security Council, also testified in secret to the committee. 3. Who Are the Key Lawmakers to Watch? Schiff has been the public face of the impeachment inquiry since September. Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee since Democrats captured the majority in the 2018 midterm elections, Schiff also doggedly pursued Trump during the Russia investigation in 2017 and 2018. That was one of at least three probes that found no evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives to influence the 2016 presidential election. Schiff has the benefit of experience in leading two judicial impeachments, in 2009 and 2010. He was elected in 2000, defeating incumbent Rep. James Rogan, a Republican, in a campaign based largely on Rogan’s leading role in the 1998 impeachment of President Bill Clinton. Schiff came under scrutiny for mischaracterizing the phone conversation between Trump and the Ukranian president. Only after being criticized did the committee chairman say his performance was “parody.” Several fact-checkers also took Schiff to task for not telling the truth when he said neither he nor his office had previous contact with the whistleblower in the case. Another key lawmaker to watch in the hearing is the newest member of the committee, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Jordan, one of the president’s biggest defenders, is also the ranking member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and a former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., decided to put Jordan on the committee and take off Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark. McCarthy told Fox News: “Jim Jordan has been on the front lines in the fight for fairness and truth. His addition will ensure more accountability and transparency in this sham process.” Nunes, chairman of the committee during the first two years of the Trump administration, also may be a key figure to watch since he may renew his calls for Hunter Biden and the whistleblower to testify. Nunes has said the president has the right to face his accuser. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., one of the loudest critics of Trump, has been a regular on the talk show circuit. After the 2016 election, Himes called for the Electoral College to step in and prevent Trump from being president because, he said, “this man is not only unqualified to be president, he’s a danger to the republic.” Before Trump’s inauguration: Himes added: “I do think the Electoral College should choose someone other than Donald Trump to be president. That will lead to a fascinating legal issue, but I would rather have a legal issue, a complicated legal problem, than to find out the White House was now the Kremlin’s chief ally.” Himes said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Democrats should stop talking about a “quid pro quo” and stick with talking about “corruption” and “abuse of power.” WATCH: Rep. @Jahimes says that the use of the word quid pro quo "is complicated," adding "what we are dealing with here is corruption, abuse of power in a way that damaged American national security." #MTP "... It is probably best not to use Latin words to explain it." pic.twitter.com/uPKFiqMgMh — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) November 10, 2019 Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who briefly ran for Democrats’ presidential nomination, also has been one of Trump’s fiercest critics. Swalwell regularly accused Trump of conspiring with Russians well before the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report finding no evidence of such a conspiracy. ICYMI: @RepSwalwell says he doesn't see “any relevance” in bringing @JoeBiden and his son Hunter before House Intelligence following GOP requests for their own witnesses in the #impeachment probe. https://t.co/SVJLKh4mMJ pic.twitter.com/s89t3XQnBE — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) November 11, 2019 4. What Are the Key Facts in Dispute? Democrats and Republicans will clash over some basic facts. Some Republicans aren’t entirely on the same page, either. Democrats say that the July 25 phone call between the two leaders was only one part of a broader Trump effort to pressure Ukraine to interfere in a U.S. election by digging up dirt on a political opponent, in this case the former vice president. Republicans argue that Ukraine was not aware of the delay on congressionally appropriated funds. However, Democrats have argued that the Ukrainian government was clearly aware, since it did not yet have the money. Trump, who released an official transcript of the call weeks ago, insists that his conversation with Zelenskyy was not to convey a threat nor a “quid pro quo” about more than $300 million in funding in exchange for investigations. Although most House Republicans back that up, some GOP lawmakers have said a quid pro quo always has been a part of foreign aid, no matter who is president – and that corruption is a legitimate basis for holding up aid. Republicans also contend that the aid eventually flowed to Ukraine without its promise of an investigation. Republicans likely will highlight Joe Biden’s on-camera boast that he threatened to withhold $1 billion in aid to Ukraine unless the government fired the prosecutor. Republicans contend the Shokin firing occurred because he was investigating Burisma, the energy company employing Biden’s son. Democrats dispute that such an investigation was underway. This article has been republished with permission from The Daily Signal. [Image Credit: Flickr-Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0] Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of "The Right Side of History" podcast. Lucas is also the author of “Tainted by Suspicion: The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections.” Fact-Checking Eleven of Trump’s Claims in State of the Union What History Says About Witnesses at Senate Impeachment Trials	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line1008
__label__cc	0.523359	0.476641	We Don't Give Our Kids Exams. But That Does Not Mean They Are Not Tested. By Kerry McDonald "If you don't teach them, how will they ever learn?" "If you give them freedom, how will they gain discipline?" "Without schooling, won't they just do nothing all day?" These questions are only a sampling of the typical unschooler's interrogation. I get it. Unschooling challenges everything we have been taught about learning, knowing, and growing. At a friend's birthday party this weekend, the topic of unschooling came up. After I had explained, thoroughly I thought, that we don't replicate school-at-home, that we learn in and from our daily life in the city, that the children's interests guide their learning, that we live as if school doesn't exist, the person paused and asked: "So do you give them exams?" Unschooling and Martial Arts The conversation was all the more poignant given the martial arts tournament Molly competed in earlier that day. During a walk around the city last fall, we passed a newly opened martial arts school. Molly was intrigued. She walked in, made an appointment for a trial class, and was instantly captivated. Since then, she spends three afternoons a week at martial arts classes. Her enthusiasm spread to her younger sister, and now Abby joins her for classes. If you are unfamiliar with martial arts, as I was, it is a very disciplined, physically and mentally demanding activity. Respect, both for oneself and others, is paramount. The training is rigorous and regimented. The focus is on control of one's mind and movements. It is not a sport for slackers. I have since discovered that many unschoolers gravitate toward martial arts. I am not surprised. Unschooling epitomizes self-discipline and self-direction: key qualities of martial arts training. The Rejection of Coercion Unschooling may, at first glance, seem like a rejection of formal instruction and rigorous training. The reality is that unschoolers often choose very formal instruction and very rigorous training. The key word, though, is choose. They choose—based on their own interests—what to learn, when, how, and from whom. When they find something they are interested in, unschoolers often immerse themselves in it wholeheartedly. They commit to rigor and regimentation when it matters to them. Choosing to join the military and endure boot camp training is quite different from being drafted. Freedom is the opposite of coercion. While Molly competed in her first martial arts tournament this weekend, I was struck by its tone and structure. Dozens of students, of all different skill levels, ranging from age six to over 70, competed before an awestruck audience. Sprinkled between their individual performances were master-level demonstrations of the highest skills in eight martial arts. Observing a highly diverse group of people of all ages and stages gathering together in pursuit of a common interest, with only themselves to compete against, was truly inspirational. It's rare to see such intergenerational collaboration and respect. Unschoolers unapologetically reject coercion, choosing freedom over force in learning and in living. Freedom comes with responsibility. When children are given freedom and opportunity, they will take responsibility for their own education and become astonishingly self-disciplined. They will immerse themselves in meaningful passions and commit to mastery of skills and content with unimaginable enthusiasm and grit. So, no, we don't give our kids exams. But that does not mean they are not tested. Reprinted from Whole Family Learning. Kerry McDonald has a B.A. in Economics from Bowdoin and an M.Ed. in education policy from Harvard. She lives in Cambridge, Mass. with her husband and four never-been-schooled children. Follow her writing at Whole Family Learning. This article was originally published on FEE.org. Read the original article. [Image Credit: Hbaes (CC BY-SA 4.0)] Kerry McDonald Kerry McDonald is a Senior Contributor for Intellectual Takeout. She has a B.A. in economics from Bowdoin College and a Master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University. Follow her on Twitter. Coronavirus May Lead to 'Mass Homeschooling' The Vast Majority of High Schoolers Are Unhappy at School	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line1009
__label__cc	0.530925	0.469075	How Government Makes Us Fatter Obesity is a major health risk in the United States, where 65 percent of adults are overweight. By Jenna Robinson The government, with its accomplices in the food lobby, has helped to make and keep us fat. Through subsidies and misguided food suggestions, Congress, the FDA, and the USDA have made it more difficult for Americans to make smarter dietary decisions. It’s not as if we don’t care. Americans spend $33 billion annually on weight-loss products and services. At any given time, 45 percent of women and 30 percent of men in the United States are trying to lose weight. And yet Americans are more out of shape than ever. Obesity is a major health risk in the United States, where 65 percent of adults are overweight. The prevalence of obesity rose from 14.5 percent in 1980 to 30.5 percent today. The percentage of children who are overweight is at an all-time high: 10.4 percent of two- to five-year-olds, 15.3 percent of six- to 11-year-olds, and 15.5 percent of 12- to 19-year-olds. Remember the food pyramid? In 1982, government authorities told Americans to reduce fat consumption from 40 percent to 30 percent of daily intake—and we took their advice. Instead of fats, Americans began eating more carbohydrates: an increase of 57 grams per person from 1989 to today, according to UCSF Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Robert Lustig. Today, the typical American diet is about 50 percent carbohydrate, 15 percent protein, and 35 percent fat. At the same time, a committee at the Food and Drug Administration awarded sugar “Generally Recognized As Safe” status—even for diabetics—despite internal dissent from the USDA’s Carbohydrate Nutrition Laboratory. As part of the 2011 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, Congress legislated that pizza sauce can count as a vegetable in school lunches. Setting aside the issue of whether such government recommendations are correct, its actions as food nanny essentially absolve Americans from the responsibility of making their own nutrition decisions. In the 1990s, American women blindly gobbled up low-fat Snackwells desserts masquerading as sensible treats. After all, Snackwells cookies met government standards: They were low in fat and contained “safe” sugar. Parents send their kids to school assuming school lunch contains healthy fruits and vegetables—never stopping to ask what their kids are actually eating each day. Government recommendations also dissuade private nutrition groups from attempting to compete with “official” advice. Consider Dr. Atkins’ critical reception when he wrote Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution; although a best-seller, it was panned by the nutrition establishment. The USDA’s Agricultural Resource Service still warns that the diet started out as a “gimmick” and hedges on whether it’s ultimately “worthwhile or worthless.” Over the years, government recommendations have contributed to the replacement of lard with trans-fats (the latter of which are now considered deadly), the substitution of margarine for butter and back to butter again, and conflicting recommendations about eggs, orange juice, vitamins, certain types of fish, and the temperature at which it’s safe to eat meat. Is it any wonder that Americans are no closer to their health goals? Subsi-diets Farm subsidies reinforce the government’s recommendations. Most go to just a few crops: soy, corn, rice, and wheat—all of which can be converted into cheap, highly processed foods. Take the case of corn. Starting in the mid-1980s, government subsidies made corn profitable for farmers even when market prices for corn were low. So farms across the Midwest began to produce it in abundance. Food companies funneled this cheap corn into the production of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a replacement for more-expensive sugar—the price of which had been artificially sweetened by tariffs, import quotas, and subsidies meant to shut cheaper foreign suppliers out of the United States. HFCS then made its way into previously unsweetened foods. Today, the average American eats 41.5 pounds of HFCS per year—financed by U.S. corn subsidies. That’s in addition to the 29 pounds of traditional sugar the USDA reports we eat on average. Wheat, rice, and soy are turned into similarly processed food products. Wheat is extruded, robbing it of its protein, or milled and bleached into mineral-free white flour. Rice is stripped of its vitamin-packed bran to make it cook more quickly. Soybeans are mashed, pulped, extruded, and pressed into thousands of products. And government subsidies make these foods very, very cheap—much cheaper than unsubsidized raw produce, fish, or meat. Naturally, Americans respond to these low prices by buying in bulk. Today, 23 percent of Americans’ grocery budgets go to processed foods and sweets (compared to 12 percent in 1982). Getting Government Out of the Grocery Aisles Nutrition is far from settled science. Various researchers recommend low-carb, vegetarian, vegan, “whole” food, or simple calorie-counting diets as the route to weight loss and improved health. But one thing is clear: Government interference is steering us in the wrong direction—toward sweetened and processed foods that no doctors, nutritionists, or researchers recommend. To improve the “Standard American Diet,” the first thing government can do is get out of the way. Find a Portuguese translation of this article here. Jenna Robinson is director of outreach at the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy. This article was originally published on FEE.org. Read the original article. Jenna Robinson Jenna Ashley Robinson is the president of the Martin Center. She joined the organization in January 2007 as campus outreach coordinator and later became the center's director of outreach. She was previously the E.A. Morris Fellowship assistant at the John Locke Foundation, where she had worked since 2001.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line1010
__label__wiki	0.832774	0.832774	Deepika Padukone addresses rumours about her attending Oscars and a Mr & Mrs Smith remake Earlier, rumours surrounding her presence at the Academy Awards had surfaced over a few Instagram posts by her stylist Elizabeth Saltzman. Fukres Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has maintained her constant spot on the front page has finally broken her silence over whether or not she will be attending the 89th Annual Academy Awards and you probably will not like the answer. Deepika clarified that she will, in fact, not be attending the Oscars 2017 ceremony. She also addressed the rumours regarding her being cast in a certain Mr & Mrs Smith remake. Earlier, rumours surrounding her presence at the Oscars had surfaced over a few Instagram posts by her stylist Elizabeth Saltzman. ALSO READ: Will Deepika Padukone dazzle the Oscars with her presence? While rebutting the claims that she will be attending the Oscar Awards, Deepika stated that she is not a part of a Bollywood remake of Mr & Mrs Smith. The 2005 Hollywood film, which starred Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt (and marked the infamous Pitt-Aniston split), was the story of a married couple who find out they are both trained assassins out to kill each other. Deepika Padukone at the Golden Globes after-party. ALSO READ: Deepika and Priyanka’s fashion war intensifies at New York Fashion Week. And we have a clear winner! [SEE PICS] “Well, let’s set the record straight because there have been a lot of rumours regarding a lot of films I am supposedly doing. I think usually there is a lot of dignity involved when an actor is approached for a film, whether it’s a narration or when an actor saying yes or no to a film,” Deepika said. “I had always maintained, when I am offered a film, I’ll talk about it, if not, I’ll never talk about it. All the speculation can go on. The only film I am doing now is Padmavati, it’s consuming all my life. When I have something else to talk about I will do that,” she added. ALSO READ: Despite cold response in India, Deepika Padukone’s xXx Return Of Xander Cage becomes biggest hit of 2017 Vin Diesel and Deepika Padukone (Courtesy: Instagram/ Deepika Padukone) After her Bajirao Mastani co-star Priyanka Chopra moved over to the west, Deepika Padukone too kicked off her Hollywood career with her debut xXx: Return of Xander Cage. Starring alongside Vin Diesel, Ruby Rose and Nina Dobrev, Deepika stunned the west with her exotic aura. The film was a huge commercial success and collected over Rs 2062 crores globally.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line1013
__label__cc	0.525766	0.474234	Invasive Snakehead Fish Caught in Gwinnett County (Georiga) (Oct 8, 2019) Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Wildlife Resources Division. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division confirmed someone found a northern snakehead in early October in a pond on private property in Gwinnett County, marking the first time the invasive fish has been found in the state. Fishermen who find a northern snakehead should take pictures, note where it was caught and then report it. Pest Alert: Asian Giant Hornet (Dec 19, 2019) Washington State Department of Agriculture. Asian giant hornet is the world's largest species of hornet. In December 2019, WSDA received and verified four reports of Asian giant hornet near Blaine and Bellingham. These are the first-ever sighting in the U.S. Canada had also discovered Asian giant hornet in two locations in British Columbia in the fall of 2019. If it becomes established, this hornet will have serious negative impacts on the environment, economy, and public health of Washington State. If you think you may have spotted an Asian giant hornet, report it using the Hornet Watch Report Form. See also: Learn more about Asian giant hornets and WSDA’s program to eradicate them. USDA Confirms Virulent Newcastle Disease in a Commercial Chicken Flock in California (Dec 18, 2018) USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of virulent Newcastle disease in a commercial chicken flock in Riverside County, California. This finding is part of an outbreak in southern California that began in May 2018 in backyard exhibition birds. This is the first case in commercial poultry since 2003. Virulent Newcastle disease is not a food safety concern. No human cases of Newcastle disease have ever occurred from eating poultry products. USDA Confirms Virulent Newcastle Disease in Backyard Exhibition Birds in California, Not a Food Safety Concern (May 18, 2018) The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of virulent Newcastle disease in a small flock of backyard exhibition chickens in Los Angeles County, California. It is important to note that the presence of the disease is not a food safety concern. This is the first case of virulent Newcastle disease, previously referred to as exotic Newcastle disease, in the U.S. since 2003. USDA Confirms Virulent Newcastle Disease in Backyard Exhibition Birds in Utah, Not a Food Safety Concern (Jan 29, 2019) The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of virulent Newcastle disease in a small flock of backyard exhibition chickens in Utah County, Utah. This is the first case of virulent Newcastle disease in Utah. This case is believed to be connected to the current outbreak of virulent Newcastle disease in California, as three of the birds at the premises were recently moved to Utah from Los Angeles County, California. Since May 2018, 299 cases of Newcastle disease have been confirmed in Southern California, primarily in backyard exhibition birds. RemoveEmerging Issuesfilter RemovePublicationfilter ApplyAlert or Advisoryfilter (1) ApplyBlog Articlefilter (1) ApplyNews or Press Releasefilter (4)	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line1014
__label__cc	0.732355	0.267645	U.S.-China War May Be “Just A Shot Away” January 30, 2019 by IWB by GoldCore – “World’s most dangerous hotspot” is in the South China Sea – Currency and trade wars can lead to shooting wars warns Rickards – Chinese buildup in South China Sea like ‘preparing for World War III’ says US senator (see news) – U.S.-China shooting war could be, as Mick Jagger put it, “just a shot away…” The World’s Most Dangerous Hotspot By Jim Rickards for the Daily Reckoning I have warned repeatedly that currency wars and trade wars can lead to shooting wars. Both history and analysis support this thesis. Currency wars do not exist all the time; they arise under certain conditions and persist until there is either systemic reform or systemic collapse. The conditions that give rise to currency wars are too much debt and too little growth. In those circumstances, countries try to steal growth from trading partners by cheapening their currencies to promote exports and create export-related jobs. The problem with currency wars is that they are zero-sum or negative-sum games. It is true that countries can obtain short-term relief by cheapening their currencies, but sooner than later, their trading partners also cheapen their currencies to regain the export advantage. This process of tit-for-tat devaluations feeds on itself with the pendulum of short-term trade advantage swinging back and forth and no one getting any further ahead. After a few years, the futility of currency wars becomes apparent, and countries resort to trade wars. This consists of punitive tariffs, export subsidies and nontariff barriers to trade. The dynamic is the same as in a currency war. The first country to impose tariffs gets a short-term advantage, but retaliation is not long in coming and the initial advantage is eliminated as trading partners impose tariffs in response. Despite the illusion of short-term advantage, in the long-run everyone is worse off. The original condition of too much debt and too little growth never goes away. Finally, tensions rise, rival blocs are formed and a shooting war begins. The shooting wars often have a not-so-hidden economic grievance or rationale behind them. The sequence in the early 20th century began with a currency war that started in Weimar Germany with a hyperinflation (1921–23) and then extended through a French devaluation (1925), a U.K. devaluation (1931), a U.S. devaluation (1933) and another French/U.K. devaluation (1936). Meanwhile, a global trade war emerged after the Smoot-Hawley tariffs (1930) and comparable tariffs of trading partners of the U.S. Finally, a shooting war progressed with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria (1931), the Japanese invasion of Beijing and China (1937), the German invasion of Poland (1939) and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (1941). READ JOSH HAMMER: Trump’s Parting Shot To China Should Be Full U.S. Recognition of Taiwan. Eventually, the world was engulfed in the flames of World War II, and the international monetary system came to a complete collapse until the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944. Is this pattern repressing itself today? Sadly, the answer appears to be yes. The new currency war began in January 2010 with efforts of the Obama administration to promote U.S. growth with a weak dollar. By August 2011, the U.S. dollar reached an all-time low on the Fed’s broad real index. Other nations retaliated, and the period of the “cheap dollar” was followed by the “cheap euro” and “cheap yuan” after 2012. Once again, currency wars proved to be a dead end. Now the trade wars are well underway. They may be set to resume once the current “truce” between the U.S. and China expires on March 1. If no deal is reached, massive new tariffs will likely take effect. But the biggest question now is if a shooting war will follow. There’s little doubt that the most dangerous place in the world today in terms of potential war has been the South China Sea. I have written frequently about possible confrontations between the U.S. and China in the South China Sea. International law recognizes claims of six separate nations to parts of that sea, and the U.S. is treaty partners with one of them (the Philippines). China claims the entire sea (except for a narrow shoreline stretch near each surrounding country). China is claiming control based on ancient imperial arrangements and argues that the West and its South Asian allies “stole” the territory from them. China has aggressively built up man-made islands in the area by dredging sand onto rocks and atolls. These islands are then being fortified with airstrips, anti-aircraft weapons and surveillance technology. But both the ancient claims and the theft narrative are open to serious dispute. The U.S. and the other nations involved reject those claims and insist on rights of passage and free navigation and sharing of natural resources such as oil, natural gas, undersea mining and seafood among others. The U.S. and its allies, including Japan and the U.K., have sent naval vessels to cruise waters claimed by China and to uphold rights of passage and their status as open waters. But the South China Sea is not the only body of water where the conflicts and risks exist. READ Sudden Death Of Tycoon Rothschild Who Invested In China And Heralded The End Of America An even greater potential conflict lies in the Strait of Taiwan, which separates the island of Formosa from the mainland of Red China. China claims Taiwan as a “breakaway province” and part of China. The Taiwanese government claims that it is the lawful government of all of China, although there is a strong independence movement there also. Two U.S. warships recently passed through the strait as a reaffirmation of rights of free passage and a show of support for Taiwan. China regards the passage of U.S. vessels as highly provocative and has threatened to block such transits with force. The South China Sea is a problem, but the Taiwan Strait is viewed in existential terms by China. The entire situation is like a powder keg waiting for the match to light it. The risks include not only intentional combat but accidental shootings and collisions, which are not uncommon at sea, especially when two vessels are shadowing each other. In fact, the greatest risk might not be an outright attack by either side but an accident or miscommunication that escalates into a firefight. We cannot avoid the real possibility that conflicting naval activities in both bodies of water will result in a violent incident or even war. And once an incident occurs, it could set off a chain of escalation that could result in open warfare. Trump is not someone to back down when it comes to American interests around the world, and Chinese leadership does not want to appear weak before the U.S. That’s especially true at a time of great economic uncertainty. Communist Party leadership is desperate to maintain the support of the people, or else it risks losing the “mandate of heaven.” China does not want war at this time. But diverting the people’s attention away from domestic problems toward a foreign foe is an old trick leaders use to unite the people in times of uncertainty. Rallying the people around the flag is a tried and true method to garner support. If China’s leadership decides that the risk of losing legitimacy at home outweighs the risk of conflict with the United States, the likelihood of war rises dramatically. I’m not predicting it, but wars have started over less. Currency wars, trade wars, finally shooting wars. We’re currently two-thirds of the way there. And as Mick Jagger sang, a U.S.-China shooting war is “just a shot away.” Jim Rickards via The Daily Reckoning email Tags china Post navigation Walls Across America: Celebrity Edition CLIMATE DENIERS BE DAMNED, LOL? Popular Science says, Record cold temperatures don’t mean the planet isn’t warming Power, internet, Phone and TV outages. They’re starting again. Charles Hugh Smith: A Few Notes on Deflation/Inflation ANYONE Can Use These 2 Powerful Preparedness Tools Today This Asset’s Outperformed The Stock Market For 20 Years (And Likely Will This Year Too) Despair, Depression, and Trump 2.0 – Glenn Greenwald predicts Biden’s America	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line1015
__label__wiki	0.763332	0.763332	Awards/Settlements A Marlboro County jury last week returned a verdict in favor of the families of three children killed in a wreck in McColl nearly two years ago. At the end of the week-long civil trial, the jury found negligence on the part of Frank Richard Davidson, who was the driver of the car that caused the wreck, as well as the Lancaster Hospital Corporation, doing business as the Lancaster Recovery Center, and Annie Fongheiser, at the time the director of the recovery center. The jury reached its verdict around 10:00 Friday night, December 18, awarding actual and punitive damages totaling $10.6 million. Just before the verdict was rendered, however, the parties reached a settlement agreement. The terms of the agreement were not announced in open court, but it was reportedly the largest award of damages in any civil case in Marlboro County history. The trial began Monday morning, December 14, and continued through that Friday afternoon before the jury deliberations began. It stemmed from a wreck that occurred on January 21, 2007, in which three North Carolina children were killed and a fourth was permanently injured. The families of the children brought the suit, alleging negligence on the part of Davidson, who was under the influence of crack cocaine at the time of the wreck, and the recovery center where he sought treatment but was turned away earlier that same day. Fongheiser, as the center director, was held personally responsible as well. Davidson, a resident of Charlotte, NC, admitted his fault in the crash and asked the jury to return a verdict against him for actual and punitive damages. He has also pled guilty to criminal charges, specifically four counts of felony driving under the influence, and will be sentenced for those in January 2010. The wreck happened around 9:20 p.m. on Sunday, January 21, 2007 on U.S. 15-401 in McColl. Davidson, who admitted to having been on a crack cocaine binge for days at the time, was driving a 2003 Mercedes that crossed the center line, striking a 2004 Dodge Neon head-on. In the Neon heading home from a church service in McColl were 17-year-old Abigail McBryde of Wagram, her sister Hannah, 18, her brother Nathan, 13, and 14-month-old Dale Oxendine of Maxton. Abigail and Dale were pronounced dead at the scene. Hannah and Nathan were flown to a Charlotte hospital, where Hannah died the next day. Nathan suffered permanent brain injury. Their parents, Michael and Deborah McBryde, Anthony Oxendine and Raquel Hunt, filed the suit against Davidson, Lancaster Hospital Corporation and Fongheiser. They were represented by Douglas Jennings, Jr. of Bennettsville with assistance from the Columbia firm of Gergel, Nickles & Solomon. Jennings told the Herald-Advocate after the trial that, “our clients are very satisfied that a fair resolution has been reached, and we thank the court and jury for helping us to bring about a just result.” Located in Bennettsville, we are proud to represent clients primarily in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, including Bennettsville, Florence, Chesterfield, Cheraw, Dillon, Darlington, Hartsville, Myrtle Beach, and Conway in Marlboro, Chesterfield, Dillon, Darlington, and Horry Counties and throughout the state of South Carolina.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line1016
__label__cc	0.713956	0.286044	Home/iHolyland/The Ultimate Approach for the Jordan River AcreBeit LehemiHolyland Jordan River is a river that runs through between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. It is occupied for millennia with agriculture focused on palm and date farming. Like any other rivers it served as a political boundary between Israel and other neighboring nations. This is a fact not only during the biblical era but up to this date; it borders the Israel and Palestinian territories and the Hashemite kingdom. We all know that the Jordan River plays a big role in the bible as it has been mentioned a lot of times but when it comes to our history it might be given a lesser credit. The book if Joshua claims that after Exodus from Egypt, Joshua then led the Israelites across the Jordan River to Canaan for safety. It is also written about the crossing of Jacob in his journey to Paddan-Aram to his uncle Laban. Jordan River played a great role in this two example and no doubt that it is an important part of our biblical history. The climate and location of the Jordan River played an important role in theology and symbolic importance in our bible. When you visit the Jordan River now, you will see a recreated village from which you can have a better understanding of the everyday life of the people at the time of Jesus Christ. The Jordan River is few of the many rivers that are not polluted by human. It has been preserve so that generations from generations can experience the existence of Jesus Christ through the places he have been and lived. To this date, the river is still an important border location as it has been the chief source of irrigation in a lot of communities living along the shores. Technically, it’s a lake instead of a sea. The campground has both drive-in websites and walk-in websites. A little dirt path called the Freedom Trail runs parallel to the principal paved path for a brief while. Many roads also resulted in the area and there would have been several individuals passing through. Moses gives instructions about how to manage uncleanness in camp. He reminds Israel that there is only one God. He instructs the people about how to deal with a rebellious son. He teaches the people about how to deal with marriage violations. Ultimately, here’s the major issue. Then you are going to be prosperous and successful. In fact, it isn’t, but nevertheless, it ought to be. At times it’s misunderstood. One reason the Dead Sea is so salty is because there aren’t any outlets. However you decide to devote your Mexico vacation, a trip to Punta Mita, Nayarit is certain to satisfy! How the river still flows full of sewage is evidence of just how much work still should be done. Visiting Israel Holy Places is a tremendous prospect for educational and spiritual development of every person. The area possesses diverse sceneries that are really soothing to watch. There are lots of places to see in Israel. For a wonderful experience take a tour guide alongside. The Holy Land Experience is regarded as one of the greatest attractions in the Orlando city and visited by numerous tourists from throughout the world annually. Holy Land Holy land tours holy land travels iholyland jerusalem The True Story About Rosh Hanikra of Haifa That the Experts Don't Want You to Hear Stella Maris Monastery How can Jerusalem Handmade Cross Strengthen Your Faith? Visit Jerusalem The Wonderful World of Acre iHolyland Religion beyond Christianity	cc/2021-04/en_head_0024.json.gz/line1019

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