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Clocktower Gallery
108 Leonard Street
dal 1/2/2013 al 31/3/2013
The Clocktower Gallery
Zipora Fried
Nancy Holt
Thiago Rocha Pitta
Papo Colo
Clocktower Gallery, New York
An exhibition of photography, video and collage -both by prominent and emerging artists- which exemplifies contemporary discourse and storytelling through the canon of landscape imagery. Contemporary: Papo Colo, Assorted Times in Singular Spaces.
The Clocktower Gallery presents Dark Paradise, an exhibition of photography, video and collage -both by prominent and emerging artists- which exemplifies contemporary discourse and storytelling through the canon of landscape imagery. The artists either engage physically with the landscape, or capture in a poetic -and only at first glance dark- traces of the past within (fictitious) vistas and historically charged places.
Artists: Antony, Zipora Fried, Nancy Holt, Joan Jonas, Thiago Rocha Pitta, and Patti Smith.
The exhibition developed out of a fascination for tracing the tradition of the sublime landscape in contemporary images, a genre that forcefully developed in painting in the late 18th century with masters such as Caspar David Friedrich, who coupled the sublime with awe and fear of nature, and from a search of finding these same emotions in more intimate, local, and poetic images created by artists working with small scale works. All the works in the exhibition exclude human figures and, independent of scale, evoke feelings of an undefined presence of the past or of a world still undiscovered.
The three large photographs of New York based artist Zipora Fried, are a new body of work created from a mix of photographs and hand painted layers of color. Representing fictitious landscapes, they are contemporary interpretations of the historical sublime landscape genre, and vibrate with potential: the dream and terror of the vast and undiscovered territory where anything is possible, or the feeling of a divine presence can be felt in rays of light appearing behind the clouds.
Joan Jonas’s video Merlo is an early piece from the artist’s career, in which she performs alone in several dramatic outdoor locations: a rocky gorge, a wind-tossed river, a balcony looking out over a valley. Cloaked in a dark, hooded robe, Jonas uses a long paper cone as a megaphone, singing melodies and keening, animal-like, into the landscape. The cone figure and the specific melodies Jonas uses are recurring motifs in her work, and their use here may be read against the fact that "merlo" is the Italian word for "blackbird."
Dark paradise is a particularly fitting theme for a video projection by Sao Paulo based artist Thiago Rocha Pitta. In O cúmplice secreto, set in the sea near Rio de Janeiro, the viewer seems to be standing on a boat floating on the water while an unidentified object approaches slowly through the waves. Based on the famous passage in Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, where an expedition is faced for the first time with the creature they were hunting, and turns out to be the Nautilus submarine of Captain Nemo, the pieces makes the viewer’s perception shift from an idyllic tropical setting to an increasingly eerie visual. Unease takes over as one never truly discovers what is approaching the bark.
The selection of photographs by Patti Smith includes a set of never-before seen images taken during a 1981 trip to French Guiana, capturing the ruins of prisons and military buildings once built by the occupying leaders. Overgrown in time by the jungle, the scenes still reflect the traces of their (colonial) past, photographed by Smith in her signature, often melancholic, poetic way, as seen in the interplay between the density of the leaves and the appearance of light. The past comes into play even more so in the other images included in the exhibition. This group of photographs were taken in rural settings where the landscapes, seen through the artist’s eyes, are both heavy with memories of artists of previous times -including Virginia Woolf and Arthur Rimbaud- and double as intimate homages to the artistic souls that have inspired Smith throughout her own career.
Nancy Holt’s photographs are three photo stills from her seminal 1975 Pine Barrens video. Shot in a barren wilderness in South-Central New Jersey, the film documents the sandy landscape of the region and captures the feelings and myths of the local people. The most famous of these myths is about a creature known as The Jersey Devil, a being traditionally described as having hooves - its imprints can be seen in one of the stills- and allegedly born as the 13th child of a woman in the 18th Century. The two other images show the lonely trees in the desolate scenery and the traces left behind by Holt as she meanders through the dunes.
The three intimate, small-scale collages and drawings by Antony further address a darker side of nature, or rather, critique how humankind ignores the sacredness of nature. As he explains: “I have become convinced that this place is paradise. Even in ruins, even in all its virulence, you can’t deny the shadows of beauty emerging from things.” Created from mostly found images the artist describes the acts of observing, collecting, and assembling as important parts of his process. The Cut Away the Bad n.2 (Swanlights) collage, originated from the idea of removing a “bad” part of a found image, as a metaphor of trying to protect our emotional and natural world from a destructive human presence, in an attempt to restore dignity to the rest of the landscape.
Antony was born (b. 1971) in West Sussex, England, and currently lives in New York. Since 2000, he has released four studio albums with his band Antony and the Johnsons. The band's last album Swanlights was included as part of a book featuring Antony's drawings published by Abrams Image. Antony's visual work was presented in a solo exhibition at the Hammer Museum (2012). Antony has also presented exhibitions at the Melbourne Festival (2012). Isis Gallery, London (2009), and Galerie du jour, Paris (2009). His work was included in group shows at the Triennale Bovisa, Milan and Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels (2010). Commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Antony and the Johnsons' performance Swanlights debuted at Radio City Music Hall (2012). Previous performance projects include Miracle Now (1996); TURNING (2004/2006), in collaboration with Charles Atlas, and now being released as a film (2013); and The Crying Light (2009). Antony is musical director of The Life and Death of Marina Abramović (2011-13), a collaboration with Abramović and Robert Wilson.
The art of Zipora Fried (b. 1964) is an exercise in dichotomy. The work exploits the familial, often layering an object or form to an absurd end, creating new meanings and subliminal associations. In a new body of large-scale photographs, Landscape images and handpainted backgrounds are layered using digital technologies, creating impossible horizons that remain uncannily familiar, obliquely referencing historical painting, 20th c. landscape photography and sci-fi renderings. As in her drawings and sculpture, Fried approaches photography with patience and calculated intensity, hinting at an ever-present potential for violence that lies beneath a sumptuous surface.
Zipora Fried studied at the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna. Recent exhibitions include The Locus of Control, ACFNY, New York, NY (2012); Drawing a line in the Sand, Peter Blum Gallery, New York, NY (2012); Salon Noir at On Stellar Rays, New York, NY (2011); Greater New York at MoMA PS1, Queens, NY (2010); Total Recall, Public Art Fund, New York, NY (2010); Zipora Fried, Margarete Jakschik and Sam Windett, Contemporary art Museum St. Louis, MO (2010); Trust Me. Be Careful. at On Stellar Rays, New York, NY (2009); Text at Eighth Veil, Los Angeles, CA (fall 2009); Minus Space at MoMA PS1 (2009); Other exhibitions include Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo (2006); Guild & Greyshkul, New York, NY (2005); Center for Contemporary Non-Objective Art, Brussels (2005).
Fried's work is represented in a number of Museum collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; The Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY; The Albertina Museum, Vienna; The Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel; Magasin 3 Stockholm Konsthall, Stockholm; Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, MA. Fried is also the recipient of numerous awards for her experimental films, which have been featured in festivals worldwide.
Nancy Holt (b. 1938) was born in Massachusetts and lives currently in New Mexico. A pioneer of earthworks and public art, Nancy Holt has also worked in sculpture, installation, film, video, and photography for over three decades. She is best known for her large-scale environmental sculptural works, including Sun Tunnels in northern Utah and Dark Star Park in Arlington, Virginia. In the 1970s, Holt made a series of pioneering film and video works, including several collaborations with Robert Smithson.
Nancy Holt was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1938. She received a Bachelors degree in Biology from Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, in 1960. She has received five National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, two New York Creative Artist Fellowships, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of South Florida, Tampa. She has produced site-specific environmental works in numerous public places around the world, including Sun Tunnels (1976), a large-scale sculptural work in Great Basin Desert, Utah; Stone Enclosure (Rock Rings) in Bellingham, Washington; Astral Grating (1987) in a New York City subway station, and Dark Star Park, in Arlington, Virginia, among many others. She has also completed large-scale land reclamation projects, including Sky Mound (1988) in the New Jersey Meadowlands, and Up and Under (1998), in Nokia, Finland. Holt's works, including her films and videos, have been seen in exhibitions at The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York; The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Dia Center for the Arts, New York, and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, New York. In 2010 Columbia University's Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery in New York held the major retrospective exhibition Nancy Holt: Sightlines. The exhibition was accompanied by a monograph of the same name and edited by Alena J. Williams. In 2012 she had a traveling exhibition showing an in-depth examination of her early projects from 1966 to 1980 at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts in Salt Lake City and the Santa Fe Arts Institute, and was included in Ends of the Earth: Land Art to 1974 at MoCA, Los Angeles and Materializing "Six Years" at the Brooklyn Museum, New York.
Joan Jonas (b. 1936) was born in New York and lives there. Her works and performances have been exhibited widely, including recent solo exhibitions at MoMA, New York (2009–10), MACBA, Barcelona (2008), and the Castello di Rivoli, Turin (2006). She has participated in the Biennale di Venezia (2009) and was invited six times to documenta (2012, 2002, 1987, 1982, 1977, 1972). In 2009, she received the Guggenheim Museum’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Thiago Rocha Pitta (b. 1980) was born in Tiradentes, Brazil, and lives and works in São Paulo. As a multimedia artist, he develops works in search of an intimate relationship with nature. Pitta was rewarded with the Marcantonio Vilaça award, in 2005, and the Open Your Mind Award, Switzerland, in 2009. In 2012 he participated in the 30th São Paulo Biennial (Brazil) and in 2011 in The Garden of Forking Paths Sculpture Project, an outdoor sculpture project at the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst (Switzerland). The same year, he held an individual exhibition at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (Brazil). Other notable solo exhibitions include Notas de um Desabamento (Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro) in 2010, A Rocky Mist, Meyer Riegger in Karlsruhe (Germany), 2009, Notes on an Inland Shipwreck at Andersen Contemporary in Berlin (Germany) in 2008, Scai X Scai, Arts Initiative Tokyo (Japan) in 2007. A selection of group exhibitions include Nova Arte Nova at centro cultural Banco do Brasil (Brazil) 2008, Time Frame at MoMA PS1 (USA) in 2006, and J’en Rêve, Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain (France) in 2005.
Patti Smith (b. 1946) began as a visual artist and has been making drawings and taking photographs since the late 1960s. In recent years her practice has expanded to include installation. She is currently the subject of Patti Smith: Camera Solo, a survey of her photographs organized by the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford. Also exhibited at the Detroit Institute of Arts, it is currently on view at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (February 9 - May 19, 2013). Patti Smith: The Coral Sea opens this Spring at the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center and will combine installation and performance (May 17 - November, 2013). In 2008 Smith was the subject of Patti Smith Land 250 at Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, and Written Portrait - Patti Smith at Artium Centro-Museo Vasco de Arte Contemporáneo, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. Strange Messenger: The Work of Patti Smith, a three hundred-work retrospective, was organized by The Andy Warhol Museum in 2002 and traveled to numerous venues including the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, and the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam. Her work has also been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum Eki, Kyoto; Haus der Kunst, Munich; Triennale di Milano, Milan; Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels and the Pompidou Center in Paris. Just Kids, a memoir of her remarkable relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe during the epochal days of New York City and the Chelsea Hotel in the late sixties and seventies, won her the 2010 National Book Award in the nonfiction category. Her 1975 album Horses, established Smith as one of most original and important musical artists of her generation and was followed by ten releases, including Radio Ethiopia; Easter; Dream of Life; Gone Again, Trampin', and Banga, her latest. She continues to perform throughout the world and in 2007 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In July of 2005 she was presented with the prestigious insignia of Commander of the Order of the Arts and Letters, an esteemed French cultural honor. In May 2011, Smith won the Polar Music Prize, Sweden's most prestigious music award. She has been represented by Robert Miller Gallery since 1978.
The Clocktower Gallery presents Papo Colo: Assorted Times in Singular Spaces, an exhibition of works on paper and poetry by Papo Colo, presented in the Clocktower’s historic Upper Gallery. Exploring the composition of poetry as visual imagination, the selected drawings, collages, and poems from 1976 to the present reflect Colo’s interest in calligraphy, archaeology, and mysticism, and mark iconic moments in political and personal histories. “I do calligraphy because to invent a language is to create a new form of life. In this show, you can see how from the elements of calligraphy are born organic figures and populated structures” - Papo Colo.
Colo’s artistic expression is primarily known through the seminal exhibitions, graphic identity, and institutional texts of Exit Art, the alternative space he co-founded in 1982 and ran until 2011 with his partner Jeanette Ingberman. Parallel to, and often entangled with this institutional role, Colo was always a prolific artist, working in drawing, painting, poetry, performance, and theater.
Assorted Times in Singular Spaces presents four bodies of work: Franco Documents (1976), Post History Calligraphy (1978), Secret Documents (1979), and Protos (2012), and a book of poetry.
Colo resists interpretation through the lens of cultural identity. Rather, he embraces purist, cerebral and emotional approaches to art making, guided primarily by impulse and passion, be it of a physical, intellectual, or spiritual nature. Assorted Times in Singular Spaces explores personal time, institutional time, and political time. It examines past and present identities, life-altering events, discipline, ritual, and alchemy.
Assorted Times in Singular Spaces
Papo Colo was born San Juan, Puerto Rico. He lives and works in New York City and El Yunque rainforest in Puerto Rico. Colo is a poet who uses concepts to produce art, and an artist who chooses any medium, depending on its purpose. He is a multi-dimensional artist: performance, theater and installation artist, painter, writer, and graphic designer. In 1982 he co-founded Exit Art, an internationally known cultural center in New York. He was curator and cultural producer of Exit Art from 1982 to 2011, and organized over 100 shows in which he was also the exhibition and graphic designer. In 1992 he founded the Trickster Theater to expand his experiments as an inter-disciplinary artist.
Image: Patti Smith, St-Laurent-du-Maroni Prison, French Guiana, 1981. © Patti Smith. Courtesy the artist and Robert Miller Gallery
The Clocktower Gallery & Radio
108 Leonard Street, 13th Floor New York, NY 10013
Gallery hours are Tuesday - Friday, 12PM - 5PM
Oyama Enrico Isamu Letter: Aeromural
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Page 3, 20th May 2005
Page 3, 20th May 2005 — New curial official attacks ‘stupid’ Tablet
Organisations: Catholic Church, Catholic Society of St Andrews, German College in Rome, St Andrews’ University, University of Stirling
People: William Levada, Thomas Reese, John Paul II, John Paul, Karl Rahner, Cristina Odone, Patrick Burke, George Weigel, Benedict, Fr Burke, Some Catholics, Franz König, Paul II, Oscar Romero, John Wilkins, Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict XVI
Locations: Rome, Stirling, Vienna
Pope Chooses New Right-hand Man To Reform Roman Curia
A Turbulent Decade For The Church
Interpreting Curial Jargon
Page 2 from 2nd October 1998
New curial official attacks ‘stupid’ Tablet
Keywords: Christianity, Pope Benedict Xvi, Christian Theology, Christianity In The United Kingdom, The Tablet, Heads Of State, William Levada, Congregation For The Doctrine Of The Faith, Ratzinger, Salesians, Joseph Ratzinger As Prefect Of The Congregation For The Doctrine Of The Faith, Theology Of Pope Benedict Xvi, Religion / Belief
A NEWLY appointed British official to the most powerful congregation in the Vatican has launched a devastating assault on the Tablet, the liberal Catholic magazine.
Fr Patrick Burke described the publication as “outrageously stupid and silly”.
Fr Burke was hand-picked by the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, in November 2003 to join the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) as a doctrinal official.
As editor of Faith, a conservative Catholic bi-monthly journal, Fr Burke issued a furious attack on Catherine Pepinster, the editor of the Tablet, for her publication’s commemorative issue on John Paul II — which contained a number of criticisms of the late Pope and listed suggestions for changes in the Church.
In its editorial the magazine described John Paul’s “negative response to liberation theology, above all his failure to help Archbishop Oscar Romero before he was assassinated” as “one of the calamities of his papacy”.
Some Catholics felt that, in effect, the Tablet was implying that Pope John Paul shared some responsibility for the archbishop’s murder. They were further angered by its opposition to moves to speed up John Paul’s canonisation process.
“I did not want to fight the Tablet, but I feel there comes a stage when something is so outrageous that there has to be a response,” Fr Burke told The Catholic Herald this week.
He said that if the Tablet was not prepared to stand up for the Catholic Church then it should not publicise its support from the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
“You can’t have your cake and eat it,” he explained. “If you want the endorsement of the hierarchy, then it seems to me that you should be completely loyal.
“The Tablet wants the hierarchy to say: ‘Yes you are all wonderful little Catholics’, but on the other hand it wants total freedom to whack everybody in sight and follow its own agenda, regardless of the agenda of the Church.” Some Catholic liberals may interpret Fr Burke’s remarks as evidence of Rome’s desire to “purge” dissidents. It emerged earlier this month that Fr Thomas Reese has been removed as editor of the Jesuit magazine America on the advice of the CDF.
However, as we report on our foreign pages this week, the new prefect of the CDF, Archbishop William Levada, is regarded as a moderate figure with no close associations with the Church’s conservative wing.
In his editorial Fr Burke accused “Catherine Pepinster and co.” of “hypocrisy” and berated them for their sniping against John Paul II’s pontificate.
“One almost has a sense that they interpret a papal election to be the same as a party political election: a new Pope will reverse and change the previous Pope’s “policies” (ie, the teachings of the Church) in much the same way that a new Prime Minister does with his predecessor’s policies. ” he wrote.
In response Ms Pepinster argued that the Faith editorial was misguided. “Fr Burke is, of course, entitled to his view, but it seems a shame that he bases it on very selective quotations from the Tablet,” she said.
“He also omits to mention other contributors to the Tablet’s papal obituary edition, including George Weigel [a respected American theologian who has defended Catholic orthodoxy], whose views I imagine he would prefer to others he mentioned in his commentary.
“Others do not share Fr Burke’s opinion of the Tablet. Many readers, including those who read the Tablet for the first time when they bought the papal obituary edition, commented on its balance and how measured they found the leader on John Paul II. Indeed, so popular was the edition that it enjoyed record sales.” Fr Burke declined to say whether, in his new role, he would bring his opinions to the attention of the CDF, commenting that he did not know what his post would entail. “I really don’t know what they want me to do,” he said.
Fr Burke, who for six years has edited Faith, is a popular priest and distinguished academic.
He has gained a reputation for publicly savaging liberal figures. “If Cardinal Ratzinger was ‘God’s Rottweiler’ then Fr Burke will be his bloodhound,” said one Vatican source. “He is not a reticent man. What he lacks in charm he makes up for in clarity of thought.” On BBC2’s Newsnight the evening that Pope Benedict was elected, Fr Burke became caught up in a bitter argument about orthodoxy with Cristina Odone, the Catholic journalist and broadcaster.
Fr Burke told parishioners last weekend that he was leaving for Rome in September. He will also step down as editor of Faith. As an official for the CDF, he is expected to become one of the most influential British men in the Catholic Church. There are only 36 full-time officials in the Congregation.
Yet for personal reasons Fr Burke would have preferred to stay in Scotland. He said: “I don’t want to go to Rome. It’s very difficult for me. I am very happy here. But it’s an obedience thing, it is a legitimate request from a legitimate authority.” Fr Burke was born in Rhodesia, but went to school in England and has for a long time worked in Stirling, Scotland. He runs two parishes, and is chaplain to the University of Stirling. He also has close ties with the Catholic Society of St Andrews’ University.
Pope Benedict knows Fr Burke personally. The two men often met while Fr Burke was studying at the German College in Rome, where Cardinal Ratzinger was often a guest.
They share an interest in the liberal German theologian Fr Karl Rahner. Fr Burke’s doctorate, “Re-interpreting Rahner”, a critical overview of the theologian’s influential work, was well received in the Vatican.
“We can assume that Ratzinger has an eye for talent and his memory hasn’t failed him in picking out this unusually gifted young theologian,” said a priest close to the Vatican, who did not wish to be named.
The Tablet has already had brushes with the CDF, and Cardinal Ratzinger, its former prefect, in particular.
John Wilkins, the former editor, said he received two “yellow cards” from the man who would eventually succeed Pope John Paul II.
In October 1991 Cardinal Ratzinger wrote a long letter to the journal criticising two articles on remarriage after divorce. “He thought [the pieces] diluted the edge of the Catholic witness to the Gospel,” said Mr Wilkins.
“I published the letter, of course, in full. My critics said that that week the Tablet was really worth reading.” In March 1999, Cardinal Ratzinger wrote another letter to Mr Wilkins, objecting to an article from Cardinal Franz König, in which the late Archbishop of Vienna had argued in support of liberal views on religious pluralism.
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Blue Ridge Region
Burdette “Berdie” H. Martin Jr.: 1929-2020
Andrea Wolfe
Sports Car Club of America has learned that Burdette “Berdie” H. Martin Jr., who was inducted into SCCA’s Hall of Fame in 2010, passed away Saturday, December 5. A member of the Road Racing Drivers Club, Berdie began hot rod racing in 1946 and went on to compete in dirt oval midget and hydroplane races. He became a member of SCCA’s Chicago Region in 1950, then entered his first SCCA regional race in 1954 driving a MGTC at Wilmot after serving with the U.S. Marine Corps in Korea.
Berdie competed in road racing for nine years, including the first race at Road America in 1955 and the first Chicago Region June Sprints in 1956. His last road race was the Sept 9, 1962 RA 500 in a Lola MK1 at Road America. But he then grew active as an official with SCCA and, in 1965, became the organization’s Chief Steward. Later, he was elected head of Chicago Region and earned SCCA’s highest honor, the Woolf Barnato Award, presented to a member who has made an outstanding long-term contribution to the Club.
In the early 1970s, Berdie served as Chief Steward for Trans Am, Can-Am, Super Vee and North American F1 races. By 1974, he was assistant director of SCCA Road Racing, and later headed that department. Berdie served SCCA as Director of Pro Racing during a period of great expansion, and managed to remain highly active in amateur hockey circles.
Berdie became a board member of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS) during the ‘70s, which governs U.S. racing as part of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). By 1983, Berdie had been appointed head of ACCUS and later served as Vice President of the FIA. He chaired several FIA Commissions and was a regular steward at F1, sportscar and rally events. Berdie retired in 2004 from his position with ACCUS and returned to his motorsports roots in the Chicago area.
Berdie once recalled his first motorsports memory developing in the late 1930s during a visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Indy 500 practice with his father. Nobody could have predicted that little boy would become a giant in the industry and a mentor to generations of race stewards. He will be missed, but his impact never forgotten.
Hoosier Super Tour Sebring: Saturday Report
The Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour’s first races of the season ran on Saturday at Sebring International Raceway. A President’s Choice We Can All Agree On: Though it was announced in December, Preston Pardus was...Read more
© 2021 Blue Ridge Region
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Clive Sinclair on the takeover of Sinclair by Amstrad (1986)
Interview with Clive Sinclair, owner of Sinclair, about the takeover of his company’s computing arm by Amstrad. Male interviewer not identified.
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TURF: Concert Review!
Kurt Vile and the Violators // Yo La Tengo // Whitehorse // The Cat Empire // Xavier Rudd // Neko Case // Belle & Sebastian
The line-up at the first (and hopefully not the last) Toronto Urban Roots Festival, was wide-ranging and incredibly satisfying. The final day, which landed on Sunday, July 7, consisted of such great musical talents as Yo La Tengo, Neko Case, and Belle and Sebastian. With non-stop music stretching from 12 pm to 10 pm, it’s remarkable that the crowd stayed as upbeat as it did, yet even in unpredictable weather, Toronto came out to show it’s devotion to international (and national) music, both new and old.
Kurt Vile and the Violators — 2pm
Starting in the afternoon, with threatening skies overhead, Kurt Vile and the Violators took the east stage and rocked the large crowd. The indie rock, loud and imposing near the speakers, sent Vile fans into a frenzy. Halfway through the set, the sky opened up and poured, but Vile fans met the sudden downpour with cheers (only the VIP fled to their tent). The water messed with Vile’s electronics and the band had to stop midway through and Vile resorted to his acoustic, playing Peeping Tomboy until the electronics were sorted out and the band could go back to the exciting momentum they had been building. Luckily, the fans getting drenched were rewarded with the sun and with Jesse Trbovich’s saxophone solo. Vile’s unique, indie underground sound brings to mind 70s New York in more than just his appearance, and with their old-school style bring their music to newer audiences, Vile is guaranteed to pleased listeners for years to come.
Yo La Tengo — 3pm
On the west stage, Yo La Tengo emerged to a wet and dripping audience, and within moments Ira Kaplan himself dripped (in sweat). The band declared that with the backdrop of green trees reminding them of their newest LP, Fade, they were going to “take you into our living room,” starting their set with a series of quieter songs, which YLT is noted for; a rest for our ears after Kurt Vile’s CBGB-esque 70s rock. Kaplan launched into “I’ll Be Around,” and as the living room music morphed into the band’s typical alternative rock style, the audience started to catch the vibe. As Kaplan moved on to “The Point of It,” a foot-tapping relationship ballad strung along with his gentle guitar the good-natured audience swayed. Later, the band played “Autumn Sweater,” from their album I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One, one of several catchy, pop-y songs that interspersed the performance. Yo La Tengo’s folky guitar was definitely a crowd-pleaser.
Whitehorse — 4pm
The band from Hamilton has moved to Toronto! With a cheery hello, Whitehorse entered the stage at 4 and played a jaunty, folk/rock instrumental song that consisted of telephone’s enlisted to create echoing, haunting melodies, allowing the duo to carry on lyrically while their own voices still sounded in the background. The band played “Killing Time is Murder” from their self-titled album, and had a thrilling drum-off against each other before moving into their song “No Glamour in the Hammer,” a love song for the gritty, western Ontario town of Hamilton. Regardless of the town they call home, the crowd didn’t hold it against Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland, enjoying their combination of indie/folk/blues/alternative/country (there’s no one genre to slot these guys into!) even amid the second downpour of the day.
The Cat Empire — 5pm
A brass and ensemble band always leads to a jazzy and upbeat indie/alternative feel, and Australian band The Cat Empire knows it. Felix Riebl, lead singer and percussionist, has quite the set of lungs, and played his bongos with incredibly fervor and rhythm, resulting in the excellent, crowd-moving, ska that the band is known for. Despite the third downpour of the day, erupting over TURF as Riebl sang the lyrics “as the rain fell again,” the crowd couldn’t be dampened, and the latin jazz feel of the band moved people to dancing. Bare foot. In the mud. Harry James Angus, trumpet player and vocalist, encouraged the crowd, which consisted mainly of bobbing umbrellas, with his impressive scat singing and his exuberant trumpet. The Cat Empire is always the perfect remedy for a rainy day.
Xavier Rudd — 6pm
Didgeridoos and drums abound. Xavier Rudd is perhaps one of the most accomplished musicians around, if only for the impressive array of instruments he can play. Adding a touch of environmentalism to TURF (somewhat suitable and somewhat ironic) Rudd’s music added a bluesy vein to the festival. His surfer-esque appearance seemed to contradict his meaningful lyrics, but the spirit was overwhelmingly atmospheric and trance-like, with heartbeat-like percussion and soaring vocals. The didgeridoo itself was beyond impressive. The very mellow, melodic music also appeared almost as a soundtrack to a film, and brought to mind a certain level of nostalgia and sentimentality, suitable due to the environmental and ecological lyrics. With quite a loyal fan-base in Canada, the crowd trudged across the now swampy grounds to reach the east stage and sway barefoot in the mud.
Neko Case — 7:10pm
Case is personable with the audience, greeting the rain-soaked Torontonians with “can you handle all this love?” and opening her set with “That Teenage Feeling,” a melodious and melancholic song about love. The band played several of their new songs, and even in the fourth downpour of the day, Neko remained upbeat, infact, Case rocked the rain, adding it and incorporating it into the atmosphere on her set as if the concert was intended to come with the rain all along. The rain drops were lit by the stagelights and the audience forgot they were standing in a rainstorm. Instead of Yo La Tengo’s living room, we were now in a warm and cozy cabin with Neko Case. The harmony between Case and was perfect, fitting together like two pieces of a puzzle. Neko Case remains one of the few people who sound just as good live as she does in her studio recordings, every note hit perfectly, every guitar strum exactly on beat, culminating in a beautiful tour de force that could never perform as wonderfully if it were, heaven forbid, separated. Close to the end of the set, Hogan played a tiny tambourine while Case entered into a guitar solo that took the crowd above the rainy skies. The love Case has for Canada, due to her long history with the country, was evident in every song; her music was a love song for the country, and a gift to every Torontonian standing in the rain. She praised her beloved fans for sticking it out, and, with regret and sadness, left the stage.
Belle & Sebastian — 8:30pm
Closing down the festival was the much-loved band from Scotland, and they opened their set like a full-on concert, the instrumental start, and Stuart Murdoch’s onstage dance moves, getting the crowd going. Belle & Sebastian are known for their quirky, narrative songs that mix emotions and ideas. Similar to the Shins in their ability to tell a complete and fleshed-out story in a span of a few minutes, Belle & Sebastian wasn’t just about the music, but the performance itself. Stuart praised the crowd for sticking it out in the mud, then started singing Song for Sunshine, ironically, as the sky opened for yet another bout of rain, followed by The Stars of Track and Field, which was soft and melodic in the growing night. The crowd started singing along, and the magnetic band had grabbed hold of us all. A trumpet floated up from the brass section of the band and brought soul to the dusky night. The full ensemble band fleshed out the music in a very rounded way. Later, Stuart called a woman onstage, who helped him sing the song Dirty Dream #2; Stuart interacting with the crowd during the spaces between songs. It began to seem like each song was paired with an act which engaged the audience, as Stuart stood on the divider between the crowd and the VIP section to belt out another song, then calling another girl on stage for a game of Scrabble, then ending the night with a dance party of concert-goers on stage, commenting “it’s a bathnight!” at the sight of one girl’s bare, muddied feet. Belle & Sebastian were all about the people during TURF, with their soft tones and melodic music inspiring an interconnectedness amongst the wet and muddy beautiful people. There was a feeling of camaraderie and contentedness, even as the band left the stage after their encore; even the security guards around the exits were cheery, and the people sliding in the mud were supporting each other. Such, I suppose, is the power of Belle & Sebastian.
Emily Fox
Gimme Your Answers: An Interview w/ Terror Bird
Song of the Day: “Half Moon Lake”
One thought on “TURF: Concert Review!”
Empire Turf says:
I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article, and i am hoping the same work from you in the future as well. Thanks for sharing us this article!
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Posted on January 18, 2021
Ugandan authorities should immediately cease all efforts to disrupt internet access in the country and allow the press to cover the country’s elections freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said . Yesterday, the Uganda Communications Commission, the country’s broadcasting and telecommunication regulator, ordered telecommunications providers to suspend internet services in the country until further notice, according to a statement posted on Facebook by one of the providers, Africell, a separate statement by another company, MTN Uganda, which CPJ reviewed, and a copy of a letter from the commission to Simbanet, which was posted on social media…Read more
Indian authorities seal Kashmir Times office in Srinagar
The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the ongoing harassment of the Kashmir Times and its editor, Anuradha Bhasin, by the Jammu and Kashmir administration and called on authorities to immediately reopen and allow staff to work from its Srinagar office. On October 19, officials from the Estates Department of the region’s administration forced out employees and sealed the Srinagar office of the independent, English-language daily Kashmir Times without advance notice or legal documentation, according to multiple news reports and Bhasin, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview. Bhasin said the newspaper has faced various retaliatory actions from authorities, including…Read more
Tanzania bans Kwanza Online TV for 11 months citing ‘misleading’ Instagram post on COVID-19
Posted on July 13, 2020
Tanzanian flag with fabric structure Tanzania’s broadcasting regulator should immediately lift its suspension of Kwanza Online TV and stop weaponizing regulations against critical media outlets, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On July 2, the Contents Committee of the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, a department within the country’s broadcast regulator, sent a letter to Kwanza Online TV, a privately owned local broadcaster, requesting its management to appear before the regulator and provide a written submission the following day, according to a copy of the summons seen by CPJ. In that summons, the…Read more
Pakistan media regulator suspends 24NewsHD broadcaster indefinitely
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority should immediately lift the suspension of independent news channel 24NewsHD, and allow it to broadcast freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On July 3, the regulator ordered the station off the air indefinitely for the alleged “illegal transmission of news and current affairs content” in violation of its broadcast license, according to a statement by the regulator on social media, as well as news reports and a report by 24NewsHD. The statement alleged that the outlet was only credentialed to air entertainment programming, not news. The Association of Electronic Media…Read more
Zambia cancels broadcaster Prime TV’s license, police shutter office
Posted on April 20, 2020
Zambian authorities should restore Prime TVs broadcast license and cease harassing the outlet, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On April 9, the Independent Broadcasting Authority, Zambia’s broadcasting regulator, cancelled Prime TV’s license “in the interest of public safety, security, peace, welfare or good order,” according to a statement from the regulator, which CPJ reviewed. The statement said that Prime TV must surrender its license and cease broadcasting immediately. It did not specify any broadcasts or actions by the station’s employees that prompted the decision. On the same day, police arrived at…Read more
Indian Supreme Court denies government request for prior censorship of COVID-19 news
The Indian government, on 31 March, approached the Supreme Court seeking a directive to news outlets to refrain from publishing any COVID-19-related news without clearance from the government, according to an affidavit filed by the government in the court and a report by the legal news website Live Law. The Supreme Court denied the request, according to the judgment reviewed by CPJ. The government had justified the request for the blanket order by claiming that “fake or inaccurate” reporting could cause panic in the country and had proposed setting up a “separate mechanism” for clearance of any coverage…Read more
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns BBC Africa’s decision to fire a journalist over an interview about the Rwandan genocide that supposedly annoyed the Rwandan government. The dismissal was “disproportionate” and will help to intimidate journalists who tackle this controversial subject, including those outside Rwanda, RSF said. Jacques Matand Diyambi, a Congolese journalist working at BBC Africa in Dakar, Senegal, was fired for “serious misconduct” as a result of his interview last November with Charles Onana, the Franco-Cameroonian author of a new book about the 1994 Rwandan genocide entitled “Rwanda, the Truth about Operation Turquoise.” The…Read more
Pakistan government secretly passes strict social media regulations
The Pakistan government should immediately roll back a set of social media regulatory measures that were passed in secret, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 28, the federal cabinet approved the “Citizens Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules, 2020,” a set of regulations on social media content, without public consultation; the measures were enacted in secret and were reported yesterday by The News International, an English-language daily. A copy of the regulations, which was leaked online, shows that the rules empower the government to fine or ban social media platforms over their users’…Read more
Three journalist arrested, two radio stations closed in Gambia
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is extremely concerned about Sunday’s serious press freedom violations in Gambia, where three journalists were arrested and others were attacked during a banned protest in the capital, and the authorities closed two radio stations. The protesters were calling for President Adama Barrow to resign on completing the first three years of his five-year term, as he had promised to do when he took office The detained journalists are Giby Jallow, the manager of King FM, a member of his staff, and Pa Modou Bojang, the manager of Home Digital FM. The authorities closed their radio…Read more
TV news channels blocked in Pakistan after airing opposition speeches
Pakistan authorities should immediately unblock broadcasts of privately owned news channels Capital TV, 24 News HD, and Abtak News 247, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, Capital TV posted a notice on Twitter stating that the three channels' transmissions had been blocked by the country's broadcast regulator, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority. Later that day, the Pakistan Broadcasters Association, a private industry association, issued a statement saying that the channels had been taken off air by the regulator without being given a reason or a hearing. The move came after the channels aired speeches…Read more
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No Strings Attached topped The Green Hornet this weekend to take first place in a fairly close race between the two.
First Place Debut for ‘No Strings Attached’
on January 24, 2011 by Daniel Garris
As was widely expected Paramount's No Strings Attached claimed first place this weekend. The R-rated romantic comedy starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher debuted with $19.65 million. Due to yesterday's NCF and AFC Championship games, Sunday grosses ended up being softer than estimated by the studios nearly across the board.
No Strings Attached was off to a very solid start this weekend, especially when considering the film's $25 million production budget. No Strings Attached opened 3 percent softer than the $20.17 million start of 2008's What Happens in Vegas... While No Strings Attached will have a tough time matching the holding power of What Happens in Vegas..., it could very well hold up well in its own right as it faces no new direct competition until February 11 when Sony's Just Go with It enters the marketplace.
Sony's The Green Hornet slid one spot from its first place debut last weekend to finish in a close second. The big-budget 3D film grossed $17.68 million, which was down a reasonable 47 percent from last weekend's three-day frame. The Green Hornet experienced a healthy 72 percent daily increase on Saturday, a sure sign that the film is making an impact with family audiences. The Green Hornet has grossed $63.02 million through ten days of release. That places the film 3 percent behind the pace of 2009's Paul Blart: Mall Cop (which fell 32 percent in its second weekend) and 4 percent ahead of the pace of last year's The Book of Eli (which fell 52 percent in its second weekend).
The Dilemma experienced a similar decline from last weekend, as it was down one spot and down 49 percent to take third with $9.11 million. After a lackluster start last week, Universal's comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James was able to avoid a freefall in its second weekend of release. The film's PG-13 rating likely helped soften the hit it took from No Strings Attached this weekend. With that said, the ten-day start for The Dilemma stands at a disappointing $32.75 million. At its current pace The Dilemma is headed for a final domestic gross in the neighborhood of $50 million.
This weekend's most impressive performance was once again perhaps that of The King's Speech. The Oscar hopeful for Best Picture from The Weinstein Company took fourth place with $7.85 million. The film was down a very slim 14 percent from last weekend. With Oscar nominations being announced on Tuesday, the film should hold up very well once again this coming week. The King's Speech has exceeded expectations with $57.31 million to date and will soon top the $60 milion mark.
Fellow Oscar hopefuls continued to hold up nicely as well. Paramount's True Grit fell 33 percent from last weekend to round out the weekend's top five with $7.33 million. Fox Searchlight's Black Swan fell 30 percent to finish in sixth with $5.87 million and Paramount's The Fighter slid just 18 percent to take eighth with $4.16 million. Respective domestic totals stand at $137.96 million for True Grit, $83.25 million for Black Swan and at $72.68 million for The Fighter. All three films will hope to benefit this week from potential Best Picture nominations.
In its first weekend of major international release Black Swan grossed $10.9 million from nine foreign markets this weekend. Key grosses included $4.2 million in The United Kingdom, $3.0 million in Germany and $2.6 million in Australia.
Back on the domestic front, it was a tough start for The Way Back in limited release. The Peter Weir directed film from Newmarket grossed just $1.21 million from 678 locations. That gave the film a per-location average of $1,782. The Weinstein Company's The Company Men was off to a much better per-location average of $6,111. The drama starring Ben Affleck opened with $647,797 while playing in 106 locations this weekend.
Tags: The Company Men, The Way Back, The Fighter, Black Swan, True Grit, The King's Speech, The Dilemma, The Green Hornet, No Strings Attached
read all Daily analyses »
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Sir John Soane's Museum
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Soane office, (48-50) Designs for centering to support arches during Bridge construction, Elevations
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Dave Meehan
Travelling Through Life
4th June, 2011 24th June, 2011 Dave
Eurovelo 6 – Day 4 – St. Nazaire to Nantes
Eurovelo 6
Click Here for the Full Interactive Map
Today is in three parts, only two of which were optional, the third created by the mischeavous technology. The first map and pictures was the post-breakfast walking tour. Right next to our hotel was the most impressive concrete construction – something that Blowfeld from James Bond would have been most envious of. The receptionist had described it as ‘The Bunker’, but we’d been curious to know more. It turned out to be a WWII German U-Boat dock, where they were serviced and re-armed before setting out into the Atlantic to knock seven bells out of the Allied convoys and Navy.
It’s a truly impressive feat of engineering, but probably wouldn’t win many prizes for it’s looks. It’s made from nearly 500,000 cubic metres of reinforced concrete, and took just under two years to complete, between 1941 and 1943. Only about 2 months later, the Allied forces sent 85 bombers to try and disable it, but managed to level the entire town leaving the bunker mostly untouched. St. Nazaire was the last town in France and occupied Europe to be liberated, when the Germans who were holding out there surrendered on the last day of the war. The Allies had done enough to disable it’s purpose by then, so just went around it.
Its now used as an entertainment venue, with gigs, bars and cafe’s etc, and a plan to turn the roof into a series of gardens. The roof is 30 feet thick of solid concrete. I think they might need some top soil!
So, after a fascinating stroll around the concrete lump, we did a little supermarket sweep, and set off at nearly noon. Getting beyond Nantes was the objective, as Jones was convinced that it was a concrete hell whole, but only admitted later to only having been to the airport.
Our first task however was to get out of St. Nazaire which required us to cross the infamous road bridge, something similar to the Severn Crossing between England and Wales. In all the accounts of the Eurovelo 6 route, it had been resoundingly reported as being a bit of a cyclists nightmare, but in fact it turned out to be a doddle. Ok, it’s quite a climb, but to us hardened Exmoor cyclists it’s just a gentle slope, and there is a safety margin which in effect doubles as a cycle lane, so the traffic doesn’t have to cross lanes to pass you. This morning the traffic was moving over the bridge at more or less cycle pace anyway, so really didn’t present a problem. Perhaps don’t try it if it’s pissing with rain, blowing a gale, and the lorries are travelling at 60mph. Also, don’t think that it’s worth cycling down the north shore, as it’s horribly industrial. I think there may be a ferry near to the bridge, but don’t rely on it, as I don’t think I saw any evidence of such.
Once the bridge was crossed, we did a quick right turn to the old fort and found the official starting point of the route, and a modern sign board showing the route name and various important European bodies responsible for it’s creation. There was no one else about, so we attempted some self-portraits to record the start of the route proper. We’ll need to think of something appropriate when we get to Basel, as there will not be a similar marker as it’s not the end of the EV6 route. Another 1800 miles would be needed to find that gem. I’m sure a bar and cold beer will do as a replacement landmark.
Ignore the ridiculously erratic GPS plots on the above map, I’m sure you’ll get the gist of the route. Either metal bridges play havoc with the GPS signal, or the French have some way of skewing GPS to protect their assets from guided missiles. Or Everytrail is a piece of shite and gets it’s knickers in a twist, which I’m beginning to think is a more likely occurrence.
Anyway, once I had wrangled the technology into working, and we’d taken the 5 mile inland detour to avoid the euphemistically labelled ‘low quality’ route along the river bank, we were following a canal that ran parallel to the river for another 5 miles or so. A pretty start, but I had to keep reminding myself that this was only a canal, and not the river proper.
This part of the route is not particularly remarkable, passing through relatively quiet country lanes alongside the canals and the river, and some non-descript towns that were not in the least bit chic.
It was quite enough that when we heard a twang, we thought the nano people had cone out to play, but on further consideration realised the Jobes had broken a spoke on the rear. Possibly a result of over tightening them on the first day, as we were rolling on a perfectly flat road at the time. Fortunately he had spares, and even more fortunately it was not on the same side as the cassette as without the proper tool, no chance of replacing it. Still took best part of 30 minutes to sort out, but a useful bit of sunbathing time for me.
I had my own little dilemma today also, as we took a dubious looking part of the route through some scrub, then found a steep bank which I tried to climb quickly in bottom gear. The extra pressure on the pedals was enough to push the rear wheel out of line and into the frame, so I came to a grinding halt just at the top. Bags off, bike turned over, pop the wheel and reseat it, job done. We were then at the end of what looked like a travellers camp, lots of caravans and kids running about. As we cycled through, I realised that there was a mixture of nationalities, from Turks to Indians. Exclusively brown skinned though, and these were not travellers but obviously poor people for whom these broken and dilapidated caravans was their only home. The women all sat outside their vans, washing and talking, the kids ran about smiling and laughing, and the blokes all stood guard at the entrance to the camp engrossed in conversation. No-one paid us any notice other than the kids who were happy to say bonjour as we passed. All like something from another world.
We then came across the first of the river ferry crossings, timing our arrival perfectly to roll onto the ferry, which was free for cars, cycles and pedestrians. It was remarkable to note the speed at which the river was running upstream. It was like an express train, swirling around and carrying a huge amount of silt so that it looked like a hot chocolate drink with a whisk in it. A large container ship then trundled upstream, but I doubt it needed it’s engines on as it seemed to be moving at the same speed as the river. Either the river is tidal at this point, or since we’ve started this trip the earth’s polarity has flipped.
The run into Nantes was unremarkable, apart from the industrial, drab nature of the place, but once we got to the city centre things started to look up. We tried a couple of streets back from the riverbank and the first hotel we tried had what we needed at a reasonable price, so here it is we stay. The interior is very chic and boutiquey, but not too pricey. After a quick freshen up, we were out on the town. Being a Saturday night we thought it appropriate to start with a couple of drinks, before moving off to find something to eat. A good meal in a relatively simple restaurant with the obligatory slightly surly service, but we were both happy with what we had.
I do have a bone to pick with Everytrail though. This is the app on the iPhone that I use to record where we have been and capture the images seen on the map. All well and good, but it has a major flaw. If you download the maps and turn off data services, it crashes, freezes, and stops tracking at it’s own whim. As long as there is a data connection, regardless of the map type or if it’s been downloaded already, it works pretty flawlessly. The whole point of the map downloads is to allow you to still navigate when out of mobile service or if roaming charges would be prohibitive, so I don’t get why this aspect of Everytrail works so badly. I’d had experience of this during the South Downs walking weekend just after I’d got the phone, but couldn’t figure it out other than for being buggy software, but now I’ve had to deal with several days of it, it’s become apparent that the key to the errors is lack of data service. Fortunately my 25MB roaming data allowance per day is enough to cover the maps needed for reference throughout the day, as long as I only use it occasionally to double check the route.
Miles covered today: 45
Executive summary: Don’t get up to early, take a stroll and learn something new, and don’t try to do too many miles in a day.
Tagged Cycling, Eurovelo, Eurovelo 6, EV6, Everytrail, France
Eurovelo 6 – Day 3 – Locminé to St. Nazaire
Eurovelo 6 – Day 5 – Nantes to Angers
Eurovelo 6 – Roscoff to St. Nazaire to Basel – I Miss You Already
Eurovelo 6 – Day 19 – The Journey Home
Eurovelo 6 – Day 18 – Montbéliard to Basel (and back to Mulhouse)
My name is Dave Meehan. I lived in a motorhome for 6 years, details of the adventures had are here, along with musings on technology and life in general. Where will the next adventure be?
or call my mobile, 07769 320666 if you want a chat!
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VOM-00
On World Ratings, the Future, Social Justice
Posted on November 4, 2000 3:50 pm By Del Meyer in VOM-00
WHO, CMA, Los Angeles County Medical Association and Sonoma County Medical Society. The World Health Organization has listed the best healthcare systems in the world. The USA ranks 37th out of 191 and France heads the list. I recall the time I was leaving Paris and a gentlemen with a bandaged eye lay on a […]
On Charles Schulz, Hattie, Lully, Mozart, et al
Posted on July 4, 2000 3:48 pm By Del Meyer in VOM-00
Reports from the Society of Anesthesiologists, and Humboldt-Del Norte, Alameda, San Joaquin, Kern, and San Joaquin Counties. Stephen H Jackson, MD, editor of the California Society of Anesthesiologists Bulletin, commented on the passing of Charles Schulz. His kind-hearted stories and human commentaries ran in 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries, making him the most widely read […]
Suisun, Fresno-Madera & the AMA
Posted on May 4, 2000 3:47 pm By Del Meyer in VOM-00
While filing my 1996 NEJM, I noticed an interesting letter to the editor: “Compensation of Lawyers and Doctors.” Richard G Williams, MD, from Suisun, California, reflects on seeing two lawyers. The first was his own attorney who charges Dr. Williams $185 per hour.. The second attorney was a patient. whose health maintenance organization pays Dr […]
Warnings of the New Millennium
Posted on January 4, 2000 3:46 pm By Del Meyer in VOM-00
Macon, GA; Jamestown, NY; San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Orange California In a recent issue of the Medical Sentinel devoted to Futility of Care and Duty to Die, Miguel Faria, Jr, MD, cautions us with a history lesson from Germany. Although Hitler issued his first order for euthanasia in Germany on September 1, 1939, the […]
MODERN ESPIONAGE MAY NOT BE RECOGNIZABLE
Corono-Flu-Virus in Perspective
Corona-flu-virus in Perspective Covid-19, Sars-CoV-2, MERS, Ebola, Marburg Virus
CORONA VIRUS – INITIAL MISSTEPS
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Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction Films
The History of Cinefantastique Magazine
Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait – review
Remember when J-Horror and K-Horror were a thing, and Asian filmmakers could barely churn out titles fast enough for Hollywood to remake them? Well, here is a relatively late example of the form, an elegantly crafted Korean ghost story, Muoi: Legend of a Portrait (2007), which should please fans who cannot get enough of a good thing, even if this particular thing is not quite as good as the films that turned you into fans in the first place. The background landscape is new, but the familiar compositions and pictorial elements remain, enhanced with an interesting color palette, a fine sense of light and shadow, and some entertaining brush strokes; however, the portraiture is more technically proficient than inspired: unable to render its subject in compelling detail, the finished painting is a beautiful pastiche but no masterpiece – interesting enough to peruse in a gallery but not enough to purchase and admire for a lifetime.
This is the Night Gallery.
The story has Korean novelist Yun-hee (An Jo) desperately trying to come up with material for a new book before a publishing deadline runs out. Fortunately, Seo-yeon (Ye-ryeon Cha), an old friend who moved to Vietnam, has run across a fascinating legend about a haunted portrait; unfortunately, Yun-hee’s previous book used thinly disguised and possibly embarrassing material based on Seo-yeon’s life. Hoping that Seo-yeon never realized the connection, or perhaps never even read the book, Yun-hee heads to Vietnam and begins investing the legend of Muoi (Anh Thu), a woman who died after a horrible betrayal and whose vengeful spirit was contained in a painting . The writer begins having nightmares, fueled by a combination of her research and residual doubt about whether or not Seo-yeon is really unaware of having been exploited in Yun-hee previous book.
In the manner of good Korean horror films, Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait relies on subtle brushstrokes to gradually reveal hints and portents, until finally the accumulation of detail resolves into a clear picture of the horror lurking in shadows behind the foreground characters. The problem is that those characters are not worthy subjects: they are too shallow to be intriguing, and the attempt to creature mystique through Chiaroscuro lighting only reveals how obvious their “secrets” are.
Seo-Yeon (Ye-ryeon Cha)
Yun-hee’s dreams may indicate she is victim of a guilty conscience, but she actually seems completely remorseless; her concern is only about having her betrayal discovered, not about atoning for it. Seo-yeon, on the other hand, is so preternaturally congenial that viewers immediately suspect she is faking it; the visuals and the narrative identify her so closely with Muoi (both of whom suffered betrayal horrible enough to inspire revenge) that, if you’re wondering whether Seo-yeon’s attempt to help Yun-hee is really a cover for a hidden agenda, all signs point to an emphatic YES!
The problem is exacerbated by a narrative gambit that the screenplay fails to pull off. By structuring the story around the relationship between Yun-hee and Seo-yeon, Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait misfires, building to a confrontation so climactic that the story seems concluded – although, in fact, it is this sequence that finally unleashes the vengeful power of Muoi from the portrait. What should have been the climax – the film goes on to paint the screen red with blood in a satisfyingly horrific rampage of revenge – instead feels like an extended epilogue.
Yun-hee (An Jo)
This epilogue lasts just long enough to make one realize that it could have been the main body of the film: the script could have begun with the deaths and had Yun-hee tracking down the legend of Muoi’s portrait not simply to earn a paycheck but to put a stop to the murders. With the threat active throughout the proceedings, dread would have evolved naturally, instead of being artificially injected through Yun-hee’s dreams. As it stands now, the film is punctuated with the world’s least suspenseful countdown, with calendar dates periodically flashing on screen to let us know that the traditional date upon which Muoi takes revenge is approaching – even though the story has given us no reason to think Muoi is currently targeting anyone and, in fact, we are clearly told that her spirit is helplessly trapped in the portrait.
Without this kind of ongoing threat, Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait relies on a vague sense of anticipation (what – if anything – is Seo-yeon up to?) coupled with Yun-hee’s quest to discover the truth about Muoi. The later is a bit contrived and even clunky. At one point, Yun-hee randomly questions people on the street – a pointless endeavor, considering that she does not speak Vietnamese; however, the screenplay provides a lucky coincidence that rewards her efforts.
Flashback to betrayal
Fortunately, the actual revelations of the Muoi’s history is intriguing enough to sustain interest, and it climaxes with a truly heart-rending double betrayal, first in life and then in death: the first drives Muoi to suicide; the second traps her soul in the portrait before she can seek justice against those who wronged her. The film then tops this with a parallel betrayal in the more recent past, which is ghastly enough to prime viewers for the supernatural settling of scores that eventually transpires. You will guess where the film is heading long before it gets there (once you learn that Muoi has a reputation for rendering vengeance on behalf of those willing to pay her price, the big plot revelation is relatively obvious), but you will be glad to follow along anyway.
Like a lesser work in an established artistic movement, Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait is more interesting when considered within the context of its predecessors (e.g., as in 1998’s Ring, we have a female writer tracking down the legend of a ghost that strikes with clockwork regularity). Enhanced with lovely location work in Vietnam (apparently a first for this kind of film), Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait attempts to create an interesting variation on established conventions; even though it fails to equal the masterworks it emulates, it does understand and exploit the power of the familiar stylistic devices, rendering a new work that reminds us of why we enjoy the genre. Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait will not win many converts to the movement, but the already initiated may find it worthy of a brief perusal.
Movies, Reviews
Asian horror, horror, K-Horror, MUOI, MUOI: THE LEGEND OF A PORTRAIT
Steve Biodrowski No Comments
The Lady Vampire review
This movie has everything – well, almost everything. It has a dwarf; a mute bald-headed assistant; an old lady who shows up at the beginning of the story, looking young; another old lady who shows up at the end of the story looking old; a bunch of other ladies immobilized like mannequins on display; and an artistic Japanese vampire who dresses like a European count and turns savage by the light of the full moon. About the only thing the film lacks a Lady Vampire, but you can’t have everything.
The Lady Vampire (original title: Onna Kyuketsukiaka) is one of many horror films directed by the prolific Nobuo Nakagawa during a fertile period that lasted from the late 1950s through the early 1970s. Unfortunately, The Lady Vampire serves to prove that even the talented Nakagawa could not hit a home run every time; at least he doesn’t totally strike out. Though the story is a jumble of mis-matched elements, the film is enjoyable in bits and pieces, thanks to the familiar stylistic tricks and narrative devices.
Things get off to an intriguing start when a taxi carrying reporter Tamio (Keinsosuke Wada) seems to run over a mysterious figure that appears out of nowhere – only to find no body lying on the road. The non-collision slows Tamio down so that he arrives late for the birthday celebration of his girlfriend Itsuko (Junko Ikeuchi), who cuts herself instead of her cake. Though the wound is slight, it seems like an ill omen to her father Shigekatso (Torahiko Nakamura), who recalls the time his wife mysteriously disappeared twenty years ago. The recollection seems slightly prophetic when, coincidentally, the mysterious figure from the road shows up and turns out to be Miwako (Yoko Mihara), Shigekatso’s wife and Itsuko’s mother – and she has not aged a day since her disappearance.
While Miwako recuperates, too incoherent to explain her decades-long absence, Tamio and Itsuko go to a museum, where they see a semi-nude painting the strongly resembles Miwako. Though they do not notice, an elegantly dressed stranger (Shigeru Amachi) overhears their conversation. Later, the stranger orders his dwarf assistant to steal the painting and deliver it to Miwako. The painting jars her memory: on vacation long ago, she fell under the spell of an artist, who turned out to be a vampire. Flashing further back, we see that the artist was a samurai who became undead hundreds of years ago, after he drank the life’ blood of his beloved, a member of the Amakusa clan, a sect of Japanese Christians, rather than let her fall into the hands of the Shogun’s conquering army. The vampire, who preserves his immortality by drinking the blood of Amakusa’s descendants, promised her immortality. Eventually, she escaped, and now the vampire (who currently signs his paintings Shiro Sufue, though he otherwise goes by the name Nobutaka Takenaka) wants to find her again.
Meanwhile, we see that Shiro/Nobutaka, despite his well-coiffed appearance and fancy apparel (including the no-vampire-would-be-caught-undead-without-it cloak), has a werewolf-like reaction to moonlight, which turns him into a bestial blood-drinker who attacks women like a violent thug. Despite living in an apartment right next to a recent victim, he manages to avoid the slow-moving police long enough to kidnap Miwako and take her back to his lair: an underground castle. The police follow, along with Tamio and Itsuko. Apparently tired of Miwako, Nobutaka kidnaps her daughter and offers the same immortality deal he previously offered her mother. Tamio and the police arrive; a wild melee ensues, full of sound and fury but signifying nothing, and eventually the young couple walk away to safety.
For most of its short running time, The Lady Vampire comes across like the Japanese equivalent of the Mexican horror films that would start appearing a few years later: it resembles an assembly of clichés from classic American horror movies, filtered through the cultural eye of some competent technicians intent on manufacturing a successful pastiche with a touch of local flavor. The black-and-white photography is nicely done; the mystery is intriguing; the whole thing seems like good fun, but…
After the initial setup, the story goes nowhere fast; the human characters wander around somewhat cluelessly, while the vampire puts his plan into effect. But even his plan is unnecessarily protracted: once he knows Miwako’s whereabouts, why not kidnap her immediately instead of going through the trouble of getting the painting to her – which turns to be simply a plot device to jog her memory, so that the film can fill in the back story via flashbacks? Consequently, The Lady Vampire ends up treading water during its middle section, while the audience waits for someone to do something, with only Nobutaka’s occasional vampire outbreaks to rev up the proceedings.
The Lady Vampire is further hampered by its confusing mix of elements, best exemplified by the title itself: Shiro/Nobutaka never turned Miwako into a Lady Vampire, leaving her continuing youthful appearance somewhat puzzling. The enigma is exacerbated by his mannequin-like collection of women, embalmed in eternally youthful perfection; these are women who previously rejected Shiro/Nobutaka’s overtures – a fate that may befall Miwako as well – but the process by which they are immobilized is never explained, and considering that we see only half a dozen, we have to wonder whether that meager blood supply was enough to sustain him for centuries. This image of embalmed former wives/lovers standing at attention seems borrowed from the 1934 Universal Pictures horror film The Black Cat, in which Boris Karloff’s character had a similar collection of ex-wives; elements like this suggest that the writers of The Lady Vampire were tossing in genre motifs at random, out of a misplaced sense of obligation – such as the lunar transformations, which haphazardly mixes vampire mythology with lycanthropy.
Eventually, the unanswered question mount too high. Why was the vampire hanging out in the museum at exact time that Tamio and Itsuko happened to see his painting – was he hoping that Miwako’s relatives would just happen to show up and reveal her location, or is he just an egotist with an eternity to admire his own work? Why does the moon send Shiro/Nobutaka on a rampage? What the hell is the crazy ritual Shiro/Nobutaka performed on Miwako, thumping her breast with the base of a large candelabra? Why does Shiro/Nobutaka, after going to such trouble to retrieve Miwako, suddenly give up on her and go after Itsuko instead? If Shiro/Nobutaka requires the blood of Amakusa descendants to survive, why do we only see him drink from random victims when he wolfs out during the full moon?
Even when the script attempts to answer questions, it proves mostly lip service. I am willing to accept that, having lived several hundred years, Shiro/Nobutaka could have picked up a dwarf assistant somewhere along the way; however, the film randomly introduces two other servants, a bald henchmen, who provides a little extra muscle, and a withered old crone, who looks as she wandered in from Black Cat Mansion (which Nakagawa made a year earlier) and whose sole function is to utter prophecy of doom to explain why things go so wrong for Shiro/Nobutaka. She claims that that Shiro/Nobutaka is somehow angering the God that protects the Amakusa family, which I guess explains why the moonlight at the end suddenly ages him instead of simply turning him into a monster. Though I enjoy the idea that the old crone sees the Christian God as just another polytheistic deity, I have to wonder why Yahweh took so long to put the hammer down on Shiro.
I also have to wonder whether we’re supposed to assume that Shiro/Nobutaka became a vampire specifically because he drank Christian blood from his lover all those centuries ago – and does that also explain why he appears mostly in the guise of a Western-style vampire instead of a more indigenous species? (I guess this is as good a place as any to point out that script pretty much makes up the vampire rules to suit itself: Shiro/Nobutaka walks in daylight, drinks wine, and casts a reflection; we never hear exactly what it takes to destroy a vampire, but in the end he is dispatched by rather prosaic means.)
In spite of all this, why does The Lady Vampire remain watchable? Two factors:
The story unfolds in a manner that pulls us into its mysteries (even if those mysteries remain frustratingly unfulfilled).
Nakagawa knows how to deliver the genre elements you want to see in a film titled The Lady Vampire.
Like 1958’s Black Cat Mansion (based on a source novel by Sotoo Tachibana), The Lady Vampire wraps its story in three layers: present day, flashback to living memory, and flashback to history. This provides a sense of peeling away layers of the mystery moving deeper into the past, before returning to present day to see how the echoes of history reverberate in modern times. Unfortunately, the technique works less well here: in Black Cat Mansion, the historical flashback was the emotional core of the story; in The Lady Vampire, the much shorter flashbacks serve more as exposition, which do little to engage is in the outcome of Nobutaka’s pursuit of Miwako.
Fortunately, we still have Nakagawa’s visual skills to pull us through. The oddball mix of Western and Japanese genre elements is visually enjoyable, with some interesting variations on the expected: for example, instead of a fly-eating Renfield, this elegantly cloaked vampire has an ugly, misshapen assistant – but a dwarf rather than the more traditional hunchback.
One of the eccentric joys of Nakagawa’s horror films is that, though the supernatural elements are rooted in tradition and history, these elements often manifest in a modern context, creating an interesting clash of sensibilities (often underlined by jazzy soundtrack music). Typically, The Lady Vampire begins with an opening credits sequence playing over the dashboard of a car, whose journey will soon be interrupted the unexpected reappearance of Miwako. From this opening scene of the ghost-like figure nearly run over, Nakagawa establishes a supernatural atmosphere the overlays the entire film; the buildup to the revelation of Miwakos’ return (including a service bell ringing in a room closed for decades, followed by a long walk, illuminated by fluttering candles, into the room) is a classic bit of anticipation. The sequence stands on its own as a mini-gem of low-key horror in the Japanese tradition, enhanced with striking images, such as blood from Itsuko’s cut finger dripping blood on her own birthday cake – an unsubtle omen that jabs the eye with its impact.
Equally effective is Shiro/Nobutaka’s first moonlit vampire transformation. In the manner of Horror of Dracula (1958), The Lady Vampire presents its immortal blood-drinker in two guises: refined and savage. The jarring transition afflicts not only the character but also the film itself, which goes from the more refined uneasiness of a traditional Japanese ghost story to outright brutality. Shiro/Nobutaka’s attack upon a maid plays like a vulgar rape scene, with an emphasis on the helplessness of the victim. After filming the facial change with a subtle lighting effect (a la the 1932 version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, which used tinted filters to gradually reveal makeup otherwise invisible on black-and-white film), director Nakagawa plays with our visual expectations, keeping the camera mostly focused on the floor, where we see feet and shadows, as if to keep the violence just out of frame – but then he breaks the expectation with a jagged insert shot of the vampire savagely goring the maid’s throat, before tossing her on the bed to finish her off.
Shiro/Nobutaka’s later outbreak in a nightclub is even more extreme: a ramped-up rampage with multiple victims, it plays like an action set-piece and like a precursor to the later body-count attacks of monsters like Jason Voorhees (though of course without the explicit gore). The craziness of the sequence, with spectators standing in slack-jawed stupefaction while the vampire runs around unimpeded, has a go-for-broke quality, with the last couple victims gratuitously thrown in just for good measure. Unfortunately, even here, the narrative is confusing: Shiro/Nobutaka is exposed to moonlight because his dwarf assistant hurls a bottle through a tinted window. Did the dwarf do this on purpose – and if so, why? – or did he just get carried away while blowing off a little steam?
Nakagawa and his cinematographer also do a fine job with the vampire’s lair, initially visualized in flashback as a black void, housing only necessary props: a painting on an easel, a couch where Miwako reclines naked (arm strategically placed, of course), a mirror behind which the vampire’s previous brides stand motionless. We get a better look during the third-act daylight scenes, when the underground castle appears like a bundle of expressionistic angles and shadows, and Nakagawa, ever the master of the tracking shot, uses the twisted corridors to make us feel as if we are entering a netherworld fantasy-land of the imagination.
Sadly, Nakagawa’s directorial skills desert him when the wild melee erupts in the castle. Tamio and Shiro/Nobutaka run around fighting, while Itsuko is pursued by the dwarf, while the police rush in to assist. Because the sets are limited, the characters retrace their steps several times, crossing paths while pretending not to be able to catch each other. The overall effect is a bit like watching a horse race in which all the jockeys have taken bribes and are trying to let the other horses outrun them.
The climax (after aging in the moonlight, Shiro/Nobutaka seemingly commits suicide by walking into a pool of water and drowning) is not only a rather unusual demise for an undead being; it is also anti-climactic and visually uninteresting. (The troweled-on age makeup and the ridiculous white fright wig hardly help.) As if to compensate, the old crone blows up the castle, providing a little pyrotechnic excitement.
Yoshimi Hirano’s photography and Haruyasu Kurosawa’s art direction provide ample atmosphere throughout, enhanced by Hisachi Iuchi’s music. Amachi cuts a dashing figure as the vampire, though he over-does the evil sneer a bit. The rest of the cast is adequate.
The Lady Vampire is historically significant not only as Japan’s first full-blown vampire film but also as an early example of a vampire in a modern setting; also, Shiro’s longing for his lost love prefigures the reincarnation plots of Dark Shadows and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, as well as the romanticized depiction of vampirism in many later films.
Aesthetically, The Lady Vampire does not rank among Nakagawa’s top-tier efforts (Jigoku, Ghost Story of Yotsuya), but it does contain individual sequences that rank among his best work. If you are a fan of old-fashioned black-and-white vampire movies, and you are seeking something beyond the acknowledged classics, you might want to tap this vein.
black-and-white, horror, J-Horror, Nobuo Nakagawa, Onna Kyuketsuki, THE LADY VAMPIRE, vampires
Mansion of the Ghost Cat review
An atmospheric and well-executed genre piece from Nobou Nakagawa, Japan’s equivalent to Terence Fisher.
If Japanese director Nobou Nakagawa is known at all in the U.S., it is because of Jigoku (1960), an art-house perennial and the recipient of a Criterion Collection release on DVD and streaming services. This might lead western audiences to view Nakagawa as a highbrow artiste, but in truth the director had a successful career in the 1950s and 1960s as a director of modestly budgeted horror films, appealing to general audiences by presenting familiar genre tropes with a sense of impeccable craftsmanship. The closest American equivalent from the era would be Roger Corman, but England’s Terence Fisher and Italy’s Mario Bava also come to mind: all three took material that could have been conventional in other hands and turned it into something remarkable.
A perfect example of this is Nakagawa’s atmospheric and intriguing entry in the Japanese Bakeneko or “Ghost Cat” genre, Borei Kaibyo Yashiki, known in the U.S. as Black Cat Mansion, though the title is sometimes translated as Mansion of the Ghost Cat (perhaps because, although a black cat is seen beneath the credits, the ghost cat itself is definitely not black). The story follows a Japanese couple who, for the benefit of the wife’s health, move from the city to the countryside, where they take up residence in an old mansion, which doubles as their home and as a clinic. Unfortunately, the mansion turns out to be haunted by a malevolent spirit, which seems to be targeting the wife.
Inquiries reveal that, hundreds of years ago, the mansion was the scene of a ghastly crime, when a brutal lord murdered a samurai and raped the samurai’s blind mother, who committed hara-kiri after charging her pet cat with seeking revenge (“Lap my blood, and imbibe my hatred!”). After the mother’s death, the cat transformed into a humanoid spirit, killing off all members of the household, including the servants. Back in the present day, we learn that the tormented wife is a descendant of one of those servants – in effect, an innocent victim of a vengeful “grudge” that is not very discriminate about its victims.
The narrative of Black Cat Mansion is wrapped in three layers, including two levels of flashback. We start in the present, with Dr. Kuzumi (Toshio Hosokawa) roving through the corridors of a city hospital late at night while a black cat meows outside, reminding him of the time he and his wife (Yuriko Ejima) moved to the haunted mansion. This takes us to the events concerning him and his wife, which in turn leads to the extended flashback regarding the history of the mansion. The movie then returns step by step to the present, first to the story of Kuzumi and his wife at the mansion, then to Kuzumi at the hospital.
The symmetrical structure neatly organizes a story that might otherwise have seemed stitched together to achieve feature length (though only barely, at 69 minutes). We get a sense of going deeper and deeper into the past, like peeling back a proverbial onion to reveal an elusive mystery. The back-the-the-present structure also provides a sense of finality to climax that is a bit vague in its details (we know what happened, though why is not precisely clear – at least not to Western viewers relying on subtitles).
Nakagawa presents the material with several stylistic flourishes that transform the genre material into a distinctive form of popular art. The wraparound segment begins with the camera drifting past an unexplained scene of a body being wheeled through a darkened hospital hallway like a ghostly funeral procession – which Dr. Kuzumi’s voice-over totally ignores, as if his thoughts are too preoccupied to bother noting the weird visual flashing before our eyes. Totally unrelated to the narrative, the scene serves only as visual warning sign, an omen of the supernatural horrors to come.
When Kuzumi and his wife arrive at the mansion, the scenery is straight out of the horror movie playbook, right down to the ominous raven perched atop a branch of one of the many wild plants apparently reclaiming the land from the disused property. Nakagawa films the scene in a simple, elegant long shot, slowly tracking to follow as the front gate is opened and the characters enter; the effect is to make the audience feel as if they, too, are crossing a borderland into a different world, a slightly dreamy landscape where anything can happen. The effect is punctuated when the extended take is broken by a single insert closeup, as the wife sees a mysterious woman within a side building – only to find that the ghostly figure is gone when Kuzumi comes to see.
As effective as these touches are, the present day footage is a bit methodical in its buildup, as the ghost’s presence becomes gradually more intrusive, entering the premises, killing the family dog (off-screen), and eventually attacking the wife. Black Cat Mansion truly comes to life when it enters its extended flashback: the uncanny creepiness of the present day scenes are replaced by a overtly horrific melodrama that is more full-blooded and colorful – quite literally so, as the present days scenes are shot in blue-tinted black-and-white, while the period footage is in color.
Nakagawa immediately captures a convincing sense of a household living in fear of its temperamental master. There is an awful sense of inevitability as the events build to the murder and rape, reaching an emotional crescendo as the blind mother begs the pet cat to be her avenger, then takes her own life, after which the cat dutifully licks up the dead woman’s blood. The revenge that ensues is bizarre to say the least, with the actual cat soon replaced by a human with cat-like features, who sows mayhem and discord, leading to the deaths of not only the guilty lord but of innocent victims as well.
The makeup of the Ghost Cat appears slightly absurd to modern eyes, but it works well enough in longshot and shadows; some of the best scenes feature the character silhouetted against translucent screens. The action uses some simple camera tricks to create bizarre imagery: jump-cuts and reverse motion imbue the vengeful cat with supernatural powers. The matter-of-fact impact of these simple effects adds a touch of low-key believability to the otherwise unbelievable scenes.
SPOILERS: With the back story filled in, the film returns to the events at the mansion, where the wife suffers a final attack before the hiding place of the murdered samurai’s body is revealed. Black Cat Mansion then returns to the opening scene at the hospital, where Kuzumi’s wife appears and asks to adopt the cat we heard meowing earlier. The return to normalcy offers a refreshing sigh of relief after what came before, but the wraparound feels a bit like the opening and closing footage of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), which used a similar structure to stitch a happy ending onto what had been intended as a pessimistic story. How did Mrs. Kuzumi survive the final attack, which apparently left her dead? Was the ghost cat exorcised by the revelation of the hidden body? Apparently so, but the film is not saying for sure. Viewers simply have to accept the ending as if emerging from the depths of a nightmare, back to a waking world where the past truly has been laid to rest, and life can go on with no residual fear of innocuous felines. END SPOILERS.
Black Cat Mansion is not a masterpiece that will sway the uninitiated. It is, however, a fine example of well-executed genre material, handled with serious intent and dedicated craftsmanship. Fans of old-fashioned horror looking for something beyond the standard list of classics should be satisfied, as should anyone with an interest in cult Japanese cinema, especially cineastes seeking the roots of modern J-horror (for example, with his feline yowl, Toshio from the Ju-On films is clear descendant of the ghost cat genre). Even cat lovers may get a kick out of the lengths to which a beloved pet will go to right the wrongs inflicted on its master and mistress. A dog may be man’s best friend; a cat, however, is a ruthless undead avenger.
BLACK CAT MANSION, horror, J-Horror, MANSION OF THE GHOST CAT, Nobuo Nakagawa, scaredy cats
Tetsuo: The Bullet Man review
Two decades after TETSUO: THE IRON MAN, writer-director Shinya Tsukamoto returns to the franchise that he last visited in TETSUO II: BODY HAMMER. The results should please fans eager for another helping of science-fiction body horror, featuring a hapless human transforming from mere flesh and blood into a mutant metallic hybrid, but despite the addition of an American lead and English dialogue, there is little to draw in first-time viewers not already bewitched by the strange spell that Tsukamoto weaves (o r rather welds).
This time out, Anthony (Eric Bossick) is an American salary-man living in Tokyo with a Japanese wife (Akiko Mono) and their son, Tom (Tiger Charlie Gerhardt). Anthony’s father Ride (Stephen Sarrazin) seems peculiarly concerned with the health of Anthony and Tom – a concern that seems mysteriously related to a lifelong admonition that Anthony should never lose his temper. (Fans of the Incredible Hulk, take note.)
Anthony’s eternal calm is put to the test when Tom is deliberately run over by a mysterious driver, known only as the Informant (Tsukamoto himself). Tom seems to take longer to die than one would expect; briefly, his shattered body seems to be retaliating against the car from below (it’s hard to tell with all the shaky camer work). Yuriko is outraged that Anthony doesn’t want revenge, but that changes when a delivery man turns out to be an assassin who attempts to kill Anthony, provoking his body to begin mutating into a misshapen Terminator-like weapon that blows away his opponents.
Eventually, it turns out that Ride was involved with an experiment to create cyborg weapons; after his wife Mitsue (Yuko Nakamura) dies, he created a cyborg duplicate, by which he sired Anthony. Since then, he has worried that Anthony (and, later Tom) could transform into weapons if their anger was aroused. The Informant has been deliberately attempting to provoke this transformation, for vaguely expressed reasons of his own (echoing the first TETSUO film, he tells Anthony to use his love to destroy the world). Anthony must choose between embracing his new power to kill the man who killed his son, or restraining his anger for fear that once unleashed it will lead to uncontrollable destruction.
I fear that my summary has made TETSUO: THE BULLET MAN sound more coherent than it intends to be. Tsukamoto’s directorial approach here is to shoot everything with a bouncing hand-held camera, then splice the footage together with as many micro-cuts as possible, to create a deliberately disorienting experience. The visceral impact is undeniable, but it is also exhausting, making the film feel much longer than its 71 minutes. At a certain point, you want to say to the screen, “Yeah, I get it; let’s move on, okay?”
Consequently, narrative progression is obscured: audiences are not so much watching the story of Anthony’s dilemma as experiencing a delirious surge of sensory impressions that simulates in the viewer’s mind the confusion that must be afflicting Anthony. The revenge story is further weakened by a plot structure that focuses mostly on revealing the mysterious back story of Anthony’s situation, through flashbacks, narration, and glimpses of documents.
The hyper-kineticism pays off in the action scenes, and the final act is interesting an an over-the-top AKIRA kind of way, which maybe sees Anthony resolving his dilemma of whether or not to kill the Informant (SPOILER: Anthony’s new metal body absorbs the Informant, who vows, “You don’t want me inside you – you don’t know what I’ll do” – a threat that remains unresolved by the closing credits, which see Anthony somehow returned to a normal life with a new son.)
Stylistically, Tsukamoto has forged a new metallurgic spectacle with all the white-hot alloys and burning sparks of a foundry running at twice full capacity. It’s crazy enough that those willing to embrace that madness should have a deliriously good time. Just don’t expect much in a way of deeper exploration of themes from the previous films. This is mostly more of the same – just louder, slicker, and hotter than before.
TETSUO: THE BULLET MAN (2009). Directed by Shinya Tsukamoto. Written by Tsukamoto, Hisakatsu Kuroki. Unrated. 71 minutes. Cast: Eric Bossick, Akiko Mono, Yuko Nakamura, Stephen Sarrazin, Tiger Charlie Gerhardt, Prakhar Jain, Shinya Tsukamoto.
science fiction, Shinya Tsukamoto, TETSUO, TETUSO: THE BULLET MAN
Laserblast: The Paramount Vault – Science Fiction & Horror on YouTube
Parmount Pictures recently created a new YouTube channel, The Paramount Vault, which streams free films from the studio’s library. Along with clips from classic titles, there are approximately 150 full length movies. Of course, these are not premium titles but lower end stuff for which services such as Netflix might not be inclined to pay licensing fees. However, there are some horror and science fiction films that might be of interest to cult movie enthusiasts and completists: THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK, THE SPACE CHILDREN, CONQUEST OF SPACE, THE DEADLY BEES, CRACK IN THE WORLD, BENEATH, THE SENDER, etc.
The Paramount Vault divides its titles into playlists. You can find science fiction films here and horror films here.
Films worth checking out include I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE (an tense little thriller despite the title); THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 (a gore-filled sequel to the cult original); IN DREAMS (Neil Jordan’s psychic thriller); and SHANKS (an oddity starring mime Marcel Marceau). And of course fans of ’80s cheese from Cannon Films should get a kick out of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE.
Note: The Paramount Vault YouTube channel is not to be confused with the Paramount Pictures YouTube channel. The former is a library of archival titles; the latter offers trailer and promotional videos for Paramount’s upcoming releases.
Home Video, Laserblast, VOD
Paramount Pictures, science fiction, The Paramount Vault
Shaun the Sheep Movie – review
Despite some forays into computer-generated animation (Flushed Away, Arthur Christmas), Aardman Animations remains committed to the art of stop-motion, as evidenced by their most recent theatrical release, 2015’s Shaun the Sheep Movie, which sees the company struggling but ultimately succeeding at expanding their television series a feature film. The movie lurches to a shaky start, as if uncertain how to stretch its concept to full length, but after a wobbly first act, the narrative hits its stride and runs smoothly to a successful finish, delivering delightful entertainment on the way.
Personally, I was dubious about the potential of a Shaun the Sheep movie. I preferred the title character when he played a supporting role in his debut, A Close Shave, the Oscar-winning short subject starring the lovable characters Wallace and Gromit. The Shaun the Sheep television series moved the character to center stage, but there was not necessarily that much distinctive about the little fur-ball. Sometimes he was the one coming up with clever schemes, but other times he just happened to be the one swept up by the zany antics (i.e., in the first episode, he is dragged around by a hungry, high-speed goat, trailing behind like a water-skier). The show shifted the setting from town to country, placing Shaun on a farm run by another human-dog combo, the Farmer and his Sheep Dog (amusing but no match for Wallace and Gromit). A typical 20-minute episode consists of three unrelated segments, each telling a mini-story. The series cleverly eschewed dialogue, relying only on grunts, bleats, and exclamations (even from the Farmer), but the stories tended to be more juvenile in their appeal than Aardman’s best work. I will admit to being thoroughly charmed by “Who’s the Mummy” (which despite its title is not a horror movie spoof), which had Shaun bedeviled by a quartet of freshly hatched chicks who imprint on him (they resemble tribbles with tiny beaks, and they were so ridiculously cute that I had to laugh in spite of myself). Nevertheless, the question remained: could the format of 6-to-7-minute segments be stretched to full narrative length?
Shaun the Sheep Movie begins with a recreation of the show’s opening title sequence, portraying Shaun, the other sheep, the Farmer, and his dog getting up in the morning; the joke is that this sequence, which repeats weekly on the series, is repeated multiple times in the film, creating an immediate sense of an endless, boring routine, which ultimately motivates Shaun to break that routine by fooling the farmer into sleeping in late, so that the sheep can have a day off. It’s just enough of a narrative tidbit to set up a situation in which the sheep can get into some hi-jinx; basically, it’s little more than what one would see in an average episode, and it initially seems as if the script is simply going to string together several such episodes until they fill the minimum necessary running time. Things start to feel a little desperate when a camper-trailer (in which the farmer is sleeping) rolls down the hill and into nearby city, creating an excuse for one of those action-packed high-speed chases that Aardman does so well (e.g., The Wrong Trousers with Wallace and Gromit); one almost gets the feeling that Aardman is stumbling into DreamWorks Animation territory (in which an extended, gratuitous action set piece is de rigueur in the first twenty minutes of any film).
Fortunately, all of this is just preamble – a messy first act setting up the fun to follow. Once the Farmer awakens in the city, the story moves smoothly from one development to the next, and the script never again seems to be padding itself unnecessarily. The Farmer suffers amnesia, but he recollects enough of his skill with a pair of sheers (originally used on the sheep) to become a successful barber; Shaun and the other sheep, meanwhile, find that the farm doesn’t run so well without the farmer, so they embark on a mission to rescue him, which is complicated by an officer from animal control, who is every bit as threatening and efficient (but a lot less unpleasantly designed) than the one in Madagascar 3).
For its second two-thirds, Shaun the Sheep movie is pretty much a non-stop delight, in which the comic set pieces (such as the sheep disguising themselves as humans to thwart the animal control agent) are effortlessly blended into the narrative. As always, Aardman provides state-of-the-art stop-motion, effortlessly realizing sequences traditionally difficult to achieve in the medium (e.g., splashing water, quickly moving objects). Not all of these tour-de-force moments are high-octane highlights; some are just amusing throw-aways, such as the delightful sequences in which the sheep lull the Farmer into falling asleep by jumping one by one over a fence. The basic joke (counting sheep puts people to sleep, right?) is only mildly funny, but the visual execution augments the humor by having the sheep ever so subtly go into slow motion as they reach the peak of their jump, the floating effect enhancing the hypnotic quality upon their intended victim.
Unlike many of their computer-generated competitors, who sometimes don’t know when to modulate the animated anarchy, the Aardman team know when a simple sight gag is as entertaining as a technical tour-de-force: during a stint in jail, the sheep inmates are continually perturbed by the silent stare of an angry dog in the cell opposite; the joke is that his expression is exactly the same every time the camera cuts to him (which means of course that the animators could save time by not animating the figure). The recurring images eventually pays off with a punchline I won’t spoil, except to say that it explains the character’s total lack of movement.
In a world filled with CGI blockbusters that seem to tell the same tale over and over (little guy achieves his great destiny and/or a sense of belonging), Shaun the Sheep Movie offers a pleasant change of pace. The tactile quality of stop-motion puppetry grounds the visuals – not in reality, exactly , but in a sense of physicality that enhances the sight gags and set pieces; the narrative delivers unpretentious fun without trite lessons about letting go or finding inner self.
I don’t think I will ever love Shaun the Sheep as much as I love Wallace and Gromit, but to my surprise the little lamb’s feature-film debut is actually better than the disappointing Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Shaun the Sheep Movie improves on the television series, providing the kind of stop-motion delights that should amuse adults whether or not they have children.
Aardman Animations, SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE
The Bloody Judge (1970) review
“You are all condemned, for crimes against king and kingdom, to hang… to dangle until you are but dead, to be then cut down still alive, to have your entrails drawn out and thrust into your own mouths, to be further hanged, then quartered like the carcasses of beef you are. You number five hundred, but even if you were five thousand, the execution of this sentence would be just before God Almighty… and may He have mercy upon your souls.” – Lord George Jeffreys.
There is perhaps no more enduring mystery in the world of cinema than the cult reputation of Jesus Franco. Certainly, no filmmaker ever did less to earn more respect from people who should know better. A purveyor of exploitation trash, Franco is viewed as a talent who transcended genre obligations and meager resources, and Exhibit A in his case is The Bloody Judge (original title: Il trono di fuoco), a 1970 production that sees the director for once working with something like a reasonable budget. Sadly, this means only that Franco’s usual cinematic shortcoming are elevated to the level of garden-variety incompetence.
Like 1966’s Psycho-Circus, The Bloody Judge is one of Christopher Lee’s non-horror “horror” films – which is to say, it has enough genre trappings to capitalize on the actor’s status as horror star, but these elements are simply window dressing on a story that is really something else: a wanna-be historical epic of political intrigue, upheaval, and warfare. (This misrepresentation of the film as a horror-thriller was compounded in the U.S., where the release was irrelevantly re-titled Night of the Blood Monster.)
Lee plays Judge Jeffreys, a real-life historical character, who is initially seen presiding over the trials of accused witches, who are tortured to extract confessions. Just when viewers think they are seeing Lee’s version of Witchfinder General (1968), the narrative shifts: the witch-hunting turns out to be a gratuitous sideshow; the remaining running time focuses on political foes seeking to overthrow the current regime in England, and most of the people before Jeffreys’ court stand accused of treason. At times, Jeffries seems less like the lead character than a Greek chorus, delivering exposition to explain action taking place elsewhere, though he does occasionally take some action to squelch the uprising. In short, this is another one of producer Harry Alan Towers’s scatter-shot scenarios (he co-wrote the story as “Peter Welbeck”) and also an example of a modestly budgeted film that couldn’t afford to keep its star around for the duration of production, resulting in a fragmented, unfocused mess, which abandons its most interesting idea to waste time on secondary characters.
Strangely, there is an interesting idea at the heart of the film – well, not at the heart, but pulsing in one of the outer arteries, blocked from circulating throughout the rest of the system. Though Jeffreys is presented as a merciless judge in public, he privately frets about the severity of the sentences he hands down, continuing in his work only because he believes it is his duty before God and Country, regardless of his personal feelings. This leads to a nice confrontation wherein Lord Wessex (Leo Genn) admonishes Jeffreys, wishing that for once the judge would see one of his abominable sentences carried out, so that his abstract justifications might be tempered by a collision with the awful reality.
In a nifty bit of accidental art, Wessex’s admonition rings true precisely because The Bloody Judge belongs to that breed of exploitation film which, for reasons of budget and schedule, keeps its star well segregated in his own little portion of the film, never allowing him into the torture scenes, which seem to have been filmed separately, with an eye for inclusion on a country-by-country basis, depending on local audience preference for depraved debauchery. Thus, Jeffreys truly does seem completely oblivious to the horrors inflicted because of his judgments.
At the conclusion, Jeffreys – arrested and in jail, awaiting the sort of punishment he has handed out to others – looks out his cell window and for the first time beholds an execution – a sight which provokes a heart attack in the previously stolid judge, who collapses, gasping, “You were right, Wessex. I never knew!” It’s a strangely affecting moment, well stage and acted, evoking pity for a character who bestowed so little pity on others – a hint of what The Bloody Judge could have been, had its focus remained on the title character.
Sadly, the film spends just about as much time on this dramatic arc as I have spent describing it here; the impact is considerably diluted by the rest of the movie, with its political machinations, espionage, warfare, attempted rapes, aimless brutality, and torture scenes forming a bloody stew of mismatched ingredients.
Had these other scenes been executed with aplomb, their inclusion might have been forgivable, but often they are simply absurd. One “highlight” features Lord Wessex’s son visiting an oracular woman living in a cave: she vaguely warns him of “danger” but neglects to mention that, not sixty seconds previously, the king’s men were in the cave searching for him and are presumably still outside waiting. When he leaves, he almost literally walks right into their arms. (Of course, how young Wessex managed to get past them and into the cave is a question best left unasked, because the film will not bother to explain it.)
Franco admirers cite the mid-film battle sequence as an example of what the director could achieve, given decent resources, but the result is not exactly David Lean in scope; it looks more like a competently executed second-unit scene, whose moderate impact is undermined by foreshadowing that completely oversells the event: a character refers to an army “10,000 strong,” which – even allowing for hyperbole – is laughably wrong. What we see looks more like 50 men on horseback, fended off by half a dozen unsupported canons. Photographing the same horsemen from three or four different angles doesn’t make them seem like 150 or 200 men; it makes them look like the same men photographed from three or four different angles.
Even worse, the geography of the battlefield is so haphazardly presented that it’s never clear why the horseman ride directly toward the canons instead of simply circumventing them and attacking from behind. A few do ride up from behind, but the editing quickly obscures this, in order to keep the scene going, because it’s clear that, even with their small numbers, the horsemen could easily overwhelm the cannoneers while they pause to reload.
As if this were not bad enough, midway through the sequence, Franco violates the 180-degree rule, switching to a 180-degree reverse angle, so that the cannons suddenly seem to be firing from left to right onscreen instead of right to left. Viewers cannot tell whether the canons have been re-aimed in the opposite direction or whether there is a different battery of canon. Confusion is aggravated by the fact that the cannoneers’ uniforms change from blue to red, and they seem to be shooting at other soldiers in red uniforms. A triumph of cinematic mise-en-scene, it ain’t.
As lame as these cinematic stumbles are, they look like exemplars of cinematic form compared to the torture scenes, which pretend to be the physical manifestation of Jeffreys’ harsh judgments but feel more like gratuitous torture porn. The allegedly serious intent is hardly enhanced by the presence of actor Howard Vernon as the chief torturer Jack Ketch: his skinny frame, dressed in a black-hooded costume, suggests a reject from a Monty Python sketch.
Some of this footage was omitted in the 84-minute version of the film released in 1970, but it’s been lovingly restored in the 103-minute version currently available on DVD and streaming services. The key sequence involves Mary Gray (Maria Rohm), an accused woman who has caught the eye of the judge, who summons her to his quarters. For reasons the film never explores, Ketch does not immediately bring her from the torture chamber as ordered; he has a little fun with her first, apparently unconcerned that his boss might be a little impatient.
Ketch’s “fun” consists of shoving Mary into a cell with a tortured woman, who is either unconscious or dead, and then waiting to see what Mary does. Literally, he gives no orders, forces her to do nothing. Instead, she takes the initiative on her own, kissing and licking the other woman’s wounds. In the liner notes for the DVD, Tim Lucas calls this scene “incredible, transgressive erotica,” but a more accurate description would be risible nonsense. What is presumably supposed to register as horrible humiliation and degradation instead reads as silly soft-core foreplay, as actress Rohm exhibits neither reluctance nor revulsion. It should go without saying that none of her subsequent scenes show any hint that the character has been scarred by this experience, because it is precisely the kind of scene intended to be included only in versions of the film released to specific countries that want a little extra schlock (a theory supported by the fact that, unlike the rest of the film, the restored scene is dubbed in German, with English subtitles – suggesting that the footage was never intended for English-speaking countries).
If this is the evidence that’s supposed to prove Franco’s genius, I remain unconvinced, but in spite of its manifest shortcomings, The Bloody Judge did keep me watching until the end, if only for the benefit of seeing Lee in a mildly interesting role in a historical film. The Bloody Judge lacks the class and craftsmanship of the Hammer Film productions that made Lee famous, and the Jeffreys lacks the iconic stature of Lee’s Count Dracula, but at least the villainous judge is given a tiny note of interest. (Fortunately for Lee, the actor would appear in a high-class period costume piece a few years later, The Three Musketeers.) Apart from Lee, The Bloody Judge has little to recommend it to anyone who has not already succumbed to the dubious allure of Franco. It’s beautifully shot but inept in storytelling and execution, and even its sleazy excesses are more laughable than shocking. This Judge has been weighed on the scales of cinematic justice and found wanting.
THE BLOODY JUDGE (Original title: Il trono di fuoco [“The Throne of Fire”]; also known as NIGHT OF THE BLOOD MONSTER, 1970) Produced by Arturo Marcos, Harry Alan Towers. Directed by Jesus Franco. Written by Enrico Colombo, Jesus Franco, Michael Haller; story by Harry Alan Towers, Anthony Scott Veitch. Cast: Christopher Lee, Maria Schell, Leo Genn, Hans Hass Jr., Maria Rohm, Margaret Lee, Howard Vernon. 103 minutes.
Christopher Lee, Harry Alan Towers, IL TRONO DI FUOCO, Jesus Franco, NIGHT OF THE BLOOD MONSTER, THE BLOODY JUDGE
Psycho-Circus (1966) review
With a title like Psycho-Circus, not to mention the presence of two Count Draculas (Christopher Lee and Klaus Kinski), fright fans will probably expect this to be some kind of lurid horror-thriller filled with circus acts gone horribly wrong (lion tamers mauled, knife thrower’s assistant stabbed) along the lines of 1960’s Circus of Horrors (stock footage from which appears here). Unfortunately, Psycho-Circus is horror-in-name only; though it features a circus, there is nothing psychotic about it. Based on a story by Edgar Wallace, the film is more of a mystery-crime-melodrama, more accurately represented by its original title, Circus of Fear. Taken on its own terms, the film is a passable time-waster, though just barely.
The plot kicks off with the nicely staged robbery of an armored car in broad daylight, abetted by one of the security guards. The stolen loot is hijacked, however, when one of the robbers is killed while trying to deliver the money to an accomplice at the circus. This sets up two mysteries: (1) Who was supposed to get the money; and (2) Who actually got the money? Unfortunately, the film is concerned with the mechanics of its gimmicky mystery plot that it forgets to ask, let alone answer, the most important question: Why should we care about the answers to Questions 1 and 2?
Misleading artwork for the re-titled version of the film.
This is a consequence of a typically fragmented script by producer Harry Alan Towers (writing under his Peter Welbeck pseudonym), which follows different characters in different plot threads, without ever winding them into a tight skein. There’s no central protagonist or point of view, and the interesting bits must fight for attention with scenes that drag the pace to a crawl: the police attempts to solve the crime are interrupted by criminal attempts to track down the loot, which in turn must give way to behind-the-scenes melodrama at the circus. Though the anticipated circus carnage never takes place, eventually suspects and witnesses start showing up with knives in their backs, but that’s so obviously a red herring for the knife-thrower that you almost wonder whom the film thinks it’s fooling.
Credit the scattershot approach to a combination of convoluted mystery plotting and more pragmatic concerns: a British-West-German co-production, Psycho-Circus is proto-Eurotrash cinema, a genre in which the need to satisfy investors from different countries outweighs the needs of the narrative. German money? Get German actor Klaus Kinski in there for a few scenes, whether or not he adds anything to the plot.
One intriguing bit involves Lee’s character, Gregor, the lion-tamer, who goes through most of the film wearing a mask, supposedly to hide scars inflicted by one of the beasts in his act – or is he really a criminal hiding his identity? Is he the man to whom the loot was supposed to be delivered, or did he purloin it to finance his escape, now that a dark secret in his past seems to be catching up to him? There might have been a fascinating film to be made that focused on these aspects; instead, these tiny threads are twisted and knotted with less interesting strands.
Despite star billing, Lee is just one of the ensemble. At least his voice is distinctive enough to register while his face is hidden, and when he is finally unmasked he manages to generate a little pathos for a character who is a bit shady. Leo Genn is decent as the Scotland Yard detective on the case, but Kinski gets little to do except skulk around suspiciously.
Production values are okay; direction is competent but unremarkable. The film could have benefited from more robust handling to push it out of the German krime territory and into the giallo genre; a little stylized violence would have gone a long way toward enlivening the drab plotting. The story winds up with one of those scenes in which the detective assembles the suspects to reveal the murderer’s identify. If you’re a fan of that kind of who-dunnit hijinx, it might be worth your while to sit through this one to the end.
Though the revelation of Gregor’s face is withheld until late in the British film, the trailer gives it away.
Credits: Produced by Harry Alan Towers. Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey. Screenplay by Harry Alan Towers (as Peter Welbeck) based on Edgar Wallace’s novel The Three Just Men (uncredited). Cast: Christopher Lee, Leo Genn, Anthony Newlands, Heinz Drache, Eddi Arent, Klaus Kinski, Margaret Lee, Suzy Kendall, Skip Martin. 90 minutes.
Christopher Lee, CIRCUS OF FEAR, Harry Alan Towers, Klaus Kinski, Psycho-Circus
The House of Exorcism (1975): restrospective review
In cults circles (especially among fans of Italian horror cinema in general and director Mario Bava in particular), THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM is probably the most (in)famous alternate film version in existence – a complete do-over of Bava’s excellent and ethereal LISA AND THE DEVIL (1973) with added scenes of (you guessed it!), exorcism and all that entails: bile, vomit, and profanity. What may make HOUSE OF EXORCISM unique among alternate versions is that (as its producer Alfredo Leone is fond of pointing out) it actually has a separate copyright date, distinguishing HOUSE OF EXORCISM as a separate film unto itself. The irony here is that, if HOUSE OR EXORCISM holds any interest at all (a position seriously open to debate), that interest lies not on the merits of the film itself but on its relationship to LISA AND THE DEVIL.
The original is an atmospheric, ambitious work, filled with suggestion and ambiguity about a tourist named Lisa (Elke Sommer) who loses her way and ends up in a chateau with a strange family, who seem to recognize her as someone named Helena. Is she a reincarnation of a dead woman, or are these the ghosts of the past? Is Leandro (Telly Savalas) simply a butler, or is he an incarnation of the Devil, tormenting Lisa by making her relive events of her previous life over and over? In the manner of many such movies, which combine artistic aspirations with genre obligations, it’s not a fully satisfying experience in a conventional sense, and it’s sometime hard to determine whether the questions lingering over the narrative are a part of an intricate puzzle box or simply a matter of sloppy screenwriting. Fortunately, the film bravura visual qualities pull you into its weird world, so that any puzzling plot developments become part of the dreamlike experience.
Apparently this was too much for U.S. distributors, who passed on LISA AND THE DEVIL after it was completed in 1973. Hoping to get some return on his investment, Leone went back and shot more footage (apparently directing the additions himself) featuring Sommer and Robert Alda as a priest. The result was THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM, which was released in Italy in 1975 and in the U.S. in 1976 – a film that mimics THE EXORCIST (1973) only close enough to remind viewers how inferior the ripoff is.
HOUSE OF EXORCISM begins with a much more bombastic opening music cue, beneath a completely revised opening credits sequence, with graphics emphasizing crosses against garish red backgrounds. After that, there is some attempt to simulate the visual style of the original, and the new footage blends relatively seamlessly at first (though sharp-eyed viewers will note that Leandro is shot only from behind to disguise the absence of Savalas). In the added scenes, instead of simply losing her way and hitching a ride that takes her to the chateau, Lisa suffers some kind of fit; taken to a hospital, she exhibits signs of possession, so Father Michael (Alda) performs an exorcism, which more or less lasts the rest of the film, with footage from LISA AND THE DEVIL intercut like flashbacks or dreams.
The possession scenes pilfer THE EXORCIST’s bag of tricks, adding little new and nothing worthwhile. There is some stunt work with a contortionist that’s halfway creepy and some belabored attempts to use adult nudity and innuendo show the evil spirit tormenting the priest with his guilty feelings over an affair from before he took to the cloth; a particularly risible moment occurs when Father Michael’s dead girl friend materializes to seduce him – in a room whose walls are covered in puke (it doesn’t help that the hospital set, where the exorcism takes place, looks more like a toolshed). Like almost every other film that followed in the wake of director William Friedkin’s version of William Peter Blatty’s best-seller, HOUSE OF EXORCISM eschews any attempt at grappling with its subject matter in a realistic way, instead simply serving up a bunch of recycled cliches like so many obligatory genre elements: Lisa contorts, pukes, and levitates on cue because that’s what happens in a film with “exorcism” in the title – but it’s all gratuitous mayhem, with no thematic underpinnings.
There are a few transitional bits to visually justify cross-cutting between the two narrative threads (i.e., as Lisa wanders lost in a scene from the original, the camera zooms in on a broken pocket watch, before cutting to a closeup of someone looking at his wrist watch in the hospital to which Lisa has been taken in the new footage). However, the logical connection between the two threads remains elusive. In one early addition, a repairman, working on a mannequin for Leandro, notes that Lisa looks exactly like Helena, suggesting that Leandro plans to “use” her tonight, instead of Helena – presumably in the drama about to unfold at the chateau. Later in the hospital, the possessed Lisa declares to no one in particular, “You won’t use me in your games tonight!” The implication seems to be that the scenes in the chateau represent events that the spirit of Helena is somehow avoiding by possessing the body of Lisa. Or something like that…
What is mildly interesting is that the film eventually feels some obligation to spell out, however incoherently, what is happening. In between hurling profanity and invective at Father Michael (“Don’t break my balls, priest!”), Helena, speaking through Lisa, offers a sort of running commentary on the events in the chateau, spelling out not only what is happening but also why. In a sense, she becomes the Greek Chorus, explaining the story to the audience.
The completely unexpected result of this is that HOUSE OR EXORCISM emerges feeling less like a ripoff of THE EXORCIST and more like DAUGHTER OF HORROR, the re-release version of DEMENTIA (1955), which added narration to clarify a nightmarish scenario that was originally intended to perplex audiences with its dreamlike surrealism. Is this enough to make HOUSE OF EXORCISM interesting, even if not worthwhile? Not really. The explanation proffered by HOUSE OF EXORCISM makes little sense. Unlike DAUGHTER OF HORROR, whose narration may actually have enhanced the movie, providing answers that did not feel tiresome or trite, HOUSE OF EXORCISM does not emerge as an intriguing alternate version; its exposition simply reminds us that we would have been better off watching LISA AND THE DEVIL and figuring things out for ourselves.
In HOUSE OF EXORCISM, Helena is speaking in the past tense about things she has experienced, but she also insists that these events at the chateau are taking place again tonight, though it is not completely clear how that could be possible without her participation. Are we to assume that Helena and Lisa’s spirit have traded places and that Lisa is now in Helena’s place, trapped in some kind of limbo where the events of the past repeat endlessly? If so, the explanation is unsatisfying – why should Lisa suffer for Helena’s sins? As elusive as the original film was, the implication ultimately was that Lisa and Helena were the same, and the events in the chateau represented her past – perhaps another lifetime – catching up with her.
With this element obliterated, the ending pushes Lisa aside to focus on Father Michael as he travels to the chateau to exorcise the house itself. Why? No particular reason, except perhaps that placing this new character in the setting from the old footage would forge a slightly stronger link between the film’s two narrative threads. This leads to a relatively uneventful climax in which the priest wanders around the building, assaulted by wind and threatened by snakes, while shouting to cast out the devil.An abruptly edited flash of lightening seems to show him going up in a puff of smoke, but by that time viewers are past caring.
HOUSE OF EXORCISM is, top put it bluntly, an abomination. Back in 1975, when there was no other way for U.S. viewers to see LISA AND THE DEVIL in any form, there may have been some justification for the existence of HOUSE OF EXORCISM; now, however, the film is nothing more than a historical footnote, a curiosity for Bava fans who want to see the their idol’s masterpiece bastardized into one in a long line of EXORCIST ripoffs. As understandable as producer Leone’s intentions were (was it better to leave the film unseen in a vault or get it on the screen in some form?), HOUSE OF EXORCISM takes Bava’s intriguing original and spoils it with crude vulgarity. If you really want to see a marriage of LISA AND THE DEVIL and THE EXORCIST, rent both of them and watch them back to back.
THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM (1975). Produced by Alfredo Leone. Directed by Mario Bava and Alfredo Leone (as Mickey Lion). Written by Mario Bava, Alberto Cittini, Alfred Leone, Giorgio Maulini, Romano Migliorini, Roberto natale, Francesca Rusishka. Cast: Telly Savalas, Elke Sommer, Sylva Koscina, Alessio Orano, Gabriele Tinit, Kathy Leone, Eduardo Fajardo, Carmen Silva, Franz Von Treuberg, Espartaco Santoni, Alida Valli, Robert Alda. Rated R. 92 minutes.
Alfredo Leone, Elke Sommer, exorcism, horror, Italian horror movies, LISA AND THE DEVIL, Mario Bava, possession, Telly Savalas, THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM
The Walking Dead:Wolves Not Far at Universal Studios
Fans of THE WALKING DEAD can experience their favorite moments from Season 5 – live! – at Universal Studios Hollywood, where the annual Halloween Horror Nights is running from now through November 1, on weekends and some weekdays. Check out the video.
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2007 / newscast
Headlines (5:13)
SECTARIAN VIOLENCE TWICE AS DEADLY AS LAST YEAR
New data shows that the level of violence in Iraq’s sectarian warfare has double since last year. The new statistics compiled by the Associated Press – and based in its reports – indicate that just over half of violent deaths in Iraq occur in Baghdad… and that attacks in northern Iraq have increased. The AP figures estimate that an average of 62 non-insurgent Iraqis die every day in war-related violence. The news organization recognizes that the actual numbers are likely higher because many deaths go unreported. Additionally, figures compiled by the Iraqi Red Crescent indicate that the number of displaced Iraqis has doubled in the last 8 months.
POPPY PRODUCTION AT NEW HIGH IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN
In other news, the Helmand province in Southern Afghanistan is poised to become the world’s largest supplier of illegal drugs. This, according to the United Nations World Drug Report for 2007. While the report cites that drug production and consumption has stabilized on an international level, the southern provinces of Afghanistan are producing more drugs than entire countries, including Morocco, Myanmar, and Colombia. Approximately 92 percent of the world’s heroin comes from poppies grown in Afghanistan.
GREEK WILDFIRES RAVAGE COUNTRYSIDE
Firefighters from across the European Union are in Greece to battle raging fires that have killed more than 60 people in the last 3 days. Aris Oikonomou reports from Athens.
The government has declared a state of emergency and at least 11 countries – including France, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Russia – have sent airplanes, helicopters and specialist fire fighters. Meanwhile, the country is awash with theories about how the fires started. One widely-repeated theory is that the fires were set intentionally as a way of getting around Greek laws forbidding development on areas designated as forest land. The state has ordered an investigation and a one-million euro reward has been offered to help catch the arsonists. The fires have gutted hundreds of homes, forcing thousands of villagers to flee and blackening entire hillsides. Reports indicate that at least one hundred villages have been damaged and thousands have been left homeless. Many people were caught unaware by the rapidly advancing fire and were trapped in their houses, cars, or as they tended to their olive groves. At least 63 people are reported to have been killed and hundreds are missing. Many people, angry after seeing their homes, crops, relatives and even parts of the ancient city of Olympia, turned into ashes are blaming the government for failure to act swiftly to prevent the spread of the fire. Some analysts say the fires have also burned the chances of the ruling party to win next month’s general elections. For FSRN, this Aris Oikonomou from Athens.
RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES ARREST 10 SUSPECTS IN JOURNALIST’S MURDER
Russian authorities have arrested 10 people in connection with last year’s murder of a dissident journalist. Claudia Cragg reports.
Most theories surrounding the assassination of Anna Politkovskaya connect her reporting on human rights abuses in Chechnya to her death. Those arrested today include former and current members of Russian security forces and suspected Chechen gang members. Russia’s Attorney General Yuri Chaika told a press conference today that those arrested will be charged with the crime in the (quote) “very near future”. Chaika has also connected the figures suspected in the Politkovskaya murder to other high-profile assassinations. Patrick Moore, Russia correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty told FSRN that the Attorney General is tying the murders together and using the opportunity to implicate political enemies. “He is now saying that there was a Chechen professional criminal who was the head of a hit squad that carried this out, not only of Politkovskaya but also of the American-Russian journalist, Klebnikov, and the banker, Koslov, and – to boot – that the whole thing was orchestrated by someone abroad who wanted to damage Russia’s image.” The administration of Russian president Vladimir Putin has a history of blaming political failures on rivals living abroad, which is perhaps why news of the arrests was met with a degree of skepticism. For FSRN. I’m Claudia Cragg.
PROTESTS AGAINST PETE WILSON STATUE IN SAN DIEGO
Some 300 people from the immigrant and queer communities protested outside San Diego’s Horton Plaza mall Saturday, during the unveiling of a statue in honor of former California Governor Pete Wilson. A cloth-covered fence separated the demonstrators from those attending a ceremony in Wilson’s honor. Wilson was the mayor of San Diego prior to serving in the Senate, before going on to become California’s governor. His critics blame him for discriminatory policies against against queers and communities of color. Enrique Morones is the president and founder of Border Angeles, an immigrants rights group along the US/Mexico border. (audio) Demonstrators say they are organizing a boycott of the San Diego mall, where the Pete Wilson statue now stands.
Alberto Gonzales Resigns (4:22)
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned. After months of turmoil and repeated calls for his resignation by members of Congress, he announced his resignation with no explanation. He leaves a Justice Department in turmoil with a long list of scandals and high profile vacancies. Washington Editor Leigh Ann Caldwell has more.
ACLU Announces Landmark Settlement with ICE to Improve Conditions at Hutto Detention Facility (2:32)
The ACLU has reached a settlement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement which immigrant rights advocates say will improve conditions for children and their families being held at the notorious Hutto detention facility in Taylor, Texas. Dozens of children were released as a result – although the ACLU is still calling on Congress to bar the practice of imprisoning children whose parents are awaiting immigration hearings. FSRN Host Aura Bogado spoke with Lisa Graybill ACLU Texas Legal Director.
One Year Later, Many Women Still Lack Access to Plan B Contraception (2:05)
The Food and Drug Administration finally approved over the counter sales of the emergency contraceptive Plan B a year ago. But that doesn’t mean the drug has been made accessible to all the women who need it. FSRN Correspondent Matt Laslo reports from Washington.
Critics Question Why US Continues Military Exercises in South Korea (4:23)
Ten thousand U.S. solders are participating in joint war games with the South Korean military this week – an annual exercise that has been taking place for more than thirty years. As FSRN’s Jason Strother reports from Seoul, many South Koreans question why US forces continue to have such a heavy presence in their country despite improvements in relations with North Korea.
DC Homeless conference (3:23)
The DC-based Homeless Action Research Team took to the streets to find out what homeless people think about being homeless. Karen Miller reports on their findings.
Katrina and the Gulf: Two Years Later (4:17)
The nation marks the second year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina this week, and the destruction it wreaked on the Gulf Coast. FSRN begins our special coverage of the anniversary in Gulfport, Mississippi, today – which was ground zero for Katrina’s landfall. Though redevelopment is taking hold in the region two years later, it’s not in the form of building new homes but, instead, of erecting casinos and condominiums. Local activists say that the development is driving up the cost of land in the area and is threatening nearby low-income and traditional African American neighborhoods. One of those activists, Jason Mackenzie of the North Gulfport Community Land Trust, brings us this perspective.
Next story August 28, 2007
Previous story August 24, 2007
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Amphibic Drone
Smart CanMELEK Project
Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University
Geographical Information Systems & Remote Sensing Center
Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing Research and Application Center is a research-oriented center. It conducts and supports multi-disciplinary, scientific and practical studies in all areas related to Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing. Project Development and Researcher Training Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing Research and Application Center; local, regional and global projects, developing solutions to meet the needs of the national / international community. Through these projects, it increases its accumulation and provides funds, and with its infrastructure, it hosts and educates expert researchers in its field. Thus, it aims to reach an infrastructure and accumulation that can compete globally in its field.
Technical Support / Consultancy / Coordination
In addition to its central staff, the project-based range of technical consultants / researchers established in relation to various departments of our university and other national and international educational and research institutions, public institutions and private sector provides technical support to all kinds of multidispliner research and application projects in related fields and provides management / coordination / consulting services. Alansan / Temporal Data Provision In particular, in the prevention, intervention, post-disaster measures, implementation, direction and management of natural disasters; mitigation of disaster damages, supporting scientific research in this field, raising public awareness and so on. aims to provide spatial and temporal GIS / Remote Sensing data and model results before and after disasters.
Training and Coordination
The Center is thought to contribute to all kinds of undergraduate and graduate activities related to GIS / Remote Sensing areas carried out by various academic units of Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University. It provides an environment in which students can benefit from technical support, to make / develop their homework, projects and theses. In addition to its administrative staff, our university aims to meet all kinds of training needs from public and private sectors, to organize certification programs and to meet the need for labor training in these fields.
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English Français Deutsch Español Русский Português العربية
Info paesi
Informazione paesi
1. International Family Mediation
Family mediation, in Mexico, is legally recognised and encouraged by the State. Mexico has 32 alternative justice laws (e.g. as alternative disputes resolution, the mediation is upheld in the 2008 Alternative Justice Law of the Superior Court of Justice of the Federal District).
Alternative Justice Centres provide family mediation services. There is no list of all Centres in Mexico, please look for “Centro de Justicia Alternativa” in your State. For example, you can contact Alternative Justice Centre of Federal District situated in Mexico City and find a List of private mediators certified by the Centre practising in the State (website is in Spanish).
There is no structure specialised on international family mediation in Mexico.
2. International Legal Framework
1) Mexico is a Party to the 1980 Hague Convention.
The 1980 Hague Convention: a multilateral treaty which provides procedural guidelines on the return of children and their protection in cases of international parental child abduction.
Contact the Central Authority established in Mexico for cases of child abduction. The Central Authority should be the first point of contact despite regional contact information provided on the link. The Central Authority will transmit your application to these regional agencies.
2) Mexico is a Party to the 1989 Inter-American Convention.
The 1989 Inter-American Convention: a multilateral treaty among 14 American States that, similar to the 1980 Hague Convention, secures the prompt return of children who have been wrongfully removed from their country of residence.
Contact the Central Authority established in Mexico designated under the 1980 Hague Convention to find out whether the Inter-American Convention prevails in your case and learn how to initiate an application for return of your child.
3) Mexico is not a Party to the 1996 Hague Convention.
The 1996 Hague Convention: a multilateral treaty which determines jurisdiction, applicable law, co-operation in respect of parental responsibility and access rights, as well as civil and public measures for the protection or care of children.
You can determine whether countries relevant to your case are Parties, or not, to the 1980 Hague Convention on International Child Abduction, the 1996 Hague Convention on Child Protection and/or the Inter-American Convention on the International Return Of Children in order to locate the appropriate central authority. As for the 1980 Hague Convention, you can check whether the Convention is in force between two specific States in the Spreadsheet showing acceptances of accessions to the Child Abduction Convention.
3. Legal and Psycho-Social Expertise and Support
Human Rights Commission of the Federal District is an independent institution responsible for hearing complaints of alleged violations committed by any authority or person working in the public administration of the Federal District or procuratorial organisms. The contact information of your regional Commission can be found here.
Caritas Mexico (CEPS) is a private charitable institution with a presence in 30 of Mexico’s states (website is in Spanish). It provides housing, medical financial and familial support for those who have suffered natural disasters. The organisation also provides educational and reconciliatory support for individuals and families enduring times of conflict.
4. Child Welfare Services
Procuraduría de Protección de Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes provides contacts to child protection authorities at the federal and state level. Federal level contacts address cross-border cases in cooperation with local state authorities (website is in Spanish).
Red por los Derechos de la Infancia en México (REDIM) is a coalition of 75 non-governmental organisations in Mexico that develop help programs for Mexican children and adolescents in vulnerable situations and operates in 16 Mexico States (website is in Spanish).
Ayuda a Niños y Adolescentes en Riesgo is an association providing homes for children at risk, enabling the recuperation of those suffering from traumas such as malnourishment, domestic violence, and being directly impacted by the abuse of drugs and/or alcohol by a parent (website is in Spanish). Please contact them directly here.
Children International – Mexico is a non-profit organisation in Mexico which focuses on gang violence prevention, especially the violence which occurs in young girls. The organisation contains community centres for both children and graduated students to help further their educational and financial goals. They also provide healthcare to children and adolescents who may not be receiving adequate healthcare and teaching preventative care at community centres.
Defence for Children in Mexico (DCI-Mexico) is a non-profit organisation having a Community Probation Programme which aims to generate social reintegration processes of adolescents in conflict with the law. It provides family, educational, social interventions in order to prevent recidivism. In addition, DCI-Mexico has a similar program in the state of Guerrero called Reintegra which provides activities to children in the form of art, culture, and sports, to prevent children from dropping out of school and to prevent family violence and addictions (website is in Spanish).
SOS Children’s Villages in Mexico offer Family Strengthening Programme allowing families with children who are at risk of losing parental care to improve their living conditions and prevent child abandonment. You can find an SOS Children’s Village in your region here (website is in Spanish).
5. Support to Bi-National Couples, Cross-Cultural and Migrant Families
Comisión Mexicana De Ayuda a Refugiados (COMAR) is a public inter-departmental body that performs recognition, cessation and revocation procedures on the status of refugees and grants institutional assistance to refugees by establishing collaboration with government bodies, international and civil society organisations. (website is in Spanish).
Sin Fronteras is a non-governmental organisation which offers legal, psychosocial and economic assistance and services to migrant populations and participates actively in the creation of comprehensive migrant policies and programs. You can contact them here (website is in Spanish).
Alcuni degli hyperlinks che troverete nei testi di questa sezione vi ricondurranno ai siti che sono disponibili solo nella lingua del paese scelto. Copiate l’indirizzo URL ed incollatelo in Google Translate, scegliete la vostra lingua e cliccate su “traduci” per trovare il sito disponibile.
Access to Professionals / Hotlines:
Alerta Amber Mexico is an emergency hotline and information centre dedicated to the search and finding of lost children (website is in Spanish).
Línea Mujeres is a contact centre for Mexico City, which provides information services, guidance, legal advice and psychological support to women (website is in Spanish).
Useful brochures / Documents of reference:
Useful guides for parents concerning mediation practice and child abduction prevention can be found in our Library.
© 2021 ISS Tutti i diritti riservati
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Reyes Entertainment opens in Austin.
Reyes Entertainment will expand into the Texas markets with new headquarters in Austin, announced its founder and president, Gabriel Reyes.
“Reyes Entertainment is pleased to continue to offer our clients an ever-expanding menu of services by way of our national network of account executives in key cities,” says Reyes. “Austin is a thriving center for business, education, technology, music and filmmaking. It is also at the center of Texas, home to over 10 million Latinos and one of the fastest-growing cities in the country.”
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home / police commission / use of force
Southeast Area Officer-Involved Shooting NRF016-19ma
South Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department's Force Investigation Division is investigating an officer-involved shooting in which officers were shot at by a man with gun.
On April 22, 2019, around 6:45 a.m., officers assigned to Southeast Area were responding to multiple radio calls of a "Man with a Gun" in the area of Figueroa Street and West Gardena Boulevard. As Police Officers II Andrew Do, Serial No. 43209 and Bryan Tahuite, Serial No. 42780 approached the intersection, they saw a man they believed was the suspect, later identified as 36-year-old David Flores, armed with a handgun. Flores shot at the officers as they exited their vehicle, resulting in an officer-involved shooting.
Flores was struck by gunfire and pronounced deceased at the scene. No officers were injured. One of the rounds fired by Flores struck the front passenger door panel of the police vehicle the officers were driving.
The handgun used by Flores was recovered by detectives.
LAPD's specialized Force Investigation Division responded to the scene and began interviewing witnesses and collecting forensic evidence. Representatives from the Office of the Inspector General and Los Angeles County District Attorney's Justice System Integrity Division responded and monitored the investigation.
The complete investigation will be reviewed by the Chief of Police and the Board of Police Commissioners and the Office of the Inspector General to determine the thoroughness and accuracy of the investigation and whether the use of deadly force complied with the LAPD's policies and procedures. Additionally, representatives from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office who responded to the scene will review the subsequent FID investigation; evidence collected and witness statements to determine if the force used by the officer(s) violated any criminal laws.
Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is urged to call the LAPD at any of the following numbers:
• During business hours at (213) 486-5230;
• During non-business hours or on weekends at (877)-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247);
• Anonymously 24-hours a day to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or by texting "LAPD" and your tip to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S); or
• Online at www.lapdonline.org and click on "Anonymous Web Tips.
FORCE INVESTIGATION DIVISION
Force Investigation Division (FID) is responsible for the investigation of all incidents involving the use of deadly force of an LAPD officer. In addition, all use of force resulting in an injury requiring hospitalization commonly referred to as a Law Enforcement Related Injury (LERI). Investigative responsibility of FID also includes all deaths while the arrestee or detainee is in the custodial care of the LAPD, accidental and animal shootings and other investigations as directed by the Chief of Detectives.
100 W. First Street Suite 431
(213) 486-5230 (Main)
The OIG is separate and independent from the Department. The OIG also reviews investigations specific to all officer-involved shootings and significant uses of force that result in death or hospitalization, as well as complaint investigations of police officer misconduct. The OIG conducts its own performance-related audits, as well as other reviews.
For further contact, please call (213) 893-6400.
https://www.oig.lacity.org/
2019 O.I.S. Shootings and Critical Incidents
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Latina Lista: News from the Latinx perspective > Columns & Features > BlogBeat > Racial, Ethnic Disparities Stubbornly Endure in Juvenile Justice System, Expert Says
Racial, Ethnic Disparities Stubbornly Endure in Juvenile Justice System, Expert Says
inBlogBeat, zNew Headline
By Daryl Khan
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
BOSTON — The video should not have come as a shock to this audience. If anyone is sensitive to the subject matter — how race and racial bias subtly and expressly influence people’s decision-making — it is this group of probation officers, administrators and experts gathered at a symposium on probation reform hosted by the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps in Boston. They had gathered to listen to a workshop wonkily entitled: “Balancing the Scales: Effective Strategies for Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System.”
These are people who are familiar with the persistent problem of having black youth in their facilities at a rate far out of whack with the population. They are the ones who obsess over data, examining every point of contact to identify and ferret examples of implicit bias.
Tiana Davis
But despite that familiarity with the problems and ways to fix it, the almost comically obvious videothat Tiana Davis, the policy director for equity and justice at the Center of Law and Children’s Policy, plays from a popular television show still disturbs the 20 or so juvenile justice professionals in the room.
It’s from “What Would You Do?” A young, casually dressed white guy — maybe in his late teens or early 20s — is trying to cut the lock on a bike in a park. He’s an actor. The show’s hidden cameras capture the made-for-TV social experiment that follows.
First the actor uses a hammer, then a saw to try to break through the chain lock until he graduates to an industrial-strength bolt cutter. The host’s voice pipes up: “You see this and you wonder did he lose his keys or is he blatantly trying to steal this bike?”
What follows is a series of half-hearted attempts from white passers-by to inquire about what the young man is up to. At one point someone asks point-blank if the locked bike is his. In an hour more than 100 people pass by, including a black family, but aside from some questioning they do nothing to stop the theft. Only an elderly white couple, George and Arlene, confront the young man.
“I remember thinking young white men don’t carry burglary tools,” says one black woman when she is interviewed and made aware of the show’s participation in the stunt.
And then the show’s producers replace the white actor with a black one, roughly the same age, same clothes, same tools grinding away at the bike’s chain. This time the reaction is instant and almost violently confrontational. Within minutes the young black man is surrounded by a crowd of white vigilantes demanding that someone call the police. The crowd turns angry; a woman snaps pictures of the young black man.
“Got you,” she says with gleeful spite.
As she watches this scene unfold during the workshop, Lisa Hill, who is superintendent of a juvenile facility in Oakland, California, is clearly troubled by the scene. Her jaw clenches, her eyebrows furrow, she shakes her head almost imperceptibly with disgust.
At the end of the scene Davis asks for people’s response. Many attendees express their displeasure with how this scenario played out, but Hill’s response is almost visceral.
“For me I was feeling a little anxious,” Hill said. “I was trying to avoid being angry about that because I know that that’s real. I’ve never experienced [it] to that degree because I have never stolen a bike, but I’ve been followed around in the store.”
The scene was also an example of how white youth sometimes do not get needed attention from the system, she said. Consider, she pointed out, here is a young man who is out in broad daylight, with a sack full of tools, stealing a bike. At the very least someone should have called authorities so he could get an evaluation to see if he had mental or emotional problems.
“So I was really angry watching that,” Hill said.
How DMC hurts juvenile justice system
Davis cribbed notes from two much more in-depth publications put out by her organization — the Practice Manual and the Graduated Responses Toolkit — to lay out the scope of the problem of “disproportionate minority contact” and the ways juvenile justice systems can root it out and prevent it. Her organization’s goal is to “enhance equity” in the juvenile justice system.
“This isn’t about changing the social conditions,” she said, such as curing poverty, or changing the youth or the families. “It is targeted to the juvenile justice system itself.”
First she asked a simple question: Why is it important to you?
“Fairness is a fundamental value in our society, and it’s important in this juvenile justice system. Unfairness creates ineffectiveness,” she said. “We want to make sure that we are fairly treating youth that are coming into the system, and that we’re being effective,
This is not just a moral imperative, but a practical one for professionals working in the system, Davis said.
“We know from the research that youth are not likely to engage in the system that they perceive as unfair,” she said. “If there’s a perception of unfairness then you’re going to have an even greater challenge at being effective with the young people that you are working with in the system.”
After laying out the various technical and utilitarian reasons that these racial biases and disproportional outcomes undermine the system, Davis said that ultimately: “It’s just the right thing to do.”
Davis described what she called the three widely identified key indicators of how race corrupts the juvenile justice system. First there is overrepresentation of youth of color in the system. When youth of color are held in facilities in greater percentages than their population in the community, then you have a textbook example of overrepresentation.
Next she identified disparate treatment of youth of color. She said they — more than their white counterparts — tend to receive harsher, more punitive treatment. As illustrated starkly by the bike stealing video: two kids, same age, same offense, but with different skin color and experiencing sharply different outcomes.
And the final indicator, she said, is how once a youth of color enters the system he moves deeper into the system. She said too often youth of color will descend into the deep end of the system while their white counterparts — through diversion or lighter sentencing — end up in the shallower end.
The data, Davis said, bear this out. Researchers at the Center for Law were studying one of its jurisdictions when they made a troubling discovery. They found the number one reason why youth of color were in secure detention facilities was because they had violated court orders for truancy proceedings.
“Here you have one of the most intensive interventions you can have in the juvenile justice system — removing them from their communities, from their families, putting them into a locked facility — because they missed school,” Davis said. “We consider that an abuse in many ways of that type of intervention of incarceration, and certainly that is unnecessary. Completely off the wall.”
Davis projected a chart illustrating the numerous points where a youth could end up in the shallow end or the deep end of the system at every stage in the process. For example, if there’s an arrest the deep end of the system is law enforcement and probation, the shallow end is diversion or community service. In nearly every stage of process, she said, youth of color are treated more harshly than white youth.
How to stop disparities
Paul Daniels, the court manager for King County, which covers Seattle, said his department has started a “decision point framework” based on a similar model.
“We’ve basically looked at every decision point from first law enforcement contact to all the way up to including probation to when a decision is made. We’ve done all we can to identify … how and why that decision is being made,” said Daniels, who attended the workshop. “We’ve looked at the police contact, the referral to the prosecution attorney, diversion. What are the racial and ethnic breakdowns? We’re trying to get to the point where kids are treated equally and no one is over-represented. That’s one of our number one priorities in King County.”
Davis laid out five approaches to rolling back racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system. She encouraged collaboration between agencies within the system, but also with systems that touch juvenile justice such as schools, child welfare and mental health institutions.
She stressed a commitment to learning how to use sound data and what it can tell us to drive change. Sometimes that data can yield counterintuitive results, she said.
John Ryals Jr., Evaluation/Treatment Supervisor,
Jefferson Parish Department of Juvenile Services
For example, despite the popular perception that law enforcement is singling out black youths, 30 percent of youth arrests in New Orleans were triggered by calls coming from their community, said John Ryals, evaluation/treatment supervisor of Jefferson Parish (Louisiana) Department of Juvenile Services. He was speaking at another workshop.
When they dug into the data, they found that only 10 percent of the youth entering the system were there as a result of a police officer on patrol making a stop and an arrest, he said.
Ryals said this information allowed his boss Roy Juncker, director of the Department of Juvenile Services, to concentrate on outreach and developing other programs in the community to figure out how to remedy the situation there instead of devoting all the resources to law enforcement.
“The data allows us to focus all of our efforts on creating better outcomes for the kids, which is at the end of the day what we all want,” Ryals said.
It’s crucial to have policies and practices based on objective criteria, Davis said. When professionals go with their gut, he or she is most likely to let bias sneak into the decision-making process.
Finally, she pointed to “culturally responsive programs” that engage communities of color in new ways that allow the system to be able to better serve them. “They’re greater stakeholders in this, even more than us,” she said. “This is their lives.”
She said even if you do intercede on behalf of a youth of color and divert him from going into the “deep end” of the system it’s of no use if they end up in a program that doesn’t work for them.
“If the program they go to doesn’t serve them you might as well not have not sent them there at all,” she said.
‘The numbers don’t change’
In an interview after the workshop, Hill said she learned an uncomfortable secret after her daughter started working in a retail store: Security guards told her that it was common practice for employees at stores to come and politely ask people they suspected of shoplifting: Can I help you with anything? When Hill learned that tidbit it struck her how many times over the years she was approached while she was shopping and asked that very thing.
“Maybe I was naive,” she said. “Like I said, I never stole a bike, but I’ve gone shopping.”
Her own experience is an example, Hill said, of the deeper, cultural battle over race that needs to be won to really curb the persistence of disproportionate outcomes along racial and ethnic lines in the juvenile justice system.
More than a decade ago, she led workshops and presentations like the one she had just sat through, she said. Back then she too cautioned juvenile justice professionals against implicit bias, and encouraged them to let objective criteria guide their decision-making instead of their gut. But a decade later the problem still plagues juvenile justice systems across the country.
“We called it something different back then but the proposals were the same. Unfortunately the numbers don’t change,” she said. “That video reveals where we are. I feel like there is a certain level of racism that goes along with those numbers.”
Hill noted how the black family from the video thought the white thief was an employee.
“They’ve been so negatively affected by the bias that they see their own faces as criminal,” she said. “They couldn’t see that white young man as a criminal, even when it’s right there in your face.”
She used to attend citywide meetings to talk about the subject with other stakeholders, Hill said. One conversation stands out still. She was at a pre-meeting with the presiding judge in the district. She asked the judge to consider a hypothetical. What if out of 25 people on the docket on a given day, 20 were in wheelchairs?
“You’re going to say to yourself, wow, there must be something going on with kids in wheelchairs. I need to look into this and figure out what’s going on,” Hill said. “Why don’t black youth get the same attention? Why doesn’t anyone try to figure out what is going on?”
The judge, Hill said, just looked at her. She didn’t have an answer.
African American, criminal justice system, juvenile justice, latino, law enforcement, minorities, youth
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Operation Fatherhood
ENGLAND – Judge begs couple to end ‘financial suicide’ in £860,000 divorce battle
UK – Online sperm donor ordered to pay maintenance for child after judge rules he is the father
WALES/ENGLAND – The Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (Commencement No. 11 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2013
Filed under Statutory Instrument
2013 No. 1860 (C. 79)
The Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (Commencement No. 11 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2013
Made 23rd July 2013
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 62(3) and (4) of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008(1):
Citation and interpretation
1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (Commencement No. 11 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2013.
(2) In this Order—
“1991 Act” means the Child Support Act 1991(2);
“2000 Act” means the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000(3);
“2008 Act” means the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008;
“2012 Regulations” means the Child Support Maintenance Calculation Regulations 2012(4);
“new calculation rules” means Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the 1991 Act as amended by the provisions specified in article 2.
(3) In this Order, subject to paragraph (5)—
“maintenance calculation”, “non-resident parent”, “person with care” and “qualifying child” have the meanings given in the 1991 Act(5);
“absent parent” and “maintenance assessment” have the meanings given in the 1991 Act before its amendment by the 2000 Act.
(4) In this Order, a reference to an existing case is to a case in which there is—
(a)a maintenance assessment in force;
(b)a maintenance calculation, made otherwise than in accordance with the new calculation rules, in force;
(c)an application for a maintenance assessment which has been made but not determined; or
(d)an application for a maintenance calculation, which falls to be made otherwise than in accordance with the new calculation rules, which has been made but not determined.
(a)a reference to a non-resident parent includes reference to a person who is—
(i)alleged to be the non-resident parent for the purposes of an application for child support maintenance under the 1991 Act, or
(ii)treated as the non-resident parent for the purposes of the 1991 Act; and
(b)a reference to an absent parent includes reference to a person who is—
(i)alleged to be the absent parent for the purposes of an application for child support maintenance under the 1991 Act, or
(ii)treated as the absent parent for the purposes of the 1991 Act.
Appointed day for the coming into effect of the new calculation rules
2. The following provisions of the 2008 Act come into force, in so far as those provisions are not already in force, on 29th July 2013 for the purposes of those types of cases falling within article 3—
(a)section 16 (changes to the calculation of maintenance) and paragraph 1 of Schedule 4 (introductory), so far as relating to the paragraphs referred to in paragraph (b);
(b)paragraphs 2, 3 and 5 to 10 of Schedule 4 (changes to the calculation of maintenance);
(c)sections 17 (power to regulate supersession) and 18 (determination of applications for a variation);
(d)section 57(1) and paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 7 (minor and consequential amendments), so far as relating to the paragraph referred to in paragraph (e);
(e)paragraph 1(2) and (29) of Schedule 7;
(f)section 58 (repeals), so far as relating to the entries referred to in paragraph (g); and
(g)in Schedule 8 (repeals), the entries relating to—
(i)Schedule 1 (maintenance calculations) to the 1991 Act, and
(ii)Schedule 24 (social security, child support and tax credits) to the Civil Partnership Act 2004(6).
Cases to which the new calculation rules apply
3. (1) The types of cases falling within this article, for the purposes of article 2, are those cases satisfying any of paragraphs (2) to (4).
(2) A case satisfies this paragraph where—
(a)an application under section 4 or 7 of the 1991 Act(7) is made to the Secretary of State on or after 29th July 2013;
(b)that application is made in respect of two or three qualifying children with the same person with care and the same non-resident parent; and
(c)subject to paragraph (5), there is no existing case which has both the same person with care and the same non-resident parent referred to in sub-paragraph (b).
(3) A case satisfies this paragraph where it is an existing case and—
(a)the non-resident parent in a case falling within paragraph (2) is also the non-resident parent or absent parent in relation to the existing case; and
(b)the person with care in relation to the existing case is not the person with care in relation to the case falling within paragraph (2).
(a)the non-resident parent or absent parent (“A”) is a partner of a non-resident parent in a case falling within paragraph (2) (“B”); and
(b)A or B is in receipt of a prescribed benefit.
(5) Where—
(a)the applicant in relation to an existing case makes a request to the Secretary of State under section 4(5) or 7(6) of the 1991 Act to cease acting; and
(b)a further application is made under section 4 or 7 of the 1991 Act in relation to the same qualifying child, person with care and non-resident parent on or after 29th July 2013, but before the expiry of 13 weeks from the date of cessation of action by the Secretary of State,
the case is to be treated as an existing case (and so is not a case that satisfies paragraph (2)).
(6) For the purposes of paragraphs (2)(a) and (5)(b), the date an application is made is—
(a)where made by telephone, the date it is made; and
(b)where made by post, the date of receipt by the Secretary of State.
(7) For the purposes of paragraph (4)—
“partner” has the meaning given in paragraph 10C(4) (references to various terms) of Schedule 1 to the 1991 Act as amended by the 2000 Act(8);
“prescribed benefit” means a benefit prescribed, or treated as prescribed, for the purposes of paragraph 4(1)(c) (flat rate) of Schedule 1 to the 1991 Act as amended by the 2000 Act.
(8) For the purposes of paragraph (5)(b), the date of cessation of action by the Secretary of State is—
(a)where there is a maintenance assessment or maintenance calculation in force, the date on which the liability under that assessment or calculation ends as a result of the request to cease acting; and
(b)where there is an application still to be determined, the date notified to the person with care as the date on which the Secretary of State has ceased acting.
Appointed day for coming into force of a repeal within the 2008 Act
4. In Schedule 8 (repeals) of the 2008 Act, the entry relating to section 28 (pilot schemes) of the 2000 Act comes into force on 29th July 2013.
Transitional provision for existing cases
5. Where a case falls within article 3(3) or (4), the provisions of the 1991 Act continue to apply—
(a)as they were in force immediately before the coming into force of the provisions in article 2 in relation to that case;
(b)until the maintenance calculation made in response to the application referred to in article 3(2)(a) takes effect.
Amendment of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (Commencement No.10 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2012
6. With effect from 29th July 2013, Article 6 of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (Commencement No.10 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2012(9) is omitted.
Transitional provision when making the maintenance calculation
7. For the period beginning on 29th July 2013 and ending on the date on which the new calculation rules come into force for all purposes—
(a)regulation 34(2) of the 2012 Regulations (the general rule for determining gross weekly income) shall be read as if after paragraph (b) there were inserted—
(c)the Secretary of State is unable, for whatever reason, to request or obtain the required information from HMRC.”;
(b)regulation 42(1)(a) of the 2012 Regulations (estimate of current income where insufficient information available) shall be read as if after “34(2)(b) (historic income nil or not available)” there were inserted “or (c) (Secretary of State unable to request or obtain information from HMRC).”;
(c)regulation 69(5) of the 2012 Regulations (non-resident parent with unearned income) shall be read as if after paragraph (b) there were inserted—
(c)the Secretary of State is unable, for whatever reason, to request or obtain the information from HMRC.”.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order brings into force provisions of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (c. 6) (“the 2008 Act”) for the purpose of applying new rules for calculating child support maintenance to certain applications made on or after 29th July 2013 and certain cases linked to those applications.
The 2008 Act amends the statutory scheme for calculation, collection and enforcement of child support maintenance, as originally set out in the Child Support Act 1991 (c. 48) (“the 1991 Act”) and amended by the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 (c. 19)(“the 2000 Act”). The amendments made by the 2000 Act were brought into force by the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 (Commencement No.12) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/192) for new applications after 3rd March 2003 and for existing cases related to such applications. However, the original provisions of the 1991 Act remained in force for a substantial number of cases, effectively resulting in two separate schemes. The 2008 Act makes further amendments to the rules for calculating child support maintenance. These provisions together constitute a third scheme (“the new calculation rules”). The Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (Commencement No. 10 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/3042) (“the 2012 Order”) brought the majority of the amendments made by the 2008 Act into force for new applications made on or after 10th December 2012 where there were four or more children with the same person with care and non-resident parent and no existing case with the same person with care and non-resident parent and for certain existing cases related to such applications.
Article 2 brings into force the majority of the amendments made to the new calculation rules on 29th July 2013 for the purposes of certain types of cases, which are set out in article 3.
Article 3 provides that the cases to which the new calculation rules will apply are those new applications made on or after 29th July 2013 which relate to two or three qualifying children with both the same person with care and non-resident parent, where there is no existing case with the same person with care and the same non-resident parent. For the purposes of considering whether there is an existing case, article 3(5) makes provision so that any case voluntarily closed in the thirteen weeks preceding the new application will still be considered an existing case and prevent the new calculation rules applying.
The new calculation rules will also apply to any existing case in which the non-resident parent named in the new application is also the non-resident parent and there is a different parent with care (article 3(3)). The new calculation rules will also apply to any existing case in which the non-resident parent is the partner of a non-resident parent named in a new application, and either of those non-resident parents claims a prescribed benefit (article 3(4)).
Article 4 brings into force a repeal relating to pilot schemes on 29th July 2013.
Article 5 makes transitional provision so that the new calculation rules only apply to the existing case from the date the calculation made in response to the new application takes effect.
Article 6 omits a transitional provision in relation to the maintenance calculation from the 2012 Order, with effect from 29th July 2013.
Article 7 makes transitional provision in relation to the mainteance calculation. During the period beginning on 29th July 2013 and ending when the new scheme rules are commenced for all purposes, three provisions of the Child Support Maintenance Calculation Regulations 2012 are to be read as if additional words were inserted. The effect of this is as follows. Article 7(1)(a) allows a non-resident parent’s gross weekly income to be calculated on the basis of current income if the Secretary of State is unable to request or obtain information from HMRC. Article 7(1)(b) allows the Secretary of State to estimate income where the Secretary of State is unable to request or obtain information from HMRC and the current income information available is insufficient or unreliable. Article 7(1)(c) allows the Secretary of State, in cases where the Secretary of State is unable to request or obtain information from HMRC, to determine the amount of a non-resident parent’s unearned income by reference to the most recent tax year, based, as far as possible, on information that would be required to be provided in a self-assessment tax return.
NOTE AS TO EARLIER COMMENCEMENT ORDERS
The following provisions of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 have been brought into force by commencement order made before the date of this Order:
Date of Commencement
S.I. No.
section 1 (partially) 10th June 2008 2008/1476
section 1 (for all other purposes) 24th July 2008 2008/2033
section 2 24th July 2008 2008/2033
section 3 (partially) 24th July 2008 2008/2033
section 3 (for all other purposes) 1st November 2008 2008/2675
section 10 24th July 2008 2008/2033
section 13 1st November 2008 2008/2675
section 15 (partially) 14th July 2008 2008/1476
section 15 (for all other purposes) 27th October 2008 2008/2548
section 16 (partially) 8th October 2012 2012/2523
section 16 (partially) 10th December 2012 2012/3042
section 20 (partially) 26th September 2008 2008/2548
section 22 (partially) 1st June 2009 2009/1314
section 22 (for all other purposes) 3rd August 2009 2009/1314
section 24 6th April 2010 2010/697
section 31 (partially) 26th November 2009 2009/3072
section 31 (for all other purposes) 25th January 2010 2009/3072
section 32 (for all other purposes) 10th December 2012 2012/3042
section 37 8th October 2012 2012/2523
section 38 26th November 2009 2009/3072
section 43 5th August 2008 2008/2033
section 46 (partially) 10th June 2008 2008/1476
section 46 (for all other purposes) 1st October 2008 2008/1476
section 51 1st October 2008 2008/1476
section 56 10th June 2008 2008/1476
section 57(1) (partially) 27th October 2008 2008/2548
section 57(1) (partially) 1st November 2008 2008/2675
section 57(1) (partially) 1st June 2009 2009/1314
section 57(1) (partially) 3rd August 2009 2009/1314
section 57(1) (partially) 8th October 2012 2012/2523
section 57(1) (partially) 10th December 2012 2012/3042
section 57(2) 10th June 2008 2008/1476
section 58 (partially) 27th October 2008 2008/2548
section 58 (partially) 1st November 2008 2008/2675
Schedule 1 (partially) 10th June 2008 2008/1476
Schedule 1 (for all other purposes) 24th July 2008 2008/2033
Schedule 2 1st November 2008 2008/2675
Schedule 3 (partially) See article 2(a) of Commencement Order No. 4(10) 2008/2675
Schedule 3 (for all other purposes) 1st November 2008 2008/2675
Schedule 4 (partially) 8th October 2012 2012/2523
Schedule 4 (partially) 10th December 2012 2012/3042
Schedule 7 (partially) 14th July 2008 2008/1476
Schedule 7 (partially) 27th October 2008 2008/2548
Schedule 7 (partially) 1st November 2008 2008/2675
Schedule 7 (partially) 1st June 2009 2009/1314
Schedule 7 (partially) 3rd August 2009 2009/1314
Schedule 7 (partially) 6th April 2010 2010/697
2008 c.6.
1991 c.48.
2000 c. 19. The relevant amendments to the Child Support Act 1991 (“the 1991 Act”) were made by sections 1 and 26 of, and paragraph 11(1), (2) and (20) of Schedule 3 to, the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 (“the 2000 Act”).
S.I. 2012/2677.
The definition of “maintenance calculation” was substituted for the definition of “maintenance assessment” in section 54 of the 1991 Act by section 26 of, and paragraph 11(1) and (20)(d) of Schedule 3 to, the 2000 Act. The term “non-resident parent” was substituted for the term “absent parent” by section 26 of, and paragraph 11(1) and (2) of Schedule 3 to, the 2000 Act. The definition of “qualifying child” in section 3(1) of the 1991 Act was amended by section 26 of, and paragraph 11(1) and (2) of Schedule 3 to, the 2000 Act.
2004 c. 33.
Section 4 was amended by section 18(1) of the Child Support Act 1995 (c. 34), paragraph 19 of Schedule 7, and Schedule 8, to the Social Security Act 1998 (c. 14) (“the 1998 Act”), sections 1(2) and 2(1) to (3) of, and paragraph 11(1) to (3) of Schedule 3 to, the 2000 Act, section 35(1) of, and Schedule 8 to, the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (c. 6) (“the 2008 Act”) and S.I. 2012/2007. Section 7 was amended by paragraph 21 of Schedule 7, and Schedule 8, to the 1998 Act, section 1(2) of, and paragraph 11(1),(2) and (4) of Schedule 3 to, the 2000 Act, section 35(2) of the 2008 Act and S.I. 2012/2007.
Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the 1991 Act was substituted by section 1(3) of, and Schedule 1 to, the 2000 Act.
Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (Commencement No. 4 and Transitional Provision) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/2675) (C. 116).
SOURCE: Statutory Instrument
Permanent link to this article: http://operationfatherhood.org/family-law-private/statutory-instrument/walesengland-the-child-maintenance-and-other-payments-act-2008-commencement-no-11-and-transitional-provisions-order-2013/
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Elected to the Scottish League 1891
1877-1886 b c n
1886-circa1898 c n
1898-1903 n
1903-1913 b n
1920-1921 u
1934-circa 1935 b
1935-1937 d f n
Badge worn Oct 1935-Feb 1936
Aug-Sept 1946 t
Oct 1946 t
Nov 1946-1947 n
1948-Dec 1949 n
Jan-May 1950 n
1955 Special b n
Scottish Cup Final
1955-1956 1 n
1955-1956 2 t
Warm weather kit
1956-1957 n p
1957-1960 r
1960-1963 n r
1963-1965 d n
1968-1970 j n
1970-1975 b d j
Centenary crest
1979-1981 j q
1982-1984 j o
Solripe logo adopted mid-season
1984-1986 b j m o
Matzudo
1987-1988 m o
1999-2001 h j o
Virma
2001-2002 e h o
2003-2004 g o
2005-2006 b o
2008-2009 b t
Although there was a club known as Clyde FC formed in 1872, they existed for only a single season. The present club was formed in 1877 and originally played in white and blue. Known as the "Bully Wee" they are one of Glasgow's oldest clubs. (Their nickname means "good little (club)" - bully as in "bully for you".) Originally they played at Barrowfield Park, adjacent to the River Clyde (from which they took their name) in the Bridgeton (pronounced "Brig-ton") area of the city close to Parkhead, where Celtic would become established in 1888.
Clyde were elected to the Scottish League in 1891 when it was expanded to 12 clubs but in 1893 they finished in last place and went into the new Second Division. They finished third and under the rules of the time they successfully applied for election to Division One (leaving Hibernian and Cowlairs, who had finished ahead of them, to languish in the lower division). In 1896 they moved to the other side of the River Clyde to the Shawfield Stadium, their home for the next 90 years.
The club had to seek re-election on four occasions and in 1900 they were relegated back to the Second Division (automatic promotion and relegation was not adopted until after the First World War). They returned to the top level in 1906 and finished in third place three times before the outbreak of war in 1914. In 1915 they won the Glasgow Cup, a competition they would win again in 1926, 1947, 1952 and 1959. In 1924, they were relegated but returned to Division One after only two seasons.
In 1935, facing financial difficulties, Clyde sold their Shawfield ground to their tenants, the Greyhound Racing Association, a decision that would come back to haunt them 50 years later. In 1939 the Bully Wee won the Scottish Cup, beating Motherwell 4-0 in the final.
Clyde's traditional colours since the late 20s have been red trimmed white shirts and black shorts.
During the 1950s, while unable to compete with the Old Firm clubs, Clyde laid claim to being Glasgow's third team with further Scottish Cup wins in 1955 and 1958. For much of this period the team reverted to playing in red shirts and white shorts but in 1963 they went back to white shirts, perhaps because the red and white strip was almost identical to their close rivals, Third Lanark. In 1967 they finished third in the league but were denied a place in the Inter-City Fairs Cup (forerunner of the UEFA Cup) because only one club from each city could qualify (Rangers had finished second). This proved to be the club's high water mark and decline followed. They spent 1972-73 in the Second Division and when the Scottish League was restructured in 1975 with the formation of the Premier Division, Clyde went into the new First Division (tier two).
During the Sixties, the letters "CFC" sometimes appeared on the team shirts. After 1977 (Clyde's centenary season) the club crest, which featured a sailing ship to represent the long tradition of shipbuilding on the River Clyde, was adopted. Although the colours varied slightly over time, the basic design appears to have remained unchanged.
After relegation to Division Two (tier three) in 1976, Clyde bounced backwards and forwards before establishing themselves in the First Division during the 1980s. In 1986 they were evicted from their home at Shawfield Stadium when the owners decided to concentrate on greyhound racing. After years of sharing grounds with Partick Thistle (their arch rivals - a deeply unpopular arrangement) and later Hamilton Academical, Clyde moved to Cumbernauld new town in 1994 where they struggled to attract spectators. At the end of the 1993-94 season the Scottish League was again restructured and Clyde found themselves in the new ten-team Second Division (third tier).
In 2000 Clyde won promotion back to the First Division and made a serious challenge to joining the elite Premier League, finishing as runners-up in 2003 and 2004. The margin between success and failure in these ten-team divisions, however, is narrow and in 2009 they finished last and were relegated to the third tier where, in 2011 they finished up with the wooden spoon.
In December 2010 the club informed their landlord, North Lanarkshire Council that they intended to quit Broadwood but no alternative base was immediately found. In April 2013 the board called an Extraordinary General Meeting when, by a substantial majority, they were authorised to relocate the club to East Kilbride, which is just 15 minutes drive from its original home in Rutherglen. Negotiations were started with the East Kilbride Community Trust with a view to building a brand new stadium on vacant land in Langlands but their offer to buy the plot was rejected by the owners, South Lanarkshire Council and the club announced in October 2014 that other options would now be considered.
(a) Clyde MAD
(b) Official Clyde FC website - this has an excellent history section
(c) Brian McColl
(d) London Hearts
(e) Premiershirts
(f) e-bay
(g) Colours of Football
(i) Ross Paterson
(j) SNSpix
(k) Mark Parker
(l) Aberdeen FC - Images of Sport 1903-1973 (Paul Lunney 2000)
(m) Ralph Pomeroy
(n) Alick Milne
(o) Alan Paterson
(p) My photo library
(q) Donald Gellatly (HFK Research Associate)
(r) Keith Ellis
(s) William Kay
(t) Ian McConnel
(u) Football & the First World War
Photograph courtesy of Clyde FC Official Website. Crests are the property of Clyde FC.
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Topaz Goldsmiths and Gallery
Articles in February 2016
Pizza Hut Marks Big Game's Golden Anniversary With Pizza Glistening in Edible Gold
Pizza Hut is celebrating the golden anniversary of the Super Bowl with a special pizza glistening in edible gold.
Fifty lucky fans who order a Stuffed Garlic Knots Pizza on the day of the big game, Sunday, February 7, will be surprised when a Pizza Hut delivery person drives up with a special-edition gilded version topped with $100 worth of edible 24-karat gold. The pizza will be presented in a specially designed golden box along with a $100 Pizza Hut Gold Card. Carryout and dine-in customers are also eligible to win.
Super Bowl Sunday is the year's biggest single day of pizza consumption in the U.S., according to Ad Age. Pizza Hut expects to deliver well over two million pizzas this Sunday, a jump of 80% to 90% from a typical day.
"It's not every day that the Golden Anniversary of the Big Game is played in the Golden State, so we felt it was only appropriate to celebrate with a limited-edition Golden Garlic Knots Pizza," said Jared Drinkwater, Pizza Hut's vice president of marketing, in a statement.
You don't have to order the $12.99 pizza to be eligible to win the gilded version. It's also possible to enter by emailing the Pizza Hut PR team between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. EST on February 7. Entries can be earned by sending an email with the subject line “Golden Garlic Knots Pizza Giveaway” to PR@PizzaHut.com with your complete name, mailing address, date of birth, and phone number (including area code). Each email will immediately trigger a winning or losing result.
Sadly, the promotion is limited to residents of only seven states: Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana and West Virginia.
Credits: Screen captures via YouTube; Pizza Hut.
Amethyst: Here Are 10 Fun Facts About February's Regal Birthstone
For centuries, historians and jewelry lovers alike have been enchanted by the mystique of amethyst, the official birthstone of February. A member of the mineral quartz family, amethyst radiates a wide array of regal purple hues ranging from sparkling lilac to sultry deep violet. Amethyst is associated with spirituality, sobriety, security and wisdom. It is also the zodiac stone for the constellation of Pisces.
The alluring gemstone has been the focus of many intriguing myths and legends throughout history. The name "amethyst" is derived from Greek, meaning "not drunken." According to Ancient Greek lore, the stone could ward off the intoxicating powers of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and intoxication, and keep the wearer clear-headed and quick-witted. The color purple was traditionally the color of royalty, and amethyst was used to adorn the richest and most powerful monarchs and rulers. The English revered the stone for its majestic properties — creating emblems and insignia featuring amethysts during the Middle Ages to symbolize royalty.
Historically, the highest-quality amethysts were found in Russia and were featured in royal European jewelry. While Brazil is now the primary source of this gemstone, fine-quality amethyst can also be found in parts of Zambia, Mexico, Uruguay, Italy, Germany, Canada, Maine, Colorado, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Cut gems of amethyst are often graded using the terms: Siberian, Uruguayan or Bahain, representing high, medium and low-grade stones regardless of the actual source. Due to patchiness of the color distribution in the crystals, amethyst is often cut as brilliant round finished gems to maximize the color.
10 Fun Facts About Amethyst
1. Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February, and the official gem for Wednesday, Jupiter and those born under the sign of Pisces.
2. Amethyst is the official gemstone of the province of Ontario.
3. Amethyst has been used to symbolize deep love, happiness, humility, sincerity and wealth.
4. Amethyst was once revered as the "Jewel of the Gods.”
5. Amethyst rings are traditionally worn by Bishops; some believe that amethyst brings good luck to petitioners.
6. Farmers believed wearing amethyst would protect their crops from hailstones and locusts.
7. The Hebrew word for amethyst is "ahlamah,” meaning "dream;” the stone was said to cause dreams and visions… and if you dream of amethyst, you will be free from harm.
8. Amethyst was the emblem for Matthew, one of the Twelve Apostles.
9. Leonardo da Vinci believed amethyst had the power to control evil thoughts, to quicken intelligence, and to make men shrewd in business matters.
10. Prasiolite, a rare dark green variety of quartz, is sometimes (wrongly) called green amethyst.
Credits: Photo of a large cushion-cut amethyst from the National Gem Collection, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Photo by Chip Clark. Amethyst geode by Didier Descouens (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.
Music Friday: Reflective Justin Bieber Sings, 'If You Had a Diamond for All of Your Passion, Diamond for Your Dedication'
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you superb songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we have a reenergized and reflective Justin Bieber singing about seizing the moment and pursuing ones dreams in his uplifting treatise, "All In It."
In this song co-written by Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd, Mark "The Mogul" Jackson, Mason "MdL" Levy and Josh Gudwin, Bieber reminds us that we all have potential to do great things — if we are willing to give 100%.
He sings, "If you had a diamond for all of your passion / Diamond for your dedication / You could be icy like cake / Icy for every occasion / Gotta go hard, yeah / That's all I'm condoning / Love is a component / You’re the only opponent / Gotta seize the moment."
"All In It" is featured as a bonus track on Bieber's 2015 album, Purpose. The album, which already has spawned three U.S Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers, has been a tremendous commercial and critical success. MTV called the album "lyrically revealing and sonically appealing." Fans agreed, as the album made its debut at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 522,000 copies in its first week of release.
For the 21-year-old Bieber, it's been a time for soul-searching after a tumultuous period of broken relationships and eyebrow-raising behavior. In the 18 compelling tracks of Purpose, Bieber admits his mistakes and challenges himself to be a better man.
The Canadian born Justin Drew Bieber made his mark on the music industry in 2007 as an adorable, fresh-faced 13 year old. Scooter Brown, the singer’s current manager, had spotted him on YouTube and was impressed by his talent and potential. With the permission of Bieber’s mom, Brown introduced the young man to singer-songwriter Usher, who soon became his mentor. Bieber was then signed by record executive L.A. Reid and the rest is Bieber history.
Bieber, who will turn 22 on March 1, is the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Forbes magazine named the young artist as one of the top 10 most powerful celebrities in the world in 2011, 2012 and 2013. He has more than 75 million “likes” on Facebook, 74.7 million followers on Twitter and 53.4 million followers on Instagram.
We hope you enjoy the audio track of "All In It." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along.
"All In It"
Written by Justin Bieber, Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd, Mark "The Mogul" Jackson, Mason "MdL" Levy and Josh Gudwin. Performed by Justin Bieber.
Don't do nothin' 'less your heart's in it
Heart's in it, heart's in it
Don't do nothin' 'less you're all in it
All in it, all in it
If you got a 20 for all of your tries
Twenty for all of the times
The times you got back up, whoa
Could be a billionaire in a year
That's how you gotta think 'til you're there
On the regular
If you had a diamond for all of your passion
Diamond for your dedication
You could be icy like cake
Icy for every occasion
Gotta go hard, yeah
That's all I'm condoning
Love is a component
You’re the only opponent
Gotta seize the moment
And don't do nothin' 'less your heart's in it
Come again each time
'Til the water runs dry
Oh don't do nothin' 'less you're all in it
Oh, oh
If I had a guitar missing five strings
A guitar with only one string
I could only play one song, ooh
A simple melody
Simple enough to make the world sing
Strong enough to make your mood swing
You know what I mean
You're the only opponent
See, growing up, I
I always felt like I had to be the best at everything
Cause I, I just didn't think I was good enough
And, and maybe if I was good at something that I'd get recognition from that but
I quickly found out that I wasn't gonna get the recognition that I wanted or that I needed because
Because people aren't perfect and by not being perfect you sometimes can disappoint people
And with God it's like he's perfect
And he never disappoints
So I just get my recognition from him
And give him recognition
Image credit: Instagram/JustinBieber
NRF: Consumers Will Spend $4.45 Billion on Jewelry This Valentine's Day
Romantic shoppers are set to spend $4.45 billion on necklaces, earrings and other jewelry items this Valentine's Day, according to a new survey published by the National Retail Federation (NRF). The jewelry category was narrowly edged out by "An evening out," which is expected to be the top category and generate $4.49 billion in sales. Flowers will lag well behind at $1.99 billion.
This year's Valentine-related jewelry purchases are predicted to be up 50.8% compared to 2010, when they tallied $2.95 billion.
The NRF reports that nearly one in five Valentine celebrants (19.9%) plans to purchase jewelry this year, with the average retail expenditure of about $166. By comparison, an average "evening out" is expected to cost $87, and the average gift of flowers will retail at $41.
Jewelry budgets will vary greatly, depending of the person's gender, income level and age.
For instance, men will outspend women $207 to $127, while those earning more than $50,000 per year will outspend their lower-earning counterparts by a tally of $191 to $126. Survey respondents ages 35 to 44 will be the most generous, spending $205, while the most cost-conscious age group (18- to 24-year-olds) will spend $126.
How much one intends to spend on a Valentine's gift also depends on who will be the recipient. Spouses will spend about $99 on each other, which is about double what they will spend on their children or parents ($50). Survey respondents also plan to buy gifts for co-workers ($54), friends ($36), children's classmates or teachers ($36) and pets ($26).
Overall, there are signs that people, in general, are less enthusiastic about Valentine's Day than they were in the past. Exactly 54.8% of respondents will celebrate on February 14, down from 63.4% in 2007. Despite the fall off in interest, total Valentine's Day retail spending is expected to climb to $19.7 billion, a survey high.
For the first time, the NRF asked consumers if they hoped to receive or plan to give a gift of "experience," such as tickets to a concert, a spa service or an art lesson. According to the survey, 24% said they plan to give a gift of experience, while nearly four in 10 (38.8%) said that they would love to receive a gift of experience.
“As the first major consumer holiday of 2016, Valentine’s Day could provide a positive boost in spending our economy needs,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Low gas prices and guaranteed promotions from retailers large and small should help consumers as they look for the perfect gift for their friends and family. Looking ahead, we’re optimistic consumers are in a good place when it comes to spending on discretionary items like gifts.”
The NRF’s 2016 Valentine’s Day spending survey was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to Valentine’s Day. The survey was conducted for NRF by Prosper Insights & Analytics. The poll of 7,293 consumers was conducted from January 5-12, 2016, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.2 percentage points.
Image: BigStockPhoto.com
Diamond-Ownership Study Reveals NY Ranks #1 in Quality While Maryland Earns #1 Spot for Size
A fascinating new diamond-ownership study reveals that New York ranks #1 in quality, while nearby Maryland rates #1 in size.
The survey by WP Diamonds, which specializes in the buy-back of diamonds, jewelry and watches, reviewed market data based on 15,000 consumer inquiries covering all 50 states. With this data, WP Diamonds was able to assign rankings to the states based on diamond value, diamond size and diamond shape.
The states that rank highest for the average value per carat are New York, Florida, California, Connecticut and Maryland. Rounding out the top 10 are New Jersey, Massachusetts, Kansas, Tennessee and Colorado.
The states where size really matters are Maryland, Michigan, Illinois, Alaska, New York, Texas, Florida, Virginia, Arkansas and California.
It's interesting to note that four states — including New York, Maryland, Florida and California — made the top 10 on both lists. New York is #1 in quality but also #5 in size. Maryland is #1 in size and #5 in quality.
The report also affirmed that the most popular diamond shape is round (55.38%), followed by princess (22.07%), marquise (4.8%), emerald (4.47%), cushion (4.12%), oval 2.67%, radiant (2.58%), pear (2.54%), heart (0.71%), Asscher (0.19%) and baguette (0.09%). WP Diamonds noted that the oval cut has gained in popularity since the company's first year in business. The oval now ranks sixth, up two places since 2010.
Even though the round and princess shapes account for more than three-quarters of the diamonds monitored in the survey, WP Diamonds was able to determine the states in which consumers are willing to step out of the box. For instance, marquise diamonds are most favored in Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia and Missouri, while emerald-cut diamonds are most popular in Rhode Island, Kansas, Texas, West Virginia and South Dakota. The cushion cut finds a receptive audience in Mississippi, Montana, South Carolina, Texas and Delaware. The up-and-coming oval shape gets a boost from Texas, Connecticut, West Virginia, California and Oregon.
WP Diamonds also reported the states with the most expensive second-hand jewelry. These include California, Florida, North Dakota, North Carolina and New Mexico.
See the full report here...
Images: Courtesy of WP Diamonds.
World's Second-Biggest Gem-Quality Diamond Has a New Name: 'Lesedi La Rona'
"Lesedi La Rona," which means "Our Light" in Setswana (the national language of Botswana), is the new name of the 1,111-carat gem-quality diamond discovered at Lucara's Karowe Mine in November of 2015. Thembani Moitlhobogi is 25,000 Pula richer after five judges picked "Lesedi La Rona" from more than 11,000 entries. The prize is equivalent to about $2,215.
"'Lesedi La Rona' symbolizes the pride and history of the people of Botswana," Lucara CEO William Lamb said in a statement. "The outpouring of pride and patriotism shown by all the participants in the contest was incredible."
The gem will soon embark on a road show to find a buyer.
"The biggest challenge on the road show is that the weight-to-value ratio of the stone makes it potentially the highest-value item on the planet," Lamb told Reuters.
"So because of the security around the stone, there will be no telling people where we are going to be taking it. We are not going to be putting any of that information out because we want to protect our asset."
Lucara had honored the people of Botswana with the task of officially naming the mammoth diamond, offering a cash prize to the Botswana citizen who could come up with the best moniker for the epic stone. Entrants were invited to submit their suggested name and their rationale for their choice. The 11-day competition ended on January 28.
Five executives from both the Lucara and the Karowe mines made up the judging panel. Entries were submitted on an anonymous basis, and to ensure transparency and independence during the name selection process, the audit firm of Ernst & Young was retained to oversee the competition.
The spectacular, chemically pure Type IIa diamond — the biggest diamond ever recovered in Botswana and the second largest ever found in the world — could be worth more than $66 million. Lucara has yet to set a price for the stone because the conventional scanners used to evaluate a rough diamond's potential worth are not large enough to accommodate its size.
Slightly smaller than a tennis ball and weighing nearly a half-pound, "Lesedi La Rona" has been called the "diamond of the century." Only the 3,106-carat Cullinan, found in South Africa in 1905, was larger.
Images courtesy of Lucara Diamond.
Music Friday: Neil Diamond Sings, 'Gold Don't Rust, Love Don't Lie' in His 1996 Country Classic
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, the legendary Neil Diamond sings about how "gold don't rust" and "love don't lie" in a country classic from his 1996 Tennessee Moon album.
Diamond, who was a pre-med student at New York University and can certainly find his way around a periodic table, took an interesting fact about a chemical property of gold and spun it into a love song.
Besides its rarity, value and radiance, gold in its purest form is an element that will never oxidize or rust. That's why it's been used for jewelry and coinage for millennia.
In "Gold Don't Rust," Diamond assures his lover that she doesn't have to worry when he goes away. His feelings will continue to shine.
He offers her a 24-karat commitment, singing, "Gold don't rust / Love don't lie / I'll be true 'til the day that I die. / Trust in me, you will find / Baby, you're the gold in this heart of mine / And that gold will shine / For a long, long time."
"Gold Don't Rust," which Diamond co-wrote with Gary Burr and Bob DiPiero, was the seventh track of Diamond's 23rd studio album, Tennessee Moon. The album, appropriately, was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, which confirmed sales of more than 500,000 copies.
Over the course of his stellar 54-year career as a singer-songwriter-musician, Diamond has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Billboard magazine ranks him third behind Elton John and Barbra Streisand on the list of the most successful adult contemporary artists of all time.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Diamond was a member of Erasmus Hall High School's Chorus and Choral Club along with close friend Streisand. Diamond got his first inspiration to write his own songs when folk singer Pete Seeger visited a summer camp he was attending as a teenager.
"And the next thing, I got a guitar when we got back to Brooklyn, started to take lessons and almost immediately began to write songs," he told Rolling Stone.
Just 10 credits short of an undergraduate degree from New York University, Diamond dropped out of college to take a 16-week assignment writing songs for Sunbeam Music Publishing. The job paid $50 per week. Later in his career, he would joke, "If this darn songwriting thing hadn't come up, I would have been a doctor now." The 75-year-old Diamond continues to tour regularly and his shows are said to be better than ever.
Scroll down for the audio track of Diamond's "Gold Don't Rust." The lyrics are here if you'd like to sing along...
"Gold Don't Rust"
Written by Gary Burr, Bob DiPiero and Neil Diamond. Performed by Neil Diamond.
I know you worry ev'ry time I go away
You wonder will these
Sweet, sweet feelings shine or fade
Well, that's a question
You don't have to ask
What heaven makes,
It always makes to last
Gold don't rust
Love don't lie
I'll be true 'til the day that I die
Trust in me, you will find
You're the gold in this heart of mine
And that gold will shine
For a long, long time.
I wish that I could give you
What you need from me.
But what good
Is a promise or a guarantee?
Love is still a simple act of faith
And a faithful heart
Is always worth the wait
You're the gold in this heart of mine,
For a long, long time
Baby you're the gold
In this heart of mine
For a long, long, long time
Credit: By Gresbek (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Leap Day Role Reversal: Women Get to Propose to Their Men on February 29
Get ready for some romantic Leap Day role reversals, as single ladies from coast to coast get down on one knee and propose to the men of their dreams. For more than 1,500 years, February 29 has been reserved for women who have waited far too long for their men to pop the question.
The concept of women proposing to men on Leap Day has its roots in 5th century Ireland when St. Brigid of Kildare forged a deal with St. Patrick to permit women to propose to men every four years. In Ireland, Leap Day is also called Bachelor's Day.
Apparently, this Irish traditional was then brought to Scotland by Irish monks. Legend states that in 1288, the Scotts passed a law that allowed women to propose on Leap Day. If the man refused the proposal, he would have to pay a fine, ranging from a kiss, to a silk dress or a pair of gloves. In upper-class circles, the fine for a proposal denial was 12 pairs of gloves. Presumably, the gloves would hide the shame of not wearing an engagement ring.
In English law, the day February 29 had no legal status, so people believed that traditional customs held no status on that day either. Hence, women were free to reverse the unfair custom that permitted only men to propose marriage.
In contemporary times, the idea of a woman proposing to a man at any time during the year is generally acceptable to the masses. Three-quarters of the respondents to a 2014 AP-WE tv poll said it would be fine for the woman to do the proposing, in theory. In the survey, nearly half of single women who hope to get married someday said they would consider proposing.
In practice, however, only about 5% of those currently married say the woman proposed, and the figure is no higher among couples wed within the past 10 years.
A stigma still seems to linger around the idea of a woman doing the proposing. During the 20th century, postcards, ads and articles would mock women for their aggressive behavior, casting them as desperate and unworthy. But, certainly, times have changed.
In 2010's romance/comedy Leap Year, Amy Adams is frustrated when another anniversary passes without a marriage proposal from her boyfriend. Aware of the Irish tradition that allows women to pop the question on Leap Day, she travels to Dublin to track down her fiancé in time to deliver a marriage proposal on February 29.
Huge Diamonds Just Keep Coming: 404-Carat Gem-Quality Stunner Unearthed in Angola
And the world-class diamonds just keep coming... Hot on the heels of Lucara's discovery of a 1,111-carat gem-quality rough diamond at its Karowe Mine in Botswana, rival Lucapa announced it unearthed a spectacular 404-carat diamond about 2,500 miles north at its Lulo Diamond Project in Angola.
Like the Lucara diamond, the Lucapa stone is of the extremely rare and chemically pure Type IIa gem variety. The newly discovered rough diamond, which weighs 2.8 ounces, measures 2.7 inches across and boasts a D color, is estimated to be worth about $14 million.
"We're not used to valuing 400-carat diamonds, but if we look at other diamonds slightly less weight than this, you're looking in the order of [$14 million]," Lucapa chairman Miles Kennedy told ABC Australia.
Experts have set the value of the Lucara diamond — recently dubbed “Lesedi La Rona (Our Light)" — at $66 million.
The 404-carat diamond set two records. It's the largest diamond ever found in Angola (the previous record holder weighed 217.4 carats), and it's also the largest diamond ever unearthed by an Australian-based mining company. Rival Lucara is based in Canada.
Kennedy told ABC Australia that many skeptics questioned his company's foray into a "very, very remote part of Angola." It was a parcel of 3,000 square kilometers of untouched ground more than 430 miles from the coast. Kennedy called the discovery a "wonderful vindication of eight years of pretty hard work."
Kennedy reported that diamonds weighing more than 10.8 carats are considered "special" by his mining company. Over the past six months, the Lulo diamond fields in Angola have yielded more than 100 of these special diamonds. Four were greater than 100 carats in weight.
He also noted that the cash injection made possible by the sale of the 404-carat diamond would allow the mining company to expand operations in Angola.
Images: Lucapa Diamond Company; Google Maps.
Silver Miners in Ancient Greece Demonstrated Surprising Technical Skill, Say Archaeologists
Archaeologists have discovered a 5,000-year-old silver mine that radically rewrites the history of how the precious metal was unearthed in ancient Greece. Although they were believed to be slaves who had no option but to toil in stifling and dangerous conditions, ancient miners were far more sophisticated than historians ever imagined.
Archaeologists conducting a subterranean investigation of the Thorikos silver mine found a surprisingly complex system of galleries, shafts and chambers — about 5km of conduits in all.
The skill and physical abilities employed by the ancient miners to dig these channels, access the ore deposits from the bedrock and then to properly process them outside of the mine reflected a triumph of human ingenuity, reported New Historian.
Silver played an important role in the history of the Greek people. In fact, the precious metal contributed to Greece's great wealth and domination over the Aegean world. And one of country's greatest sources of silver was the coastal city of Thorikos, about 35 miles southeast of Athens.
Some parts of the mine included open spaces that hadn't been touched in more than 5,000 years. Based on the pottery and stone hammers found on the site, the archeologists concluded that the mine was likely operational as far back as 3200 BC. Tool marks on the walls, graffiti, oil lamps and crushing areas were evidence of the omnipresent activity of the underground workers.
“Extracting the silver would have required an exceptional amount of resources and an advanced technical system of a scale unique in the ancient world,” noted University of Lorraine professor Dr. Denis Morin, who supervised a team of mining archaeologists. “Mapping these cramped, complex and braided underground networks, the ramifications of which are sometimes located at several levels, represent a real challenge in scientific terms.”
The archaeologists are planning to continue their work at the Thorikos mine, hoping to learn more about ancient extraction techniques and how the precious metal was eventually made into coins for circulation.
The earliest coins from the 6th century BC were made from electrum, an alloy of gold and silver. Later in the same century, technology advanced far enough to allow for the simpler production of pure gold and pure silver coins.
Here are some examples of the earliest silver coins. One is a silver slater of Aegina (404-340 BC) and the other is a silver drachma (404-340 BC).
Mining image courtesy of Ghent University; Silver slater via Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons; Silver drachma via Classical Numismatic Group, Inc.
Missing Platinum-and-Diamond Wedding Band Turns Up in Toddler's X-Ray
A Seattle-area mom learned the hard way why it's not a great idea to leave a sparkly platinum-and-diamond wedding band within a toddler's reach.
The mischievous 14-month-old boy named Brady apparently swiped the ring from the bathroom counter while his mother was washing her hands.
The proud dad — a Reddit user who calls himself “IAMCLARKGRISWOLD” (in homage to Chevy Chase's character in the beloved National Lampoon movies) — posted the news of the missing ring and his next course of action...
“My wife couldn’t find her wedding ring yesterday,” he wrote. “We decided to have our baby X-rayed just in case.”
Mom and dad's hunch was right on the mark, as the X-ray revealed the ring squarely in toddler's gut.
Doctors at the local children's hospital didn't see an immediate danger and, after holding their little patient for observation for eight hours, advised the parents to return home and wait for the jewelry to re-emerge naturally.
They also warned that the natural process could take up to two weeks, which meant the parents and two siblings, ages 5 and 7, had to prepare themselves for a long run of around-the-clock diaper vigils. If the ring did not pass naturally, doctors were prepared to remove the ring surgically.
The dad posted to Reddit, “Now we dissect each diaper like 5th grade science class.”
Fortunately for Brady and his family, the platinum-and-diamond ring emerged nine hours later with no ill effects.
The dad wrote, "We can't believe how quickly it passed, and it didn't seem to cause him any pain on the way out. What a trooper. What a pooper."
Reddit users were quick to chime in.
"Just remember; one day you will be asked to give a speech at your child's wedding," wrote starstarstar42. "I would lead off with this."
RoboKraken69 contributed this comical dialog...
"Hey honey, have you seen the remote?"
"No, just go X-ray the baby."
Another user added, “Isn’t your baby more precious now?”
Pediatrician Jennifer Shu told CNN that babies put things in their mouths to explore objects around them, and they will continue to do so until they are 2 or 3 years old.
That's all the more reason to keep your precious baubles safely out of the reach of the little ones — and your pets. But that's another story...
Photos via Bigstockphoto.com; Reddit/iamclarkgriswold.
Music Friday: Haunting Gypsy Song Claims That If You Wear 'Golden Earrings' Love Will Come to You
Welcome to Music Friday when we frequently feature throwback songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we have music legend Willie Nelson singing his rendition of the haunting love song, "Golden Earrings."
Originally performed by Murvyn Vye in the 1947 romantic spy film of the same name, "Golden Earrings" tells the story of the jewelry's mystical qualities.
The song begins like this: "There's a story the gypsies know is true / That when your love wears golden earrings / He belongs to you."
The next verse states: "An old love story that's known to very few / But if you wear those golden earrings / Love will come to you."
Now, if you're wondering why a guy is wearing golden earrings, the answer lies in the plot of the movie... On the eve of World War II, a British colonel, played by Ray Milland, escapes from the Gestapo to the Black Forest and poses as the mate of a beautiful gypsy (Marlene Dietrich) to elude his captors. In the poster, above, Milland is clearly wearing the golden earrings.
As Les Adams outlined for IMDB.com: "She pierces his ears for dazzling golden earrings, stains his skin, dresses him in [gypsy] clothes and teaches him to read palms. His disguise is perfect and he emerges unharmed from several encounters with Nazi patrols."
Over the past 69 years, "Golden Earrings" has been covered by no fewer than 50 artists, including Peggy Lee (who scored a hit in 1947), Bobby Darin (1964) and Nelson (1983).
In Nelson's rendition, the line "He belongs to you" is changed to "She belongs to you."
"Golden Earrings" was the sixth track on Nelson's album Without a Song, a release that ascended to #3 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album also ranked #54 on the U.S Billboard 200.
Willie Hugh Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas, in 1933, and during his 60-year career has demonstrated a wide range of talents. The American icon is a musician, singer, songwriter, author, poet, actor and activist. He has recorded more than 60 studio albums and appeared in more than 30 films and television shows. At 82 years old, he still has an active touring schedule.
He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993, won the lifetime award of the Library of Congress in 2015 and was honored by Rolling Stone as one of the "100 Greatest Singers" and "100 Greatest Guitarists" of all time.
We're happy to present the audio track of Nelson's version of "Golden Earrings." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along.
"Golden Earrings"
Written by Victor Young, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston. Performed by Willie Nelson.
There's a story the gypsies know is true
That when your love wears golden earrings,
She belongs to you.
An old love story that's known to very few,
But if you wear those golden earrings,
Love will come to you.
By the burning fire, they will glow with ev'ry coal.
You will hear desire whisper low inside your soul.
So be my gypsy;
Make love your guiding light,
And let this pair of golden earrings
Cast their spell tonight.
Willie Nelson image via YouTube screen capture. "Golden Earrings" movie poster via Wikipedia (Fair Use).
West Point's 'Ring Melt' Reaffirms the Bond Between Cadets and Their Distinguished Predecessors
This morning at a Rhode Island refinery, the donated class rings of 54 West Point graduates dating back to 1914 will be dropped in a crucible and melted into a solid gold bar. That ingot will be merged with new gold to create the class rings for the current cadets, symbolically and physically reaffirming the bond between the West Point Class of 2017 and its distinguished predecessors.
Relatives of 23 donors will present the rings for melting in a heartwarming and solemn event that will take place at Pease & Curren's Warwick, R.I., headquarters. The Class of 2017 will receive their class rings in August of 2016 during a ceremony at West Point.
Now in its 16th year, the "Ring Melt" was conceived by retired Lt. Col. Ron Turner, Class of 1958. He proposed that donations of class rings would be collected from West Point alumni and their descendants.
Wrote Turner, "We all were proud to receive our ring, the symbol of membership in the Long Gray Line. Perhaps we would have been even prouder had our new class rings included traces of the gold from rings of past graduates — some of whom served many years before we, our parents, or even our grandparents were born."
Each year, a sample would be extracted from the ingot of melted rings and added to the melt of the following year. The "legacy sample" would ensure that gold from all ring melts going back to the inaugural ceremony in 2001 is included in the production of rings for the upcoming senior cadets.
West Point is credited with originating the concept of the class ring in 1835, as West Point became the first American university to honor its senior class with a treasured keepsake of gold. Prior to this year's melt, 356 rings have been donated and melted, spanning the classes of 1896 to 1997. The oldest ring melted this year belonged to Major General Jens A. Doe, Class of 1914. He was the commanding officer of the 14th Machine Gun Battalion in World War I.
The names of all 54 West Point ring donors will be read aloud at the "Ring Melt" ceremony, which will be attended by a select group from the Class of 2017. The cadets will get to view the refining process and actually handle the solid gold bar in a symbolic demonstration of continuity with their brave predecessors, as seen in this photo from Pease & Curren's website.
Images via peaseandcurren.com; Screen captures via YouTube.com.
Jerusalem Settlers of 5,000 BC Favored Carnelian Adornments and Used Sophisticated Tools
Red-orange carnelian beads dating back 7,000 years were unearthed recently at the site of Jerusalem's oldest-known settlement. The discovery of the beads points to an artistic culture that valued self-adornment, as well as one that possessed the technical skills to drill and shape the gems for use in jewelry.
The gemstone beads, pottery shards, flint tools and a bowl carved from basalt rock were dated by the Israel Antiquities Authority to the early Chalcolithic era, around 5,000 BC. This was a transitional time when humans began to use copper ("chalcos" in Greek) to augment their stone tools ("lithos" in Greek).
The artifacts were excavated from two well preserved stone dwellings in the north Jerusalem neighborhood of Shuafat. The archaeologists also unearthed an impressive collection of tools, including sickle blades for harvesting cereal crops, chisels, axes, borers and awls.
“It is quite evident that there was a thriving settlement in the Jerusalem area in ancient times. Thousands of years later, the buildings uncovered are of a standard that would not fall short of Jerusalem’s architecture,” said Ronit Lupo, director of excavations for the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Carnelian has been cherished throughout history, earning a prominent place in ancient Hebrew, Greek, Roman and Babylonian cultures. Carnelian gems were often mounted into amulets, insignia rings and seals. In Biblical times, carnelian was also known as "sard," which was the first stone set into the breastplate of Aaron, brother of Moses. The breastplate was adorned with gemstones representing the 12 tribes of Israel.
Carnelian belongs to the cryptocrystalline branch of the quartz family, which also includes agate, onyx and jasper. Carnelian is defined by its red-orange to brownish-red color, which it obtains through iron impurities that form within a colorless quartz crystal.
Laborers building a road in the town of Shuafat stumbled upon the historical site during their excavation work and immediately alerted Israeli authorities. The site, which had been out of site for thousands of years, was barely one meter below the surface. Archaeologists had presumed that the earliest Jerusalem settlements were 5,000 years old. This newest findings predate that estimate by 2,000 years.
Even though the carnelian beads found near Jerusalem are approximately 7,000 years old, they are not the oldest jewelry specimens to be featured in this blog.
Back in October of 2013, we wrote about French researchers, who unearthed a remarkably well preserved 7,500-year-old natural pearl at an ancient gravesite in the United Arab Emirates. Measuring about 2mm in diameter, the discovery has been dubbed the Umm al Quwain pearl in honor of the town in which it was found.
In September of 2014, we covered the story of Alaskan archaeologists, who discovered two matching sets of tail-shaped bone earrings that were estimated to be 12,000 years old. The items, which were unearthed at the Mead site between Fairbanks and Delta Junction, demonstrated an impressive level of technical skill and artistic detail.
Credits: Jerusalem excavation photos by Assaf Peretz, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority; Bone earrings photo by Barbara Crass, Shaw Creek Archaeological Research.
Extra Gum Scores Another Viral Hit With Romantic, Tear-Inducing 'Second Chance' Commercial
Break out the tissues, because when it comes to romantic, heart-warming commercials, no company has precipitated more happy tears than Extra Gum.
It all started in 2013 when Extra released "Origami," a one-minute tear-jerker about the sweet bond between a dad and his little daughter, as she matures into a young woman. That video earned 3.3 million views on YouTube, but Extra's next installment would be prove to be even more viral.
Released in 2015, "The Story of Sarah & Juan" follows the characters' romance from high school to adulthood. That two-minute video was seen by more than 18 million YouTubers.
Last week, Extra took it up another notch with a four-minute video called "A Second Chance" — a touching true story about a young widowed mom and a single dad who find true love.
What's common in all three videos is the use of Extra gum wrappers to help tell the story. In "Origami," the dad cleverly folds the wrappers into tiny swans that his daughter collects over time. In the other videos, the story line is told via illustrations drawn on the back of the wrappers. In "The Story of Sarah & Juan" and "A Second Chance" the illustration triggering the teary waterworks is that of a man on bended knee proposing to the love of his life.
"A Second Chance," which has been viewed more than 800,000 times in the past seven days, is the real story of California natives and childhood friends Jessica Langevin and Marcus Decredico. The couple had met back in kindergarten and stayed in touch over the years. When Langevin was 25 years old and eight months pregnant with her daughter, Zoe, her husband was killed while serving in Afghanistan.
"I didn't think love could be possible for me again," she says in the video.
Langevin eventually opened an in-home daycare and got a call from her old friend Decredico, who was divorced and looking to secure childcare placements for his two young daughters, Alyvia and Malory.
"I was so excited to hear from him and our connection sparked again," she told Huffington Post. "We just keep finding our way back to each other."
Langevin and Decredico reconnected and fell in love. They've now been together for five years.
The Huffington Post reported that a friend of Decredico had heard that Extra was looking for "real life love stories" to feature in its next video. Extra loved the couple's story and conspired with Decredico to map out the perfect surprise proposal.
Langevin was tricked into believing that she and the three girls were on a scavenger hunt at the picturesque Grizzly Peak in Berkeley, Calif. Their mission was to find dozens of pictures drawn on gum wrappers by Decredico and the couple's young daughters. The hand-drawn illustrations lead Langevin to Decredico, who is waiting with a marriage proposal and a diamond engagement ring.
"You're my best friend," Decredico says in the video. "I want nothing more than for you to marry me."
Langevin responds, "Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!"
“I had no clue he was going to propose," Langevin told Huffington Post. "I honestly thought we were doing a travel documentary and that the scavenger hunt was for the kids. It felt like a fairy tale. For me, it’s all about the small moments in our daily lives, like the little love notes he leaves me around the house. It was amazing to see all of these moments together!”
If you love to cry happy tears, today's your lucky day. Below, we are featuring all three Extra commercials, starting with "Origami" and ending with "A Second Chance." The last two videos are masterful mixed with the music of Haley Reinhart.
"Origami"
"The Story of Sarah & Juan"
"A Second Chance"
Screen captures via YouTube.
Music Friday: 'There's a Lady Who's Sure All That Glitters Is Gold' in Led Zeppelin's Classic 'Stairway to Heaven'
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, we're proud to present Heart's amazing rendition of what is arguably one of the greatest rock songs of all time, Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven."
Co-writer and lead vocalist Robert Plant revealed that the lyrics came to him in a flash of inspiration.
"I was holding a pencil and paper, and for some reason I was in a very bad mood. Then all of a sudden my hand was writing out the words, 'There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold / And she's buying a stairway to heaven.' I just sat there and looked at the words and then I almost leapt out of my seat," he said.
Plant explained that the gold-related lyrics tell the story to a woman who gets everything she wants without giving anything back. She accumulates great wealth, only to find out her life has no meaning and that her money won't get her into heaven. The rest of the song he described as "an abstraction."
"Depending on what day it is, I still interpret the song a different way — and I wrote the lyrics," he said.
Released in 1971 as the fourth track of Led Zeppelin IV, "Stairway to Heaven" became the group's signature song. Amazingly, it was the most requested song on FM radio stations in the U.S. in the 1970s even through the original version ran 8:02 and was never released as a single. DJs played promotional singles, which quickly became collector's items. In 2000, VH1 selected "Stairway to Heaven" #3 on its list of the 100 Greatest Rock Songs of all time.
Led Zeppelin, which is widely considered one of the most successful and influential rock groups in history, disbanded shortly after the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980.
In December 2012, Led Zeppelin's music was the focus of a star-studded tribute at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Surviving members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones watched with great pride from the balcony as Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart — supported by an orchestra and huge choir — brought down the house with an inspired performance of "Stairway to Heaven."
Performing on drums was Jason Bonham, who looks strikingly like his dad, John, and is a fabulous talent in his own right. Plant is clearly misty eyed as the song builds to a rousing crescendo.
It's an amazing moment in rock history, and we have a great video to share. We know you will love Heart's brilliant rendition of "Stairway to Heaven," which was broadcast on CBS. The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...
"Stairway to Heaven"
Written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Originally performed by Led Zeppelin. Tribute performed by Heart.
There's a lady who's sure
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh ooh ooh ooh and she's buying a stairway to heaven
There's a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook
There's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiving
Ooh, it makes me wonder
There's a feeling I get
When I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who standing looking
Ooh, it really makes me wonder
And it's whispered that soon, If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow
Don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on
Your head is humming and it won't go
In case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll
And she's buying the stairway to heaven
Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.
Say Hello to 'Aquaprase,' the Newly Discovered Bluish-Green Variety of Chalcedony
The Gemological Institute of America has just identified a new variety of chalcedony, a fascinating discovery that incorporates the colors of the sky, the sea and the earth. Dubbed "Aquaprase" by gem explorer Yianni Melas, the translucent bluish-green specimens have been compared to the Aegean Sea when viewed from an airplane.
Although the rough material is available in "clean" varieties that are either vibrant blue-green or baby blue "with clouds," Melas prefers the material with matrix, which is part of the surrounding rock. Melas told jewelry trade magazine JCK that the matrix looks more natural and gives the finished piece more character.
“We took one gem crystal and instead of trying to match it after we cut it, we sliced in half so both sides are a mirror image," he told JCK. "The matrix on one side matches the matrix on the other. It’s very, very good for earring sets. The matching matrix actually adds to the beauty... People know immediately this material is natural because each piece is unique. Every piece is unusual.”
The Greece native came up with the name "Aquaprase" by combining the word "aqua" (for the blue sea) with "phrase" (meaning green in Greek).
The GIA reported that the bluish-green chalcedony gets its unique color from traces of chromium and nickel within the chemical makeup of the quartz stone. Previously identified varieties of chalcedony occurred in yellowish-green and greenish-blue colors.
Melas first encountered "Aquaprase" in Africa about two years ago, in a location known for opal production (he did not disclose the country). He told JCK that he spied this new gem while visiting a friend's hut. The specimen was displayed on a shelf and was in poor condition.
“I couldn’t explain why I thought it was different,” he told JCK. “It is like a third eye. I have seen thousands of stones and you get that feeling. When I picked up the stone, I had the chills, a funny feeling. That feeling is something you have to follow.”
He dug and trench and was able to find more examples of this type of gem, but he wasn't sure what it was, exactly.
Some associates guessed it was chrysocolla; others said is was blue-green opal. Most thought it was chrysoprase.
Seeking to get a final, conclusive word on what he held, Melas sent a sample to the GIA.
“I heard nothing for three months,” he told JCK. “Then I got a phone call that said we found something incredible. It’s not a chrysoprase. It is not a chrysocolla. It’s a chalcedony that has never been discovered.”
Melas' reaction? “That is when I started jumping up and down,” he said.
Credit: Photos by Yianni Melas via Instagram/gemexplorer
When it comes to Hawaiian jewelry, why do clerks in the jewelry department at Costco and so many other Maui jewelry stores often recommend Topaz Goldsmith and Gallery to their customers? The reasons are simple. Topaz is a family owned and operated gallery that offers excellent goldsmithing skills along with first class customer service. (The truth is that many of the employees at other stores are also our customers).
Come in and visit our unique jewelry store located in Dolphin Plaza in south Maui. You will quickly feel like you are among friends. The family atmosphere has fostered a warm staff that is a delight to do business with. Few other Maui jewelry stores or galleries in Hawaii can match our unparalleled craftsmanship and first-class service.
What better way is there to say "I love you"... Than with romantic Hawaiian jewelry from:
Maui Topaz Goldsmith & Gallery.
In Dolphin Plaza
2395 S. Kihei Rd, #117
Kihei, Maui, Hawaii 96753
Local Maui Number:1-808-879-5877
USA Toll Free Number: 1-877-879-5877
MauiTopaz.com
Social Networking >
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The Odessa National University I.I. Mechnikov Press Service
http://news.onu.edu.ua/
The collider will allow scientists to take a glance at the Earth's core
Scientists can study the properties and history of the Earth's mantle and core using colliders (elementary particle accelerators). According to assistant dean of the Odessa University Geology and Geography Department, doctor of geology Igor Suchkov, Russian scientists have already developed a technology of synchronized radiation, which makes this possible. The theory behind such research was discussed by scientists from five countries in Odessa during the I.S.E.S. - 2011 - VII International School of Earth Sciences.
«Technologies of synchronized radiation will allow scientists to research the qualities of microscopic particles of minerals. It will also be possible to conduct research of minerals lying thousands of kilometers under the planet's crust", - explains Igor Suchkov. Geologists from MSU and the Institute of Mineralogy of Chernogolovka (Russia) presented such technology at the forum. Igor Suchkov is convinced that such technology is now affordable only to Russia, Switzerland, France and USA.
The VII stage of scientific seminars of the International School of Earth Sciences I.S.E.S.-2011, organized by the I.I. Mechnikov ONU and Lomonosov MSU will last from the 2nd till the 9th of September. It gathered over 50 scientists from Australia, Moldova, Poland, Russia and Ukraine in Odessa. The debated issues include forecasting earthquakes, radioecology, mineral formation processes. Students of the I.I. Mechnikov ONU and MSU took advantage of the opportunity to attend lectures of prominent scientists from the leading European universities during the forum.
The press-service of the I.I. Mechnikov ONU
http://news.onu.edu.ua/eng/news/print/378
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Wales are in reportedly in talks to play four home rugby games at Twickenham this autumn.
The Telegraph reports that one of the games would be the Six Nations match with Scotland.
The stadium will be able to cater for up to 40,000 fans after social distancing was reduced to one metre.
The Wales Rugby Union is facing a hit of £50m, as crowds are unlikely to be allowed to return to Cardiff until next year.
posted by Radio Jackie News Team @ 12:00 am
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Police Commission Expected To Approve SFPD Move Toward Taser Adoption Next Week
by Bay City News | February 24, 2010 5:07 pm | in Crime | 0
San Francisco police Chief George Gascon today said he was baffled at why his proposal to add Tasers to the Police Department’s toolkit was being delayed by the police commission.
“I can’t explain it,” Gascon said, “I can’t speak for others.”
Gascon spoke at a news conference that he said would explain his position and help educate the public on the issue. It followed last week’s split decision by the police commission to delay a vote that would have allowed him to begin drafting a new policy on police use of force that would include “conducted energy devices.”
Gascon today cited a 2009 study by the Police Executive Research Forum and funded by the National Institute of Justice that concluded the availability of Tasers to police reduced the numbers of injuries to both officers and suspects.
In addition, he said, money would be saved by reducing worker’s compensation claims by officers injured by suspects, and by reducing the number of civil lawsuits filed against the department by those injured by police.
“The cost of not having these tools is unexcusable today,” Gascon said.
While acknowledging that the Taser “is not a perfect tool” and “is not non-lethal,” Gascon stressed that despite cases where Taser use has been found to be a contributing factor in a death, thousands of other cases of Taser use result in no injury.
Gascon said San Francisco is capable of crafting “a very well-thought-out, well-written policy” on the use of Tasers by police. He said officers would receive “very in-depth, Fourth Amendment training.”
The commission voted 4-3 on Feb. 17 to delay the vote until next week’s meeting in order to do more research and review public testimony.
Gascon said he met last week with “hundreds” of community members, and the response was uniformly in favor of the department acquiring Tasers.
“And I haven’t heard one yet say, we don’t want you to have the Tasers, so I don’t know where it’s coming from,” he said.
Four commissioners, including one who voted in favor of postponing the vote last week, attended today’s news conference in support of Tasers.
“I’m for increasing safety,” said commission president Joe Marshall.
“To me it’s pretty simple,” Marshall said. “I couldn’t understand the vote last week.”
“I feel that we are negligent … for not having the conductive energy devices,” commission vice president Thomas Mazzucco said.
“It protects the citizens of San Francisco, it protects our officers,” he said, adding that the police commission vote to delay was “foolish.”
Both Mazzucco and Commissioner Jim Hammer, who was one of the four who voted to delay but said today he approved of the devices, said Tasers could be of particular use in cases where suspects with mental illness arm themselves with a knife or another non-firearm and intend to commit “suicide-by-cop.”
Hammer said he voted the way he did in order to allow another commissioner to have more time to study the issue, but agreed that “San Francisco’s use-of-force policy is outdated.” He called for “a careful, smart policy” to minimize injuries from Tasers.
Marshall said following the news conference that he believed the police commission would vote next Wednesday in favor of allowing the Police Department to begin drafting a Taser policy.
Gascon said the actual implementation of the policy, acquiring of the Tasers and training of officers could take up to 18 months.
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Common Seal – Relevance and importance
We all are aware that a Company being an artificial person does not have a physical presence. Therefore, it acts through its Board of Directors for carrying out its activities and entering into various agreements. But what is the authenticity that Board of Directors is acting on behalf of the Company. Here, comes the role of “Common Seal”. Through this article we have made an effort to understand Common Seal, what does Companies Act, 1956 says about it, how should it be, does all the agreements entered by Company require Common Seal, are there any other documents which require affixing Common Seal, when to affix it, how to affix it, etc.
What is Common Seal?
Board of Directors sign various Contracts/Agreements, on behalf of the Company, with the help of Common Seal. The Common Seal is the official signature of the Company. It is die or signet on which, the name of the Company is engraved. It is affixed to a document to prove its authenticity. A Company can have a Common Seal on its incorporation/registration with the Registrar of Companies.
The expression 'Common Seal' is not defined in the Companies Act, 1956. General practice is to adopt the Common Seal, at the first Board Meeting of the Company. It must be kept under the safe custody of authorized director/officer. The Articles of Association, may set out how and when the Common Seal has to be affixed.
Provisions of Companies Act, 1956 with respect to Common Seal:
The following sections of The Companies Act, 1956 explain about the significance and usage of Common Seal.
Section 34 - Effect of Registration:
Registration of Memorandum of Association of the Company with Registrar of Companies, enables a Company to have its Common Seal.
Section 147 - Publication of name by Company:
Section 147(1)(b) provides that every Company shall have its name engraven in legible characters on its seal. To engrave means inscribe, cut, or carve (a text or design), on a hard surface, to incise (letters, designs, etc.) on a hard surface, as of metal, stone, or the end grain of wood. It is desirable to have a common seal of a metallic substance.
Section 48 - Execution of Deeds:
A Company may, by writing under its common seal, empower any person either generally or specifically as its attorney, to execute deeds on its behalf in any place either in or outside India. That is, the Power of Attorney or the Board Resolution, authorizing a person to execute the deeds on behalf of the Company, should necessarily bear Common Seal.
Section 50 -Power for company to have official seal for use outside India:
To transact any business outside India, if authorised by its articles, a company can use a seal which shall be a facsimile of the common seal of the company, with the addition on its face of the name of the territory, district or place where it is to be used. A deed or other document to which an official seal is duly affixed shall bind the company as if it had been sealed with the common seal of the company.
Section 84(1)– Certificate of Shares:
A certificate, under the common seal of the company, specifying any shares held by any member, shall be prima facie evidence of the title of the member to such shares. Rule 6 of Companies (Issue of Share Certificates) Rules, 1960 regulates –
“Every share certificate shall be issued under the seal of the company, which shall be affixed in the presence of (i) two directors or persons acting on behalf of the directors under a duly registered power of attorney and (ii) the secretary or some other person appointed by the board for the purpose. The two directors or their attorneys and the secretary or other person shall sign the share certificate”.
Section 114: Issue and effect of share warrants to bearer.
A public company limited by shares, if so authorized by its articles, may, with the previous approval of the Central Government, with respect to any fully paid-up shares, issue under its common seal a warrant stating that the bearer of the warrant is entitled to the shares therein specified, and may provide, by coupons or otherwise, for the payment of the future dividends on the shares specified in the warrant.
Section 176 (5)(b) - Proxies:
The instrument appointing a proxy shall-
be in writing; and
be signed by the appointer or his attorney duly authorised in writing or, if the appointer is a body corporate, be under its seal or be signed by an officer or an attorney duly authorised by it.
Documents on which common seal is mandatory:
A certificate of shares or stock;
A share warrant;
A power of attorney for execution of deeds;
A power of attorney authorising a person to use its official seal at a place outside India;
An instrument of proxy executed by a body corporate.
Procedure to Affix Common Seal:
The mode of affixation of the common seal is generally provided in the articles of a company. Regulation 84(2) of Table A of Schedule I provides that the seal of the company shall not be affixed to any instrument except by the authority of a resolution of the Board or of a committee of the Board authorised by it in that behalf, and except in the presence of at least two directors and of the secretary or such other person as the Board may appoint for the purpose; and those two directors and the secretary or other person as aforesaid shall sign every instrument to which the seal of the company is so affixed in their presence. The articles of association of a company may, however, contain a different provision than that of regulation 84(2) of Table A.
Judicial view:
The Supreme Court in Panchanan Dhara & Others vs Monmatha Nath Maity (Decd.) thru L.RS. [2006] 131 Comp Cas 577 (SC) observed that, "it is a relic of the days when mediaeval barons, who could not read or write, used their rings to make a characteristic impress. Even in absence of a seal, the company may still be held to be liable having regard to the nature of a transaction and the authority of those who had executed it. If the act of the directors is not ultra vires or no public policy is involved, the parties acting thereupon cannot be left at large."
It is not mandatory that all the documents and deeds/agreements should bear the Company’s Common Seal. The list of documents mentioned above should mandatorily bear Common Seal. Moreover, we need to consider the Articles of Association, if any, require the affixation to Common Seal, on any other documents.
Therefore unless expressly mentioned in the Company’s Articles of Association, any contract (other than the above listed documents) signed by a director/ person acting under authority of a proper resolution or duly executed Power of Attorney, under the Seal of the Company, shall be binding on the Company even if the Common Seal is not affixed on such Contract. Failure to affix the common seal cannot be a ground on which the company can escape its obligations.
The above Article has been published in the April, 2012 Issue of Newsletter published by Hyderabad Branch of ICAI
Disclaimer: The entire contents of this document have been developed on the basis of relevant provisions and are purely the views of the author. Though the author has made utmost efforts to provide authentic information however, the author and the company expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person who has read this document, or otherwise, in respect of anything, and of consequences of anything done, or omitted to be done by any such person in reliance upon the contents of this document.
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United StatesUkraineRussiaPolandBelarusColombiaUnited KingdomFranceGermanyIndiaJapanRomaniaKazakhstanCroatiaTurkey
Colombia Population: 48,168,996
Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged after the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A decades-long conflict between government forces, paramilitaries, and antigovernment insurgent groups heavily funded by the drug trade, principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), escalated during the 1990s. More than 31,000 former United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) paramilitaries demobilized by the end of 2006, and the AUC as a formal organization ceased to operate. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization, illegal armed groups arose, whose members include some former paramilitaries. After four years of formal peace negotiations, the Colombian Government signed a final peace accord with the FARC in November 2016, which was subsequently ratified by the Colombian Congress. The accord calls for members of the FARC to demobilize, disarm, and reincorporate into society and politics. The accord also committed the Colombian Government to create three new institutions to form a 'comprehensive system for truth, justice, reparation, and non-repetition,' to include a truth commission, a special unit to coordinate the search for those who disappeared during the conflict, and a 'Special Jurisdiction for Peace' to administer justice for conflict-related crimes. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to expand its presence into every one of its administrative departments. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug-related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.
Only South American country with coastlines on both the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea
Location: Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama
Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N, 72 00 W
note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, and Serrana Bank
Size comparison: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land Boundaries: total: 6,672 km border countries (5): Brazil 1790 km, Ecuador 708 km, Panama 339 km, Peru 1494 km, Venezuela 2341 km
Coastline: 3,208 km (Caribbean Sea 1,760 km, North Pacific Ocean 1,448 km)
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
Terrain: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains (Llanos)
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower
Natural hazards: highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts volcanism: Galeras (4,276 m) is one of Colombia's most active volcanoes, having erupted in 2009 and 2010 causing major evacuations; it has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Nevado del Ruiz (5,321 m), 129 km (80 mi) west of Bogota, erupted in 1985 producing lahars (mudflows) that killed 23,000 people; the volcano last erupted in 1991; additionally, after 500 years of dormancy, Nevado del Huila reawakened in 2007 and has experienced frequent eruptions since then; other historically active volcanoes include Cumbal, Dona Juana, Nevado del Tolima, and Purace
Current Environment Issues: deforestation resulting from timber exploitation in the jungles of the Amazon and the region of Chocó; illicit drug crops grown by peasants in the national parks; soil erosion; soil and water quality damage from overuse of pesticides; air pollution, especially in Bogota, from vehicle emissions
International Environment Agreements: party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Nationality: noun: Colombian(s)
adjective: Colombian
Ethnic groups: mestizo and white 84.2%, Afro-Colombian (includes mulatto, Raizal, and Palenquero) 10.4%, Amerindian 3.4%, Romani (2005 est.)
Languages: Spanish (official)
Religions: Roman Catholic 79%, Protestant 14% (includes Pentecostal 6%, mainline Protestant 2%, other 6%), other 2%, unspecified 5% (2014 est.)
Population: 48,168,996 (July 2018 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 23.89% (male 5,895,637 /female 5,611,298)
15-24 years: 16.96% (male 4,161,661 /female 4,006,875)
55-64 years: 9.44% (male 2,145,031 /female 2,404,090)
65 years and over: 7.73% (male 1,555,848 /female 2,168,434) (2018 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 10.574 million BOGOTA (capital)
3.934 million Medellin
2.726 million Cali
2.218 million Barranquilla
1.295 million Bucaramanga
1.047 million Cartagena (2018)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 21.7 years (2015 est.) note: median age at first birth among women 25-29
Infant mortality rate: total: 13.2 deaths/1,000 live births male: 16 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.2 years male: 73 years
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 81% (2015/16)
urban: 96.8% of population
rural: 73.8% of population
urban: 3.2% of population
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 4,400 (2017 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.4% (2010)
total population: 94.7%
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Colombia
conventional short form: Colombia
local long form: Republica de Colombia
local short form: Colombia
etymology: the country is named after explorer Christopher COLUMBUS
Government type: presidential republic
Capital: name: Bogota
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: originally referred to as "Bacata," meaning "enclosure outside of the farm fields," by the indigenous Muisca
Administrative divisions: 32 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital district* (distrito capital); Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlantico, Bogota*, Bolivar, Boyaca, Caldas, Caqueta, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Choco, Cordoba, Cundinamarca, Guainia, Guaviare, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Narino, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindio, Risaralda, Archipielago de San Andres, Providencia y Santa Catalina (colloquially San Andres y Providencia), Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupes, Vichada
Independence: 20 July 1810 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 20 July (1810)
Constitution: history: several previous; latest promulgated 4 July 1991 amendments: proposed by the government, by Congress, by a constituent assembly, or by public petition; passage requires a majority vote by Congress in each of two consecutive sessions; passage of amendments to constitutional articles on citizen rights, guarantees, and duties also require approval in a referendum by over one-half of voters and participation of over one-fourth of citizens registered to vote; amended many times, last in 2018 (2018)
Legal system: civil law system influenced by the Spanish and French civil codes
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ivan DUQUE Marquez (since 7 August 2018); Vice President Marta Lucia RAMIREZ Blanco (since 7 August 2018); the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ivan DUQUE Marquez (since 7 August 2018); Vice President Marta Lucia RAMIREZ Blanco (since 7 August 2018)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 4-year term; election last held on 27 May 2018 with a runoff held on 17 June 2018 (next to be held in 2022); note - political reform in 2015 eliminated presidential reelection
election results: Ivan DUQUE Marquez elected president in second round; percent of vote - Ivan DUQUE Marquez (CD) 54%, Gustavo PETRO (Humane Colombia) 41.8%, other/blank/invalid 4.2%
Legislative branch: description: bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of: Senate or Senado (108 seats; 100 members elected in a single nationwide constituency by party-list proportional representation vote, 2 members elected in a special nationwide constituency for indigenous communities, 5 members of the People's Alternative Revolutionary Force (FARC) political party for the 2018 and 2022 elections only as per the 2016 peace accord, and 1 seat reserved for the runner-up presidential candidate in the recent election; all members serve 4-year terms) Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (172 seats; 166 members elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote, 5 members of the FARC for the 2018 and 2022 elections only as per the 2016 peace accord, and 1 seat reserved for the runner-up vice presidential candidate in the recent election; all members serve 4-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 11 March 2018 (next to be held in March 2022) Chamber of Representatives - last held on 11 March 2018 (next to be held in March 2022)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CD 19, CR 16, PC 15, PL 14, U Party 14, Green Alliance 10, PDA 5, other 9; composition - men 77, women 31, percent of women 28.7% Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL 35, CD 32, CR 30, U Party 25, PC 21, Green Alliance 9, other 13; composition - men 147, women 25, percent of women 14.5%; total Congress percent of women 20%
Judicial branch: highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of the Civil-Agrarian and Labor Chambers each with 7 judges, and the Penal Chamber with 9 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 magistrates); Council of State (consists of 27 judges); Superior Judiciary Council (consists of 13 magistrates) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the Supreme Court members from candidates submitted by the Superior Judiciary Council; judges elected for individual 8-year terms; Constitutional Court magistrates - nominated by the president, by the Supreme Court, and elected by the Senate; judges elected for individual 8-year terms; Council of State members appointed by the State Council plenary from lists nominated by the Superior Judiciary Council
subordinate courts: Superior Tribunals (appellate courts for each of the judicial districts); regional courts; civil municipal courts; Superior Military Tribunal; first instance administrative courts
Political parties and leaders: Alternative Democratic Pole or PDA [Jorge Enrique ROBLEDO] Citizens Option (Opcion Ciudadana) or OC [Angel ALIRIO Moreno] (formerly known as the National Integration Party or PIN) Conservative Party or PC [Hernan ANDRADE] Democratic Center Party or CD [Alvaro URIBE Velez] Green Alliance [Claudia LOPEZ Hernandez] Humane Colombia [Gustavo PETRO] Liberal Party or PL [Cesar GAVIRIA] People's Alternative Revolutionary Force or FARC [Rodrigo LONDONO Echeverry] Radical Change or CR [Rodrigo LARA Restrepo] Social National Unity Party or U Party [Roy BARRERAS] note: Colombia has numerous smaller political movements
International organization participation: BCIE, BIS, CAN, Caricom (observer), CD, CDB, CELAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-3, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National symbol(s): Andean condor;
national colors: yellow, blue, red
National anthem: name: "Himno Nacional de la Republica de Colombia" (National Anthem of the Republic of Colombia)
lyrics/music: Rafael NUNEZ/Oreste SINDICI
note: adopted 1920; the anthem was created from an inspirational poem written by President Rafael NUNEZ
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco SANTOS Calderon (since 17 September 2018)
chancery: 1724 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20036
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark (NJ), Orlando, San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate(s): Boston, Chicago, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Kevin WHITAKER (since 11 June 2014)
embassy: Carrera 45,No. 24B-27, Bogota, DC Colombia
mailing address: Carrera 45 No. 24B-27, Bogota, D.C.
telephone: [57] (1) 275-2000
FAX: [57] (1) 275-4600
Colombia heavily depends on energy and mining exports, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in commodity prices. Colombia is Latin America’s fourth largest oil producer and the world’s fourth largest coal producer, third largest coffee exporter, and second largest cut flowers exporter. Colombia’s economic development is hampered by inadequate infrastructure, poverty, narcotrafficking, and an uncertain security situation, in addition to dependence on primary commodities (goods that have little value-added from processing or labor inputs). Colombia’s economy slowed in 2017 because of falling world market prices for oil and lower domestic oil production due to insurgent attacks on pipeline infrastructure. Although real GDP growth averaged 4.7% during the past decade, it fell to an estimated 1.8% in 2017. Declining oil prices also have contributed to reduced government revenues. In 2016, oil revenue dropped below 4% of the federal budget and likely remained below 4% in 2017. A Western credit rating agency in December 2017 downgraded Colombia’s sovereign credit rating to BBB-, because of weaker-than-expected growth and increasing external debt. Colombia has struggled to address local referendums against foreign investment, which have slowed its expansion, especially in the oil and mining sectors. Colombia’s FDI declined by 3% to $10.2 billion between January and September 2017. Colombia has signed or is negotiating Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with more than a dozen countries; the US-Colombia FTA went into effect in May 2012. Colombia is a founding member of the Pacific Alliance—a regional trade block formed in 2012 by Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru to promote regional trade and economic integration. The Colombian government took steps in 2017 to address several bilateral trade irritants with the US, including those on truck scrappage, distilled spirits, pharmaceuticals, ethanol imports, and labor rights. Colombia hopes to accede to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $711.6 billion (2017 est.) $699.1 billion (2016 est.) $685.6 billion (2015 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $314.5 billion (2017 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.8% (2017 est.) 2% (2016 est.) 3% (2015 est.)
Gross national saving: 18.9% of GDP (2017 est.) 19% of GDP (2016 est.) 17.4% of GDP (2015 est.) GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 68.2% (2017 est.) government consumption: 14.8% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 22.2% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 14.6% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -19.7% (2017 est.) GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 7.2% (2017 est.) industry: 30.8% (2017 est.) services: 62.1% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - products: coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables; shrimp; forest products
Industries: textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds
Industrial production growth rate: -2.2% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 25.76 million (2017 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 17%
services: 62% (2011 est.)
Population below poverty line: 28% (2017 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 51.1 (2015) 53.5 (2014)
expenditures: 91.73 billion (2017 est.)
Public debt: 49.4% of GDP (2017 est.) 49.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities
Current account balance: -$10.36 billion (2017 est.) -$12.13 billion (2016 est.)
Exports - commodities: petroleum, coal, emeralds, coffee, nickel, cut flowers, bananas, apparel
Exports - partners: US 28.5%, Panama 8.6%, China 5.1% (2017)
Imports - commodities: industrial equipment, transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, electricity
Imports - partners: US 26.3%, China 19.3%, Mexico 7.5%, Brazil 5%, Germany 4.1% (2017)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $47.13 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $46.18 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external: $124.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $115 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: $55.51 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $51.82 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares: $85.96 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $146.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $202.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
Exchange rates: Colombian pesos (COP) per US dollar - 2,957 (2017 est.) 3,055.3 (2016 est.) 3,055.3 (2015 est.) 2,001 (2014 est.) 2,001.1 (2013 est.)
Electricity - production: 74.92 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 68.25 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - imports: 378 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity: 16.89 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources: 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Crude oil - production: 853,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves: 1.665 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 303,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption: 333,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 56,900 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 48.14 million cu m (2017 est.)
Cellular Phones in use: total subscriptions: 62,222,011
Telephone system: general assessment: modern system in many respects with a nationwide microwave radio relay system, a domestic satellite system with 41 earth stations, and a fiber-optic network linking 50 cities; the cable sector commands about half of the market by subscribers, with DSL having a declining share and with fiber-based broadband developing strongly; competition among the MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) sector has promoted 2.9 million subscribers as of mid-2018; though most infrastructure as yet is primarily in high-density urban areas (2018)
domestic: fixed-line connections stand at about 15 per 100 persons; mobile cellular telephone subscribership is about 130 per 100 persons; competition among cellular service providers is resulting in falling local and international calling rates and contributing to the steep decline in the market share of fixed-line services (2018)
international: country code - 57; multiple submarine cable systems provide links to the US, parts of the Caribbean, and Central and South America; satellite earth stations - 10 (6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 3 fully digitalized international switching centers)
Broadcast media: combination of state-owned and privately owned broadcast media provide service; more than 500 radio stations and many national, regional, and local TV stations (2019)
Internet country code: .co
Internet users: total: 27,452,550
Airports: 836 (2013)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 (2017)
914 to 1,523 m: 53 (2017)
Airports (unpaved runways): total 715
under 914 m: 488 (2013)
Pipelines: 4991 km gas, 6796 km oil, 3429 km refined products (2013)
Railways: total 2,141 km
narrow gauge: 1,991 km 0.914-m gauge (2015)
Roadways: total 206,500 km
Waterways: 24,725 km (18,300 km navigable; the most important waterway, the River Magdalena, of which 1,488 km is navigable, is dredged regularly to ensure safe passage of cargo vessels and container barges) (2012)
by type: general cargo 18, oil tanker 8, other 76 (2018)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean) - Cartagena, Santa Marta, Turbo oil terminal(s): Covenas offshore terminal container port(s) (TEUs): Cartagena (2,663,415) (2017)
river port(s): Barranquilla (Rio Magdalena) dry bulk cargo port(s): Puerto Bolivar (coal) Pacific Ocean - Buenaventura
Military branches: National Army (Ejercito Nacional), Republic of Colombia Navy (Armada Republica de Colombia, ARC, includes Naval Aviation, Naval Infantry (Infanteria de Marina, IM), and Coast Guard), Colombian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Colombia, FAC) (2012)
Military service age and obligation: 18-24 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; service obligation is 18 months (2012)
Military expenditures: 3.5% of GDP (2018 est.) 3.1% of GDP (2017) 3.06% of GDP (2016) 3.12% of GDP (2015) 3.13% of GDP (2014)
Disputes - International: in December 2007, ICJ allocated San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina islands to Colombia under 1928 Treaty but did not rule on 82 degrees W meridian as maritime boundary with Nicaragua; managed dispute with Venezuela over maritime boundary and Venezuelan-administered Los Monjes Islands near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics, guerrilla, and paramilitary activities penetrate all neighboring borders and have caused Colombian citizens to flee mostly into neighboring countries; Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, and the US assert various claims to Bajo Nuevo and Serranilla Bank
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 681,396 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum or have received alternative legal stay) (2019) IDPs: 7,816,472 (conflict between government and illegal armed groups and drug traffickers since 1985; about 300,000 new IDPs each year since 2000) (2019)
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis; world's leading coca cultivator with 188,000 hectares in coca cultivation in 2016, a 18% increase over 2015, producing a potential of 710 mt of pure cocaine; the world's largest producer of coca derivatives; supplies cocaine to nearly all of the US market and the great majority of other international drug markets; in 2016, the Colombian government reported manual eradication of 17,642 hectares; Colombia suspended aerial eradication in October 2015 making 2016 the first full year without aerial eradication; a significant portion of narcotics proceeds are either laundered or invested in Colombia through the black market peso exchange; Colombia probably remains the second largest supplier of heroin to the US market; opium poppy cultivation was estimated to be 1,100 hectares in 2015, sufficient to potentially produce three metric tons of pure heroin
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Category Archives: Byram African-American Cemetery
What Do We Owe Our Ancestors?
April 19, 2019 Abolition in Newark, Abolitionists in NJ, Agitate!, Black Cemeteries Matter, BlackProGen LIVE, Byram African-American Cemetery, Byram Cemetery, Colonization, Genocide, Indigenous Slavery, Legacy of Frederick Douglass, Lynching, Lynching victims, Lyon Cemetery, National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Native Cemetries Matter, Prophet of Freedom, Rutgers-Newark, Slavery in East Jersey, Slavery in New JerseyMsVegatron
This blogpost is dedicated to all Speakers of TRUTH, especially my fellow BlackProGen LIVE panelists, who are on the battlefield for their ancestors and who continue to speak truth to power in a manner that makes their ancestors proud.
Our Obligation to Our Ancestors…
On this Good Friday 2019, I want to discuss the moral obligation that descendants have to their ancestors. This is a topic I have spoken about for years now and will continue to speak about. My cultural worldview is one that is African-Native and has been shaped by the fundamental belief that there is NO SEPARATION between those who reside on high and those of us still among the living here on earth. Our ancestors are with us wherever we go! They not only exists in the features they left us with, the beautiful rainbow shades we have, the color of our eyes, but they also are with us in the words we speak and the acts of restorative social justice that we do in THEIR NAMES. We call their names so that they will be remembered by all.
For years now, my multi-racial extended family has been in places and situations that can only be described as guided by our ancestors. We were not supposed to be at the last public hearing in Greenwich, CT before the “Byram African-American Cemetery,” Byram Cemetery and Lyon Cemetery were to be acquired by the Town of Greenwich back in September 2016. And yet we were there. On April 17, 2019, our extended family attended the Rutgers-Newark Agitate! The Legacy of Frederick Douglass and Abolition in Newark celebration . We were not supposed to be there originally, but there we were. I was initially slated to only speak three minutes due to time constraints, but I spoke for 10 minutes. Our ancestors rendered possible what seemed to be impossible. It was through God and their divine intervention that I was able to point out the FACTS of their lives — that they made up the bedrock of abolitionism in Newark.
These T-shirts can be purchased on www.rrbb-shop.com to support the preservation of cemeteries.
On Restorative Social Justice for Our Ancestors
Last week my Goin cousin and fellow BlackProGen LIVE panelist, Dr. Shelley Murphy, informed me that the Boyd Carter Cemetery in Kearneysville, West Virginia, another historic African-American cemetery, is facing destruction. Our ancestors are in this cemetery facing a peace disturbed because a pipeline is slated to run through their sacred resting space. Shelley is working with other descendants of people interred there along with concerned allies, like Chris Petrella, a professor at American University and the Director of Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships with the Antiracist Research and Policy Center and others.
While we love working in tandem with our allies and welcome any help we can get, descendants of those buried in cemeteries, facing desecration and destruction, should fight on behalf of their own ancestors. It is OUR MORAL IMPERATIVE, OUR MORAL OBLIGATION as long as we reside on this earth to be our ancestors’ unified voice to articulate their pain, loud and clear, with our heads held high…
I want to say to the many people who have ancestral places that are currently under attack by outside forces that the battle is only over when WE SING and SHOUT! Don’t be dismayed that things aren’t going the way that you want them to go. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven! And in this our season, it’s time to get LOUDER and resurrect the lives and memories of those who are facing historic erasure. While the powers that be may eventually do what they always have done and erase our ancestral presence from the physical world, we, as descendants, have the power to do what we always had to do and that is to find ways of remembering those who have gone before us. While our ancestors risked being severely punished, mutilated and killed for writing and speaking out in their own defense, they always relied on the power of memory and oral history to stay in touch with their own ancestors. Today, we have the power to remember our ancestors, resurrect their communities, and then turn around and tell the world about our kin. We are not powerless! Our ancestors left behind their DNA in us to fight any battle that comes our way! We’ve come this far by faith…
Stories from the National Memorial for Peace and Justice
BlackProGen LIVE has been working with the descendants of lynching victims and have been helping them flesh out their family trees and tell their ancestral stories. As Nicka Smith points out, “In 2018, The Equal Justice Initiative opened the The National Memorial for Peace and Justice which memorialized more than 4,400 African American men, women, and children who were hanged, burned alive, shot, drowned, and beaten to death by white mobs between 1877 and 1950.” Our two upcoming BlackProGen LIVE episodes “will feature the family history of some of the victims documented in the memorial in an effort to humanize and bring light to their lives outside of a tragic event they have been associated with,” states Smith.
BlackProGen LIVE is committed to educating and helping descendants of both Free and enslaved ancestors discover their ancestral stories. As a group, we believe that our research is nothing short of reparational acts of restorative social justice. Time and time again, we have proven that here are ways in which our ancestral stories and family history can be discovered in spite of slavery.
In conclusion, I posted this video almost 8 months ago and I am going to leave it right here AGAIN because our ancestors are with us wherever we go and they guide our research every step of the way!
Off the Battlefield, But Still Suffering from PTSD
August 12, 2018 "Colored Cemetery", "Colored" as a racial category, Abolitionism in Connecticut, Abolitionists in Greenwich, African-American History in Greenwich, African-Americans in 18th-19th Century Greenwich, African-Americans in 19th century Greenwich, African-Americans in Greenwich, African-Americans in Westchester County, African-Native, African-Native abolitionists, Allen Green, Anthony Green, Benjamin Lyon, Benjamin Lyon of White Plains, Black Greenwich, Black History in Greenwich, Blacks in Greenwich, Byram, Byram African-American Cemetery, Byram Cemetery, Colored Settlement, East Port Chester, Genealogy Research, George E. Green, Gilbert Lyon, Green, Green-Twachtman House, Greenwich, Hangroot, Indian, Indigenous American history in Greenwich, Indigenous Slavery, Indigenous Slavery in Greenwich, Indigenous Slavery in New England, Lyon, Lyon Cemetery, M Haplogroups, M23, M23 Haplogroup, Madagascar, Madagascar Slave Trade, Malagasy Roots, Malagasy Slaves in New York, Merritt, Native American Slavery in Connecticut, Native Americans, Native-African, Native-African abolitionists, Native-American and African-American ancestry, Native-American history in Greenwich, Native-American Slavery, Native-American Slavery in Greenwich, Native-American Slavery in New England, Negro surname, NY to Madagascar Slave Trade, Peg Green, Peg Merritt, Port Chester, Rye, Rye Historical Society, Sawpit, Seth Lyon, Slavery in NY, The Byram African-American Cemetery, The Colored Cemetery, The Colored Cemetery in Byram, The Colored Cemetery in GreenwichMsVegatron
This blog is dedicated to our cousins Helen Hamilton, Keith Lyon, and Raymond Armour who were on this jouney with us from the start and whom all joined our pantheon of ancestros within the past 8 months. They are now our newly-appointed Ancestor Angels and biggest cheerleaders. We will keep saying their names so that they will always be remembered.
L Cousins Helen Hamilton, Keith Lyon, and Raymond Armour
On behalf of the extended Lyon-Green-Merritt family, we would like to thank the Town of Greenwich Board of Selectmen, State Representative Michael Bocchino, the Conservation Commission, Nancy Dickinson, Christopher Shields, and the rest of the Cemetery Committee of the Town of Greenwich, The Office of the Town Clerk, the Greenwich Preservation Trust, CeCe Saunders, Brian Jones, and the staff of Historical Perspectives, Inc., the Greenwich Historical Society, and the Rye Historical Society for their help over the past four years. A special thank you goes to Josephine Conboy and the Greenwich Preservation Trust who worked hand in hand with State Rep. Michael Bocchino to advocate for a new CT cemetery law that will protect other ancient burial grounds from the descecration our family experienced. Another thank you goes to Jeffrey Bingham Mead who challenged me years ago to research and preserve not only the history of Greenwich, but also to write about a history he knew was important for people to read. Finally, I owe a big thank you, to Eric Fowler, Anne Young, and the Law Department of the Town of Greenwich for dealing with me directly these last two years as it was not an easy thing to do and I admit it.
When the Battle Is Over, I’m going to SING and SHOUT!: We Claim Victory!
They got to keep their driveway. It was never about their driveway or their property for us! NEVER!
We GOT EVERYTHING WE WANTED!!!!
It was all about preserving OUR cemeteries, especially the “Colored Cemetery” section of Byram Cemetery, and making sure all our ancestors would be remembered and properly memorialized. It was about making sure that our ancestors in the “Colored Cemetery” would be able to rest in peace, alongside their kin, after having their section of Byram Cemetery made into someone’s front lawn. It was about making sure our Lyon ancestors’ original intention for the “Colored Cemetery” to exist where it always has been was RESPECTED and given the historic, accurate name it always had. It was about making sure OUR LINEAL RIGHTS as descendants were finally acknowledged. Most importantly, it was about paying tribute to the Native-African presence that has always been in Greenwich and which has always been reflected in the Lyon-Green-Merritts of Color who have the DNA, oral, and written history to back up their Native-African heritage — no one ever had the right to tell us what we always have been. Finally, it was about paying tribute to the history of slavery that was personified in the North which led to our ancestors working together on the Underground Railroad and engaging in the social justice/resistance acts of abolition.
We Were NEVER the PROBLEM/http://www.timidmc.com/shop/
After almost a year of being on the Cemetery battlefield, on August 6th, my 5 cousins and I learned that the judge DENIED The Stewarts their 2nd Motion to Strike us from The Jeffrey M. Stewart et. al. v. The Town of Greenwich et. al. lawsuit. We had been waiting for the day for a judge to read all our documented evidence. Then, on Wednesday, August 8th, we were asked to send a letter indicating our support for the Town of Greenwich’s Stipulation of Settlement as the Now Named 6 defendants. The next day, on August 9th, the Town of Greenwich Board of Selectmen approved the Stipulation of Settlement at 10.42 am. I was at the funeral of my Uncle/Cousin Raymond Armour where I had the honor of announcing the Settlement to my family and to him directly. It will now be sent to the judge. Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end of this case.
The “Colored Cemetery” is where our Native-African ancestors were buried. Make no mistake, our ancestors ARE BURIED there and have been for centuries. The Stewarts’ constant and continued denial of our ancestors physical presence in the “Colored Cemetery,” speaks volumes about THEM more than it does our ancestors. In my blogposts on my Green-Merritt ancestors and on the now resurrected, hidden historic community of Hangroot, I documented our ancestors lives in Greenwich, CT and noted how they were the ONLY family of Native-African descent to live next to their former slave owners and slave owner descendants for over a century. In fact, they made up the majority of People of Color in Greenwich in the mid-1800s. DNA also links us to the Lyon, Merritt, and Green families. But, The Stewarts want others to believe that not one of our ancestors were ever buried there??? Please…
The “Colored Cemetery” at Byram Cemetery
In my many blogposts on the “Byram African-American Cemetery,” I documented how our extended family felt upon learning about the desecration of our “Colored Cemetery.” We have been waiting for justice to be served for four years. We always KNEW The Stewarts didn’t have a case. I mean how do you abide by a Cease and Desist Order in 2014 after you desecrate the “Colored Cemetery,” then invite the descendants of people buried there into your home to discuss putting a plaque on tree in honor of the “Colored Cemetery,” and then wait over a year to file a lawsuit that denies the existence of the same cemetery? We won’t even discuss my epic 277-page response, three 1890 contemporary newspaper articles mentioning the first desecration of the “Colored Cemetery,” the 1901 dated, time-stamped, and accepted copy by the Town of Greenwich Clerk map, Historical Perspectives, Inc.’s documentary study, or all the letters written by my cousins which were submitted to the court as proof. If you are interested, you can read all the evidence here (Docket#: FST-CV-17-6033549-S).
The Privileged Don’t Pay the Price, But Others Have to…
A lawyer friend asked me recently how I felt about the process that led to the settlement and what were the things that troubled or concerned me about the settlement? I told him that I did what I had to do to protect the rights of my ancestors to rest in peace and not be erased from history. That being said, while I am happy about the outcome, I do feel that the Stewarts and the Town are now able to just walk away and both entities act like everything was done for “due diligence” and can say “let bygones be bygones.” They can easily both “go home with footballs,” as Attorney Marcus stated in the Greenwich Time newspaper on 8/11/18. Obviously, they never considered the racial and class dynamics that were being perpetuated in prime time that were no different from what my ancestors experienced. They had the power once again to deny us everything and that was not lost on us —not for one second, one minute, one hour, one day, one year nor for centuries.
Meanwhile, I am battle-worn, battle-scared, and suffering from PSTD feeling like I was forced against my will to run thousands of miles to the top of a mountain and now some people feel that I should run down the other side of the mountain immediately when I am physically and mentally exhausted. No, that is not going to happen. I need time to deal with the past two years and especially the past 8 months. I don’t have the luxury to just walk away now, as others apparently do, because my ancestors CHOSE ME to be their unified voice to articulate their pain, loud and clear, with my head held high…just like they showed us all when they walked towards freedom. It was a burden I willingly carried and I did it to protect my ancestor’s burial site and elucidate their RADIANT lived history that should NEVER be erased. I need time to breathe clean air again and re-charge my batteries. I would like to think that I’m like Timex and can take a lickin and keep on tickin,” but I’m not. Vegatron does have her limits. Don’t worry. I will be just fine in the end. His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me.
Both The Stewarts and The Town’s Law Department put my family under tremendous, unnecessary stress. The Stewarts knew it was a cemetery from the beginning. The Town did not follow proper procedures in acquiring abandoned cemeteries. Both entities threw The Stewarts’ wealth in our faces like hot bricks just out the fire. The “no disparagement clause” in the settlement is for their mutual benefit. At no point, have they even offered an apology to my family —not privately, not publicly. Though that is something I know they would never do and I am not holding my breath for, it’s those little things that sometimes matter most.
My family and I worked out our issues with The Town in early April and this has allowed us to move forward. From the beginning until present, The Town said, and now will do, what they said they would do when they actually acquired the abandoned cemeteries. Our family will be active partners with the Town going forward to create a historic “Colored Cemetery”. However, The Stewarts are another matter. As of today, there will be NO Kumbaya moment. I want nothing to do with people who have no integrity and show no respect for the sacred resting spaces of others.
There are NO Statutes of Limitation on Historic Trauma/Historic Erasure
Desecrating an ancestral burial ground for greed is traumatic. Arguing that we must excavate our ancestors to satisfy that greed and morbid curiosity is traumatic. Denying that our ancestors ever existed and trying to erase their physical presence in this world is traumatic. It is traumatic because you KNOW that slavery was never designed for Native-and African-American family reunification. It was designed to sever the ties that bind. And then, here we were in 2016 and just as we located our oldest ancestors, we found out that the couple, who made our ancient burial ground into their front lawn, tried to use us against The Town. You realize that had you not had Guardian Angels in Greenwich who immedately notified you of The Town’s actions, they would have gone with the photos you sent them, selfies included, with the letter you unknowingly wrote in their favor to the Town of Greenwich meeting on 9/22/2016 and act like they had secured the approval of the descedants of the enslaved/formerly enslaved buried there. Duplicity in action!
I strongly feel that The Stewarts need to be held accountable for their actions that led them to desecrate our burial ground. Two years ago, I wrote that no one should expect us to be neutral on this matter and we meant it. Since Section 34 was part of their lawsuit— though the “Colored Cemetery” has been in existence for centuries as part of Byram Cemetery — and is now forever etched in our collective memory, we will continue to tell the truth that their lawsuit was an obvious land grab to increase the value of their waterfront property. It was also a racist lawsuit since they could have argued their case without mentioning race in the first place. They are the ones who DECIDED to go there and WENT there! We are the ones who always told the truth.
Jeffrey M. Stewart et. al. v. The Town of Greenwich
August 28, 2016 Is The Day Our Ancestors Decided This Very Outcome
The Stewarts made several wrong assumptions back in 2016. 1) That we would not know anyone in Greenwich because we didn’t live there. 2) That we weren’t educated and couldn’t detect the gaping holes in their story on Day1; 3) That we would never be united with our Lyon cousins. Our ancestors, on both sides of the color line, decided that would not be the case. They chose me on that day to repeatedly ask the all important question which was “If no one owns the land as you indicated by doing a deed history search, then why are you following a Cease and Desist letter?” Our ancestors chose my cousins Pat and Eddie to bare witness on that particular day, too.
I believe in many things. I believe that that my God is an awesome God who loves everyone unconditionaly. I believe that in my Father’s house there are many mansions. I believe that my ancestors are with me wherever I go. I believe that death is but a necessary happenstance. I believe that there is no shelf-life in the Hereafter and that, as descedants of originally enslaved people, family reunification happens automatically upon transitioning — even if it never happened during our years on Earth. I believe in the power of God to direct my path. Like Assata Shakur, ”I believe in living, I believe in birth, I believe in the sweat of love and in the fire of truth and I believe that a lost ship, steered by tired, sea sick sailors, can still be guided home to port.” On August 28, 2016, I KNOW my ancestors guided me to THEIR ancient burial ground here on Earth to help guarantee that our side of the family would be represented at the September 22,2016 meeting alongside our Lyon kin. A family UNITED will never be DEFEATED. My cousins and I will continue to make them proud.
We are the Lyon-Green-Merritts
My Research Is My Therapy: Next Up On the Agenda
I will be contiinuing my research to get state and federal recognition for the Green-Twachtman House — the house my 3rd great-grandfather built in 1845 at 30 Round Hill Road (Hangroot) —as a confirmed UGRR site. My 3rd great-grandmother, Mary Johnson, was a self-emancipated woman who arrived in Greenwich, CT in the mid-1820s from Virginia.
In Closing…His Eye Is On the Sparrow and I KNOW he watches ME
Let it be forever known that I am the daughter of Joyce Greene Vega, the granddaughter of Richard W. Greene, Jr., the great-granddaughter of Richard W. Green, Sr., the great-great granddaughter of George E. Green, the great-great-great granddaughter of Allen and Mary Green, and the great-great-great-great granddaughter of Anthony and Peg Green.
I’m going to leave this Walter Hawkins video right here so I can go back to singing amd shouting! We got the VICTORY!
#DaughterOfJoyceGreeneVega #BaptizedInMessiahBaptistChurchByRevMichaelWayneWalkerIn1981 #80LegionParkwayBrocktonMA
Press Coverage:
https://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Homeowners-pull-lawsuit-in-Byram-Cemetery-dispute-13509621.php
https://apnews.com/d1e47b92d0024169bf06136db99409ad
https://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Dispute-over-old-burial-grounds-comes-to-an-end-13148313.php
http://www.latimes.com/sns-bc-ct–historic-black-cemetery-20180810-story.html
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/connecticut/articles/2018-08-10/plaque-to-memorialize-historic-unmarked-black-cemetery
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Plaque-to-memorialize-historic-unmarked-black-13147008.php
https://patch.com/connecticut/greenwich/greenwich-settles-case-over-byram-cemetery-land
Hangroot Was Our Hood: Reclaiming Black Greenwich History
May 7, 2017 11 Byram Dock Rd., 29th Infantry CT Colored Troops, Abolitionism in Connecticut, Abolitionists in Greenwich, African, African surname, African-American History in Greenwich, African-Americans in 17th Century Greenwich, African-Americans in 18th-19th Century Greenwich, African-Americans in Greenwich, African-Americans in Westchester County, Alfred Henry Goodwin, Allen Green, Amos T. Carpenter, Anderson, Anthony Green, Banks, Barker, Belcher, Black Greenwich, Black History in Greenwich, Blacks in Greenwich, Bounds, Brown, Bush, Byram African-American Cemetery, Byram Cemetery, Carpenter, Charles E. Green, Charles E. Treadwell, Charles Moore, Clapboad Ridge Road, Colored Settlement, Connecticut Colored Troops, Davenport, David S. Husted, Deacon Jonas Mead, Ellis, Fairfield County Anti-Slavery Society, Felmetta, Floyd T. Miills, Gentrification in Greenwich, George E. Green, George Porter, Gilbert Lyon, Glenville, Glenville Ave., Green, Green-Twachtman House, Greenwich, Greenwich Preservation Trust, Hang Root, Hangroot, Harriet Green, Hawley Green, Henson Family, Historic Gentrification in Greenwich, Horace Watson, Horseneck Brook, Horseneck Falls, Husted, Indian, Indian surname, Isaac Merritt, Jack Husted, James H. Green, James Henson, Jim Henson, John Banks, John Green, John H. Twachtman, John Sherman Merritt, Lake Avenue, Little Bethel AME Church, Lyon, Lyon Cemetery, Mead, Merritt, Meyer, Mills, Mitchell, Moore, Negro, Negro surname, NY, Peck, Pecksland Road, Peekskill, Peterson, Porter, Purdy, Robert Peterson, Rockefeller, Round Hill Road, Santes, Seth Lyon, Seymour, Sherwood's Bridge, Silas M. Carpenter, Slavery in CT, Slavery in Greenwich, The Byram African-American Cemetery, The Colored Cemetery, The Rockefellers, Thomas Lyon House, Thompson, Treadwell, Underground Railroad in Peekskill, Underground Rairlroad in Greenwich, Union Cemetery, United States Colored Troops, USCT, Walter Avery, Watson, Whitman Merritt, William Green, William H. Hicks, William Mead, William Meade, William O. MillsMsVegatron
This blogpost is dedicated to both my Lyon-Green-Merritt African-American ancestors who left the Byram and Sherwood’s Bridge (Glenville) sections of Greenwich to settle the neighborhood of Hangroot. It is also dedicated to all those African-Americans who made Hangroot their home for 100 years. I pray that this blogpost leads their descendants to discover their proud Black Greenwich roots. Lastly, I dedicate this blog to all my extended Lyon-Green-Merritt family who are following me on my journey to uncover the truth about all of our Greenwich family history.
I would like to thank the following people:
The following Greenwich historians and archivists who have helped me locate documents relevant to Hangroot. All of them have been more than generous with their time and no doubt share the same passion for Greenwich history as me: Anne Young, Christopher Shields, Nola Taylor, and Carl White.
Jeffrey Bingham Mead, as always, has been a great resource for me. I am grateful for his pioneer research on African-Americans in Greenwich, CT. I hope that I am telling the true stories he wanted to finally read about over the years.
I am particulary indebted to my 5th 2XR cousin and fellow family historian, Dennis Richmond, Jr. He gifted me with a photograph that shows Hangroot through the eyes of our ancestors. The photo below, which features, John Sherman Merritt, Dennis’s 2nd great-grandfather and my 3rd cousin 2XR as a young boy, is the visual sum of all our combined family history research on Hangroot. Much love and respect to him. I am looking forward to writing a blogpost where we discuss our five year relationship that ultimately brought us together today. I know, without a doubt, that our ancestors are now finally smiling down on us knowing that there is power in numbers. I can’t wait to read the stories he will be writing soon.
Finally a message to Cheryl Henson, Heather Henson and John Nelson: Going forth, I hope the image below contributes to the joy that you’ve always felt in the house that Allen Green built. How awesome it would be if my research on Hangroot leads to state and federal recognition of 30 Round Hill Road as an Underground Railroad site. I pray this will be true one day.
Hangroot Was Our Hood, 1897/Collection of Dennis Richmond, Jr. and John Sherman Merritt
Defining Hangroot: A Colored Settlement
Hangroot is a geographically defined area in Greenwich, CT where formerly enslaved African-Americans sought to build a community of their own in the early 1800s.
1887 Driving Road Chart featuring the Colored Cemetery/David S. Husted bough Allen Green’s property in 1884.
The above 1887 Driving Road Chart indicates a “Colored Settlement” that shows the area that came to be known as the Hangroot of our ancestors. Hangroot, as a neighborhood, can be traced back to 1730 when the Town of Greenwich approved a bridge to be built over Horseneck Brook near Round Hill Road and, in 1757, when the Town also approved a sawmill to be built there as well (Mead:1857:122). As an FYI, the name “Hangroot” has been attributed to the fact that the homes there had root cellars where fruit/vegetables where hung from the ceilings to prevent rodents from reaching them. Well-off farmers, like the Husteds, were also known to have stocked their root cellars so that poorer farmers in the area could help themselves to produce in times of need. That being said, Hangroot was always connected to the area we still associate with being Hangroot today (i.e., the intersection of Round Hill Rd. and Horseneck Brook) but this area expanded over time to include the area we see in the 1887 map. There have been accounts that there were several Black rural settlements. I believe this is incorrect and that there was only one which is represented as this larger “Colored Settlement” area. Our Hangroot ancestors lived within all areas of the “Colored Settlement.”
Since no one has defined the actual boundaries of Hangroot previously, for the purpose of this blogpost, I am defining the boundaries of Hangroot as follows: the Eastern boundary is defined as being near Lake Avenue, the Western boundary near Pecksland Rd., the Northern boundary near Clapboard Ridge Rd., and the Southern boundary just north of Glenville Rd. These boundaries changed over time with the ebb and flow of the African-American population. By the late 1870s, Hangroot becomes restricted to the area around Round Hill Road and Horseneck Brook once again. It is important to note that Hangroot was never an all-Black area, but an area that had a higher concentration of African-Americans than other sections of Greenwich, CT. As someone who is also of Native American ancestry, I note that Hangroot was home to Native-Americans as well. That is a clear reminder that Native Americans were Connecticut’s first slaves. That fact must never be forgotten.
19th Century Residents of Hangroot: A Free Black Community For The Formerly Enslaved (1800-1900)
As a 7th+ generation descendant of pioneer African-Americans who settled Hangroot and gave rise to this community, I feel an urgent need to write this forgotten community back into existence. Many people are unaware of the early presence of African-Americans in the Town of Greenwich. My blog posts on The Byram African-American Cemetery detail the history of African-Americans in Greenwich going back to the 18th century. Though official records regarding African-Americans are not available for Greenwich because of slavery, it can be assumed that there were African-Americans in Greenwich going back to the 17th century as the earliest African slaves in Connecticut arrived at the same time as colonial white settlers. Our Black Greenwich ancestors were from Byram and Sherwood’s Bridge (Glenville) sections of Greenwich and they left those neighborhoods to make Hangroot their home for a little over 100 years.
I often ask myself the following questions: If a community isn’t documented, did it actually exist? Who gets to define a community and from what/whose perspective? In doing genealogy research, does one have an obligation to correct historical ommissions and the historical record itself, on behalf of their ancestors, when given the benefit of historical hindsight? Such questions motivate me to continue to always dig deeper and to provide a different view of Greenwich history that is an unapolegetically African-American one. It is the view of people who lived on the margins of recorded history whose lives were not remembered as they should have been. The more I learn, the more I want to make visible this Black Greenwich history. This blogpost is my attempt at defining the Hangroot community and a start at reclaiming it’s past. It is by no means perfect, but it is the foundation on which I will write future blogposts and a book. It is nothing less than a work in progess that focuses on an intrinsic part of 19th century Greenwich history that is Black Greenwich history.
The methodolgy I used to compile this list is based on 100 years of census records indicating the presence of African-Americans in the area known as Hangroot within the geographical boundaries specified above. I also cross-checked some of these names with emancipation records found in Jeffrey Bingham Mead’s book, Chains Unbound: Slave Emancipation in the Town of Greenwich, CT. Articles in various newspaper archives were also reviewed. Finally, I was able to secure documents regarding Hangroot from both the Greenwich Historical Society and the Greenwich Library.
Below are the names of African-Americans who owned homes in Hangroot from 1800-1900. I have also listed the approximate population of African-Americans who lived in Hangroot as this number also includes African-Americans who were living in white households at times as slaves and/or servants and farmhands/laborers.
NOTE: When I refer to “Black Greenwich,” I am specifically referring to only those African-American residents below who have the surnames listed and their descendants. They are people who either were born in Greenwich, CT or resided there before the Civil War. These African-Americans constitute the founding African-American population of Greenwich, CT.
Possible 1800-1809 Residents: Isaac Negro* (Carpenter), Ned Negro, Jeffrey Negro ** (Felmetta) York Negro (Mead), and Anthony Negro (Green)
*All African-Americans recorded in the first three census records for Greenwich, CT were given the surname “Negro.” I added the correct surnames of these individuals in parentheses when possible so that their descedants may one day be able to locate them. They are “Negro” no more.
** The surname Felmetta seems to be unique to Greenwich, CT. No connection to a white Felmetta has been uncovered yet. There is the possiblity that this surname was chosen by Jeffrey Felmetta himself. It was not unusual for former slaves to take on a surname of their own choosing as an act of self-determination. This name has many spelling variations and include Filmetta, Fellmote, Felmette, Felemetta, Fillmeter, Fillimetta, Felmestra, Felmetty, and others. I used the spelling Felmetta throughout this blogpost for consistency.
***Update: My cousin Dennis Richmond, Jr. on 8/19/17, found a 1947 obituary for Sarah Banks Green that indicated that the Felmettas were part Native American. Sarah’s father was William Banks, who is listed in the 1860 Greenwich census, and he was a Mohawk Indian. Her mother was Loretta Felmetta amd she was said to be part Native American (Mohawk)
In the 1800 census, 84 free African-Americans were recorded as living in Greenwich along with 39 enslaved people. The only free Black property owners listed were an Isaac Negro (Carpenter), Ned Negro and York (Mead). However, Jeffrey Negro (Felmetta) is not listed in the 1800 census, but we know via property records that he owned property as early as 1784 and he is listed in the 1790 census as being a free Black along with 8 other free Black heads of households. My 4th great-grandfather Anthony Negro (Green) and his wife Peg, who was freed in 1800, moved to Hangroot sometime before 1810.
Population: Approx 80 individuals
1810 Residents: Isaac Negro (Carpenter), Henry Negro (Seymour), Horace Negro (Watson), Jeffrey Negro (Felmetta), George Negro (Moore), Ned Negro, Obid Negro (Davenport), Anthony Negro (Green), Cull Negro (Bush), and Frank Negro (Husted).
Population: Approx. 126 individuals
1820 Residents: Harry Brown, John Indian*, Anthony Green, Isaac Carpenter, Jeremiah Mitchell, Frank Husted, Charles Negro (Merritt), Cuff Brown, Jeffrey Felmetta, Henry Seymour, Henry Santes, Allah African**, York Mead, Aaron Felmetta, Sarah More, Catherine Felmetta, and John Ellis.
*A Hardy Indian, who may be a possible descendant of the John Indian, is recorded on the 1850 census as being “mulatto” and working as a farmhand. It is important to note that the category “mulatto” actually erases Native-Americans in the historical record by conflating them with other people of color. We also see the surname “Indian” being given to people of Native American descent. Hardy Indian is considered to be one of the last Native Americans in Greenwich and is buried west of Round Hill Road in an unmarked grave.
John Indian in 1820 Greenwich, CT Census
Hardy Indian in 1850 Greenwich, CT Census
**Allah African is the only African-American whom I found whose place of birth is listed as “Africa.” Given his first name, it can be assumed that he was born a Muslim somewhere in Africa. He was also the wealthiest African-American in Greenwich during the 1800s.
1830 Residents: Anthony Green, Sr., Anthony Green, Jr., Henry Green, Charles Merritt, James Mills, Sarah More, Ichabod Purdy*, John Ellis, Jeffrey Felmetta, Sam Carpenter, Robert Treadwell, Morris Mead, Henry Seymour, John Indian, York Mead, Wdw. Rose Felmetta, Thomas Carpenter, George Barker, Harry Bounds, Allah African, and Edmund Thompson.
*When Ichabad Purdy died in 1878 in Hangroot, at the age of 96 years and 8 months, he was considered to be one of the oldest residents. In various census records, his surname is listed as being Lars, St. Lair, Lair, and Lan for reasons unknown. The variations in these spellings may be a result of a mistake on the part of the census taker.
Death Notice of Ichabod Purdy in Port Chester Journal on 5/23/1878
1840 Residents: Allen Green, Solomon Green, Henry Green, Charles Merritt, Isaac Carpenter, Floyd Mills, Henry Merritt*, Robert Merritt*, George Watson, Horace Watson, Henry Felmetta, Allah African, Henry Belcher, Joseph Brown, Horace Mead, James Felmetta, Emmeline Brown, Ichabod Purdy, John Lyon, Edmund Thompson, Charles Porter, and Joseph Davenport.
*Please note that Robert and his son Henry Merritt are not related to our Merritt line. They are the descendants of Whitman Merritt who was born around 1720. Whitman’s son Robert Merritt was born in 1737. This is the oldest African-American Merritt line from Greenwich that we know of at this time.
CT Town Birth Records/ Pre-1870 Barbour Collection
Population: Approx.182 individuals
1850 Residents: Allen Green, Solomon Green, Henry Green, Charles Merritt, Anthony Green, Henry Belcher, Ichabod Purdy, Edmund Thompson, Floyd Mills, Charles Brown, Isaac Merritt, Henry Felmetta, Horace Watson, George Watson, William Peterson, Henry Merritt, Allah African, Robert Merritt, and George Peck.
Population: Aprox. 113 individuals
1860 Residents: Allen Green, Solomon Green, Henry Green, Charles Merritt, Henry Brown, William Purdy, Ichabod Purdy, James Purdy, Joseph Carpenter, Charles Brown, Abraham Merritt, Samuel H. Merritt, Allah African, Henry Merritt, Robert Merritt, Caleb Webb, Delilah Bush, Theodore Anderson, William Peterson, Grace Belcher, Polly Merritt, George Felmetta, Charles Meyers, Robert Felmetta, Susan Green, Henry Felmetta, William Banks (Native American), William Mead, and Amos Carpenter.
1870 Residents: Allen Green, Samuel H. Merritt, Tempy Green, Theodore Mills, William Carpenter, Charles Brown, William Belcher, William Purdy, William Brown, William Peterson, Solomon Green, Samuel Merritt, Henry Husted, Abraham Merritt, Samuel Green, Isaac Merritt, Henry Merritt, Horace Treadwell, Charles Meyer, George Peck, Allah African, Henry Felmetta, Robert Anderson, Charles Banks, and Robert Peterson.
1880 Residents: Solomon Green, Henry Felmetta, Joseph Purdy, Maria Purdy, Joseph Carpenter, Charles Banks, Samuel H. Merritt, Theordore Mills, Charles Green, Isaac Merritt, Thomas Green, Harry Merritt, William Peterson, Joseph Purdy. Charles Merritt, and Robert Peterson.
Population: Approx. 53 indivduals
1900 Residents: Thomas Green, Joseph Merritt, James Banks, Samuel H. Merritt, Edward Merritt, Willis Merritt, Victoria Peterson, Charles Merritt, Alonzo Merritt, Adeline Merritt, Cornelius Purdy, Aaron Felmetta, and Maria Merritt.
Population: Approx. 58 individuals
Our Lyon-Green-Merritt Hangroot Connection
My 4th great-grandfather, Anthony Green, Sr., only 4 years after he was legally emancipated by the widow of Captain John Green, was included in an 1820 $5,000 land deal that was signed on April 17,1820. He went in as an equal partner along with Thomas Green (the nephew/son-in-law of John Green, Anthony’s former slave owner), Samuel Lyon (a Lyon relative of Anthony’s wife Peg who was emancipated by Benjamin Woolsey Lyon, her uncle), Zophar Mead, Isaac Mead, Jabez Mead, William Robbins, Carr Robbins, Samuel Pine, and Elisha Belcher. All of these men were neighbors either in Sherwood’s Bridge (Glenville) or in Rye, NY. This land deal included several pieces of land which included Anthony’s land in Hangroot near Round Hill Rd. and Horseneck Brook as well as his land near the Green family which was at the westernmost border of Hangroot near today’s Pecksland Rd. As previously stated in another post, Anthony and Peg were both mulattos and were slave descedants of both the Green and Lyon families and their interactions and those of their children and grandchildren are indicative of close kin ties. As will be seen, at no point in the 1800s did our Lyon-Green-Merritt ancestors NOT live near or interact with their former slave owners and their descendants.
Greenwich Land Records, Volume 19 (1814) p. 402
The 1858 Clark map below indicates where my 4th great-grandparents, Anthony and Peg Green, were living in 1810 which was right beside Anthony’s former Green slave owners. They owned their own property. Although Anthony wasn’t formerly emancipated until 1816, he was living with Peg and their three youngest sons (Allen, Solomon and Henry) probably earlier than 1810 as Peg was emancipated in 1800. It is a matter of pride to learn that, through their hard work, they were able to accumulate enough money to buy even more land of their own — land that they were able to then passed on to their descendants.
Clark Map of Fairfield County in 1858/ Library of Congress
The 1820 census was enumerated on August 7th, 1820 which means that Anthony and Peg moved to their new home in Hangroot at the intersection of Round Hill Rd. and Horseneck Brook soon after he obtained his share of the land deal. In other woods, in true Jeffersonian fashion, they moved on up to “the East side (i.e., Round Hill)” and got a piece of the pie”—- initially speaking. Looking at the 1820 census, we see that they were living next to the Husted family which included Amos, Caleb, and Aaron as well as their father, Peter. As you will see, various members of the Husted family, who intermarried with our Lyon ancestors, lived alongside of Anthony and Peg and their descendants for decades.
1820 Greenwich, CT Census Record
According to the 1830 census record, Anthony, Jr. is living in the home that his father used to live in the 1810s. Our Green ancestors are still living next to their Green kin. Meanwhile, Anthony, Sr. is now living next to his sons Henry and Charles Merritt in a different section of Hangroot. His sons, Allan and Solomon, both moved to Hangroot’s Round Hill location in the late 1830s.
In 1837, one year after Anthony, Sr. died, his 5 sons (Charles, Allen, Henry, Solomon and Plato) sold part of his land to Henry Merritt, another African-American man. From the 1840s until the early 1900s, our African-American ancestors made Hangroot their home. They intermarried with the Watsons, Mills, Pecks, Petersons, Felmettas, Purdys, Banks, and other Hangroot families. They went to the same churches and socialized together. Throughout the 1800s, one can see how people in Hangroot took care of each other by taking in relatives and neighbors when required. Although our ancestors were farmers, stone masons, laborers, coachmen, and servants, they were part of old Greenwich from the beginning. As to not rehash what I have previously written, a more detailed account of our family history in Hangroot from 1850 onward can be found here.
The decline of our Hangroot community was the direct result of several factors. First, immigration starting in the early 1840s resulted in the Irish, Scottish, and other white immigrants moving to Greenwich and taking the jobs held previously by African-Americans — jobs like farmhands, laborers and servants. Second, industrialization brought the railroad and woolen mills (e.g., Hawthorne Woolen Mill and American Felt Company) to Greenwich in the mid-1800s. The jobs in those industries went to the English, Irish, Scottish, Polish, and other Eastern European immigrants. Perhaps the biggesr reason though had to do with the arrival of the Rockefellers to Hangroot which dramatically changed Greenwich by ushering in the NYC leisure class who then started to build massive country estates.
1870 Greenwich Census showing Irish immigrants working on then railroad.
In regards to Hangroot, William Avery Rockefeller, brother of John D. Rockefeller and co-founder of Standard Oil, started purchasing property in the area in 1870 and his descedants continued doing so up until the early 1900s. As indicated in the 1887 map above, one sees how the Rockefellers had a dramatic impact on Hangroot that had been a home to our ancestors for decades. When the Rockefellers moved next door to them, it was hard for our ancestors to continue to exist as they had in the decades prior. I am also certain that other low and middle-class white farmers were equally displaced by the Rockefellers. According to its very definition gentrification is a process of renewal that occurs when there is an influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents. In the case of Hangroot, it resulted in a loss of of an historic African-American community and the erasure of its history.
The Green-Twachtman House: The House That Allen Green Built in 1845
My 3rd great-grandfather, Allen Green, lived in Rye, NY, in 1830. As you can see from the 1830 Rye, NY census record, he was living near Samuel Lyon and Samuel Pine, two of the people who went in on the 1820 land deal with his father Anthony in 1820.
Rye, NY (Byram) 1830 Census
Allen purchased property at 30 Round Hill Road from Walter Avery on April 8, 1839. It was Allen who built his house in 1845 — a house that is now affiliated more with John H. Twachtman. Walter Avery had lived in Hangroot as early as 1810 and resided in the same area as the Husteds. However, it was in the 1830s when he bought this particular property.
Walter Avery in the 1810 Greenwich, CT Census
In 1990, Nils Kerschus, an architectural researcher at the Greenwich Historical Society, compiled the deed title search for the Green-Twachtman House. As Allen’s descedant, I quickly noticed what a genealogical goldmine this document was in terms of our own family history. Allen bought the property in 1839 and owned the property up until his death in 1878. A year later his estate sold his 3 acres of land with buildings to a Franz Stuba.
Deed Title Search/Nils Kerschus/Greenwich Historical Society
It was sold for $860. The Port Chester Journal on March 27, 1879 documented the sale as can be seen below.
Sale of Allen’s House
Franz Stuba in turn sold the property to Lawrence Green who then sold it to David S. Husted. It is interesting to note that both men have kin ties to our Lyon-Green-Merritt line. Lawrence Green was a descendant of my 4th great-grandfather’s former slave owner, John Green. His grandfather, Benjamin Green, was the nephew of John Green, whom Anthony lived next to in 1810. David S. Husted was the great-grandson of Benjamin Woolsey Lyon who emancipated my 4th great-grandmother in 1800. David’s grandfather was William H. Husted whose wife, Mary Lyon, was the daughter of Benjamin Woolsey Lyon. Moreover, William’s brother Drake Husted, along with his wife, Nancy Marvin Lyon, were the couple, who raised my 4th great-uncle Jack Husted, Peg and Anthony’s son — the only son who never lived in Hangroot though it is clear he visited family there. The administrator of Allen’s estate, Joseph B. Husted was the son of Drake and Nancy Husted.
Title Search, 30 Round Hill Rd., Nils Kerschus, Greenwich Historical Society
In this 1868 Town of Greenwich map, we observe that Mrs. Husted, David S. Husted’s mother, owned the property adjacent to Allen’s. In the 1887 Road map at the beginning of this blogpost, one sees that David S. Husted now owns Allen’s property having bought it in 1884. He sold Allen’s house to John H. Twachtman in 1890.
1868 Town of Greenwich map
By 1890, the year John H. Twachtman arrived in the Hangroot that was our hood, it was already in decline. Twatchman was an artist looking to purchase land that he could afford. I don’t for one minute buy into the myth, propogated by Goodwin, that he just happened upon my 3rd great-grandfather’s property while following the bends of Horseneck Brook, was touched by the natural environment, and just had to live there. I simply see his arrival in Hangroot as part of the larger process of gentrification begun by the Rockefellers.
Peters, 1995:290
Twachtman was fully aware that, if he purchased property there, it would be cheaper because it was considered an area where poor Black farmers lived, an area that was filled with “Connecticut potatoes (i.e., stones),” and very difficult to farm. Moreover, Twachtman knew that the property would eventually increase in value given the nearby presence of the Rockefellers. In addition, since he wasn’t a farmer, he recognized that he could further increase the value of his property by using his creative and artistic skills to make improvements that would highlight the natural landscape. Twachtman did what every struggling artist-gentrifier has done throughout the ages when moving into an up and coming area. I don’t begrudge him for doing that and I am grateful to be able to look at his art and know that some of his inspiration came from Hangroot. But, let’s not deny the historical fact that he went to Hangroot because that’s where he could only afford to buy land at the time.
Larkin, 1998:64
This gentrification of Hangroot continued. For example, in 1884, David S. Husted sold some of his land to William Rockefeller to satisfy a judgement against him as a result of a court case between him and Alexander Mead. Before he died, he sold the rest of his property to him as well. As noted below, he had to remove his family cemetery from the premises before he did. The Rockefellers would go on to buy more and more property so that, at one point, they owned about 400 acres of land. Later generations of Rockerfellers would go on to break up their large estates and sell off the smaller parcels of land. There was no way that our Hangroots ancestors could ever compete with this level of gentrification. No way at all.
Samuel H. Merritt was the only one of our Green-Merritt ancestors left, who owned a home, in 1890/Miller Robbins, Jr. & Co. 1890 Map/ Greenwich Historical Society
Sale of David S. Husted’s Property/ Port Chester Journal/10/15/1903
Sale of David S. Husted’s Property/Utica, NY Herald Dispatch/ 10/14/1903
A New Rockefeller Mansion Built/ New York Times/ 8/22/1906
Over one hundred years later, the Green-Twachtman House still stands for all to see. I was excited to learn about Sesame Street and The Muppets creator Jim Hensons’s ties to the Green-Twachtman House. As a child, who was born in the late 1960’s, and who grew up watching Sesame Street on PBS, I could not be happier. The affiliation with Sesame Street, I believe, was meant to be. Sesame Street always represented a world to me where everyone was accepted, diversity was celebrated, lessons were learned, and everyone was happy in the end. I have met members of the Henson family and I am looking forward to a guided tour of the house with the current owner, John Nelson, very soon. I look forward to having the Hensons and the Nelsons accompany our family on this journey of discovery that ultimately connects us all to the same house. I am blessed indeed.
Christine Varner, Cheryl Nelson, Patricia Bryant, and Teresa Vega on 5/02/2017 (Photo taken by Anne W. Semmes)
John Nelson, Cheryl Henson, and Patricia Bryant on 04/05/2017
Hangroot Heroes: Members of the 29th Infantry United States Colored Troops
African-American Civil War Memorial in Washington, DC/ Our Hangroot heroes are listed here.
Please note that information for this section comes from the National Archives (Fold3). Previous accounts of the Greenwich men who fought in the 29th Infantry of the United States Colored Troops included men who enlisted from neighboring communities in Westchester County, NY. The list below is accurate.
The following are the names of the 18 Hangroot African-American men who fought for the 29th Infantry of the Connecticut Colored Troops during the Civil War. These men volunteered to fight in a war that ultimately led to the freedom of their enslaved countrymen. They were John Banks, Amos T. Carpenter, Silas M. Carpenter, Charles E. Green (my 3rd great-uncle) George E. Green (my 1st cousin 4XR) James H. Green (my 3rd great-uncle), William Green (my 1st cousin 4XR), William H. Hicks, William Meade, Isaac Merritt (my 1st cousin 4XR), Whitman Merritt, Floyd T. Mills, William O. Mills, Charles Moore, Robert Peterson (brother of Emily Peterson, wife of my 3rd great-uncle Thomas Green), George Porter, Charles E. Treadwell, and Horace Watson (father of Annice Watson who married William Green). Out of 18 men from Hangroot, 7 (a 39% death rate) paid the ultimate sacrifice. They were John Banks, William Mead, Floyd T. Mills, Charles Moore, George T. Porter, Charles E. Treadwell, and Horace Watson. May God bless them, and all the other Greenwich men, for their service to this country. They were all on the right side of history.
Greenwich Civil War Dead/ Note: Charles E. Treadwell is not listed./ Greenwich Town Hall
Charles E. Green, George E. Green, William Green, Isaac Merritt, and Robert Peterson are buried in Union Cemetery in Greenwich. Silas M. Carpenter is buried in the Gethsamene (African-American) Cemetery, in Little Ferry, NJ. Floyd T. Mills died at Lovell General Hospital in Portsmouth Grove, RI and is buried in Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY. During the Civil War, Horace Watson, William Mead, and Charles E. Treadwell died in Beaufort, SC, John Banks and George Porter died in Fort Monroe, VA, and Charles Moore died in Brownsville, TX. The burial places of Amos T. Carpenter, Whitman Merritt, William H. Hicks, and William O. Mills are unknown. As for my 3rd great-uncle, James H. Green, the only Sergeant 1st Class from Greenwich in the 29th Infantry, it can be assumed that he died and is buried in a pauper’s grave somewhere in NYC. I look forward to the day when I will write a blogpost just on these 18 Hangroot heroes because they were our own.
NY Herald article on James H. Green, 4/12/1896
The Problem With The Perspective Of Outsiders: A Hangroot Descendant’s View
1890 Photo of my Hangroot ancestors at Horseneck Falls/Property of the Greenwich Historical Society
Photo taken by Henry Troth in Goodwin’s Country Life in America article, p. 625
Last week, I was directed to a photo taken behind the house that my 3rd great-grandfather built. I was made aware of three African-American people in the background looking down at the photographer taken this photo. According to Nils Kerschus, a former researcher at the Greenwich Historical Society who researched Hangroot between 1889-1902 before and after Twachtman arrived, the only ancestors we had left in Hangroot were: Samuel H. Merritt (my 1st cousin 4XR), his wife Catherine, sons Frank and Herbert (my 2nd cousins 3XR), and his granddaughter Sorelia (my 2nd cousin 4XR) in a house they owned; James Banks, his wife Josephine (Samuel’s daughter and my 2nd cousin 3XR), her brother Mandeville Merritt (my 2nd cousin 3XR) were in a 2nd house they owned, and Edward Merritt (Samuel’s son and my 2nd cousin 3XR), his wife Laura Green Merritt (my 2nd great-aunt) and their son Samuel (my 3rd cousin 2XR due to a cousin marriage) were in a 3rd house which they were renting. I should note that, in 1905, Samuel H. Merritt’s and James Banks’ properties were demolished by Frederic Maples, a real estate developer.
No one knows who the photographer was who took this 1890 photo. In any case, I can only imagine how our ancestors felt on that day. Our Hangroot community experienced an almost 50% decline in population from 1870 to 1900. When I saw the photo, I felt a sense of loss. I will never know who exactly those three individuals were just that they were our own. They are forever seared in my mind as three haunting spirits who were bearing witness to the loss of their land. However, I am glad to have this very poignant photo because it is a historic reminder of the displacement that our ancestors experienced. Between 1905 and 1910, our Hangroot community disappears as people have to relocate elsewhere as they become priced out of their neighborhood and work becomes hard to find. Hangroot then becomes the Hangroot of today and it’s history as an African-American commutity is erased. It is now a place more associated with the Rockefellers, Twachtman, and other individuals who came later. The “Allen Green” part of the “Green-Twachtman House” for all intensive purposes has been forgotten and is only mentioned in a footnote in the title deed history of the house and mentioned in a newspaper when it was sold in 1879.
A Footnote in the Title Deed Search of 30 Round Hill Road/Greenwich Historical Society
In his often cited Country Life in America 1905 article, Alfred Henry Goodwin, seeks to detail all the improvements that Twachtman made to his property, but, in the process, makes elitest statements about the house before Twachtman bought it. He refers to the house that Allen built as being “ugly” and how this house “desecrated” the land. Of course, Twachtman is portrayed as the man who arrived to “beautify the property” and made it harmonize with the natural environment as only he could. Likewise, Susan G. Larkin in her article, On Home Ground: John Twachtman and the Familiar Landscape, not only quotes Goodwin, but even juxtoposes the 1890 photo of the back of 30 Round Hill Rd. featuring the Horseneck Falls above with a 1905 photo of the same Horseneck Falls that Goodwin presented in his article. While the 1890 photo was taken seemingly in the Winter and shows a barren landscape with my three ancestors present in the background, the 1905 photo was obviously taken the in the Summer and shows a much shadier, lush, and cultivated environment. They are meant to be Before and After photos clearly. Both Goodwin and Larkin see Twachtman as the “Great White Hope” who rescues the property from its poor Black farmer past. Clearly, they admire what Twachtman has done to the environment and his house. There is no need to elaborate on those who owned the property before or who still lived next to his property then. Unlike me, they are either unaware or not concerned with how their words negatively taint the community of Hangroot because they don’t see this community though they are right in the midst of it. All the focus on Twachtman’s “beautifying the property” obscures and renders invisible the community that was Hangroot. Defining Hangroot as “a Black settlement” or indicating that “poor Black farmers” lived there says nothing actually about this community itself. But, of course, people assume that they know everything when they hear such designations.
Goodwin, 1905:625
Standing Up For My Ancestors By Reclaiming Hangroot and Black Greenwich History: We Shall Be Erased No More
As a descendant of Hangroot ancestors, I am acutely aware of how our Black Greenwich family history has been lost, erased, and forgotten. In researching my own family history, I came across an article by Christine McKay titled African Americans in 19th Century Greenwich:Notes on New Research. It was published in 2001 in conjuction with a Greenwich Historical Society exhibit on African-Americans in Greenwich. Other than Jeffrey Bingham Mead, McKay is the only other historian that I know of who has sought to factually present a portrait of Black Greenwich. However, even she recognized that, although she had researched African Americans in Greenwich, the Abolitionist movement, and Underground Railroad for her article, there was much more research yet to be done.
Needless to say, my blogposts on Greenwich will eventually lead to a book on my family’s history as the descendants of both Lyon slaves and Lyon slave owners that traces back to the 17th century. I will be defining and reclaiming both the Hangroot and Byram sections of Greenwich as our home. I will be giving a “bottom up” perspective, rather than a “top down” perspective, that defines and accurately portrays my ancestors and their community. Our Lyon-Green-Merritts family history is nothing less than an African-American success story that was born of slavery personified in Greenwich, CT. I began this blogpost with the photo that was taken in Hangroot in 1897. This is the Hangroot that my family was part of for 100 years. It is a visual reminder of just how vibrant this community was even in the midst of being erased from history. This is the Hangroot that I will be researching for years to come. We shall be erased no more.
For the past couple of years, I’ve been kneep-deep in genealogical and family history research that I know has been guided by my Greenwich ancestors. I may not be a religious person, but I am a spiritual one. For almost a year, I have also been trying to get justice for my ancestors in the fight over the Byram African-American Cemetery where my ancestors reside in a peace that has been disturbed. When I first learned about my 4th great-grandparents, Anthony and Peg, I called their names and let them know that they were found and would never be lost to history or their descendants again. And I meant every word that I said when I said them. They have never left my side since then and they keep visiting me in my dreams — visitations that guide me and push me to continue telling their true stories.
What happened to my ancestors in Hangroot, when gentrification came, is just a continuation of gentrification that is still happening in Greenwich today, but on an even grander scale — a gentrification that originally included 19th and 20th century millionaires, now includes 21st century millionaires AND hedge fund billionaires. Historic homes and places are being demolished and replaced with larger homes and McMansions today. When this happens, local history is lost and family history is lost as well. If you are a person who has a long family history in Greenwich which was well documented, you may not feel the same impact as those of us, who also have long family histories in Greenwich as well, but our family histories were barely recorded in historical records because our ancestors were born slaves. When the places we occupied, in life and death, disappear, our family history disappears as well. The fight over the Byram African-American Cemetery is a fight, not only about whether or not the residents of 11 Byram Dock Rd. own and have a right to “beautify the property,” but, it is also a battle that I am engaged in to defend my ancestors’ burial place AND to prevent the loss of our larger family history in Greenwich itself. To be clear, when Twachtman arrived in Hangroot in 1890 and “beautified the property’, he made improvements on property that he owned. The couple at 11 Byram Dock Rd., however, don’t own — but are claiming to own — a burial ground that had always been a part of the Byram Cemetery of our Lyon ancestors. They acknowledge the two white cemeteries in our extended family, but want to deny the existence of our Black one so that my ancestors are now buried in what looks like someone’s front lawn. I remain resolute and steadfast in standing up for my ancestors and reclaiming and defending our family history. Why one may ask? Because of our Anthony and Peg, our esteemed slave ancestors. When the light of a freedom certain came, they crawled down that path to emancipation and stood up and took some steps so that their children and grandchildren could walk so that their descendants could run on and keep running so that their descedants today could fly. I know that they are counting on me to be the sum of their Byram and Hangroot hopes and dreams and to be their voice from beyond their Byram graves. I will be representing them for as long as I live with pride. I am a proud slave descendant who comes from good stock indeed.
On Documenting the Underground Railroad In Greenwich: Why These 5 Places Matter
While the role that Greenwich white abolitionists and anti-slavery activists has been researched in regards to the Underground Railroad, the role that the free Black population in Greenwich played in shepherding enslaved people to freedom has never been studied. Because of this, I have been complelled to first define the free Black community in Greenwich that existed in the 19th century. That community was Hangroot. At the end of my previous blogpost, I wrote about the direction of my current research which will also look at the history of the White anti-slavery activists/abolitionists in our extended Lyon family and their social networks as well. As I said then, it can’t just be a coincidence that our Hangroot Greens and Merritts have a cousin named Hawley Green, who along with his wife Harriet Peterson Green, were stationmasters on the Underground Railroad in Peekskill, NY in the 1830s. Its can’t be another coincidence that our Hangroot ancestors have ties to the free Black populations of Westchester County, NY that extend back to the late 1700s and early 1800s. Below are the places that matter in Greenwich to our Lyon-Green-Merritt family.
Proposed Underground Railroad route that may have started in Greenwich by the free Black population there
1) The Thomas Lyon Jr. House
This house is the oldest house in Greenwich built by my 9th great-uncle. It is an historic house that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is also on the CT Freedom Trail list. This is the house where a distant cousin, Seth Lyon, harbored a fugitive slave named Peter John Lee for six years. As I documented in my blogpost Coming to The Table in Honor of Jack Husted, Seth and his cousin Gilbert Lyon were anti-slavery activists and members of the Whig Party (Northeast), an anti-slavery party. Their social network included known Greenwich abolitionists like Deacon Jonas Mead, a neighbor of Gilbert Lyon, a stationmaster on the Underground Railroad, and Vice-President of the Fairfield Anti-Slavery Society.
2) Our Byram Cemeteries : The Lyon, Byram and Byram African-American Cemeteries
These three cemeteries link our Lyon, Green and Merritt ancestors to both the Thomas Lyon House and to the Green-Twachtman House. Our family ancestors, on both sides of the color line, were born and bred in Byram and are buried there. The Lyon family is one of the 17th century founding families of Greenwich. It was our Lyon ancestors who created a section of their Byram Cemetery for their slaves and former slaves. The Byram African-American Cemetery is where our Anthony and Peg are buried. Lyon-Green-Merritt descendants trace their ancestry back to Peg, who was the mulatto daughter of Daniel Lyon, who is buried in the Byram Cemetery.
I am a proud member of the Greenwich Preservation Trust (GPT) an organization that stood up three years ago to defend the desecration of the Byram African-American Cemetery. Along with our Lyon cousins, we are now united in restoring The Thomas Lyon House and backing the Town of Greenwich’s acquisition of all three of our ancestral cemeteries and making all of them historic ones. I will continue to support this organization any way I can. I want to also take the time here to thank Jo Conboy, State Rep. Michael Bocchino, the GPT Board and members for advocating for the passage of a new law that will protect abandoned cemeteries in the State of Connecticut in lieu of our current battle to save the Byram African-American Cemetery. The new law passed the legislature last week and is now on to the Senate for final approval.
3) Union Cemetery (Lot 23)
Second Congregational Church opened Lot 23 for the poor and Colored people in 1851. Half the people buried in that lot are our Green, Merritt, Husted ancestors along with other Hangroot families like the Banks, Felmetta, Watsons, Petersons and others. Five members of the 29th Infantry are buried there as well. In addition, some of our white Lyon and Husted ancestors are buried in other sections of Union Cemetery.
4) Little Bethel AME Church
Little Bethel AME Church was founded in 1882 and was the first Black church founded in Greenwich, CT. It is also listed on the CT Freedom Trail. The founding members of this church included Charles E. Green, Allen Banks, George Treadwell, Augusta Felmetta, Ellen Banks, Caselia Merritt, Catherine Merritt, Mandeville Merritt, Ruben Belcher, Mr. and Mrs. Belcher, Cornelia Bush, and Esther Bush. All were originally from Hangroot. Later church members included the descendants of these families.
5) The Green-Twachtman House
This landmark house was built in 1845 by my 3rd great-grandfather, Allen Green, the 5th son of Anthony and Peg Green who settled in Hangroot in 1820. Allen arrived in 1839 when he bought property at 30 Round Hill Rd. His wife, Mary Johnson Green may have been born a fugitive slave from Virginia who made Hangroot her haven when she married the Allen. Allen and his extended family were cousins to Hawley Green and his wife Harriet Peterson Green, who owned an Underground Railroad House in Peekskill, NY in the 1830s.
If I can prove that Mary was in fact fugitive slave and/or I can prove a more definitve link between our Hangroot Greens and Merritts and Hawley and Harriet Peterson Green, then I will then make it my new mission to apply for state and federal recognition so the house that Allen built is recognized as an Underground Railroad House and the community that was Hangroot will be known as a confirmed depot stop on the Underground Railroad. One day soon I will proudly stand in front of 30 Round Hill Rd. and hold up a sign that says THIS PLACE MATTERED MORE THAN ANYONE KNEW. I already know in my heart of hearts that it does and always did.
May my ancestors continue to be my guide on my mission to seek their historical truths.
Goodwin, Alfred Henry. An Artist’s Unspoiled Country Home. Country Life In America. Vol. 8 (October 1905), pp. 625-630.
Larkin, Susan G. On Home Ground: John Twachtman and the Familiar Landscape. The American Art Journal, Vol. 29, No 1/2 (1998), pp. 52-85.
McKay, Christine. African Americans in Nineteenth Century Greenwich. Greenwich History. Vol 6 (2001), pp. 56-74.
Mead, Daniel. A History of the Town of Greenwich, Fairfield, CT. NY:Baker and Godwin Printers, 1857.
Peters, Lisa. John Twachtman (1853-1902) and The American Scene in the Late Nineteenth Century: Frontiers within the Terrain of the Familiar. 2 Vols. PhD Dissertation. City University of New York, 1995. (Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms International, 1996).
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US Supreme Court Center > Volume 375 > NATIONAL EQUIPMENT RENTAL, LTD. V. SZUKHENT, 375 U. S. 311 (1964) > Full Text
NATIONAL EQUIPMENT RENTAL, LTD. V. SZUKHENT, 375 U. S. 311 (1964)
National Equipment Rental, Ltd. v. Szukhent, 375 U.S. 311 (1964)
National Equipment Rental, Ltd. v. Szukhent
FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT
Petitioner, a corporation with its principal place of business in New York, sued respondents, residents of Michigan, in a federal court in New York, claiming that respondents had defaulted in payments due under a farm equipment lease. The lease was on a printed form, 1 1/2 pages in length, and consisted of 18 numbered paragraphs. The last paragraph, appearing just above respondents' signatures, provided that
"the Lessee hereby designates Florence Weinberg, 47-21 Forty-First Street, Long Island City, N. Y., as agent for the purpose of accepting service of any process within the State of New York."
The respondents were not acquainted with Florence Weinberg, and she had not expressly undertaken to transmit notice to them. The Marshal delivered two copies of the summons and complaint to Florence Weinberg. That same day, she mailed the summons and complaint to the respondents, together with a letter stating that the documents had been served upon her as the respondents' agent for the purpose of accepting service of process in New York, in accordance with the agreement contained in the lease. The petitioner itself also notified the respondents by certified mail of the service of process upon Florence Weinberg.
Held: prompt notice to the respondents having been given, Florence Weinberg was their "agent authorized by appointment" to receive process within the meaning of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(d)(1). Pp. 375 U. S. 316-318.
(a) No questions of subject matter jurisdiction or of venue are here presented. Federal jurisdiction existed by reason of diversity of citizenship. 28 U.S.C. § 1332. P. 375 U. S. 313, n. 2.
(b) Since the respondents did in fact receive complete and timely notice of the lawsuit pending against them, no question of due process is reached or decided. P. 375 U. S. 315.
(c) Parties to a contract may agree in advance to submit to the jurisdiction of a given court, to permit notice to be served by the opposing party, or even to waive notice altogether. P. 375 U. S. 315.
(d) Florence Weinberg's prompt acceptance and transmittal to the respondents of the summons and complaint pursuant to the
authorization was itself sufficient to validate the agency, even though there was no explicit previous promise on her part to do so. P. 375 U. S. 310.
(e) There is no relevant concept of state law which would invalidate the agency here at issue. P. 375 U. S. 316.
(f) The fact that the designated agent was not personally known to the respondents at the time of her appointment, and that she may be related to an officer of the petitioner corporation, did not invalidate the agency. P. 375 U. S. 317.
(g) The case of Rosenthal v. United Transp. Co., 196 App. Div. 540, 188 N.Y.S. 154, is inapposite. P. 375 U. S. 317, n. 8.
311 F.2d 79, reversed.
The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provide that service of process upon an individual may be made "by delivering a copy of the summons and of the complaint to an agent authorized by appointment . . . to receive service of process." [Footnote 1] The petitioner is a corporation with
its principal place of business in New York. It sued the respondents, residents of Michigan, in a New York federal court, claiming that the respondents had defaulted under a farm equipment lease. The only question now before us is whether the person upon whom the summons and complaint were served was "an agent authorized by appointment" to receive the same, so as to subject the respondents to the jurisdiction of the federal court in New York. [Footnote 2]
The respondents obtained certain farm equipment from the petitioner under a lease executed in 1961. The lease was on a printed form less than a page and a half in length, and consisted of 18 numbered paragraphs. The last numbered paragraph, appearing just above the respondents' signatures and printed in the same type used in the remainder of the instrument, provided that
"the Lessee hereby designates Florence Weinberg, 47-21 Forty-first Street, Long Island City, N.Y., as agent for the purpose of accepting service of any process within the State of New York. [Footnote 3]"
The respondents were not acquainted with Florence Weinberg.
In 1962, the petitioner commenced the present action by filing in the federal court in New York a complaint which alleged that the respondents had failed to make any of the periodic payments specified by the lease. The Marshal delivered two copies of the summons and complaint to Florence Weinberg. That same day, she mailed the summons and complaint to the respondents, together with a letter stating that the documents had been served upon her as the respondents' agent for the purpose of accepting service of process in New York, in accordance with the agreement contained in the lease. [Footnote 4] The petitioner itself also notified the respondents by certified mail of the service of process upon Florence Weinberg.
Upon motion of the respondents, the District Court quashed service of the summons and complaint, holding that, although Florence Weinberg had promptly notified the respondents of the service of process and mailed copies of the summons and complaint to them, the lease agreement itself had not explicitly required her to do so, and there was therefore a "failure of the agency arrangement to achieve intrinsic and continuing reality." 30 F.R.D. 3, 5. The Court of Appeals affirmed, 311 F.2d 79, and we granted certiorari, 372 U.S. 974. For the reasons stated in this opinion, we have concluded that Florence Weinberg was "an agent authorized by appointment . . . to receive service of process," and accordingly we reverse the judgment before us.
We need not and do not in this case reach the situation where no personal notice has been given to the defendant. Since the respondents did in fact receive complete and timely notice of the lawsuit pending against them, no due process claim has been made. The case before us is therefore quite different from cases where there was no actual notice, such as Schroeder v. City of New York, 371 U. S. 208; Walker v. Hutchinson City, 352 U. S. 112; and Mullane v. Central Hanover Tr. Co., 339 U. S. 306. Similarly, as the Court of Appeals recognized, this Court's decision in Wuchter v. Pizzutti, 276 U. S. 13, is inapposite here. In that case, a state nonresident motorist statute which failed to provide explicitly for communication of notice was held unconstitutional, despite the fact that notice had been given to the defendant in that particular case. Wuchter dealt with the limitations imposed by the Fourteenth Amendment upon a statutory scheme by which a State attempts to subject nonresident individuals to the jurisdiction of its courts. The question presented here, on the other hand, is whether a party to a private contract may appoint an agent to receive service of process within the meaning of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(d)(1), where the agent is not personally known to the party and where the agent has not expressly undertaken to transmit notice to the party.
The purpose underlying the contractual provision here at issue seems clear. The clause was inserted by the petitioner and agreed to by the respondents in order to assure that any litigation under the lease should be conducted in the State of New York. The contract specifically provided that
"This agreement shall be deemed to have been made in Nassau County, New York, regardless of the order in which the signatures of the parties shall be affixed hereto, and shall be interpreted, and the rights and liabilities of the parties here determined, in accordance with the laws of the State of New York."
And it is settled,
as the courts below recognized, that parties to a contract may agree in advance to submit to the jurisdiction of a given court, to permit notice to be served by the opposing party, or even to waive notice altogether. See, e.g., Kenny Construction Co. v. Allen, 101 U.S.App.D.C. 334, 248 F.2d 656 (1957); Bowles v. J. J. Schmitt & Co., Inc., 170 F.2d 617 (C.A.2d Cir. 1948); Gilbert v. Burnstine, 255 N.Y. 348, 174 N.E. 706 (1931).
Under well settled general principles of the law of agency, Florence Weinberg's prompt acceptance and transmittal to the respondents of the summons and complaint pursuant to the authorization was itself sufficient to validate the agency, even though there was no explicit previous promise on her part to do so.
"The principal's authorization may neither expressly nor impliedly request any expression of assent by the agent as a condition of the authority, and in such a case any exercise of power by the agent within the scope of the authorization, during the term for which it was given, or within a reasonable time if no fixed term was mentioned, will bind the principal."
2 Williston on Contracts (3d ed. 1959), § 274.
We deal here with a Federal Rule, applicable to federal courts in all 50 States. But even if we were to assume that this uniform federal standard should give way to contrary local policies, there is no relevant concept of state law which would invalidate the agency here at issue. In Michigan, where the respondents reside, the statute which validates service of process under the circumstances present in this case contains no provision requiring that the appointed agent expressly undertake to notify the principal of the service of process. [Footnote 5] Similarly, New York law, which it was agreed should be applicable to the lease provisions, does not require any such express promise by the agent in order to create a valid agency for receipt of
process. The New York statutory short form of general power of attorney, which specifically includes the power to accept service of process, [Footnote 6] is entirely silent as to any such requirement. [Footnote 7] Indeed, the identical contractual provision at issue here has been held by a New York court to create a valid agency for service of process under the law of that State. National Equipment Rental, Ltd. v. Graphic Art Designers, Inc., 36 Misc.2d 442, 234 N.Y.S.2d 61. [Footnote 8]
It is argued, finally, that the agency sought to be created in this case was invalid because Florence Weinberg may have had a conflict of interest. This argument is based upon the fact that she was not personally known to the respondents at the time of her appointment, and upon a suggestion in the record that she may be related to an officer of the petitioner corporation. But such a contention ignores the narrowly limited nature of the agency here involved. Florence Weinberg was appointed the respondents' agent for the single purpose of receiving service of process. An agent with authority so limited can in no meaningful sense be deemed to have had an interest antagonistic to the respondents, since both the
petitioner and the respondents had an equal interest in assuring that, in the event of litigation, the latter be given that adequate and timely notice which is a prerequisite to a valid judgment. [Footnote 9]
A different case would be presented if Florence Weinberg had not given prompt notice to the respondents, for then the claim might well be made that her failure to do so had operated to invalidate the agency. We hold only that, prompt notice to the respondents having been given, Florence Weinberg was their "agent authorized by appointment" to receive process within the meaning of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(d)(1).
The judgment of the Court of Appeals is reversed, and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(d) provides, in pertinent part:
"(d) SUMMONS: PERSONAL SERVICE. The summons and complaint shall be served together. The plaintiff shall furnish the person making service with such copies as are necessary. Service shall be made as follows:"
"(1) Upon an individual other than an infant or an incompetent person, by delivering a copy of the summons and of the complaint to him personally or by leaving copies thereof at his dwelling house or usual place of abode with some person of suitable age and discretion then residing therein or by delivering a copy of the summons and of the complaint to an agent authorized by appointment or by law to receive service of process."
No questions of subject matter jurisdiction or of venue are presented. Federal jurisdiction exists by reason of diversity of citizenship. 28 U.S.C. § 1332. Venue in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York has not been contested. 28 U.S.C. § 1391.
The paragraph in its entirety read as follows:
"This agreement shall be deemed to have been made in Nassau County, New York, regardless of the order in which the signatures of the parties shall be affixed hereto, and shall be interpreted, and the rights and liabilities of the parties here determined, in accordance with the laws of the State of New York; and the Lessee hereby designates Florence Weinberg, 47-21 Forty-first Street, Long Island City, N.Y., as agent for the purpose of accepting service of any process within the State of New York."
The complaint, summons, and covering letter were sent by certified mail, and the letter read as follows:
"Gentlemen:"
"Please take notice that the enclosed Summons and Complaint was duly served upon me this day by the United States Marshal, as your agent for the purpose of accepting service of process within the State of New York, in accordance with your contract with National Equipment Rental, Ltd."
Florence Weinberg
Mich.Stat.Ann.1962, § 27A.1930, Comp.Laws 1948, § 600.1930 (Pub.Acts 1961, No. 236).
McKinney's N.Y.Consol.Laws c. 20, General Business Law, § 229(6).
McKinney's N.Y.Consol.Laws c. 20, General Business Law, § 220.
It is argued that the state court decisions upholding the agency designation here at issue would have been different if the case of Rosenthal v. United Transp. Co., 196 App.Div. 540, 188 N.Y.S. 154, had been brought to the attention of the courts. Rosenthal interpreted the forerunner of § 227 of the Civil Practice Act, Gilbert-Bliss' N.Y.Civ.Prac., Vol. 3A, 1942, § 227 (1963 Supp.), which creates a procedure whereby a resident of New York may appoint an agent for the receipt of process by designation of a person to receive service and the filing thereof with the County Clerk. The Rosenthal case is entirely inapposite, because § 227 clearly applies only to residents of New York who leave the State, and, even as to them, the provision is permissive, rather than exclusive. Phillips v. Garramone, 36 Misc.2d 1041, 233 N.Y.S.2d 842; Torre v. Grasso, 11 Misc.2d 275, 173 N.Y.S.2d 828.
There is no allegation that Weinberg had any pecuniary interest in the subject matter of the litigation. Nor is the issue here the applicability of a statute which permits service on a foreign corporation by service on persons who are generally authorized to act as agents of the corporation, when the agent upon whom service is made has a personal interest in suppressing notice of service; see, e.g., John W. Masury & Son v. Lowther, 299 Mich. 516, 300 N.W. 866 (1941) (involving a garnishment proceeding in which service under such a statute was attempted upon that employee of the foreign corporation who had incurred the debt on which the suit was based, who therefore had a personal interest in concealing from his employer the fact of service, and who did not notify the employer that service had been made). See Hartsock v. Commodity Credit Corp., 10 F.R.D. 181, also involving a situation where the agent "sustains such a relation to plaintiff or the claim in suit as to make it to his interest to suppress the fact of service. . . ." 10 F.R.D. at 184.
MR. JUSTICE BLACK, dissenting.
The petitioner, National Equipment Rental, Ltd., is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in greater New York City. From that location, it does a nationwide equipment rental business. The respondents,
Steve and Robert Szukhent, father and son farming in Michigan, leased from National two incubators for their farm, signing in Michigan a lease contract which was a standard printed form obviously prepared by the New York company's lawyers. Included in the 18 paragraphs of fine print was the following provision:
". . . the Lessee hereby designates Florence Weinberg, 47-21 Forty-first Street, Long Island City, N.Y., as agent for the purpose of accepting service of any process within the State of New York."
The New York company later brought this suit for breach of the lease in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Rule 4(d)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure authorizes service of process for suits in federal courts to be made on an "agent authorized by appointment or by law to receive service of process." Process was served on Mrs. Weinberg as "agent" of the Michigan farmers. She mailed notice of this service to the Szukhents. A New York lawyer appeared especially for them and moved to quash the service on the ground that Mrs. Weinberg was not their agent, but was in reality the agent of the New York company.
The record on the motion to quash shows that the Szukhents had never had any dealings with Mrs. Weinberg, their supposed agent. They had never met, seen, or heard of her. She did not sign the lease, was not a party to it, received no compensation from the Szukhents, and undertook no obligation to them. In fact, she was handpicked by the New York company to accept service of process in any suits that might thereafter be filed by the company. Only after this suit was brought was it reluctantly revealed that Mrs. Weinberg was, in truth, the wife of one of the company's officers. The district judge, applying New York law to these facts, held that there had been no effective appointment of Mrs. Weinberg as agent of the Szukhents, that the service on her as their
"agent" was therefore invalid, and that the service should be quashed. 30 F.R.D. 3 (D.C.E.D.N.Y.). The Court of Appeals, one judge dissenting, affirmed, agreeing that no valid agency had been created. 311 F.2d 79 (C.A.2d Cir.). [Footnote 2/1] This Court now reverses both courts below and holds that the contractual provision purporting to appoint Mrs. Weinberg as agent is valid, and that service of process on her as agent was therefore valid and effective under Rule 4(d)(1) as on an "agent authorized by appointment . . . to receive service of process." I disagree with that holding, believing that (1) whether Mrs. Weinberg was a valid agent upon whom service could validly be effected under Rule 4(d)(1) should be determined under New York law, and that we should accept the holdings of the federal district judge and the Court of Appeals sitting in New York that under that State's law the purported appointment of Mrs. Weinberg was invalid and ineffective; (2) if however, Rule 4(d)(1) is to be read as calling upon us to formulate a new federal definition of agency for purposes of service of process, I think our formulation should exclude Mrs. Weinberg from the category of an "agent authorized by appointment . . . to receive service of process"; and (3) upholding service of process in this case raises serious questions as to whether these Michigan farmers have been denied due process of law in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.
No federal statute has undertaken to regulate the sort of agency transaction here involved. [Footnote 2/2] There is only Rule 4(d)(1), which says nothing more than that in federal
courts personal jurisdiction may be obtained by service on an "agent." The Rule does not attempt to define who is an "agent." To me it is evident that the draftsmen of the Rules did not, by using the word "agent," show any intention of throwing out the traditional body of state law and creating a new and different federal doctrine in this branch of the law of agency. Therefore, it is to the law of New York -- the State where this action was brought in federal court, the place where the contract was deemed by the parties to have been made, and the State the law of which was specified as determining rights and liabilities under the contract [Footnote 2/3] -- that we should turn to test the validity of the appointment. [Footnote 2/4]
I agree with the district judge that this agency is invalid under the laws of New York. The highest state court that has passed on the question has held that, because of New York statutes, the designation by a nonresident of New York of an agent to receive service of process is ineffective; the court, in denying an order for interpleader, held that only residents of New York can make such an appointment, and even then only in compliance with the terms of the controlling statute. Rosenthal v. United Transp. Co., 196 App.Div. 540, 188 N.Y.S. 154. Even the dissenting judge in the Court of Appeals in the present case acknowledged that the purported appointment of
Mrs. Weinberg "would not subject the defendants to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York." The company cites three decisions of trial judges in two of New York's 62 counties which have upheld service upon purported agents in circumstances like these. [Footnote 2/5] In fact, two of those cases, both decided in Nassau County, where the company does business, upheld service on this same Mrs. Weinberg as "agent" in suits brought for breach of contract by this same company, one against a defendant living in the distant State of California. But these trial courts did not even mention the Rosenthal case, decided by a higher court, and in fact cited no higher court opinions at all which dealt with the question here raised. In seeking to apply New York's definition of "agent," we should follow the considered opinions of the highest appellate courts which have passed upon the question, not unexamined decisions of trial courts. In so doing, we see that, under New York law, this service of process is invalid. Also, we should accept the view of the question taken by the federal courts sitting in the State whose law is being applied unless we are shown "clearly and convincingly" that these courts erred. [Footnote 2/6] Here, there is no showing that the Court of Appeals -- where neither the majority nor the dissenter disputed the District Court's view of New York law -- has erred. [Footnote 2/7]
If Rule 4(d)(1) is to be read as requiring this Court to formulate new federal standards of agency to be resolved in each case as a federal question, rather than as leaving the question to state law, I think the standards we formulate should clearly and unequivocally denounce as invalid any alleged service of process on nonresidents based on purported agency contracts having no more substance than that naming Mrs. Weinberg.
A. In the first place, we should interpret the federal rule as contemplating a genuine agent, not a sham. [Footnote 2/8] Here the "agent," Mrs. Weinberg, was unknown to respondents. She was chosen by the New York company, was under its supervision, and, indeed, was the wife of one of its officers -- facts no one ever told these farmers. [Footnote 2/9] State courts in general quite properly refuse to uphold service of process on an agent who, though otherwise competent, has interests antagonistic to those of the person he is meant to represent. [Footnote 2/10] In Michigan, the place where the contract here involved was signed and where the machinery was delivered, the State Supreme Court has said that to hold otherwise would open "wide the door for the perpetration of fraud and maladministration of justice." [Footnote 2/11] There is no reason for a federal rule to tolerate a less punctilious regard for fair dealing in a matter so very important to a person being sued. I cannot believe that Rule 4(d)(1), which may under some circumstances
be used to subject people to jurisdiction thousands of miles from home, was ever meant to bring a defendant into court by allowing service on an "agent" whose true loyalty is not to the person being sued but to the one bringing suit. The Canons of Ethics forbid a lawyer to serve conflicting parties, at least without express consent given after full disclosure. [Footnote 2/12] If we are to create a federal standard, I would hold a 4(d)(1) agent to a like duty. Furthermore, as the courts below pointed out, there was no provision in the contract assuring the defendants of notice of any action brought against them in New York, and no undertaking by their purported agent or anyone else to notify them. It is true that actual notice was given. But there is a prophylactic value, especially where contracts of this kind can in future cases be used to impose on a nonresident defendant, in requiring that the contract provide for notice in the first place. We have, on due process grounds, required as much of state statutes which declare a statutory agent for substituted service on nonresidents. Wuchter v. Pizzutti, 276 U. S. 13.
B. But even if this contract had named a disinterested agent and required that notice of service be given to the Szukhents, I think that any federal standards we formulate under Rule 4(d)(1) should invalidate purported service of process in the circumstances of cases like this one. To give effect to the clause about service of process in this standardized form contract amounts to a holding that, when the Szukhents leased these incubators, they then and there, long in advance of any existing justiciable dispute or controversy, effectively waived all objection to the jurisdiction of a court in a distant State the process of which could not otherwise reach them. Both the nature of the right given up and the nature of the contractual
relation here make such an application of the contract impossible to square with the context of American law in which Rule 4(d)(1) was written. The right to have a case tried locally and be spared the likely injustice of having to litigate in a distant or burdensome forum is as ancient as the Magna Charta. [Footnote 2/13] States generally have refused to enforce agreements in notes purporting to consent to foreign jurisdiction along with consent to confession of judgment, sometimes because such provisions are outlawed by statutes [Footnote 2/14] and sometimes because they are outlawed by courts in the absence of specific statutory prohibitions. [Footnote 2/15] In countless cases courts have refused to allow insurance companies to arrange that suits against them on their policies may be brought only at the home office of the company. [Footnote 2/16] And prior decisions of our own
Court have gone to great lengths to avoid giving enforcement to such provisions. Compare National Exchange Bank v. Wiley, 195 U. S. 257; Grover & Baker Sewing Machine Co. v. Radcliffe, 137 U. S. 287.
C. Where one party, at its leisure and drawing upon expert legal advice, drafts a form contract, complete with waivers of rights and privileges by the other, it seems to me to defy common sense for this Court to formulate a federal rule designed to treat this as an agreement coolly negotiated and hammered out by equals. With respect to insurance contracts drawn this way this Court long ago said:
"The phraseology of contracts of insurance is that chosen by the insurer and the contract in fixed form is tendered to the prospective policy holder who is often without technical training, and who rarely accepts it with a lawyer at his elbow."
Aschenbrenner v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co., 292 U. S. 80, 292 U. S. 84-85. [Footnote 2/17]
It is hardly likely that these Michigan farmers, hiring farm equipment, were in any position to dicker over what terms went into the contract they signed. Yet holding this service effective inevitably will mean that the Szukhents must go nearly a thousand miles to a strange city, hire New York counsel, pay witnesses to travel there, pay their own and their witnesses' hotel bills, try to explain a dispute over a farm equipment lease to a New York judge or jury, and in other ways bear the burdens of litigation in a distant, and likely a strange, city. The company, of course, must have had this in mind when it put the clause in the contract. It doubtless hoped, by easing into its contract this innocent-looking provision for service of process in New York, to succeed in making it
as burdensome, disadvantageous, and expensive as possible for lessees to contest actions brought against them. This Court, in applying the doctrine of forum non conveniens, has suggested that "[a] plaintiff sometimes is under temptation to resort to a strategy of forcing the trial at a most inconvenient place for an adversary." Gulf Oil Corp. v. Gilbert, 330 U. S. 501, 330 U. S. 507. What was there deemed to be a very unjust result is greatly aggravated, I think, by today's holding that a man can, by a cleverly drafted form, be successfully inveigled into giving up in advance of any controversy his traditional right to be served with process and sued at home. Rule 4(d)(1), designed in part to preserve the right to have a case tried in a convenient tribunal, should not be used to formulate federal standards of agency that defeat this purpose.
It should be understood that the effect of the Court's holding is not simply to give courts sitting in New York jurisdiction over these Michigan farmers. It is also, as a practical matter, to guarantee that whenever the company wishes to sue someone who has contracted with it, it can, by force of this clause, confine all such suits to courts sitting in New York. This Court and others have frequently refused to hold valid a contract which, before any controversy has arisen, attempts to restrict jurisdiction to a single court or courts. See Doyle v. Continental Ins. Co., 94 U. S. 535; Insurance Co. v. Morse, 20 Wall. 445, 87 U. S. 451; Nute v. Hamilton Mut. Ins. Co., 6 Gray (72 Mass.) 174; 6A Corbin, Contracts § 1445. Here, this contract as effectively ousts the Michigan courts of jurisdiction as if it had said so. Today's holding disregards Michigan's interest in supervising the protection of rights of its citizens who never leave the State but are sued by foreign companies with which they have done business. Cf. Travelers Health Assn. v. Virginia ex rel. State Corp. Comm'n, 339 U. S. 643; McGee v. International Life Ins. Co., 355 U. S. 220.
D. To formulate standards of agency under Rule 4(d)(1) which allow a plaintiff with a form contract to extend a District Court's service of process for suits on that contract anywhere in the country (or, presumably, the world) is to do something which Congress has never done. Years ago, Mr. Justice Brandeis, speaking for the Court, emphasized that Congress had always been reluctant to grant power to Federal District Courts to serve process outside the territorial borders of the State in which a District Court sits, saying:
"[N]o act has come to our attention in which such power has been conferred in a proceeding in a circuit or District Court where a private citizen is the sole defendant and where the plaintiff is at liberty to commence the suit in the district of which the defendant is an inhabitant or in which he can be found."
Robertson v. Railroad Labor Board, 268 U. S. 619, 268 U. S. 624-625. (Footnotes omitted.) This Court should reject any construction of Rule 4(d)(1) or formulation of federal standards under it to help powerful litigants to achieve by unbargained "take it or leave it" contracts what Congress has consistently refused to permit by legislation.
The end result of today's holding is not difficult to foresee. Clauses like the one used against the Szukhents -- clauses which companies have not inserted, I suspect, because they never dreamed a court would uphold them -- will soon find their way into the "boilerplate" of everything from an equipment lease to a conditional sales contract. Today's holding gives a green light to every large company in this country to contrive contracts which declare with force of law that when such a company wants to sue someone with whom it does business, that individual must go and try to defend himself in some place, no matter how distant, where big business enterprises are
concentrated, like, for example, New York Connecticut, or, Illinois, or else suffer a default judgment. In this very case, the Court holds that by this company's carefully prepared contractual clause the Szukhents must, to avoid a judgment rendered without a fair and full hearing, travel hundreds of miles across the continent, probably crippling their defense and certainly depleting what savings they may have, to try to defend themselves in a court sitting in New York City. I simply cannot believe that Congress, when, by its silence, it let Rule 4(d)(1) go into effect, meant for that rule to be used as a means to achieve such a far-reaching, burdensome, and unjust result. Heretofore, judicial good common sense has, on one ground or another, disregarded contractual provisions like this one, not encouraged them. It is a long trip from San Francisco -- or from Honolulu or Anchorage -- to New York, Boston, or Wilmington. And the trip can be very expensive, often costing more than it would simply to pay what is demanded. The very threat of such a suit can be used to force payment of alleged claims, even though they be wholly without merit. This fact will not be news to companies exerting their economic power to wangle such contracts. No statute and no rule requires this Court to place its imprimatur upon them. I would not.
The Court's holding that these Michigan residents are compelled to go to New York to defend themselves in a New York court brings sharply into focus constitutional questions as to whether they will thereby be denied due process of law in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. While implicit in much of the oral arguments and in the briefs, these questions have not been adequately discussed. The questions are serious and involve matters of both historical and practical importance. These things lead me to believe that this case should be
set down for reargument on these constitutional questions. Moreover, this Court might, after such arguments, conclude that these constitutional questions are so substantial and weighty that the nonconstitutional issues should be decided in favor of the Michigan defendants, thereby making a constitutional decision unnecessary. While I would prefer to await more informative constitutional discussions before deciding these due process questions, the Court rules against a reargument. In this situation I am compelled now to reach, consider, and decide the constitutional questions. My view is that the Court's holding denies the Szukhents due process of law for the following, among other, reasons.
It has been established constitutional doctrine since Pennoyer v. Neff, 95 U. S. 714, was decided in 1878, that a state court is without power to serve its process outside the State's boundaries so as to compel a resident of another State against his will to appear as a defendant in a case where a personal judgment is sought against him. This rule means that an individual has a constitutional right not to be sued on such claims in the courts of any State except his own without his consent. The prime value of this constitutional right has not diminished since Pennoyer v. Neff was decided. Our States have increased from 38 to 50. Although improved methods of travel have increased its speed and ameliorated its discomforts, it can hardly be said that these almost miraculous improvements would make more palatable or constitutional now than in 1878 a system of law that would compel a man or woman from Hawaii, Alaska, or even Michigan to travel to New York to defend against civil lawsuits claiming a few hundred or thousand dollars growing out of an ordinary commercial contract.
It can, of course, be argued with plausibility that the Pennoyer constitutional rule has no applicability here because the process served on the Szukhents ran from a
federal, not a state, court. But this case was in federal court solely because of the District Court's diversity jurisdiction. And, in the absence of any overriding constitutional or congressional requirements, the rights of the parties were to be preserved there as they would have been preserved in state courts. [Footnote 2/18] Neither the Federal Constitution nor any federal statute requires that a person who could not constitutionally be compelled to submit himself to a state court's jurisdiction forfeits that constitutional right because he is sued in a Federal District Court acting for a state court solely by reason of the happenstance of diversity jurisdiction. The constant aim of federal courts, at least since Erie R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U. S. 64, has been, so far as possible, to protect all the substantial rights of litigants in both courts alike. And surely the right of a person not to be dragged into the courts of a distant State to defend himself against a civil lawsuit cannot be dismissed as insubstantial. Happily, in considering this question, we are not confronted with any congressional enactment designed to bring nonstate residents into a Federal District Court passed pursuant to congressional power to establish a judicial system to hear federal questions under Article III of the Constitution, or its power to regulate commerce under Art. I, § 8, or any of the other constitutionally granted congressional powers; we are dealing only with its power to let federal courts try lawsuits when the litigants reside in different States. Whatever power Congress might have in these other areas to extend a District Court's power to serve process across state lines, such power does not, I think, provide sound argument to justify reliance upon diversity jurisdiction to destroy a man's constitutional right to have his civil lawsuit tried in his own State. The protection of such a right in cases growing out of local
state lawsuits is the reason for and the heart of the Pennoyer constitutional doctrine relevant here.
The Court relies on the printed provision of the contract as a consent of the Szukhents to be sued in New York, making the Pennoyer rule inapplicable. In effect, the Court treats the provision as a waiver of the Szukhents' constitutional right not to be compelled to go to a New York court to defend themselves against the company's claims. [Footnote 2/19] This printed form provision buried in a multitude of words is too weak an imitation of a genuine agreement to be treated as a waiver of so important a constitutional safeguard as is the right to be sued at home. Waivers of constitutional rights, to be effective, this Court has said, must be deliberately and understandingly made, and can be established only by clear, unequivocal, and unambiguous language. [Footnote 2/20] It strains credulity to suggest that these Michigan farmers ever read this contractual provision about Mrs. Weinberg and about "accepting service of any process within the State of New York." And it exhausts credulity to think that they or any other laymen reading these legalistic words would have known
or even suspected that they amounted to an agreement of the Szukhents to let the company sue them in New York should any controversy arise. This Court should not permit valuable constitutional rights to be destroyed by any such sharp contractual practices. The idea that there was a knowing consent of the Szukhents to be sued in the courts of New York is no more than a fiction-not even an amiable one at that.
I would affirm the judgment.
Both the District Court and the Court of Appeals also rested their decisions on the contract's lack of provision for notice of the service of process.
Of course, Congress would not lack power to regulate at least some aspects of contracts like this one. Cf. United States v. South-Eastern Under writers Ass'n, 322 U. S. 533.
This is not to suggest that a contractual stipulation as to what state law should govern would necessarily be binding on state courts which did not choose to recognize it, including the courts of Michigan where the Szukhents lived, signed the lease contract, and received the leased property. See Watson v. Employers Liability Assurance Corp., 348 U. S. 66; see also Clay v. Sun Ins. Office Ltd., 363 U. S. 207, 363 U. S. 213 (dissenting opinion); Order of United Commercial Travelers of America v. Wolfe, 331 U. S. 586, 331 U. S. 625 (dissenting opinion).
If New York would look in turn to the law of Michigan, the place where the contract was signed by the Szukhents and was to be performed, then we should do the same. Cf. Klaxon Co. v. Stentor Electric Mfg. Co., 313 U. S. 487.
National Equipment Rental, Ltd. v. Graphic Art Designers, Inc., 36 Misc.2d 442, 234 N.Y.S.2d 61 (Sup.Ct., Nassau County); National Equipment Rental, Ltd. v. Boright, N.Y.L.J., July 17, 1962, p. 8, col. 8 (Sup.Ct., Nassau County); Emerson Radio & Phonograph Corp. v. Eskind, 32 Misc.2d 1038, 228 N.Y.S.2d 841 (Sup.Ct., N.Y. County).
Helvering v. Stuart, 317 U. S. 154, 317 U. S. 164; see also United States v. Durham Lumber Co., 363 U. S. 522, 363 U. S. 526-527; Propper v. Clark, 337 U. S. 472, 337 U. S. 486-487.
Since New York would not hold Mrs. Weinberg a valid agent to receive service of process, service cannot be upheld as authorized by that part of Rule 4(d)(7) which validates service "in the manner prescribed by the law of the state."
See Szabo v. Keeshin Motor Express Co., 10 F.R.D. 275 (D.C.N.D.Ohio); Fleming v. Malouf, 7 F.R.D. 56 (D.C.W.D.N.Y.).
Apparently the district judge asked the company to supply particulars of Mrs. Weinberg's relationship to the company, but this information was never furnished. For all that appears, she may be a stockholder or director of the company.
[Footnote 2/10]
See cases collected in 72 C.J.S. Process § 50.
John W. Masury & Son v. Lowther, 299 Mich. 516, 525, 300 N.W. 866, 870.
Canon of Ethics 6.
Magna Charta, cc. 17-19:
"17. Common Pleas shall not follow our Court, but shall be held in any certain place."
"18. Trials upon the Writs of Novel Disseisin, of Mort d'Ancestre (death of the ancestor), and Darrien Presentment (last presentation) shall not be taken but in their proper counties, and in this manner: We, or our Chief Justiciary, if we are out of the kingdom, will send two Justiciaries into each county, four times in the year, who, with four Knights of each county, chosen by the county, shall hold the aforesaid assizes, within the county on the day, and at the place appointed."
"19. And if the aforesaid assizes cannot be taken on the day of the county-court, let as many knights and freeholders, of those who were present at the county-court remain behind, as shall be sufficient to do justice, according to the great or less importance of the business."
Reprinted in S.Doc.No.232, 66th Cong., 2d Sess.
E.g., Ind.Stat.1933, § 2-2904; Mass.Gen.Laws 1956, c. 231, § 13A.
E.g., Farquhar & Co. v. Dehaven, 70 W.Va. 738, 75 S.E. 65; see also Hamilton v. Schoenberger, 47 Iowa 385.
E.g., Nute v. Hamilton Mut. Ins. Co., 6 Gray (72 Mass.) 174; Slocum v. Western Assur. Co., 42 F. 235 (D.C.S.D.N.Y.); see cases collected in 56 A.L.R.2d 300, 312-316.
See also, e.g., Bisso v. Inland Waterways Corp., 349 U. S. 85, 349 U. S. 90-91; Railroad Co. v. Lockwood, 17 Wall. 357, 84 U. S. 379-382.
Cf. Guaranty Trust Co. v. York, 326 U. S. 99.
It may be that the Court intends its disclaimer of passing on venue of the New York Federal District Court to imply that the service on the Szukhents' "agent" might not, after all, compel them to go to New York to defend themselves against a default judgment, should they prevail on the discretion of the judge in New York to grant them a transfer of venue under 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a). If so, apart from disregarding the trouble and expense which defendants would undergo in appearing and answering the complaint in New York and presenting evidence in hope of obtaining a discretionary change of venue, the Court's holding really would have no practical effect whatever. But the Court carefully refrains from holding that venue in New York could be successfully challenged, and consequently I must consider the statement in text to be correct.
Johnson v. Zerbst, 304 U. S. 458, 304 U. S. 464. See also, e.g., Fay v. Noia, 372 U. S. 391, 372 U. S. 439; Emspak v. United States, 349 U. S. 190, 349 U. S. 197-198; Aetna Ins. Co. v. Kennedy ex rel. Bogash, 301 U. S. 389, 301 U. S. 393; Hodges v. Easton, 106 U. S. 408, 106 U. S. 412.
MR. JUSTICE BRENNAN, with whom THE CHIEF JUSTICE and MR. JUSTICE GOLDBERG join, dissenting.
I would affirm. In my view, federal standards, and not state law, must define who is "an agent authorized by appointment" within the meaning of Rule 4(d) (1). See Mississippi Pub. Corp. v. Murphree, 326 U. S. 438, 326 U. S. 445-446; Bowles v. J. J. Schmitt & Co., 170 F.2d 617, 620; 1 Barron and Holtzoff, Federal Practice (Wright rev. 1960) at 701. In formulating these standards, I would, first, construe Rule 4(d)(1) to deny validity to the appointment of a purported agent whose interests conflict with those of his supposed principal, see Hartsock v. Commodity Credit Corp., 10 F.R.D. 181, 183. Second, I would require that the appointment include an explicit condition that the agent after service transmit the process forthwith to the principal. Although our decision in Wuchter v. Pizzutti, 276 U. S. 13, dealt with the constitutionality of a state statute, the reasoning of that case is persuasive that, in fashioning a federal agency rule, we should engraft the same requirement upon Rule 4(d)(1). Third, since the corporate plaintiff prepared the printed form contract, I would not hold the individual purchaser bound by the appointment without proof, in addition to his mere signature on the form, that the individual understandingly consented to be sued in a State not that of his residence. We must bear in mind what was said in United States v.
Rumely, 345 U. S. 41, 345 U. S. 44, that we must strive not to be "that blind' Court, against which Mr. Chief Justice Taft admonished in a famous passage, . . . that does not see what `[a]ll others can see and understand.'" It offends common sense to treat a printed form which closes an installment sale as embodying terms to all of which the individual knowingly assented. The sales pitch aims solely at getting the signature on the form, and wastes no time explaining or even mentioning the print. Before I would find that an individual purchaser has knowingly and intelligently consented to be sued in another State, I would require more proof of that fact than is provided by his mere signature on the form.
Since these standards were not satisfied in this case, the service of the summons and complaint was properly quashed.
Powered by Justia US Supreme Court Center: NATIONAL EQUIPMENT RENTAL, LTD. V. SZUKHENT, 375 U. S. 311 (1964)
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US Supreme Court Center > Volume 76 > FRISBIE V. WHITNEY, 76 U. S. 187 (1869)
FRISBIE V. WHITNEY, 76 U. S. 187 (1869)
Frisbie v. Whitney, 76 U.S. 9 Wall. 187 187 (1869)
Frisbie v. Whitney
1. Occupation and improvement on the public lands with a view to preemption, do not confer a vested right in the land so occupied.
2. It does confer a preference over others in the purchase of such land by the bona fide settler, which will enable him to protect his possession against other individuals, and which the land officers are bound to respect.
3. This inchoate right may be protected by the courts against the claims of other persons who have not an equal or superior right, but it is not valid against the United States.
4. The power of Congress over the public lands, as conferred by the Constitution, can only be restrained by the courts, in cases where the land has ceased to be government property by reason of a right vested in some person or corporation.
5. Such a vested right, under the preemption laws, is only obtained when the purchase money has been paid, and the receipt of the proper land officer given to the purchaser.
6. Until this is done, it is within the legal and constitutional competency of Congress to withdraw the land from entry or sale, though this may defeat the imperfect right of the settler.
In March, 1862, and for many years before, there was a
large body of land in California known as the Soscol Ranch, and which was supposed by almost everyone in that country to be private property. The tract covered eighteen square leagues, and included the City of Benicia, the Town of Vallejo, the navy yard of the United States, the depot of the Pacific Steamship Company, and hundreds of acres of land in cultivation and in possession of a large rural population. These parties all claimed under grants to a certain Vallejo by the Mexican government, made in 1843 and 1844, which had been presented to the Board of Land Commissioners and confirmed, and the decision of the board had been also affirmed on appeal to the district court.
In March, 1862, the case coming before this tribunal, the court felt itself compelled to declare the grant void for want of authority in the Mexican government to make it, and on the 22d day of the month just named did so declare it; the decision not in any way impeaching the good faith of the numerous purchasers under Vallejo. However, as the act of Congress [Footnote 1] which organized the Board of Commissioners to determine the land titles in California, declared that when any of the claims presented to it should finally be decided to be invalid the land should be considered as a part of the public domain, the effect of the decision was, that the United States became the absolute owner in fee of all the property, as above described; city, town, depot, ranch, the houses, the homes, the cultivated grounds and orchards, which the persons had bought and paid for, had built on and cultivated. The occupants had nothing left, of course, but an appeal to the equity and generosity of the government.
As soon as it became generally known in Benicia, and among the population on and about the Soscol Ranch, that this Court had declared the Vallejo claim void, and that the whole eighteen leagues were public land, a rush was made to secure all of it that was valuable, and which it was supposed had become subject to the preemption laws. The report of the register and receiver of the Land Office, who were subsequently required to investigate the claims set up
to these lands, both by the Vallejo claimants and the settlers, presents the mode in which this was done. The parties desiring to make preemption claims generally went on the lands in the night, because they were resisted by those in possession, and in the morning a house, eight or ten feet square with shed roof of redwood boards, set up edgewise, without window, fireplace, or floor, was discovered, the evidence of a bona fide settlement and occupation under the preemption laws of the United States.
Among the persons who sought to obtain a property by preemption right in this land was one Whitney, who, according to his own account, entered on a quarter-section one afternoon with his family, consisting of his wife, two children, a man and a carpenter, with his team, goods, and household furniture. He commenced building next day, and made a better house than those above described. It had three rooms. The quarter-section on which he entered had been already occupied by one Frisbie, a son-in-law of Vallejo, and one of the numerous persons in possession under Vallejo's title. It was enclosed by a fence, had a crop not yet gathered and a house occupied by a tenant of Frisbie. Whitney's occupation was resisted by Frisbie, who on one occasion seized a double-barreled shotgun of Whitney's, cocked it at him, and stood in a menacing attitude, Whitney twisting it out of his hands.
On the 3d March, 1863, after the effect of the decision in United States v. Vallejo became known and after Congress had had time to examine into the case, that body passed an act for the benefit of these occupants of the Vallejo claim. [Footnote 2] This act authorized the lines of the public surveys to be extended over the Soscol Ranch and enacted that bona fide purchasers from Vallejo or his assigns might enter the lands so purchased and reduced to possession at the time of the adjudication of the Supreme Court at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. Under this act, Frisbie paid his money, made his entry, and finally received his patent.
When, on the other hand, shortly after his settlement above described, Whitney applied to the land officers to make his declaration of intention to occupy and cultivate the land, they refused to receive it, first because no surveys had been made by which the land could be identified, and afterwards because Congress had passed the act already cited for the benefit of the claimants under Vallejo. He never paid any money to the government, nor did he receive a certificate of entry or preemption, though he offered to prove his settlement.
In this state of things, Whitney filed a bill in the court below setting forth such of the preceding facts as bore favorably on his case, setting forth also that Vallejo's title had been declared void by this Court on the 24th March, 1862, and that the land had so become part of the public domain, and subject to the right of preemption, and that he had settled upon it, erecting a dwelling house, which he occupied with his family, cultivating &c.; that the act of the 3d of March, 1863, had been passed at the solicitation of Vallejo and purchasers under him. The bill proceeded:
"But your orator insists that after the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in March, 1862, and before the passage of the Special Act of March 3, 1863, above mentioned, the said lands were by law open to preemption, and your orator having within that period made a bona fide settlement and having fully complied with all the conditions prescribed by law, is vested with the right to enter said lands."
It therefore prayed that as he, Whitney, had the superior equity, Frisbie should be compelled to convey the land to him.
Frisbie answered setting forth such of the already stated facts as affected favorably his case, denying the sufficiency of the settlement set up, admitting the decision of the Supreme Court, asserting that
"the effect of that decision upon the rights of the purchasers under that grant, who had by themselves and their tenants settled and improved the land, was a question of law,"
but maintaining "that it
did not subject the said land to settlement and preemption by strangers."
There was no great controversy apparently about the facts, and the court below, citing and relying on United States v. Fitzgerald, [Footnote 3] Smith v. United States, [Footnote 4] Delassus v. United States, [Footnote 5] and Lytle v. State of Arkansas, [Footnote 6] was of the opinion
"that at the date of the complainant's entry on the land in controversy in October, 1862, it was open to actual settlement and preemption; that he having made his actual settlement and improvement on the land and complied with all the terms and conditions required by law to complete his title, or tendered performance thereof, was entitled to have a patent for the land, and obtained such an interest and vested title and property therein as could not be taken from him and transferred to another against his consent, even by an act of Congress."
It accordingly held Frisbie a trustee for Whitney, and decreed the conveyance prayed for.
The case was now brought here on appeal by Frisbie.
Powered by Justia US Supreme Court Center: FRISBIE V. WHITNEY, 76 U. S. 187 (1869)
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Blog Tour ARC Review | Bright Burning Stars
by Rae | May 16, 2019 | Reviews | 1 comment
Bright Burning Stars by A.K. Small
ARC received from the publisher for an honest review.
First of all, thank you to the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book and join in on the blog tour! I am newer to the book community so every instance such as this are so appreciated. And thank you A.K. Small for this wonderful book that you have written! I can’t wait for the rest of the book world to get their hands on a copy and fall in love with these incredibly real characters just as I did.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Best friends Marine Duval and Kate Sanders have trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School since childhood, where they’ve formed an inseparable bond forged by respective family tragedies and a fierce love for dance. When the body of a student is found in the dorms just before the start of their final year, Marine and Kate begin to ask themselves what they would do to win the ultimate prize: to be the one girl selected to join the Opera’s prestigious corps de ballet. Would they die? Cheat? Seduce the most talented boy in the school, dubbed the Demigod, hoping his magic would make them shine, too? Neither girl is sure.
But then Kate gets closer to the Demigod, even as Marine has begun to capture his heart. And as selection day draws near, the competition—for the prize, for the Demigod—becomes fiercer, and Marine and Kate realize they have everything to lose, including each other.
I think that in every girl’s life at some point we all looked at a ballerina and thought to ourselves that we wanted to be her. I for one took ballet as a child and actually made it all the way to Pointe before I realized that the amount of time and dedication that was required to succeed from then on was going to be more than I was willing to sacrifice for dance. That and I got side tracked with being a teenager and horseback riding. So there ended my ballet career. But I have always wondered what it would be like to make it. To be a ballerina star, flying across the stage, defying gravity. Its hard not to when you see how magical the dancers look and how effortless it all seems. Bright Burning Stars captures the reality of ballet and through these amazingly realistic characters we learn that its much more than magic. There is actually a lot of hard work, dedication, dieting, and essentially an entire lifestyle that goes into becoming these feather like dolls that seem to float across the stage.
The biggest pull I had in reading this was the friendship dynamic between our two main characters, Marine & Kate. Their relationship with each other and their passion for dance was as close to real as it gets. In growing up we all learn that the perfect fantasy that we’ve concocted in our minds eventually hits a wall of reality at some point. And people grow apart and different over time. But even though our circumstances may change, and our lives are different, that doesn’t mean that we have to lose that friendship. People can learn to work around their differences if they know that person is worth the time and effort to keep in their lives. And the bond between Marine and Kate is more than just friends, they have become family over time. And sure family fights, family disagrees, but in the end they are always there for each other, just like these two girls.
Along with struggling to maintain friendships, there were some other big topics that this book covered. Topics that are all too real in the world of ballet and life in general. Some of these trigger warnings would include: thoughts of suicide, eating disorders, body shame, abortion, & depression. I will say that each of these topics was handled with care and respect and each character did take the time to work through each of these issues and none were glorified in any way shape or form. Although there were times when I pretty much despised Kate as a character because it seemed like she was ungrateful for all she had and she kept making one big bad decision after the next. But without her we wouldn’t have had the reality of how this life takes its tolls on those who choose this way of life. Though there was a lot of seriousness surrounding these topics, it wasn’t all consuming. There was plenty to show us the happy side of a ballerina’s life like the friendships and bonds that are formed, the passion of dancing, the feeling of being on stage and performing, romances that kindle between like minded people, and so much more. This book was so full of emotion and passion it was hard not to fall right in with the characters, they all felt so real!
The way this book is written you can tell that the author was in fact herself a dancer. The terminology all the way down to the details of the daily routine these dancers endure was spot on. I could feel the authenticity in each word. Its beautiful to write about something that you are or have been passionate about at some point in your life. This is where the true beauty behind the words shines the most, and trust me, these are some serious Bright Burning Stars. I found it easy to fall into the writing and get swept away in the words. It wasn’t difficult to read at all, flowing from one scene to the next with a small cast of characters to remember, and just the one main location where the story takes place, its very easy to follow and comprehend. I also minored in French in college so the language and dance terms didn’t give me any trouble to understand, but I do think that if you aren’t familiar with either ballet or French, then it could give you some pause with the sheer amount of terminology thrown into this book. Maybe a glossary of terms will be added to the final copy which I think would help readers who aren’t as familiar with these terms understand what they are reading.
My overall thoughts on this book are that its beautifully written, with extreme care to details and realistic touches make the story and characters come to life. You fall in love, feel the rush of dancing, have your heart broken, get angry at decisions made, root for certain people to succeed, form crushes on other characters, and in some ways become a part of the story yourself. Its hard not to when the love for ballet and dance oozes from the pages and right into your heart. There is so much that happens in the short amount of time the book takes to read that when its over, all you can do is sit in silence for a minute taking it all in. I really feel like this book will connect with certain readers who feel this level of passion for their own careers or hobbies. And for those of us who always wanted to be a dancer, we can live vicariously through these characters as they take the journey we chose to pass on so long ago.
If you liked this book:
I’m going to do something a little different with the recommendation this time around and suggest a movie that I think is perfect instead of a book because the whole time I was reading Bright Burning Stars, all I could think about was the movie Center Stage. This movie is like the American version of Bright Burning Stars. While the book takes place in France, Center Stage takes place in New York at the American Ballet Academy. The friendships, struggles, romances and all the rest we fell in love with in Bright Burning Stars is so similar to the movie and the characters in it. I had to find this movie in my old stack of DVDs last night and watch it again just to fall in love with Charlie and those pretty blue eyes all over again!
A.K. SMALL was born in Paris. At five years old, she began studying classical dance with the legendary Max Bozzoni, then later with Daniel Franck and Monique Arabian at the famous Académie Chaptal. At thirteen, she moved to the United States where she danced with the Pacific Northwest Ballet for one summer in Seattle and with the Richmond Ballet Student Company for several years. She’s a graduate of the College of William and Mary and has an MFA in fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband, her puppy, and her three daughters, and practices yoga. Bright Burning Stars is her first novel.
Buy This Book: Algonquin Young Readers
Author’s Website: aksmallwords.com
Author’s Twitter: @aksmallwords
Author’s Goodreads: A.K. Small
Algonquin Young Readers Website: algonquinyoungreaders.com
Algonquin Young Readers Twitter: @AlgonquinYR
readinginthewings on May 16, 2019 at 11:44 am
I really want to read this. As a dancer myself, I love books about dance and performing that are well done and realistic. I feel like so many people who don’t actually understand the entertainment industry try to write about it, but so much of the reality of it gets lost.
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News > General news
2012 New Year’s Greetings from UEB Rector
Update at 15:56, Wednesday, 04/01/2012 (GMT+7)
Assoc.Prof.PhD. Nguyen Hong Son
As the new year 2012 and Lunar New Year of Nham Thin is coming, on behalf of UEB Management Board, I would like to send my warm regards and best wishes to all the staff, faculty, students and alumni who have been working/studying at VNU University of Economics and Business.
2011 is an eventful and challenging year with many missions for VNU University of Economics and Business; however in this year, the university has achieved several proudful successes. The university has been striving for the prestige in research and training by its special researches “Vietnam Annual Economic Report”; being the implementer of State-level and international research projects; increasing number of articles published on international journals; the Ministry first prize for students’ research; taking the important task of training managers and key officials; opening new training programs in accordance with international standard; investing in more facilities.
Under the slogan “promote the innovation, professionalism, creativity and community spirit to achieve the quality and efficiency”, all the UEB staff and units have given great effort to fulfill the tasks, contributing to the common success towards 40 years of tradition and 5th anniversary of UEB. It is the resonance of the wisdom, passion, creativity and persistent effort of each group and individual at the university. For each success of the university, we all have the pride on our contribution because it is the source of encouragement and belief in the future development of the University. On behalf of the university, I warmly commend and highly appreciate the outstanding contributions and efforts.
We are welcoming New Year 2012 with good news and opportunities as well as challenges. 2012 is an especially significant year to our university, marking a milestone after 5 years of establishing. Persisting in the mission, we are deeply aware of the new phase is coming with more important missions and higher requirements. It is the pursuit of international quality and standard, development and stability. Continuing our direction to become a research university equally to advanced Asian universities, we have the confidence in the upport of the leaders of ministries and Vietnam National University as well as the effective cooperation of our partners abroad, and in our internal strength. With our enthusiasm of youth, intellect, creativity, solidarity and development, I believe that we will take initiative to overcome the challenges and fulfill the mission in 2012 and soon succeed the strategic objectives.
In the cheerful and lively atmosphere of spring, once again I would like to send all of fellow staff, students, alumni and partners of UEB my best wishes. May you a wealthy, prosperous and happy new year.
Assoc.Prof.PhD. Nguyen Hong Son Rector of VNU University of Economics and Business
Address Security code RWFLNH
>>Vietnamese Teachers’ Day 2011 at UEB (21/11/2011 3:05 PM)
>>UEB: Opening ceremony, 2011-2012 academic year (20/09/2011 10:42 AM)
>>Graduation ceremony of MPPM intake 1 (08/09/2011 11:41 AM)
>>UEB receives Certificate of Merit by the Prime Ministers (13/07/2011 2:45 PM)
>>Overview on the accomplishment of 2010 - 2011 academic year strategy (20/04/2011 3:41 PM)
>>A ceremony to announce the appointment of Rector of the University of Economics and Business - VNU in the 2011 - 2016 term (16/03/2011 9:49 AM)
>>10 representative events of University of Economics and Business - VNU in 2010 (01/01/2011 10:42 AM)
>>University of Economics and Business - VNU implements actual quality assessment according to AUN-QA standards (06/12/2010 8:15 PM)
>>Launching Bao Son Prize for scientific and technological works (01/11/2010 2:56 PM)
>>UEB Alumni meet after 30 years of the university establishment (25/10/2010 9:20 AM)
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Gematria
Theory of Gematria
1, 10, 100, 1000, 26, 13
5, 50, 500
58,580, 5800
Bereishit Genesis 1:1-6:8
Aleph, the name and 26 generations
Why is the first letter Beth?
17 and it is Good?
The mist, Adam, truth and the two trees
Be fruitful and multiply
Noach Genesis 6:9-11:32
Sea of confusion and the rainbow
Lekh Lekha Genesis 12:1-17:27
Bethel and HÁi
Abraham the Hebrew
Abram’s sacrifice and vision
Abraham and Hagar
Change in names Abram and Sarai
The 8 and circumcision
Vayeira Genesis 18:1-22:24
Sodom and Gomorrah and 1000
Chayei Sarah Genesis 23:1-25:18
Cave of Machpelah
Rebecca and the camels
Toldot Genesis 25:19-28:9
‘’And these are the generations’’
26 generations of Adam
‘’Gathered unto his people’’
The Birthright
Vayeitzei Genesis 28:10-32:3
All the families of the earth shall be blessed
The mandrakes
Vayishlach Genesis 32:4-36:43
The encounter of Jacob and Esau
Jacob and Israel: the change of names
Reuben, Bilhah and the 13th tribe
Bethel, the pillar, oil and drink offering
Vayyeshev Genesis 37:1-40:23
Reuben and the Conspiracy of the brothers
Joseph,17 and Good
Coat of many colours
Potiphar’s wife, the butler, the baker.
Mikketz Genesis 41:1-44:17
Vayigash Genesis 44:18-47:27
Pharaoh, the cow and fertility
Wagons, the heifer and the soul
Vayechi Genesis 47:28-50:26
Jacob 147 years and good
The 13th tribe and blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh
Shemot Exodus 1:1-6:1
Killing of Hebrew babies
Burning bush and fire
Va'eira Exodus 6:2-9:35
10 plagues: Earth, Air Fire and Water
Bo Exodus 10:1-13:16
Beshalach Exodus 13:17-17:16
Miriam the Prophetess and the drum
Crossing the Red Sea and the Jordan
Yitro Exodus 18:1-20:23
Mishpatim Exodus 21:1-24:18
The slave, the door and the ear
Terumah Exodus 25:1-27:19
Tetzaveh Exodus 27:20-30:10
Ki Tisa Exodus 30:11-34:35
The Golden Calf
Vayakhel Exodus 35:1-38:20
Pekudei Exodus 38:21-40:38
Vayikra Leviticus 1:1-5:26
The small aleph
Sacrifice of horned animals
Tzav Leviticus 6:1-8:36
Shemini Leviticus 9:1-11:47
Tazria Leviticus 12:1-13:59
Metzora Leviticus 14:1-15:33
Cleansing of the leper
Acharei Mot Leviticus 16:1-18:30
Kedoshim Leviticus 19:1-20:27
Emor Leviticus 21:1-24:23
Jubilee year
The land is mine
Behar Leviticus 25:1-26:2
Bechukotai Leviticus 26:3-27:34
Bamidbar Numbers 1:1-4:20
Nasso Numbers 4:21-7:89
Beha'alotkha Numbers 8:1-12:16
Shelach Numbers 13:1-15:41
Korach Numbers 16:1-18:32
Chukat Numbers 19:1-22:1
Balak Numbers 22:2-25:9
Balaam and Abraham
Pinchas Numbers 25:10-30:1
Mattot Numbers 30:2-32:42
Masei Numbers 33:1-36:13
Devarim Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22
Va'etchanan Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11
Eikev Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25
Re'eh Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17
Shoftim Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9
Ki Teitzei Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19
Stoning of children
Ki Tavo Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8
Nitzavim Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20
Vayeilekh Deuteronomy 31:1-31:30
Ha'azinu Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52
Vezot Haberakhah Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12
Rosh Ha Shana
Succoth and Gog and Magog
Shavuot and Lag Be Omer
Why is the first letter beth ב
Why does the first letter of the Bible begin with the letter beth ב and not aleph א? Moreover the beth is not a normal sized beth but it is a very large beth.
In Hebrew script in the Bible the characters are written in three sizes: normal size which pertains to most of the Bible; large characters such the beth mentioned above and diminished sized characters. This change in character size in the Bible occurs few and far between in the biblical texts and most of the text is written in ‘normal’ size, but when enlargement or diminishment does occurs it has a special meaning which sometimes can be interpreted from the text. The scribes who wrote the biblical characters were precise in every detail and in the course of ages, both before and after the use of the printing press, were careful to ensure every single letter was copied in the exact form as the original text – to the point that even though the spelling of the word was known to be incorrect, the original form is pedantically used. We shall discuss the meaning of different sized characters later when specific cases arise.
In this instance the large beth appearing as the very first letter of the Bible the meaning is very clear. The beth with its gematrical value of 2 represents the beginning of duality (and the end of singularity) and the beth means a very BIG BANG. The creation of the universe in whatever form we understand it to have taken place from a scientific perspective was a BIG BANG, a creation of dualities and division of the singularity- the aleph and the one - into two. As we see the text that follows the phrase “In the beginning” the process of creation is the transformation of the ‘oneness’, described as void and chaos, to the structure of duality, i.e. light and dark, heaven and earth, land and water. Hence the letter ‘beth’, with its value of 2 indicates the process of creation to be undertaken in the subsequent text.
Moreover in the hand written scrolls the letter beth at the beginning of the bible is written with four crowns over the top of the letter. These are the ‘keter’, meaning crown in the 10 sephirot of the kabbalah. There are four crowns because four represents the phenomenal world. (See hyperlink The mist, Adam, truth and the two trees).
The creation of the dualistic world is implicit in the letter aleph א in which the letter aleph is composite of two yods, י one above and one below divided by a vav ו (See hyperlink 1, 10, 100, 1000, 26 and 13)
Hence even though the aleph has the representation of singularlity and oneness implicit in its structure is the state of transformation to the world of duality leading to the six days of opposites in the act of creation.
©2009 2021 The Aleph All Rights Reserved
©2009 2021 The Aleph
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Difference between revisions of "Howl's Moving Castle"
TheAlmightyGuru (talk | contribs)
==Link==
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howl%27s_Moving_Castle en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howl%27s_Moving_Castle] - Wikipedia.
{{Link|Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howl%27s_Moving_Castle}}
{{Link|GoodReads|https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6294.Howl_s_Moving_Castle}}
US hardcover, 1st edition.
Howl's Moving Castle is a teen novel by Diana Wynne Jones and published in 1986. The story revolves around a young woman named Sophie and her interactions with a free-spirited wizard named Howl. Sophie would normally be targeted by the womanizing Howl, but a witch has cursed her into looking like an old woman, so Howl has no romantic interest in her, but finds her fascinating none-the-less.
I learned about this book after seeing the animated movie. While they're both about the same theme, the movie is quite different from the book. Most of the books secondary characters have been removed or merged together, the connection with the real world has been eliminated, and the ending has been substantially altered. Over all, I prefer the animated version because it does a better job at conveying the mystery of the magic, the danger of Howl's enemies, and the beauty of the land.
2.2 Bad
2.3 Ugly
I do not own this book, but have listened to an audio book recording.
The idea of a castle that can move around is only made more exciting that it is also in several places at once!
Several of the magical characters (the turnip-headed scarecrow, Calcifer, the dog man, etc.) are very interesting and you're constantly wondering if they're evil.
Having a dimensional door that bridges the gap between a world of high fantasy and the modern world is a really cool idea.
Despite Howl being a lazy womanizing crybaby, I find his desire to remain a free spirit relatable.
There is little excitement in the book. It's mostly descriptions and conversations, and while there are a couple epic battles between the Witch of the Wastes and Howl, one of them is only described from a distance, lessening its interest.
I found it a little difficult to keep track of all the characters since they were often using spells to look like someone else, shape shifting, or amalgams of multiple people.
Nothing really.
Retrieved from "http://thealmightyguru.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Howl%27s_Moving_Castle&oldid=19115"
Strong Female Character
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"Last Hope with Troy Dunn" Starring Real-Life Missing Persons Expert and Author Troy Dunn - Brand-New Up Original Series Exclusively Premieres on Thursday, September 10 at 9 PM EDT
UP's new half-hour, 10-episode series promises a deeper insight into how Dunn rebuilds fractured relationships by finding absent loved ones and bringing them home.
TBS Ranks as Basic Cable's #1 Network in Primetime Delivery of Adults 18-49 for the Month of February
Turner spins the numbers for the month of February to date.
Exclusive: TNT Bumps "Inside Job," "Save Our Business" to Friday, February 28
Both series were previously slated to launch on Tuesday, January 14.
Exclusive: TNT to Launch "Inside Job," "Save Our Business" on Tuesday, January 14
Said duo will bridge the Tuesday gap between "Boston's Finest" and "Marshal Law: Texas" (due November 26) and "Rizzoli & Isles" and "Perception" (due February 25).
TNT Greenlights Investigation Series "APB with Troy Dunn" (Working Title), Featuring Nation's Foremost Expert in Tracing Missing Persons
The show is slated to premiere Friday, January 17 at 10:00/9:00c, following the season two premiere of "Cold Justice."
APB WITH TROY DUNN (TNT)
completed airing its current season
1 (6 episodes, 0 of which have yet to air)
a show on hiatus for longer than 12 months - without any news about its future - is assumed to be canceled
(from TNT's press release, November 2013) TNT has greenlit APB with Troy Dunn (working title), a new investigation series featuring Troy Dunn (The Locator), the nation's foremost expert in locating and reuniting long-lost persons. TNT has ordered six episodes of the unscripted program, which will incorporate a new social media app designed to help bring loved ones back together. APB with Troy Dunn comes to TNT from Shed Media US (Who Do You Think You Are?, The Real Housewives of New York City), with Troy Dunn, Pamela Healey, Dan Peirson and Ted Haimes (The Locator, Aftermath with William Shatner) serving as executive producers. The show is slated to premiere Friday, Jan. 17, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), following the season-two premiere of TNT's real-life investigation series Cold Justice. In each hour-long episode of APB with Troy Dunn, Troy will use his expertise and experience in answering the pleas of those who are desperate to bring home long-lost loved ones from around the nation. He's also going to call upon America to get involved in the search. With a new social media app powered by technology exclusive to the show, viewers at home will be able to contribute to Troy's mission of bringing families and loved ones back together.
PRINCIPAL CAST INFORMATION:
· Troy Dunn
· Dan Peirson as EP
· Pamela Healey as EP
· Ted Haimes as EP
· Troy Dunn as EP
· Shed Media
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Home / Latest Updates / Pakistan wary as Afghanistan is set to get more arms from India
Pakistan wary as Afghanistan is set to get more arms from India
admin August 23, 2016 Latest Updates, World Leave a comment 36 Views
India has provided a little over $2 billion in economic assistance to Afghanistan in the last 15 years.
India is set to deliver more arms to Afghanistan to help it fight Islamist militants, Kabul’s envoy to New Delhi said, even if Pakistan is wary of closer military cooperation between countries lying to its east and west.
India has provided a little over $2 billion in economic assistance to Afghanistan in the last 15 years, but has been more measured in providing weapons in order to avoid a backlash from Pakistan, which sees Afghanistan as its area of influence.
Last December, after years of dragging its feet, New Delhi announced the supply of four attack helicopters in India’s first transfer of lethal equipment to the government in Kabul since the hardline Islamist Taliban movement was toppled.
Kabul immediately deployed three of the Russian Mi-25 attack helicopters to go after insurgents, and the fourth will be inducted in the next few weeks.
Shaida Mohammad Abdali, the Afghan ambassador to India, said regional security was deteriorating and Afghan national forces were in dire need of military supplies to tackle the Taliban, Islamic State and other militant groups.
“We are grateful for the four helicopters. But we need more, we need much more. Today we are heading into a situation that is worrisome for everyone in the region including India,” he told Reuters in an interview.
On August 29, the head of the Afghan army, General Qadam Shah Shahim, is expected in New Delhi to submit a list of military equipment drawn up in consultation with the US military, Indian defence officials said.
It is not yet clear how much would be paid for and how much would be handed over for free.
The equipment includes more Mi-25s, smaller helicopters used for transporting troops and medical emergencies, and spares for existing Russian-origin aircraft in the Afghan air force fleet.
“The agenda for the army chief’s visit is clear. We will be finalising the enhancement of defence ties,” Abdali said. India, he added, had told the Afghans that it would do whatever it could to meet the security forces’ requirements.
PM MODI RANKLES PAKISTAN
The fact that much of the proposed equipment originates from Russia need not be a stumbling block to an agreement, the United States has said, despite Western sanctions against Moscow.
Russia and the United States share a common goal in stabilising Afghanistan, and India can act as a go-between to help re-equip Afghan forces which fall well short of the capacity required despite billions of dollars in US spending.
The Afghan government lost control or influence of nearly 5 percent of its territory between January and May, the US government’s top watchdog on Afghanistan said in a report, highlighting the challenges its forces are facing.
But the move to increase cooperation with Afghanistan is likely to aggravate fears in Pakistan of being wedged between two hostile neighbours.
Relations with both countries have cooled lately.
Afghanistan says Pakistan must do more to stop militants operating on its territory, while India has blamed Pakistan for unrest in the disputed region of Kashmir.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned up the dial a notch by making a rare reference to Pakistan’s restive Baluchistan province in a recent speech.
Asked about the prospect of closer military ties between Afghanistan and India, a Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman said the government did not comment on bilateral ties between two countries.
But he warned against attempts to destabilise Pakistan, which, like its arch-rival India, has a nuclear arsenal.
“Our expectation is that India should not be allowed to use Afghan soil to create instability in Pakistan.”
According to an Indian defence ministry official, discussions with Kabul included the possibility of increasing the number of Afghan officers being trained in Indian military institutions each year from around 800 now.
US SUPPORT
The United States, which has allocated more than $68 billion to train and equip the Afghan security forces since 2002, has welcomed greater Indian military assistance to fill shortfalls in hardware and personnel.
Earlier this month, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, held talks with Indian officials to find ways in which New Delhi could help the Afghan air force, which is struggling to maintain ageing Russian aircraft because of sanctions on Moscow.
Nicholson said donor nations had contributed $4.5 billion to Afghanistan, but those funds could not be used to buy Russian aircraft or spare parts because of the restrictions triggered by the conflict in Ukraine.
India is not constrained by such considerations and can export Russian-made equipment it already owns or source hardware and spares from Russia to send on to Afghanistan.
“Any additional aircraft or spare parts that India can provide Afghanistan would be greatly appreciated and welcomed by them to help build and maintain the Afghan Air Force,” Nicholson said at the end of his trip.
A Russian diplomat said Moscow supported efforts to strengthen Afghan forces, even if it cannot directly equip it.
“Our policy is simple; we would not like to be involved directly, but we would support any initiative that strengthens the ability of the Afghan authorities to fight against terrorist groups and stabilize the situation in the country,” the diplomat said. (India Today)
Previous Abdullah won’t work as he did previously: Amrullah Saleh
Next US soldier killed, another wounded in Helmand
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Schools Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
International Platform
The College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (CMEE) is one leading research and teaching institution at Central South University. We strive for excellence through high-quality education and state-of-the-art research. CMEE delivers the spirit of “solidarity, innovation, self-reliance and brilliant”. Currently, we are nationally renowned for our great achievement in disciplinary development, talent cultivation, teaching and research.
CMEE possesses one post-doctoral centre for mechanical engineering, one first-class state key discipline (mechanical engineering), and six second-class state key disciplines (i.e. mechanical theories & design and etc.). We also provide Bachelor degree of three majors (i.e. mechanical design manufacturing & automation, microelectronic manufacturing engineering, and automotive engineering), MPhil degree of mechanical engineering, and Ph.D. degree of advanced manufacturing engineering. Moreover, there are one state key laboratory of high performance complex manufacturing, one state collaborative innovation center for advanced nonferrous structural metallic materials and manufacturing, one state engineering center for high performance Al-based alloys and associated component manufacturing, and other national and/or provincial scientific research platforms.
Currently, there are 50 professors, 57 associate professors and another 106 research/professional/technical staff at College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (CMME). The college’s national research positioning was highlighted by 1 fellow of Chinese Academy of Engineering, 1 director of Science and Technology Committee of the Ministry of Education, 1 board member of the Discipline Appraisal Team of the Academic Degree Commission of the State Council, 3 chief scientists of “National 973 Program”, 2 fellows of “National Thousand Talent Plan”, 4 fellows of “Yangtze River Scholar Plan”, 3 fellows of “New Century National Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Project”, 3 fellows of “Furong Scholar Award Plan”, and 12 fellows of “Century Excellent Talents of the Ministry of Education”. In addition, a few domestic and/or international well-known scholars are also invited as honorary professors, visiting professors and adjunct professors.There are over100 Ph.D. students, 700 MPhil students and 2100 undergraduates.
Under the leading of Prof. Jue Zhong (fellow of Chinese Academy of Engineering), CMEE primarily focuses on innovative development. Meanwhile, CMEE focuses on the frontier and hot research field, i.e. high performance complex manufacturing. In addition, CMEE attracts a large number of internationally or nationally-acknowledged talents in the field of mechanical engineering.
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‘Bushmeat,’ documentary by Dawna Treibicz (2001)
From Canadian Jewish News, October 22, 2001
Bushmeat, an hour-long television documentary soon to air on the Discovery Channel, is a riveting, tautly-edited expose of the illicit trade in gorilla and chimpanzee meat in Cameroon and other countries of Central Africa.
Toronto filmmaker Dawna Treibicz defied the odds to make this film about a subject that many in Africa previously considered as taboo for discussion. Although — as the film puts it — the world’s last sizeable wild population of great apes is “being eaten by their closest relatives, right to the verge of extinction,” no one before Treibicz had ever won the approval of an African government to document the problem on film.
Remarkably, Treibicz even managed to get Cameroonian officials to talk about the problem for the first time on camera. She considers that a hopeful sign that something may be done to turn around this ecological disaster before it is too late.
Dubbed “Cameroon caviar”, primate flesh is regarded as an exotic delicacy by enough people in Africa and Europe that there’s a lucrative market for it.
No one knows the full extent of the problem, but in Cameroon alone, some 800 gorillas are reportedly hunted down annually from a total population of about 10,000 that still inhabit the Central Africa’s shrinking rain forest, which itself is facing decimation from the ax and chainsaw.
“At the rate they’re being slaughtered, we predict they may be extinct in about 10 years,” Treibicz said. “Some people say 8 years, some say 20 years. We really don’t know how long they’ve got.”
Using hidden cameras, the documentary shows us how easy it is to visit a bushmeat market and purchase steaks, organs, limbs or other pieces of the endangered animals.
Bushmeat also follows Canadian medical ethicist Dr. Kerry Bowman and other concerned environmentalists as they travel to various tribal settlements in Cameroon, rescuing chimpanzees and trying to rehabilitate them back to the wild.
The documentary has a fascinating sequence detailing the remarkable ability of gorillas and chimps to learn sign language to communicate with humans. By such means, it easily persuades us — just as local ecological workers persuade tribal schoolchildren — that these hairy primates are too much like ourselves to put onto our dinner plates. They’re anything but fair game.
Treibicz, who graduated from Toronto’s York University in theatre studies, has been producing and directing television films for 20 years, usually in the subject area of current affairs, arts, and what she calls “investigative advocacy pieces.” Bushmeat was her first nature documentary, she said, and one of the most difficult films she has yet made.
She did not travel to Africa in advance of the film. “If I had gone to do a survey trip before the shoot, I would not have gone back. I couldn’t have imagined how difficult it was, trying to tell a story about an illegal trade in a country that was reputed to be the most highly corrupt on the entire continent.”
Over the four years it took to make the film, the logistical challenges of bringing a large film crew and entourage into sub-Saharan Africa sometimes seemed so overwhelming that at one point she considered giving up. Her mother, a Holocaust survivor, steeled her resolve by telling her, “If you don’t go, you could be missing the biggest adventure in your life.”
Treibicz has many ideas up her sleeves for new documentaries, including one about the Serpapinto, a ship on which a boatload of European refugees made an arduous journey from Lisbon to America during WWII; some eventually settled in Montreal. But even veteran filmmakers like Treibicz often find it hard to get funding from broadcasters for new projects.
“It’s sometimes difficult to find the right match for the story that you want to tell,” she said.
Dr. Jane Goodall, the renowned anthropologist, honoured Treibicz by introducing Bushmeat at a private screening in Toronto in October. Television viewers will have the opportunity to see this worthy documentary when it airs on the Discovery Channel on Sunday Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. Eastern time (9 p.m. Pacific). ♦
Tags:movies non-fiction
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krystian93's English Blog : Your Title
The Palace In Florence...
The word palace comes from Old French palais (imperial residence), from Latin Palātium, the name of one of the seven hills of Rome.[1] The original palaces on the Palatine Hill were the seat of the imperial power, while the capitol on the Capitoline Hill was the seat of the senate and the religious nucleus of Rome. Long after the city grew to the seven hills the Palatine remained a desirable residential area. Emperor Caesar Augustus lived there in a purposely modest house only set apart from his neighbors by the two laurel trees planted to flank the front door as a sign of triumph granted by the Senate. His descendants, especially Nero, with his "Golden House" enlarged the house and grounds over and over until it took up the hill top. The word Palātium came to mean the residence of the emperor rather than the neighbourhood on top of the hill. Since modern times, the term has been applied to any place that is considered "palatial", including those which predated Palātium or were built by Asian cultures.
I like Football...
At the Freemasons' Tavern, Great Queen Street, London on the evening of October 26, 1863, representatives of several football clubs in the London Metropolitan area met for the inaugural meeting of The Football Association (FA). The aim of the Association was to establish a single unifying code and regulate the playing of the game among its members. Following the first meeting, the public schools were invited to join the association. All of them declined, except Charterhouse and Uppingham. In total, six meetings of the FA were held between October and December 1863. After the third meeting, a draft set of rules were published. However, at the beginning of the fourth meeting, attention was drawn to the recently published Cambridge Rules of 1863. The Cambridge rules differed from the draft FA rules in two significant areas; namely running with (carrying) the ball and hacking (kicking opposing players in the shins). The two contentious FA rules were as follows:
Main articles: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, and Estadio Chamartín
Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabéu during a 2007 match with Real Betis
After moving between grounds the team moved to the "Campo de O'Donnell" in 1912, which remained its home ground for eleven years.After this period, the club moved for one year to the Campo de Ciudad Lineal, a small ground with a capacity of 8,000 spectators. After that, Real Madrid moved its home matches to Estadio Chamartín which was inaugurated on 17 May 1923 wi Chujim w dupe h hosted 22,500 spectators, Real Madrid celebrated its first Spanish league title. After some successes, the 1943 elected president Santiago Bernabéu decided that the Estadio Chamartín was not big enough for the ambitions of the club. A new stadium was built and was inaugurated on 14 December 1947. This was the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium as it is known today, although it did not acquire this name until 1955.The first match held on Bernabéu was played between Real Madrid and the Portuguese club Belenenses and won by The Whites with 3–1, the first goal being scored by Sabino Barinaga.
Ciudad Real Madrid represents the team training facilities since 2005.
The capacity has changed frequently, peaking at 120,000 after a 1953 expansion. Since then, there have been a number of reductions due to modernizations (the last standing places went away in 1998–99 in response to UEFA regulations which forbids standing at matches in the UEFA competition), countered to some extent by expansions. The last change was an increase of about five thousand to a capacity of 80,354, effected in 2003. A plan to add a retractable roof has been announced.
The Bernabéu has hosted the 1964 European Championship final, the 1982 FIFA World Cup final, the 1957, 1969 and 1980 European Cup finals and is due to host the 2010 Champions League Final. The stadium has its own Madrid Metro station along the 10 line called Santiago Bernabéu. On 14 November 2007, the Bernabéu has been upgraded to Elite Football Stadium status by UEFA.
On 9 May 2006, the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium was inaugurated at the City of Madrid where Real Madrid usually trains. The inaugural match was played between Real Madrid and Stade Reims, a rematch of the 1956 European Cup final. Real Madrid won the match 6–1 with goals from Sergio Ramos, Cassano (2), Soldado (2), and Jurado. The venue is now part of the Ciudad Real Madrid, the club's new training facilities located outside Madrid in Valdebebas. The stadium holds 5,000 people and is Real Madrid Castilla's home ground. It is named after former Real footballer Alfredo di Stéfano
My Favourite Singer...
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams (born 13 February 1974) is a BRIT Award-winning English singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and multi-instrumentalist. His career started in 1990, at the age of 16, as a dancer and singer with the pop band Take That. He left the band in 1995 to launch his solo career.
He has enjoyed a very successful solo career, and his latest studio album Reality Killed the Video Star was released on November 9th 2009, including his latest hit, Bodies.
After leaving Take That, Williams launched his solo career starting things off in 1996 by covering George Michael's "Freedom", the single reached number two in the UK Singles Chart twenty-six places higher than George Michael's original.
Recordings for Williams' first album began at London's Maison Rouge studios in March of that year. Shortly after his introduction to Guy Chambers, Williams released "Old Before I Die" which would be the first single taken from his début album. Co-written by Williams with Eric Bazilian and Desmond Child, the single was released in April 1996, hitting number-two on the UK Charts however, it was largely ignored on international charts. The second single, "Lazy Days", was released in mid-1997. Although Williams was going through re-hab at the time, he was allowed to check out to shoot the video for the song, but promotion for the single was non-existent, so whilst the single charted at number eight in the United Kingdom, it struggled to reach the top forty of any European chart.
My Favourite Actor...
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor, dancer and singer. He first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease. Travolta's career re-surged in the 1990s, with his role in Pulp Fiction, and he has since continued starring in Hollywood films, including Face/Off, Ladder 49 and Wild Hogs.
Travolta has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. The first, for his role in Saturday Night Fever and the second for Pulp Fiction. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance in Get Shorty.
This is my fauvorite song !!
Hello again today ;)) I will write text to my favourite song now. This's "What's it gonna be" by H Two O feat. Platnum. You will read!
Girl: you know it's you, you you (oooowwahh)
every time i see your face i don't know what to do
so tell me what we gonna do (oowwwwahh)
every time i see your face i just gotta talk to you
h2ooooo....
its something every time i know baby its so true
Girl: i can't explain it
i just wanna talk to you and tell you how i feel
every time i see your face baby this love is real
i cannot let it go you know i'm all for you
so what we gonna do? what we gonna do?
Boy: what's it gonna be
Girl: every time i see your face i know its you
baby theres something i gotta say
i'm just in love with you
and i know that your the one for me
so what's it gonna?, what's it gonna be?
Girl: H 'two' O and i need to know how you feel about me
so give me a call whenever you feel lonely
and i'll come by tonight
and let you get to know me
Girl: i just wanna talk to you and tell you how i feel
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. It is the most successful team in Spanish football and was voted by FIFA as the most successful club of the 20th century, having won a record thirty-one La Liga titles, seventeen Spanish Cups, a record nine European Cups and two UEFA Cups. Real was a founding member of FIFA and the now-defunct G–14 group of Europe's leading football clubs as well as its replacement, the European Club Association.
My Family...
In my family i have bruder. He is 7 years old and he go to first klasse. My sister go to second liceal year. My mother go to job. She is Police.
I have grandfoather. He is a fireman. My grandmother is doctor. She work in hospital.
This is english blog. User writes in english. If you would like to have blog like this, you can register your own for free.Register your own english blog
Język angielski matura z angielskiego Gramatyka angielska
Blog mainpage
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© Your First Name
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BOLLYWOOD CALENDAR 2009
Negar Khan Dirty Dancing on Stage, Crowd Cheer
Labels: CelebF, Negar Khan
Negar Khan is back in news for her sizzling adventures. From her ramp walk top dropping to her full no-clothes clicks with her boyfriend on a beach, she has been in limelight for such reasons. Here is Negar hot dancing on stage.
Crowd cheering to her dance moves followed by hot rain dance. Dressed in white minimal dress, she was eye candy of the evening. Here is more from this hot dance performance.
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● Select STAR Star N Celebs Aamir Ali (1) Aamir Khan (15) Aamna Shariff (1) Aarti Chabria (1) Abhay Deol (2) Abhijeet Sawant (1) Abhishek Awasthi (2) Abhishek Bachchan (18) Adah Sharma (6) Adhyayan Suman (2) Aditi Govitrikar (2) Aftab Shivdasani (1) Aishwarya Rai (11) Ajay Devgan (6) Akanksha Gilani (1) Akshay Kumar (11) Amisha Patel (10) Amitabh Bachchan (3) Amrita Arora (4) Amrita Rao (9) Amruta Patki (1) Anil Kapoor (3) Anushka Manchanda (1) Anushka Sharma (7) Arbaaz Khan (1) Archana Puran Singh (1) Arjan Bajwa (1) Arjun Rampal (8) Arshad Warsi (4) Asin (9) Aslam Khan (1) Aushima Shawhney (1) Ayeesha Takia (1) Barbara Mori (4) Bhagyashree (2) Bhairavi Goswami (1) Bikram Saluja (2) Bipasha Basu (15) Bobby Deol (6) Boman Irani (1) CelebF (320) CelebM (142) Celina Jaitley (3) Chitrangda Singh (7) Chunky Panday (1) Cyrus Broacha (1) Deepika Padukone (27) Diana Penty (1) Dino Morea (2) Divya Dutta (1) Diya Mirza (6) Ejaz Khan (1) Emraan Hashmi (3) Esha Deol (1) Farhan Akhtar (7) Farhan Azmi (1) Freida Pinto (1) Genelia Desouza (2) Gossip (24) Gul Panag (3) Harbhajan Mann (1) Hard Kaur (1) Harman Baweja (2) Himesh Reshammiya (6) Hrishita Bhatt (1) Hrithik Roshan (22) Imran Khan (9) Irfan Khan (3) Isha Koppikar (6) Isha Sherwani (4) Jaaved Jaaferi (1) Jaya Bachchan (2) Jesse Metcafe (1) Jiah Khan (3) John Abraham (17) Juhi Chawla (1) Kajol (1) Kanav Puri (1) Kangana Ranaut (12) Karan Johar (1) Kareena Kapoor (31) Karisma Kapoor (4) Kashmira Shah (1) Katrina Kaif (17) Kaveri Jha (5) Kay Kay Menon (1) Khali (1) Konkana Sen (2) Kunal Khemu (1) Lara Dutta (3) Lisa Ray (1) Maanayata (1) Madhavan (2) Madhuri Dixit (3) Malaika Arora (4) Mallika Sherawat (5) Mandira Bedi (4) Manv Gohil (1) Masumeh Makhija (3) Maushmi Udeshi (1) Minisha Lamba (13) Mita Vashisht (1) Mona Lisa (1) Monica Bedi (2) Monica Dogra (1) Movies (130) Mugdha Godse (1) Muzamil Ibrahim (3) Nana Patekar (2) Nandana Sen (2) Natasha Suri (1) Nauheed Cyrusi (3) Nausheen Ali Sardar (1) Neetu Chandra (1) Negar Khan (1) Neha Bhasin (1) Neha Dhupia (7) Neil Nitin Mukesh (4) Nethra (1) Nikhil Dwivedi (1) Nikita Anand (1) Nisha Kothari (1) Nisha Rawal (1) Parvathy Omanakuttan (1) Payal Rahtogi (3) Poonam Jhawer (1) Prashant Chainani (2) Preeti Bhutani (1) Preeti Jhangiani (2) Preity Zinta (10) Priyanka Chopra (29) Purab Kohli (1) Rachel Wood (1) Rachna Maurya (2) Rachna Shah (1) Raima Sen (2) Rajneesh Duggal (2) Rajnikant (1) Rakhi Sawant (7) Ranbir Kapoor (8) Randeep Hooda (9) Rani Mukherjee (2) Ranvir Shorey (1) Raszia (3) Rimi Sen (4) Ritesh Deshmukh (2) Rituparna Sengupta (1) Riya Sen (7) Ronit Roy (1) Rosa Catalano (1) Rucha Gujaratim (1) Rukhsaar (1) Sada (3) Sahil Khan (1) Saif Ali Khan (5) Saira S (2) Salman Khan (21) Samir Dattani (2) Sana Mirza (1) Sangeeta Ghosh (1) Sania Mirza (1) Sanjay Dutt (5) Sanjay Kapoor (1) Sanjay Suri (2) Sarika (1) Sayali Bhagat (1) Shabana Azmi (1) Shahana Goswami (3) Shahid Kapoor (2) Shahrukh Khan (22) Shama Sikander (6) Shamita Shetty (2) Shamita Singha (1) Sharman Joshi (3) Shaurya Chauhan (2) Sherlyn Chopra (5) Shilpa Shetty (9) Shiny Ahuja (4) Shradha Sharma (6) Shreyas Talpade (4) Shriya Saran (2) Shruti Hassan (1) Shubh (1) Shweta Bhardwaj (2) Shweta Kumar (2) Sneha Ulal (2) Soha Ali Khan (2) Sohail Khan (8) Sona Mohapatra (1) Sonal Chauhan (1) Sonali Bendre (1) Sonam Kapoor (6) Sonu Sood (4) Sophie Choudhary (1) Sunaina (1) Sunny Deol (4) Sushmita Sen (1) Suzzane Khan (3) Tabu (2) Tanushree Dutta (1) Tulip Joshi (1) Tushar Kapoor (3) TV (18) Udita Goswami (1) Urmila Matondkar (2) Urvashi Sharma (1) Vatsal Seth (3) Vidya Balan (2) Vivek Oberoi (1) Walls (57) Yana Gupta (1) Yudhishtir (1) Yuvraj Singh (2) Zayed Khan (2) Zulfi Sayed (3)
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LittleBits and Disney launch Snap the Gap to teach girls STEM
April 2nd, 2019 John Anderson
LittleBits, Disney and UC Davis announced this morning that they’ve joined forces for the launch of Snap the Gap. The program is designed to give girls a jumpstart into the ever-important world of STEM learning with an online program, littleBits starter pack and a one-year mentorship with a STEM professional.
Snap the Gap will begin as a one-year pilot program, focused on 15,000 10-year-old girls based in California. Participant and mentor recruitment will be managed by UC Davis, the school behind the California Million Women Mentors program.
The program certainly makes sense for the New York-based littleBits. The startup has long been focused on hooking young minds on STEM, both in and out of the classroom. “It was always part of littleBits’ mission to inspire more girls to get into STEM,” CEO Ayah Bdeir tells TechCrunch. “We’ve had lots of initiatives leading to it, but this is the biggest and boldest thing that we’ve done.”
Disney, meanwhile, has been a partner with littleBits since 2016, when the startup joined its tech accelerator. The move has resulted in a number of branded kits featuring IP like The Avengers and Star Wars. Ultimately, however, littleBits was forced to scale back that licensing in order to focus on its educational initiatives.
A wide-scale program like Snap the Gap, however, will afford the company the ability to continue appealing to young minds outside of the classroom. After the first year, the program will expand beyond California.
“Our goal is to add five new states every year, so that we can reach all of the United States by 2023,” Bdeir explains.
Those interested in participating as student or mentor should check out the official Snap the Gap site.
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Future iPhones could feature two-way wireless charging and bigger batteries »
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Census • Person • William Paca
Bio Links Gallery Notes Contemporaries
Governance • Legal
1740, Oct 31 1761-1791 1799, Oct 13
a signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Maryland, and later Governor of Maryland and a United States federal judge. Paca was elected to the Maryland legislature in 1771 and appointed to the Continental Congress in 1774. He was reelected, serving until 1779, when he became chief justice of the state of Maryland. In 1780, he was elected to serve as a federal judge on the Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture.
The American Revolutionary War
Biographical Directory of the US Congress
Encyclopedia.com
Every Woman Dreams…
The History Junkie
Patriot Academy
The Robinson Library
The Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
UShistory
Virtualology
WikiTree
Signers of the US Declaration of Independence:
Adams , Samuel: an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was a politician in colonial Massachu...
Adams [2], John: an American lawyer, author, statesman, and diplomat. He served as the second President of the United States (1797–1801), the first Vice Pr...
Bartlett , Josiah: an American physician and statesman, delegate to the Continental Congress for New Hampshire, and signatory of the Declaration of Independenc...
Braxton , Carter: a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, as well as a merchant, planter, and Virginia politician. A grandson of Robert “...
Carroll III, Charles: a wealthy Maryland planter and an early advocate of independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. He served as a delegate to the Continent...
Chase , Samuel: an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and earlier was a signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence as a re...
Clark , Abraham: an American politician and Revolutionary War figure. He was delegate for New Jersey to the Continental Congress where he signed the Declarat...
Clymer , George: an American politician and Founding Father of the United States. He was one of the first Patriots to advocate complete independence from Bri...
Ellery , William: a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Rhode Island. In 1764, the Baptists consulted with Ellery a...
Floyd , William: an American politician from New York, and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. In 1795, Floyd ran for Lieutenant Gover...
Franklin , Benjamin: one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A renowned polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politicia...
Gerry , Elbridge: an American statesman and diplomat. As a Democratic-Republican he was selected as the fifth Vice President of the United States (1813–14),...
Gwinnett , Button: a British-born American founding father who, as a representative of Georgia to the Continental Congress, was one of the signatories (first s...
Hall , Lyman: physician, clergyman, and statesman, was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia. Hall Cou...
Hancock , John: an American merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress...
Harrison V, Benjamin: an American politician, planter, and merchant, a revolutionary leader and a Founding Father of the United States. He received his higher edu...
Hart [2], John: a public official and politician in colonial New Jersey who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and also signed the Declaration...
Hewes , Joseph: Hewes attended Princeton but there is no evidence that he actually graduated. What is known is that he became an apprentice of a merchant an...
Heyward Jr., Thomas: a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and of the Articles of Confederation as a representative of South Carolina. On Aug...
Hooper , William: an American lawyer, politician, and a member of the Continental Congress representing North Carolina from 1774 through 1777. Hooper was also...
Hopkins , Stephen: a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, a Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, and a signer of the ...
Hopkinson , Francis: designed the first official American flag. He was an author, a composer, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence as a dele...
Huntington , Samuel: a jurist, statesman, and Patriot in the American Revolution from Connecticut. As a delegate to the Continental Congress, he signed the Decla...
Jefferson , Thomas: an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and the third President of the United States (1...
Lee , Francis Lightfoot: a member of the House of Burgesses in the Colony of Virginia. As an active protester regarding issues such as the Stamp Act, Lee helped move...
Lee , Richard Henry: an American statesman from Virginia best known for the motion in the Second Continental Congress calling for the colonies' independence from...
Lewis , Francis: a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New York. He was a member of the Committee of Sixty, a memb...
Livingston , Philip: an American merchant and statesman from New York City. He was a delegate for New York to the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1778, and sig...
Lynch Jr., Thomas: a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of South Carolina; his father was unable to sign the Declarati...
McKean , Thomas: an American lawyer and politician from New Castle, in New Castle County, Delaware and Philadelphia. During the American Revolution he was a ...
Middleton , Arthur: a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence. He was educated in Britain, at Harrow School, Westminster School, and Trinity ...
Morris , Lewis: an American landowner and developer from Morrisania, New York. He signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Continent...
Morris Jr., Robert: a Founding Father of the United States, was a Liverpool-born American merchant who financed the American Revolution, oversaw the striking of...
Morton [2], John: a farmer, surveyor, and jurist from the Province of Pennsylvania and a Founding Father of the United States. As a delegate to the Continenta...
Nelson Jr., Thomas: an American planter, soldier, and statesman from Yorktown, Virginia. He represented Virginia in the Continental Congress and was its Governo...
Paca , William: a signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Maryland, and later Governor of Maryland and a United St...
Paine , Robert Treat: a Massachusetts lawyer and politician, best known as a signer of the Declaration of Independence as a representative of Massachusetts. He se...
Penn , John: a signer of both the United States Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation as a representative of North Carolina. Penn...
Read , George: an American lawyer and politician from New Castle in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a Cont...
Rodney , Caesar: an American lawyer and politician from St. Jones Neck in Dover Hundred, Kent County, Delaware, east of Dover. He was an officer of the Delaw...
Ross Jr., George: a signer of the Continental Association and the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Pennsylvania. He was also t...
Rush , Benjamin: a Founding Father of the United States. Rush was a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a physician, politician, social reformer, educ...
Rutledge , Edward: an American politician, and youngest signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. He later served as the 39th Governor of South ...
Sherman , Roger: an early American lawyer and statesman, as well as a Founding Father of the United States. He served as the first mayor of New Haven, Connec...
Smith [2], James: an American lawyer and a signer to the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Pennsylvania. He studied law at the ...
Stockton , Richard: an American lawyer, jurist, legislator, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Stockton was admitted to the bar in 1754 and soon r...
Stone , Thomas: an American planter and lawyer who signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a delegate for Maryland. He later worked on the c...
Taylor , George: a Colonial ironmaster and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Pennsylvania. In 1776, the Contin...
Thornton , Matthew: a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Hampshire. In 1716 Thornton's family emigrated to North...
Walton , George: signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia and also served as the second Chief Executive of Georgia...
Whipple Jr., William: a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Hampshire. Whipple was a member of the Continental c...
Williams [3], William: a merchant, and a delegate for Connecticut to the Continental Congress in 1776, and a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. Williams...
Wilson [2], James: one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Cons...
Witherspoon , John: a Scots Presbyterian minister and a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey. During hi...
Wolcott , Oliver: a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and also the Articles of Confederation as a representative of Connecticut and the ...
Wythe , George: the first American law professor, a noted classics scholar, and a Virginia judge. The first of the seven Virginia signatories of the United ...
-all-AustriaCherokee nationDenmarkEnglandFranceIndiaIndonesiaIrelandIroquois ConfederacyItalyJapanLenape TribesMexicoMohawk NationMoroccoNetherlandsOdawa TribesPeruPolandRussiaScotlandSeminole TribesSeneca TribesSerbiaShawnee TribeSwedenSwitzerlandTahitiTurkeyUnited StatesViet NamWalesWest Indies
William Paca 1740, Oct 31 1761
Emperor Momozono unknown 1747
Given name: Toohito
Shingas unknown 1740
a leader of the Delaware (Lenape) people in the Ohio Country and a noted American Indian warrior ...
Henry Fox 1705, Sep 28 1735
a leading British politician of the 18th century. He identified primarily with the Whig faction. ...
HRE Francis I 1708, Dec 8 1740
Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real powe...
Marie Leszczynska 1703, Jun 23 1720
a Polish noblewoman and French Queen consort. The daughter of King Stanislaw Leszczynski — Stan...
Horatio Sharpe 1718 1753
the 22nd proprietary governor of Maryland from 1753 to 1768 under the restored proprietary govern...
Neolin unknown 1760
a prophet of the Lenni Lenape, who was known as the "Delaware Prophet" but derided by the British...
Chief Pontiac 1720 ca 1760
an Ottawa war chief who became noted for his role in Pontiac's War (1763–1766), an American Ind...
Adolf Frederick 1710, May 14 1751
King of Sweden from 1751 until his death. The first king from the House of Holstein-Gottorp, Adol...
Empress Go-Sakuramachi 1740, Sep 23 1762
1771 1813, Dec 24
the 117th monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Sakuramachi's re...
James Hasell unknown 1763
a British colonial official who served as the acting governor of North Carolina in 1771. After Go...
Louis XV 1710, Feb 15 1715
a monarch of the House of Bourbon who ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1 September 1715 u...
Mustafa III 1717, Jan 18/28 1757
the Sultan and Caliph of the Ottoman Empire from 1757 to 1774. He was a son of Sultan Ahmed III ...
Peyton Randolph 1721, Sep 10 1743
a planter and public official from the Colony of Virginia. He served as Speaker of the Virginia H...
Joseph Warren 1741, Jun 11 1759
an American physician who played a leading role in American Patriot organizations in Boston in th...
John Morton [2] 1725 1756
a farmer, surveyor, and jurist from the Province of Pennsylvania and a Founding Father of the Uni...
Button Gwinnett 1735 1765
a British-born American founding father who, as a representative of Georgia to the Continental Co...
Thomas Lynch Jr. 1749, Aug 5 1772
a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of South Carolina; ...
Philip Livingston 1716, Jan 15 1737
an American merchant and statesman from New York City. He was a delegate for New York to the Cont...
John Hart [2] 1710 ca 1750
a public official and politician in colonial New Jersey who served as a delegate to the Continent...
Stephen Hopkins 1707, Mar 7 1730
a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, a Chief Justice of the Rhode...
Robert Rogers 1731, Nov 7 1746
an American colonial frontiersman. Rogers served in the British army during both the French and I...
George Ross Jr. 1730, May 10 1756
a signer of the Continental Association and the United States Declaration of Independence as a re...
Cornstalk 1720 ca 1760
a prominent leader of the Shawnee nation just prior to the American Revolution. Cornstalk opposed...
Joseph Hewes 1730, Jan 23 1763
Hewes attended Princeton but there is no evidence that he actually graduated. What is known is th...
Chief Logan 1725 ca 1770
a Native American orator and war leader born in the Iroquois Confederacy. Although he was of the ...
Emperor Go-Momozono 1758, Aug 5 1771
the 118th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Momozono's reign...
Francis Lightfoot Lee 1734, Oct 14 1774
a member of the House of Burgesses in the Colony of Virginia. As an active protester regarding is...
Reynier de Klerck 1710, Nov 1730
Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1778 until 1780. De Klerk's date of birth is not ...
Francis Lewis 1713, Mar 21 1734
a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New York. He was...
Maria Theresa 1717, May 13 1740
the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was th...
George Taylor 1716 ca 1736
a Colonial ironmaster and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a represen...
Cornelius Harnett 1723, Apr 10 1740
an American merchant, farmer, and statesman from Wilmington, North Carolina. He was a leading Ame...
John Witherspoon 1723, Feb 5 1745
a Scots Presbyterian minister and a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence a...
Richard Stockton 1730, Oct 1 1754
an American lawyer, jurist, legislator, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Stockton...
Thomas Gage [2] 1718/19, Mar 10 1741
a British general best known for his many years of service in North America, including his role a...
Jack Jouett 1754, Dec 7 1776
a politician and a hero of the American Revolution, known as the "Paul Revere of the South" for h...
Charles Edward Stuart 1720, Dec 31 1743
the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England, Scotland, France and Ireland from the de...
John Hanson 1715, Apr 3 1750
a merchant and public official from Maryland during the era of the American Revolution. In 1779, ...
Jonathan Trumbull 1710, Oct 12 1731
one of the few Americans who served as governor in both a pre-Revolutionary colony and a post-Rev...
Caesar Rodney 1728, Oct 7 1755
an American lawyer and politician from St. Jones Neck in Dover Hundred, Kent County, Delaware, ea...
Silas Deane 1737, Dec 24 1759
an American merchant, politician, and diplomat, and a supporter of American independence. Deane s...
John Penn 1741, May 17 1762
a signer of both the United States Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation ...
Joseph Reed [2] 1741, Aug 27 1770
a lawyer, military officer and statesman of the Revolutionary Era who lived the majority of his l...
James Smith [2] 1719, Sep 17 1740
an American lawyer and a signer to the United States Declaration of Independence as a representat...
William Whipple Jr. 1730, Jan 14 1751
a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Hampshire...
Thomas Stone 1743 1764
1785 1787, Oct 5
an American planter and lawyer who signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a dele...
Matthew Thornton 1713, Mar 17 1740
a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Hampshire. I...
Jean Sylvain Bailly 1736, Sep 15 1759
a French astronomer, mathematician, freemason, and political leader of the early part of the Fren...
Arthur Middleton 1742, Jun 26 1764
a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence. He was educated in Britain, at Harr...
Robert Nugent 1709 1739
an Irish politician and poet. He was tersely described by Richard Glover as a jovial and voluptuo...
Juan Bautista de Anza 1736, Jul 6/7 1752
a New-Spanish explorer of Basque descent, and Governor of New Mexico for the Spanish Empire. In 1...
Henry Laurens 1723, Feb 24 1757
an American merchant, slave trader, and rice planter from South Carolina who became a political l...
Lewis Morris 1726, Apr 8 1760
an American landowner and developer from Morrisania, New York. He signed the U.S. Declaration of ...
William Hooper 1742, Jun 28 1764
an American lawyer, politician, and a member of the Continental Congress representing North Carol...
Benjamin Franklin 1705, Jan 6 1718
one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A renowned polymath, Franklin was a leading aut...
Richard Caswell 1729, Aug 3 1750
the first and fifth governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina, serving from 1776 to 1780 and f...
Ethan Allen 1737, Jan 10 1757
a farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, and American Revolut...
Thomas Nelson Jr. 1738, Dec 26 1761
an American planter, soldier, and statesman from Yorktown, Virginia. He represented Virginia in t...
Michael Hillegas 1729, Apr 22 1765
a merchant, sugar refiner, and iron magnate who used his wealth to assist the American revolution...
Abdul Hamid I 1725, Mar 20 1774
the 27th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph of the Ottoman Caliphate (Islam), reigning over ...
William Pierce 1753 1775
an army officer during the American Revolutionary War and a member of the United States Constitut...
Mohammed III 1710 ca 1748
Sultan of Morocco from 1757 to 1790 under the Alaouite dynasty. He was the governor of Marrakech ...
Lyman Hall 1724, Apr 12 1749
physician, clergyman, and statesman, was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independen...
Josiah Bartlett 1729, Nov 21 1750
an American physician and statesman, delegate to the Continental Congress for New Hampshire, and ...
HRE Joseph II 1741, Mar 13 1765
Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was t...
David Brearley 1745, Jun 11 1776
a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention and signed the U.S. Constitution on behalf of Ne...
Benjamin Harrison V 1726, Apr 5 1745
an American politician, planter, and merchant, a revolutionary leader and a Founding Father of th...
James De Lancey [2] 1732 1758
a colonial politician, turfman, and the son of Lieutenant Governor James De Lancey and Anne Heath...
Francis Hopkinson 1737, Sep 21 1761
designed the first official American flag. He was an author, a composer, and one of the signers o...
Pomare I 1753 ca 1788
the unifier and first king of Tahiti and founder of the Pomare dynasty and the Kingdom of Tahiti ...
John Burgoyne 1722, Feb 24 1743
a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War...
George Mason 1725, Nov 30 1747
a Virginia planter and politician, and a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, ...
Hamengkubuwono I unknown 1755
the first sultan of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.He ruled from February 13, 1755 to March 24, 1792. As a...
Richard Henry Lee 1732, Jan 20 1757
an American statesman from Virginia best known for the motion in the Second Continental Congress ...
James Wilson [2] 1742, Sep 14 1766
one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and a signatory of the United States Declaration...
Nguyen Hue 1753 1788
the second emperor of the Tay Son dynasty, reigning from 1788 until 1792. He was also one of the ...
HRE Leopold II 1747, May 5 1790
Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary and Bohemia from 1790 to 1792, Archduke of Austria and Gra...
Henry Clinton 1730, Apr 16 1751
a British army officer and politician, best known for his service as a general during the America...
John Hancock 1736, Jan 12 1754
an American merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as p...
Roger Sherman 1721, Apr 19 1754
an early American lawyer and statesman, as well as a Founding Father of the United States. He ser...
Israel Jacobs 1726, Jun 9 1770
a colonial Pennsylvania Legislator and United States Representative from Pennsylvania. In 1790, J...
King Louis XVI 1754, Aug 23 1774
King of France from 1774 until his deposition in 1792, although his formal title after 1791 was ...
Carter Braxton 1736, Sep 10 1760
a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, as well as a merchant, planter, and Vi...
Abraham Clark 1726, Feb 15 1775
an American politician and Revolutionary War figure. He was delegate for New Jersey to the Contin...
Artemas Ward 1727, Nov 26 1751
an American major general in the American Revolutionary War and a Congressman from Massachusetts....
John Rutledge 1739, Sep 17 1760
the second Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. A lawyer and a judge, Rutledg...
Joseph McDowell 1758, Feb 25 1776
an American lawyer, soldier, and statesman from Morganton, North Carolina. His estate was name...
Samuel Huntington 1731, Jul 5 1754
a jurist, statesman, and Patriot in the American Revolution from Connecticut. As a delegate to th...
Catherine the Great 1729, Apr 21 1762
a Russian monarch. She was the longest-ruling female leader of Russia, reigning from 1762 until h...
George Clymer 1739, Mar 16 1765
an American politician and Founding Father of the United States. He was one of the first Patriots...
Anthony Wayne 1745, Jan 1 1775
a United States Army officer, statesman, and member of the United States House of Representatives...
Horace Walpole 1717, Sep 24 1737
an English art historian, man of letters, antiquarian and Whig politician. He had Strawberry Hill...
Oliver Wolcott 1726, Nov 20 1747
a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and also the Articles of Confederation ...
Martha Washington 1731, Jun 2 1789
the wife of George Washington, the first President of the United States. Although the title was n...
George Washington 1732, Feb11 1789
the first President of the United States (1789–97), the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental A...
Samuel Adams 1734, Jan 20 1750
an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United State...
Robert Morris Jr. 1734, Jan 20 1750
a Founding Father of the United States, was a Liverpool-born American merchant who financed the A...
George Read 1733, Sep 18 1753
an American lawyer and politician from New Castle in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a signer...
Philip Schuyler 1733, Nov 10 1761
a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually kno...
Thomas Heyward Jr. 1746, Jul 28 1775
a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and of the Articles of Confederation as...
Patrick Henry 1736, May 29 1760
an American attorney, planter and politician who became known as an orator during the movement fo...
John Mare Jr. 1739 1765
an American painter, businessman, and public figure. Not much is known of Mare's training, althou...
Tipu Sultan 1750, Nov 10 1766
a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali of Mysore. Tipu intr...
Red Jacket 1750 ca 1770
a Native American Seneca orator and chief of the Wolf clan. He negotiated on behalf of his nation...
Daniel Morgan 1736, Jul 6 1775
an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. One of the most gif...
Joseph McDowell Jr. 1756, Mar 8 1776
an American planter, soldier, and statesman from North Carolina. He was known as "Quaker Meadows ...
Abigail Adams 1744, Nov 11 1764
the closest advisor and wife of John Adams[2], as well as the mother of John Quincy Adams. She i...
Fisher Ames 1758, Apr 9 1774
a Representative in the United States Congress from the 1st Congressional District of Massachuset...
Edward Rutledge 1749, Nov 23 1774
an American politician, and youngest signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. He ...
William Blount [2] 1749, Mar 26 1776
an American statesman and land speculator, and a signer of the United States Constitution. He was...
Jeremiah Wadsworth 1743, Jul 12 1761
an American sea captain, merchant, and statesman from Hartford, Connecticut who profited from his...
James De Lancey [3] 1746, Sep 6 1769
a political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Annapolis township in the Nova Scotia House of ...
Frederick Muhlenberg 1750, Jan 1 1770
an American minister and politician who was the first Speaker of the United States House of Repre...
Pieter Gerardus van Overstraten 1755, Feb 19 1780
Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1796 until 1801. He was the last Governor-General...
John Watts unknown 1788
one of the leaders of the Chickamauga Cherokee (or "Lower Cherokee") during the Cherokee-American...
Robert Treat Paine 1731, Mar 11 1757
a Massachusetts lawyer and politician, best known as a signer of the Declaration of Independence ...
John Pickering 1737, Sep 22 1761
served as chief justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court of Judicature, and as judge for the U...
Alexander Hamilton 1755/57, Jan 11 1770
an American statesman and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was an influential...
George Walton 1749 1774
signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia and also serv...
George Wythe 1726 1746
the first American law professor, a noted classics scholar, and a Virginia judge. The first of th...
Peter Muhlenberg 1746, Oct 1 1768
an American clergyman, Continental Army soldier during the American Revolutionary War, and politi...
Selim III 1761, Dec 24 1789
the reform-minded Sultan and Islam Caliph of the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807. The Janissarie...
John Page 1743, Apr 28 1763
a figure in early United States history. He served in the U.S. Congress and as the 13th Governor ...
Christian VII 1749, Jan 29 1766
a monarch of the House of Oldenburg who was King of Denmark-Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Hols...
Aaron Burr 1756, Feb 6 1775
an American politician. He was the third Vice President of the United States (1801–1805), servi...
Jean-Nicolas Demeunier 1751, Mar 15 1789
a French author and politician. It was as a member of the Constitutional Committee that Démeunie...
Joseph Brant 1743 ca 1750
a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated...
Blue Jacket 1743 ca 1770
a war chief of the Shawnee people, known for his militant defense of Shawnee lands in the Ohio Co...
Buckongahelas 1720 ca 1770
a regionally and nationally renowned Lenape chief, councilor and warrior. He was active from the ...
Charles Willson Peale 1741, Apr 15 1770
an American painter, soldier, scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist. He is best remember...
Samuel Chase 1741, Apr 17 1761
an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and earlier was a signatory to the United...
Robert R. Livingston 1746, Nov 16 1770
an American lawyer, politician, diplomat from New York, and a Founding Father of the United State...
William Williams [3] 1731, Apr 23 1771
a merchant, and a delegate for Connecticut to the Continental Congress in 1776, and a signatory o...
George Clinton [2] 1739, Jul 26 1754
an American soldier and statesman, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. H...
Thomas McKean 1734, Mar 19 1755
an American lawyer and politician from New Castle, in New Castle County, Delaware and Philadelphi...
Benjamin Rush 1745, Dec 24 1769
a Founding Father of the United States. Rush was a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a p...
Joel Barlow 1754, Mar 24 1778
an American poet and diplomat, and French politician. In politics, he supported the French Revolu...
Samuel Osgood 1747, Feb 3 1771
an American merchant and statesman born in Andover, Massachusetts, currently a part of North Ando...
William Bligh 1754, Sep 9 1761
an officer of the British Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. He is best remembered for the ...
Elbridge Gerry 1744, Jul 6 1765
an American statesman and diplomat. As a Democratic-Republican he was selected as the fifth Vice ...
Gouverneur Morris 1752, Jan 31 1775
an American statesman, a Founding Father of the United States, and a native of New York City who ...
David Ramsay 1749, Apr 2 1773
an American physician, public official, and historian from Charleston, South Carolina. He was one...
Joachim Murat 1767, Mar 25 1790
a Marshal of France and Admiral of France under the reign of Napoleon. He was also the 1st Prince...
Timothy Pickering 1745, Jul 17 1768
a politician from Massachusetts who served in a variety of roles, most notably as the third Unite...
John Clopton 1756, Feb 7 1776
a United States Representative from Virginia. He served as first lieutenant and as captain in the...
Emperor Kokaku 1771, Sep 23 1780
Given name, Tomohito, the 119th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of successio...
Isaac Shelby 1750, Dec 11 1774
the first and fifth Governor of Kentucky and served in the state legislatures of Virginia and Nor...
William Ellery 1727, Dec 2 1748
a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Rhode Island. In...
King George III 1738, Jun 4 1760
King of Great Britain and Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two countries on 1 ...
William Floyd 1734, Dec 17 1774
1820 1821. Aug 4
an American politician from New York, and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independen...
Elias Boudinot 1740, May 2 1760
a lawyer and statesman from Elizabeth, New Jersey who was a delegate to the Continental Congress ...
Joseph Bloomfield 1753, Oct 18 1775
the fourth Governor of New Jersey. The township of Bloomfield, New Jersey is named for him. He at...
Thomas Jefferson 1743, Apr 2 1767
an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and ...
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney 1746, Feb 25 1769
an early American statesman of South Carolina, Revolutionary War veteran, and delegate to the Con...
William Hull 1753, Jun 24 1775
an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolution and was appointed as Gov...
Pierre-Simon Laplace 1749, Mar 23 1771
an influential French scholar whose work was important to the development of mathematics, statist...
Charles Carroll III 1737, Sep 19 1772
a wealthy Maryland planter and an early advocate of independence from the Kingdom of Great Britai...
Manuel Quimper 1757 1770
1829 1844, Apr
a Spanish Peruvian explorer, cartographer, naval officer, and colonial official. He participated ...
Daniel Sargent Jr. 1764, Jan 15 1780
a successful American merchant and politician in Boston, Massachusetts. He was a successful merch...
William Clark [2] 1770, Aug 1 1789
an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. Along with Meriwether Lewi...
Petar I Petrovic-Njegos 1747/48 1782
the ruler of the Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro as the Metropolitan (vladika) of Cetinje, and Exa...
William H. Crawford 1772, Feb 24 1788
an American politician and judge during the early 19th century. He served as United States Secret...
William Wilberforce 1759, Aug 24 1780
an English politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to stop the slave trade. A na...
Charles Grey 1764, Mar 13 1786
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from November 1830 to July 1834. A member of the Whig Party,...
Major Ridge 1771 ca 1790
a Cherokee leader, a member of the tribal council, and a lawmaker. As a warrior, he fought in the...
Noah Webster 1758, Oct 16 1781
an American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English-language spelling reformer, political writer...
Morgan Lewis 1754, Oct 16 1774
an American lawyer, politician, and military commander. The second son of Francis Lewis, a signer...
Artemas Ward Jr. 1762, Jan 9 1783
like his father, Artemas Ward, he was a United States Representative from Massachusetts. He serve...
Albert Gallatin 1761, Jan 29 1788
a Swiss-American politician, diplomat, ethnologist and linguist. He was an important leader of th...
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Stories from Monday, March 23, 2020
Health department issues order restricting, closing businesses (Local News ~ 03/23/20)
March 22, 2020; 8:00 PM The following actions are officially implemented by the Bourbon County Public Health Officer and shall be in official force and effect at 8:00 PM on Sunday, March 22, 2020. This order shall remain in effect until modified or rescinded by the Public Health Officer. ...
COVID-19 as of Monday, March 23 (Local News ~ 03/23/20)
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports as of 3 p.m. Monday, March 23, there are 82 positive, confirmed cases of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kansas. That number includes one death each in Johnson and Wyandotte counties. In addition, there were two positive cases of out-of-state residents reported, each in Ford and Miami counties...
Health Department reports COVID-19 case in Bourbon County (Local News ~ 03/23/20)
A Bourbon County, KS positive COVID-19 test was confirmed this afternoon. The testing has been confirmed through the KDHE laboratory in Topeka. The Bourbon County Public Health Department is working diligently to investigate, identify and contact individuals who have been exposed. Updates to follow...
VA changes policy at clinics (Local News ~ 03/23/20)
The VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System, which includes the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center, the Colmery-O’Neil VA Medical Center and its eight rural community-based clinics, has implemented increased precautions and procedures to protect veteran patient population, staff, and visitors...
Courthouse closed to public two more weeks (Local News ~ 03/23/20)
The Bourbon County Courthouse will remain closed to the public at least until April 5. The decision was made during a special Bourbon County Commission meeting held via teleconference Monday morning. The courthouse was closed last week due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic...
Ascension Via Christi no longer allowing visitation with few exceptions (Local News ~ 03/23/20)
As of noon Monday, Ascension Via Christi Hospital will enact additional visitation restrictions designed to protect patients and staff as COVID-19 has reached Southeast Kansas and a growing number of surrounding counties. This includes the emergency department in Fort Scott, which is also no longer allowing visitors. Exceptions for the following units, where one visitor will be allowed in:...
Donating supplies to Ascension Via Christi during COVID-19 outbreak (Local News ~ 03/23/20)
Ascension Via Christi's hospitals continue to receive calls from individuals and companies wanting to donate unused personal protection equipment by temporarily closed companies wanting to put items to good use. "The generosity and supportive nature of those who live in our community is amazing," Randy Cason, president of Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, said. "We are extremely grateful for our community’s kindness and for everyone else stepping up to help."...
Updated cancellations, postponements as of Monday, March 23 (Local News ~ 03/23/20)
Due to the threat of COVID-19, several agencies are closing their doors to the public and several events have been cancelled or postponed. Most restaurants are providing curb, carry-out or drive-through service. As the week progresses, many other events and agencies may close to the public as well. This is a compilation of press releases the Tribune has received as of 4:30 p.m. Monday...
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Dual roles for Nonnie
Nonhlanhla Mtolo, who is also known as Nonnie in South African hockey circles, started volunteering in 2016 and in that time has become an expert in both team management skills and the demands of being a tournament Technical Official.
The South African started her volunteering career in 2016 when she was a judge for the Varsity Hockey tournament at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, universally known as ‘Wits’.
This bi-annual hockey event, which features the top eight university hockey sides in the country, is a true showcase of university hockey in South Africa. A huge number of varsity hockey alumni going on to represent South Africa on the international stage. The event provided a big platform on which Nonhlanhla started her volunteering journey.
Following the Wits event, Nonhlanhla took up a role as the U14 D Southern Gauteng Schools Team Manager, organising and caring for the young players in the provincial hockey calendar of events. She undertook this responsibility for two seasons – 2016 and 2017 – before taking her considerable organisational skills into team manager roles with the U16s, the U18s and the Southern Gauteng Women’s Indoor Team.
While continuing with her volunteering roles on the domestic hockey scene, Nonhlanhla has also made the step into international volunteering. She was Ball Patrol Manager at the FIH World Hockey League finals in Johannesburg in 2017 – a crucial job that involves managing the team of youngsters who ensure the game runs smoothly and without delay.
She has continued to manage ball patrol teams at the Premier Hockey League in South Africa every year since.
Nonhlanhla’s big break came in 2018 when she was appointed Technical Official for the U21 Inter Provincial Tournament. It was a role she repeated for the African Youth Games in Algeria. In 2019, she was Technical Official for the South Africa v Namibia series and in 2020, for the South Africa v Germany series.
Talking about her dual volunteering career as a Team Manager and Technical Official, Nonhlanhla says: “I am passionate about both aspects of the game and feel really privileged to be able to do both. I've been lucky enough to learn from one of the greats, Josie Milella. The experience and passion she has for the game is immeasurable and she definitely someone I look up to and feel honoured to work with."
#LegendaryMoments: Kookaburras great Dwyer reflects on men’s 2014 Hockey World Cup final
From small beginnings...
Preparing for a packed schedule
Countdown to Tokyo: Meet the Tomlinsons
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Jem and the Holograms – Review
Starring: Aubrey Peeples, Aurora Perrineau, Stefanie Scott
Genres: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
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Before there was Hannah Montana, there was Jem and the Holograms. This 80’s cartoon followed Jerrica Benton, an ordinary girl whose actually musical sensation Jem. That brief synopsis pretty much sums up my knowledge of the show. Jem didn’t exactly catch my attention as a child. Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers were more like it. A lot of kids did grow up watching Jem, however, and many of them were appalled upon seeing the trailer for this feature film adaptation.
Based solely on the ads, many millennials complained that this contemporary, live-action reboot looked nothing like the original masterpiece. Of course nostalgic fans probably aren’t the key demographic being targeted here. The studio is more interested in grabbing the attention of today’s eight-year-old girls, most of which aren’t even aware Jem existed thirty years ago. After all, they’re the ones most likely to buy Hasbro’s merchandise. As somebody who isn’t a nostalgic fan of the show or an eight-year-old girl, I’m clearly not the right person to review this movie. As an outsider, though, I can say that it’s basically just a waste of time.
Aubrey Peeples from Nashville plays Jerrica, a small town girl who records herself singing a song under the alias of Jem. Jerrica’s sister uploads the video to YouTube and, even though her voice is totally generic, Jem becomes an Internet sensation. The video goes viral in no time with the whole world wanting to know who the mysterious Jem is. A major record label soon approaches Jerrica, prepared to make her a star. Yeah, because we all know how often that happens in real life.
From there, Jem and the Holograms is basically every other girl power/rise to fame movie ever made. You already know everything that’s going to happen. Jerrica undergoes a makeover montage, has a flirtation with a hansom guy who looks ten years older than her, and betrays her loving bandmates for forced reasons. She ultimately learns the importance of being yourself, the importance of friendship, and that anybody who posts something online is special. Interspersed throughout these cookie cutter plot points are a series of music videos that are about as inspired as what you’d see on the Disney Channel.
Isn’t there anything in this film that’s even remotely different? Well, Jerrica does have a holographic robot named Synergy her late father left behind. Kind of sounds like something out of a completely different movie, doesn’t it? That’s that larger problem with Jem and the Holograms. It’s not entirely sure what it wants to be. One half of it is trying to represent the offbeat, colorful world of the cartoon series. The other half is trying to represent a more relatable world consumed by Facebook and Twitter. It’s as if there were two screenplays written that got merged into one misguided, manipulative mess.
Much like how The Last Witch Hunter is an empty calories movie for boys, this is essentially an empty calories movie for girls. It’s pretty, pink, and devoid of any substance. The film doesn’t really care if you learn any morals or life lessons. It just wants to sell you a product. If you’re a little girl who isn’t looking for anything more than an unrealistic fantasy, you’ll probably like it fine. If you grew up with the original show and are really forgiving, maybe you’ll get a kick out of it. Everyone else should just be grateful it’s not the Bratz movie.
This entry was posted in Reviews and tagged Adventure, Drama, Fantasy on October 22, 2015 by Nick Spake.
← Room – Review Zack Snyder: Batman v Superman is not a ‘Dark Knight Returns’ adaptation →
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Latest Events, Information & Tickets. Independent Concert Guide.
Kid Rock at Choctaw Grand Theater
Kid Rock Tickets
Choctaw Grand Theater | Durant, Oklahoma
Choctaw Grand Theater brings you another exciting jaw dropping event on Thursday 25th January 2018. Kid Rock is back, bigger and better than ever, with his GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH tour… he embarks on stages across North America to bring the event that fans have all been waiting for! With the tickets selling fast and strong, you'd better get them quick!
Kid Rock has been taking over the charts with his rapping, singing and producing on albums such as his 1998, Devil Without a Cause! With a triumph of sales over 14 million worldwide, he really spread the word and has continued ever since. Kid Rock is now a five-time nominee of the Grammy's for his powerful and energetic music.
His sound combines his love for rap, hiphop and country and between 1990 and 1997, had release a total of five records for fans to get their teeth stuck into! Kid Rock is the name behind the likes of "Bawitdaba", "Cowboy" and "Only God Knows Why," "American Bad Ass"… the list goes on.
If you love these anthems then whatever you do, don't miss out on your chance to catch him on the stages across North America…
2018 is going to be yet another full power year for the unique rock star – get your hands on your tickets today!
Fans of Choctaw Grand Theater
Parker McCollum 20/02/2021
Tracy Lawrence & Tracy Byrd 27/03/2021
Little River Band 10/04/2021
Loverboy 17/04/2021
Daughtry 22/05/2021
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CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Honored as Nation’s Finest
The Gilmer Mirror
Apr 02, 2018 | 1706 views | 0 | 68 | |
Northeast Texas-based provider group among America’s health care elite; AMGA Acclaim Award designates the quality and value of care provided to Winnsboro
WINNSBORO, TX – CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic, the Northeast Texas-based provider group and part of CHRISTUS Health, has been recognized with the American Medical Group Association’s (AMGA) prestigious 2017 Acclaim Award. Each year, the award, supported by AMGA Foundation, rewards a single medical group or other organized system of care that are bringing the American health care system closer to the ideal delivery model – one that is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and equitable.
“Receiving the AMGA's Acclaim Award is a wonderful recognition of the effort and dedication built upon the foundation set forth by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of Houston and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio many years ago. Through the faith-based efforts of our Physicians, Advanced Practice Providers and Associates, CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic will not only continue to serve the people of Northeast Texas diligently, but grow to expand access to the highest quality health care as Northeast Texans have come to expect,” said Chris Glenney, FACHE, Senior Vice President of Group Operations, CHRISTUS Health and Chief Executive Officer, CHRISTUS Health Northeast Texas.
The mission of the Acclaim Award is to honor the nation’s premier health care delivery organizations that are high performing and are bringing their organization closer to the ideal medical group and health system by measurably improving the quality and value of care; improving patient experience and outcomes; continuously learning and innovating; and improving population health.
“The mission of our organization is to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. It is very simple, but it means so much. It guides our choices and direction in all that we do,” said Scott Smith, M.D., Senior Vice President and Institute Chair of Primary Care for CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. “Our Mission and our values are who we are as a System – and our strategy is how we enact that mission. Our strategy is to make our communities healthier and help people gain access to exceptional health care as conveniently as possible by collecting and acting on significant data to connect them to the services they need and the providers to deliver it.”
CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is improving quality of care and reducing the cost of health services while achieving and maintaining high levels of patient satisfaction and provider engagement. AMGA’s High-Performing Health System™ (HPHS) attributes, along with their core mission principles, guide their physicians, advance practice providers, clinical staff and support staff to provide the highest quality of compassionate care.
“We pride ourselves on our commitment to bringing the best patient care and services to Northeast Texas. This has been an integral part of CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System’s mission as a faith-based health provider for almost 80 years, and we will continue to realize that vision for Northeast Texas for years to come,” said Steven Keuer, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System and President of CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic.
CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic joins the respected ranks of past Acclaim Award recipients like Premier Medical Associates, Permanente Medical Group, Geisinger Health System and other internationally renowned health care providers.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award by the AMGA and congratulate all of our physicians and hardworking teams,” said Jason Markham, Chief Administrative Officer of CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic.
Below are highlights of the initiatives which led to CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic being named the 2017 Acclaim Award Recipient, according to the AMGA:
* Dashboards were created for all departments within the system and grouped with the HPHS attributes.
* CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic hired an external physician-coaching firm, which interviewed each physician leader and executive team member in order to create a custom leadership curriculum that would best fit the needs of their leadership team.
* Monthly meetings between directors and managers, as well as between managers and their team members, promote an environment of accountability related to departmental performance targets.
* Quality reporting was upgraded to a self-service, web-based reporting portal, and results are shared at monthly meetings of providers and their teams.
* The system employs care coordinators and assigns them to a primary care team of providers. At each location, the care coordinator supports the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model via pre-visit planning, scheduling of appropriate preventive services, and identifying any concerns or health problems the patient may have for his/her upcoming physician appointment.
* Pursuit of quality is powered by value-based contracts that cover approximately 25-percent of adult primary care patients.
Compensation Practices and Incentives
* To remain successful with ever-changing physician reimbursements, CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic began modifying their physician compensation structure to align with value-based incentives.
Efficient Provision of Services
* Their medical group division, in conjunction with Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) Track 1 ACO, has implemented claims and electronic health record data analytics to impact the per capita cost of health care.
Organized Systems of Care
* CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic's multidisciplinary, employed medical group is supported with a fully integrated electronic medical record. This entire network of providers and facilities could not operate efficiently and effectively were it not for the shared governance structure that incorporates physician leadership in all clinical decisions and strategy, sound financial stewardship, administration and management.
Quality Measurement and Improvement Activities
* Their Quality Committee has excelled in fulfilling its vision statement to use the resources available to help clinicians efficiently provide safe, evidence-based, high-quality care. As a result, they evaluate and attempt to improve performance in many areas outside of traditional quality metrics.
Using Technology and Evidence-Based Medicine
* The system heavily promoted the use of a patient portal to teams and patients as a tool to achieve patient-centered and timely care. Through the use of the patient portal, patients are better able to be engaged in their health care and better understand the clinical decisions made during their visits through access to after-visit summaries of all their recent visits, lab results, vital signs and imaging results.
* CHRISTUS automated a process whereby a patient’s elevated blood pressure would trigger the EMR to include hypertension information on the after-visit summary. These tools also assisted providers in the reduction of duplicated testing and services, reduced medication errors through best practice advisories when contradictions appeared, allowed up-to-date medication reconciliation and speedy referrals, and expedited prescription ordering.
“CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic has been serving patients in the Winnsboro area for more than 15 years, and the people of this community have had the chance to experience the dedication, compassion and sophistication that the caregivers provide in our hospital and clinic,” said Kristi Stern, Administrative Director of Operations for CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic in Winnsboro. “From the convenience of the MyChart portal to the expansion of services and providers, CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic has prioritized the health of the people of this community. We will continue to work with our community to provide nationally-recognized health care services to the people of Winnsboro and the surrounding areas.”
CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is a not-for-profit multi-specialty practice founded in 1995 and is part of CHRISTUS Health’s Northeast Texas Region, which also includes CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System, CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System and CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System. The group of distinguished providers includes more than 650 physicians and advanced practice professionals with over 41 specialties providing a world-class continuum of care to patients in 82 locations across an area that would measure as the country's 40th largest state.
“CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is on the front lines of keeping people healthy in a community, and the strategies being recognized by the AMGA are helping to build healthy communities across every area touched by CHRISTUS Health. Driven by our mission, this strategy is not just about bricks and mortar, but about the hands that heal and the spirit of service,” said Ernie Sadau, CHRISTUS Health's President and Chief Executive Officer.
About CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic
CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is a not-for-profit multi-specialty practice founded in 1995 and is part of CHRISTUS Health’s Northeast Texas Region, which also includes CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System, CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System and CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System. The group of distinguished providers includes more than 650 physicians and advanced practice professionals with over 41 specialties providing a world-class continuum of care to patients in 82 locations across 41 counties.
Copyright 2021 The Gilmer Mirror. All rights reserved.
Software Copyright © 2021 Sole Solution. Content Copyright © 2021 The Gilmer Mirror. Business listing data provided in part by Localeze.
The Gilmer Mirror - News, Classifieds, Events and Businesses in Gilmer, Texas is in Gilmer, TX
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Best Games 2020 & 2021
Newbie Guide for Among Us Game
No Comments on Newbie Guide for Among Us Game
I believe that everyone likes games, there are wide range of games that you can get in the market, such as online casino games in 12Play Singapore, mobile games, and more. Among Us game is a game started the scene on a spaceship, and the game is divided into two camps, which is crew camp and impostor camp. For the crew team, you need to complete all spaceship construction tasks, or throw all impostors out of the airlock by voting. In this article, we will share you the latest guide for dummies and newbies.
Introduction to the Rule
Faction 1: Crew Team (which is also known as the good guys team)
Faction 2: Imposter (the werewolf team)
Faction 2: Impostor (the werewolf team)
In the game of Among Us proportion of the number of people in the faction is set by the opening host. There are up to three impostors, but because the condition for the victory of the impostors in the game is that when the number of impostors is the same as the number of crew members, they can win, so if there are only three impersonators, in addition, the game pretender is very easy to win.
Winning Conditions in Among Us
Crew Team:
Complete all spaceship construction tasks, or vote to throw all imposters out of the airlock.
Impostor Team:
The impostor also has two ways to win. One is to destroy the key components of the spacecraft. If the crew fails to complete the corresponding task, such as repair the reactor or repair the oxygen supply device within the specified time, the impostor will directly win.
Another way to win is to continue to kill the crew until the number of imposters is the same as the crew, you can win.
The Game Flow
Discussion Session
It is a mandatory part of this game. When someone reports that a corpse is found, everyone enters the discussion and enters the vote. The one with the most votes is thrown out of the air lock. In addition, during the game, you can also press the emergency button to force entry into the game discussion. The emergency button also has a limited number of times per game. Voting can be assigned to a certain player according to the discussion, or it can be skipped when the situation is uncertain. The user with the most votes (or skip the most votes) is the only result of this round of discussion, if a player gets votes If there is the most, the player will be thrown out. If the number of people skipping the vote is the most, no player will be thrown out of the airlock this round.
Crew Task
In the game, the crew can win the game by completing all the tasks. The content of each person’s task is slightly different. Some tasks also need to be carried out cooperatively. You can go according to the instructions on the map. The task format is very simple. A little bit of operation, just a little English foundation. It should be noted that try to avoid acting alone, so that there are no witnesses after being K.O.
Hence, here are all the information that we would like to share to you in this game. Have fun!
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Go Houghton Looking to Defend Last Year's Win in Bedfordshire Food and Drink Awards
Luton and Houghton Regis champions are looking forward to defending their titles in this year’s Bedfordshire Food and Drink Awards.
The overall title in last year’s tournament was won by GO Houghton bar restaurant in Houghton Regis.
Entrepreneur Kishor Patel, of GO Houghton, in Parkside Drive, is hoping to go from strength to strength in 2017.
"Winning the title was a huge boost to the staff at GO Houghton," said Kishor. "It also played a big part in getting more and more people to hear about what we have to offer.
"People come from all over Bedfordshire to this part of Houghton Regis for our multi-cuisine range of wholesome foods, from American burgers, to Italian pizzas, a tasty curry or British fish and chips.
"Last year our customers were good enough to nominate us and if they choose to endorse us again, we will be going out to defend our title!"Khaled Ahmed, of Meah's Curry Sauces, in Sundon Park, Luton, won the title of Independent Food Producer of the Year in last year's Bedfordshire Food and Drink Awards.
Khaled said: "More and more people are appreciating the benefits of eating curry at home and the fact that we help them create that unique curry flavour.
"Winning this award last year meant a great deal as it helped introduce our range of products to a whole new audience.
"We will certainly be going all out to defend our title this year, with the help of even more curry fans!”
The third annual Bedfordshire Food and Drink Awards have been launched with a call to the public to “nominate your favourite venues now”.
One of Bedfordshire’s most famous companies, the brewer and pub company Charles Wells, is the headline sponsor for this year’s contest, where the category winners will be decided by public vote.
Peter Wells, Commercial Director at Charles Wells said: “As headline sponsor of the 2017 Bedfordshire Food and Drink Awards we’re very proud to be able to help celebrate those who share our Bedfordshire roots and also strive to raise the bar in quality and taste, proving that Bedfordshire really does punch above its weight in serving excellent food and drink.”
Last year’s food and drink awards spurred some 450 nominations and more than 28,000 votes across three counties and the organisers hope to emulate that success this year.
Awards organiser Damian Cummins said: “The interest we’ve already seen points to not only an immense year but to us uncovering and promoting some fantastic butchers, bakers, restaurants, pubs and food and drink makers across Beds.
“Our message to the public is – please get nominating now by going to the website www.bedsfda.co.uk”
Luton based Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce is also among the sponsors because, as their representative Paula Devine said, food and drink is a very important part of the Bedfordshire economy.
Customers can nominate their favourite venues up until February 27 and voting will remain open until May 1. The awards ceremony will be held in June.
Nominations must be made via the awards website www.bedsfda.co.uk
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Kurt Cobain Montage of Heck
Lion Grasslands
Pet Fooled
Searching for Sugar Man
Planet Earth II Islands
History of the Eagles 1
Ape Genius
Uncle Tom
A Winning Design
The Last Reef
The Worst Car in the History of the World
Frozen Worlds
The Age of Aging
"Biographies" Sort by
This documentary chronicles the triumphs and hurdles of brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb, otherwise known as the Bee Gees. The iconic trio, who found early fame in the 1960s, went on to write over 1,000 songs, including twenty #1 hits throughout their storied career.
The film follows the Bee Gee’s meteoric rise as they rode the highs of fame and fortune, negotiated the vagaries of the ever-shifting music business and navigated the complexities of working so intimately alongside family. The story takes us from their childhood in 1950s Australia to the artistic crucible of 1960s London and to the sundrenched coast of Miami, Florida. The band created a distinct sound with their three-part harmonizing, their melodic voices forming a new kind of instrument.
In August of 2018, Greta Thunberg, a 15-year-old student in Sweden, starts a school strike for the climate. Her question for adults: if you don't care about her future on earth, why should she care about her future in school? Within months, her strike evolves into a global movement. Greta, a quiet Northern-European girl on the autism spectrum is now a world famous activist. The team behind Greta has been following the young activist from her very first day of school striking. The documentary shows the international crusade of Greta on in her goal to get people to listen to scientists about the world's environmental problems.
The Kennedys: A Fatal Ambition
From Patrick Kennedy's emigration in 1849 to the death of JFK Jr. in 1999, the films charts the family's rise from poor Irish immigrants to an all-powerful dynasty, exploring the lives, careers, personal tragedies and scandals that have given rise to the idea of a Kennedy curse.
Featuring interviews with family members, and including rare archive, photos and letters, 'The Kennedys: A Fatal Ambition' sets the events in historical context, examines the family's unique characteristics and asks what part they may have played in many of the misfortunes.
Master filmmaker Martin Scorsese captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 along with the joyous music that Bob Dylan performed during the fall of that year. Part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream, 'Rolling Thunder Revue' is a one of a kind experience.
David Bowie The Last Five Years
Experience the evolving genius of rock icon David Bowie in this documentary that chronicles the last five years of his life.
The film features never-before-seen footage of Bowie as well as conversations with the musicians, producers, and music video directors who worked with him on his final tour back in the early 2000s (when he had a heart attack that compelled him to turn away from live performances); the Man Who Fell to Earth–inspired musical Lazarus; and his final two albums, 2013’s The Next Day and Blackstar, which was released two days before Bowie died of cancer.
Earth at Night in Color
History of the Eagles
The Life of Mammals
2012 Technology
2007 Science
The Sky at Night
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Keynote address at the international conference of Tamils and Tamil literature
Place: Trichy, Tamil Nadu
Life and literature of Tamils
As seen from the perspectives of Tamils living abroad and outside Tamil Nadu in India
I am highly grateful for all those who have thought of inviting me to give the keynote address to this assembly of Tamil scholars and all lovers of Tamil language and literature.
This is an exciting theme, happening at an exciting time. The historic situation of the world today, at the beginning of a new millennium, with globalisation and the rising terrorist violence and the rapid pace of life, a growing migration of people outside of their traditional homes and the consequent identity crisis have all created and given us, in particular, educators, creative writers, thinkers, poets and novelists a new challenge. The time is certainly here for us to think hard and come up with new ideas and new perspectives.
As I am new to this assembly of scholars and all those present here, I think it is only proper I give a very brief indication of what I think may be my credentials for the role assigned to me today.
Yes, I have some qualifications and credentials as I see it.
Apart from the fact that I went to some of the most universities, India’s most famous university, namely of Visva Bharati at Santiniketan founded by Rabindranath Tagore, I also had the privilege of going up to Oxford University in UK.I was lucky to study at these universities when there were giants of men who led these portals of learning. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru himself was the Chancellor of Visva-Bharati University when I was there for four years and I had the great good fortune to have come closer to him in my formative years. Of course, this impacted my personality and outlook.
At Oxford in the later Fifties and early Sixties there was an unprecedented intellectual ferment, in fact, a revolution in philosophy that almost changed the course of the modern twentieth century philosophy. Oxford was the hub of this philosophy. Bertrand Russell and his colleagues were very much alive then. At Oxford were all his successors, Prof.A.J.Ayer, Isaiah Berlin, John Plamenetz in philosophy and politics and Sir John Hicks and Sir Roy Harrod in philosophy, A.J.P.Taylor in history, Sir Maurice Bowra in classical and modern literature were all very much there and some of these great minds taught me. I am glad to say and it is worth mentioning, I think, that I was taught by those who won the Nobel Prizes (Sir Hicks for economics) and some of my friends also won the Nobel Prizes (Amartya Sen for economics), when I was there the youngest Indian to won a prestigious literature prize (the Hawthordon prize for poetry) was Dom Moraes, my close friend who won it at age 19! So, you can imagine the ferment in which my intellect was nurtured.
2. Study of Tamil literature at an early age.
I had chosen early in my education course to study Tamil and Tamil literature as a core subject. When I went to Pachayappa College in Chennai in the early Fifties, at age 16 or so, that college was the very centre of a high level Tamil scholarship.
I took up the “D” Group in Tamil what is surprising as I look back now is the fact and you must all be surprised to hear that of all subjects I scored first rank in Tamil grammar! The teachers who taught us those days were all great scholars, Natesa Naicker taught us Nannool, Subramanya Achary taught us Tandi Alankaram, A.M.Paramasivanandam taught us Yapparungalakarikai and Dr.M.Varadarajan taught us, I think, the Sangam classics, and others like Prof.Aa.Sa.Gnanasambandam, Anbu Ganapathy and Anbhzhagan were all our teachers.
Pachayappa’s was a very liberal education centre and we had all become early exposed to distinguished speakers who came to address us. Anna and V.K.Krishna Menon, besides a host of Tamil scholars like Appadurai,short story writers like Ti.Ja.Ra came to the college campus.
While in the college itself I learnt to write poetry and I became a budding poet . I got my writings published by such stalwarts like Tho.Mu.Si.Raghunathan, the colleague of Pudumaipithan,Vindan,A.K. Chettiar and others. In fact, I won the first prize for poetry conducted by Tho.Mu.Si, by his literary magazine,Sahanti,in 1954.
I became a writer and poet at an early age. But I was always interested in a wider world.
Thus, my early interest in Tamil language and literature, gave me a head start to go and do many other things in later years.
Now, my interest in the subject grew and this helped me to develop further contacts outside Tamil Nadu, in Bengal and other states, Kerala and Karnataka.
3. The scenario today.
In our time, that is, during the last generation, Tamil scholarship was, if I may put so, in the post-U.V.Saminatha Iyer stage what was priority was to study the Sangam classics. That is what we did in our college studies. We took up the study of the Tamil classics and appreciate their great contributions.
We also learnt to enjoy and develop a pride in what the Dravidian heritage had contributed.
It was also the time when the great research scholars, from the West(like the Czech scholar Kamil Xvelebil) and also from outside Tamil Nadu(like A.K.Ramanujan) and others were contributing to enrich our own understanding of the growth of Tamil language and literature.
Apart from the classical literature, modern Tamil literature also got some new impetus to reach great heights. Of course, the trigger was the rise of nationalism, the idea of freedom etc brought forth the immortal poetry of Subramanya Bharati and Bharatidasan. Short story writers, novelists and also the poets, starting from Mahakavi Bharati to Bharatidasan to as late as Kannadasan, we saw a remarkable growth curve, so to say. It was a Renaissance of sorts in the growth and development of great new literature in Tamil.
4.Tamils live in 90-odd countries
Now, let us pause and take a look at where we are today.
Tamil people have migrated from early times and Tamils are one of the earliest to migrate to South Africa, the West Indies and Fiji Islands, Malaysia and Singapore and other countries. And in more recent times the Tamil migrant population is a great new phenomenon. As such Tamils today are spread out and live in as many as 90-odd countries
Tamil language is now a sort of international language. It is also well spread in neighbouring states. Tamils are now a significant number in a city like Bangalore, it is said some two thirds in Bangalore speak Tamil. Among the countries in about 60 countries the Tamil population is considered a significant number. Tamils in the world constitute about seven and half crores. And more significantly, about 20 per cent of the total number of Tamils in the world lives outside the home territory of Tamil Nadu. Among the Indian languages only Tamil language is declared as the national language as well as the administrative language in two countries, namely, Sri Lanka and Singapore.
In some other countries like Malaysia, Mouritius, South Africa,Britain,Australia,Fiji Islands, and some other states, Tamil is officially a recognised language.
5.Tamil research
Of course, Tamil as the first Dravidian language is a language for higher research, as Sanskrit is, in some of the oldest universities of the world, in France, Germany, UK and USA and even in some other countries, I am not sure. I know for sure that at Oxford and Cambridge there are separate departments. At Oxford of my time there used to be an Indian Institute where one distinguished scholar, I think, Dr.Burrow, in Dravidian etymology used to know and often used to converse with him.
One of my theses regarding the development and evolution of Tamil thought is that the European Enlightenment somehow missed reaching the Tamil society, in spite of the many Christian missionaries who came in the 13th to the 17th centuries to spread their religions. They contributed to the development of Tamil, they printed the first books(1576),they translated the Bible and they created the Tamil prose writing and wrote the comparative grammar and also composed literature. And yet, the modern European enlightenment, the ideas of freedoms, rights of man and the dignity of man were never taught. The British and their English education in fact went on to produce clerks for their empire building in which Indians became willing partners. There is one book, called, “Ethnology and travel in Renaissance Europe: visitors to South India 1250-1625″by a scholar from the London School of Economics. This book is full of rare information and has sources from non-British Europeans and non-British sources, written by visitors from Italy, Venice, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German and Latin. These sources traced here in the new book ,are from Vatican libraries in Rome and elsewhere, in Lisbon, Madrid, Venice and Paris.
Ours is of course a tragic history. These European missionaries were out here to convert the Hindus, to Christianity and the Muslims, the Turkey and Central Asians adventurers were also out here, the first Muslim invasion of Madurai was as early as in 1310.
Luckily or unluckily, we, Indians were brought under the European colonial education system and also we were fed by the discoveries of Sir John Cunningham or William Jones, the Asiatic Society did great discoveries, we Indians came to know our own glorious past but ,alas, we were not exposed to the rise of knowledge, the Italian Renaissance or the later rise of science and reason, the European Enlightenment that gave the Western societies a head start in modern civilisation.
Anyway, it is time we get back to international currents of knowledge and seek our place in the sun, so to say. The Macaulay Ghost still haunts the educated Indians, we seek for a clerical life style and now another danger lurks, that is the Yankee land’s material gloss.
We have to evolve our own Indian personality. Our Tamil individuality must be seen in the larger context of the pan-Indian personality.
Of course we know that BBC and Unesco have given Tamil a pride of place in their scheme of things. I used to broadcast in the BBC Tamil services every week.
Tamils are legitimately proud about the fact that their classical Sangam classics scored over other classical sources as for their secular poetry and secular thoughts that were far reaching in their relevance even to our modern times.
If you read the translations of these classics, say of Purananuru, by A.K.Ramanujan and say Prof. George L.Hart of California university, Berkeley then we would realise that Tamil classical language and literature has that rare timeless quality about it.
Now, we all know the uniqueness of the Sangam classics, they are pre-Aryan and purely Dravidian and they exemplify life’s goals almost as secularly and as modern ways as we can imagine today.
6.My work to reform the universities in the state
Madras university:
The audience here might not know certain features and the development of the universities in the state. I have some personal involvements and also some views as I had worked at some levels.
First, my term at the Madras Legislative Council, during the years 1968 to 1974 coincided with some far-reaching changes in Tamil Nadu politics and social and cultural changes. In 1967,the Congress party lost power in the state and never recovered. When I entered the Legislative Council, I saw a sudden change in the very political environment. There was the DMK leader, the late C.N.Annadurai, Anna, as the Chief Minister and in fact he was so supreme and he looked like a demi-god. Yet, the Council had certain old features and faces, still intact. There were all the great names in the Council, Manikcavelu Naicker was the Chairman of the Council and Sir A.Lakshmanaswamy Mudaliar, Sir Raja Sir Muthiah Chettiar, G.R.Damodaran and a galaxy of educationists and senior Congress leaders were all there. I was perhaps the youngest member and as such I was a new face and not counted as one of the standard figures! Anna was curious about me ,as my election victory was unexpected as I won the election as an Independent and thus, I defeated Anna’s candidate and it was the first defeat to the official DMK candidate and as such I was sought after by everyone, as the DMK was in short of the majority in the Council. In fact, Anna sent an emissary to Coimbatore to meet me and persuade to go over to Chennai to meet him.
When I met Anna he was a demi-god for me as well for everyone feared even to approach him, let alone try to talk or converse with him.
As for the other members of the Council, as I mentioned that most of them were sebiors and with distinguished records of service. One of the first things I did in the Council was to speak on the university education and I moved a private member Bill to discuss the terms of the Vice-Chancellor of the Madras University. You must remember that Sir A.L.Mudaliar was no less a demi-god! He was presiding over the venerable university for something like 27 years, continuously, uninterrupted and no one thought of asking the question why one person alone should occupy that post for such a long time.
And you should also remember that all the Chief Ministers of the state, including such stalwarts like Rajaji, Kamaraj, Bhaktavatsalam and Annadurai and others didn’t give a thought to university education, let alone thoughts about education reforms and the truth to tell you is that everyone was simply scared of the stature and personal standing of Sir Mudaliar in the socio-cultural environment of the Tamil society and politics.
So, here I was in my early Thirties, not many in the Council knew about my educational background and thus when I moved the private member Bill no one thought it would prove to be a virtual bombshell which it was!
There was so much shouting and name callings in the Council when I rose to speak and this was unusual for a Council known for its polite decorum and much else and to cut the story short, when I finished my speech there was dead silence. Mudaliar was absent, absented himself but his band of admirers and blind admirers were in full strength. No one suspected that I was equally determined to have my way.
Just as soon as I ended my speech I saw two persons rushing towards me to congratulate me. One was Sir Raja Muthiah Chettiar and the other was G.R.Damodaran, who was to later become the VC of the university himself. Later I was also much sought after my Dr.Malcolm Adishshiah, of the Unesco fame and who was also to become the VC. So too the late Sundaravadivelu. They all knew about my interest in university education and there we leave the story of the Madras university reforms I had in mind.
7.Establishing the Tamil university.
The other university level reform I wanted to see in Tamil Nadu was and the subject is directly relevant today, here in this hall, is the reform of the Tamil language and literature studies. For a long time I had association with Tamil language and literature colleges ,I mean the various
Tamil Vidvan courses taught in the various Tamil “kalluris” distributed in the state.
So in the year 1972 I moved another private member Bill to establish a separate full-fledged Tamil university, named, as I said was after Thiruvalluvar. That day also saw some dramatic scenes in the Legislative Council. First, here I was, an Oxford-educated Tamil leader who was advocating a separate Tamil university. That was quite unpalatable, as you can imagine, to the government, whose members, from the Chief Minister down to his colleagues who were present in full strength! So, very soon, the Chief Minister left his seat and it was left to the late Nedunchezhian, the education minister to defend the government’s commitment to Tamil and he laboured hard, he was such a good person and always treated me with great regard and what was shocking for me at any rate for me was that two of the most distinguished ardent Tamil scholars, one a mutt head, another, a well-known Tamil language and the rights of the Tamils advocate, who were also my admirers and friends, who as the convention on such occasions would be ,are sup[posed to stand up and say a few words in support of a great cause like the one I was advocating. But the time came they were sullen and silent, as if they were simply scared to court the displeasure of the incumbent government!
8.Raja Muthiah Chettiar becomes my patron and friend
This time too, it was left to Dr.Raja Sir Muthiah Chettiar, the lonely warrior to come to my rescue. That was one reason, here I like to place on record, how the great man, the philanthropist and statesman, the Raja became my great friend and a role model for me. I always looked up to him as an inspiration and a model leader of men and one who never let his stature of age to come in the way of genuinely spotting talents in younger persons. I have so many pleasant recollections of the one whose family founded the great Annamalai university. So much for my involvement with the university reforms. You can’t reform the Tamil language ,in particular the Tamil research priorities and draw up a progressive research agenda, unless you can reorganise the Tamil language courses in a more international level perspective.
I don’t know whether I can take credit for the eventual coming of the Tamil university in Thanjavur. But I am sure that I can claim some credit and take pride by the fact that it was my original idea and in the form I elaborated the idea for a separate Tamil university that led to lot of thought processes and though it fell to MGR to establish it, the university, though in the form in which I wanted it, the university came along and now it is all set for further evolution. I am confident that in due course the university’s own perspective would expand and would fall in the lines in which I like to see it evolve. After all, great ideas can’t go away and as I see it the language and literature studies can only follow the international pattern of collaboration and assimilation of similar ideas elsewhere. The subject is close to my heart and may be in future we may pursue this matter in a more in-depth manner.
9.Comparative languages and literature.
Today, there is no society where there is just only one language spoken. We are all bilingual today. Tamil is our mother tongue, right. But English? It is our father tongue, right? Anyway, we have to learn to live with bilingualism in the modern world.
We have to reform the language, we have to, in this age of Internet and our language must become Internet-savvy and Net -compatible. There is no alternative except to erm with the new technologies.
A language is spoken or used not because it is our mother tongue. But also for various social and cultural reasons. When we have to be discreet or diplomatic, we resort to use of euphomism, we use other language words, mostly English, just to avoid embarrassing our guests or friends, right?
I had always been fascinated with the comparative language and literature courses ever since I came across such a course in the Jadavpur university in West Bengal and where also Santiniketan is a very good example of such a multi-lingual and multi-literature studies courses. Here it may not be out of place to mention to you I was also a student of the Chinese language and literature course, it was a three-year part-time diploma course taught in the historic Cheena Bhavan at Santiniketan. You may be interested to know that the Cheena Bhavan was founded by Prof.Tan Yun Shan, a colleague of the great leader Mao Tse Tung and Prof.Tan was an associate of Tagore and also Gandhi and as such Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru when he was the Chancellor Visva-Bharati university used to visit the Cheena Bhavan every year and I remember he used to tell us, students, as to what the Bhavan stood for. It had such a high reputation. I had translated short stories directly from Chinese and published the same in leading magazines, Manjari, then edited by Thi.Ja Ra.
10.Tamil language today. The Internet challenge and opportunity.
Today, Tamil language is neither taken seriously as an official language of administration nor is it sought after by parents as a medium of education. English language dominates at all levels. Some 1,500 million people today speak English today, a fourth of the world’s population. Some 700 million speak English as a foreign language.
Only in TN, may be in other states too, we find the supreme irony of sorts ,where the Tamil people don’t want to study in Tamil medium nor they see their government not able to make Tamil an administrative language. There are real problems. Problems that need a dispassitionate and an in-depth study and seek needed reforms.
Even the poor village parents want their children to go for English medium schools. English medium schools and the way the commercial-minded school founders “seel” and market their education package, teaching and eventual “passing” the exams is n undesirable development and that is of serious concern.
11.Internet revolution and need for reforms of the script and usage.
The Internet Revolution is on and the email usage might also impact how and how much Tamil would be used and not used and what the future of our “use” of Tamil as an Internet medium. There are also the many reforms, like script reforms to reforms to put the digitilisation of the language and literature.
Whether we want it in the way or not, the Net media is here and we have to learn to use the online use of Tamil as a powerful tool.
Now, as I was undergoing all these experiences, I was keen that Tamil language and literature must undergo the process of assimilation and even acculturation so that we transform Tamil as a truly international tongue. Just now, I read somewhere that the linguists have come out with research findings(published in the “Nature” science magazine) that English has the largest spoken words data base and those languages or words that are not often used might evolve and change wordage and meanings. The point is that a language is what is being used by the speakers. A language is what is being spoken by the speakers. A language is what is being made of, how it is used and for what purposes. The spoken language is much more important than the written language.
I am raising these questions or making these observations utterly unaware of what your reactions would be. But surely you must allow me the freedom to raise these questions.
12.Democracy is all about common man’s wisdom
Tamil is a widely spoken language in Tamil Nadu, though there are other languages spoken as well.
In my own small village ,I counted and I was surprised to count as many as five languages spoken. In Karnataka there are officially recognised five separate languages, including Kannada, Tulu, Konkani, Marathi and Tamil. There must be room for other languages to be used by the peoples concerned and we have to allow democratic rights of people. After all, democracy is the common man’s wisdom and in the whole world there are in about 166 countries democracy is considered the most preferable. After the monarchies, revoloutionaries and dictators, the world perhaps feels safe in a democratic environment for the countries concerned and for the safety of the world.
Democracy we have to welcome wholeheartedly. But that doesn’t mean we, the intellectual and cultural elite can leave certain matters to deteriorate in the name of democracy.
13.Culture and Anarchy
When culture loses it central core, it leads to anarchy in life, life styles and social and public morals.
You must have all read, or at least, must have heard of Mathew Arnold(1822-1988),the great nineteenth century poet who was a professor of poetry at Oxford. This again is an innovative post at the world’s oldest university, the post of a professor of poetry and we in India must institute such a post in our major university. You know Mathew Arnold’s life-long attachment to Oxford, he perhaps gave its eternal charm and enduring ideals,” the home of lost causes and impossible loyalties” calling it the dreaming spires which sent out and called in the whispers of the last enchantment of the Middle Ages etc. And this I am advocating for a long time, I mean, the need for universities(I hesitate to call ‘our universities’!) to define their ideas and ideals, their commitment to “sweetness and light” as Arnold defined as the sign of any high-minded culture.
Now, Arnold wrote one of his most influential books, it is in fact a collection of essays, called, “Culture and Anarchy” (in 1869)and he saw fall in standards in the wake of the industrialisation that was creating a mass culture, a greed culture in the middle classes and the high degree of immoral and insensitivity among the upper classes, the aristocracy. We don’t have such equivalent classes today here, but we can easily trace such classes in terms of our political classes, the criminalisation and brutalisation of politics, rise in corruption, corrupt elements holding on to power and privileges, while the educated classes looking on helplessly. Morals are in decline, values are in decline, family values, family morals and beliefs are not just in decline, they are mocked at, see some of our poets and poetesses and their languages and concerns. The havoc caused by commercial cinema and the TV serials on the families are to be debated and even researched across different disciplines, from Tamil to sociology to psychology and much else.
This was in response to his concerns over the rise of new classes in the wake of the industrial revolution.
In short, he got annoyed at the sight of fall in values and he attacked the new classes. He called the insensitive politicians, the “Barbarians”! The so-called prim and proper middle classes, the narrow and selfish classes the” Philistines”, the rest of the masses, simply as the “Populace”.
The point here is that we in Tamil society today are also undergoing a cultural transformation and all that is not “sweetness and lights” as Arnold termed the high culture and high ideals.
For I have been watching how Tamil language or for that matter any modern language is put to use. Now ,we are using English widely for artistic and literary uses, we write creative literature, poetry and novel in English and Indians are winning international prizes for their English literary skills. Some of my friends have been great literary heroes, like Dom Moraes, the poet, and R. Parthasarthy and the late Mulk Raj Anand was a long time friend and mentor of mine. If India had become free much earlier, who knows, I used to speculate Mulk Raj Anand might have won the Nobel Prize after Tagore.
14.How we speak and write the language?
The point is that a language has to be used, I mean, written as it is being spoken of by all strata of society, right?
If we don’t take the spoken language seriously, if we don’t take the speech pattern of our language, spoken by even the ordinary people, across the class distinctions, across the rural-urban divide then you might lose touch with much that is richer in mental processes, in the way our morals and philosophies, beliefs and faiths, artistic expressions and imaginations, that are all part of human persons, personalities who might come from divergent, class and social divisions.
I believe that there is more moral uprightness and moral integrity in the speeches of the rural folks, there is more directness in the way the average villagers express their anger and their moral disapprovals of their leaders and their other role models, than, say ,in the way the urban middle class speeches, speech patterns and the way the innate fears and insecurities drive the average urban, say a government servant or a teacher to resort to euphemism, rather than direct speech patterns.
The point is this: we have to learn to make distinctions. We have to make choices. We have to learn to articulate and say what is right and wrong. Unfortunately, we don’t do this. We tolerate too much of falsehood, too much of immorality, too much of what we know is simply not true. Right?
There is no sense of freedom in society today. There is too much fear. There is timidity in the average Tamil citizen. Am I right in assuming this reality?
I think I am right. Let us see why I say this. There is no serious writing magazine today in the language. Most of them are just tabloids, just sensationalism, too much filmy talk and writing. Cinema can’t be high culture. Film writing can’t be high literature. So too film songs wont make for serious poetry. But all this is happening in our literature, in our writing and yet we don’t seem to be agitated. There is a dumping down of our freedoms and much of our self-esteem. This is impacting on the positive forces, the positive environment for genuine search for high ideals and values
15.What are values?
Democracy often distorts values, genuine creative genius!
We all often say or heard others saying that values have fallen? Values are going down.
What do we mean by this?
Have we paused to reflect and ask what does this mean?
In my opinion, when we say values have fallen, we mean that we are mistaking what is bogus as good. Yes, education today is spreading fast. This is just an outward phenomenon. Our education hasn’t enriched our minds. Our education, I dare say, has on the contrary, has rendered our minds poverty-stricken. Yes, education must empower our minds. Instead, the sort of artificial degrees and diplomas, the sort of qualifications and the posts we seek and have succeeded in seeking the sort of posts we have got, are not earned on genuine merit. But by extraneous considerations, of caste, political interference and not by objective norms and criteria. That is why our universities and colleges don’t sparkle by their internal dynamism. Our universities and colleges function as islands, cut off from the outside world. Their rigid, routine existence makes them as totally ineffective to face the outside world realities. They, these universities and even autonomous colleges don’t know the world out their gates! Even the autonomy given and got by the colleges don’t seem to know what autonomy means and what responsibility it casts on the autonomous colleges. Autonomy means looking for new talents and new ideas. These would come only from outside. For this you have to look for all sorts of sources. Strict academic qualifications often don’t produce talents, don’t produce geniuses, or creative talents. Such genius, such creative talents won adhere to strict government rules and regulations. So, there is a great challenge and leadership qualities must come into play to spot and recognise new talents and new ideas.
We may be a democracy, all are equal before the law but the democratic rule won’t ensure great outburst of creative activities. For this you need intellectual elite, elite that can appreciate new talents. So too you need great minds, great intellects to usher in new insights, new visions. For this the society must be ready and conditioned to be open-minded, to be prepared to welcome ideas that might be inconvenient at times.
We may not be able to enrich and nurture talents but at least in a democracy where standards are not at their best, we ,educators and the civil society must ensure, there must be discerning patrons, patronage for arts and literature, is a basic requirement in any society, at all times, we have to be inquisitive, curious to know new ideas and new developments.
For this we need a developed culture, a more mature society. A society that doesn’t show curiosity for new ideas, can’t have new ideas as well.
So, democracy in politics is one thing but there ant be a democratic dumping down of creative talents. Modern democracy is also now distorting reality, there is too much publicity to the wrong priorities, film stars, cut-out politicians, even the press and the media, the electronic media is distorted, every politician wants to build his or her own false images to mislead the people. So, in such a cinema-crazy society, what chance genuine arts and literature could thrive. Very little chance is the skeptical reply.
However, we must know the current realities and the current distortion of values so that we, the elite and the educated classes, know for sure what to guard against when it comes to spotting genuine talents in arts and literature, in education innovations and new discoveries.
16.World class literature
Our great legacy can’t become a burden for not coming to terms with the modern world.
The point I want to raise before the learned audience is that we cant produce a world class literature unless we are also become acutely conscious about own great legacy when our Sangam time poets ,living in the then prevailing primitive economic and social conditions thought of life’s great existential dilemmas, their own world views, their weltanschauung in such a far-reaching manner and language. Do we dare to say or assert that our current world view is in any way superior to the Sangam age’s Katalun Maynta Ilamperuvaluthi.
” The world exists because men exits…
men without hate, without slackness in action,
they would give their lives for fame
but won’t accept fame with dishonour
were it gain them all the world
never exert their powerful energies
for themselves but only for others
It is because they exist that we do!”
I don’t think the world in the last 2000 years have made much progress, as we can say of other older civilizations too
17.Tamil literature today
Why Tamil literature doesn’t win more Gnanpeeth awards?
When Tamil literature will win the Nobel Prize?
The point is that when it comes to literature, I mean serious literature, there is much to discuss and debate.
To start with I like to make one observation.
T.S.Eliot, the great poet, in one of his literary criticism essays raises the question: what is a classic?
He says that in order to produce a classic the language must be in a condition to produce a classic. How that condition can be described? I recollect from memory the words or the words nearly used by the poet. You have to keep the language, speech patterns, the thought patterns uncorrupted! Has this observation any relevance today, today’s Tamil Nadu, today’s Tamil language or literature? I want the audience here to ponder over such a question and you can draw your own conclusions.
18.Class vs. mass culture
What you cant deny ,I believe, is the reality that today, may be in the wake of the democratic process, our language and literature is not classy but one of a lack of immediate suitable word, I would call it, a massification process. The commercial cinema, cinema and politics in the state is so intertwined, and so you have to be ready to take on all the consequences that flows from that peculiar Tamil society and politics. The point is that the situation in other states, is not like the one in Tamil Nadu. I know Kerala and Karnataka and also West Bengal so well. I have friends from these states. I know great writers, poets and novelists. I had so many close literary figures as my long-time friends in Malayalam literature. I had met and spoken with the greatest of the Malayalam’s father figures, from the Mahakavi Vallathol Narayana Menon, Thakhazhi Sivasahnkaran Pillai and others. I am in correspondence with the Oriya poets, Jayanata Mahapatra and Sitakant Mahapatra and also poets and writers in Karnataka ,the ones who had wont he Gnanpeeth awards and other recognitions.
What I find from other languages is that while these language literatures have won so many times, the highest national award, namely, the Gnanpeed award had gone several times to these language literatures, seven times to Kannada, I think five times to Malayalam, so many times to Bengali but for the Tamil literature only two and that two are not free from controversies.
The point here is that even a modern classic or a minor classic can be written in a language without it being won a major award. That is only right But when it comes to Tamil literature and winning awards, the Tamil people, I mean the writers and their patrons cut a picture of a sorry lot.
19.Scramble for awards
There are enough scandals only in Tamil Nadu when it comes to competing for awards and winning the awards.
The Shitya Akademy awards are routinely won Tamil poets and writers and that is simply because every year the body has to give one to the scheduled languages! Thus, we find from the beginning all undeserving titles, I don’t mean the names, were selected for the awards! In recent times, the scandals didn’t subside. Even non-creative writings are selected for the Sahitya Akademy awards that are supposed to encourage and recognise creative literature, right?
Paranoia, the present Tamil literature?
Why this paranoia, I often used to ask myself.
Yes, there is this incurable ill that haunts every creative Tamil mind, I would dare say.
Literature is a serious field, as far as I am concerned. High literature is all about sensitivity and a sensitive response to the environment.
I have been writing about the many aspects and meanings of literature, the reading of literature and poetry all through my life. You have just to have a look at my journal, I mean, the School Journal of Education. You can also see my latest collection of poems, an anthology that evoked, I am glad to note, serious comments from eminent writers and critics.
I like to ask often hard questions and I think that is the duty of any serious intellectual worth his salt.
It is my firm conviction that the time we live in shapes our personality and our path of action, right? So too, I am of the firm conviction that our lives and beliefs, our own personality and inner will and vision shapes and drives our path of action and also helps to change the times we live in. This observation needs to be elaborated and that is what I have been doing in all my endeavours in various fields and forums.
20.Compromise with evil
But today I find too much falsehood, too much vulgarity and too much willing surrender to political authority.
This is a sure sign of the fall of our value system, our surrender to, I would dare say, all that is evil.
You should remember history, the recent history when mankind paid too high a price for such surrenders to evil. The world paid a very high price, the last 50 years of the first half of the 20th century, and also the later half, saw the rise and fall of so many isms, so much evil and many precious lives lost. Eric Hobsbawm, the famous historian, notes that” the twentieth century was the most murderous in recorded history”. In fact, this is the very first sentence in his latest book, “Globalisation, Democracy and Terrorism”, 2007. I am too hesitant to mention the names but sometimes we need to remember or remind ourselves the names like Hitler, Stalin and others just to be forewarned. India was a slave country for long and one of my theses is that this long history of slavery is one reason why Indians and their innate character is one of subordination to authority, be it any sphere, religion, politics, social hierarchy and even in intellectual beliefs. Our mental slavery disgusts me beyond words.
Here I like to sound a warming: even today the world is not free of the evils of men who see themselves as demi-gods. So, democracy, literature and arts are all forces to work for with a new jealousy and a new zeal. Literature is for people with strong moral personality. Literature can’t be created in lecture halls or academic cacoons. Literature can be created only when men and women rise up in defense of their own sense of morality and truth challenged and undermined. So, let us be aware of at least one thing. It is this; literature is a serious matter and must be taken seriously. Moral courage is a sign of literary pursuit.
I once convened a seminar at my own expense in Chennai to ask the question: What Tamil literature didn’t win the Gnanpeed awards? At that time, it was only once the language had won the award and for the next 30 years or so there was no award.
Then, once I got a letter from the great Oriya poet and culture administrator, Sitakant Mahapatra, who was also an IAS officer at the Central Culture Ministry and who was and continues to this day a trustee of the Gnanpeed Trust that selects the candidates for the award every year.
What he wrote was shocking news for me. He said in his letter, perhaps without knowing that I was interested in such matters he mentioned one name and said that this name used to be recommended for the Gnanpeed award every year continuously for nearly a decade!
I knew the local members who make this recommendations and as most of them used to be my friends I used to wonder why these otherwise admirable men and women used to do this sort of thing.
You can guess the atmosphere that prevails today. The tragedy is that thanks to the growth of commercial cinema and its close interaction with practical politics there is this trend today. Those who write for cinema also consider themselves as creative writers, poets as well.
Yes, today the film song writers, called lyricists are also called the great lyrical poets.
I like to cry aloud and ask:
Oh, what happened to you poets, Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats and Byron! Where are thou? Do you know Tamil and Tamil Nadu? If so, why don’t you come here for a while and learn some lyrical poetry!
Yes, current Tamil language and literature is not what you consider as serious literature.
Why Kannada language which used to be joked at as a kitchen language is capable of winning seven Gnanpeed awards so far. There must be some reason for awarding so many times such a great award.
One reason I like to put forward before you is the fact that any great literature, poetry or prose, must have some universal appeal, some universal relevance.
21.The Nobel Prizes
When the Tamil literature will win a Nobel?
The Nobel Prizes are awarded, if you read their citations carefully, you will see that they care for truths, universal truths, they care for universal meanings and also they treat literature just on par with philosophy and other social concerns. Bertrand Russell was awarded the Nobel for his philosophical writings. Just now, I read that the 1957 Prize to the French writer Albert Camus,44,was awarded for, I quote from the citation, “The Nobel Prize was awarded to M.Albert Camus, the French novelist and philosopher”. The Swedish Academy stated it was” for his important literary production, which with clear-sighted earnestness illuminates the problems of the human consciousness in our times”. This is just enough to show how the outside world looks at literature and its task..
My point is that even if we take Kannada literature, you can see in the neighbouring Karnataka there is, in spite of the recent fanatical language chauvinism there, it is quite restricted to a minor segment. There is otherwise, the whole environment is imbued with a rare cosmopolitanism, a secular and open-minded and tolerant social and political environment. Only in Kannada literature and in Karnataka those writers who won the Gnanpeed awards, their mother tongues are not Kannada. Masti Venkatesa Iyengar’s mother tongue was Tamil, Benre’s mother tongue Konkani, Girish Karnad’s mother tongue ,Konkani! In no other state you can cite such breadth of cosmopolitanism! So, there is a consensus that only universal themes, only a tolerant and a broad social outlook can create that environment in which you can create great literature, poetry and imaginative writings.
22.Democracy and the new social classes
A new social class consciousness is evolving.
Education today is widespread and there is a faster democratic process and a great spread of the middle classes and their cultures. I am not one for taking this middle class culture very seriously, though middle classes give a certain stability and a certain pro-active social awareness and commitment to action. But we need to take into account and keep in mind the prevalence of the gross inequalities and inequities also. The upper social classes, the aristocracy and also the lower social strata you can’t wish them all away. Though I have my own current perceptions and views on what constitutes social classes today. For you will have to realise and come to terms with what social classes were and how they came along when the first consciousness about the social classes arose in the 17th and the18th centuries, when the European Enlightenment came along and when the French Revolution marked the great break in man’s understanding of the modern world and the freedoms and rights of citizens.
The 19th and the 20th centuries, we are all familiar with. Karl Marx and after the coming and dominance and eventual fall of Communism in 1989 ,we are in a different world and on a different social plateau.
In the post-Communist world, after the attack on the New York twin towers, the world suddenly a different place. What the future will hold for us is a big question.
23.US dominated world.
In this rather Yankee-dominated globalised world, the Indian society and politics, no less its languages and literature are caught up with the faster pace of life.
As for culture and arts and literature, there are these divides. Class vs the mass.
You can’t wish away the serious high-brow literature on the one hand and the mass culture on the other.
If you want to create a world class literature, and if you aspire and dream of a future, perhaps a distant future Nobel Prize for Tamil literature, my immediate reaction is: why not?
You can aspire, but the question further would be whether the potential Nobel would be for literature or for other intellectual endeavours?
24.Conclusion:
A Tamil, he or she can win a Nobel, it can be for science or for peace. If you seriously debate whether it can be for literature, may be, but the Tamil literature might be written this time, may not be one from within Tamil Nadu itself. It may be by one who is a Tamil from abroad, say from Sri Lanka, Canada or Australia or most likely from the USA. For don’t forget that most of the dissident poets and writers from former Eastern Europe, who won the Nobels were from the USA ,their US domicile gave them the power of means to produce their works, to get them published and more than that to reach the attention of the Nobel Committees.
In recent years we find that even the peace Nobel goes to Americans, Jimmy Carter and now Al Gore got them for their sustained propaganda for of course noble causes.
In conclusion I want to say this much:
Let us all strive to usher in a new Renaissance in the lives of the Tamil people, let Tamil society become a more mature one, let tolerance, and open-mindedness, and a welcome spirit to accommodate the outside influences, in terms of international currents in literature and the arts mark a new paradigm shift ,so to say. A liberal and more tolerant society, less fanatical in talk and expression, less chauvinism and a new sense of freedom and the shedding of our inferiority complex are all needed to bring about a new literary and cultural renaissance.
So, with these few random thoughts I conclude and I thank the organisers, in particular, my friend Prof.Anthony Cruze for giving me the honour to deliver the keynote address to such distingus8iehd audience. Thank you, once again!
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Cheshire ChurchesMarcliff2020-10-02T22:56:56+01:00
The Church of St James and St Paul, Marton near Congleton
Cheshire Churches: During the Roman times, Chester was a strategic Military base but highly unlikely not an apostolic centre. However, it is likely that some Christians existed among the civilian and even military population. As the legions departed they left complete chaos throughout the land.For over two centuries the Northumbrian Christians based at Lindisfarne began to gain momentum a large number of Cheshire Churches were built dedicated to the Lindisfarne holy men of the 7th century. These churches included those dedicated to St. Chad (Chadkirk, Farndon and Holt), St. Wilfrid (Davenham, Grapenhall, Mobberley and Northenden) and St. Oswald (Backford, Bidston, Brereton, Lower Peover and Malpas).
An Irish influence can also be seen at several churches on the Wirral and in Chester, St. Bridget, St. Hilary and St. Olave.
Although Christian churches have existed in Cheshire since the Anglo-Saxon era, but no significant Saxon features remain, Surviving Norman architecture can be found, notably in Chester Cathedral and St John the Baptist, Chester. Most of the remaining churches in this list are in the Gothic style, dating between the 13th and the 17th centuries, predominantly in the Perpendicular style. There are some examples of Neoclassical architecture, including St Peter, Aston-by-Sutton, and St Peter, Congleton. The only buildings in the list dating from a later period, both from the 19th century, are Waterhouse’s Eaton Chapel in French Rayonnant style, and Bodley’s Church of St Mary at Eccleston, in Gothic Revival style. Churches with a significant amount of timber-framing, which has in some cases been encased in brick, include St Michael, Baddiley, St Luke, Holmes Chapel, St Oswald, Lower Peover, and St James and St Paul, Marton (see above).
Rostherne Church
Cheshire Churches (a pictorial view)
Brook Street Chapel
The Church of St James and St Paul, Marton
Toft Church, Knutsford
St Oswald's Church, Lower Peover
All Saints Church, Lach Dennis
If you have an image that you would be happy to have published on this page then we would love to hear from you. Please send it to webmaster@knutsford.net.
Knutsford Churches
Cheshire Churches: Updated October 2020
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US Navy Facilities at Florida Islands, World War II
Map above derived from: Building the Navy's Bases in World War II: History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps, 1940 - 1946, volume II, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 1947, page 256.
The navy bases located in the Florida Islands were frequented by the ships of PGM Division One. Here the ships obtained supplies, fuel, water and repair services. The source cited above provides the following description of facilities under the heading "Tulagi"(pages 252-257):
Concurrent with the building up of the large base on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, across Iron Bottom Sound and part of the Florida Island group, was developed as a small naval base. It provided a well-protected harbor where large ships could anchor, and facilities were established for the reserve storage of fuel and diesel oil, and for the support of seaplanes, landing craft, and motor torpedo boats
Tulagi, with a circumference of about 3 miles, was the seat of government for the British Protectorate of the Solomons [Solomon Islands].
In October 1942, a detachment of 59 men of the 6th Battalion was sent from Guadalcanal to Tulagi to build a PT-boat base at Sesapi. The strength of the detachment was later increased to 133 officers and men. First, an emergency outlet channel for Tulagi harbor was dredged and blasted to avoid having PT boats bottled up by enemy warships. Two PT-boat floating drydocks were assembled from pontoons; a 500-man camp was set up; and power and telephone systems to serve the island and harbor area were installed. The detachment also furnished a number of carpenter details to assist with the maintenance and repair of PT boats.
By August 1943, the facilities at the Sesapi base had been augmented to provide more shop facilities and storage areas, to permit major PT-boat overhaul. A repair and service unit was set up able to support 40 PT boats in combat operations. The Seabees also built three small wharves for PT boats. Much of this later work was done by the 27th Battalion.
In addition, PT-boat facilities were constructed on the island of Macambo [Makambo], with base housing at Calvertville on Florida Island. An existing concrete wharf at Macambo, in need of repair but still serviceable, was used, but it was necessary to build torpedo overhaul and storage facilities.
In July 1943, PT Squadrons 1, 3, and 8 were using the Sesapi and Macambo bases. Two 1,000-barrel tanks for aviation gasoline were erected at Sesapi, and eight 1,000-barrel tanks at Macambo, with loading line to the dock.
Halavo seaplane base - Before leaving the Tulagi area in January 1943, the 6th Battalion detachment began construction of a seaplane base at Halavo on Florida Island; the completion of this base became the major task of the 34th Battalion when it arrived on Tulagi on February 12, 1943.
A tent camp was erected for 1500 men and 300 officers. In planning for the seaplane facilities, due to the shortage of cement, it was decided to use steel mat on the ramps and apron. A temporary mat ramp, 25 feet wide, had been completed when priorities for work at Halavo were reduced in May to allow concentration on work in the Russells and on Guadalcanal. Priorities were then established as follows: (1) base roads, (2) a 12,000-barrel tank farm, (3) a small apron without mat.
Toward the end of June, a squadron of 15 PBY's was added to the scouting squadron already operating from the base, and another temporary ramp of steel mat was laid for their use. Construction of the tank farm was completed, including a filling line to the beach and a delivery line to the ramp. Thirty wooden buildings for administration and shops were constructed as fast as the output of the local sawmill permitted.
The marston-mat ramps were considered wholly satisfactory in service, and it was estimated that their substitution for concrete saved about two months' construction time.
In late 1943, the scope of the Halavo base was revised upward, the new plan calling for an increase in apron area, structures more permanent than the original canvas-covered ones, and the reconstruction of housing facilities. Two ramps of marston mat, 50 feet wide, were installed. Dock facilities were constructed, consisting of a small-boat wharf, 16 feet by 72 feet, and a boat refueling wharf, 6 feet by 50 feet. Twelve screened frame wards with canvas roofing were provided for a 200-bed base hospital.
In September, ten quonset huts, 20 feet by 48 feet, were erected for quarters. The aviation-gasoline tank farm was filled to capacity through the newly completed sea-loading line. By December 1943, three PBY squadrons occupied the base, and the scouting squadron had been moved forward. New housing facilities and quonset huts for NATS storage and office facilities were erected.
Tank farms - One of the major projects at Tulagi was the erection of tank-farm facilities. In addition to smaller farms provided at the different activities in the area, the 34th Battalion erected a large farm, together with two fuel piers, on Phillips Peninsula, on Florida Island, to serve the Fleet. Tanks with a 10,000-barrel capacity were used, 28 for fuel oil, 5 for diesel oil. The task was completed by March 15, 1944
Landing-craft repair base - On April 22, 1943, instructions were received calling for the establishment of a base for landing craft in the Tulagi area. The base was to be self-sustaining and mobile, in the sense that disassembly and reshipment of its facilities to forward areas and resumption of normal operation could be accomplished with a minimum of delay. The base was to be capable of keeping 80 landing craft in repair.
The base called for was established by the 27th Battalion at Carter City on Florida Island, between April and August 1943. Warehouses, tropical-hut housing for officers and men, and other camp facilities were provided. One 350-ton, 6-by-24 pontoon drydock for LCI's was assembled. On August 22, 1943, the operation of the repair base was taken over by CBD 1008.
The 27th Battalion also constructed facilities on Gavutu Harbor for the functioning of two amphibious boat repair and training centers and the training of their crews prior to forward-area assignment.
The base at Turner City, on Florida Island, included camp facilities for 400 men and officers, a pier, 10 feet by 130 feet, a 2-by-12 pontoon finger pier for small craft, and two steel arch-rib warehouses to be used as shops. At the base on Gavutu, steel arch-rib buildings were erected for shops and two 10,000-barrel aviation-gasoline tanks were built concealed in a hillside. An existing concrete wharf, 125 feet by 150 feet, providing 20-foot-draft berthing space, was repaired and equipped with a marine railway. These facilities were essentially completed by August 1943. In December, the 34th Battalion installed a second marine railway on Gavutu and practically doubled the capacity of the boat nest for small landing craft. The boat nests consisted of rows of piling driven in 50-foot squares with heavy steel mooring cables stretched across the top of the piles. Supporting facilities for the Gavutu base, including a 10,000-barrel diesel fuel tank, were built on the adjoining islands, Tanombago and Palm.
Hospital Facilities - Illness was even more prevalent on Tulagi than on Guadalcanal. Medical facilities, as established, consisted of a 200-bed hospital at the Halavo seaplane base and the "Blue Beach" Hospital on Tulagi. The first 200-bed unit at Blue Beach, consisting of 35 quonset huts originally part of Cub 2, was completed by the 27th Battalion in May 1943. In August, plans to expand the hospital to a 450-bed unit were formulated, but because of materials shortages, the expansion was not completed until November.
Waterfront facilities - Waterfront facilities at Tulagi Harbor were improved and extended by the Seabees. The 6th Battalion installed a five-ton stiff-leg derrick, built from Japanese structural steel and powered by a salvaged Japanese automobile engine, on Government Wharf, and the wharf, built of timber, was enlarged by the 27th Battalion. The 27th also constructed Sturgess Wharf, with a 140-foot face and 40-foot water depth.
The Seabees assembled pontoon barges to aid in unloading operations. In October 1943, Company B of the 9th (Special) Construction Battalion arrived at Tulagi for stevedoring activities. A salvage wharf was built at Tulagi with piling, framing, and decking cut by the 27th Construction Battalion logging and sawmill crews on Florida Island.
General experiences on Tulagi - Native hard woods, produced by the Seabees' logging and sawmill activities, were extensively used at Tulagi. Logging was an unusually difficult operation, for the men had to work in mud all day, guarding themselves against crocodiles, poisonous vines, and fungus infection.
The Japanese did not bomb Tulagi until February 1943, after the close of the Guadalcanal campaign. However, from that time until the following June, the Seabees were subjected to occasional air raids. Men of the 27th Battalion were given partial credit for the downing of three Japanese planes.
When CBMU 521 reported at Tulagi in December 1943, all the Seabees had left with the exception of the 34th. That battalion was relieved by the CBMU 505 in March 1944.
In early 1945, when the Solomons area was well behind the front lines the CBMU's secured several of the activities and crated usable materials for use in forward areas.
Work shops and Marine Railway at the Landing-craft Repair Base, Carter City (source: same as map above) Note on the left of photo a landing craft in dry dock, the front ramp of the landing craft is easily seen.
When ship repairs could not be completed successfully at MTB Base 9 on Stirling Island, PGMs of Division One were repaired at Carter City as detailed in the ship logs for PGM-3 and PGM-7. Here is one example derived from the log of PGM-3. On June 22, 1944, while patrolling the southeast coast of Bougainville Island, a vibration developed in the propeller shaft connected to the port engine, which was secured (shut down) at 0633 hours. Two days later, back at Base 9, divers tore down the port screw to determine the extent of damage. A repair could not be carried out at the base. On June 27, PGM-3 departed Base 9 at Stirling Island in the company of PGM-1, passing through the submarine net at the western entrance to Blanche Harbor at 0718 hours. By 1423 hours the ships had passed to the west of Simbo of the New Georgia group, the island bearing 27° true, and at 1030 the next day had arrived at the entrance to Purvis Bay (not far from Carter City). The distance between the MTB Base at Stirling Island and the entrance to Purvis Bay, taking a route around the New Georgia group to the west, is approximately 320 nautical miles. The PGM-3 log lists its speed at 11 knots during the early morning of June 28. Using that figure for speed, the ship would have traversed 297 nautical miles during the 27 hours detailed for the trip in the log, a figure that is comparable with the distance of 320 nm determined by map (map is available here - very large map, 4994 X 3947 pixels, 4.35 MB).
PBY Base, Espiritu Santo (source: same as other photo). Note the ramp at lower left. The seaplanes would land on the water then use the ramp to taxi. This base is presumably similar to the one at Halavo on Florida Island although smaller.
Jeffrey La Favre - jlafavre@gmail.com
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Osun workers suspend 2-month-old strike; ...signs Memorandum of Understanding with government
Striking civil servants in Osun State, on Monday, suspended their two-month-old strike with immediate effect following Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) they entered into with the state government.
The decision to suspend the industrial action was reached after a meeting held in Osogbo, the state capital, between government team and leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state.
At the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between representatives of the NLC, led by its chairman, Comrade Jacob Adekomi and the government team, detailing resolutions arrived at by the parties.
According to the copy of the MoU, "both parties agreed to the following terms: that January and February 2015 salaries will be paid from Monday, 13th July, 2015. That March and April, 2015 salaries of local government workers and primary school teachers be paid as from Monday, 13th July, 2015.
"That the balance of pensions for state government retirees for the month of November, 2014 be paid as from Monday, 13th July, 2015. That the outstanding pensions for January, 2015 and pensions for February, 2015 for retired primary school teachers and March 2015 pensions for retired local government staff be paid as from Monday, 13th July, 2015.
"That all the outstanding deductions and pensions of December 2014 shall be settled as soon as bailout funds are received from the Federal government. That labour unions will suspend the ongoing strike on the basis of this memorandum to allow for all public service personnel audit and verification exercise as well as auditing of local government staff, primary schools' teachers and retirees take place, among others."
Briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, the state NLC chairman, Comrade Adekomi, said government had paid salaries for the months of January and February 2015 for secondary schools' teachers and those in the core civil service.
He stated that government had also agreed to pay the local government staff and primary school teachers March and April salaries, stressing that whenever the bailout funds from the Federal Government are released, arrears of salaries will be paid.
Adekomi further disclosed that it was also agreed that a committee comprising representatives of government and labour unions be set up to conduct screening for all categories of workers and pensioners with a view to knowing the actual wage bill and number of workers and pensioners in the state.
Credit: Nigerian Tribune
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Live Export Shame »
All News Updates & Public Comment »
Live Export News Updates (Moderator: Export News Tasmania) »
"People don't trust the idea that industry is going to do the right thing."
Author Topic: "People don't trust the idea that industry is going to do the right thing." (Read 14421 times)
WA Export News
Farmers told to stop fighting animal welfare activists and offer PETA an olive branch: risk communication expert
Australian agriculture needs to stop fighting animal activist groups like the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and instead, publicly validate some of their concerns.
That is the view of Professor Peter Sandman, a leading New York based, risk-communication consultant who has worked with governments and consulted on the recent Ebola outbreak.
"Probably the single most common mistake is to talk too much and listen too little," said Mr Sandman.
"When it's your turn to talk, acknowledge some of the ways in which they are right.
Photo: Australian agriculture is getting it wrong when responding to animal welfare issues. (Jeremy Story Carter)
"You find things to validate in their complaints."
A number of agricultural industries have recently become engaged in combative public debate with activist groups such as PETA.
Mr Sandman says too often, those industries allow their own emotions and sense of outrage to colour their response.
"The single biggest barrier to my persuading the client to be responsive is the client's own outrage," he said.
"If the company can think calmly, it will manage its stakeholders' outrage instead of expressing its own."
In the recent example of welfare abuse claims against the wool industry, social media was central in inflaming the issue and pushing it into broader mainstream consciousness.
While Mr Sandman suggests that social media is an ideal forum for exacerbating outrage, that only makes it a more crucial avenue for industries to respond through.
"One of the problems my corporate clients have is they don't want to respond on social media, and they don't want to let their middle-managers respond on social media.
"They are letting activist groups with an agenda dominate the social media presence," he said.
People don’t trust the idea that your industry is going to do the right thing on its own, because you’re saints. Risk communication expert Peter Sandman.
"When PETA puts a video on Youtube, millions of people are going to watch that video.
"They are not senior PETA people, they're just people and they're watching to see how you're going to respond to the fanatics."
In addition to continually working toward achieving better animal welfare records, Mr Sandman says Australian agriculture needs to work closer with animal rights groups.
"Think about working with PETA.
"Ask PETA to sit on your advisory board. If they say no, let it be on their head," he said.
"People don't trust the idea that your industry is going to do the right thing on its own, because you're saints."
"We are looking for evidence that you have noticed that you can't get away with the things you used to get away with."
ABC Rural By Jeremy Story Carter
Updated 9 Sep 2014, 10:55amTue 9 Sep 2014, 10:55am
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-09/aus-ag-needs-to-stop-fighting-activist-groups/5728410
« Last Edit: September 09, 2014, 11:52:58 AM by WA Export News »
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Sally Snow
Contact: caroline@moneymanagementuk.com
Follow Sally:
Sally Snow is a Zoologist and Filmmaker originally from Pembrokeshire, in West Wales. She is based between the UK and the Philippines, where she is one of four Executive Directors for the NGO Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE), the largest independent non-governmental organisation dedicated to the conservation of marine megafauna and their habitats in the Philippines.
Raised by two naturalists in West Wales, Sally’s childhood was spent sharing the bathroom with Otters, swimming in the sea and trying to avoid accidentally eating the random insects that occupied most of the family fridge (her Father is a keen Entomologist). Unsurprisingly Sally was drawn to the natural world and she later graduated from Bristol University with a BSc Joint Honours in Zoology and Psychology. A natural creative, Sally pursued a career in natural history filmmaking, initially with BBC Cardiff and later Aden Productions (2009-2013), a small independent company producing natural history content for BBC Wales, BBC Two and S4C. Today she balances freelance film work with her work for LAMAVE, where she specialises in Science Communication. Her academic expertise, versatility in the field and her storytelling has seen her work as a diverse natural history filmmaker: self-shooting presenter (Undercover Tourist, BBC Three), fixer/advisor/diving assistant for Blue Chip series (Shark, BBC; Blue Planet 2, BBC), digital content creator (Our Blue Planet, BBC) and app developer (Aden Productions, S4C).
For the past 7 years Sally has dedicated herself to the issues facing the worlds oceans, tirelessly committed to the conservation of marine species in the coral triangle and the people who rely on them. Her work in the Philippines has not only developed her academic expertise but in her own words has allowed her to be an explorer. Highlights include documenting the first international photographic match of a whale shark between South East Asian countries, working with a research team to study and track tiger sharks, and documenting the first live sighting of an Ornate Eagle Ray in the Philippines, expanding its current known range.
Passionate about delivering stories that connect both people and the environment, Sally is not intimidated to delve deeper into the issues facing todays planet. Following the devastation of super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013, Sally worked with ITV Wales to deliver aid to a yet unreached island affected by the Typhoon, resulting in the BAFTA award winning ‘The Tragedy of the Typhoon’ / Trechineb y Teiffw, Byd ar Bedwar for S4C/ITV Wales. The same year she presented and produced ‘Tambalang’, a short film on Philippine seaweed farmers affected by Typhoon Haiyan for BBC Three. More recently she has been undercover for the BBC to bring the horrors of Indonesia’s dolphin tourism to light working with a team of wildlife trade investigators to expose dolphins held captive in hotels and in Indonesia’s travelling circuses (Undercover Tourist, BBC Three). She also worked with the Smithsonian on a series of films on the elephant poaching epidemic in the jungles of Myanmar.
Sally is a natural public speaker and has spoken at events across the world, both in an academic and storytelling capacity. She is fluent in English and Welsh and is learning Bisaya, a dialect in the Philippines.
You can find out more about her adventures at: sallysnow.co.uk
Large Marine Vertebrate Project, Philippines lamave.org
Sally Snow: Animal Exploitation Uncovered BBC3
The Tragedy of the Typhoon (ITV Wales)
Tambalang (BBC Three Fresh)
Undercover Tourist: Inside The Travelling Dolphin Circus (BBC3)
Gwylltio (S4C)
Contact Agent Share via Email Print Page
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New molecular diagnostics business launched in Manchester
Health Innovation Manchester and global partner QIAGEN has announced the creation of a new company to develop new tests for the prediction, prevention, and diagnosis of disease.
The partners launched a business called ‘APIS Assay Technologies’, which will be dedicated to developing novel techniques – biomarkers - for diagnosing disease and pinpointing the treatments which are right for each individual patient.
The initiative is the brainchild of global biotech company QIAGEN, which has already announced a major expansion of its Manchester R&D hub, and Health Innovation Manchester.
The aim of APIS is to help to realise the clinical and commercial potential of genomic medicine in diagnostic tests and personalisation of treatment, and in the prediction and prevention of disease.
It already has three tests in development, including for prognostic breast cancer diagnostics. They plan to use insights gained in oncology to expand its diagnostics services to other disease areas such as liver and lung diseases, pharmacogenomics and non-invasive reproductive diagnostics, using advanced technology. The company is actively in talks with a number of pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies about establishing partnerships.
Rowena Burns, chair of health innovation Manchester, said: “Greater Manchester’s vision is to create a globally-leading precision health campus for innovation, translational science and molecular diagnostics, employing up to 1,500 highly skilled people. Our partnership with QIAGEN underlines their role as the UK’s flagship industry partner and acts as a catalyst for Manchester to become a major hub for genomic research and industry in Europe.
“This is a major development for life sciences here – and across the North – and a testament to our long-standing history of forming public-private partnerships to support the creation of jobs, growth, address the health needs of local people, while also making an important international contribution to improved diagnosis and treatment of disease.”
The company will be located on the main Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust campus alongside the Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine.
UK Gov publishes Industrial Strategy
Report lays out new strategy for UK life sciences
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Transportation Making Energy Using Energy Basic Needs Nature Climate Change
Smokestacks are so last century
Overview What it is Why it's important Where we are Where we need to be How we get there Where we've been News FAQ Wind Solar Nuclear Smart Grid Storage Emerging Technologies
Humans have relied on a number of energy sources over time. The first being plant matter that we ate, the next being animals, which get their energy from plant matter. Next came biomass, whether wood, dung, other plant fibers that we burned for heat. Eventually, we figured out we could use animals, the wind, and the sun to do work. Then came fossil fuels that we could burn and nuclear reactions we could harness. Now, with all of these options, it is time to reassess where our energy comes from.
It is time to reassess where our energy comes from
Approximate energy usage (in 1000 kcal) of humans at different points in our development.Credit: Western Oregon University
Renewable energy technologies are not very new. We've used biomass for thousands of years. Wind mills have been used for milling for millenia as well. And when you look back at the buildings of ancient civilizations, you'll notice that they all took advantage of solar energy, with big windows facing the sun and with some groups even putting water in black containers on their roofs to heat it. Even in more recent times, electricity and biofuel-powered vehicles were more popular than gasoline until someone figured out a better way to turn the black stuff coming out of the ground into a cheap fuel.
It is only within the last couple hundred years that we really started getting addicted to the idea of cheap, abundant energy from the ground. We've gotten distracted by fossil fuels, not fully aware of their effects. Now that we know how bad these fuels are for ourselves and the rest of the natural world, we need to get back to using energy from sources that are more sustainable. That's not saying we need to go back to living in log cabins in the woods, cutting down trees for our source of heat. But we need to use the technologies we have available to us to run our world in a way that doesn't cause irreparable damage on a daily basis. The technologies are here, and you can learn about them in the rest of this section.
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Emma Mason, Kerry Noble and Mary Rice lead RiceMason. We work together or separately on projects depending on the size or subject matter. Contrary to the usual practice in large consultancies, where the first meeting is with senior management but subsequently the work is carried out by junior staff, clients have direct access to Emma, Kerry and Mary, for the duration of the project and we carry out the work ourselves. For larger projects where a bigger team is needed, we recruit other, experienced colleagues to work with us, but overall control always rests with us.
Emma Mason
Emma Mason has worked as a freelance journalist and public relations consultant for over 25 years. Originally a reporter for regional and national newspapers, she became a press officer for the UK’s Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Freelance since 1990, she has written, edited and produced newsletters for ICRF, the UK’s National Translational Cancer Research Network (NTRAC) and the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation and she sub-edited the daily newspaper for the European Society of Cardiology annual congresses. Since 1999 Emma has been involved in organising conference media programmes for a range of European scientific organisations (British Neuroscience Association, European Breast Cancer Conference, the European Cancer Congress, EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, the UK’s Teenage Cancer Trust and the European Congress on Obesity) and continues to write articles for specialist cancer journals. She is the media relations consultant for ECCO (the European CanCer Organisation) and for Oxford Journals, a division of Oxford University Press.
Kerry Noble
Kerry Noble is a communications consultant with 18 years’ experience in media relations, digital communications and science writing. She has a degree in genetics and a Master’s in science communication. For nearly a decade Kerry worked at Cancer Research UK promoting research and health campaigns. During a sabbatical she trained tobacco control advocates in East Africa in communications and media relations skills. More recently, Kerry moved into higher education, working first at Queen Mary University of London and then at Imperial College London. While at Imperial she managed media relations on the College’s research, launched an innovative news website, oversaw PR for a public science festival and created a proactive communications campaign about animal research. Since becoming a freelance consultant, Kerry has worked for organisations including the European Respiratory Society, the European CanCer Organisation (ECCO), The Wellcome Trust, The British Council, the UK Academy of Medical Sciences and Imperial College London.
Mary Rice
Mary Rice is a former director of communication at the UK Medical Research Council and head of healthcare at the Brussels office of Weber Shandwick, the world’s largest communications consultancy. She started her career as a political journalist before moving into science communication and public affairs. She has worked in both London and Brussels, and now lives in France, where she specialises in media relations and the organisation of conference media programmes for European scientific organisations. Recent clients include the European Society of Human Genetics, the European CanCer Organisation, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the European Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOPE), the International Conference on Innovative Approaches in Head and Neck Oncology (ICHNO), and the World Health Organisation. She now works part-time for RiceMason, providing consultancy services to its clients as required.
Email: info@ricemason.eu
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A visit to the tip of the Olympic Peninsula
Perched on the edge of the continental U.S., Cape Flattery won’t disappoint
By Marguerite Cleveland on November 21, 2019
A stunning view from Cape Flattery, the Northwesternmost point in the continental U.S. Photo credit: Marguerite Cleveland
Heading out to Neah Bay and Cape Flattery is a doable day trip from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, but it is a long one at almost four hours each way.
Spending the night on the Olympic Peninsula when it isn't daylight savings time is advisable, as it gets dark so early now. But heading across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, it is a nice drive without too much traffic through the Kitsap Peninsula to the Hood Canal Bridge. From there, the final push brings visitors to Cape Flattery and Neah Bay, the northwestern tip of Washington state. The area is the ancestral home and reservation of the Makah Indian Tribe, which has graciously opened its tribal lands to the public.
Upon arrival in Neah Bay, stop and get a Recreational Use Permit (RUP), which is required for any recreational activities like hiking, camping, kayaking and fishing on the reservation's facilities, lands and trails. Cost is $10, and the permit is good throughout the calendar year during which you purchase it. You can buy one at the Makah Museum, Washburn's store or the Makah Tribal Center.
From there, follow the signs to the Cape Flattery trailhead. It is a about a 15-minute drive and there is a nice parking lot with pit toilets at the trailhead. The trail is an easy three-quarter-mile hike with a slight downhill grade.
Before you start, there is a big sign which has hiking sticks available for use. I would suggest using one. The trail is very uneven and the cedar-planked board walks have no railings, and are designed simply to get you up and out of the mud. On a rainy day it can get slippery, so the walking sticks certainly help. The forest is lush and green, with plenty of old-growth trees. Many have interesting shapes, and one even resembles an elephant and his trunk.
At the end of the trail, you will reach one of the most stunning views in the Pacific Northwest. Rugged, rocky cliffs overhang stone and earth walls carved out by the pounding ocean surf. Here, you may discover sea lions sunning themselves on off-shore rocks.
There is also a plethora of sea birds. This is where the Strait of Juan de Fuca meets the Pacific Ocean. On a sunny day you can see Vancouver Island in Canada. From the viewing platforms you can also spy Tatoosh Island and the picturesque Cape Flattery Lighthouse, which was built in 1857. If you are lucky, you may even see whales or bald eagles.
Slow down to take in the incredible and majestic views. After all, this is a bucket list moment.
If you have time, visit the Museum at the Makah Cultural and Research Center. In 1970, the Makah Tribe and Washington State University began an archaeological dig on the site of the village of Ozette, where a landslide had buried a group of longhouses in mud which preserved the traditional tribal homes and the materials inside. It took 11 years, and 55,000 artifacts were recovered that tell the story of the Makah Tribe.
Known as the Ozette collection, the 500 best artifacts are now on display at the museum, including a full-sized longhouse, dioramas and replica canoes. It is a very well-done museum and well worth a visit.
For more information about visiting Neah Bay and Cape Flattery, go to: NeahBayWA.com.
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Amazon Synod Document Calls for Married Priests and increased Role for Women
The meeting for the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazonian region has approved a final document which calls for the ordination of married men as priests and for women to be considered for diaconal ordination.
The 33-page document, approved Oct. 26, is the result of a three-week meeting in Rome. The synod’s 181 voting members, together with representatives from indigenous communities, religious orders, lay groups and charities, discussed a range of issues concerning the region, spread across nine countries.
In ordinary sessions of the Synod of Bishops, delegates are elected by the world’s bishop’s conferences. In the special session for the pan-Amazonian region, all attendees were by special invitation.
The document presents the synodal assembly’s reflections and conclusions on topics ranging from environmentalism, inculturation in the Church, and the human rights of indigenous communities in the face of economic, environmental, and cultural exploitation.
The draft text was presented to the assembly on Friday night, and various amendments were proposed and debated during the approval process. The synodal document does not have magisterial authority; the conclusions are presented to Pope Francis, who will issue his own document later.
One of the document’s most anticipated and likely controversial items is the call by the synod fathers for the ordination of proven married men, so-called viri probati, in the face of an acute shortage of priests in many parts of the region.
“Many of the ecclesial communities of the Amazonian territory have enormous difficulties in accessing the Eucharist,” the document says, while noting that some communities go for months, even years between visits from a priest.
The synod fathers said that they “appreciate celibacy as a gift of God to the extent that this gift enables the missionary disciple, ordained to the priesthood, to dedicate himself fully to the service of the Holy People of God.” But, the bishops concluded, “legitimate diversity does not harm the communion and unity of the Church, but expresses and serves it.”
The document proposes “to establish criteria and dispositions on the part of the competent authority… to ordain as priest suitable and esteemed men of the community, who have had a fruitful permanent diaconate and receive an adequate formation for the priesthood, having a legitimately constituted and stable family, to sustain the life of the Christian community.”
These criteria, together with each individual paragraph of the text, was approved by a two-thirds vote of the synod’s voting members.
Speaking after the session ended, Peter Cardinal Turkson said that the voting process had proceeded smoothly and that all the articles of the document had passed by a comfortable margin.
Bishop Erwin Kräutler, the retired head of the Xingu prelature in Amazonian Brazil, told reporters that the proposal for the ordination of married men was not a surprise.
“It is what we expected, of course,” Kräutler said. The article passed by a margin of 128-41.
Kräutler has been an adamant proponent of married clergy, telling an October 9 press conference that there is “no other option” for the region, and said that indigenous people in the Amazon were unable to understand the evangelical witness of celibacy.
While the proposal to allow the ordination of married men garnered a clear majority of synod participants, the issue of married clergy was a focal point of debate during the weeks of the synod.
Shortly before the synod opened, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, published a book entitled “Friends of the Bridegroom: For a Renewed Vision of Priestly Celibacy,” and Cardinal Robert Sarah, head of the Congregation for Divine Worship made several public interventions in favor of celibacy.
The synod’s final document explicitly linked the proposal to ministry in “the most remote areas of the Amazon,” but recognized that several of the synodal participants “were in favor of a more universal approach to the subject.”
Presenting the document at a press conference on Saturday evening, Cardinal Michael Czerny, special secretary of the synod, said some members felt that proposing to change the discipline of clerical celibacy should be reserved to the universal Church.
“Other felt that the existing norms of canon law… allow us to consider this within the context of a specific region,” said Czerny who also serves as under-secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
Cardinal Osward Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay and a close advisor of the pope, said in an interview on Saturday that he was in favor of the proposal, in as much as it represented a merely disciplinary change.
“I think that the present canon law…says its an impediment if you have a wife to receive orders, but it is an impediment that can be dispensed by the Holy See – and it has been dispensed. But I think there should be very clear criteria, conditions put [on the proposal],” Gracias said, referencing how the Church had worked to incorporate married former Anglican ministers who had been ordained as Catholic priests.
The synodal document also called for new and enhanced ministerial roles for women in the life of the Church in the region.
Noting that “the Magisterium of the Church since the Second Vatican Council has highlighted the central place that women occupy in the Church,” the document called for the Church to “recognize and promote [the leadership of women] by strengthening their participation in pastoral councils of parishes and dioceses, or even in instances of government.”
The bishops also recognized that in the Amazon “the majority of Catholic communities are led by women,” and asked “for the institution of a ministry for ‘women’s leadership of the community’ to be created and recognized within the service of the changing demands of evangelization and community care.”
The bishops also noted that “in a large number of these consultations, the permanent diaconate for women was requested.”
“For this reason the theme was important during the synod,” the bishops wrote, but noted that Pope Francis had already created a commission to examine the question and so requested that they be given the chance to feed into that process.
In his speech to the closing session of the synod on Saturday, Pope Francis said that he would consider reconstituting the commission, which he established in 2016 under the auspices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to examine the historical role of female deacons and expand the commission to include new members.
Earlier this year, the pope addressed the issue directly, noting that “the formulas of female deacons’ ‘ordination’ found until now, according to the commission, are not the same for the ordination of a male deacon and are more similar to what today would be the abbatial blessing of an abbess.”
In its own right, the final synodal document has no teaching or binding authority of its own. Synods are merely consultative assemblies, convened by the pope or a bishop, to advise on some particular topic. Typically after a meeting of the Synod of Bishops in Rome, the pope issues a post synodal apostolic exhortation.
In his remarks in the synod hall on Saturday, Francis said that he hoped to issue an exhortation before the end of the year, time permitting.
During the press conference on Saturday, Paulo Ruffini, prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communications confirmed that the pope hoped to issue an exhortation “within a relatively short period of time.”
No Responses to “Amazon Synod Document Calls for Married Priests and increased Role for Women”
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Sun, 22 Nov 2009 | Published in I Was There . . .
John Wesley Harding’s CABINET of WONDERS @ Le Poisson Rouge, 11/18/09
Variety, they say, is the spice of life and there may be no better proof than the eclectic assemblage of talent that was culled together by “folk noir” singer and author John Wesley Harding for his Cabinet of Wonders show at Le Poisson Rouge.
Harding opened the show by introducing the performers via rhyming poems and played a tune featuring his band The English U.K. The first featured guest was author Stephen Elliott who read an excerpt from his novel The Adderall Diaries followed by singer A.C. Newman (of the New Pornographers) who did a duo of tunes and was then joined onstage by Harding and his band for one of the highlight’s of the evening, a wonderful rendition of Julian Cope’s tune “All the Blowing-Themselves-Up Motherfuckers.”
Rhett Miller from The Old 97’s joins the band onstage.
Next up to bat was author Steve Almond who did a humorous reading deconstructing Toto’s 1983 hit “Africa” followed by comedian Eugene Mirman and an impassioned performance by Old 97’s singer Rhett Miller who did a few originals as well as a cover of Bowie’s “Five Years” with Harding. Finally, comedian Mike Birbiglia hit the stage and delivered another terrific performance with some very personal material about how early love and carnival rides don’t pair well.
The venue was perfect for the occasion with a very intimate setting and the line-up made for a thoroughly entertaining show which was topped off with everyone joining Harding onstage for a cover of “I’m a Believer.”
Tim Needles
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To Hither and Yon
A Blog In Search of a Tagline
National Geographic February 2013, Part 2
Stranded on the Roof of the World, by Michael Finkel, photographs by Matthieu Paley
In this article, we visit the Kyrgyz of the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan. The Wakhan Corridor runs from a low of about 10,000 feet to a height of about 16,000 feet. That puts the entirety of these people’s world above the tree line. Many of them have never even seen a tree. At the time this was written, there were no doctors and no roads. The closest road to their territory was a three-day hike away.
Their entire lifestyle revolves around their livestock. They live too high to grow crops, so they raise sheep and yaks and goats both to eat and to use as currency. They have been able to enter something like the 21st century by trade as well. They have solar-powered batteries and use them to charge cell phones, which they use to play music and take pictures. They cannot use them as phones, however. There’s no service that high up.
So far, however, it looks like that is as far as modernization has gone. They still lack basics like plumbing, roads, schools, and medical clinics.
Joy Is Round, photographs by Jessica Hilltout, text by Jeremy Berlin
Hilltout traveled to Africa and took photographs of African youths playing soccer (football to the rest of the world) and posing with their homemade soccer balls both to chronicle the development of the youth soccer leagues of these countries but also, from what I can tell, to convince people to donate money to a project that would buy real equipment for these leagues. As she traveled through Africa, she swapped the homemade balls for real balls that she carried in her car. Included in this article are the photographs she took of those balls.
While researching Hilltout’s project, I found Futbol Friends International’s website. They are raising money for soccer-related projects in Africa. I looked to see if they’re on the up-and-up and so far have found that Charity Navigator has a page for them, but hasn’t rated them because they are too small to have to file the form that Charity Navigator gets their information from. If you’d be interested in donating, however, their website is at Futbol Friends International.
The Sultans of Streams, by Adam Nicolson, photographs by Charlie Hamilton James
The Sultans of Streams, in addition to getting an old Dire Straits song stuck in my head, is about the decline and resurgence of otters in England (their numbers never declined much in Scotland). Industrialization and DDT caused the decline of otter habitat to only 6 percent of streams in the 1970s. Since then, however, they have been making a comeback. As of 2010, otters were present in 59 percent of streams and the numbers have probably increased even farther since then (I cannot find anything definitive).
Author OliviaPosted on December 18, 2016 December 17, 2016 Categories National GeographicTags afghanistan, burkina faso, england, ghana, ivory coast, malawi, mozambique, scotland, south africa, togo, united kingdomLeave a comment on National Geographic February 2013, Part 2
National Geographic September 2015, Part 2
True Colors, by Patricia Edmonds, photographs by Christian Ziegler
True Colors is about chameleons. Edmonds goes into the conservation status of chameleons (threatened or near threatened) and a bit about habitats and such, but ultimately the meat of this article is about how chameleons change color and why they do so.
Chameleons largely change color as a means of communication. A red chameleon is feeling aggressive, but when it feels submissive, it will turn brown. In one species, at least, the females turn pink when they’re ready to mate, and then fade so that the pink is on a brown background once they are carrying fertilized eggs. As to the “how,” apparently, chameleons have a specialized skin layer that has crystals in it that cluster together or spread apart. As the crystals spread out, the color becomes warmer, going from green to yellow or orange or red.
Rescuing Mes Aynak, by Hannah Bloch, photographs by Simon Norfolk
Afghanistan needs money. To that end, they have leased an area outside Kabul, which is one of the world’s richest sources of copper, to a Chinese company so that the Chinese company can extract the copper. Mining was supposed to have begun in 2012, but the presence of the Taliban and difficulty in agreeing to the terms of the mining have led to a delay in beginning work.
This has given the archaeologists a chance to get in there to study the site and extract as many artifacts as they can. You see, for a period of five hundred years, beginning in the third century A.D., Mes Aynak was the home to a Buddhist community. Not many Buddhists were involved in heavy industry, but these Buddhists were, so the study being done at Mes Aynak will tell the archaeologists there, and from there, to the rest of the world, about the relationship between Buddhists and heavy industry.
Years ago, I did some volunteer work with some archaeologists and I discovered that much of the digging-and-sifting work done on dig sites is done by volunteers. I want to explore South Texas thoroughly over these next few years because once Alex is out of college (around eight years from now), I’m leaving Texas. And part of how I will “shop” for a new home is that I will be looking for active archaeological schools and other organizations that will take volunteers. Doing the digging-and-sifting work, so long as it’s not in the hot South Texas sun, sounds, to me, like a lot of fun. While working with the archaeologists, by the way, I got a chance to read some of the field reports put together by the Archaeologists at the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio. As I create my South Texas Destinations writeups I will occasionally refer to, and, when possible, link to some of these reports.
Author OliviaPosted on November 19, 2015 November 11, 2015 Categories National GeographicTags afghanistanLeave a comment on National Geographic September 2015, Part 2
National Geographic June 2014
The Dogs of War, by Michael Paterniti, photographs by Adam Ferguson
The Dogs of War is about the Marine Corps use of dogs to find improvised explosive devices (IEDs). I was less enthusiastic about this article than I might otherwise have been because I don’t like war. I’m one of those people who thinks that the best way to support the troops is to bring them home. And that goes for the dogs, as well.
Paterniti takes us to Afghanistan, where we meet Jose Armenta and his dog, Zenit. Zenit is a German shepherd. And when I say “his” dog, neither Paterniti nor I am using this word in a way that you would expect. I have read articles about how most police dogs are socialized to live with humans and trained only to be aggressive on command. As part of their training, they live with the police officers’ families more or less as a pet would. I expected that to be the way that military dogs are kept as well. It was kind of startling to find that while Jose lives in the barracks, Zenit lives in a kennel.
Though I should put that last sentence in the past tense. We find out what happens, in the end, to Jose and Zenit and it’s a bittersweet ending.
Untouched, by Heather Pringle, photographs by Robert Clark
El Castillo de Huarmey is a tomb built into the side of a large rock formation in northern Peru. The area around El Castillo had been used as a burial ground and had been violated by tomb robbers many times over the centuries. As a result, when Polish archaeologists decided to explore El Castillo, which looked more or less like a step pyramid, no one but the archaeologists expected to find anything.
What the archaeologists found was the undisturbed tomb of one of the rulers of the Wari, a people who ruled this area of northern Peru for around 500 years. One of the chambers contained what looked like a stone throne. There were mummified guards, as well, all of whom were missing their left feet. No one now living knows why their feet were removed.
In one chamber, the bodies of sixty women were found. It appears that three or four of them were royalty and some 54 of the others may have been nobility. These women were found wearing jewelry and fine clothing, then wrapped in cloth that left a roughly egg-shaped form. There were also some other unmummified women found in the chamber, and it is possible that they may have been sacrifices. Other goods, fabrics, vessels, boxes, and so forth, were found in the tomb as well.
And yet, with all of the bodies and materials and the throne, no sign of a king has been found yet. The archaeologists are still searching, but while looking for other information on the Wari, I found a page at Archaeology Magazine’s website called “A Wari Matriarchy?” And it occurred to me that why not? Maybe the archaeologists will never find the “king” because there is no king to find. Perhaps the highest-ranking woman, with the finest jewelry and clothing, was the ruler.
Puffin Therapy, photographs by Danny Green, text by Tom O’Neill
Before we get to the meat of this article, I find the way this article was credited interesting. Generally, it’s the title, then after a few pages of photographs, when the text starts, the writer and photographer are credited in that order, and then the text starts. In Puffin Therapy, the photographer credit is by itself where the writer and photographer credits normally go, and the writer’s credit is stuck at the very end of the text section, following a dash. I wonder why they did it this way? My first instinct is to say that perhaps Green was supposed to have written the text, but he had some kind of prior obligation that kept him from being able to do so and so they enlisted O’Neill at the last minute.
The text is largely about the mating behaviors of puffins. The common image of puffins with their bright orange beaks is their appearance during mating season. The rest of the year their faces and beaks are darker. In fact, one photo that I found when searching for what puffins look like the rest of the year looks more or less like the puffins that we’re used to seeing right after a vacuum cleaner bag blew up in its face — all gray and sooty looking.
It wouldn’t be a National Geographic article without a mention of global climate change. There is some concern that the change in climates may have a deleterious effect on the puffin population. Puffins in some locations have had almost no offspring in some years. Puffins are long-lived and can afford to miss a year or two of breeding, but this trend may be increasing and the puffin may end up being threatened as a result.
The title comes from Iain Morrison, who takes visitors to see the puffins. He says that spending time with puffins makes the visitors happy and refers to it as “puffin therapy.” And looking at Green’s photographs, I can definitely believe it.
How to Farm a Better Fish, by Joel K. Bourne, Jr., photographs by Brian Skerry
It should come as no surprise that an article called How to Farm a Better Fish would be about fish farming. This installment of the Future of Food series focuses on the growth of the fish farming industry and how fish farmers and scientists are attempting both new and older methods in the industry.
As a general rule, fish is one of the most efficient forms of protein there is. Where chicken takes around 1.7 pounds of feed to produce a pound of meat, and the ratios are 2.9 for pigs and 6.8 for cattle, for fish, the ratio is close to one pound of feed per pound of meat. Additionally, more people are eating fish than ever before. As a result, there is more growth in the fish farming industry than in most other areas of agriculture.
We look at a number of farms, including the farm of Bill Martin, who is attempting to develop carbon-neutral onshore fish farming. We also see several offshore farms, including one eight miles offshore which raises cobia. The man who developed this farm, Brian O’Hanlon, has put the farm so far offshore so that the currents will take away the waste. And, indeed, researchers have yet to detect any waste outside of the fish pens. And one researcher, Stephen Cross, is attempting what is called polyculture, where many different edible species live in a sort of symbiotic relationship. In Cross’s case, he is raising sablefish and then down the current from the fish, he is raising mollusks. Down the current from the mollusks are kelp, and further down are sea cucumbers. These three other species filter the water and remove waste from the sablefish. Cross says that the biological filtration system that he is using could be fitted onto any fish farm and, since all of the species he is using for filtration are edible, the filters themselves can be harvested and sold.
The final farm we see is a kelp farm. The owners of the farm, Paul Dobbins and Tollef Olson, grow three species of kelp that can grow up to five inches a day. They then sell the kelp to restaurants, schools and hospitals. Dobbins and Olson have increased their farm has increased to ten times its original size in the past five years and the kelp is cleaning the water in the area as it grows, a win/win for both the farmers and the environment.
I love seafood. I was visiting a friend who was a vegetarian and he tried to convince me to go vegetarian. I admitted that vegetarianism holds some appeal for me, but that I don’t think I could ever give up seafood. And this article made me feel even better about seafood and its future as a source of food for the planet, than I felt before I read it.
Train for the Forgotten, by Joshua Yaffa, photographs by William Daniels
In 1974, the government of the Soviet Union began an ambitious project to showcase what they believed was Soviet superiority over nature. They started work on a rail line connecting Lake Baikal to the Amur River in northern Siberia. Around half a million people worked on the rail ine and on the towns that they had to build to connect it. The original homes for the workers were wooden barracks in the woods, and as time passed, they erected prefabricated buildings to live in.
Then when the Soviet Union collapsed, so did the construction project. Since 1991, the people of this region, known as the Baikal-Amur Mainline (“BAM”) have been isolated and left with no regular health care. In an effort to remedy this situation, the Russian government runs a medical train along the tracks. The train, named for Russian health-care pioneer Matvei Mudrov, has exam rooms and medical personnel and visits each village on average every six months. This may be okay for many of the residents, but for those who are sick or injured, it is not nearly often enough. There are no urgent care facilities and people die of conditions that are treatable in the world outside the BAM.
Yaffa takes us into the world of the BAM, seeing how isolated the people are and how desperate their medical situation can be. He show us the slowly crumbling buildings and infrastructure (where anything besides a dirt road exists; some of the villages don’t even have running water) of the villages along the BAM. The story out of Russia is that the Russian government intends to use the BAM to ship containers, but none of that is seen here. All we see is the slow decay of what started out as an audacious (in both senses of the term) project.
(originally posted July 2015)
Author OliviaPosted on August 23, 2015 August 8, 2015 Categories National GeographicTags afghanistan, bangladesh, canada, iceland, norway, panama, peru, philippines, russia, scotland, the_future_of_food, united_states, virginia, walesLeave a comment on National Geographic June 2014
National Geographic September 2014
I know that I should probably be doing October of 2014, since I’m sort of working my way outward from January of 2015. This issue has an article on Nero in it, though, and I went to Rome in July of 2014, so I’m skipping ahead a bit. Also, October of 2014 is probably somewhere in my son’s bedroom. I’ll get to it once I find it. (note: I found it later, in between two Nature Conservancy magazines.)
The Evolution of Diet, by Ann Gibbons, photographs by Matthieu Paley
The Evolution of Diet talks about the “Paleo diet,” which posits that people should be eating a meat-based diet that limits, or eliminates, beans, grains, and dairy products. The theory is that the human genome hasn’t evolved in the last ten thousand or so years. It starts out speaking kind of positively about the Paleo diet, arguing that the hunter-gatherers’ inclusion of meat in the diet is part of what allowed us to develop advanced brains. However, as the article progresses, we get farther from this argument. Gibbons quotes Amanda Henry, who has found evidence that humans have been eating grains and tubers for at least the last hundred thousand years. Gibbons also quotes Sarah Tishkoff, who makes the point that humans did not stop evolving ten thousand years ago. We are still evolving and many populations have evolved to digest lactose and starches that others have not. Oneof the quotes that is highlighted is “The real hallmark of being human isn’t our taste for meat but our ability to adapt to many habitats and to create many healthy diets.” Continue reading “National Geographic September 2014”
Author OliviaPosted on July 30, 2015 January 22, 2019 Categories National GeographicTags afghanistan, anzio, bolivia, crete, greenland, idaho, italy, kiribati, malaysia, michigan, montana, new_hampshire, new_mexico, pakistan, rome, southern_line_islands, tajikistan, tanzania, thailand, united_states, washingtonLeave a comment on National Geographic September 2014
National Geographic, December 2014
As I write this, it is around 6:45 (I say “around” because my cat is sleeping in front of the clock on my computer) on July 9, 2015. When this posts, it will be midnight, Central Daylight Time, on July 16, 2015. If all goes as planned, my son and I will be asleep in New York City, recovering from our first full day of vacation. We will definitely have just visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island the day before and hopefully will have been to the United Nations as well. We probably will have taken the bus to Battery Park so that we could make it in time for our tour, but I may have convinced my son to walk at least some of the way back. Let’s see how it all plays out in the end.
The theme for this issue is food. There are other articles, on the Middle East, 3-D printers, and the like, but the first three articles (well, technically, article and two pictorials) are about food, so I am going to group them together.
The Joy of Food Text and photos by various writers.
The Joy of Food is the first pictorial in the article. There are both historical and current pictures of people eating (mostly of them sharing food) from as far back as 1894 and from locations all over the world.
We open with two children in England sharing an apple in a photograph first published in National Geographic in 1916 accompanied by text by Victoria Pope. Following this are images from Afghanistan, Germany, England, and the United States (one from California and one from Washington, DC). The 1894 photograph takes up two pages. It is of picnicgoers in Maine eating watermelon. The next pages feature images from Croatia, Ghana, China, and one of a family saying grace where the location is unknown (but likely is the United States once again). We get another two-page photograph, this one likely to be a modern photo of nuns in Beirut making marzipan. The final five photographs are of 1934 birthday party, an Armenian wedding, food laid out for the dead in Belarus, a fisherman in Alaska, and a boy eating porridge in Denmark.
In addition to the Victoria Pope quote, the text is from Erma Bombeck, M.F.K. Fisher, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
The Communal Table Text by Victoria Pope, Photographs by Carolyn Drake
I think that this is the first article I’ve reviewed that has both text and photographs by women.
The Communal Table is about a meal in Milpa Alta, the poorest borough of Mexico City. Milpa Alta, which is Spanish for “high cornfield,” is the site of around 700 religious festivals a year, culminating in an annual pilgrimage, which begins on January 3, to a holy site in Chalma, 59 miles from Milpa Alta.
This meal, which is held just before Christmas, is called </i>La Rejunta</i> (Spanish for the roundup), is a meal of tamales and atole, which is traditional Mexican chocolate drink. The tamales and atole of La Rejunta given to thank those who made donations to the pilgrimage, and the amounts of each are proportional to the value of the donation.
The Communal Table focuses on the people who make La Rejunta work, particularly on the 2013 majordomos of the event, Virginia Meza Torres and Fermín Lara Jiménez. Pope takes us through the steps of preparation for La Rejunta until the day of the event.
My only issue with this article is that the focus on the people leaves the places shrouded in mystery. The reference to “the ancient place of the holy cave,” and to “a life-size darkened statue of Jesus” led me to the conclusion that the pilgrims still visited the original cave. Instead, the “statue” is a crucifix and the current pilgrimage is to a baroque church that stands in front of the cave. There are references in the text to Milpa Alta being “rural,” but the images are all very crowded looking. In reality, the area is spread out enough that three major hot-air balloon festivals are held in the area every year.
By Their Fridges Ye Shall Know Them, photography by Mark Menjivar
This is a two-page spread featuring several photographs from Menjivar’s “Refrigerators” project. Menjivar takes pictures of the insides of people’s refrigerators and displays them full-sized, so that the viewer gets the feeling that he or she is really looking into someone’s refrigerators. Four images are featured in this spread, including the refrigerators of a football coach and social worker, of a midwife and science teacher, of a street advertiser, and of a bartender.
The bartender, by the way, has a container of mayonnaise from the Central Market Organics line which is local to South Texas (where I live currently). I looked up Menjivar’s CV, and he is in South Texas, as well.
Cross Currents, by Kennedy Warne, photographs by Thomas P. Peschak
Even though this isn’t an official part of the food theme of this issue, this is also an article on food — fishing in particular.
After apartheid ended in South Africa, the government set up a new policy regarding fishing, allowing a certain number of licenses to commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishermen. The subsistence fishermen group were largely indigenous Africans who fish to provide food for their families. Subsistence fishermen had previously been shut out of getting licenses, so it was a huge step forward to allow them to have a certain percentage of the available licenses.
The are two problems with this scheme. The first problem was that the commercial licenses all went to large operations, leaving the smaller commercial operations (who are described in the article as “artisanal”) without licenses. The second was that they overestimated the ability of humans to overfish. As a result, the government ended up rescinding a bunch of licenses and set aside “marine protected areas” where the fish could, theoretically, reproduce undisturbed.
The end result of this, however, was that poaching is now skyrocketing. Warne spends much of this article talking to the poachers and trying to balance their viewpoints with those of the people who are in favor of keeping, or even expanding, the marine protected areas.
Blessed, Cursed, Claimed: On Foot Through the Holy Lands: (Out of Eden Walk – Part 3) by Paul Salopek, Photographs by John Stanmeyer
Blessed, Cursed, Claimed is the third installment of Salopek’s series, Out of Eden Walk, where Salopek is walking from Africa’s Rift Valley and across the Middle East, then through Asia, into North America and then down into South America. Apparently Salopek is taking a fairly liberal interpretation of the term “walk,” since he is doing some of the trip by boat. Salopek began the walk in 2013, and hopes to complete it in 2020.
In this installment, Salopek walks from Jordan to Jerusalem. We see archaeological sites, refugees, Bedouins, Jews, Muslims, and Christians, in this part of the walk.
Much of this article focuses on barriers. not only does Salopek cross a national border, he also crosses through the West Bank, where the two-state solution would have the nation of Palestine be. We also cross the barrier between the main city of Jerusalem and the community of the Haredi, ultraorthodox Jews who have a strict separation between men and women in their society. We also visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The actual site where Helena (mother of Constantine the Great) believed that Jesus was born is now a Greek Orthodox church. At the height of the tensions between the Greek church and the Catholic Church of St. Catherine next door, the only way that Catholic visitors could see the church was through a peephole in the common door between the two churches. And, finally, we see the gulf of darkness that separates a Bedouin family that was Salopek’s host on the shores of the Dead Sea from the nearby luxury resort.
Just Press Print, by Roff Smith, photographs by Robert Clark
I think that this may be the first non-travel-centric article that I’ve written about here, aside from the prefatory material from 1888. Though there is some geography-related content in the article, the article is mostly about the advances in technology that comes from 3-D printing. Most of the results of 3-D printing that I have heard of has been plastic and since the results of the 2-D printing industry, in the form of junk mail, has been a big stressor for me, my reaction has usually been “Oh, goody. Plastic three-dimensional stuff to take up even more space.”
So, this article was good for me to read, since we see some of the useful things that can be made, including a new face for a man who lost much of his face to cancer (warning: if you are squeamish about these types of things, don’t read this article, because there is a beautiful photograph of the man and his prosthetic face) and living tissue, with a view towards perhaps being able to print replacement organs for people.
The travel hook in the article is a bit about a printed house that the firm DUS is building in Amsterdam. They expect the house to be finished in around three years.
Wasteland, by Paul Voosen, photographs by Fritz Hoffmann
Wasteland is an article about Superfund sites in the United States. In 1980, Congress created a program, called Superfund, that was designed to remediate lands that were damaged by toxic waste. The Superfund program arose after toxic waste was discovered in the Love Canal neighborhood of Niagara Falls, New York. The original plan was for the companies that caused the waste to be left there to pay some of the cost of remediation and for the government to pick up the rest of the cost, but a number of the companies were unwilling or unable to pay for their share, leaving the government to pay the entire cost.
There are more than 1,700 Superfund sites in the United States, and one statistic given says that one in six people in the United States lives within three miles of a Superfund site. I have lived, if not within three miles, pretty close to that, of two in my life, one in the Chicago area when I was a child and one in the San Antonio area as an adult.
The article talks about the different types of remediation being done on some of the sites in the United States and also the increasing difficulty the government is having coming up with the money now that the tax that had previously paid for the government’s share, a tax on chemicals and oil, has expired.
Images of other sites profiled in this, article, aside from Love Canal, are Tar Creek in Pitcher, Oklahoma; a landfill in Monterey Park, California; the Gowanus Canal in New York City; and the Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana. There is information on even more sites in the text of the article.
Cowboys on the Edge, by Alexandra Fuller, photographs by Tomás Munita
Cowboys on the Edge is the tale of baguales of Estancia Ana María, in Patagonia in Chile. In the early 20th century, Estancia Ana María was owned by Arturo Iglesias. Some of his herd of cattle went feral and natural selection caused them to become wilder and stronger than regular cattle. Now, rather than vacas, the name for this type of literally savage cattle is baguales, and the men who herd them are bagualeros.
Fuller traveled with the bagualeros as they went to round up as many baguales as they could in the period before the Iglesias family sells the land to a rancher. The bagualeros hoped to collect as many as 50 baguales, but it was a tougher job than they expected.
I am used to running with a fairly sensitive group online, so I want to put a small content warning on this article. Several of the baguales die on the trip and there is one reference to invading Poland that is kind of tone-deaf to those who are sensitive to Nazism.
Otherwise, this is a quick read written in a pretty informal style. I did have to wonder about Fuller’s assertion that boat or a 10-day horse ride through fairly deep water are the only ways to get to Estancia Ana María. I wondered if there are some extreme updrafts preventing one from reaching it by helicopter or if that was an oversight.
(originally posted March 2015)
Author OliviaPosted on July 16, 2015 July 22, 2015 Categories National GeographicTags afghanistan, alaska, armenia, beirut, belarus, california, chile, china, colorado, croatia, denmark, england, germany, ghana, holland, israel, jerusalem, jordan, maine, massachusetts, mexico, mexico_city, milpa_alta, montana, new_york, ohio, oklahoma, out_of_eden_walk, palestine, south_africa, texas, the_netherlands, the_united_states, washington_dc washington_state, west_bankLeave a comment on National Geographic, December 2014
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Andy Murray Admits: Novak Djokovic is the Only Player to Have Played Better than Me
by Vishal Gajaria | Posted on Monday, June 22nd, 2015 | 0
Going by practical terms, Serbia’s World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has been the most dominant player on the men’s circuit this year. An incredible 42-3 record speaks the whole lot, in a nutshell. Even his close rival Andy Murray, who himself has been in a magnificent form lately, acknowledged that he’s second to only Djokovic.
“I can’t complain about the way I played the last few months,” Murray was quoted as saying by The Telegraph. “I mean, there is one player in the world that’s played better than me. I would like to be that player, but hopefully in the future I can be.”
Murray recently went down fighting a marathon French Open semi-final to Djokovic. But, the Briton believes that losing out to the latter was no ignominy.
“He [Djokovic] has obviously had a great year, and has not lost to many players. There’s no disgrace in losing to him, but obviously if I want to win the major competitions.” Murray added on Djokovic, who has handed the former four off his seven defeats this season.
Both the players are currently busy gearing up for the Wimbledon Championships, and are being touted as the top favourites to triumph at the All England Club. While Murray warmed-up in style by emerging victorious at the Queen’s on Sunday, Djokovic is set to kick-off his preparations at the Boodles Challenge this week.
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Veteran Stories
Browse Speaker Bios
Speaker Bio:
Jocelyn Roy
Afghanistan, Domestic Service, Royal 22nd Regiment, Leadership, Royal Military College of Canada
Major Jocelyn Roy was born in Hull, QC in 1987. Growing up in the Outaouais region, he joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2004 as a private at the Régiment de Hull. After a short two-year service within this primary reserve unit, he was accepted at the Royal Military College of Canada. He completes a bachelor’s degree in Military and strategic studies and he was promoted to the rank of second-lieutenant in 2010. Following the completion of the infantry officer training program in 2011, he was posted to the 3rd battalion Royal 22e Régiment in Valcartier, QC as a platoon commander. Not long after his arrival, he was deployed on OP LOTUS in order to support the Canadian population of the St-Jean-sur-Richelieu region during flooding.
In October 2012, he was deployed to OP ATTENTION in Kabul, Afghanistan at the Quick Reaction Force platoon commander. He was promoted to the rank of Captain during the deployment. When he came back to Canada, he was posted to the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre in Wainwright, Alberta for three years. He was then posted back to Valcartier at the 2nd battalion Royal 22e Régiment as A company second-in-command, plans officer and operations officer. In the summer of 2018, he was offered the G3 Ops position at the 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade-Group headquarters, also in Valcartier, for two years. During those years, he was employed as the centre of operations’ director for the Joint Task Force-East Land Component Command headquarters for two national operations: OP LENTUS in 2019 and OP LASER in 2020. At the end of the last operation, he was promoted to his current rank.
Major Roy currently commands B Company at the 2nd battalion Royal 22e Régiment.
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After granted bail, Dokpesi calls $2.1b arms deal an imagination
IS the much-publicised $2.1 billion arms deal scam a hoax ? For a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Raymond Dokpesi, it is . Indeed, he described it as an imaginative creation of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to witch-hunt and decimate the leadership and membership of the PDP.
Dokpesi who was accused of complicity in the diversion of some $2.1 billion arms deal fraud had been arraigned on a six-count charge of money laundering and misappropriation of public funds among others.
In another development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says some bureaux de change operators may have been involved in the transfer of the alleged $2.1 billion.
An indication to this was given yesterday by the Acting Chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Magu, who warned that any bureau de change found culpable in the transfer of the funds, would not be spared. He was speaking during a courtesy call on his office by bureaux de change operators who had come to congratulate him on his appointment
Dokpesi, who spoke during his investiture as ‘Freedom Fighter of PDP,’ yesterday expressed confidence that the courts would sooner or later prove that “this coinage is nothing but a hoax.”
Dokpesi said the much-flaunted $2.1 billion arms funds scam was not only a figment of the imagination of the Federal Government, but was aimed at destroying PDP.
“I must hasten to assure you that there is nothing like the much-flaunted 2.1 billion USD arms gate. The competent courts of our land would sooner or later prove this coinage aimed at decimating the leadership and membership of our great party to be nothing but a hoax.
“It is meant to destroy the existence of PDP. The persecution of the former National Security Adviser, the persecution of the National Publicity Secretary, the persecution of our Chairman of Board of Trustees, will fail when we begin defence,” he assured.
He, however, said he would not make any comment regarding the several matters filed before the courts against him and other members of PDP “as doing so would be sub judice.”
Referring to the clampdown on Second Republic politicians when President Muhammadu Buhari was Military Head of State in 1983, Dokpesi said Nigerians “are reminded of the events of 1984/85 which by any stretch of comparison are similar to the events of today.”
The National Coordinator of PDP Youth Vanguard, Ibrahim Bala Aboki, who condemned the witch-hunt of PDP members by the ruling party, decried the Federal Government’s selective anti-corruption war and continuous arrest of PDP members by the anti-corruption agency.
The group had staged a protest at the PDP National Secretariat where it called for the immediate release of the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.
A statement from the EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, on the courtesy visit, quoted Magu as saying: ‘‘There are fraudulent involvements of bureaux de change operators in the arms deal scandal. There are reports of some of your members withdrawing as much as N500 million in two, three, four tranches in this arms deal scam. So, I am greatly disturbed. I think there should be a documentation regarding your activities, as this will enable your group to checkmate anyone who is involved in any fraudulent activity.”
www.ngrguardiannews.com
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WHITE HOUSE WARNS ISRAEL ON SETTLEMENTS
The White House on Thursday warned Israel to stop settlement announcements that could undermine peace with the Palestinians, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The surprising statement comes as President Trump signaled he would depart from former President Obama’s Israel policy and forge a close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a strong proponent of settlements.
But Trump was reportedly blindsided by Israel’s announcement of 5,500 new housing units to be built in the West Bank, which would have been the first new settlement there in around 20 years.
“As President Trump has made clear, he is very interested in reaching a deal that would end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is currently exploring the best means of making progress toward that goal,” an official told the paper.
“With that in mind, we urge all parties from taking unilateral actions that could undermine our ability to make progress, including settlement announcements,” the official added. “The administration needs to have the chance to fully consult with all parties on the way forward.”
In a separate statement Thursday, the White House made clear its opposition to the recent burst of settlement activity. But in a departure from the Obama administration, the statement does not call settlements an impediment to a two-state solution.
“While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal.”
“The Trump administration has not taken an official position on settlement activity and looks forward to continuing discussions, including with Prime Minister Netanyahu when he visits with President Trump later this month.”
Trump’s election is believed to have emboldened Netanyahu’s government, which has moved aggressively to expand its settlement activity.
Netanyahu is set to meet with Trump at the White House on Feb. 15.
Trump signaled during the transition he would make moves to align the U.S. closer with Israel’s government.
He announced his intent to nominate David Friedman, a strong settlement supporter, as ambassador to the Jewish state.
In December, Trump’s team reportedly pressured Obama to scuttle a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction. But the previous administration allowed the controversial measure to pass, abstaining from the vote.
But since entering the White House, Trump has backed off some of his more aggressive promises, including a plan to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Trump repeatedly said during the campaign he wants his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to help broker a Middle East peace deal.
Israel Israeli Netanyahu Palestine President Settlements Trump West Bank
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Whelanslive.com & O'Hara's Craft Beers presents
Saturday 14th July
MIDNIGHT HOUR w/ SCATHED + STONE SEA
O’HARA’S CRAFT BEERS
SCATHED + STONE SEA
Upstairs@Whelan’s from Midnight.
Doors: 11:45pm, Sign up for GUEST LIST
Whelanslive.com & O’Hara’s Craft Beers are proud to bring you The Midnight Hour. Showcasing the best new talent in Ireland & beyond.
/// SCATHED ///
https://www.facebook.com/scathedbandirl/
With performances in different corners of the country over the last couple of months following the release of debut single ‘Petrify’, Scathed are back in Dublin slinging heavy-duty riffs as they play their first show as a 5 piece.
Stone Sea bring their garage-rock with Machievellian pinches of universal seasoning to Wexford St. “Joining the wave of heavy hitting new acts in Dublin, the band possess a individuality in their sound that is unique and exciting.” -Hot Press
A brutal fight to the death between both bands will ensue, you won’t want to miss this.
Still not convinced? It’s a Saturday.
/// STONE SEA///
https://www.facebook.com/stoneseamusic/
Stone Sea is an Alternative Rock power trio that originated in São Paulo – Brazil but has assumed its current form in Dublin – Ireland.
After the release of one EP (I – 2014) with the original members and one Album (Origins – 2015) entirely recorded by Elvis, where most of the songs were raw and dense, everything changed when Elvis moved to Ireland in April 2015. The Irish music scene connected Elvis Suhadolnik Bonesso (Singer, Guitarist) with Jeremy Burke (Bassist, Singer) and Ross McDermott (Drummer) in where they found endless creativity as a result of the cultural exchange from the beginning of 2017. That summer they began gigging and writing vigorously, eventually creating and recording their 2nd EP “Vaporizer” which was released in December 2017. Vaporizer brings a different and more mature type of music, that emerged as a result of the adoption of new influences.
Stone Sea is currently working on new compositions that are set to be released by the end of 2018. Also, a new EP with new versions of the old songs will be recorded with the current members.
Vaporizer by Stone Sea
FREE ADMISSION BEFORE 10:30PM – GUEST LIST VIA FACEBOOK EVENT
Strictly over 18′s, I.D. may be required.
Upstairs in Whelan's, 25 Wexford St.
Doors: 11:30pm
Tickets: FREE ENTRY*
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Home / Blogs / h.macslarrow's blog / Climate Change and Wilderness Areas
h.macslarrow - March 28, 2016
This installment of our Wilderness Discussion Series is hosted by Nicole Wooten. Every month we're highlighting a significant wilderness management issue, and we want to hear your thoughts. Read on below and join in the conversation by posting comments on this page, commenting on our Facebook page, or lending your two cents on our Wilderness Connect discussion page (Wilderness Connect membership required).
Climate change is altering all ecosystems, even those that are legally not supposed to change. The Wilderness Act of 1964 defined a wilderness area as one that is “untrammeled by man” and that is managed “to preserve its natural conditions” (Section 2c of the Wilderness Act). International collaborations like the Paris Agreement are actively working to mitigate the changes but, in the meantime, even wilderness areas cannot remain untouched.
The most iconic example of climate change effects may be most evident in areas with glacial features like Glacier Park in MT, whose count of 150 glaciers in 1910 is now down to 25, and may reach zero by 2044 (Wines, 2014). Each wilderness area in the world is experiencing subtle and not-so-subtle shifts. Temperatures are changing. Desertification is on the rise. More extreme weather events are happening every year. Weather patterns are shifting, which means less predictable precipitation and winds.
Wildlife and flora are responding to the changes too, by making corresponding changes in their ranges and habits. In temperate regions, species are generally predicted to move upwards in elevation toward the poles, and towards northern-facing slopes.
How can managers adapt to global changes? Larger partnerships are being formed across landscapes. Land conservation is also being approached differently. Connectivity—or the level of connectedness among protected areas—has quickly risen to the same degree of popular awareness as biodiversity.
In light of climate change, connectivity is important because it provides a way for species to move as the land around them changes. One implementation of connectivity in and near wilderness areas is through “wildlife migration corridors.” These are often thin strips of land that run between one protected area and another. Though not usually big enough for long-term habitat, corridors provide a path for wildlife to use to relocate. This is a main focus of the “rewilding” movement (Fraser, 2010). Creating a network of these corridors has the potential to revitalize wilderness wildlife populations, especially for large predators.
Another way that wilderness managers are planning for climate change is through a philosophy called “saving the stage.” First coined in 2010 in a paper by Mark Anderson*, the phrase refers to the practice of protecting areas where flora and fauna—the actors—will likely live in the future. Those areas can be prioritized based on geographic and physical conditions that tend to reflect high areas of biodiversity now.
Climate change is a global challenge. Wilderness managers everywhere can benefit through sharing mitigation techniques, brainstorming practical solutions, and discussing long-term strategies.
*Note: a similar paper was published during the same year by Paul Beier, with different phrasing but similar concepts. Both are credited with forming this concept.
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The Riddle of the Great Sphinx
Location: Giza, Egypt
Built: Around 2560 BC
Size: 66 feet (20m) high and 240 feet (73m) long.
Design: A lion with a man's face..
Head: 19 feet (6m) from forehead to chin. 18 feet (6m) wide and thought to be modeled after Pharaoh Khafra (Chephren).
Made of: A natural limestone, rock outcropping modified into the shape and augmented with stone blocks.
Other: Name means "The Terrifying One," or the "Father of Dread."
Your fearful form is the work of the deathless gods. To spare the flat and fertile lands they placed you in your depression. A rocky island from which they banished the sand. They placed you as a neighbor to the pyramids...Who vigilantly watches the blessed Osiris... -Inscription from the second century A.D.
After 25 centuries the history of the great Sphinx at Giza was so forgotten that many believed it had been placed in its position, as guardian of the pyramids, by the Gods. Indeed, the Sphinx is such an impressive work one, even today, might easily believe it must have been created by supernatural means. The statue, with a man's head and a lion's body, stands 66 feet high and 240 feet long. The head measures 19 feet from forehead to chin. Each paw extends 56 feet forward of the body. The face is over 6 yards wide.
The lion was a powerful symbol in ancient Egypt as it represented strength and courage. The great cat was also considered the supreme guardian and tamed lions sometimes accompanied kings into battle. Not just as a mascot, but as the physical presence of a god meant to protect troops. The Sphinx was the combination of two symbols, a lion god, and the king pharaoh/god, into one icon. In fact, the Great Sphinx at Giza probably bears the face of the ruling pharaoh at the time of construction: Khafra (AKA Chephren).
The name "Sphinx" is probably not the orgianal name of this statue (which is thought to be the oldest monumental sculpture in the world). The term "Sphinx" comes from Arabic and means The Terrifying One, or quite literally, the Father of Dread.
The symbol wasn't limited to Egypt, but was also found in ancient Phoenician, Syrian, and Greek societies. In Greek legend, the Sphinx devoured all travelers who could not answer the riddle it posed: "What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening?" The hero Oedipus gave the answer, "Man," causing the Sphinx's death.
The Great Sphinx at Giza started as a natural outcropping of rock. The ancient Egyptians carved the giant statue into the limestone around 2500 B.C.. To make it even taller than the height of the outcrop they chipped out a depression around the base of the statue. The paws were constructed from stone blocks. The entire statue was painted in ancient times: red for the face and body, yellow with blue stripes on the headress. Finally, a temple was built in front of the statue as a place visitors could offer gifts to the "living image" of the creature the Egyptians sometimes referred to as "Horus-in-the-Horizon."
Thutmose IV's Dream
As time passed the statue was given less attention and, after a few centuries, desert sands covered the Great Sphinx up to its neck. Legends claim that visitors would press their ear to the statue's lips seeking wisdom. Around 1400 B.C. a Egyptian prince, on a hunt, came to rest in the shadow of the Sphinx. While napping he heard the Sphinx tell him it would make him ruler of Egypt ahead of his older brothers if he promised to clear the sand away. On waking the prince vowed to keep the bargain. Sure enough, as the story goes, he ascended the throne as Pharaoh Thutmose IV and quickly had the statue uncovered.
Historians beleive that Thutmose IV concocted the dream to cover up murder. Thutmose had his brother killed so that he could gain the crown. While the Egyptian people might not have been able to forgive Thutmose the slaying for personal gain, they could overlook it if it seemed like it was the will of the gods.
By the 19th century, when European archaeologists started taking a close look at Egyptian monuments, the statue was again covered up to it's neck in sand. Efforts to uncover and repair the statue were undertaken early in the 20th century. Preservation work continues even today.
Unknown Passageways?
There have been rumors of passageways and secret chambers surrounding the Sphinx and during recent restoration work several tunnels have been re-discovered. One, near the rear of the statue extends down into it for about nine yards. Another, behind the head, is a short dead-end shaft. The third, located mid-way between the tail and the paws, was apparently opened during restoration work in the 1920's, then resealed. It is unknown whether these tunnels were constructed by the original Egyptian designers, or were cut into the statue at a later date. Many scientists speculate they are the result of ancient treasure hunting efforts.
Several attempts have been made to use non-invasive exploration techniques to ascertain if there are other hidden chambers or tunnels about the Sphinx. These include electromagnetic sounding, seismic refraction, seismic reflection, refraction tomography, electrical resistivity and acoustical survey tests.
Studies made by Florida State University, Waseda University (Japan), and Boston University, have found "anomalies" around the Sphinx. These could be interpreted as chambers or passageways, but they could also be such natural features as faults or changes in the density of the rock. Egyptian archaeologists, charged with preserving the statue, are concerned about the danger of digging or drilling into the natural rock near the Sphinx to find out if cavities really exist.
Despite close study much about the Great Sphinx remains unknown. There are no known inscriptions about it in the Old Kingdom, and there are no inscriptions anywhere describing its construction or its original purpose. In fact, we do not even know what the buiders of the Sphinx actually called their creation. So the riddle of the Sphinx remains, even today.
The Sphinx: Older Than We Think?
Conventional science has held that the Sphinx was carved out of an outcropping during the reign of King Khafre around 2500 B.C.. In 1979, though, an amateur archaeologist named John Anthony West wrote a book entitled Serpent in the Sky. In the book West suggested that the Sphinx was far older than the pyramids and its severe erosion was the result of rain, not blowing sand. Therefore, concluded West, the Sphinx must have been built thousand of years earlier when the land was much wetter.
Nobody gave West's theory much attention until West brought in a trained geologist from Boston University named Robert Schoch. Schoch examined the Sphinx and thinks some of the fissures in the rock were indeed created by running water or rain. His conclusion is that the front and side of the Sphinx dated from 5000 to 7000 BC and was remodeled during Khafre's era to give the likeness of the pharaoh. Other Egyptologists argue that the original estimate is still right and that the fissures found by Schoch were the result of wet sand being blown up from the Nile river, not rain.
The Great Sphinx's head is 19 feet high. (CC BY-SA 3.0 Ad Meskens)
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articlesCaliforniaNorth AmericaPalm SpringsUSA
Feel Like a Celebrity at Indian Wells Golf Course
Todd Meisler —
Welcome to the Indian Wells Resort in Palm Desert. We wanted to feel like celebrities, so we got a scenic room at the wonderful Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa for the weekend. This is a 4-star resort that has 560 guestrooms, 3 restaurants, a full-service spa, and an outdoor pool. It also has access to two premiere golf courses at Indian Wells Golf Resort: the Celebrity course and the Players course.
My son and I got a chance to play a round on the celebrity course on this trip. There is lot to talk about and so many great pictures to show, so hop in the cart and hang on my son is driving…
There were high expectations when the Clive Clark’s Celebrity Course reopened in November 2006 to rave reviews and it was definitely to be expected. Clark, a professional Golfer, golf course architect, and sports commentator is responsible for this masterpiece course design at Indian Wells and many others.
In addition to spectacular mountain views, the Par-72 Celebrity Course features clear and open and highly manicured fairways, naturally beautiful streams, brooks, and small lakes. There are even a few waterfalls with flowers of all colors.They are groomed to perfection and with great detail.
With it’s two par 5s and two par 4s, which still adds up to a par 72 over 7,050 yards, it’s big and open and the sand traps which are many and filled with that ultra fine sand, so well taken care of it looks like a photograph in every direction. The course hosted the LG Skins Game in 2007 and 2008 because of it’s unmatched beauty and the difficulty of the course. it’s a hard one.
From the moment you step on the course you feel special and privileged to play. The Celebrity Course offers a premiere golf experience and I guarantee whenever you travel to Palm Desert or Indian Wells and think about where to play, you well revere this course as a little secret and special experience.
When you are searching for the pin and you tee up, it’s easy to get distracted by the beauty of the palm trees in the distance and the mountains that look like there are 500 feet away. Beyond the distant scenery, the course itself is gorgeous. Bring your camera as you will want to capture the beauty.
A bit about the course designer: Clive Clark has worked as a commentator for the BBC and CBS, and as a golfer and golf course architect, often alongside fellow BBC golf analyst Peter Alliss. Clark has his golf course design company in Palm Desert, California and now resides in nearby La Quinta.
His designs include Lake Winnipesaukee, Belgrade Lakes, and of course the fabulous Indian Wells Resort in the Palm Desert California but also has created The Hideaway, and Alcaidesa just outside Sotogrande, Spain.
Photos by Todd Meisler
Clive Clark’s Celebrity Golf Course Indian Wells
Traveling To Indian Wells Soon? Here are a few tips:
Read More About Great Golf Getaway’s
Top 5 West Coast Locations for a Golf Getaway
Golf In Paradise at the Poipu Bay Course (Hawaii)
How to get there: Indian Wells is a 2-hour drive from Los Angeles and a 2.5 hour drive from San Diego. If you are coming from out of state, the two closes airports are Palm Springs International Airport and Ontario International Airport.
Where to stay: Indian Wells offers many resort hotels, but our favorite is Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa. The resort has a great pool and is next door to the Indian Wells Golf Courses. I suggest checking HotelsCombined for the best Indian Wells hotel rates.
What to pack: The temperatures each season vary greatly, but even in winter it can be hot. Summers days tend to warm up quickly and stay hot. Winter temperatures are much more mild and warm up nicely during the day, but you might find early morning and evening can be cool. I was very happy I brought along a light rain jacket (you will get the occasional rain shower). I also always pack and extra golf glove, golf tees, and in my golf bag. Don’t forget a good pair of golf shoes (I like the Adidas Climacool Spikeless) and my latest favorite golf gadget is the Golf Rangefinder Binoculars that locks on to the flag automatically and measures the distant in just a second.
Thinking about a visiting Indian Wells or want to plan a Indian Wells Golf Course vacation? Ask your questions in the comments below!
While I was an invited guests of Renaissance Indian Wells Resort and Indian Wells Golf Resort, this is a totally independent and honest review based on my experience.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to the readers of this website.
Todd Meisler
Todd Meisler was born and raised on Long Island, New York and moved to California in the seventies. Todd Meisler currently resides in San Diego, CA where he is consulting and operating a web development agency called ZD Design Agency. He spent the early part of his life exposed to big band and concert music through his father, who was a drummer turned bandleader during those years. As an early teen Todd began his journey to art and photography, working in the dark room and painting in watercolor. In his teen years Todd was primarily a musician playing the Hollywood club circuit trying to pass for 18 in local clubs. As time went on Todd continuesto play drums and sing lead vocals in several bands by night, and by day stays busy shooting photography for magazines and online publications and running the agency.
In 1986, Todd was asked to join forces at New Riders Publishing, a Que/MacMillan Publishing group as Art Director. Todd then moved on to work at several prominent digital output centers in Los Angeles. In 1996 Todd launched PC Bureau, Inc., a Windows based service center for film and printing. While running this operation Todd continued working in the digital realm and embarked on numerous photographic adventures. Over the past 3 years Todd has worked at combining photography and painting, reproducing prints in his studio. Having his own production studio enables Todd to have total control over the final product. He is looking forward to teaching art one day and will continue making waves wherever there is still water. He enjoys outdoors and traveling and currently playing drums with Levi Chen and Liquid Gardens. Todd continues to pursue new art techniques and to find his voice in the art world. With the birth of a new company called ZD design, Todd is offering web, SEO, SEM, SMM and marketing services.
www.zddesignagency.com
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Tags: CaliforniagolfIndian WellsPalm Desert
About the Author Todd Meisler
Todd Meisler was born and raised on Long Island, New York and moved to California in the seventies. Todd Meisler currently resides in San Diego, CA where he is consulting and operating a web development agency called ZD Design Agency. He spent the early part of his life exposed to big band and concert music through his father, who was a drummer turned bandleader during those years. As an early teen Todd began his journey to art and photography, working in the dark room and painting in watercolor. In his teen years Todd was primarily a musician playing the Hollywood club circuit trying to pass for 18 in local clubs. As time went on Todd continuesto play drums and sing lead vocals in several bands by night, and by day stays busy shooting photography for magazines and online publications and running the agency. In 1986, Todd was asked to join forces at New Riders Publishing, a Que/MacMillan Publishing group as Art Director. Todd then moved on to work at several prominent digital output centers in Los Angeles. In 1996 Todd launched PC Bureau, Inc., a Windows based service center for film and printing. While running this operation Todd continued working in the digital realm and embarked on numerous photographic adventures. Over the past 3 years Todd has worked at combining photography and painting, reproducing prints in his studio. Having his own production studio enables Todd to have total control over the final product. He is looking forward to teaching art one day and will continue making waves wherever there is still water. He enjoys outdoors and traveling and currently playing drums with Levi Chen and Liquid Gardens. Todd continues to pursue new art techniques and to find his voice in the art world. With the birth of a new company called ZD design, Todd is offering web, SEO, SEM, SMM and marketing services.
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Daily Crunch: SpaceX raises $1.9 billion
SpaceX raises a huge funding round, Apple launches new radio stations and we review the Samsung Galaxy Note 20. This is your Daily Crunch for August 18, 2020.
The big story: SpaceX raises its biggest round yet
The $1.9 billion round was disclosed in an SEC filing. Bloomberg had previously reported that the round was in the works and would value the Elon Musk-led space launch company at $46 billion.
This comes after SpaceX successfully completed the first-ever private human spaceflight mission to take off from U.S. soil. It’s also in the middle of what’s likely to be a capital-intensive process of deploying its massive Starlink satellite constellation.
The tech giants
Amazon will add 3,500 tech and corporate jobs across six US cities — The list of cities includes Dallas, Detroit, Denver, New York, Phoenix and San Diego, accounting for around 900,000 square feet of office space in all.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review — Brian Heater says it’s excellent hardware with a great camera, at a truly premium price.
Apple launches Apple Music Radio with a rebranded Beats 1, plus two more stations — The change more closely associates the station with the company’s subscription-based streaming music service, Apple Music.
Startups, funding and venture capital
Chamath Palihapitiya’s next big Hustle — The investor tells TechCrunch that he has acquired Hustle, a startup backed by Insight Venture Partners, Google’s GV and Salesforce Ventures.
Attabotics raises a $50M Series C for its warehouse fulfillment robots — The round was led by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, Canada’s largest pension plan.
Movable Ink raises $30M as it expands its personalization technology beyond email marketing — The company said it now works with more than 700 brands, and in the run up to the 2020 election, its customers include the Democratic National Committee.
Advice and analysis from Extra Crunch
The ‘right’ way to downsize — Isaac Roth shares what he’s learned from years of working with startups.
Despite booming consumer demand, VC interest in e-commerce startups falls in 2020 — While Q2 2020 was a bit better than Q1 for e-commerce VC results, it wasn’t much of a comeback.
How to diagnose and treat machine learning models afflicted by COVID-19 — The pandemic’s impact has been particularly significant on many machine learning models that companies use to predict human behavior.
(Reminder: Extra Crunch is our subscription membership program, which aims to democratize information about startups. You can sign up here.)
Pandemic helped drive Walmart e-commerce sales up 97% in second quarter — Walmart’s investments in e-commerce, including online grocery delivery and pickup, are continuing to pay off.
Learn how COVID-19 has disrupted the startup world — Sign up today for an interactive webinar scheduled for August 19th at 1 p.m. Pacific.
The Daily Crunch is TechCrunch’s roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If you’d like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 3pm Pacific, you can subscribe here.
Read more: feedproxy.google.com
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Sharecare tapped by Amazon to deliver trusted health and well-being information through Alexa
Answers to more than 80,000 health questions from Sharecare integrated into Amazon’s cloud-based voice service
ATLANTA – Sept. 17, 2020 – Sharecare, the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place through its comprehensive and data-driven virtual heath platform, today announced it is integrating its library of more than 80,000 questions and answers on various health and well-being topics into the Alexa voice service. The collaboration between Sharecare and Alexa builds upon the digital health company’s commitment to democratize the availability of trusted health information and engage consumers in improving their well-being through innovations in voice technology.
“As the digital landscape of consumer health information grows increasingly crowded, determining the credibility of that information also can be challenging to navigate,” said Dawn Whaley, president of Sharecare. “For nearly a decade, Sharecare has partnered with more than 180 trusted health organizations as part of our mission to help people easily access the latest scientifically validated information to support their overall well-being. And with more than 19 million people in the U.S. actively using voice assistants to seek health information, being selected by Amazon’s Alexa to provide their customers with verified answers from Sharecare enables even more people to access what they need, when they need it, and through a frictionless experience.”
Sharecare’s award-winning content – which spans virtually every health topic from ‘A’ to ‘Z’ – empowers people to navigate their well-being by helping them understand different aspects of their health. Curated in collaboration with its partners – including leading healthcare providers, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions – Sharecare’s medically vetted content is created by its deep bench of health journalists and digital producers. Further, through its collaboration with the Boston University School of Public Health on the Community Well-Being Index (CWBI), Sharecare measures well-being through the lens of social determinants of health, providing people with detailed rankings and deeper context on how their own health is impacted by where they work, live, and play. And now, when Alexa responds to customers’ questions about health topics, Sharecare is among the roster of trusted health information sources to which the voice service attributes answers. Try asking:
“Alexa, when should I get screened for colon cancer?”
“Alexa, how long does it take your body to digest food?”
“Alexa, when is the peak of flu season?”
“Alexa, how long are you supposed to wash your hands?”
“Alexa, why are my feet cold?”
“Alexa, why do people smoke?”
For answers to health and well-being questions informed by world-leading medical organizations and experts, visit www.sharecare.com – or just ask Alexa.
Sharecare is the leading digital health company that helps people – no matter where they are in their health journey – unify and manage all their health in one place. Our comprehensive and data-driven virtual health platform is designed to help people, providers, employers, health plans, government organizations, and communities optimize individual and population-wide well-being by driving positive behavior change. Driven by our philosophy that we are all together better, at Sharecare, we are committed to supporting each individual through the lens of their personal health and making high-quality care more accessible and affordable for everyone. To learn more, visit www.sharecare.com.
Brittney Haynes
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NIGERIA: Family’s fresh plea for release of Christian schoolgirl held by terrorists
January 2, 2019 ▪ Grace Attu and John Newton
Leah Sharibu (© Aid to the Church in Need)
The family of a Nigerian schoolgirl being held by an Islamist terrorist group has called on fellow Christians to redouble efforts to pray and campaign for her release.
Rebekah Sharibu, whose 15-year-old daughter Leah has been held by Boko Haram for more than 10 months, said: “I know that all over the world believers are praying and advocating for the release of my daughter, but until now I haven’t seen my Leah.
“I want to plead that Christians do not get tired of praying for her until she returns.”
Leah was one of 110 students kidnapped when Boko Haram attacked a girls’ boarding school in Dapchi city, north-east Nigeria, on 19th February 2018.
Five of the schoolgirls died after they were seized.
About a month after the kidnapping, 104 of the hostages were set free, leaving Leah as the only student in the hands of the terrorists.
According to girls who were released, Leah, the only Christian in the group, refused repeated attempts to force her to convert to Islam.
Boko Haram soldiers told Leah that if she recited the Islamic shahada profession of faith and donned a hijab they would let her go, but the schoolgirl refused.
“My daughter… an admirable disciple of Christ.”
Nathan Sharibu, Leah’s father, said: “My daughter’s trust and faith has made me realise that I have been living under the same roof with an admirable disciple of Christ.
“I am highly encouraged by her strong faith in the Lord and her refusal to renounce Christ even before death at the hands of Boko Haram.”
Archbishop Kaigama: “I invite all of you to pray for Leah…”
Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos has added his voice to those calling for Leah’s release.
He said: “I invite all of you to pray for Leah and for all those who are captive for refusing to renounce the faith.
“She chose to remain a Christian even in the face of the possibility of death.
“Leah stands out for her courage in preserving her Christian faith and identity.”
Archbishop Kaigama made the call at an event in Malta marking the launch of Aid to the Church in Need’s Religious Freedom in the World report last November.
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“That Is Some Unassimilable Shit”: Rural Poetics and Opacity by Marty Cain
In their recent post, Madison McCartha gestures towards the surveillance logics embedded within contemporary media. Invoking Édouard Glissant, they end with a call for poets and artists to resist the colonial desire for transparency, embracing opaque surfaces—surfaces that, like the Solarian ocean, resist assimilation, reduction, and, to quote Glissant, “apprehension” (Poetics of Relation 193).
Hawks Nest Tunnel, West Virginia. A drilling crew poses for the above photo in 1931.
I want to build, however, off one of the examples that Madison introduces—Muriel Rukeyser’s “The Book of the Dead,” the long poem at the center of her book US-1. As Madison suggests, this text is consistently placed within the discourses of “documentary poetry.” While this subgenre doesn’t really have an agreed-upon definition, we can examine some texts frequently cited as documentary – e.g., Reznickoff’s Testimony, Mark Nowak’s Shut Up Shut Down, and C.D. Wright’s One With Others – and glean some common characteristics: an emphasis on social engagement; witnessing and documentation as a political act; the frequent use of found, non-“literary” materials; and the refusal of critical traditions that view the poem as a monolithic, closed-off lyric object. “The Book of the Dead,” which documents the Hawks Nest Tunnel Disaster of 1931 in West Virginia, fulfills all of these categories. A decidedly anti-capitalist work, it aims to expose the dangerous working conditions of the mining industry, and places this instance within a broader trajectory of transhistorical class struggle: “These are our strength, who strike against history” (Collected Poems of Muriel Rukeyser 109). The title “The Book of the Dead” refers, of course, to the ancient Egyptian funerary text of the same name, and within Rukeyser’s project, the poet is a medium, a conduit for the victims of class struggle throughout history: “Carry abroad the urgent need, the scene, / to photograph and extend the voice, / to speak this meaning. // Voices speak to us directly” (110).
It’s an intensely thought-provoking, complicated poem. From an ethical standpoint, however, the text is fairly ripe for critique, and struggles with problems that are frequent within documentary traditions, whether poetic, filmic, or journalistic: the presumption of speaking for others (to give a “voice to the voiceless,” as the cliché goes); the risk of eroding geographic and historical specificity in the service of a broader argument; and more generally, the lack of analysis of one’s own subject position as documentarian. (Rukeyser, after all, was from New York City, and grew up attending fancy schools; I say this not to invalidate her project, but rather, to point out that she was decidedly an “outsider” within the geography she aimed to document.) In the opening lines of the text, Rukeyser depicts a quasi-cinematic road trip from New York City, away from the “tall central city’s influence,” into West Virginia: “These roads will take you into your own country,” she writes. I’ll admit that – as someone who studies rural poetry, and who comes from a rural place – I find myself rolling my eyes at this line. It invokes the binary, center-periphery logic through which mainstream culture often represents the rural. Even while Rukeyser aims to uncover extractive colonial violences in West Virginia, she falls into the ultimately colonial logic of theorizing Appalachia as both naive (“simple” [73]) and wild (“The land is fierce here” [73]). Moreover, the suggestion that driving to West Virginia “will take you into your own country” affirms the cliché of rural spaces as the monolithic heartland of “real” America. (An ideological fiction, I should add, that recurred relentlessly in the mainstream U.S. media in the wake of Trump’s election.)
Solaris (1972) Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
In any case, my aim is not to shit on “The Book of the Dead.” Rather, I want to take the discourses that Madison’s post introduces – the vision of poetry as an opaque, inassimilable surface that resists the surveilling, colonial gaze – and to put this ethos in dialog with rurality. Like the Solarian surface that Madison describes, my favorite rural poets do not theorize their own geographies through the lens of rubbernecking tourists; rather, they say fuck you to extraction and fuck you to property, evoking region as a complex, variegated tapestry suffused with feeling, histories of sociopolitical struggle, and the language of locality. They revel in the status of the geographic margin, or, often, explode the category between center and periphery altogether. If the modernist canon has historically presented the city as a messy, tangled mass that resists easy legibility, an experimental rural poetics might aim to depict the country with a similar level of density and complexity. Frank Stanford, from The Battlefield Where the Moon Says I Love You: “this is a map that no one can follow / it is a map I can’t even read.” When I think of an opaque rural poetics, I think of historical antecedents (e.g., Lorine Niedecker, besmilr brigham, C.D. Wright), and I think of contemporaries—such as, for example, Evie Shockley’s work; its frequent employment of dense syntax and ghostly rhyme, gesturing towards memory’s suffused, interwoven relationship with hidden geographies and historical violence:
east of childhood, north of
……………………capital offenses, just west
…………of a big blue treasure chest :
…………………….wet coffin of neglected bones.
……………..in the veins…
cloud-hooded mountains.
…………outside time : a coltrane solo.
…………………………..far from fatal. after all. (The New Black 19)
When I think of rural excess, I think of the poet Evan Gray, who works within the lineages of poets associated with Black Mountain College (while simultaneously disclosing that institution’s paradoxical, often invisible relationship to its immediate North Carolina locale); who employs the language of ecstatic rage, rebuking the way in which capitalism seizes upon territory, “marking” the earth:
MAN MARKS THE EARTH WITH RUIN
RAT RUIN GUN RUIN FIGHT RUIN
I HATE RUIN
WHITE RUIN SKY RUIN CAR RUIN BOY RUIN
MAN MARKS THE EARTH WITH RUINED OCEANS…
you are dead here in the field
but haunt the trailer beyond the creek (Body Birth 11-13)
When I think of rural agriculture, I think of the poet Nikki Wallschlaeger, whose work often depicts the forms of extraction that, colluding with capitalism and white supremacy, produce violent, exclusionary foodways: “Los Angeles will become more and more like Los Angeles… / the chefs will be selective about who deserves to / eat food that was grown on the farms outside the cities” (Crawlspace 72). Within her work, I see a vision of agency shaped by provisional attachments to region—a vision that, as a reader, gives me a reason to feel hope:
Holding you in the garage, holding you in the woods. Holding you on the couch. Holding you in the air…
Holding what I’m really saying. Holding how I cuddle my cat. Holding how I hold it together. Holding another paycheck, a ghost homespun from spools of watery veal,
Holding all the residual toeholds that are telling me to do this (Houses 75-76)
In terms of texts that, like “The Book of the Dead,” aim to document specific class-based struggles in rural locales – but do so from an insider perspective – I think of Tim Earley’s epic, criminally under-read Linthead Stomp, which explores, among other subjects, the closure of textile factories in Western North Carolina:
FUCK NAFTA.
This is what I say when she tears all her dresses apart and the tiny rabbits eat our halting perimeter.
I assent to each of her swearing folkways which make her underwire parts a thicket of robotics and deep parlance.
When the ground undo me blithe spirit.
Will you sever all the things we might could have done. (44)
Elsewhere in Earley’s text, a local vernacular collides with the language of scientific rationalism, socio-economic rage (both contemporary and historical), religion, and the social-capital-fuckery of the U.S. “poetry community” and its unspoken centers:
Whistle Pig, peaked, job it with a stick, job that shit with a stick, catched the tree frog, I knowed to throw it back, Jesus face, Sissy Holler, we is just folks and these is just some cultural interstices, “the absence of teeth, and the compromised nature of the gums, give the tongue freer range, and indeed, create an almost limitless field for linguistic play and invention. Teeth have everything to do with the Lord and social Darwinism and distract the poet from his orphic emptiness,” gum it up in the Berkeley, gum it up in the New Yorks City, POETRY! POETRY! POETRY! you subhuman fucks (43).
This is not, I should add, a canon-building exercise or an attempt to build a LitHub-style listicle of “rural poets you must read.” I’m uninterested in endeavors to consolidate a stable “rural aesthetic.” (After all, as Raymond Williams and many others have shown, the “city” and the “country” often take the form of ideologically constructed categories that exist to conceal class struggle.) I hope, rather, for a way of thinking through geographies often excluded from avant-garde discourses—and to understand, more broadly, the way in space might mediate poetry, and the way in which poetry might mediate space, opaquely resisting the gaze of the capitalist, imperialist Eye. To close, quoting Tim Earley, once again: “That is some unassimilable shit.”
Marty Cain is a poet from Vermont. His books include Kids of the Black Hole (2017) and The Wound Is (Not) Real: A Memoir (forthcoming 2020), both from Trembling Pillow Press, as well as a chapbook, Four Essays (Tammy, 2019). Individual works appear or are forthcoming in Best American Experimental Writing, Fence, Poetry Daily, Tarpaulin Sky, and elsewhere. He holds an MFA from the University of Mississippi, and is currently a Ph.D candidate at Cornell, where he’s writing a dissertation on rural poetry communities. @marty_cain
July 22nd, 2020|
poetry in action #16 | From Outgoing Vessel | Ursula Andkjær Olsen translated by Katrine Øgaard Jensen
Poesía en acción #9: Three Poems by Jorgenrique Adoum and Translators Katherine M. Hedeen and Víctor Rodríguez Núñez
Being Human Is an Occult Practice: An Interview with Magdalena Zurawski by Aditi Machado
Oobleck, Mannerism, and Giants by Philip Sorenson
“To approach a poem with the desire to unknow”: An Interview with Olivia Lott by Paul Cunningham
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AQSQID: 120310100
Site Name: Mayo Clinic
Added: April 21, 2020, 6:24 p.m.
Updated: Jan. 22, 2021, 12:31 a.m.
Location: Jacksonville (Beach Haven), FL
Reporting: True, Located: True
Current AQI: 44.0
Jacksonville (Beach Haven) FL, US: 30.2603, -81.4533
Date Observed (UTC)
NO2Y
AQI/500
Jan. 21, 2021, 11 p.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 41.0 ppb (38) N/A N/A 10.5 μg/m3 (44) 44.0
Jan. 21, 2021, 9 p.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 41.0 ppb (38) N/A N/A 12.3 μg/m3 (52) 52.0
Jan. 21, 2021, 7 p.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 46.0 ppb (43) N/A N/A 0.0 μg/m3 (0) 43.0
Jan. 21, 2021, 6 p.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 46.0 ppb (43) N/A N/A N/A 43.0
Jan. 21, 2021, noon N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 10.0 ppb (10) N/A N/A 10.9 μg/m3 (46) 46.0
Jan. 21, 2021, 11 a.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 13.0 ppb (13) N/A N/A 10.7 μg/m3 (45) 45.0
Jan. 21, 2021, 9 a.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 15.0 ppb (14) N/A N/A 14.1 μg/m3 (56) 56.0
Jan. 21, 2021, 5 a.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 8.0 ppb (8) N/A N/A 17.7 μg/m3 (63) 63.0
Jan. 21, 2021, midnight N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 24.0 ppb (23) N/A N/A 16.3 μg/m3 (60) 60.0
Jan. 20, 2021, 7 p.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 46.0 ppb (43) N/A N/A 9.1 μg/m3 (38) 43.0
Jan. 20, 2021, 1 p.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 7.0 ppb (7) N/A N/A 16.9 μg/m3 (62) 62.0
Jan. 20, 2021, noon N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2.0 ppb (2) N/A N/A 14.9 μg/m3 (57) 57.0
Jan. 20, 2021, 11 a.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 1.0 ppb (1) N/A N/A 12.6 μg/m3 (53) 53.0
Jan. 20, 2021, 9 a.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 6.0 ppb (6) N/A N/A 7.3 μg/m3 (31) 31.0
Jan. 20, 2021, 1 a.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 14.0 ppb (13) N/A N/A 9.7 μg/m3 (41) 41.0
Jan. 18, 2021, 11 p.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 33.0 ppb (31) N/A N/A 8.9 μg/m3 (38) 38.0
Jan. 18, 2021, 10 a.m. N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 18.0 ppb (17) N/A N/A 9.9 μg/m3 (42) 42.0
Jan. 17, 2021, midnight N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 26.0 ppb (25) N/A N/A 9.4 μg/m3 (40) 40.0
Jan. 16, 2021, noon N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 18.0 ppb (17) N/A N/A 8.2 μg/m3 (35) 35.0
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Data from airnow.gov
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Oman History
Country Histories A through C - - Countries D through J - - Countries K through N - - Countries O through Z
Oman - Pakistan - Panama - Papua New Guinea - Paraguay - Peru - Philippines - Poland - Portugal - Qatar - Romania - Russia - Rwanda - Saudi Arabia - Senegal - Serbia - Seychelles - Singapore - Slovakia - Slovenia - Somalia - South Africa - South Korea - Spain - Sri Lanka - Sudan - Sweden - Switzerland - Syria - Tajikistan - Thailand - Turkey - Turkmenistan - Uganda - Ukraine - United Arab Emirates - United Kingdom - United States - Uruguay - Uzbekistan - Venezuela - Vietnam - Zimbabwe
To Oman Social Studies - To Capital Muscat City Profile
Category:History of Oman __ An index of articles related to Oman history found in Wikipedia. - From wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:History_of_Oman
History of Oman __ "Oman adopted Islam in the 7th century A.D., during the lifetime of the prophet Muhammad. Ibadism became the dominant religious sect in Oman by the 8th century A.D. Oman is the only country in the Islamic world with a majority Ibadi population." An encyclopedic article with links to additional resources. - illustrated - From wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Oman
History of Oman __ "Comprehensive online resources about the history of the country of Oman." - From about.com - http://history1900s.about.com/library/world/blxoman.htm
History of Oman __ A good one page look at Oman history along with embedded links to related materials. - From historyworld.net - http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad54
History of Oman __ A brief look at Oman's long history. - From Albert F Winters - http://lavender.fortunecity.com/scarface/386/fo03000.htm
The history of Oman __ "Little is known about Oman's pre-Islamic past but it is clear from recent archeological discoveries and research that early civilizations existed at least 5000 years ago." A concise look at Oman history. - From omaninfo.com - http://www.omaninfo.com/oman/history.asp
Oman: History __ An overview of Oman's history along with other information about the country. - From infoplease.com - http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0860130.html
Oman: History __ "Throughout this presentation, two terms are perhaps confusingly used for the whole country today known as Oman. 'Oman' for the mountainous inner regions, and 'Musqat' for the northern coastal territory. A third region is Dhofar, the southern parts of modern Oman,..." An annotated timeline along with embedded links to additional resources. - From i-cias.com - http://i-cias.com/e.o/oman_5.htm
Oman History __ "n the mid-8th century AD the tribes of northern Oman swept into the rest of Arabia, briefly conquering Medina, where they were subsequently overthrown by the Abbasids. Though defeated, Oman managed to remain relatively free of Abbasid control. Until 1506,..." Colorful and concise history of Oman. - From lonelyplanet.com - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/oman/history
Oman History __ A brief paragraph about the history of Oman. For more detail, simply click "more history." - From historycentral.com - http://www.historycentral.com/NationbyNation/Oman/History1.html
Oman's History __ A history of the Sultanate of Oman from ancient times to 1970. On my machine there is a text interference over part of the page but there is still a lot of information. - From soukofoman.com - http://www.soukofoman.com/omanshistory.html
Oman�s history goes back to the very dawn of civilization __ "Oman�s history goes back to the very dawn of civilization. The coastal area fronting on the Gulf of Oman is believed to have been the land known to the Sumerians as Magan, from which as early as 3,000 B.C. they were importing copper." A brief overview of Oman history. - From Arabic German Consulting - http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/omanhis.htm
Shell Oman - History of Shell Oman __ The history of Royal Dutch Shell plc is so intertwined with the history of the Sultanate of Oman that it is included here. - From shell.com - http://www.shell.com/home/content/om-en/about_shell/who_we_are/historyshelloman.html
Timeline: Oman __ Annotated timeline of important dates and events in Oman history. - illustrated - From BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/2448259.stm
Privacy Policy of archaeolink.com
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Class Bigotry at Washington University in St. Louis: A Resignation
March 25, 2015 March 28, 2015 ~ Chris Pepus
I just sent the following open letter of resignation to Mark S. Wrighton, chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis.
Dear Chancellor Wrighton:
I’m Chris Pepus and I work in the university’s Film & Media Archive. I am sending you this open letter to resign in protest against ongoing class bias in the university’s admissions policies.
Washington University has consistently ranked last in social diversity among leading colleges, measured by the percentage of students eligible for Pell Grants, a need-based federal scholarship. In January, your administration promised a new commitment to social diversity, but we both know it is a sham. It is time the people did as well, since they pay for Wash. U.’s tax exemptions.
Describing your new policy in The New York Times, David Leonhardt wrote that your administration “will commit to more than doubling the share of undergraduates with Pell grants, to at least 13 percent, by 2020.” He was wrong. Your administration committed to ensuring that 13% of students in the 2020-21 freshman class are Pell-eligible. The number of Pell recipients in preceding classes could be lower, even significantly lower, and you would still be able to say that you kept your promise.
Leonhardt also wrote: “The leaders of Washington University in St. Louis have decided that it has a distinction they no longer want: the nation’s least economically diverse top college.” He was too optimistic on that point as well. Currently, Wash. U. is last in U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of economic diversity at its top 25 national universities, with only 6% of students receiving Pell Grants. You could meet your goal of increased Pell numbers and still be last in that ranking.
Even modest increases in Pell enrollments by Wash. U.’s nearest competitors at the bottom of the U.S. News list (Cal Tech at 11%, Notre Dame and Princeton at 12%) will keep the university ranked 25th out of 25. If Wash. U.’s increase in Pell recipients among pre-2020 classes is low enough, those three institutions can keep their Pell enrollments where they are and Wash. U. will still remain in last place.
Likewise, if we consider just how many Americans are financially eligible for Pell Grants, we can see how hollow your promise is. According to a recent report by the Southern Education Foundation, most U.S. public-school students are officially low income, based on eligibility for anti-poverty programs. Certainly a majority, and probably a large majority, of those students would qualify for Pell Grants—if they went to college. In light of that fact, a ratio of 13% Pell recipients in the freshman class five years from now appears positively miniscule.
Look closer and it gets worse. Eligibility for Pell Grants has increased dramatically since the 2006-07 academic year. The number of the program’s recipients is up 73% nationwide. Among those with family incomes over $60,000 per year, the number of Pell recipients has grown by nearly 900%. (Those figures are based on raw data available here and here.)
Aided by that enormous expansion (weighted disproportionately toward middle-class students), other socially exclusive universities, such as Harvard, have seen their percentages of Pell students rise out of single digits, finally. But not this institution. In recent years, Wash. U. has actually been declining in terms of social diversity.
The barriers to inclusion will not be removed at Wash. U., or other leading colleges, until an aggressive policy of affirmative action based on social class is added to existing affirmative-action programs. Your new “commitment” is a travesty of that essential policy.
Your administration has described the plan to increase Pell enrollment as “ambitious” and cultivated the notion that it is difficult to enroll qualified working-class people. But the case of the University of California at Berkeley destroys such myths. According to the latest federal data, 36% of UC Berkeley’s students receive Pell Grants, compared to, again, 6% at Washington University. UCB has managed to enroll six times the percentage of Pell recipients as Wash. U., despite having (according to contemporary federal data) an endowment of $1.2 billion, as opposed to Wash. U.’s $5.3 billion.
Nor can anyone say that UC Berkeley’s academic reputation has suffered due to its socially inclusive admissions policy. In the most recent installment of the prestigious Times Higher Education rankings, UCB is rated 8th in the world to Wash. U.’s 42nd. The University of California at Los Angeles, with an even higher ratio of Pell recipients on campus (39%), ranks 12th.
You may well note that Wash. U. is placed ahead of UC Berkeley and UCLA in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, but that is principally because U.S. News assigns great weight to institutional wealth. The most salient category of the magazine’s rankings is the “peer assessment score” given by administrators and faculty at other colleges. In that category, Wash. U. is rated 4 out of a possible 5, versus Berkeley’s 4.7 and UCLA’s 4.2.
If you and other top administrators can’t figure out how to reach the degree of social diversity that UC Berkeley has achieved with an endowment valued at less than one-quarter of Wash. U.’s, perhaps you should all resign and let administrators from UCB replace you.
This institution’s terribly low percentage of Pell Grant recipients is the result of systemic class bias. The university’s official pronouncements make that all too clear. Wash. U. administrators have attempted to excuse low enrollment of Pell Grant recipients by resorting to doubletalk insulting to working-class people.
For instance, Provost Thorp consistently tries to justify Wash. U.’s record of social exclusion by pretending that the university had to choose between strengthening academic excellence and enrolling more working-class students. Last December, Student Life quoted the Provost’s remarks on why the administration had failed to address the university’s low Pell enrollment. “Wash. U. has made some smart strategic decisions that may have made it the place that it is,” he said. “It’s easy to say that this should have been done differently, but . . . to say we shouldn’t have invested in things when we did is kind of false logic [ellipses original].” Back in October, he offered the same excuse, with a more aggressive conclusion: “We’re not going to apologize for that.”
If Provost Thorp cannot bring himself to apologize for the university’s derisively low number of working-class students, I question whether he is capable of apologizing for anything. At the least, his remarks show that he isn’t facing the problem.
It is deceitful to claim that administrators ever had to choose between academic excellence and social inclusion. In 2012, economist Elise Gould found that low-income students who earned high scores on 8th-grade tests were less likely to attend college than rich students who scored low on the same tests. There is an enormous pool of talented students who are not being recruited by other leading institutions.
Maybe the student who would have brought new prestige to Wash. U. through, say, a great scientific discovery wound up working at Wal-Mart because the university instead admitted a less qualified rich person now busily engaged in coasting through life. Had you been interested in enhancing academic excellence, rather than enhancing the privileges of the rich, recruiting qualified, low-income students would have been a central element of your campaign to improve the university’s reputation.
Instead, Wash. U. grants preferences to “legacies,” children of alumni and especially rich, well-connected ones. Make no mistake: legacy preferences are viciously discriminatory. They allow rich applicants who have had every advantage to take rare admissions places from better qualified, working-class applicants who overcame a great deal. Such bias in favor of the rich has a corrosive effect on the entire admissions process, since it fosters an environment in which the wealthy are viewed as superior. It reinforces institutionalized class bigotry.
You know that discrimination based on social class is wrong. In fact, you have admitted as much. Last year, your administration inaugurated the Bias Report and Support System on campus. Among the categories of discrimination reportable under the system is bias based on “socioeconomic status.”
That was a fine idea. But it is pointless to have a policy against class bias if the admissions office is exempt. The aristocratic monstrosity of legacy preferences will persist as long as non-legacies and their families allow. It is time we stopped allowing.
That means the people must cease to subsidize class bias with tax exemptions. Washington University does not pay taxes on its donations, investment income, or purchases. Those exemptions have consequences. Among the social ills highlighted by the Ferguson crisis are chronic underfunding of public schools, and municipalities’ fiscal reliance on a racially biased system of excessive fines. If we want to begin to heal suffering communities such as Ferguson, rich individuals and corporations have to start paying their fair share in taxes. That includes wealthy, socially exclusive universities such as Wash. U.
I have learned a lot working at the Film & Media Archive, which houses materials from powerful documentaries on civil rights and social justice, e.g. Eyes on the Prize and The Great Depression. I got to help researchers learn more about such subjects as the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and labor activists who fought racism and economic oppression.
The stories contained in the archive’s materials can be very inspiring. But they can also be a criticism of your life. These days, they feel like the latter to me. I am ashamed of myself for failing to send you a letter like this one before now. My working-class status and freelance writing on class issues also accuse me, despite the reasons I gave myself for staying on the job this long. (“I need the health insurance.” “The work schedule lets me write on evenings and weekends.” “I can use vacation time for writing.”)
After my years at Wash. U., I no longer believe that elite private colleges can be reformed. I believe education must be public, and free to students. In any case, no university as wealthy as this one should be allowed to keep its tax exemptions unless it ends legacy preferences and does at least as well in admitting Pell Grant recipients as UC Berkeley. We need that tax money for the education of the people, not just the rich.
No top American college is as far away from social diversity as Wash. U., and you are clearly happy for it to stay that way. So here is my two-weeks notice. I can no longer stand to be associated with the class bigotry that is deeply entrenched in this institution.
Chris Pepus
Note to blog readers:
If you agree with this letter, please share it with your friends. Writers on higher education frequently note that there is no national movement demanding access to top colleges for working-class people. That is largely because writers on higher education refuse to address class bias directly. That omission may have something to do with the backgrounds of leading journalists, who are mostly graduates of socially exclusive, private, East Coast colleges.
I hope that you will use the donate button at the upper right of the page to support my work. (In case you’re wondering, I don’t have another job lined up.) The media elite have systematically excluded views like the ones expressed in my letter. That monopoly will continue unless the people support alternatives to it.
Update (March 28): As you may have read, this blog was blocked on Facebook for obscure reasons, but that is no longer the case. Here is a link to this post to share on social media, if you like: bit.ly/1NfjGYu
Also, you can find more updates and information here.
Posted in discrimination, Higher education biasChris Pepuscivil rightsclass bigotryclassismcollege admissionsHolden Thorplegacy preferencesMark WrightonPell Grantsresignation lettersocial diversityWashington University in St. Louis
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Update: Wings event postponed until fall
Editor’s note: This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled for fall.
When the nation’s top 2019 recruit Kayvon Thibodeaux picked the Ducks, it was about more than football.
He was looking ahead to life beyond football and drawn to the people who make up the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communications. Specifically Deb Morrison, the Carolyn Silva Chambers Distinguished Professor of Advertising.
The professor and student will take the stage together at the next Wings event on April 15 in Portland to discuss the creative process and brand development, especially as it relates to a likely future NFL player.
The speaker series, presented by UO President Michael H. Schill, is an intimate evening of curated talks, a reception with appetizers and drinks, and music by the UO Graduate String Ensemble.
Another speaker, Atika Khurana, will explore her research into teen behavior and how taking risks, making mistakes and resisting authority is part of the transition into adulthood. She is an associate professor in the UO’s Department of Counseling Psychology and Human Sevices in the College of Education and is leading a new prevention sciences master’s program at UO Portland this fall.
UO graduate Scott Hamlin, co-founder and CEO of Looptworks, will speak about turning waste into want. With the mantra “use only what aready exists,” Looptworks makes clothing, bags and accessories using recycled excess materials. Hamlin uses his industry experience from Adidas AG, Jockey International and Royal Robbins and rethinks the process of creating products with zero waste.
As program director of advertising at the UO’s School of Journalism and Communication, Morrison teaches conceptual and strategic thinking, creativity and content, portfolio classes and Oregon’s creative strategist course. She has published several books, including “The Creative Process Illustrated: How Advertising’s Big Ideas are Born” with Glenn Griffin and developed the Epoch Project, meant to bring professionals together to solve problems related to climate change.
In 2019, football defensive end Thibodeaux was the 23rd-highest ranked prospect in U.S. history and was named the Coaches Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, among other honors. He’s studying to become a broadcast journalist.
This year’s Wings event is set for 5:30 to 8 p.m. April 15 at The Redd East, 831 SE Salmon St., Portland. Tickets are $25 and include appetizers, drinks and dessert.
Speaker videos videos from previous Wings events are available online.
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Making history matter with Museum CEO Mark O’Neill
This past summer, in the three months after July 1, about 235,000 people visited the Canada History Hall.
The numbers confirmed something that Mark O’Neill holds to be true: that given the opportunity, Canadians will seize the chance to learn about their history.
The president and CEO of the Canadian Museum of History Corporation which oversees the Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum, knows the cliché about Canadian ignorance of their own nation’s history.
“I have been here in the museum for about 15 years,” he said in a recent interview. “I became CEO in 2011 and one of the things that heavily influenced me was a report by Jack Jedwab, of the Association of Canadian Studies. He did an illuminating report on what Canadians know about history. He concluded that Canadian historic literacy is low and that the majority of the population does not qualify as literate when it comes to the degree to which they know their history or read about the subject.
“I thought that was fascinating. It validated my own anecdotal experience. That was one of things was very influential for me in terms of how the national history museum could play a lead role in changing all of that.”
Mark O’Neill. Photo courtesy Canadian Museum of History.
O’Neill says he finds the history of this nation “is complex, highly relevant and extremely exciting when people understand the influences that created the country we know today. It is largely untold and I think there was also a thirst to learn about history.”
To support that latter conclusion, he pointed to another survey conducted by the Museum’s in-house research team.
In it people were asked their interest in history before they entered the new Hall. The results showed that about 37 per cent of those questioned said their interest was high at a rate of eight out of 10. After the visit that total almost doubled to 62 per cent of those asked.
The result was buttressed by the fact that in the new Hall real artifacts from the Museum’s collection were available to see.
So much of our world is now digital, that real things, the tangible artifacts of our past, are not always available. O’Neill isn’t surprised.
“Everyone has jumped on the digital bandwagon. It’s not new for us. This museum was one of first in the world to have fibre optic cable in it. The institutional website is 25 years old. We are on every social media platform; we’ve digitized a quarter-million pages of artifacts and we’ve got more than 100 exhibitions on-line.
“But what we are finding though is that there is a yearning for an intimate experience with tangible heritage. People want to come and see the real thing.
“You have to reach out as much as you can so you have to do digital. It’s a binary kind of thing, but people are coming back to the experience with the real object.” Authenticity matters, in other words.
Inside the new hall. Photo: Canadian Museum of History.
In preparing the new History Hall, the research done by the museum showed people wanted to experience objects, he said.
They also “wanted us to tell the whole story of Canadian history … warts and all. They also wanted multiple perspectives. Those are the kinds of things we worked very hard to do.”
Which is why, for example, the story of Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump is told by a Blackfoot elder.
“The perspective is not a curator’s perspective, it is the authentic experience of an elder who is telling story of why that place is important and why visitors need to know about it.”
This openness to perspectives was cultivated from the beginning of the development of the Hall with input sought from and delivered by six consultative groups representing interested parties such as women and First Nations.
“That was a leap of faith for us,” O’Neill said. “It required a new way of thinking.”
As the year 2017 draws to a close, O’Neill says he believes the museum has moved past the controversy caused by the name change from Museum of Civilization to History, a decision taken by the former Stephen Harper government.
“Our museum is a cultural policy instrument of the federal government acting on behalf of the people. When governments adjust those policy instruments, as they do occasionally, people get concerned. They worry about motivation. I understand all of that.”
He experienced an upwelling of a similar sort of concern when the Liberal government of Jean Chrétien planned the new Canadian War Museum.
“There was some feeling in the veterans community and among some military historians that the new museum would be imbued with the ideology of the government of the day.” It didn’t happen, he says.
An ivory carving between 3,900 and 3,600 years old — the oldest known depiction of a human face in Canada. It is part of the new History Hall. Photo: Canadian Museum of Civilization.
The Museum of History and the War Museum have always been about presenting the historical record from as many perspectives as possible, he says.
“We never set out to say a given exhibition is going to have to be fair and balanced. We never used words like that. We said the exhibition has to be inclusive, comprehensive and transparent. Those are very different words.
“If, for example, you are going to tell the story of the First World War and not talk about the internment of members of the Austro-Hungarian empire, you haven’t told all the truth. We had to be faithful to the record.
“If you can accept fact that history is not going to be politicized, and I think we proved that with the new Hall, then you can accept that history is everything that ever was and will be and that you are part of it and can influence it.”
In today’s world of Donald Trump, fake news and alternative facts, there is an enormous responsibility on an institution such as the Museum of History. But, O’Neill says, there is opportunity too for the museum, if you get it right.
“We have the privilege of being able to say, we think you need to know this. Not everyone will be happy with History Hall and we knew that too.”
O’Neill says a friend of his was furious that infamous Vive Quebec Libre speech by Charles de Gaulle was included in the History Hall.
O’Neill says he told the friend he had every right to be upset.
“It should provoke you, but it doesn’t mean it should not be there.”
Canadian museums are knowledge based institutions, he says, where important scholarship takes place.
“That’s often overlooked. This goes back to the question of integrity and reliability. Scholarship is integral to the success of these institutions.
“We probably don’t” promote that well enough. Right now at the two museums under his watch there are about 40 ‘content’ experts across a range of disciplines.
“It’s the most we have ever had.” He doesn’t anticipate adding any more right now. “I think we have the right mix.”
It has been a big year but now that it is almost over, the question is what’s next?
“First, I see the launching of the History Hall as a beginning. We now have to figure out how to bring it to those Canadians who will never get to the museum.
“We are also going to be redoing the Children’s Museum which is largely original to the opening of the building in 1989. It might have more room, but it will be anchored in its current space.
“In the war museum we will be moving out of the anniversary cycle of the world wars and we need to start looking at things like gender and war and Canada in the 21st century.”
The war museum, he says, will also be looking at more opportunities to partner with institutions in Europe such as happened this past year with the show Witness – Fields of Battle Through Canadian Eyes, which was on view at the Musée des beaux-arts in Arras, France this past spring. It featured war art by the likes of A.Y Jackson and Fred Varley.
History clearly waits for no one.
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Ten black British artists to celebrate
Posted 23 Nov 2016, by Molly Tresadern
Frank Bowling (b.1934)
Cleopatra 1992
Chris Ofili (b.1968)
Royal College of Art
Weave 1994
Lubaina Himid (b.1954)
Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library
Monkey dey Chop, Baboon dey Cry 1984
Tam Joseph (b.1947)
Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre
Back in November 2016, the BBC ran a season of programmes championing 'Black and British'. It delved into the country's forgotten black history, questioning whether we'll ever have a black Prime Minister, asking people to nominate their #blackbritishhero on Twitter and celebrating Britain's black music scene.
Sometimes the nation's art can seem overwhelmingly white – both in subject and artist. Here at Art UK we want to share with you some of our favourite black and British artists from the nation's art collection.
The artists here all hail from relatively recent times, and have had a huge impact on the British art scene. They helped to put the work of black artists in the spotlight at a time when it was underrepresented, through forming collectives, working in collaboration and curating powerful exhibitions. Some of these artists have drawn on their heritage to make art that is explicitly political and confrontational; others have produced work completely separate from issues of race. Either way, the British art scene would undoubtedly be poorer without their contributions.
NB – this list is not intended to be definitive or exhaustive – if key artists are missing it is not because we've forgotten about them, but in the first instance we have limited our scope to those whose works appear on the Art UK site.
1. Frank Bowling (b.1936)
Born in Guyana – moved to London in 1950
Alongside other major figures – notably Ronald Moody, Aubrey Williams and Uzo Egonu – Bowling was part of an influential group whose art came out of London in the decades following the end of the Second World War, and who set the stage for the further impact of black British art. After graduating from the Royal College of Art (in the same year as David Hockney), Bowling moved from his early figure paintings to work in abstract – because, he said, abstract painting isn't bound by colour or race.
As Bowling's canvases grew larger he would paint with them mounted to the walls or floor, and in the 1970s he adopted techniques including spilling, dripping and brushing – referring to his work as 'poured paintings'. There are currently 16 of Bowling's works on Art UK – a small fraction of his prodigious output – and looked at together in this way they are a wall of vibrant colour and brilliant abstraction, begging to be seen large, loud and proud.
Spreadout Ron Kitaj 1984–6
While Bowling has distanced his work from questions of race, he has nevertheless been a trailblazer in the British art scene. His work Spreadout Ron Kitaj was the first painting Tate Britain ever bought from a living black artist. In 2005, Bowling became the first black British artist to be elected to the Royal Academy, and in 2008 he recieved an OBE. He was knighted in 2020 for services to art.
2. Chris Ofili (b.1968)
The first black artist to win the Turner Prize, part of the Young British Artist movement in the 1990s, and no stranger to controversy: if you've heard of Chris Ofili then you may be immediately thinking of elephant dung, the Virgin Mary and offending the ex-Mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, before it was cool.
No Woman, No Cry 1998
However, Ofili's work has evolved and changed significantly over the years. In a 2010 mid-career retrospective at Tate Britain, the Guardian reported that: 'There is no dung and no glitter. There are no richly collaged, jangling surfaces. Instead, in the last room in the exhibition, unexpected swathes of colour lash down the canvases: imperial purple dissonant against citrus orange, saffron squealing against sea green.'
3. Uzo Egonu (1928?–1996)
Born in Nigeria – came to the UK in 1945
The kind of cultural eclecticism we now, perhaps, take for granted can be traced back to the work of artists like Uzo Egonu, who were able to fuse Western and African styles in exciting ways, drawing on the heritage of different cultural traditions to create something new.
A New Lease of Life 1988
Uzo Egonu (1931–1996)
Curator and artist Rasheed Araeen described Uzo Egonu as 'perhaps the first person from Africa, Asia or the Caribbean to come to Britain after the War with the sole intention of becoming an artist'. While he lived in the UK from a young age, Egonu's work continued to reflect his West African heritage, and in 1977 he was among a group of black artists and photographers whose work represented the UK at the 'Second World Festival of Black Arts and African Culture' in Lagos.
4. Sonia Boyce (b.1962)
Elected to the Royal Academy in 2016, Sonia Boyce's work has often dealt with themes of race and gender: a visual representation of her experiences being a black woman living and working in Britain. She has worked in mediums including photography, collage, film, prints, drawings, installations and sound, and in 1988 became the first British-based black artist to have a show at the Whitechapel Gallery.
Pillowcase 1990
Sonia Boyce (b.1962)
British Council Collection
Boyce's work, together with the art and curation of Lubaina Himid (below) caused artist and writer Errol Lloyd to exclaim: 'For the first time in Britain black women artists are exhibiting together'.
5. Lubaina Himid (b.1954)
Born in Tanzania – moved to the UK shortly after
An important figure in the emergence and development of black artists in Britain in the 1980s, Himid established a reputation as a curator of black artists' exhibitions, both gender and non-gender specific.
Between the Two my Heart is Balanced 1991
Himid's work Between the Two my Heart is Balanced, while painted in 1991, perhaps has particular poignancy today, with its depiction of migrants crossing oceans. There is a sense of connection with journeys undertaken from Africa: Himid's work has often emphasised the contribution of African migrants to the development of European culture – reflective of the fact that Himid herself was born in Tanzania and moved to England shortly after.
6. Donald Rodney (1961–1998)
The influential Wolverhampton-based BLK Art Group featured several members whose names are on this list – among them Rodney, Keith Piper and Lubaina Himid – alongside other contemporaries including Eddie Chambers, Ian Palmer and Marlene Smith.
Along these other members of the BLK Art Group, Rodney was instrumental in pushing for greater representation of black art in Britain. The group's campaigning saw the landmark exhibition 'The Other Story' staged at Hayward Gallery in 1989. Featuring contemporary artists of African, Caribbean and Asian ancestry, the show revealed how these artists had been marginalised in the West and is described by the Tate as 'a key moment in the British black arts movement'.
How the West was Won 1982
Donald G. Rodney (1961–1998)
Art UK features one of Rodney's early works – How the West was Won – a satire of the film of the same name. The white man's grotesque grin, in broad, bright brushstrokes leaves us in no doubt as to the message Rodney is sending. His work was always deeply political and confrontational: his piece Doublethink featured shelves of gold trophies with racist slurs engraved on them, such as 'Black sportsmen have low IQs' and 'Black culture cannot make any important achievements'.
7. Lynette Yiadom-Boakye (b.1977)
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye mainly paints portraits but her subjects aren't real: they're composites, made up from bits of real people and bits of photos taken from magazines – and her imagination. Her paintings are characterised by a lack of fixed narrative and unusual, mysterious titles: A Passion Like No Other, Citrine by the Ounce, The Courtesy of a Saint...
To Tell Them There It's Got To 2013
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye (b.1977)
The Box (Plymouth Museums Galleries Archives)
Yiadom-Boakye described her works to the New York Times as 'suggestions of people... They don't share our concerns or anxieties. They are somewhere else altogether.'
8. Keith Piper (b.1960)
Born in Malta – raised in Birmingham
Along with his contemporary Donald Rodney (above), Keith Piper made waves in the 1980s art scene.
(You are now entering) Mau Mau Country 1983
Keith Piper (b.1960)
His first solo show was held at the Black Art Gallery in Finsbury Park, and he subsequently underwent a development of style – from a largely painting, collage and print-based practice to use of mixed media and installation and utilisation of technology – helped by the arrival of affordable computers.
9. Tam Joseph (b.1947)
Born in Dominica – came to London in 1955
Tam Joseph is another artist who has resisted attempts to pigeonhole his work as being only about issues of race, commenting ahead of the exhibition 'This is History' that: 'I wasn't trying to develop a distinctly black art. I was trying to develop myself as a person, through my art' – and indeed, he doesn't quite sit with the other leading characters from the black art movement of the 1980s.
UK School Report
Nevertheless, one of Joseph's best-known works – which features on Art UK – is his 1983 painting UK School Report, an indictment of the racial stereotyping the artist saw in British schools.
10. Winston Branch (b.1947)
Born in Saint Lucia – came to London in the 1960s
Another largely abstract artist to grace this list, Winston Branch was marked out early as one to watch, with his work shown in galleries such as the Art Lab, the crypt of St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Roundhouse by the time he graduated from the Slade.
Ju Ju Bird No. 2 1974
Winston Branch (b.1947)
Herbert Art Gallery & Museum
Branch has lived and worked across Europe and the USA and was recently a key part of the Guildhall Gallery's 'No Colour Bar' exhibition, where his three featured paintings hung at the entrance.
Molly Tresadern, Art UK Content Creator and Marketer
Frank Bowling: 60 years of pioneering colourful abstraction
Between art and popular culture: the myriad influences of Chris Ofili
Sonia Boyce: a revolutionary face of contemporary British art
Lubaina Himid: celebrating the history of black creativity
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye: on blackness and portraiture
The BLK Art Group: how the West Midlands collective inspired the art world
Who was Edmonia 'Wildfire' Lewis?
Thomas J. Price on what it means to be a Black British artist working today
An interview with Nahem Shoa: portraying the 'Face of Britain'
Tam Joseph talks to Catherine Farren
Winston Branch: on Ju Ju birds and never staying still
Celebrating the Windrush generation's impact on British art
A fantasy of the black and the beautiful
Celebrating black British artists in public collections
A visual exploration of Voodoo
Uncovering paintings of Europe's monarchs of colour
Speech Acts: an introduction by Sonia Boyce
The Turner Prize: a retrospective
Postcolonial art: eight artists addressing empire, colonial histories and black identities
Sculpting in steel: an interview with Sokari Douglas Camp
Kara Walker: confronting colonial history through maritime allegories
From the Renaissance to Abstract Expressionism: Winston Branch on his many influences
Curations: announcing a new tool from Art UK that lets you create your own exhibition
Zanele Muholi: championing black and queer visual narratives
David Hockney: swimming pools and suburbia
Yinka Shonibare: poetic, political artist
Art of the nation: artist Sonia Boyce chooses five works
What can this painting of an anonymous woman tell us about black history?
Speech Acts: a curatorial introduction
Pushed off the pedestal: who was the slave trader Edward Colston?
Tony Daley: the art of teaching, chasing beauty, and life in lockdown
What is Art UK doing about Black Lives Matter?
On sculpture, elitism and Brexit: the art of Yinka Shonibare
Speech Acts: introduction by the Director of Manchester Art Gallery and The Whitworth
Art Matters podcast: soul of a nation
Crossing boundaries: the life and works of Aubrey Williams
From Ghana to London: how photographer James Barnor captured two societies in transition
Titus Agbara's 'Damilola'
Five black female and non-binary artists to follow on Instagram
Speech Acts: reflections – performing the self
The role of the Clapham Sect in the fight for the abolition of slavery
Postcolonial interpretations of the art collections at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
The bureaucracy of artistic Britishness
Weave 1994
Monkey dey Chop, Baboon dey Cry 1984
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Geneva Lake Shore Path
Features May 24, 2017 May 25, 2017
White River County Park Bridge
A trail on one of the Geneva Lake Conservancy's privately held easement properties.
By Shelby Deering | Photography by Geneva Lake Conservancy
In the 1970s, at the height of a new wave of environmental activism in America, several local leaders met to discuss a very important topic: protecting Geneva Lake from pollution. The result of their discussion was the eventual founding of the Geneva Lake Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that preserves and advocates for Walworth County waterways, natural areas and working lands. This year, the group is celebrating its 40th anniversary. It started as the Committee to Save Lake Geneva in 1977, and in 1992, it became the Geneva Lake Conservancy.
“The Conservancy has been lucky to have many strong, dedicated leaders and supporters over its 40-year history,” says Geneva Lake Conservancy Executive Director Karen Yancey.
Since that fateful meeting in the 1970s, the organization has grown to more than 800 members who faithfully support clean water and open lands throughout Walworth County. The GLC focuses on environmental efforts such as land protection and conservation easements (a legal agreement between a landowner and conservation group that limits the use of the land to ensure that the owner’s conservation goals for the property are upheld), Walworth County shoreland zoning, educational programming and municipal meetings.
Yancey adds that Walworth County has an abundance of prime agricultural land, otherwise known as working lands that they’ve set out to protect as well. “The Conservancy has almost 1,000 acres of working lands preserved by conservation easements,” she says.
PRESERVING LANDS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
Yancey, who has been with the Conservancy since September 2016, has worked for more than 25 years in Illinois and Wisconsin’s land trust community as a board member, staff member and volunteer.
“You could say I have returned to the place where I developed my love of the natural world as a child during my summers at my grandparents’ Williams Bay home,” she explains. “There is so much natural beauty in the Geneva Lakes area and throughout Wisconsin, and I am grateful to be able to use my land trust experience to help protect it from pollution and inappropriate development,” she adds.
Nancy Russell, a Walworth County Board Supervisor for District 11 and longtime supporter of the Geneva Lake Conservancy, shares Yancey’s sentiment.
“Even if I never visit these properties or other protected land in Wisconsin and other states, it gives me a sense of peace and ownership to know they exist and, hopefully, will continue to be there for generations to come. In Walworth County, we must act to protect these important properties before they are purchased for private development. Once developed, they can never be restored to native lands.”
Charles Colman, an active board member and supporter of the GLC for the past 14 years, agrees, and says, “Our woodlands, prairies and agricultural lands are what gives our county character and beauty.
They also provide natural habitats for birds and animals, and are places to walk and rebalance one’s life. They shouldn’t be lost to development or lack of care.”
SUCCESS YET MUCH WORK TO DO
The Conservancy has attained much success throughout the previous four decades. Just some of their achievements include: the completion of the 2007 Geneva Lake Watershed Survey; the installation of 29 Geneva Lake Watershed signs to encourage public awareness; and in 2015, the organization surpassed over 1,900 acres of protected land.
But according to Yancey, the Conservancy still has a lot of ground to cover. In 2017, their plans include a new land acquisition program and the Monarch Mission, a movement to preserve the monarch butterfly population.
“The monarch butterfly population is in decline worldwide because of habitat loss, which includes the scarcity of milkweed on which it depends to feed and lay eggs. The Conservancy has launched its Monarch Mission to sell up to 1,000 milkweed to be planted in the county,” she explains.
In any organization, with achievements come challenges. For instance, the Conservancy’s conservation easement at the Black Point Historic Site was a “struggle over many years,” says Yancey.
She says, “As a kid, my cousin and I used to hike there because it was one of the wildest areas of the lake. One of the highlights of my return here was to tour the house and see much of the shoreline still undeveloped and in a naturalistic state protected by our conservation easement. I felt very grateful to all the men and women who championed for protection of the house and property.”
A LEARNING CURVE
Colman says that “growing and supporting a small land trust is not easy,” but he attributes the Conservancy’s survival to the “long list of board members who supported the organization and paved the way.” He also notes that building a strong financial base has taken time and effort and learning their role in advocacy has been difficult.
The struggles have made the successes that much sweeter, like the GLC’s partnership with the White River County Park.
In 2014, the Conservancy advocated for the purchase of the park by Walworth County and prepared a plan for the restoring of the trails, woodland areas and prairies. The GLC continues to work toward prairie restoration and helps with work days.
Russell says, “From a personal perspective, I believe the GLC’s greatest impact and accomplishment was the advocacy of many, many members of the Conservancy who came to public hearings of the County Board to testify in favor of the 195acre purchase that became the White River County Park.”
The GLC’s hard work reaches far and wide. Yancey says, “The Conservancy’s impact on Walworth County is often measured by what you don’t see rather than what you see. Over the last 40 years, we have helped prevent dense, inappropriate development, protected almost 2,000 acres of land as open space, preserved the health of our lakes and streams by advocating for the use of best practices to manage our watersheds, and educated Walworth County residents on the benefits of open lands and a healthy environment.”
The Geneva Lake Conservancy has made incredible strides to preserve the glacial landscape for future generations. Their mission wraps into a favorite John Muir quote of Yancey’s: “Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.”
On July 15, the Geneva Lake Conservancy will mark its 40 years of advocacy with their “Tour of the Land” Day, in which the public is invited to tour and hike privately-owned easement properties. Included in the $10 ticket? A map and volunteer-led talks focusing on each scenic area’s natural features.
“They will experience life on a biodynamic farm in central Walworth County, hike trails on a Sugar Creek nature preserve, walk through an old oak forest blooming with native understory plants, learn about a forest restoration near Lake Como and stroll a shoreline of majestic oaks on a historic Geneva Lake estate,” says Janet Happ, Geneva Lake Conservancy director of development.
That evening, guests are invited to attend the Conservancy’s evening gala at the lakefront estate of its first conversation easement, complete with dinner and presentation on the future of the GLC.
Happ says, “The goal of the event is to showcase both the beauty and variety of landscapes that landowners throughout the county have protected with conservation easements.”
Russell adds, “The anniversary event is very representative of the Conservancy’s work, which, I believe, has been an advocate for protection of Geneva Lake and other shoreland, wetland and native species areas.”
For more information visit genevalakeconservancy.org.
Tour of the Land Day Properties:
Krusenbaum Farm, W3194 County Road D, East Troy
Sugar Creek Preserve, Bower Rd., Elkhorn, (www.sugarcreekpreserve.com)
Hermansen Woods, Como Rd., Lake Geneva
Colman Woods, W4486 North Lake Shore Dr., Williams Bay GLC’s First Conservation Easement, on South Shore Dr., Lake Geneva
McIntyre’s Resort: Simply Magic
Timeless Treasure
From High-Rise to Hog House
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Tag: immigration
Warner, Kaine file amicus brief in immigration Supreme Court case
Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined in filing an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of the President’s 2014 executive actions on immigration.
America, the Glutiful
It’s not about what we’re telling the world when we react to terrorism by pushing yet again to close our borders to people fleeing a civil war.
Harrisonburg immigration demonstration Friday
Virginia Organizing will hold a demonstration at U.S. Representative Bob Goodlatte’s Harrisonburg office on Friday at 3 p.m. to stand in support of President Barack Obama’s executive order that created Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) to provide relief for parents of U.S.-born children and expanded the popular Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Bob Goodlatte: A victory for the Constitution and the American People
Put down the pen and phone, Mr. President. That was the message from a federal appeals court just a few days ago. In a victory for the Constitution and the American people, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an injunction preventing President Obama’s executive amnesty on immigration from being implemented.
Hillary Clinton statement on Fifth Circuit Court ruling on President Obama’s executive actions on immigration
Following last night’s ruling by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upholding an injunction against President Obama’s executive actions on immigration, Hillary Clinton released the following statement.
Virginia Organizing comments on appeals court ruling on immigration
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an injunction to block implementation of executive orders on immigration, including Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
Randy Forbes: Our word matters when it comes to immigration
many Americans are deeply frustrated and angry over the state of illegal immigration in our nation today. The real battle over immigration isn’t simply about the number of individuals coming across our borders illegally. Those are the effects of something deeper.
Roger Mudd Center for Ethics at Washington and Lee University to focus on ethics of citizenship
The Roger Mudd Center for Ethics at Washington and Lee University will examine “The Ethics of Citizenship” during its 2015–2016 lecture and conference series.
Robert Hurt: Sanctuary cities violate the law, endanger public safety
We are a nation founded on the rule of law. The rule of law centers on the premise that in our democratic republic, the laws of the land reflect the will of the people. The rule of law also requires that it be faithfully applied to everyone – regardless of who they are.
Bob Goodlatte: House takes first step to stop sanctuary cities
In recent weeks, the House Judiciary Committee has been working to examine the dangerous immigration policies adopted by some state and local governments.
Robert Hurt votes for House immigration bill
Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released a statement after voting in favor of the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act, H.R. 3009, which would prevent state and local governments from receiving federal grants if their laws, policies, or procedures inhibit the enforcement of immigration laws.
Group: Republicans need bigger share of Latino vote to win in 2016
A political advocacy group said Friday that the Republican Party presidential nominee in 2016 will need the votes of 47 percent of Latinos nationally to win a majority of the popular vote.
Bob Goodlatte: Sanctuary city policies endanger communities
“No.” Unfortunately, that is what many sanctuary cities have told the federal government regarding the enforcement of our immigration laws.
Bob Goodlatte: Enforce the law
We are a nation of immigrants and our immigration system has contributed to the greatness of the United States. However, we are also a nation of laws. The Administration cannot disregard the rule of law. Our immigration laws must be enforced.
Tuesday workshop for employers of immigrants in Harrisonburg
Virginia Organizing and NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center will host a workshop featuring a senior trial attorney from the Department of Justice, Office of Special Council for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, Lisa Zamd, to provide information for employers on how to avoid discrimination in hiring practices.
Herring advocates for targeted, compassionate immigration reforms
Attorney General Mark R. Herring is joining 14 other states and the District of Columbia today in filing an amicus brief advocating for recently announced federal immigration reforms that “will increase State tax revenue, enhance public safety, and help avoid tragic situations in which parents are deported away from their U.S. citizen children, who are left to rely on state services or extended family.”
Governor McAuliffe statement on amicus brief filing on federal immigration reforms
Governor McAuliffe released the following statement in support of Virginia joining 14 states and the District of Columbia in filing an Amicus Brief in support of President Obama’s immigration actions.
Immigration rights group comments on amicus brief
The Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights commented on the move by Attorney General Mark Herring, Congressmen Bobby Scott, Gerry Connolly, and Don Beyer on signing an Amicus Brief supporting the Obama administration by requesting that the Texas 5th Circuit Court lift Judge Andrew Hanen’s preliminary injunction blocking the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA).
Virginia leaders support AG’s actions on immigration reform
Virginia business leaders, public safety officials, elected officials, and immigration advocates expressed support today for Attorney General Herring’s decision to support targeted, compassionate immigration reform that “will increase State tax revenue, enhance public safety, and help avoid tragic situations in which parents are deported away from their U.S. citizen children.”
Bob Goodlatte: Enforcement comes first
There are many issues plaguing our nation’s immigration system, but the biggest problem is that immigration laws are not enforced.
Randy Forbes: Executive orders and the rule of law
In order to work, a nation built on the rule of law requires interdependence. We call it separation of powers, but what that really means is that through a system of checks and balances, authority is shared between three branches to ensure the government itself is held accountable to the law.
Bob Goodlatte: Standing strong for the Constitution
A decision made by a U.S. District Court in Texas just a few days ago has had a major impact on President Obama’s recent executive actions to unilaterally change our immigration laws.
Tim Kaine expresses support for clean Homeland Security funding bill
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined his Democratic colleagues to advocate a clean bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and block Republican attempts to play politics with the agency’s funding and risk a shutdown of the critical agency over disagreements with the President’s immigration actions.
Robert Hurt votes to block funding for Obama executive order on immigration
Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement after the House passage of H.R. 240, the Fiscal Year 2015 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act.
Randy Forbes: Reflections on what a Republican majority means for 2015
As we look to a new year and a new Congress, we have before us a unique opportunity with a Republican majority in both Houses.
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Fuel-efficient Vehicles
Do solar powered cars cause pollution?
by Josh Clark
How much do you know about solar powered cars? Check out these alternative fuel vehicle pictures to learn more.
Ryan McVay/Thinkstock
Despite their environmentally friendly design, there's always been one caveat to plug-in electric vehicles. While they don't emit any carbon dioxide as they're driven — in fact, all-electric cars don't have tailpipes — they do use electricity that's mostly generated by burning fossil fuels. These fossil fuels do, in fact, emit carbon dioxide, which means that anything using that electricity is indirectly causing pollution.
One clever way around this conundrum is to generate the electricity on the car itself, using photovoltaic solar panels. Solar radiation hits the Earth at an average equivalent to 4.2 kilowatt-hours of energy per square meter of Earth. Over the course of a year, this adds up to about a barrel of oil per square meter, which doesn't seem like much until you realize the Earth's surface covers about 510 million square kilometers, or about 197 million square miles.
The Cadmium Conundrum
Much like electric cars, solar power has hidden carbon costs, specifically in the production of the panels used to capture the sun's radiation. In the mid-2000s, for example, fears emerged that cadmium telluride, one of the most promising photovoltaic compounds (a combination of metals that produce electricity when exposed to solar radiation), might be a more dangerous pollutant than fossil fuels.
Cadmium is a carcinogenic heavy metal that poses a health risk to lungs, kidneys and bones. The air, soil and water pollutant also has a tremendous amount of staying power in the environment. But as much as it poses a health risk, a group of researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory point out that the relative risks are still light when compared to the use of fossil fuels. In the agency's 2008 study, researchers found that emissions from production of cadmium telluride solar cells were about 300 times less than the toxic emissions of coal-fired power plants.
Still, there is the matter of the creation of those solar cells; it takes fossil fuels to power the production of solar cells. From the diesel that powers the earthmovers mining the cadmium to the electricity produced by burning coal that powers the solar cell plants, there is some carbon dioxide output associated with solar power. Again, however, it looks like solar power is still more eco-friendly than traditional sources of power. The same 2008 study found that when looking at the overall use of electricity generated by solar power compared to electricity generated by fossil fuels, solar power represents a 90 percent reduction in air pollution.
It looks like while solar powered cars are indeed responsible for different types of pollution, solar energy is still a big improvement in pollution reduction over fossil fuels.
Even concept solar powered cars pollute.
Running on Empty? How Bad Is It for Your Car?
Can carbon fiber solve the oil crisis?
What are the dangers of hydrogen-powered vehicles?
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Rebellion, Orthodoxy and Hamza Yusuf
Original: https://sulaimanahmed.com/2019/10/12/rebellion-orthodoxy-and-hamza-yusuf/
After an extended hiatus from blogging, I was compelled to write this article after witnessing the barrage of insults and attacks directed towards Shaykh Hamza Yusuf through a range of social media platforms including as Facebook and Twitter. Admittedly, I have a propensity to jump to the defence of people who are at the receiving end of such attacks from scholars and lay people.[1] Nearly all of these groups have joined forces, whether it is Salafis, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Deobandis, Brelwis – even Modernist groups and scholars have entered the fray. Many of these people have clearly crossed a line by sending veiled Takfir (stating that a person has committed apostasy from Islam) in the direction of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, by calling him Mr Hanson, Mark or Mark Hanson, digging into their quite shallow repertoire of insults. These people hold the bizarre notion that if you are `born’ Muslim then you can’t lose your Muslimhood unless you vocally and publicly denounce Islam, but if you convert to Islam, even if you are a scholar, then you can freely be anathematised. For example, in these people’s writings Shaykh Hamza Yusuf fluctuates between his Muslim name and `Mark Hanson’ depending on how `Muslim’ people consider him to be. I wonder what the late great Muhammad Ali would have to say about the mind-set of these individuals, after his famous reaction to Ernie Terrell repeatedly calling him Cassius Clay in the lead up to their 1967 fight.
The video[2] that has caused an uproar is from 2016 but for some reason has surfaced now, which is conveniently soon after Shaykh Hamza Yusuf was appointed to the ‘Commission on Unalienable Rights’ by Donald Trump.[3] A council I might add that most of these scholars and `dawah carriers’ would jump at the opportunity to be involved in. Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying Shaykh Hamza Yusuf made the correct decision, in the right circumstances and under the right leadership one could consider such a post, but with Trump it seems like it is a wasted opportunity, especially if you are a Muslim. I would have made the same point about another scholar I respect, Dr Khalid Abou Fadl, who was appointed by George W Bush[4] to the ‘United States Commission on International Freedom’. Recall that George W. Bush was responsible for the war in Afghanistan as well as the illegal invasion of Iraq. In a recent lecture Dr Khalid Abou Fadl explained that whilst he was in the role, he argued for the rights of minorities and advocated for justice for many people who may have not had an advocate if he had not held such a role. Despite this, an important point to note is that if Dr Khalid Abou Fadl had not informed us of some of his positive contributions during his role as commissioner we would not have been aware of them and as such the feelings of the Muslim community would have been similar to those expressed about Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. It is therefore quite fair to state that we are not aware of the positive impact Shaykh Hamza Yusuf may be having in his role as a commissioner.
Joining a non-Muslim Government
Many of the pro-Khilafah (Caliphate) movements such as `Hizb ut-Tahrir’and `Jam’iyat al-Ikhwan al-Muslimin’ will detest the fact that Dr Khalid Abou Fadl and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf have joined these non-Muslim governments, which according to them are Kufr systems (systems of disbelief), and partaking in such a system is in itself supporting kufr. But, we merely need to open up the Quran to see that an important personality, a Prophet in this case, joined a non-Muslim government in Egypt and was promoted to a significant role within it. The Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) did not partake in kufr or promote kufr and to make such a claim about a Prophet is highly problematic. Instead the idea is that if one can make a positive contribution to society and can have a positive impact on the government in question, then a person should consider such a role. Here is the Prophet Yusuf being appointed to his role in the non-Muslim government in the Quran:
And the king said, “Bring him to me; I will appoint him exclusively for myself.” And when he spoke to him, he said, “Indeed, you are today established [in position] and trusted.” [Joseph] said, “Appoint me over the storehouses of the land. Indeed, I will be a knowing guardian.”[6]
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and the Infamous Clip
Now the Question is what actually happened in the video? Was Shaykh Hamza Yusuf attacking or making a mockery of the dissolute people of Syria? Or was this a propaganda campaign that was linked to his appointment to the council and his close relationship with the government of the UAE? (Not to mention that these groups haranguing him make no mention of the brutal and tyrannical Saudi regime, although this may change now that the Saudi government is moving away from their affiliation to extreme Salafism to a more liberal/western ideology, although even then there is no dissent, because in that case you will be killed.[7])
Here is the link to the video and the specific statement that caused controversy, which can be found around (49:35):
Shaykh Hamza Yusuf states “They can go out and keep doing the same old thing, how is that revolution looking for you ah?”
I’ll ask the same question of those who began the rebellion, the scholars who supported and incited it and the governments who inflamed it, “How is that revolution looking for you”? It sounds harsh, but by the end of this article, I hope that people ask the same question “How is that revolution looking for you?”
Rebellion in Islam, an Analysis of the Islamic Exegesis
Violence, rebellion and war have forever plagued society and we have witnessed this from ancient to modern times. In these modern times we have seen that scholars and those in authority have been the main instigators and protagonists that have supported the rebellion. The specific aim of this section is to analyse Islamic exegesis, which includes the Quran, the Sunnah, as well as examining other Usuli tools such as Ijma (Scholarly Consensus) in order to determine whether rebelling is permissible in Islam.
At this juncture it is important to be clear that I am not a hadith (sayings or actions attributed to the Prophet Muhammad) nut like the rest of these retrograde scholars, and neither do I believe that if a hadith is deemed Sahih (authentic) according to the principles of the Muhaditheen (scholars of hadith) then one has to unequivocally follow the narration. But these so-called traditionists who throw a fit if one deems a hadith, especially if it is narrated in collections such as Bukhari as fabricated, are the same people who support rebelling against a leader. This is clearly a double standard and an explicit example of cherry picking the traditions that they wish to follow. One needs to merely look at the response to the previous articles that questioned certain narrations that claim that one should kill homosexuals[8], kill ‘blasphemers’[9], kill those who apostate from Islam, that the Prophet Muhammad was affected by black magic[10] and that the Prophet Moses was stripped naked.[11] From the response to this article you not only see these double standards on display but you also see their mentality, which is to hold onto the traditions that propagate extremism but those traditions that may save lives, then lets ignore them and throw them out of the window.
Quran on Rebellion
The first area that will be explored in this article are the verses of Quran relating to rebellion and following a leader. For example, the following verse in the Quran:
“O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and the ruler among you,”[12]
This verse is very explicit in that one should obey the leader and this is via the divine command. In addition, the verse is asking people to not only obey God, the Messenger but also the leader. Now, some do argue that the word Ati (obey) is not placed before the word leader and therefore it is on the condition that the leader doesn’t commit Kufr (disbelief). Scholars do still maintain that there is no condition placed on this verse and therefore even if the leader is not just, one must still obey them.
Hadith on Rebellion
We will now move onto exploring the hadith related to rebelling against a leader. Traditional Sunnis hold steadfast to hadith, and rejecting a hadith, especially if it is narrated in Bukhari is heretical. Or is that only when you want to make lives harder by making them follow difficult fatwas (Islamic rulings)?
Here is a Hadith narrated in Bukhari:
The people used to ask Allah’s Messenger about the good but I used to ask him about the evil lest I should be overtaken by them. So I said, “O Allah’s Messenger! We were living in ignorance and in an (extremely) worst atmosphere, then Allah brought to us this good; will there be any evil after this good?” He said, “Yes.” I said, ”Will there be any good after that evil?” He replied, “Yes, but it will be tainted (not pure).” I asked, “What will be its taint?” He replied, “(There will be) some people who will guide others not according to my tradition? You will approve of some of their deeds and disapprove of some others.” I asked, “Will there be any evil after that good?” He replied, “Yes, (there will be) some people calling at the gates of the (Hell) Fire, and whoever will respond to their call, will be thrown by them into the (Hell) Fire.” I said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Will you describe them to us?” He said, “They will be the youth (Muslims) and will speak our language.” I said, “What do you order me to do if such a state should take place in my life?” He said, “Stick to the group of Muslims and their Imam (ruler).” I said, “If there is neither a group of Muslims nor an Imam (ruler)?” He said, “Then turn away from all those sects even if you were to bite (eat) the roots of a tree till death overtakes you while you are in that state will be better.”[13]
The pro-Khalifah groups hate this hadith and try their best to deny its existence. This is because this hadith, which is narrated in Bukhari (the most authentic collection according to all of these so-called traditional groups), is not telling you to establish a Khilafah, but instead telling you to leave all of the non-ruling groups and live a quiet life. We will explore this hadith in more detail when we look at the specific rebellion in Syria.
The question is now is this the only hadith that is relayed on this issue. The answer is no. There is a plethora of hadith that demonstrate the same point. Take for example a Hadith relayed in Sahih Muslim as well as the Musnad of Imam Ahmad:
“There will be leaders who will not be following me, there will be others who will have the body of humans but the heart of Satan. Listen to and obey them, even if the leader will flog your back and take your wealth”[14]
This hadith is decisive. It explains that there will be leaders who will not be following the moral, ethical and legal approach of the Prophet Muhammad and in fact they will be evil in nature, to the point that a comparison has been made to their heart being like that of Satan. Even if these leaders beat you and take what is your right, such as your wealth, then even in this scenario you should obey the leader and not rebel.
This concept can been seen in the Hadith relayed in the `Mustadrak’ of Imam Hakim, as well as many other sources such as the `Musnad’ of Imam Ahmad and a version of it can be found in `Sahih Muslim’:
One who defected from obedience (to the Amir) and is separated from the main body of the Muslims – if he died in that state he would die the death of the one belonging to the days of Jahiliyya (i.e. would not die as a Muslim).[15]
Here is another Hadith relayed in the Sahih Muslim and Musnad of Imam Ahmad:
“When you are holding to one single man as your leader, you should kill whoever seeks to undermine your solidarity or disrupt your unity.”[16]
On a literal reading of the text and from a theoretical perspective this tradition seems problematic, as it is ordering the killing of an opponent, who may merely disagree with the current leadership and it seems to go against the fundamental principle of the Quran, regarding the sanctity of human life. These verses can be found in various parts of the Quran such as:
“Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely”[17]
This verse is quite pertinent to this topic area and links in to the hadith we relayed from the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, the verse states that it is not permissible to take a life unless it is for another life, such as in the instance where someone has committed a murder and has been given the punishment of the death penalty. But the verse also states that it is permissible if a person commits al-Ifsad fi al-Ard, corruption on the Earth. Islamic scholars have argued that rebellion falls into the category of al-Ifsad fi al-Ard. Hence why the Hadith relayed in the Musnad argues that it is permissible to kill a person in this scenario. They argue that rebellion will lead to chaos in society, murder, death and the de-stabilisation of the community. The killing of one person from a practical perspective outweighs the millions of lives that can be lost due to a rebellion. As such they argue that the hadith falls in line with the Quran. I’m not saying that I agree with this but this is the classical understanding that these groups hounding Hamza Yusuf claim to adhere to.
Another Hadith relayed in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad:
“We give bayah (allegiance) to the Prophet, we must obey if we are idle or active, or if our rights have been taken away, we will not go to challenge the leadership except if we see the obvious Kufr (disbelief) and we have the strong proof from God.”[18]
Once again this hadith is relaying the same position that can be found in a wide variety of hadith: rebelling against a leader is not permissible even if that leader takes away your rights. Now this hadith gives an exemption that the only time it is permissible to rebel against a leader is if he commits open and obvious kufr (Kufr Buwah). We will speak more about this later, but at this juncture it is important to note that Kufr Buwah is when a person commits open and obvious kufr and there is no possibility that his statements or actions can mean something else.
Another Hadith narrated in Sahih Muslim:
“The best of your rulers are those whom you love and who love you, who invoke God’s blessings upon you and you invoke His blessings upon them. And the worst of your rulers are those whom you hate and who hate you and whom you curse and who curse you. It was asked (by those present): Shouldn’t we overthrow them with the help of the sword? He said: No, as long as they establish prayer among you. If you then find anything detestable in them, you should hate their administration, but do not withdraw yourselves from their obedience.”[19]
The collections of hadith are proliferated with similar narrations which convey the same message that one cannot rebel against the leader, but for the purposes of this article the proofs presented should suffice.
Ijma (Scholarly Consensus) on Rebellion
In this section we will explore the sources of the scholars who argue that there is Ijma (Scholarly Consensus) that one is not allowed to rebel against their leader. Once again, I want to reiterate that for those people who do not accept the validity of Ijma this section would be largely irrelevant to them. But for those who claim to be traditionalists and scream Modernism to those who disagree with their viewpoint then they have left themselves in quite a pickle. Are they now going to abandon the concept of Ijma and join those who they branded as modernists? Or are they only confining their own modernist approach to select topics, which suit their own doctrine?
Ijma falls into the branch of Usul, which are legal principles that are deployed in order to derive rulings from the Quran and the Sunnah. In order to deduce if rebelling against a leader contravenes Ijma, and if it does then what this would mean from a legal and theological perspective, one needs to have at least a basic understanding of the concept of Ijma.
Ijma is the consensus of Mujtahid (the highest ranking) scholars in Fiqh (Jurisprudence) and Aqeedah (theology, dogma or creed). Furthermore, for one to claim Ijma on a specific issue requires the agreement of Mujtahid scholars in those specific fields. Ijma can be split into two categories, Ijma in Fiqh and Ijma in Aqeedah.
Ijma in Fiqh requires the agreement of all the madhabs (legal or other ‘schools’) in Fiqh, from the various groups from Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamaat. Therefore, let’s say someone from the Jafari School disagreed on an issue but the schools within Ahle Sunnah had consensus on that issue, the opinion of the Jafaris would be disregarded and Ijma would be established. If Fiqhy Ijma has been established, then going against this position is considered heretical and it would mean that the person has left and transgressed Ahle Sunnah – and, our puritanical brothers surely would not want to become the ‘heretics’ they so clearly despise.
Ijma in Aqeedah requires the agreement of all sects of Islam except those sects that are considered Kufri (disbelieving) sects (and granted there can a wide ranging debate about which groups are considered Kufri, for example those people who consider themselves Ahle Sunnah may consider the Mutazalites as a Kufri sect, and the Mutazalites who were instrumental in developing Usul will consider these anthropomorphist sects such as the Salafists as a kufri sect). Contravening an Ijma in Aqeedah is considered Kufr (disbelief) and would result in the person allegedly leaving the fold of Islam. We will explore whether Rebellion contravenes the Ijma of Fiqh and or the Ijma of Aqeedah.
The first proof is from Ibn Hajar Asqalani (852/1449), a Shafi, Ashari scholar, and a pillar of the Muhaditheen. He stated in his commentary[20] on the following hadith relayed by Imam Bukhari:
‘’Anyone who sees from his leader, something that he dislikes, let him bear it; if a person leaves the leader by even one handspan he will die a jahli (ignorant) death’’
Ibn Hajar Asqalani commentated that it is the Ijma of Fuqha (jurisprudential scholars) that it is Wajib (compulsory) to obey the ruler who takes over, that there is Ijma that obeying the ruler is better than going against him and it is not permissible to go against the leader because by doing this (meaning obeying the leader) it will stop bloodshed and will avoid Fitna (tribulation). There is only one exemption and that is if the leader will commit open and obvious disbelief (Kufr Buwa). Only in that case is it permissible to go against the leader.
Here is the first proof of Ijma from Ibn Hajar Asqalani. He is clearly and unequivocally stating that it is the Ijma of Fuqaha that it is not permissible to rebel against the leader, and the only instance where it would be deemed acceptable to do so would be if the leader has committed open and obvious Kufr (disbelief). Now the question arises that what is open and obvious Kufr? The answer is that he openly declares that he doesn’t believe in God, or he makes a statement of disbelief and one cannot make an excuse or interpret his statement to mean anything other than disbelief. So for example let’s say someone stated publicly ‘I do not believe in Jesus’ that would not be open and obvious Kufr as you could give it several interpretations that would not result in disbelief. For example, he could mean that he does not believe in the Christian interpretation of Jesus, or ‘I do not believe in Jesus as interpreted through the concept of the Trinity’. On the other hand, if a person was to state that ‘I do not believe in the existence of the Prophet Eisaa who was the messenger of God as mentioned in the Quran,’ as this could not be given a non-kufri interpretation it would be disbelief. We will explore Bashar al-Assad and whether he falls into this category later in this article.
The next proof[21] is from Ibn Hajar Asqalani, a Shafi, Ashari scholar who stated that:
‘’Hasan bin Saleh ibn Hay used to believe that it is permissible to go against the government if they are oppressive but it is an old position of the Salaf (the first generation of Muslims) but afterwards it became Ijma (scholarly consensus); they saw that what [rebellion] led to was a significant amount of destruction. When the Salaf observed the actions of Hajaaj they said that it is not permissible to go against this Ijma’’
The next proof[22] is from Ibn Hazm (456/1044) , who granted is a Zahri scholar and as such are not a School that is considered within Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaat (although as you will notice with the traditionists, consistency is not a strong point: they will use someone like Jassas – a ‘heretical’ Mutazalite – as proof when they want to establish the permissibility of rebellion but when they want to claim that the Prophet Muhammad was affected by black magic then they will argue that Jassas is in fact, after all, a heretical Mutazalite). Despite Ibn Hazm being a Zahri scholar, his book ‘Maratib al-Ijma’ is considered one of the main works in the field of Ijma, and as such it is relied upon by all scholars.
“There is Ijma that if any rebels come to kill the people and take the bounty (for themselves), then fighting against them is Wajib (compulsory)”.
Now Ibn Hazm did add that there isn’t an Ijma in the instance where the Rebels have a recognised leader when they are rebelling against the standing leadership. But to be clear he still says that it is not permissible, but he incorrectly claims that there is no Ijma in the specific instance when the rebellion has a recognised and accepted leader.
The next proof[23] is from another favourite of the traditionists and the Muhaditheen, Imam Nawawi (676/1277) who is another Shafi, Ashari Scholar who states in his commentary of Sahih Muslim:
“Going against the leader is haram (impermissible) according to the Ijma of Muslims, as there are many hadith supporting this [concept], the leader will not lose his position by committing sin. When you go against the leader it causes fitna (tribulations) and destruction”
Here Imam Nawawi is adding more information to the Ijma. Not only is it Ijma to not rebel against the leader but it is also Ijma that a leader does not lose his position as leader by committing sin. This conforms with the previous proof of Ijma, where it was explained that it is Ijma that the only time one can go against the leader is when he has committed open and obvious Kufr (disbelief).
The next proof[24] is from Tibi, an Ashari scholar, in his commentary of Mishkaat who makes the same claim of Ijma as Imam Nawawi.
“Going against the leader and claiming leadership is against the Ijma of Muslims. If the leader commits sin, he will not lose his position”
The next proof[25] is from al-Qattan, an Ashari Scholar in his book of Ijma. This once again is one of the foundational texts in the field of Ijma and his book is one of the most relied upon books in this field. Al-Qattan states:
“There is Ijma that if the rebels come to take the wealth of the people and to take women as bounty to fight the rebellion.
There is Ijma of Muslims, [that when] anyone becomes leader by acceptance [of the people] or by taking power, [and then] he becomes oppressive, even if he is obedient or disobedient you cannot rebel against him.
It is Ijma that it’s better to bear their oppression and not to go against them.
Ordering good and forbidding evil is compulsory by the tongue, or by the hand or in the heart, but it is only permissible to take up arms against thieves and bandits after asking them to stop. But you cannot go against the leader”
Here is another proof[26] this time from Imam Bhazdawi (110/493), a Maturidi scholar in his famous theological book ‘Usul ud Deen’:
“The Khawarij argue that there are instances where there is a need to remove a leader due to him being oppressive. Bhazdawi argued that the opinion of the Khawarij is not valid, as it goes against authentic hadith and the Ijma of Sahabah. The reason he gave for this is that he argued that removing respectable people is easier than removing non-respectable people.
We have a statement from Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Shafi that if the leader will be oppressive and commits major sin, then in that case you can go against him. There was a disagreement amongst the students of Imam Shafi, who said [the leader] will lose his position, whereas other [students] said he would not [lose his position], although the reliable position according to Imam Shafi is that [the leader] doesn’t lose his position. If a judge commits a sin he can be removed, whereas the leader cannot.
According to the position of the Mutazalites and the Khawarij we can go against the oppressive leader. The argument that is made against them is that it is the Ijma of the Ummah, that the Ummah accepted the disobedient [people] as their leaders. [For example] the majority of the Sahabah classified the Umayyads as oppressive leaders and they still prayed their Jummah and their Eid prayer [behind them], as well as obeyed their judgements. We observed this conformity from the Sahabah, the Taibeen, and after the time of the Sahabah no one went against the Abassids who were also disobedient”
Imam Bazdawi argues that the reason for this is because if we were to have the notion that the leader loses his position due to sin, it will cause destruction in the world, as there is always some basis for disagreement and bloodshed. But if the leader were to lose position and one was to appoint someone else, this could lead to many other calamities.
He concludes by stating that it is Ijma that oppression and sin do not cause [the leader] to lose his position.
This unequivocally demonstrates from sources within the schools of Ahle Sunnah such as the Maturidis and Asharis, as well as non Ahle Sunnah sources such as Ibn Hazm, that there is Ijma (scholarly consensus) that one cannot rebel against the leader. Some scholars have claimed that it was Fiqhy Ijma and therefore rebelling against the leader is considered heresy, whereas others have argued that it is Theological Ijma and therefore rebelling against the leader will result in disbelief. It is also Ijma that you cannot go against a leader even if he is oppressive and the scholars cited examples such as Hajaaj, who was not only oppressive and a murderer, but he did such atrocities to the Sahabah and the Taibeen, murdering people such as Abdullah bin Zubair the grandson of Abu Bakr, and despite this the early generation of Muslims did not rebel against him. Hajjaj bin Yusuf was a ruthless murder, and was reported to have killed one hundred and twenty thousand of his own people.[27] He would openly boast that one of his many pleasures in life was to partake in bloodshed.[28] It is also Ijma that you cannot go against a leader who commits sin and it is Ijma that it is impermissible to support a rebellion. It is also Ijma to fight against the rebellion and it is Ijma that one should bare the oppression of an unjust leader.
We also see that groups that are considered heretical according to Ahle Sunnah (and often most vociferously amongst Hamza Yusuf’s erstwhile critics), such as the Mutazalites and Khawarij, believe that it is permissible to rebel against the leader. We will explore this further in the upcoming related section.
Rebellion and the Books of Aqeedah (Theology)
Thus, we have evidently demonstrated that the Quran, Hadith (some of which have been argued by the scholars to be Mutawatir or ‘mass narrated’ and hence undeniable without committing kufr) and Ijma have explicitly stated that it is impermissible to rebel against the leader. Now we will move on to the books of Aqeedah, which once again are resolute and singularly focused on the doctrine that it is not permissible to rebel against the leader.
Here is the first proof[29] from Imam Bhazdawi and Ghaznawi, a Maturidi scholar in his famous theological book ‘Usul ud Deen’:
“What we should do make is Dua (supplication) that the leader repents. It is not permissible to go against him and this is narrated from Imam Abu Hanifa. The reason for this is going against the leader causes bloodshed and destruction.
Now the question arises what happens where there is a battle for leadership. In this situation, if someone takes over [and has complete control of] a land, then all of Ahle Sunnah say that when he takes over and announces that he is the new leader, has power, he then becomes Imam, and following his order becomes compulsory. The Mutazalites and Khawarij say that he doesn’t become Imam. Ahle Sunnah are in the right, because despite the fact that no one gave him Bayah (allegiance) willingly, he took the leadership by [force] due to his power and it is Ijma that they are then [the rightful] leaders, if we don’t classify the person who has the support of the military as the leader, it will cause a significant amount of problems.
Obeying the leader is Fard Ayn (compulsory on everyone). If we don’t obey the leader it will cause destruction, obeying the governor is Fard Ayn, because God said that we should – “O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and the ruler among you,”[30] unless they order you to commit sin, [in that case] if you don’t obey him you are not sinful, but going against him is not valid even if he oppresses or commits Major Sin. Instead we make Dua (supplication) for them by asking Allah to make them to stop [their sinful action]”
The next proof[31] is from Shaykh Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi (1144/1731) , a Hanafi Maturidi scholar, but his book is on the Ashari creed.
“It is not permissible to remove the leader if he commits sin, if he commits Major Sin, or even if he is oppressive. The leader is not expected to leave his position due to committing major sin, because people after the rightly guided Khulafah (leaders) oppressed the people, [and despite this] the Salaf still obeyed them, prayed their Jummah and Eid Prayer behind them and never went against them. Being sinless is not a condition of leadership and not going against him is not [considered] obedience to him. Only in the case where he commits Kufr (disbelief), can you go against the leader.
Lakhani [also] said that it is not permissible to remove the leader [from his position] for any reason except for Kufr (disbelief).”
The next proof[32] is from Manshur bin Yunus al-Bahuthi (1051/1641) a scholar from the Hanbali School:
“If the leader takes over with the support of the military, then he becomes official leader, it is [then] compulsory on the citizens to obey him. Imam Ahmed [bin Hanbal] said when the person takes over and he is called a leader, [then] a person can’t spend a night thinking whether he should be the leader irrespective of whether he is disobedient. When Hujaaj oppressed everyone, it was accepted that he was the leader, and by going against the leader you are causing a significant amount of destruction. To be just is a condition of a judge and not a leader. [This is the case] even if an oppressive unjust leader takes over [the land].”
The next proof[33] is from Ala’ al-Din Abidin (d. 1306/1888) the son of the Ibn Abidin as-Shaami, a more recent Hanafi Maturidi scholar, who is highly respected by contemporary Hanafi scholars.
“We do not allow rebelling against or disobeying the leader even if he oppresses us or curses us. We cannot disobey them, and we believe that as long as they are not asking us to commit sin its Fard (compulsory) to obey them and we make Dua (supplication) for them for all the good things.”
The next proof[34] is from Imam ‘Abd al-Ghani al-Ghunaymi al-Maydani, a Hanafi Maturidi scholar, on his commentary on ‘Aqeedah Tahwiyyah’, which is one of the foundational creedal books according to nearly all the groups of Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaat.
“We do not go against our leaders even if they oppress us, as oppression became widespread and became common after the Khulafa-e-Rashideen, and despite this the Salaf used to obey the [leaders]. They would pray their Jumaa and Eid prayer behind them, for the leader to be sinless is not a condition of leadership.
Sharh Aqaid: “There will be some leaders after me, they will ask you to do certain things that are not sinful, obey them don’t insult them and let them be your leaders”.
The next proof[35] is from Sa’ad al-Din Masud ibn Abd Allah al-Taftazani, a Hanafi Maturidi scholar, although his book ‘Sharh Aqaid Nasafi’ is a mixture of Ashari and Maturidi creed.
“The leader will not be discharged from his positon due to oppression and disobedience, because oppression became widespread after the time of the Khalifa Rashideen (rightly guided successors), despite this they used to listen to them, read Jumma and Eid by them and not go against them.”
Delawi argued that this quote from ‘Sharh Aqaid Nasafi’ is a clear reference to their being Ijma on this issue.
The next proof[36] is from Zain ad-Din Ibn Rajab Hanbali, another favourite of the traditionists, in his book ‘Jamia al Aloom ul Hikm’:
“Hadith 43: Saeed ibn Jubayr: I asked ibn Abbas, do I have to stop the leader if he is committing evil. Ibn Abbas replied that if you are afraid that he will kill you then don’t do it. He asked the same question again, and was met with the same answer, he then asked again, to which Ibn Abbas replied that if you are insisting on doing it then advise him privately.
Someone came to ibn Abbas and asked, ‘shall I get up and stop him by my tongue?’, to which he replied that do not be a fitna (cause for tribulation) for him. ‘What if he orders me to commit sin?’ Be one of the people and do not obey him. Destroy the thing through which he is doing evil, but do not rebel against him as this is a prohibited. For example, when you go to destroy a bottle of wine, the person doing it may be killed, but if you go against the leader there will be a huge fitna.
Imam Ahmed – do not go against the leader as the sword of the leader is always ready”
The next proof[37] is from Ibn Abi al-Izz, an anthropomorphist Salafi in his commentary of ‘Sharh Aqeedah Tahwiyyah’:
“In terms of obeying them, even if they oppress us, it is impermissible to go against them, even if they oppress us, because the damage caused due to rebellion will be far greater. If we bear their oppression it increases our level and our reward. Allah didn’t give us oppressive leader except for our sins”
The next proof[38] is from Nur ad-Din Abu al-Hasan Ali al-Qari, a Hanafi Maturidi scholar in his famous commentary on ‘Mishkat al-Masabih’ known as ‘al-Mirqat’.
“Each Muslim has to listen and obey [the leader] whether he likes or dislikes the order. If ordered to commit sin then he does not need to obey. [He should] listen, even if the order is something you like or don’t like, as long as [the leader] doesn’t order you to commit sin, [in that case] you don’t listen to him but you cannot go against him.
Ijma – The leader doesn’t stop being a leader by committing Fisq (disobedience)”
Qadi Iyaaz- “If leader is a heretic, then you should migrate [from the land]”
After an analysis of the texts we find that the Quran, hadith, Ijma as well as the texts of Aqeedah (theology) in the Maturidi, Ashari, Athari/Hanbali and Salafi Schools state unequivocally that it is not permissible to rebel against the legitimate leader even if he himself took over by force. The reason for this is that it leads to death and destruction in society and it results in a situation that is much worse than the one that people found themselves in before they rebelled. And sadly, like it or not, we do see this in Syria where people are in a significantly worse situation than before the rebellion. Of course for Salafists and false utopians, no number of lives or limbs is a big enough price to pay for their pipe dreams but we have to leave that decision to the Syrian people (and not their Saudi, Western and Iranian interlopers).
Rebellion, Sunni Islam and the Mutazalites
This article up until this point has not looked at the anthropological or sociological reasoning for the text being there in the first place. But an important point to note is that if these ardent followers of Sunni Islam do go down this road, meaning questioning the reason why these doctrinal positions are found in hadith and theological books in the first place, it will mean that they would have to re-evaluate a significant part of the Sharia as well the theological doctrinal positions (i.e. be ‘modernists’). An example of this would be that we have a significant amount of problematic narrations that go back to Ikrima, the slave of Ibn Abbas. We have met this extremely dubious character before[39] and he is one of the main sources, and in some cases the only source for narrations that propagate wanting to kill apostates, homosexuals, and basically killing in general. Many of his narrations formed a part of the Sharia. Ikrima was a slave gifted from the Ummayads to Ibn Abass, and therefore just as for the argument for rebellion, many of the laws as well as the doctrinal positions that are found in ‘Islamic’ laws can go back to someone connected to the rulers. Therefore, the traditionists must then accept the re-evaluation of all laws and cannot cherry pick those rules which they wish to follow and those they wish to ignore. For example, the Ikhwaanis and Hizb ut-Tahrir wish to establish ‘Khilafah’, which requires them to overthrow the government. But they need the Sharia in order to promote the need to establish the Khilafah in the first place, but then they still need to rebel, therefore they leave themselves in quite a quandary where they accept some classical hadith and doctrines, but then reject others. Regarding the laws and doctrines they do accept, anyone who opposes them they will call ‘modernists’, but those that they reject they will then attempt to find one-off narrations to prove their point. You can find random one-off narrations or legal rulings to prove literally anything, this includes issues that these Sunni Muslims would go crazy about and call their opponents heretics and disbelievers if they used these isolated narrations and rulings. For example Averroes argued that it can be found in the tradition that women can lead men in the prayer, something that wasn’t accepted by the current Islamic legal schools.[40]
We know that the Mutazalites and the Khawarij permitted rebelling against the leader, despite their reasoning for allowing rebellion to be different. The Mutazalites were mainly Hanafis and many of their doctrinal and legal positons they attributed to Imam Abu Hanifa. It was the same case for the Maturidis and the Murjia. Now if you are going to accept the Mutazalites’ attributions to Abu Hanifa then be fair and do this for all issues. It is once again cherry picking: for example they trot out Imam Jassas as a Hanafi who allowed rebellion, a position which he states in many of his books such as ‘Tafsir Jassas’, but then when Imam Jassas rejects the fact that the Prophet Muhammad was affected by black magic, then they argue that he is a ‘heretical Mutazalite’. This is manifest stupidity.
The Mutazalites argue that the entire concept of the impermissibility of rebelling against the leader was fabricated by the Ummayad Empire and more specifically their leaders. It was to ensure that there would be no uprisings against their brutal and oppressive leadership. If God is telling you that you cannot rebel, and a person becomes a heretic or disbeliever if they do rebel, then they won’t attempt to overthrow the leadership. We know that the Mutazalites were in direct opposition with the Hanbali/Anthropomorphist/Ahle Hadith who were in bed with the leadership. This political battle, which was lost by the Mutazalites, is why this hadith orientated version of Islam became the prevalent version of Islam and the rational version of Islam was relegated to the fringes of society.
Not only did the Mutazalites allow for rebellion but they also accused traditionists of fabricating the hadith related to rebellion in order to maintain their power and stop insurrection.[41] For example al-Jahiz, a famous Mutazalite scholar took this a step further and was appalled that the heretics, meaning Ahle Sunnah, made not only removing the leader impermissible, but also did not allow one to criticise the leader.[42]
Imam Abu Hanifa did not himself rebel against the leader but he apparently supported Imam Zayd bin Ali in his quest against the brutal and violent leadership of the Ummayads. But once again, this gives credence to the notion which is argued by the Mutazalites where they claim that Abu Hanifa was a Mutazalite, and their position on this topic gives further credence to their claim that they are the only group that truly inherited this position from Imam Abu Hanifa, whereas as we have seen the Maturidi Scholars were against the notion of rebelling against the leader.
Imam Hussayn and Yazid
Another contention made by those who are pro-rebellion is that Imam Husayn was a rebel and therefore going against the leader is permissible. Let us be clear, Imam Hussayn did not rebel, he was the legitimate leader and Muawiyah made the error of appointing his son as the leader and turning the Khilafah into a kingship.
Imam Hassan bin Ali had ascended and became the Muslim ruler, he gave this up in order to stop further bloodshed and death and therefore ceded his leadership to Muawiyah, but according to Shia sources, with an agreement that Muawiyah would not appoint his successor and instead the new leader would be appointed by the Muslim world. Even if you disregard the notion that this occurred, what did occur is that Muawiyah, during his own life, made people give their allegiance to Yazid, which is impermissible. As it is narrated in the following hadith:
And he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If allegiance is given to two khalifah’s then kill the second of them.”[43]
Therefore based on this tradition the allegiance given to Yazid was invalid and he should in fact have been killed. After this when Muawiya did actually die, allegiance was given to Imam Hussayn and he was the rightful leader of Muslims. Yazid and the Ummayads were rebels and should have been treated as such.
Banu Isra’il were ruled over by the Prophets. When one Prophet died, another succeeded him; but after me there is no Prophet and there will be Caliphs and they will be quite large in number. His companions said: What do you order us to do (in case we come to have more than one Caliph)? He said: The one to whom allegiance is sworn first has a supremacy over the others. Concede to them their due rights (i. e. obey them). God (Himself) will question them about the subjects whom He had entrusted to them.[44]
In another version of the same hadith it states that you should kill the second who in this case was Yazid.
The Syrian Rebellion
I felt that it was important to look into the Syrian revolution to decipher what actually occurred, including the interactions of Bashaar al-Asaad with the revolt. Let me be clear, I do not support Bashaar; I am merely analysing the facts. I know that when people read this article they will relegate my position to being pro-Bashaar, which is far from the truth. The reason for writing this lengthy and detailed piece was to demonstrate that the Sunni position has clearly been misrepresented in order to legitimise rebelling against the leader. My own opinion lies somewhere between the position of Ahle Sunnah which is anti-rebellion and the Mutazalites who are pro-rebellion. Unlike the rest of the scholars I am not hamstrung by the Sunni position and forced into blind obedience. On all issues, I prefer to analyse the data and facts and come to a conclusion based on the original sources such as the Quran, the authentic Sunnah, and the intellect in order to make a judgement on a particular issue. But I think it’s important to be honest with the reader and when your position does move away from the positions of the traditionalists to give the reason for rejecting that position.
Hafez al-Assad was the president of Syria from 1971 until 2000. He was a leader of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party[45] which was a political party and at times it is conflated with the theological ideologies of the Shia School. When he came to power he was well liked and there was real hope for change. During his reign there was an uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood, a group originally founded by Hasan al-Bana. The Muslim Brotherhood is known to be very conservative in their Islamic ideology. In Syria they were involved in violence that resulted in attacks on civilians and military personal. The apex of the riots occurred in the well-known Hama Massacre of 1982.[46]
Twenty-nine years earlier Hafez al-Assad, unlike his son, dealt with the rebellion in a swift and aggressive manner. It was recounted as being a bloodbath with close to 20,000 people dying in the massacre,[47] and it was reported as the single most brutal massacre of an Arab leader towards his own people.[48] The fundamentalists had begun a rebellion and at the time it seemed like the actions of Hafez al-Assad were disproportionate. But after witnessing the rebellion in 2011, it does force a person to philosophically ask the question that had Hafez al-Assad not taken such an action would we have seen the same form of death and destruction we witnessed twenty-nine years later? These are the type of moral questions we are going to have to answer when we attempt to understand the ramifications of rebelling in modern society. Remember when Hafez al-Assad became president he allegedly had de-radicalised the Ba’ath government and was seen as a source of hope for Syrians.[49] So how did such a source of hope go from a person who was visiting villages to see his people, to massacring them in Hums? The answer may lie in the fact that it was the rebels, through their affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood and their conservative Islamic ideology who had started an uprising and the reaction of Hafez al-Assad was to quell the source of the rebellion – brutally as dictators are wont to do, then as now. Of course this statement will produce wailing and gnashing of teeth from those very quarters who think that the civilian genocide and ‘world’s worst humanitarian crisis’ (according to the UN) that is taking place in Yemen is a ‘Price worth paying’ to deal with the Houthi rebellion, and both Salafists and their Western ‘kufaar’ allies are paying it gladly (in other people’s blood of course), so I ask readers to consider such crocodile tears carefully: Asking hypothetical questions about killing rebels = unacceptable. Actually killing rebels and civilians = C’est La Vie.
Moving onto the Syrian rebellion of 2011 this was a result of a cascading effect of the Tunisian revolution which began in January 2011.[50] In Syria it began with small peaceful protests from 28th January 2011.[51] At the same time Bashaar al-Assad was asked by the Wall Street Journal if he expected these protests to filter into his country: he said no, because despite the fact that there had been economic hardship he felt the Syrians would not rebel because the government’s stance of resisting USA and Israel aligned with the view of his people.[52] He had clearly misjudged what would later occur, something his father did not do.
Bashaar was unequivocal in his support for the Palestinians and was the last line of defence in terms of states who supported the Palestinian movement.[53] He had also taken in a significant number of Palestinian refugees into Syria and granted to them rights that many Western countries until this day have not done.[54] The fact that the loyalties of the Palestinians were torn most likely left him shocked and bewildered. Now with Bashaar out of the way, the Palestinians do not really have recourse to a state that will root for their cause.
The protests began on March 15th after fifteen boys from prominent families had been detained for writing anti-government graffiti on buildings. The boys were from almost every big family of Daraa: the Baiazids, the Gawabras, the Masalmas and the Zoubis.[55] The government had beaten and tortured them, and their being from prominent families led to the beginning of protests. In the ‘East’, it is quite common for the government to ‘control’ their citizens, you can’t walk into the middle of Tel Aviv, Cairo, Riyadh, Islamabad, Istanbul, Beijing or any other non-western country and spew anti-government rhetoric, and Syria was no different. Those who oppose the government are forcibly stopped, any infringement on their power or questioning of their leadership is dealt with by brute force. It goes against the idea of free speech and as an advocate of free speech I have a problem with these freedoms being curtailed. Those in power will argue that it is in order to maintain control and stop anarchy. I am not equating the West to the East, as we can see that in the West we are giving the right to free speech and our rights are not obstructed. But in the West there is also some curtailing of rights, for example despite being a frequent flyer it’s rare for me to go to an airport and not be stopped for questioning, I have to explain my whereabouts and where I plan to go. I understand it’s for the reason of safety, but each country has their own ideologies they wish to maintain (this is without me delving into the control of the liberal left and the freedom of choice that is being curtailed in the UK).
When the rioting began it was fuelled by the media, and scholars, as well as modern platforms such as social media. This added fuel to the riots and caused anarchy. The regime dealt with it brutally and crossed the line on many occasions. But what we know is that Governments do deal with riots in a very harsh manner, I remember the Bradford race riots in the UK and the extremely harsh sentences given to those involved.[56] The Socialist Worker subsequently reported, “In the end 200 jail sentences totalling 604 years were handed down.”[57] The UK government made the decision that anyone who caused anarchy would be dealt with harshly to stop further riots. Furthermore, you will notice now that most riots are not reported until after the fact, a pact made between the police and the media. For example the recent protesting of the death of Da Costa was not covered in the media until the next day.[58] In the UK the authorities have understood that as soon as the media begins to report riots those who agree with the cause will join it and this will result in anarchy and the riots increasing. The Syrian government made a huge blunder in this regard, and as such the riots were reported throughout the world, this resulted in more people throughout Syria joining the rioting against the regime. In addition, unlike in the West where they use water cannons on the rioters in order to preserve life, in the East they frequently use guns, which results in a large number of causalities.
But Bashaar is a Nusayri Kafir?
Despite claims that Bashaar is Alawite and therefore a non-Muslim and hence that he should be toppled, one should look at his actions and the way he conveyed his beliefs, as opposed to trying to negate those evidences and instead pontificating about what he truly believes, as though they are able to pierce into his mind and figure this out. Many of the Sunni Scholars you know or follow, have studied in or learnt from someone who has studied in Syria. It was the foremost centre of learning for Sunni Islam, where people throughout the world would go to learn despite Asaad being a so called hater of Sunni Islam. The Wahabi-Salafists have Madinah University in Saudi Arabia, for non-anthropomorphist Muslims the main centres of learning were Al-Azhar in Egypt and Damascus in Syria. Many secularists would argue that this could have been one of the mistakes of Asaad; as soon as you let religious folk into your country, they cause violence one way or another, in this case it was through inciting a rebellion.
Those who have read this article will now be aware that you cannot rebel against the leader according to Ahle Sunnah unless the leader commits open and obvious disbelief. We have explained what constitutes open and obvious disbelief earlier in the article. Despite claims that he is a Nusayri Shia, and therefore a disbeliever, let’s look at the facts. He studied and learnt under Shaykh Ramadan Bouti, a highly respected and knowledgeable scholar. Bashaar would attend Jumaa (Friday Prayer) and Eid prayer, and pray behind Sunni scholars whether they were Hanafi or Shafi. For example here is Bashaar praying his prayer during the rebellion, when there was no need to ‘fake it’, as he had minimal support from Sunni Muslims, and in fact he would have been better served appeasing the Shia scholars and laity:
And another one:
A friend of mine at the time offered a £10,000 reward if someone could prove that Bashaar was a (Kafir) disbeliever. I am no expert in contemporary Shia theology but as far as I know for Nusayri Shias to pray in the same manner as a Sunni-Hanafi is considered according to them an act of Kufr (disbelief). The best that people came up with in response to the challenge was that some of the laity or military personel who were pro-Assad committing acts that could be deemed Kufr (disbelief) (incidentally, Saudis’ Western allies in Yemen and elsewhere being non-Muslim does not reflect on their creed note). But guess what, a basic fundamental issue mentioned in the Quran as well as the books of theology is that you are not responsible for actions of others. Therefore, you need to show how Bashaar committed open and obvious Kufr, and how it is not possible to give his action a positive interpretation that would mean that you do not declare him as a disbeliever.
Justice/Anarchy v Rebellion/Death (Mutazalites v Ahle Sunnah)
I am sure that I would not be an effective leader for a nation in the East, because unlike in the West, it results in a person having to make tough decisions, decisions that are oppressive if you make them or do not make them. When Bashaar came to power people felt he was too soft to be a leader and that he couldn’t make the tough decisions.[59] Obviously that wasn’t the case with Bashaar being responsible for the brutal deaths of many of his own people.
Now we know that Ahle Sunnah did not allow rebellion, whereas the Mutazalites did allow rebellion as they felt that the tenant of justice must be upheld. Unlike the scholars and people of Ahle Sunnah, I won’t disregard the position of Mutazalites without looking at the merits of their argument. So in this case you have a situation where you have to speak for justice against an oppressive regime, but speaking out results in the deaths and displacements of millions. On the other hand, if you do not speak out, the ruler continues to oppress, but millions do not die. Now there are nuances to this argument, as some will argue that you do not need to rebel and cause anarchy but instead what you need to do is speak out against the injustices of the leader. The issue is this: we know that under the rule of any of these tyrants (including the ones in Saudi, the US, Kuwait, Iran, Qatar and the UAE that our opponents usually wilfully neglect to mention) speaking out potentially results in the deaths of millions and they frequently do not succeed in the change: the best you can do is speak out whilst living under the protection of the West (although Saudi are happy to kill you in any country as the Khashoggi murder demonstrates) where you know there are no personal consequences to yourself. I remember during the beginning of this rebellion, it was people and scholars living under the peaceful situation that they had been afforded in the West or in other countries that had incited and inflamed the rebellion. This is to say nothing of the flagrant foreign intervention in the most florid ways from Saudi and the West on one side and Iran and Russia on the other. It can hardly be described as a ‘Civil War’ or ‘rebellion’ in the first place with that degree of brazen outside interference. Then there is the uncomfortable fact that those minorities and large number of Sunni Syrians who support Asaad still – with their arms as well as votes.
This topic brings forth a philosophical question, whether to speak out in the name of justice against a tyrant and cause a rebellion and the deaths of millions or to stay quiet and allow the tyrant to oppress his people. The Mutazalites said speak out for justice whereas Ahle Sunnah argued that one should dislike the act but do not cause a rebellion and further death. But Hamza Yusuf’s critics are nearly all from those claiming to be from the latter group. So…on what are they basing their simultaneous claims to both rebellion and orthodoxy?
I have seen a huge number of Muslims come out in force against Shaykh Hamza Yusuf about this recent controversy. There were hardly any groups that remained quiet on the issue never mind come to his defence. Even scholars such as Shaykh Yassir Qadhi came out to question Shaykh Hamza, despite the fact that he is advocate for many extremist scholars of the past such as Ibn Taymiyyah et al who would want to kill Muslims for the smallest of infractions. Shaykh Qadhi wants to overlook these actions by scholars he promotes who advocate killing willy nilly and nonetheless focus in on someone who asked a valid question “How is that revolution looking for you?” The answer is not good with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), estimated the death toll since the start of the war to be as high as 511,000 as of March 2018. Years of relentless fighting left 6.6 million displaced internally and 5.6 million around the world, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).[60] The question is that what was this unique injustice that was occurring in Syria, that doesn’t occur in any other non-western country in the Middle East that mandated a bloody rebellion there as opposed to any of the others that incited the rebellion, such as Saudi or Iran? And was rebelling due to this injustice worth the death of a half a million people? With millions of Syrians left stranded in other countries and being forced to beg in these countries such as the case in Turkey. This is why Ahle Sunnah is against rebelling.
Of course, it’s always ‘worth it’ when it’s not your country and family and when you can dispatch your mentally unhinged jihadis on a rape and pillage mission to someone else’s country – as Salafists did from Manchester to Melbourne with ISIS (formerly ‘the Syrian rebels’).
In my opinion, as someone who values the Mutazalite concept of justice, but based on my observation of the rebellion in Syria I am against such an anarchic approach, the best recourse may lie somewhere in between. For example, a case where there is another leader with equivalent or more power who is able to takeover with minimal deaths and causalities. But even then, that’s quite hypothetical because realistically in the modern world how would this occur? I am then falling into the same trap as HT who want Khilafah but when an evil group such as ISIS fulfils the conditions of their Khilafah they don’t accept it, and in fact when you do break down their arguments what they want is a Khilafah but with HT to be the head of the Khilafah. There again we may find an example in the Quran about how to deal with tyrannical rulers. We know that the Pharaoh was an oppressive ruler, who subjugated and abused the Israelites, and he would kill anyone who did not submit to his will. But if one observes the interaction of Moses with the Pharaoh, then you see that Moses attempts to negotiate with the Pharaoh. The initial process is to try to convince him to believe in God, when he rejects God then Moses leaves Egypt with his people. He did not rebel, or fight or cause the death of his people. Despite this, the fact that the Pharaoh was a tyrannical ruler meant that he did not even accept this, and instead he chased down Moses and his people, before the oppressors were drowned at sea. One has to remember that the oppressors did not possess the modern artillery that we have now, a means by which it is even easier to kill, but instead the weaponry was primitive compared to modern day standards, and despite this they did not physically rebel against the oppressive regime and cause anarchy.
What I do know is that at the time I spoke out against those rebelling and argued that there would be no positive result and instead it would cause anarchy and bloodshed. Half a million people have died and over six million have been left homeless. Those who incited it are enjoying their lives in foreign countries, and the Syrian people who were scooped up in wave of hysteria will be regretting what occurred. But let me clear, the vast majority of Syrians would not have been rioting but instead would have been innocent victims who were attacked and killed by both sides. One merely needs to look at Iraq where the man who toppled the statue of Saddam Hussain now regrets it,[61] or ask the Libyan people who say that their lives were prosperous before the war. The grass is rarely ever greener.
Therefore, we should all be asking the same question; “How is that revolution looking for you?” When a similar situation occurs and one considers rebelling and causing anarchy, those people should consider the very real possibility that they will be asked the same question:
“How is that revolution looking for you?”
[1] https://sulaimanahmed.com/2015/11/29/the-study-quran-and-muslim-intellectualism/. https://sulaimanahmed.com/2017/07/28/the-truth-about-the-study-quran-part-2-the-quransploitation-industry/. https://sulaimanahmed.com/2017/07/28/the-truth-about-the-study-quran-part-3-al-maturidi-and-who-are-the-theological-modernists/.
[2] https://youtu.be/2C9mPoaik6g
[3] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/08/trump-human-rights-review-panel-mary-ann-glendon-anti-lgbt-abortion
[4] https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/press-releases/president-bush-appoints-new-commissioners
[6] Quran, Surah Yusuf (12:54-55)
[7] https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190626-online-petition-calls-for-release-of-saudi-dr-salman-alodah/
[8] https://sulaimanahmed.com/2017/07/28/islamic-law-homosexuality-and-the-pulse-massacre/
[9] https://sulaimanahmed.com/2017/07/28/islamic-blasphemy-laws-and-the-strange-case-of-mumtaz-qadiri-part-1/
[10] https://sulaimanahmed.com/2016/01/20/black-magic-and-the-perfection-of-the-prophet/
[11] https://sulaimanahmed.com/2017/07/28/prophet-moses-and-endless-insults-of-prophets/
[12] Quran, Surah An-Nisa (4:59)
[13] https://sunnah.com/bukhari/92/35 (Sahih al-Bukhari 7084)
[14] https://sunnah.com/urn/245540 (Sahih al-Muslim 1847)
[15] https://sunnah.com/muslim/33/83, (Sahih al-Muslim 1848), Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, volume 3, page 558
[16] https://sunnah.com/muslim/33/95 (Sahih al-Muslim 1852)
[17] Quran, Surah Maidah (5:32)
[18] Musnad of Imam Ahmed
[19] https://sunnah.com/muslim/33/101, (Sahih al-Muslim 1855)
[20] See Asqalani, Ibn Hajar, Fatḥ al-Bari fi Sharḥ Ṣaḥiḥ al-Bukhari
[21] See Asqalani, Ibn Hajar, Taqreeb Al-Tahzeeb
[22] See Ibn Hazm, Abu Muḥammad, Maratib Al-Ijma
[23] See Nawawi, Abu Zakaria, Nawawi Commentary On Sahih Of Muslim
[24] See al-Tibi, Husayn ibn `Abd Allah ibn Muhammad, Mirqat al Mafatih Sharh Mishkat al-Masabih
[25]See Al-Qattan, Abu al-Hasan Ibn, al-Iqna fi Masa’il al-Ijma
[26] See Al-Bazdawi, Abu al-Yusr, Usul ud-Deen
[27] Asqalani, Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, Volume 2, Page 211
[28] Al-Damiri, Kamal ud-Din, Hayat al-Hayawan, Volume 1, Page 170
[29] See Al-Bazdawi, Abu al-Yusr, Usul ud-Deen and al-Ghaznawi, Jamal al-Din Ahmed, Usul ud-Deen
[31] See al-Nabulsi, Abd al-Ghani, Sharh Ada’at al-Dujanatee
[32] See al-Bahuthi, Manshur bin Yunus, Kashshaf al Qina An Matan al-Iqna
[33] See Abidin, Ala’ al-Din, Al Hadiyah al-Alaiya, Page 405
[34] See al-Maydani, ‘Abd al-Ghani al-Ghunaymi, Sharh Aqeedah Tahwiyyah
[35] See al-Taftazani, Sa’ad al-Din Masud ibn Abd Allah, Sharh Aqaid Nasafi
[36] See Ibn Rajab Hanbali, Zain ad-Din, Jamia al Aloom ul Hikm
[37] See Ibn Abi al-Izz, Sharh Aqeedah Tahwiyyah
[38] al-Qari, Nur ad-Din Abu al-Hasan Ali, Mirqat Al Mafatih Sharh Mishkat Al Masabih (3384)
[39] https://sulaimanahmed.com/2017/07/28/ikrima-as-imam-of-modern-hanafis-part-1/, https://sulaimanahmed.com/2017/07/28/ikrima-as-imam-of-modern-hanafis-part-2/
[40] See Ibn Rushd Abu l-Walid Muḥammad Ibn Aḥmad, Bidayat al-Mujtahid wa Nihayat al-Muqtasid
[41] See Al-Baihaqi Al-Muhassin ibn Muhammad, Risalat Iblis Isla Ikhwanihi al-Manahis
[42] See al-Kinani al-Baṣri Abu Uthman Amr ibn Baḥr, Risala Fi al-Nabita
[43] http://sunnah.com/muslim/33/96 (Sahih Muslim 1853)
[45] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Socialist_Ba%27ath_Party_%E2%80%93_Syria_Region
[46] Seale, Patrick, Asad, the Struggle for the Middle East, University of California Press, 1989, Page 336
[47] https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-freedom-democracy-and-human-rights-in-syria-2080463.html
[48] https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/from-the-archive-blog/2011/aug/01/hama-syria-massacre-1982-archive
[49] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafez_al-Assad
[50] https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2011/01/2011126121815985483.html
[51] https://guides.library.cornell.edu/arab_spring/Syria
[52] https://www.britannica.com/event/Syrian-Civil-War
[53] https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeGallowayOfficial/photos/a.10151946500370797/10152556980285797?type=3&sfns=mo
[54] https://www.huffpost.com/entry/assad-and-the-palestinian_b_5085410?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvLnVrLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKQXaMoKxj9bBJzO037xIhxdfyFl-sCczMrB21be2avHp8AaKE64B_VDfOh7ZReLKvv7Pge8lqLFiqwHj3OSwByumPCIjH7zF18C05-c7roWqwQ4mREFazp3FQrRvnTmSVWAsEzTnmjvFZgQ7AI0__iy7wh9sxiNO1zQM8o30BJX&guccounter=2
[55] https://www.pri.org/stories/2011-04-23/syria-how-it-all-began
[56] https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/jan/30/race.equality
[57] https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/21671/Nazis%20and%20police%20provoked%20the%20Bradford%20riot%20of%202001
[58] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/25/demonstrators-confront-police-in-east-london-over-da-costa-death
[59] https://www.hrw.org/report/2010/07/16/wasted-decade/human-rights-syria-during-bashar-al-asads-first-ten-years-power, https://www.meforum.org/517/does-bashar-al-assad-rule-syria/#_ftn2
[60] https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/syria
[61] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9wC6W7EJpg&feature=youtu.be
Posted in Anthropomorphism Corrected, Apologetics & Dawah, Politics & Activism, Wahhabism & Salafism
One thought on “Rebellion, Orthodoxy and Hamza Yusuf”
adil1411
Excellent article 🙂
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Sunscreen: Hero for Humans, Villain for Marine Life?
Have you ever spent extra time at the store trying to decide which sunscreen to purchase? We try to protect ourselves from the Sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays to minimize the risks of contracting skin cancer or photoaging (changes to skin caused by UV exposure), yet never think twice about the effects of these products on marine organisms.
Popular brands of sunscreen may be more harmful than others to marine life, according to the results of a study published recently in Scientific Reports. This study, conducted by a group of Italian scientists, investigated three brands of sunscreen (two popular brands and one patented eco-friendly brand) not only for their ability to protect human skin cells from the Sun’s UVA radiation, but also for their effects on a sea urchin species, Paracentrotus lividus. This sea urchin species is dominant in coastal areas along the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, and is commonly used in ecotoxicological studies, which makes it an ideal organism to examine the effects of sunscreen on marine ecosystems.
Marine organisms, especially those around tourist hotspots like coastlines, are increasingly threatened by ingredients used in pharmaceutical and personal care products. Compounds in sunscreen, in particular, commonly accumulate in aquatic organisms over time, and can promote viral infections in bacteria and symbiotic algae of tropical corals. Hard to pronounce chemicals such as benzophenone-3 or cinnamates are active ingredients that protect humans from absorbing UV rays, while inactive chemicals such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide act as filters that limit the penetration of UV rays. Preservatives and moisturizers, among other additives, are frequently used in popular sunscreen brands; collectively, these ingredients can have detrimental effects on sea creatures.
The researchers cultured human dermal fibroblasts (skin cells) in the lab and exposed them to UVA radiation. They found that that all sunscreen brands had similar protective capabilities. They then exposed sea urchin embryos and larvae to increasing amounts of the sunscreens (10, 20, and 50 microliters) and increasing lengths of time (up to 24 hours) to determine their effect on the organisms.
For the popular sunscreens, dubbed “A” and “B”, the percentage of embryos with developmental abnormalities increased significantly over time for all three concentrations used. The worst effects of these popular sunscreens revealed deformities that rendered embryos completely unsuitable for survival. The eco-friendly brand, “C”, revealed significant differences in abnormalities after embryo exposure to sunscreen after three hours, but after a full 24 hours revealed no significant differences. Sea Urchin larvae, on the other hand, were affected by all three sunscreens at all concentrations tested when first exposed. Over 24 hours, popular sunscreen “B” was the most harmful, as it blocked development in most larvae observed, though some larvae treated with sunscreens “A” and “C” were found to have abnormalities throughout the experiment. The researchers found that while the embryos were affected by exposure to sunscreen, the larvae were most susceptible to it.
While all three sunscreen brands offered the same protection against UVA- induced damage for human life, the popular brands contained chemical filters and preservatives that affected the growth and development of sea urchins. The eco-friendly product, on the other hand, had minimal effects. Hence, eco-friendly sunscreens that keep both human and marine life happy, need to be developed for commercial use.
The next time you shop for sunscreen, think beyond SPF, and take a look at its contents – are they screening you from the sun but scarring marine life?
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Biology experts take center stage at the 2018 North of England Cell Biology Forum
A NEW generation of scientists aiming to make breakthroughs in our understanding of cell biology in diverse fields ranging from stem cell biology to endocytosis in yeast will convene at the University of Huddersfield to discuss their latest research findings.
There will be some 140 delegates at the 15th North of England Cell Biology Forum. The event, sponsored by the British Society for Cell Biology and the Biochemical Society, places the focus on researchers studying for PhDs or who have recently completed their doctorates.
Providing a platform
"It differs from other scientific conferences because it is very much aimed at providing a platform for early career researchers and PhD students to be able to present and discuss their research, whereas at a larger and more formal scientific conference, the chances are that it would be their group leader who would be presenting," said co-organiser Dr Simon Allison, who is a Senior Lecturer in the University of Huddersfield's School of Applied Sciences.
He explained how he and his colleagues Dr Iain Haslam and Dr Chris Cooper attended the 2017 North of England Cell Biology Forum at the University of Hull and then offered Huddersfield as the next venue. The forum takes place at a different university each year.
During the day, researchers from a wide range of universities – including Leeds, Bradford, York, Sheffield, Hull, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Lancaster – will hear 16 scientific research presentations and view some 60 posters describing current projects in different fields of cell biology.
There will be themed sessions on protein trafficking, cancer, stem cells and innovative technology such as gene editing, the cell cycle and DNA polymerases. Amongst the 16 oral presenters will be Huddersfield PhD students Hollie Griffiths, Megan Palmer and Carla Asquith.
The 15th North of England Cell Biology Forum takes place on Wednesday 29 August at the University of Huddersfield's Oastler Building.
Jayne Amos
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-of-england-cell-biology-forum-tickets-45679720273
Combination immunotherapy shrinks melanoma brain metastases
New research uncovers 'one of the tobacco industry's greatest scams'
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Awdziej Marcin (Kozminski University, Warsaw, Poland)
Time Value and Values Delivered by Marketing
Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, 2014, vol. 22, nr 4, s. 95-108, tab., bibliogr. 71 poz.
Gospodarowanie czasem, Zachowania konsumenta, Wartość dla klienta
Time economizing, Consumer behaviour, Value to customer
Purpose: The aim of the study is to discuss the problems related to consumer time valuation and its implications. This domain remains relatively unexplored in marketing literature.
Methodology: The author approached the time valuation problem in a synthetic and interdisciplinary way. To facilitate the analysis of time characteristics as a consumer resource and temporal decisions, the comparison with money was applied, which is an approach well established in the literature.
Findings: Time can be a source of value only to selected consumers, as not all perceive time as scarce. Mental accounting for time is difficult; hence consumers tend to use heuristics to arrive at their temporal decisions and prefer immediate discounting of temporal benefits. Contrary to a popular adage, time is not money, at least in the context of the majority of consumers' decisions.
Research limitations/implications: Despite growth in the number of publications, knowledge of temporal aspects in consumer behavior is limited and fragmented. Less is known about how to turn the perceived value of time into customer value. Further investigation is needed to identify consumer groups that truly value time.
Practical implications: The knowledge of temporal aspects of consumer behavior, and how consumers value time, would be of particular use in the service industry, where the "when" of customer value is usually provided in the form of "convenience".
Originality: This study sheds light on research gaps in the literature in an under-investigated subject, examining the link between the perceived value of time and possibilities to generate value based on temporal benefits. (original abstract)
Dostępne w
Biblioteka Główna Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Krakowie
Biblioteka Szkoły Głównej Handlowej w Warszawie
Biblioteka Główna Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Katowicach
Biblioteka Główna Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Poznaniu
Alreck, P. and Settle, R. (2002). The hurried consumer: Time - saving perceptions of Internet and catalogue shopping. Journal of Database Marketing, 10(1): 25-35.
Anderson, B. and Brodovsky, G. (2001). A cross-cultural study of waiting as a satisfaction driver in selected service encounters. The Journal of East West Business, 7(1): 11-36.
Anderson, B. and Venketesan, M. (1994) Temporal dimensions of consuming behavior across cultures. In: S. Hassan and R. Blackwell (eds.), Global marketing, perspectives and cases (177-195). Orlando, FL: The Dryden Press.
Becker, G. (1965). A theory of the allocation of time. Economic Journal, 75: 493-517.
Bergadaa, M. (1990). The Role of Time in the Action of the Consumer. Journal of Consumer Research, 17: 289-302.
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Chan, R., Chan, A., Lloyd. A. and Yip. L. (2014). Time buying and time saving: effects on service convenience and the shopping experience at the mall. Journal of Services Marketing, 28(1): 36-49.
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Love Remains Strong as Memory Fades
Richard Roy Smith is a romantic and yes you have to say his middle name or include his middle initial because there are just so many Richard Smiths.
But this “Dick Smith” is special to his wife, Jeannie Snap Smith. Even though he is in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s disease, his wife Jeannie wants to talk about the good times – the times when they were together, the times when he showed her how special and loved she was.
Those times include the 20-second hug. Since they married in 2002, she and Mr. Smith have done the 20-second hug. They would stand in their living room, where they hug each other, and count “One I love you. Two I love you, three I love you…”
Towards the end, she would say, ‘I really do love you dear.’ His response, “As long as the stars twinkle,” Mrs. Smith said.
Now that Mr. Smith, 82, lives in the memory care unit at Sunrise Brighton Gardens and COVID-19 has hit, they do their 20-second hug over the phone when the hospice palliative care nurse calls her, she said.
“I tell him ‘pretend that I am hugging you.’ I said ‘I love you. Dick I will always love you.’ He doesn’t talk back to me as much,” Mrs. Smith,76, said. But one time, she said, he responded “every second.”
“He may not remember my name,” Mrs. Smith said. “But he knows I love him.”
“I do get choked up, I do cry, it’s hard,” she said. “I am by myself with nobody telling me what to do. I would say the thing that keeps me the best is my connection to God,” she said. “ I’m too blessed to be stressed and we have to remember our blessings. We cannot dwell on the negative things,” said Mrs. Smith, who lives in Kettering.
COVID-19 has changed life for so many, particularly Alzheimer’s caregivers. Before the stay at home order, she used to visit Brighton Gardens twice a day. As for how she is doing, “I would say better than expected, better than the average person. I know Dick is in a good and safe place …I have a great spiritual connection and I have accepted what God has given me.”
“People want to baby you, I don’t want any of that,” she said. She said she used to be a school bus driver for kids and she always lived by this motto: “If you have a problem, turn it into a project…See what you can do about that.” Mrs. Smith said.
The Smiths married after an eight-month courtship. She remembers one time when they were dating, she came to his home and there were stickers, like computer labels, all over the house:
‘you are beautiful’
‘I love you’
‘I want you for my wife’
were some of the sayings. “He is really so romantic,” she mused.
He proposed marriage pretty quickly. She accepted in May. They were married in August of 2002. “Once we got married I started noticing things,” she said. “I told his son; your father has a problem. He has trouble with his memory.”
They sought information and support at the Alzheimer’s Association Miami Valley Chapter. They participated in one of the first early-stage engagement programs. She still attends a support group. Now the support group meets over the phone. “After you have been diagnosed, you’ve got to go to the Alzheimer’s Association,” she said. “To be a caregiver is a hard job,” Mrs. Smith said. “I just try to do my best.”
So, she holds on to the memories, like him calling her “sweetie.”
“I told him the average man lives somewhere around 76 years old….you lived to 76, was very high functioning, you had a good job, a good life, you raised wonderful children…Dick all you are going to do now is fade, fade away.”
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Home > Business Resources > Agent Tips > How to Generate Leads from LinkedIn
How to Generate Leads from LinkedIn
How Agents Can Generate Leads on LinkedIn
Jeremiah Desmarais, best-selling author of the book Shift: Digital Marketing Secrets of Insurance Agents and Financial Advisors, and a TED Talk speaker, discusses tips and strategies for using LinkedIn to build connections and generate sales leads. Learn more about:
• The value of LinkedIn
• Targeting strategy to maximize reach
• The benefits of sales navigator
• How to find and make connections
• Messaging best practices
• Improving your LinkedIn profile
Maggie: Hi everyone. Today Jeremiah Desmarais is joining us to teach our AmTrust appointed agents how to make small business insurance leads on LinkedIn. Jeremiah as an expert sales trainer in the insurance industry, a bestselling author and a TED Talk speaker. Thanks for joining us Jeremiah.
Jeremiah: Great. Thanks for having me Maggie. I appreciate it.
Maggie: Let's get started then. To start off, why does LinkedIn work? I think a lot of people still think social media is not the place to be doing business.
Jeremiah: Yeah, and you know, I'm glad you mentioned that because the misconception in the industry, especially if you're in commercial lines and you're trying to go after let's say restaurant owners or you want to get deals related to work comp or cyber liability or high end personal lines from the owners of the business. The concept of LinkedIn has always been in this space almost like a nice place to put your CV, right? Where and I'm sure seeing even folks who are AmTrust producers or principles inside agencies, they probably just have president of ABC agency and then they have the areas of their focus. And then they have the years of experience and that's pretty much it.
And really this is no fault of the producers themselves. There just hasn't been a lot of the underground stuff that, for example, I talked about in the book Shift where advisors and producers are using simple email techniques to lock in anywhere from one appointment a week to two or three appointments a week using simple hacks.
And what's interesting Maggie, is LinkedIn actually did a study on commercial lines producers not too long ago. And when they interviewed people who were the decision makers for commercial lines products, they found that nine out of 10 of them on LinkedIn had actually used an agent or a broker for at least some of the purchases, which is incredible. Because if you think about it, do you want to spend your time on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, which are all great channels. But if you know that 90% of the people who own a commercial lines policy are on LinkedIn that used a broker, wouldn't you want to spend your time there, right?
The back end of that study, which I thought was really cool, is they went out and they interviewed producers and they asked them, "Hey, when you engage with LinkedIn, are you actually getting results?" It was amazing to me is 52% were able to identify their precise target audience. 43% found a potential client, 43% identified a new opportunity and 31% were able to schedule a meeting. To me those are amazing numbers and we've continued to validate that over and over with our students and advisors who are using LinkedIn with a very smart email strategies in order to get those appointments.
Maggie: It sounds like not only is the audience on LinkedIn where we want to be targeting, but it's also effective. I think for our agents if they want to use LinkedIn as a targeting strategy to reach out to small business owners. The next question is where do they get started?
Jeremiah: Good question. LinkedIn has made it really easy now to get started with that. In the top left hand corner when you're on LinkedIn, there's that little search bar. All you need to do is put in the desired title. I imagine for some AmTrust producers or principals, maybe they want to target the CFO. Others maybe want to go after a controller, maybe others want to go after the CEO or the business owner them self. All you need to do is type that word in and then the city where your prospecting.
I'm not far from Boston. So for example, I would put CEO Boston. And then LinkedIn is going to give you a generous search result of all of the CEOs in the Boston area. And that's really all you need to do to get started. And it's not about connecting with everybody, it's about connecting with the desired prospect that you want. So once you have those results, you can go through a simple formula. And if you're going to use a free version of LinkedIn and get started, I recommend about 50 outreaches a day. And if you do about 50 a day, you'll get about 15% of people usually that will say, excuse me, 30% of the people that will say, sure, I'll connect with you, which will lead to 15 warmed introductions everyday cumulatively after you've been doing it for a couple of weeks.
Maggie: Yeah. And that's quite a higher percentage than using direct mail. It's a much higher success rate. So what about when you're searching? I know different small businesses have different naming conventions. One small business might call someone the owner or the other might call it the CEO. Does that make a difference when you're searching?
Jeremiah: Yeah. I'm glad you brought that up because that's usually where people limit the scope of their searches. When you're looking for the owner, it's really up to the individual to self-identify their own particular title, right? If you and I are working in an AmTrust office Maggie, you might call them the business owner, I might call them the CEO. But we know we're talking about the same person, right?
But when we look and say John Smith is the individual in question that we want a prospect, it really is up to that person how they're going to identify themselves. So you actually have to do multiple searches. So what I recommend when we teach our students and advisors is you want to be able to have a search for a business owner, Boston for example, and then you go through that whole list as part of your prospecting sequence. And then you want to have a separate search, which you're going to do called CEO. You might even have another one called president and yet you might have even another one called founder.
The key is when you're getting started or simply, just choose one and then work slowly through that.
Maggie: I know you mentioned there's a free version and a paid version of LinkedIn. What's the difference between the two?
Jeremiah: Yeah, great question. So free is really there to kind of help you get into the whole the LinkedIn ecosystem, right? You can put your profile up there, you can have your summary section. You're allowed to connect with people. As long as you stay under about 50 requests a day, you're going to be fine. You can even message people that you are connected with, which is really where the power of LinkedIn comes in, is being able to directly message your ideal prospects. And you can send several dozen messages for free every single day under a free account.
What I love about Sales Navigator though is for an extra, what is it, 79 bucks a month, you can get a lot more focused and targeted in your prospecting. So for example, let's say an AmTrust office really specializes in businesses that are between the size of 10 and 50 employees, right? They don't really go over 50 and because that's a little too big, but that's kind of their sweet spot. When you get into Sales Navigator, you're able to whittle down those thousands of CEOs and get them to a much more focused search stream. So you can literally select, show me only those that are companies between 10 and 50 for example, or 50 to 200 or 200 plus, which makes it really easy to get a better list. One of the things we always teach our students is quality over quantity. So it's better to have a smaller quality prospect target list than it is to have a big one. And Sales Navigator allows you to do that.
The second one, that is ... One of the second features that we really like about Sales Navigator is the ability to see who's active on LinkedIn. Because there's a search filter you can show that will show you who's been active on LinkedIn in the last 90 days, right? Who's changed jobs in the last 90 days? So imagine if you're a new CEO, your first 90 days are really, really critical, right? As a new business owner [inaudible 00:08:07] great decisions. And probably some of that is looking at the costs of your insurance, because as you know, it steadily goes up, up, up.
Then if you've got great products like with AmTrust and you're able to offer a unique niche, something that perhaps they didn't know about, you can specifically target new business owners or new CFO's are new controllers and create a custom offer directly to them. So I mean there's way more features of Sales Navigator that are available, namely like you can outreach to up to a 100 people a day as opposed to 50. And you can message well over a 100 people a day. They kind of take the training wheels off on Sales Nav and you can just kind of take it to the moon in scale.
Maggie: And when you're using Sales Navigator, can you also search by industries? There's a lot of specific preferred industries and business classes within the AmTrust appetite.
Jeremiah: Yeah, absolutely. You can go by industry and by vertical, so absolutely.
Maggie: I know when people are thinking about LinkedIn, they understand the concept of searching for people and finding people and making logical connections on there. But I think where people get tripped up is then reaching out. I think people aren't sure what to say and they have trouble forming that first communication. What do you recommend?
Jeremiah: Yeah, great question. So in the first connection email, it's really important to not come across sales-y or even share your intention of prospecting. A really simple one. So Maggie, if you were a business owner in Boston and I thought that you might be a great prospect, I would do something like, "Hey Maggie, I just noticed that you've accomplished quite a bit in your business. Congratulations. I noticed we both do business here in Boston. I thought it wouldn't hurt to connect. Hope business is great. Jeremiah." So that would be my outbound message, right?
We actually have over 17 different templates in Advisorist. Some had gotten all the way up to 60% acceptance ratios. But that's just one really simple one. You find a common thing, you give a compliment and you keep it simple. And when you do something like that, your chances of getting accepted to be connected with someone increase dramatically.
Maggie: And then after that initial connection, what's the next step? What are some different types of messaging that you can do to keep that relationship fresh?
Jeremiah: Great question. So instead of going for the juggler right away, "Hey, I have these great products and I think I can help you lower costs and so forth." That is not the most successful approach. I mean, some people do it, but you really got to be tenacious about it and you have to do a massive numbers in order to get results. What we teach our students is to use a go giver type of mentality.
Think about the law of reciprocity, right? Maggie, I'm sure you've had people in your life, either professionally or personally, that they're just big givers, right? Every time you see them, they're either given you a compliment, they're giving you a gift or something like that. And if you don't ever reciprocate, it's kind of like, hey, hey, stop, stop. You feel compelled to give back. That's a law of reciprocity, right? The more somebody gives you, the more you feel compelled to give back to them.
We use a similar technique on LinkedIn where either you can have an asset. Let's say AmTrust has an asset that helps business owners make great decisions. You can give that as a gift. "Hey, thanks for connecting with me. We just released this recent report that shows restaurant owners how to lower costs in five different areas in their restaurants. Hope you enjoy it." That's it, right? So I'm not asking for a sale, I just want to give something of value. Then a couple of days later, maybe a week later, I share an article on Ink or Forbes or something like that that helps restaurant owners. Yet again, I might share something valuable for them. Maybe ask them, "Hey, have you ever given a thought to this?"
And then after a three step sequence of goodwill, where you're just building all this value at the end, you can go for the ask and ask for the appointment. So that's just one of the techniques. We have about nine different door opener strategies that we use via LinkedIn and email, but that one has been proven to work very, very well.
Maggie: What's the timeframe typically from when you send out that first communication until you bring in the sales aspect?
Jeremiah: If you're doing it consistently, which I've seen is the biggest roadblock for most producers is just being able to shut the door, grab your cup of coffee and between 8:00 and 8:30 do the outreaches and the emails every single day. Now there's bots and stuff like that, that we teach our students that can help them out. But that to me is the biggest roadblock to success.
But if somebody doesn't has that and their self-discipline and they're self-motivated and they can get it done. We've seen people within a 45-day window start having one meeting a week with their desired prospect. We had one brand new, fairly brand new producer in a commercial lines firm in an extremely competitive city who was just getting started. But out of the nine producers that we were teaching, he was the one who was actually diligently doing it every day. Within 45 days he was meeting with a CFO of his ideal market every single week. In addition to that, he got invited to be the Chief Operations Officer for a biotech networking group in that same city.
He had prospected, the owner of that group and the person was so impressed with his goodwill sequence, said, "You really know how to use LinkedIn. You should be our COO." Which guess what? Opened him up to many private equity firms, law firms, biotech firms themselves. So he was now able to get a reach where he would never have to prospect again cause all he needed to do is start building relationships with everybody in that group. Now obviously that's like a little bit of a unicorn story. But at 29 years old to be able to crush it like that, was just amazing. And he did that just because he was consistent.
Maggie: When you say to be consistent, what's your recommendation? How much time should people be spending on LinkedIn?
Jeremiah: Probably 25 to 30 minutes a day is enough. But you have to be focused, right? This is not going on LinkedIn scrolling on my feed, liking stuff, reading interesting articles. No. I go back to my search, I continue where I left off, I reach out the connections, then I go to my inbox, I check out who's replied. I add the next sequence. That's really ... In less than about 30 minutes a day you can do this.
Maggie: Great. And I know you've mentioned your book before. If agents are interested in reading that, where can they find a copy?
Jeremiah: Well, thank you for the commercial. This copy is available on Amazon. You just go to amazon.com write the word “Shift” and then just “Jeremiah.” My last name is pretty hard to spell as you can tell. But you could just type in “Shift Jeremiah” and you'll see that book. We're super proud of the fact that we have over 55 star reviews. Because the way that I designed this book is with templates and step-by-steps. You can even see here on this chapter on LinkedIn, I actually give you the screenshots and show you how to run advanced searches.
If you're looking for a book that's mainly theory, this is not it. But if you're looking for templates and guides and screenshots and scripts and email templates, it's all in here. And we're really excited to be taking the learnings from Shift into the advisor's platform, which we know, sneak preview, we'll be working with some AmTrust producers on this as a special project to kind of work with you all to help bring to life all of the potential that sits right in your own LinkedIn profile as well as email and Facebook and all the other cool digital stuff to fill your pipeline.
Maggie: Thanks Jeremiah. Do you have any final tips before we go that agents should know about using LinkedIn?
Jeremiah: Yeah. Quick little simple thing that you can do right now that will increase your professional presence is instead of putting insurance producer or insurance agent in your professional headline, change that up to I help business owners and then whatever the achieved result you do. I help business owners lower cost through creative strategies. I help business owners to retain employees through whatever.
Change that professional headlines so that when people look at your profile instead of being like insurance agent, there's a little more intrigue, right? And I welcome everybody who's watching this video. Look at my professional headline. I mentioned Ted and Forbes and then I help advisors book appointments on their calendar. So the statement of benefit to the ideal prospect has to be in that professional headline, and that's going to help more people just randomly click on your profile and say, "Hey, I wonder if this person can actually help me."
Maggie: Thank you so much for joining us. Those were great tips.
Jeremiah: Thanks so much Maggie. I appreciate it.
Six Digital Marketing Tips for Insurance Agents to Grow Your Business
Discover ways to connect with and win over small business prospects using proven and emerging digital marketing tools and techniques. AmTrust shares six tips agents can use to help you grow your book of business.
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~*~ Cover Reveal RESPECT by Aleatha Romig ~*~
Respect - An Infidelity Stand-alone Novel “The making of a man” Standing at what I believe is the precipice of my life, I, Oren Demetri, was too young to understand that it wasn’t and too old to imagine that it couldn’t be. The already hefty accumulation of my successes and failures, bravery and fears, and rewards and suffering, had brought me to this point. It was hard to contemplate the things I’d done, and yet, in reality I’d only begun to learn the possibilities. I suppose that’s how it was for me at twenty-nine years of age on the brink of all I’d ever wanted without fully realizing the price I would pay. Yet in that moment, I knew there would be no cost too great or sacrifice I wouldn’t make. I had no idea how far-reaching that moment of self-discovery would be; because as the congregation’s murmurs quieted, bleeding into silence and allowing the thump of my heart to be the only sound I heard, I was a man filled with love and adoration, emotions in stark contrast to those I needed in the world I’d built or the one I was about to enter. Angelina Costello was my dream and now my reality. I’d worked diligently to move beyond the actuality of being a dockworker’s son to becoming a self-made, successful entrepreneur, all in an effort to earn the right to call her my own. I’d overcome servitude to others, collecting their paychecks and lowly praises, to being the one who signed the paychecks and offered the accolades when they were rightfully earned. The world was my oyster and walking toward me on the arm of her uncle was my pearl. I’d found her amongst the empty shells life had offered. There was no need to pry open another possibility. Angelina was all I wanted. Yet my path was uncharted. There was more for me to earn, lose, and willingly give. The top of that list was respect. This stand-alone novel may be read without reading the Infidelity series. From New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a stand-alone novel based from her beloved Infidelity series. With classic Aleatha Romig twists, turns, deceptions, and devotions, this new epic romantic thriller will delve into a world where family takes on new meaning and even the inhabitants are suspicious of the next chapter. Have you been Aleatha'd? ADD TO GOODREADS
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Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana, USA. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Aleatha has raised three children with her high school sweetheart and husband of over thirty years. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she's not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time a with her family and friends. Her other pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams and bring your imagination to life! Aleatha released her first novel, CONSEQUENCES, in August of 2011. CONSEQUENCES became a bestselling series with five novels and two companions released from 2011 through 2015. The compelling and epic story of Anthony and Claire Rawlings has graced more than half a million e-readers. Aleatha released the first of her series TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE, INSIDIOUS, in the fall of 2014. These stand alone thrillers continue Aleatha's twisted style with an increase in heat. In the fall of 2015, Aleatha moved head first into the world of dark romantic suspense with the release of BETRAYAL, the first of her five novel INFIDELITY series that has taken the reading world by storm. She also began her traditional publishing career with Thomas and Mercer. Her books INTO THE LIGHT and AWAY FROM THE DARK were published through this mystery/thriller publisher in 2016. In the spring of 2017, Aleatha released her first stand-alone, fun, and sexy romantic comedy with PLUS ONE, followed by the sweet stand-alone, ONE NIGHT. Aleatha is a "Published Author's Network" member of the Romance Writers of America and PEN America. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. NEWSLETTER | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | GOODREADS INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | PINTEREST
♥ONE NIGHT by Aleatha Romig ♥ Cover Reveal ♥
A sweet, fun, and sexy stand-alone romance from New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig.
One night to remember Is that too much to desire? One night for fun, passion, and a chance to remember what it’s like to be a woman. I’m not looking for love. There’s a man in my life who loves me with all his heart. He has beautiful blue eyes, is three feet tall, and calls me mommy. He’s my whole world and I’m his. Fate stole his daddy way too soon. What would happen if I allowed fate another chance, just for one night? One night to help a friend Why did I agree to this? Blind dates are disasters. If I weren't helping the friend of a friend, I wouldn't go. I’m not looking for romance, love, or even a one-night stand. After all, the man my friend knew is gone. I’m no longer the hockey star known for his "pep" on the ice and in the sack. I have a new life, and a new career—a new passion. I’m not looking for more. When the blind date is a bust, could fate change everything? One night doesn’t end with a kiss—it begins with one. Be ready to laugh, cry, and fall head over heels as you meet Leatha, the lighter side of Aleatha in this new sweet and sexy stand-alone romance, ONE NIGHT.
Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks
Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana, USA. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Aleatha has raised three children with her high school sweetheart and husband of nearly thirty years. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she's not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time a with her family and friends. Her other pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams! Aleatha released her first novel, CONSEQUENCES, in August of 2011. CONSEQUENCES became a bestselling series with five novels and two companions released from 2011 through 2015. The compelling and epic story of Anthony and Claire Rawlings has graced more than half a million e-readers. Aleatha released the first of her series TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE, INSIDIOUS, in the fall of 2014. These stand alone thrillers continue Aleatha's twisted style with an increase in heat. In the fall of 2015, Aleatha moved head first into the world of dark romantic suspense with the release of BETRAYAL, the first of her five novel INFIDELITY series that has taken the reading world by storm. She also began her traditional publishing career with Thomas and Mercer. Her books INTO THE LIGHT and AWAY FROM THE DARK were published through this mystery/thriller publisher in 2016. 2017 brings Aleatha's first "Leatha, the lighter side of Aleatha" with PLUS ONE, a fun, sexy romantic comedy. Aleatha is a "Published Author's Network" member of the Romance Writers of America and PEN America. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
NEWSLETTER | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | GOODREADS INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | PINTEREST
★★Cover Reveal ★★ Fidelity By Aleatha Romig★★
She thought she could save those she loved. He thought he could save her. They'll both learn the truth. FIDELITY, the dramatic conclusion to the epic five novel series INFIDELITY, following Lennox "Nox" Demetri, Alexandria "Charli" Collins, the Montagues, Demetris, Fitzgeralds, and Spencers is finally here. When the vows are complete and the dust settles, who will be left standing? No one is safe, and no alliance is above suspicion in the much-anticipated finale to this hot romantic-suspense saga. Our heroine has survived betrayal, cunning, deception, and entrapment…what will happen when she’s faced with fidelity? Infidelity, it isn't what you think. From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic twists, turns, deceptions, and devotions, this new, epic romantic suspense will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next.. Have you been Aleatha'd? FIDELITY is the fifth and FINAL of five full-length novels in the INFIDELITY series. *This series does not condone nor does it advocate cheating.
Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | Barnes & Noble
One week. No future. No past. No more. Alexandria Collins has one week to live carefree—no ghosts of her past or pressures of her future haunting her. Reinventing herself as "Charli," she is knocked off her feet by a sexy, mysterious man who brings her pleasure like she never imagined. With her heart at stake, she forgets that decisions made in the dark of night reappear in the bright light of day. "Some of my tastes are unique. They aren’t for everyone. I understand that.” Lennox "Nox" Demetri is wealthy, confident, and decisive—he knows what he wants. From the first time he sees Charli at an exclusive resort, he knows he wants her. Although he is usually the one to make the rules, together they agree on one: One week. No more. When betrayal comes from those closest to Alexandria, she must decide how far she is willing to go to survive. Choices are not always easy, especially when they involve the heart, body, and soul. After all, Infidelity is a business, and some rules are meant to be broken. "Is it really cheating if you're doing it to yourself?" From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants, and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic Aleatha Romig twists, turns, deceptions, and devotions, this new epic dark romance will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next. Have you been Aleatha'd? BETRAYAL is a full-length novel and the first of five in the INFIDELITY series.
Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | iBooks |Kobo
"He owns you. Whatever he tells you to do you do". One year. No future. A past that won't go away. Lennox "Nox" Demetri broke his own rule by making a deal. It may not have been directly with the devil, but that doesn't mean Satan himself isn't watching. Was it fate that brought Charli into his life and his bed? What will happen when rules are broken and secrets are revealed? "New rules...my rules." Alex "Charli" Collins found pleasure with Nox like she'd never known. That was before she knew his last name. Now that Infidelity is involved and the rules have changed, what will result when real life and fantasy collide? Is it really cheating if you're doing it to yourself? From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic Aleatha Romig twists, turns, deceptions, and devotions, the depth of this new, epic dark romance reaches new levels and will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next. Have you been Aleatha'd? CUNNING is a full-length novel, 360 pages, and the second of five books in the INFIDELITY series. Infidelity - it isn't what you think.
iBooks | Amazon | B & N | Kobo
DECEPTION, book THREE of FIVE in Aleatha Romig's INFIDELITY series. "Infidelity - it isn't what you think" It all began in Del Mar, a chance meeting with a single rule--one week only. Or did it? Lennox ‘Nox’ Demetri and Alexandria ‘Charli’ Collins had every intention of following it but rules are made to be broken. In CUNNING they are reunited with Nox setting down new rules for the game and Charli having no choice but to follow them. Now, once again, the game has changed. Nox and Charli’s hot sensual encounter has grown into something more but it is threatened with secrets and regrets. Is it their love and intense sexual chemistry that’s pushing them together or something darker, a puppetmaster behind the scenes pulling the strings on their love affair? Shadowy villains lurk around each corner and everyone is suspect as Nox’s and Charli's pasts collide with the present and threaten to compel them back to their predestined fates. Can deals brokered in the past be negated by something as pure as love and as steamy as the attraction shared by Nox and Charli? Or was it all a deception—starting with that very first meeting? From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic Aleatha Romig twists and turns, the depth of this epic romantic suspense continues to reach new levels as past and present intertwine. The Infidelity series will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next. Have you been Aleatha'd? DECEPTION is a full-length novel, over 300 pages, and the third of five books in the INFIDELITY series - It isn't what you think! (This series is not about nor does it advocate or condone cheating)
"The snare is set--leaving, friendships, lives, and futures dangling in the balance" ENTRAPMENT continues the epic new romantic suspense series INFIDELITY, featuring Lennox "Nox" Demetri, Alexandria "Charli" Collins, the Montagues, and the Demetris. The thrills, heat, and suspense continue to add up... One chance meeting plus... One sexy, possessive alpha and one spunky, determined heroine plus... One week of uncontainable, unbridled passion plus... One impulsive decision times... Two declarations of love divided by... The sum of intertwining pasts, lies, and broken rules equals... ENTRAPMENT "Infidelity - it isn't what you think" Don't miss this latest novel in the Infidelity series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig. The classic twists, turns, deceptions, and devotions will have readers on the edge of their seats, discovering answers that continue to pose questions. Be ready to swoon one minute and scream the next. Have you been Aleatha'd? ENTRAPMENT is the fourth of five full-length novels in the INFIDELITY series: Betrayal, Cunning, Deception, Entrapment, and Fidelity. *This series does not advocate nor does it condone cheating.
Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | B&N | Print
Aleatha Romig is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Aleatha has raised three children with her high school sweetheart and husband of nearly thirty years. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she's not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time with her family and friends. Her other pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams! Aleatha released her first novel, CONSEQUENCES, in August of 2011. CONSEQUENCES became a bestselling series with five novels and two companions released from 2011 through 2015. The compelling and epic story of Anthony and Claire Rawlings has graced more than half a million e-readers. Aleatha released the first of her series TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE, INSIDIOUS, in the fall of 2014. These standalone thrillers continue Aleatha's twisted style with an increase in heat. In the fall of 2015, Aleatha will move head first into the world of dark romance with the release of BETRAYAL, the first of her five novel INFIDELITY series. Aleatha is a "Published Author's Network" member of the Romance Writers of America and represented by Danielle Egan-Miller of Browne & Miller Literary Associates. NEWSLETTER | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK| AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | GOODREADS | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | PINTEREST
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“The Iron Duke” by L. Ron Hubbard
Reading 20 October 2009 3 Comments
I don’t generally read this kind of thing, but it was given away free by a very nice lady on the L. Ron Hubbard stand at the London Book Fair earlier this year. I don’t like to write anything off without having read it first, so I thought I’d give it a try.
The writing was not bad, and the plot moved along quickly, with lots of twists and turns. The only problem was that the characters did not feel like human beings. And that, for me, is a big problem. There was a hero, a dame, a sidekick and a villain, and at no point did they threaten to break out of those narrowly-defined roles and acquire the complexities of real, living people. At no point was there any doubt that the hero would coolly win every battle, the dame would fall for the hero, the sidekick would provide occasional comic relief, and the villain would curse as his dastardly plots were foiled.
If you like a good, exciting plot with lots of action, this is the book for you. If you are interested in character, and want to read books that make you think about the world slightly differently, it’s probably best to look elsewhere.
The most interesting part of the book for me was the history of pulp fiction and the biography of L. Ron Hubbard at the end. He certainly had an adventurous life, and his output was prodigious: “Between 1934 and 1950, L. Ron Hubbard authored more than fifteen million words of fiction in more than two hundred classic publications.” He also wrote under fifteen different pseudonyms: Winchester Remington Colt, Lt. Jonathan Daly, Capt. Charles Gordon, Capt. L. Ron Hubbard, Bernard Hubbel, Michael Keith, Rene Lafayette, Legionnaire 148, Legionnaire 14830, Ken Martin, Scott Morgan, Lt. Scott Morgan, Kurt von Rachen, Barry Randolph, Capt. Humbert Reynolds. There are apparently 230 million copies of his works in circulation.
The pulp fiction magazines in general boasted thirty million readers each month – perhaps a fact for today’s short-story magazines to chew on.
iron duke l ron hubbard pulp fiction
Monday morning inspiration
Media hoaxes and churnalism
Helen Beal 20 October 2009 at 9:49 am
I kept expecting you to say something about Scientology – this is the same L. Ron Hubbard, right? And there was nothing in there about that? H
Georgina 21 October 2009 at 3:59 am
I was wondering the same thing. Is this THE L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology? I didn’t know he was such a prolific writer. – G
Andrew Blackman - Site Author 21 October 2009 at 3:47 pm
Yes, it’s the same guy – I was waiting for the scientology pitch too, but it never came. This was written much earlier in his life, and is a straight adventure story, no religious subtext unless I was really missing something!
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Tag Archives: prix médicis
La Rentrée Littéraire Redux
Posted on October 15, 2012 by agallix
This appeared in Guardian Books on 9 October 2012:
The French books world’s demented annual commercial knockout context shows little sign of going away
[Eternal return… Parisian book buyers. Photograph: Alamy]
Much ink was expended, earlier this year, on the subject of parenting in France. For better or worse — usually the former — it was deemed far less “child-centric” than across the Channel. There is, however, at least one area where French kids set the agenda: the agenda (French for “diary”) itself.
Although nominally in December, the end of the year really occurs in early summer, when schools break up for a two-month hiatus. By August, Paris feels eerily empty, in a way that London, for instance, never does. At times, it almost looks like the local population has been wiped out by a neutron bomb, leaving hordes of tourists roaming around a ghost town. Most of those who cannot afford to go away are relegated — out of sight, out of mind and out of work — to the infamous banlieues, which, owing to some strange optical illusion, only become visible when they disappear in flames.
By the same token, it is September, and not January, which marks the true beginning of the year; a beginning that spells eternal recurrence rather than renaissance. “La rentrée” — the back-to-school season extended to the entire populace — never fails to remind me of Joey Kowalski, the narrator of Gombrowicz’s Ferdydurke, who, despite being 30 years old, is marched off to school as though he had been caught playing truant. “La rentrée” is the bell that signals the end of playtime; the restoration that follows revolution. In an annual re-enactment of the “retour à la normale” after the carnival of May 1968, everybody returns to the old “train-train quotidien”: the daily grind of “métro, boulot, dodo” (commute, work, bed — an expression derived from a poem by Pierre Béarn). A vague sense that real life is elsewhere (as Rimbaud never quite put it) lingers a while, before fading like suntans and memories of holiday romances.
The start of the new school year (“la rentrée scolaire”) coincides, give or take a few weeks, with the opening of the publishing season (“la rentrée littéraire”). In fact, both rentrées go together like cheese and wine, Alsace and Lorraine, or Deleuze and Guattari. This is not purely coincidental, since publishers are largely dependent upon education for the grooming of future generations of book buyers. The “rentrée littéraire” is the equivalent of cramming for your finals — a tome-intensive blitzkrieg geared towards the autumn literary prizes and subsequent Christmas sales. The season kicks off mid-August, really kicks in mid-October, and climaxes in November, when most book prizes are awarded: the illustrious Prix Goncourt (hot on the heels of the Grand Prix de l’Académie française in October) but also the Prix Décembre, Femina, Flore, Interallié, Médicis, Renaudot, and a few others besides. The major publishing houses tend to carpet bomb, chucking as many titles at these awards as they can, while the indies have no other choice but to go for surgical hits, on a wing and a press release.
So far, this year’s vintage has been pretty much business as usual, apart from the growing popularity of ebooks. At season’s close, 646 novels will have been released (compared with 654 in 2011 and 701 in 2010). If French fiction is down a little, the number of foreign titles remains constant (220 against 219 last year). As a result of the uncertain economic climate, there are fewer debuts (69 against 74) and more mass-market print runs (including Fifty Shades of Grey and the new JK Rowling). Pursuing a trend observed over the past few years, many of the heavyweights (Jean Echenoz, Patrick Modiano, Philippe Sollers et al.) have been held over until mid-October in order to heighten anticipation and maximize impact upon November’s book prizes.
Some of this season’s most hotly touted titles have a distinct whiff of déjà vu. There’s the new Houellebecq (Aurélien Bellenger, whose first book was an essay on the old Houellebecq). There’s the presidential campaign, which is fast becoming a sub-genre, with no less than seven books devoted to the latest instalment (including a non-fiction novelisation by HHhH author Laurent Binet). And then there’s the obligatory scandal which, this year, comes courtesy of Richard Millet (“l’affaire Millet”!) and his “literary praise” of mass murderer Anders Breivik.
The best take on the “rentrée littéraire” appears in Ecclesiastes: “of making many books there is no end”. In no other country is so much fiction published in such a short period of time. With hundreds of novels competing for a dozen prizes or so, most are destined to sink without trace — unsold and unread. Industry observers claim that if a debut novel has not caused a buzz by mid-September, it’s (French) toast. The result is a book glut comparable to Europe’s wine lakes and butter mountains.
David Meulemans, who heads indie press Aux Forges de Vulcain, made a few waves recently by announcing that he would not be taking part in this year’s rentrée. He described the publishing season as “mass commercial suicide”: a launch pad for prizes virtually no one stands a chance of ever winning. Sylvain Bourmeau — who praises the extraordinary diversity of publications on offer (belying, in his view, the French literati’s reputation for navel-gazing) — acknowledges, in Libération, that the rentrée is indeed a “weird national lottery”. For the past decade, Pierre Astier has been one of its most vocal critics. This former indie publisher, who went on to launch one of France’s first literary agencies, highlights the hypocrisy of a system — controlled by an old boys’ network — that fosters cut-throat competition without establishing a level playing field. Conflicts of interest abound; nepotism is rife. Being life members, the Goncourt judges are endowed with godly powers. Four of them even have books in the running for this year’s awards, which are usually carved up among the major publishing houses anyway. Astier also criticises the lack of openness to francophone writers, which he interprets as a sign that decolonisation has not gone far enough.
Although its quaint customs are often parodied (as in Patrick Besson’s Ma rentrée littéraire), the publishing season, is still widely seen as an instance of France’s cultural exceptionalism; its “droit à la différence” — or even différance.
Posted in Non-fiction / Tagged agnes porier, anders breivik, andrew gallix, arthur rimbaud, aurélien bellenger, aux forges de vulcain, banlieues, david meulemans, deleuze, différance, ecclesiastes, el james, ferdydurke, fifty shades of grey, france, french publishing, guardian, guardian books, guattari, hhhh, jean echenoz, jk rowling, joey kowalski, laurent binet, libération, literary prizes, ma rentrée littéraire, may 1968, métro boulot dodo, michel houellebecq, pamela druckerman, paris, patrick besson, patrick modiano, philippe sollers, pierre astier, pierre béarn, prix décembre, prix de flore, prix femina, prix goncourt, prix interallié, prix médicis, prix renaudot, real life is elsewhere, rentrée littéraire, rentrée scolaire, retour à la normale, richard millet, rimbaud, sylvain bourmeau, train-train quotidien, witold gombrowicz / Leave a comment
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Main As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust
As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust
Flavia de Luce—“part Harriet the Spy, part Violet Baudelaire from Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” (The New York Times Book Review)—takes her remarkable sleuthing prowess to the unexpectedly unsavory world of Canadian boarding schools in the captivating new mystery from New York Times bestselling author Alan Bradley.
Banished! is how twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce laments her predicament, when her father and Aunt Felicity ship her off to Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy, the boarding school that her mother, Harriet, once attended across the sea in Canada. The sun has not yet risen on Flavia’s first day in captivity when a gift lands at her feet. Flavia being Flavia, a budding chemist and sleuth, that gift is a charred and mummified body, which tumbles out of a bedroom chimney. Now, while attending classes, making friends (and enemies), and assessing the school’s stern headmistress and faculty (one of whom is an acquitted murderess), Flavia is on the hunt for the victim’s identity and time of death, as well as suspects, motives, and means. Rumors swirl that Miss Bodycote’s is haunted, and that several girls have disappeared without a trace. When it comes to solving multiple mysteries, Flavia is up to the task—but her true destiny has yet to be revealed.
Acclaim for Alan Bradley’s beloved Flavia de Luce novels, winners of the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award, Barry Award, Agatha Award, Macavity Award, Dilys Winn Award, and Arthur Ellis Award
“If ever there were a sleuth who’s bold, brilliant, and, yes, adorable, it’s Flavia de Luce.”—*USA Today
“This idiosyncratic young heroine continues to charm.”—The *Wall Street Journal
“Delightful . . . a combination of Eloise and Sherlock Holmes.”—The Boston Globe**
From the Hardcover edition.
“Part Harriet the Spy, part Violet Baudelaire from Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Flavia is a pert and macabre pragmatist.”*—The New York Times Book Review
“Delightful . . . a combination of Eloise and Sherlock Holmes.”*—The Boston Globe
Alan Bradley is the internationally bestselling author of many short stories, children’s stories, newspaper columns, and the memoir The Shoebox Bible. His first Flavia de Luce novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, received the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award, the Dilys Winn Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Agatha Award, the Macavity Award, and the Barry Award, and was nominated for the Anthony Award. His other Flavia de Luce novels are The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag, A Red Herring Without Mustard, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, Speaking from Among the Bones, The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, and As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust.
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Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Conference Removes University of St. Thomas
Jerry Palleschi
The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (MIAC) has announced that it will involuntarily remove the University of St. Thomas for competitive balance reasons.
St. Thomas, based in St. Paul, has won a total of 16 Division III National Championships between all of its sports. This past season, St. Thomas won conference championships in four men's sports and seven women's sports leading to another MIAC All-Sports trophy. The school has dominated the MIAC history books over the years.
Because of all the success, member of the MIAC have had enough and voted to involuntarily remove St. Thomas from the conference as of Spring 2021.
"BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- After extensive membership discussions, the University of St. Thomas will be involuntarily removed from membership in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). The MIAC Presidents' Council cites athletic competitive parity in the conference as a primary concern. St. Thomas will begin a multi-year transition immediately and meanwhile is eligible to compete as a full member of the MIAC through the end of spring 2021.
St. Thomas is one of seven founding members of the MIAC and will leave the conference in good standing with a long and appreciated history of academic and athletic success."
St. Thomas also released a statement echoing the conference statement. Tucked into the release was a link to a few questions that the school would be asked. In regards to if anything else could have been done to stay in the conference, St. Thomas says that other schools were threatening to leave if they didn't kick out the Tommies.
"Was there any possible option for St. Thomas to stay in the MIAC?
No. While St. Thomas was committed to staying, other MIAC presidents communicated their intentions to leave the conference if St. Thomas remained. There was consensus that the conference would cease to exist in its current form if St. Thomas remained."
The University of St. Thomas has said that they will start exploring other conferences immediately.
Source: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Conference Removes University of St. Thomas
Categories: Articles, Sports
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Before Music, Luke Combs Wanted to Be a Homicide Detective [Watch]
Luke Combs has revealed that his youthful ambition was not to become a country star—but rather, to be something a bit more unexpected. Namely, a homicide detective!
The 29-year-old shared his college career path on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. "My major was criminal justice,” he shared. "I wanted to be a homicide detective. But if you noticed, I don’t actually have the physical build of a police officer."
Although the field may seem a far cry from where he ended up, it actually relates to his songwriting. "I think solving the puzzle was the intriguing part to me, which is what I love so much about writing songs," he explained.
"It’s a puzzle that has no pieces, so you make the pieces, and then you have to put them together—and that’s the thing that I enjoy so much about writing music."
What was the reasoning behind him leaving his initial career path? "I was a pretty bad student, so that helped a lot," he joked. "I had been in school for five years at that point and I've been singing my whole life, I didn't understand like 'Wow you can do something that you like and people will pay you for that.' I didn't comprehend that."
Combs also spoke to the late-night talk show host about his upcoming first headlining stadium show at his alma mater, North Carolina's Appalachian State University’s Kidd Brewer Stadium, on May 2, 2020. The show is already sold out, and is just one stop on his What You See Is What You Get Tour.
Combs then performed a mini-concert in part of Kimmel's Mercedes Benz Concert Series. The crooner performed "Even Though I'm Leaving" and "1, 2 Many" which is off of his upcoming sophomore album, What You See Is What You Get, which was released on Nov. 8.
Watch his performances below!
Source: Before Music, Luke Combs Wanted to Be a Homicide Detective [Watch]
Filed Under: luke combs
Categories: Country Music News, Taste of Country Nights
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Beyond Empire
Transnational Religious Networks and Liberal Cosmopolitanisms
Posted on 6 September 2018 22 July 2019 by Ella York
CF Andrews and the Future of Indian Indenture in Fiji
Fiona Paisley
In 1916, in order to focus Indian manpower on the imperial war effort, Indian indenture into Fiji was temporarily suspended. But should it resume after the war? A year earlier, two British men with personal and career connections in India, had travelled to the British colony of Fiji with this question in mind. They travelled from India into the Pacific, via Australia and New Zealand, in order to investigate the conditions of indentured Indians on the islands’ sugar plantations. Through their critical report published in 1916, Charles Freer Andrews and William Winstanley Pearson would contribute to the ‘ending’ of indenture after the war, and, they hoped, to the campaign for Indian independence and free Indian migration into the Pacific.
As the historian of Fiji, Brij Lal, has pointed out, the Andrews and Pearson report was only one instance in a much larger story of political agitation by ‘girmitiyas’ (the indentured) themselves. They worked with a range of Indian-Fijians, Indian unionists and others already active in Fiji during this same era. It is also the case that beyond the activism of Indians and Fijians themselves, the Dominions of Australia and New Zealand were invested in the outcomes of the report also, as each had their own ambitions in the Pacific. In the post-war era, these would be advanced through becoming the mandatory powers – administered through the League of Nations’ – in Samoa, New Guinea and Nauru.
That British imperial reputation was at stake in debates about indenture was also important to the White Dominions. By the first decades of the century, the ‘problem’ of indenture within the British empire had been increasingly difficult to ignore. By the interwar years, it would attract renewed significance thanks to the League of Nations’ Slavery Convention and the Forced Labour Convention of the International Labour Organisation that followed. Already in 1910 the Sanderson Commission had been established by the Colonial Office to investigate indenture in the British colonies of Mauritius, Jamaica, Fiji, and Natal (and also in Sri Lanka in relation to traditional forms of unfree labour). The commission found that indenture was a humane form of labour, as long as it was operated efficiently, and properly administered from recruitment through to monitoring conditions at destination. To achieve the required standards, the commission recommended a series of reforms. Andrews and Pearson would show five years later that the system of indenture from India into Fiji had not been improved: it remained far from just or efficient, and, in reality, created untold suffering in the lives of individuals while demeaning the reputation of the Indian people in general. Their findings contributed to the decision by the government of India and by British authorities to end indenture from India to Fiji, already suspended, following the war.
Beyond the conditions of indenture, Andrews and Pearson framed their investigation in the larger context of the Indian nationalist cause. Both were supporters of Indian Dominion status within the British Commonwealth, and, as such, they declared the system to be not only poorly administered, unjust, and cruel (women and men who had been tricked into signing contracts being ill-treated during their period of indenture with little hope of returning home) but as having an intrinsically negative influence upon the reputation of the Indian people in the eyes of the world. Thus indenture was having a retrogressive impact on the prospects of Indian independence.
Already a key issue within contemporary humanitarian reform agendas to reform empire, indenture held particular significance for the Australasia Pacific. The conditions of unfree labour – of which indenture was one – were part of the claims of a range of Anglo-Australian reform organisations for modernisation in the region, including for Aboriginal rights within Australia. Among them was the Association for the Protection of Native Races in Australasia, with missionary origins, that formed in 1911 and sought to model itself upon the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society in London. By the interwar years, the involvement of Australian governments in perpetuating unfree labour conditions among Aboriginal people would bring into question the international and national reputation of Australia as a British Dominion and as a mandatory power in the Pacific. The question of Indian indenture into Fiji intersected with these debates, being an earlier feature in the reframing of empire globally, as well as in the modernising of whiteness and settler colonialism sought by both associations.
Andrews and Pearson were deeply affected by the conditions of the indentured Indians they met in Fiji. These former Anglican clergymen were part of a generation of Christians who embraced the ecumenicalism and religious relativism of the sort promoted by the International Missionary Council held in Edinburgh in 1910. Through their work as educators in India, Andrews in particular formed close personal bonds with Indian liberals and nationalists. He became a close ally of Rabindranath Tagore, for example. Both of the men who were Cambridge graduates had become adherents of the aim of self-rule within the British empire, as articulated by Gandhi and others, including in the name of the Indian diaspora, indentured among them.
Aware of the controversial nature of their support for Indian independence, Andrews and Pearson were quick to emphasise that they undertook their enquiry into Fijian conditions with the support of Lord Hardinge, the Viceroy of India. They were also encouraged in their mission by G.K. Gokhale of the Indian Imperial Legislative Council who was founder of progressive movement, The Servants of India. In 1912, Gokhale had presented a resolution to the Indian Legislative Council declaring that indenture was a form of slavery. In recognition of his influence upon their thinking, Andrews and Pearson dedicated their report to Gokhale who died shortly before it was published.
Their investigation of Fijian indenture began in India among recruiters and newly contracted workers awaiting departure. From there they sailed across the ocean via Australia and New Zealand into the Pacific and finally to Suva, Fiji. They were struck by the conditions on the ‘coolie line’ where, they reported, corals not unlike those provided for farm animals provided little privacy. Moreover, the lack of women among the indentured led to sexual exploitation. In general, they argued that Indian women and men taken from the traditional ways of village life found themselves adrift in a harsh world without rights or sympathy. As Mrinalini Sinha and others have argued, the Indian woman was a key figure in both nationalist and anti-nationalist literature and worldviews, and she was certainly a pivotal figure in debates about indenture within India where sensational stories describing the abuse of indentured Indian women were widely circulated and contributed to nationalist agitation.
Travel into the region provided the two men with insights into the views of a range of Australian and New Zealander progressives. Mostly the opponents of indenture, some of these women and men were of the opinion that Fiji should become a colony of Australia following the war. This would formalise the role of Australians already based in the islands. Thus the findings of Andrews and Pearson were shaped not only by the Indian nationalist cause, and by the global context of humanitarian concern about colonial labour, but also by local articulations of concern among Dominion progressives invested in linking their investment in the Pacific with improving labour standards through distancing themselves from the notorious reputation of indenture. This local perspective interconnected the future of India with the future of Fiji within the British empire, reminding us of the largely subsumed presence of Native Fijians on the British colony of Fiji in debates about replacing indenture with free migration.
According to Andrews and Pearson, the island economy as a whole, and specifically the profits of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR), required the replacement of indenture with freely contracted Indian immigrants who would be invested in remaining in Fiji and contributing to its development. By focussing on indenture without taking into account the British occupation of Fijian land, their report veiled the pivotal point that Native Fijians were cast as insufficiently advanced as a racial group to play an active role in the development process. At the heart of this account of indenture was not an end of Indian arrivals on the islands, but rather their transformation into a scheme of migration that would provide Indians living in Fiji (presumably soon also nationals of their own country) with increased status alongside white settlers. The assumption underlying the report was that while indenture was an intrinsically outmoded system, migration would resolve the need for labour supposedly never to be filled by the indigenous population. Contrary to the case being made for Indian migration, the ‘natives’ of Fiji were to be excluded from modern labour relations in order to preserve their traditional way of life. Ironically, moreover, by representing India migration into Fiji as a benign project, the report was entirely silent on the ‘blackbirding’ or forced indenture of Pacific Islanders (‘Kanakas’) into Queensland in the previous century. This earlier form of indenture had involved the very same company, the Australian and New Zealand company, CSR, that, by the 1910s, ran the sugar economy of Fiji and from which Andrews and Pearson sought permission to make their study. During the 1870s, CSR had featured in appeals made to the Anti-Slavery Society in London by humanitarians on behalf of indentured Fijian workers employed under terrible conditions by the company in northern Australia. It was the end of the traffic in ‘Kanaka’ labour, encouraged by such reports that had provided the context for the rise of Indian indenture into Fiji over following decades.
Recent work on cosmopolitanism has aimed to engage with the possibilities of cross-cultural interaction experienced ‘at home’ or in transit. For historians of cosmopolitan political networks the personal engagements formed across ‘racial’ or colonial lines have suggested spaces or moments of potentiality and interaction easily overlooked. But as indicated by this report on indenture in 1916, such interactions are always complicated and partial – in this case, those operating between British and Indian elites in India, or between British interlocutors and their Indian informants in Fiji, expressing something of the universalisms as understood by the indentured themselves.
Moreover, as the report by Andrews and Pearson indicates, these two worldviews – the one British humanitarian and the other indicated by Indian indentureds’ testimonies of injustice – were interpreted additionally through the lens of Australian and New Zealand interests as Dominion powers in the Pacific. Transnational histories of the international, the imperial and the (settler) colonial have brought renewed attention to the formations of zones of contact involving anticolonial nationalists, Indigenous critics of settler colonisation, and Anglo liberal reformers and humanitarian imperialists. The latter, while asserting the ultimate virtues of western-style modernity, calling also for its present reform through collaboration with non-western and/or colonised peoples. New studies have described, for example, Indigenous or ‘native’ representations for rights on the international stage such as to the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations (for example, see Patricia O’Brien’s work on Samoa), or the informal and affective interactions, as well as strategic alliances, between Anglo and Black British and African American, Indian and other intellectual and activist networks in London (such as by Jonathan Saha).
But as these same studies have revealed, formal or informal international or transnational networks of political activism did not so much transcend hierarchies of difference but articulated them in alternative ways via interactive zones of contact and exchange. As my collaborators in @Beyond EmpireARC have shown in their impressive scholarship, many Anglo progressives saw in their ‘eastern’ counterparts opportunities to learn from non-western knowledges, spiritualities, and ways of being, in the hope of ameliorating the alienating and dehumanising effects of industrialisation experienced in the Industrial Revolution. These same effects were now wreaking terrible impacts across the colonised world.
Of course, humanitarianism and the desire for humane modernisation are not external to the imperial project, but have been integral to its long history (as Christina Twomey has argued). Similarly are immigration restrictions and protective policies in the settler colonies, with their claims of humane treatment towards Asian peoples from outside of the nation, and native peoples from within. The imperial and Dominion intersected in the case of indenture into Fiji. When interrogated through these dual lenses, the 1916 report on indenture by Andrews and Pearson provides a window onto the complex transnational histories of empire, nationalism, and settler colonial rule circulating within and between (in this case) India, Britain, and Australasia during WW1. They would only intensify following the war, when, once again, local agitation would be required before indenture in Fiji actually came to an end. Needless to say, the legacies of that history continue into the present.
For more on this report and its implications, see Fiona Paisley, ‘Sexuality, Nationalism, and “Race”: Humanitarian Debate about Indian Indenture in Fiji, 1910-18’, Labour History, 113 (2017): 183-208.
And for indenture and forced labour as part of a humanitarian critique of settler colonialism in Australia in the interwar years, see Fiona Paisley, ‘An Echo of Black Slavery: Emancipation, Forced Labour and Australia in 1933’, Australian Historical Studies, 45:1 (2014): 103-125.
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Beyond Empire: Transnational Religious Networks and Liberal Cosmopolitanisms is the successful ARC Discovery Grant project DP170104310 17/19. This project is a collaboration being lead by Chief Investigator Associate Professor Jane Haggis Flinders University, Professor Clare Midgley Sheffield Hallam University, Professor Fiona Paisley Griffith University and Professor Emerita Margaret Allen University of Adelaide.
This site will be used for occasional blogging, sharing research insights and archival gems.
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Wild For You
No Naked Ads -> Here! $urlZ Wild for you, p.17
Wild For You, p.17
My body screams for him, reminding me that it’s been hours since he was last inside me. I’ve never been the insatiable kind, but then again, I’ve never met someone like Cash.
Pointing to the folders on the desk, I ask, “Aren’t you supposed to be resting?”
“Yes, but business is business. Work never rests.”
I catch the flash of worry on his face. “What’s wrong?”
“We’re constantly in the red, no matter how much money’s coming in. We’ve lost millions in the few months since my accident. The numbers in the accounting books don’t add up, so here I am, trying to figure out where the problem is.”
I blink once, twice. Wow. Millions is a lot of money to lose in a few months. “Don’t you have people for that?”
“Of course I do,” Cash says grimly. “But at this point, I don’t trust anyone. If someone on the payroll is screwing me over, I want to find out who it is. I won’t let anyone else do this job for me and risk alarming whoever’s stealing from my clubs.”
“May I?” Without waiting for his permission, I get up and get one of the folders.
“Sure.” Cash heaves a sigh, as though he doesn’t believe I’ll find anything but doesn’t want to argue.
“Before I decided to become a physical therapist, I took a few business classes. Maybe I can help.”
“You already do enough here,” Cash says.
“I don’t mind.” I catch his glance and smile. “I probably won’t see more than you do, but it never hurts to get a second pair of eyes, right?”
I wait for his nod of approval before I peek at the papers. Cash pulls me back onto the sofa, his hand settling at the low of my back as he draws me close to nuzzle my neck.
“What did you find?” he whispers against my skin.
His hot breath makes it hard to focus, but I don’t complain.
I frown as I try to make sense of the numbers. “Find?”
“You barged in saying you found something. What is it?”
“Oh, right. I forgot.” I put down the folder and slide my hand into the pocket of my jeans to retrieve the piece of jewelry. “This old chain.”
In the light of the sun streaming in, the pear-shaped sapphire stone sparkles in a million facets of blue. Cash stares at it and his expression changes.
“Where was it?” He takes it from my hand to inspect it.
“It was buried in the soil near the barn.” I stare at the stone, marveling at its beauty. When he remains silent, I add, “I took the liberty to clean it. I hope you don’t mind.”
A few seconds pass before Cash meets my gaze, his eyes dark and distant. “It belonged to my mom. My nan passed it on to her. I thought I’d never find it.”
His voice vibrates with emotion.
“It’s beautiful,” I say, even though the word cannot do it justice.
“After we realized it was gone, we spent weeks looking for it.” He dazzles me with a warm smile.
“I’m glad you found it,” I say softly.
“No. You did, and for that I’m grateful.”
His expression grows distant again, as though he’s a million miles away, lost in memories. And then he opens the clasp and brushes my hair away from my shoulder. “I want you to have it.”
I stare at him, unsure whether I’ve heard him right. “I can’t accept it. It’s your family heirloom. It’s too personal.”
Too everything.
Ignoring my protests, Cash clasps the necklace around my neck and leans back to inspect it.
My hand moves to it, my fingers gently brushing over the smooth stone. “It should stay in the family.”
The corners of his mouth twitch with amusement. “Why? Are you planning on leaving anytime soon?”
“No. It’s just—” I suck in my breath, hesitating, as I consider my words. “You might want to give it to someone special.”
Like someone you love and want to marry.
Someone who’ll stay in your life even after the job’s finished. The thought crushes me, but I need to keep it real. Cash will meet that special someone one day. It’s only fair that she wear his mother’s necklace.
“You are special to me.” His gaze falls to my lips.
“I am?”
“Yes.” He nods slowly, meaningfully. “You’re helping me.” The words sting for some reason. I want to be the one he loves, not the one who helps him. “It suits you, Erin,” he says. “And I’d rather you have it than it gathering dust.”
Maybe for the time being, but not for long.
“I can’t—” I shake my head. It’s such a beautiful necklace. But it looks expensive, and our future is uncertain. “I can’t accept it, Cash.”
“You don’t have a choice. I want you to wear it.”
I nod because I don’t want to start a fight. But I know that I’d never take it with me. “Your mom…” I say carefully. “What happened to her?”
“She died from a gun wound.” His eyes don’t stray from the stone as he speaks. His tone is soft, but his face remains unaffected. His words are spoken casually, as if we’re discussing the weather, not an event that likely changed his life.
Okay, I so did not expect that.
All air is squeezed out of my lungs.
There is a long silence. I dare not speak out of fear that I’ll break the moment. I know he’ll continue when he’s ready.
“It was an accident.” He drops his hand from my neck and turns to look at me, his eyes a dark green shade I’ve never seen before.
It’s anger I’m seeing. And fear, and guilt.
So much guilt. I don’t know what happened, but it breaks my heart for him.
“I don’t have many memories of her,” Cash goes on to explain. “But I remember the day she died as if it happened yesterday.” He pauses to draw a sharp breath, as though to steady himself before speaking about something terrible. “We were young. I was four, and Ryder five. Kellan was seven, which would have made my sister twelve.” There is a long pause. “Yeah, that’s about right. Carla must have been twelve.”
Suddenly, he gets up and walks out into the backyard. I don’t know whether he wants to be alone or whether he expects me to follow, so I follow him, keeping two steps behind. The air around us is quiet, as if every bird, every tree is listening. A cold breeze begins to blow. I rub my arms, but not to keep myself warm.
The haunted look in his eyes makes me shiver.
We sit down on a bench, our gazes focused beyond the vast fields, on the dense woods stretching as far as I can see.
“Dad was already the sheriff. On the day my mother died, he left the house like usual. I knew where Dad kept the keys to his office, so Ryder and I stole his gun from its place to play with it in our backyard. We were just a bunch of stupid kids who didn’t know that it was loaded or…real. We thought we were cool just like Dad, pretending to be adults.”
I can almost see where this is heading, but my mind can’t comprehend it.
I open my mouth, then close it again, waiting for Cash to continue, as my heart begins to slam hard against my chest.
“We had other kids over all the time. I can’t remember where Ryder was when it all happened, but suddenly all the other kids wanted to hold the weapon. I tried to fight them off when I saw my mom running toward us, probably to check what we were up to. I don’t know whether the gun slipped from my hand or whether someone dropped it. All I know is that when it hit the ground it went off and my mom was hit.” His eyes narrow, focusing on something in the distance, a memory from the past only he can see. “At first, we didn’t know what happened. There was a loud bang, and then there was silence. Everyone was staring at my mom lying on the ground, a lifeless heap surrounded by a thick red liquid that wouldn’t stop pouring from her.”
He falls silent again. I stare at him, his words echoing in my mind, burning me, twisting inside me like a poisonous snake.
I feel sorry for the little boy who didn’t know any better. I feel ev
en more sorry for the adult who’s probably blaming himself every single day.
“She was calm. So calm,” Cash says slowly. “I remember her telling Ryder to go and bring dad, then her eyes moved to me. As I leaned over her, she took my hands in hers and kept telling me over and over again that she was fine. She told me that she loved us and that she was proud of us. She claimed to be lying on the ground because she was tired, but I knew better. I knew something was wrong. I could see in her eyes that she was in pain.”
A tear rolls down my cheek at the magnitude of his words. I wipe it away, but more follow in its wake.
“When Dad arrived, she was still warm. The first thing I said to my father was, ‘Don’t worry, Dad. Mom’s just sleeping.’ I really believed that. I thought letting her sleep would make her pain go away. I was only four years old. Such a stupid kid.”
He turns to me, and for the first time, I see the tears gathered in his eyes.
My chest begins to tighten, my lungs fighting for oxygen. But I can’t seem able to draw breath. My pain’s choking me.
“At that time, I didn’t understand what it meant to die. For a long time, my brothers and I were under the impression that Mom was on vacation and that she’d come back. She told us so.”
“She?”
“My sister. Clara was the one who carried the burden of my mom’s death. She was always the strong one. We’d ask every day when Mom would be back, and Clara would always come up with a story about some road trip. She encouraged us to write letters to tell her what we were up to, the good and the bad things included, and she made sure to send fake birthday and Christmas cards, even gifts, to make us believe Mom was still alive.”
“Yes.” He smiles bitterly. “Surprisingly well, actually. I was nine years old when I finally realized it had been Clara’s handwriting all along. That she was the one who always replied to our letters. I’m pretty sure Kellan knew by then, maybe even Ryder. I think everyone protected me, kept me in the dark for as long as possible.”
Cash smirks, his face twisting with pain, and eventually a tear rolls down his cheek.
“What about your dad?” I ask gently.
He shrugs. “He took the fact that he couldn’t save her badly. He blamed himself for a long time. I think he still does. Once he told me that he should have been more careful where he kept the key to his office, but the truth is we boys used to spy on him. We knew every crevice, every hiding place in the house.” His hands ball into fists as he shakes his head. “We were such stupid kids.”
“You were too young to understand.”
“Still. I wish Ryder and I never got the idea of playing grownups.”
“I’m so sorry.” My hands reach out to him, touching him, the gesture meant to convey the compassion my words cannot convey.
Cash nods gravely. “That’s life. You say sorry, and then you move on because you have no choice. Even I did. My father never moved on after her death. We’ve all been waiting for him to remarry, but he’s remained true to her. Even so many years after her death he talks about her like she’s still with him.”
“Sounds like he never stopped loving her.”
“She was his life. That’s what he always told her.” He looked at me. “My mom’s death hit us hard, but we learned to cope. After all Clara did for the family, it’s a shame she died so young.”
My throat chokes up again as I remember looking at the family pictures in the hall upon my arrival. They tell the story of a happy family. They don’t show the tragedy and the tears. I had guessed nothing of those before Margaret revealed Clara’s story—a soldier who died in a bomb blast.
“It’s her I miss the most,” Cash whispers. “It’s her I have to thank for who I am. For years, she was the light in the dark. She was the one who made sure we grew up okay when my father started drinking. If it weren’t for her and Margaret, none of the Boyd brothers would be who we are today.”
His fingers brush over the gemstone absentmindedly, reminding me of his generous gift. “I’m not perfect, Erin. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes.” His eyes meet mine with the kind of intensity that takes my breath away. “You’re important to me which is why I’m telling you all this. I just wished you’d confide in me, too.”
I blush. “Why would you say that?”
“Because I know you’ve had a difficult past.”
My eyes narrow at his choice of words.
“I’ve read the report about what happened to your boyfriend,” he answers my unspoken question. “I know you’re afraid you’ll get hurt again.”
I take a large gulp of air as waves of anger shoot through me. “How did you—”
“Find out?” He shrugs, as though it’s not a big deal. “The police report. I always take the liberty to look into the people who work for me…or move into my home.”
Which makes sense. If I were him I’d probably do the same. Besides, it’s not like he made a secret out of it. He already revealed that he looked into my credentials. Reading the police report would be the next step to take.
“So you know about my ex.” My anger’s slowly dissipating, replaced by relief.
He knows, and yet he still wants me. He doesn’t think that I’m a monster. How could he when he doesn’t know the whole truth?
“It happened a few years ago. And it’s not like it’s a secret. His accident made the headlines, and my name was mentioned a few times.” An accident that caused his death. “Teen DUI tends to get a lot of coverage. The truth is he was a really good driver.”
He looks at me. “Do you think he did it on purpose?”
“What? I don’t know,” I lie. “He might have been distracted. Maybe something on the side of the road, like an animal or his cell phone.”
We fall silent. This is the moment where I could tell him everything, pour my heart out as he did. But something holds me back. I want him to drop the subject. I want all those memories to go away, if only for the time being.
“Do you still love him?” Cash asks gently.
The question comes so unexpected I almost choke on my breath.
“Do I still love him?” I shake my head. “Did I ever?” I turn away, avoiding his gaze. I could leave it at that, but I won’t. Cash has told me so much about his life. It’s only fair that I tell him something about mine. “I never loved him, but I cared for him.” My voice is trembling, the truth too heavy, the burden suddenly too heavy to carry. I’ve kept it locked inside me for so long that it’s poisoned my heart. I need to let it out, even if it means the end of Cash and me.
“He was my best friend,” I continue slowly. “We had known each other forever, so it was only natural that we started dating. The day I lost him, I didn’t just lose my boyfriend. I also lost a friend.”
Tears gather in my eyes again, but it’s not the pain that’s too unbearable to keep inside. It’s the guilt that’s weighing heavy on my chest.
“The newspapers described me as this distraught girlfriend, but the truth is I broke off our relationship that day.” I feel so horrible I don’t even look up as I continue, “I told him that I didn’t love him the way he loved me. That I only cared for him as a friend, and nothing more.” I draw a sharp breath, but no oxygen reaches my lungs. “I told him that I wanted him to move on, that he deserved someone who loved him the way he needed to be loved.” I shake my head. “He didn’t take it too well.”
“Was it the truth?”
I look at him and nod gravely. “Yes. He was nothing more than a good friend. I tried to be gentle, but maybe I could have chosen my words more wisely. I don’t know. For a long time, I felt guilty. Guilty that I didn’t return his feelings when I should have. Guilty that I didn’t stop him from driving away. Guilty that he died barely an hour later. Guilty that I chose to reveal my true feelings rather than keep my mouth shut. If I hadn’t been so selfish, he might still be alive. Who knows?”
“It’s not your fault, Erin.” Cash pulls me into his arms, cradli
ng me to his chest, his warmth comforting. “Who knows what happened on that road? For all you know, he tried to avoid hitting a wild animal. Or he was so drunk he passed out.”
“Maybe,” I say, unconvinced. “But I still can’t help myself thinking that I could have handled things differently. I should never have broken things off the way I did. He was a good guy. I was too harsh, and he didn’t deserve it. I just couldn’t help the way I felt. I—” I struggle for words. “—I felt like I was leading him on, and I didn’t want that.” My throat chokes up again. “He was always driving too fast because, in so many ways, he was a risk taker like you. He’s the reason why I became a physical therapist. I wanted to help others, if only to amend my mistake.” My fingers move to the necklace. “I can’t accept this, Cash, simply because I’m not worthy of it.”
“I want you to have it,” he says, stroking my cheek gently. “My mom used to say it was her good luck necklace. She wasn’t wearing it on the day she died. I wish she had.” He meets my glance, and something passes between us. “I want a part of me to stay with you for as long as you want it.”
“Why?” I whisper.
“Because I love you, Erin.” His words are soft, but heavy with meaning.
For a moment, I forget to breathe. I forget where I am. All I see is a beautiful man who’s just told me that he loves me.
After everything I’ve revealed to him, his feelings haven’t changed.
“I love you,” he whispers.
“Even knowing everything about me?”
“Yes.” He smiles gently. “Nothing could possibly change the way I feel.”
“I love you, too, Cash.” The revelation makes it past my lips before I can stop it. But it’s true. I love him and I want him to know it, even if this won’t last.
His mouth lowers onto mine. My arms wrap around his neck as I push my chest against him, my body ready for him. His fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me to him. I moan as a tingle begins to travel through my core.
The sound of a cell phone ringing jerks me out of the moment. I peel my mouth off of his and look around when Cash reaches into his pocket to switch it off.
Wild For You by J. C. Reed / History & Fiction have rating 4 out of 5 / Based on32 votes
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The Sea of Monsters Throttle Me Without A Trace Playing for Keeps Angelfall Thrown by a Curve Broken and Screwed Blood Magick Rise & Fall The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Without Me
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burning belly
"We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect." Anaïs Nin
About burning belly
David W. Williams May 17, 2019 Humour, Journalism, Music, Vinyl, Writing
I Am Easy To Find: A soundtrack to my latest long night
©2018 Graham MacIndoe
It’s been difficult to know all week whether I’ve been depressed or just perpetually hungover. Which seems like the perfect emotional backdrop for a new album release from The National.
The National are my ultimate “do I accidentally take too many pills/just listen to some music” kind of band. My darkest times of the past decade have, weirdly, coincided with them releasing a new album. And let’s face it — The National, for all their humour and wit and lyricism and musicianship, are miserable motherfuckers. Well, Matt Berninger (the singer) is, and he’s the face and the voice of the band. It’s his mood that sets the tone. They don’t call him the Dark Lord for nothing.
Anyway, back to my darkest times (because the more blogs I read the more I realise this format is primarily for chronically “would-be” writers who feel the need to talk publicly about their misery).
The soundtrack to one of the most tumultuous times of my life was The National’s album Boxer. I got the job at Laidlaw College at the back end of 2007 (I say THE job, but it was actually A job. I didn’t get the job I interviewed for but I was given another one that I didn’t want, because apparently my presentation was shit hot — though at the time not even they knew which job I would land with). Even so, I wasn’t due to join the college until the middle of 2008, by which time the GFC had ravaged the world’s financial markets, including in New Zealand, which doesn’t really have a market (which is why it remained relatively untouched by the financial collapse, apart from the fact every employer used the GFC as an excuse to lockdown wage rises for the next fucking 10 years). Six months is a long time to wait to take up an appointment at a conservative, fundamentalist, evangelical Bible College in Henderson, West Auckland, when you’re earning a lot more money teaching journalism at a progressive research university in Perth, Western Australia. What I’m saying is that in that time I googled a lot about Laidlaw and West Auckland to find out what I was moving to, and … well, I had second thoughts. On top of everything I found on Google, I realised that the HR policies at the college were more right wing than Australian mining giants Robe River. Seriously. There were some members of faculty who would have been made redundant three times! The college was also closing all the regional counselling schools across New Zealand in order to centralise everything in Auckland (and save money). By this stage I had been appointed the Head of Counselling, so from my cushy job in Western Australia I was watching on as the college leadership dismantled my role. But I had a friend on the inside, and it was she who kept my eyes on the prize. For sure, the “prize” turned out to be the equivalent of a party bag from the $2 shop, but nevertheless, despite the emotional ups and downs, I stayed the course. But at the end of every day during that six months of waiting, I would get on the train at Murdoch, south of Perth, and would put on Boxer as I travelled home.
I found a dialogue partner in that album. Its defiance, its desire, its insecurity, its fragility, its longing, its romance, its self-consciousness — about its brilliance as well as its failings … I resonated with it all. It remains one of those albums I both love and loathe to listen to.
Subsequent albums were similarly well-placed to provide tunes to the challenging circumstances of my New Zealand life. High Violet was the soundtrack to my college break-up, which resulted in months of sleepless, restless, agonisingly anxious nights. It’s not for nothing that the track Sorrow was my morning iPhone alarm tune. Or that I would listen to England on repeat, and longingly dream of going back home so that I could start again.
Their next album, Trouble Will Find Me, was the backdrop of some equally difficult nights, and days, as the magazine I never wanted to publish stripped me of every last dollar (and everybody else’s) and every last bit of self-respect. Meanwhile, Carolyn had (and fucking defeated) breast cancer. My new morning iPhone alarm tune was the track Heavenfaced:
I could walk out, but I won’t / In my mind I am in your arms / I wish someone would take my place / Can’t face heaven all heavenfaced / No one’s careful all the time / If you lose me, I’m gonna die
Yep. That just about sums up that entire period. Financial and relational ruin. However, that album also provided moments of light relief, with some of my favourite Matt Berninger lyrics on the song Pink Rabbits:
It wasn’t like a rain it was more like a sea / I didn’t ask for this pain it just came over me / I love a storm, but I don’t love lightning / All the waters coming up so fast, it’s frightening / Am I the one you think about when you’re / Sitting in your faintin’ chair drinking pink rabbits?
And so to this, the release of their latest album, I Am Easy To Find. While I wouldn’t say it’s one of my darkest times, it certainly has had its challenges. Perhaps the worst I can say for myself is that the theological and epistemological frameworks I’ve built up over 10 or so years have taken a beating. But if that’s the worst? I mean, what sort of wanker talks like that, anyway?
“Waaah, my theology’s in tatters!!”
Grow up, you fucking bell end.
The last track on Trouble Will Find You was Hard To Find. So this album, I Am Easy To Find, is a redefining of The National in some ways — one that I suspect will be a game changer for popular music more broadly. As a National album it’s also typical in all the right ways — lyrical, beat-driven, lush instrumentation, mature, sophisticated production. The difference is how the band, and the album, have elevated a range of their favourite female singers, slap bang in the middle of the #MeToo era, in which men globally are being challenged not only to not be abusive to women, but also to act affirmatively to reframe patriarchal structures that have silenced or sidelined women. And so the band on this use their lofty position to give their friends (superb musicians, all of them) a hoick up. That sounds cynical, but it isn’t meant to be. Because the impact is superb — there’s nothing token about the album. It simply works.
Singers such as Gail Ann Dorsey, Sharon Van Etten and Lisa Hannigan not only share the stage with Berninger — in an adult contemporary pop version of male-female encounter — they sometimes take the mic completely and reduce Berninger to a growling backing vocalist. Brilliant. I never once feel that a song has suffered because he has taken the seat at the back.
I was worried about the album when I first heard it was taking this approach, and also when the first teaser tracks were released. But the result is stunning. Refreshing and provocative, it makes a loud statement by taking a subtle route, and produces something of true beauty that you think should have made sense long before The National decided to do it.
There are few dead spots on this album, if any. It lacks the punch of earlier albums — apart from tracks like The Pull of You and Where Is Her Head — but that’s intentional. The album brews rather than pops. But lyrically … wow, the best thing they have done, thanks to the magical pairing of Berninger and his wife, Carin Besser (with the addition of producer Mike Mills). The standout for me at this early stage (I only bought the record today, FFS) is Not In Kansas:
You even get to wear a dress / And feed his flesh to wayward daughters / Everyone is so impressed / Teachers, neighbors, and mothers, fathers / First Testament was really great / The sequel was incredible / Like the Godfathers or the first two Strokes / Every document’s indelible / Infidels and Heartbreak Beats / Smidges of bad ecstasy / I must have left it in my pocket / With my Christianity in my rocket / I’m binging hard on Annette Bening / I’m listening to R.E.M. again / Begin The Begin, over and over / Begin The Begin, over and over
My worry now is that The National typically release an album a full year or two before a crisis in my life that really warrants it. Which means there may be tough times ahead. In this moment, however, the album coincides with a period of doubt and decision, revision and redirection. It’s a creative time for me, but a tumultuous one, and one in which the theological and philosophical ideas that I had relied upon, and then started to suspect were flawed, are now totally out the window. In many ways I really am back at the beginning. But that’s okay too. A lot of people are back there as well. As Berninger says in the album’s title track:
How long have we been here? / Am I ever coming down? / I need to find some lower thinking, if I’m going to stick around / I’m not going anywhere / Who do I think I’m kidding? / I’m still standing in the same place / Where you left me standing
Posted in Humour, Journalism, Music, Vinyl, Writing and tagged albums, Bowie, David Bowie, Encounter, Faith, Family, friends, Funny, God, hope, Humanity, Humour, Loss, Love, Music, Poetry, pop, records, rock, stories, suffering, The National, Theology, Vinyl, Writing. Bookmark the permalink.
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